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About this blog

UPDATE 20TH JULY 2020:  Calshot (MkII) is no more! Sadly, I decided to abandon the project due to being stored in a dusty garage for 10 years. However it is more than likely to live on in another guise... watch this space!

 

The Ramblings of a Junior 4mm Modeller

Entries in this blog

The Schneider Hangar

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my loyal blog visitors and especially those who have left comments or advice. So let's get on with the show...   Well I've been able to continue with the layout tonight and have followed up on Shortliner's suggestion (thanks Jack) of how to fix the hangar door problems I was having and have started to make some good progress.   Basically the idea was that a trench would be dug for the doors to sit into, and two guides for the hangar doors to slot
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A WWII theme

After having taken delivery of some stuff for the layout I opened the parcel which, amongst other things, contained two WWII narrow gauge bogie rolling stock opens. These were promptly constructed and now await painting. Inside the box were 2 more packs of corrugated iron (the shop had run out of corrugated asbestos so I decided to go for the wriggly tin instead as it is a close match). This allowed me to spend this afternoon building the hangar. This hangar has caused me a lot of grief so far -
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Exhibition Invite - New Forest Model Railway Society Open Day

Right, now for some news - a NFRMS member has phoned me up (feel a bit guilty now!) and it has now been officially confirmed I will be attending their open day. New Forest Model Railway Society - Open Day Sunday November 28th, 2010 Brockenhurst Village Hall Highwood Road, SO42 7RY http://www.nfmrs.co.uk   I hope some of you are able to attend - it would be nice to meet up if anyone lives nearby, or fancies a day in the New Forest __________________________________________ I have also t
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Reflections on a days work!

Slowly getting there, but I've run out of corrugated asbestos sheets - annoying because there was only one pack left at the model shop. Never mind - I shall have to source some from an online retailer - along with some plasticard sheets and some more Plastruct bits, Silflor, 009 couplings and some cement rendering plastic sheets.   In the photos below the roof and lattice truss on the hangar has been balanced on top of a Parmesan cheese tub (!). The pipe bridge has been painted and
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Changes are afoot!

Thanks to a few kind folk on NGRM I have a plan of action! Another hangar will be built where the current wireless station is (brick building) to act as view blocker and the WS will be therefore moved to the right of the castle. The scenic exit will be hidden not only by the new hangar but the oil pipeline (see below) for aviation fuel or some such. I wil also build the prototype engine shed which once stood at Eaglehurst (one mile east of Calshot Spit) albeit a single bay not triple bay engine
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Where I'm headin' next...

It's been a fair few weeks since I've actually done anything productive on the layout. The only thing I have done is print out the information panels! I'm now looking to do two major things: Sort out running issues Add some details Sorting out the running issues After a very quick scour over the layout, the probable source of the running issues has become clear. Firstly, there is a tiny amount of glue between the stock rail and the check rail of one of the standard gauge points. Second
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Exbury Excellence! (Now with video)

This weekend was Exbury Gardens annual Steam in the Gardens event. The weather was kind but cold on Saturday and torrential rain today which did see a drop in turnout until the weather cleared. The model railway layouts were based in the EGR engine shed built in 2001 and extended in 2008 (if I know my Roman numerals!). A spacious area with a selection of very nice layouts. There were about 8 or 9 layouts in total ranging from Gauge 1 to my little slice of 009. A great exhibition topped off wit
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Information Panels

If there's something I have learnt from exhibiting it's that people love information boards. If you are able to captivate their attention by creating some information panels then you are likely to have people hanging around for that bit longer. Not only that, but I have found that people are more willing to talk to you about the layout!   Thanks to a suggestion made by someone on NGRM, I have created my own:       The next job will probably be to create a layout guide for exhibition mana
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Some new photos...

Going back to college has been hard after such a long break, but I've been back two weeks already. Unfortunately, coursework and college life in general means I have had no spare time nor energy to even think about the layout. I am pleased with how it is at the moment, but there are some flaws in the layout. The scenic exit is appalling and the hangar has fallen apart for some reason. Running is still not great which is a real nuisance as I can never get a layout to run well. I need more NG stoc
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Landford Show report & future plans...

Thanks to John (Davies) for a great show at Landford, nr Salisbury on 4th September. With a 16 minute drive Dad and I arrived at the venue as the last ones there half an hour (or less!) to opening time. Layout took about 15 minutes to set up (which also meant we were first away!). This is exactly why big isn't always necessarily better (although I would love a roundy-roundy).   The show seemed very friendly and the exhibits were arranged so that there was plenty of space between them so peopl
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8 hours left and the Landford Exhibition

8 hours left and the Landford Exhibition Well as the title suggests I've got 8 hours* to finish the layout ready for the Landford Exhibition tomorrow. Loads more to do but I'm sure we'll get there. I've had the whole family helping me for the final push - something I did not expect!   So here are some preview photos to show where I'm up to. Once the rest of the castle is scribed I'll be even more confident than I am now. All images clickable for larger size. I apprec
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The final push?

With a deadline moving ever closer I've still got loads more to do. However, I have managed to achieve the following: . NG Infill painted . Stream grass banks added . Castle horizontals scribed . Bottom section of Castle scribed and painted . Sea painted . Sea walls painted . Fascia fitted . Some weeds added . Ballasting started   But I've still got loads to do: . Paint SG concrete infill . Scribe the rest of the castle . Paint the castle . Build the castle roof and gun emplaceme
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6 days left - The Latest Update

Another day, another chance to get some modelling done. Feeling more confident than I was yesterday about finishing the layout on time, I just hope I can get it up to an acceptable standard!   I have prepared a short video for you with a couple locomotives running. Just one photo for tonight as I'm in a rush! New Video
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One week left (and I'm pushing my luck!)

Click for larger image. Click for larger image. Click for larger image. And here's my first bit of maths in the holidays   Which made the bottom level of the castle. Most of the quay walls have been fitted into place with decorators caulk used for the seabed and any gaps. Paving has been added from scribed DAS clay. The first waves have been roughly started. The castle will have a layer of DAS modelling clay wrapped around it and scribed(!). Can you see the recurring the
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Some half decent snaps and a fiddle yard

Yet more progress today... But first, some pictures of the layout with backscene held up by a willing volunteer! I'm hoping to have the backscene free standing once I work out how to achieve this.                   Dad has very kindly fixed the traverser fiddle yard onto the layout. This means that the traverser top can slide over the control panel supports which should save some space. The traverser was originally built for MkI but rebuilding it slightly has meant it is ea
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15 days left and it's a race against time!

Blimey, where does the time go? I've got two weeks to finish Calshot. Scary eh! Luckily yesterday and today I was able to get a lot of work done on the layout so I'll take you for a little tour...                         Next on the list? Well, I've got to make two holders for the controllers, finish the rest of the 'DAS-ing', Affix the SG infill, affix the stone walls, scribe the rest of the gatehouse, build the castle, build the fascia/lighting pelmet... the list goe
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Calshot MkII - Building a control panel + track laying shenanigans!

After a completely naff start to the day with trying to amending mistakes that I made last week (which I again made the same mistakes today!) I decided to leave the 009 point giving me grief and complete about 70% of the NG track. Just got the rest to lay tonight and then the four feeds to add before John comes tomorrow to kindly finish off all the wiring.   This photo should explain the point predicament (and this is after supposedly realigning the the point and motor!):     The realign
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"Three bowls of Spaghetti" and "The Blue Whale"

'What on earth?' I hear you ask! Just a couple quotes which arose today which made me laugh that seemed relevant. Allow me to explain...   JohnDMJ kindly volunteered to help do the wiring for the layout. (He's good at this kind of thing you see). Now, let's be honest here - before today I had very little knowledge about wiring so having someone else do it and teach me how to do it was fantastic!   Watching out for 'Two-ton-tin-openers' (i.e. cattle) around the New Forest roads, John prompt
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Calshot - Structure Modelling - The Castle (Part One)

Things have been hectic over the last couple of days as you may have read in ERs, but I'm trying to keep it all together. I find modelling is a great relief from all the stresses of life and today was no exception.   As it is such a major part of the layout I wanted to start construction of the castle now (especially as the layouts debut exhibition is on 4th September!) . Luckily, Saturday I planned ahead and bought some brick sheets and now after about 8hrs of work I have created the gatehous
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The construction of Calshot - Part Eight - Weathering trials and other news

The construction of Calshot - Weathering, modelling quay walls and general progress   Well, work is ongoing on Calshot II. I have experimented with weathering as it is something I have always wanted to try but never really been confident with trying out. The first image shows my two weathered wagons (I'm yet to work out how to weather the roof). First the wagons were given a wash of a browny colour and then mostly dabbed off with a cotton bud. The raised metal detail is then paint
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The construction of Calshot - Part Seven - Sub-frame assembly

Unfortunately carpenter Dad has been unwell recently so I've had to go it alone on the woodwork front. However, all is not lost as I'm not too bad at it myself (although not a patch on Dad!). Yesterday and this morning I started building the sub-frame. I have left it quite late but in actual fact this has been for the better. It is made from softwood reclaimed from an old layout.   To start with I marked out the longitudinal battens and worked out where I wanted the notches. The notches were t
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The construction of Calshot - Part Six - Quay basics done

Are you getting bored yet?   Another few hours worth of work sees the quay starting to take shape. All this is removable including the sea bed in readiness for wiring the layout. I will need to cut some access holes underneath the baseboard as the pins on the point motors are just that little bit too short to fit underneath the ply base. Hopefully all goes well and there is enough access to put the point motors in and the wiring. I have also made a culvert (hard to see in these phot

The construction of Calshot - Part Five - Sluice and quays

Well another day into my summer holiday and another bit of progress to share. This is my first proper attempt at making quay walls out of DAS modelling clay and they look pretty decent if I may say so. The reason they are all at funny angles is because they have not been glued due to obvious reasons. These photos aren't very good, but they are adequate for now. I have tried to recreate worn looking stones with some stones missing and cracks appearing. I am pleased with the results so far, but I
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The construction of Calshot - Part Four

Just a small update. The layout has been moved to MkI's legs with a drape around it to win Brownie points! That way I can have it tucked in the corner and can work on it where it is out of the way. Having it like this makes me wonder if I actually need a backscene. Then again, it is not going to be very photogenic without one. A sluice and little footbridge have been built from left over scraps in the scrap box (funnily enough!). Still needs the mechanism and a spot of weathering. If i
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