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bcnPete

Entry posted by bcnPete

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Good evening,

 

A bit of a quick entry this having arrived late from my evening's commute - when the train journey from Gatwick to Victoria takes longer than the 1hr 55 flight, then that really says it all :angry:

 

Haven't posted for a month or so but work has been progressing on the cassettes during the week days as this can be done relatively low key in my rented digs...no need for soldering, painting or foul smelling adhesives :D More on the cassettes in another separate entry soon I hope.

 

A few days back in BCN for a long weekend meant I could try and wrap up the work required on the PW so the scenics can commence...scenics mainly being ballasting and crud etc. Firstly, I had to re-do the ends of the trackwork I was not happy with, where I had used lost wax sleepers split in two to try and manage a neat wiring solution. This backfired as the sleepers started to twist at the ends if the baseboard joints so I had to strip them all out and replace with PCB ones. Not a huge task of course, but only having weekends on it now meant a fine tune of my time between the layout and my wife and children.

 

So one week I stripped it all away, the following week I added back the PCB and this weekend I was able to replace and renew all the wires back to the underside and retest that it was all working still. Following this was to then splash a bit of grey primer around and then a splash of rail match sleeper grime to these areas ready to start ballasting.

 

Whilst going backwards, I also decided to rip up the base card platforms as I will redo these in plasticard using scalescenes material sheets. I would quite like to try the method used by (Missy and Tony Simms I think) of applying Liquid Poly/Mek-pak onto the paper and soaking it until it bonds with the plasticard.

 

I have also managed to figure out how to mount the PCB signal bases to the underside of the boards so the folded section doesn't interfere with it too much.

 

A couple of crude pics attached - the track needs a clean up but will tackle this next week.

 

blogentry-3290-0-11481500-1361147291_thumb.jpg

 

blogentry-3290-0-31644400-1361147332_thumb.jpg

 

So a bit of going backwards to go forwards, but I think it was for the best and I hope it will now start to gather some momentum both from works in BCN and LDN.

 

82 days to exhibiting...:O

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PaternosterRow
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Blimey Pete, don't know how you manage to fit it all in!  My hats well and truly off to you - I can't help but think of you rushing all over the place and fiddling away with bits and pieces of layout on trains, planes and automobiles in every second of spare time you can muster.  Then there's this bloke up in his London attic with the lights burning till the small hours trying to put it all together before morning and the next flight home.  You must be tremendously disciplined and well used to deadlines.  All power to you brother because most of us would have just given up by now!!  

 

By the way, can you see which flat is yours from the Shard 360 degree panorama!!

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Mikkel
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Hi Pete, good to hear from  you and see progress. This is turning into a cosmopolitan layout :-)  I look forward to seeing the platform technique you describe with the Scalescenes paper.

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bcnPete
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Good luck Pete, let me know if you need any sort of help.

 

Thanks Steve - Chris of this here parish (Eastwestdivide) who sent the original pic of Paddock Wood and the idea for the layout has threatened to journey down to see it/ help operate for the day...so I need to ensure that the layout doesn't disappoint in case he asks for a refund from his rail ticket!

 

Blimey Pete, don't know how you manage to fit it all in!  My hats well and truly off to you - I can't help but think of you rushing all over the place and fiddling away with bits and pieces of layout on trains, planes and automobiles in every second of spare time you can muster.  Then there's this bloke up in his London attic with the lights burning till the small hours trying to put it all together before morning and the next flight home.  You must be tremendously disciplined and well used to deadlines.  All power to you brother because most of us would have just given up by now!!  

 

By the way, can you see which flat is yours from the Shard 360 degree panorama!!

 

Thanks also Mike - I like your description! Not quite an attic but I wonder whether the landlady pops her head in sometimes when I am not there to check she is not harbouring a terrorist :O

 

Need to look at that Shard 360... Didn't work on the iPad so guessing its a software incompatibility issue....think its more like I can see the Shard from my flat than vice-versa!

 

Hi Pete, good to hear from  you and see progress. This is turning into a cosmopolitan layout :-)  I look forward to seeing the platform technique you describe with the Scalescenes paper.

 

Thanks also Mikkel - Yes, I had better re-read up how it was done before I start as I haven't left myself too many windows for disasters on this project :laugh:

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eastwestdivide

Thanks Steve - Chris of this here parish (Eastwestdivide) who sent the original pic of Paddock Wood and the idea for the layout has threatened to journey down to see it/ help operate for the day...so I need to ensure that the layout doesn't disappoint in case he asks for a refund from his rail ticket! ...

 

Ticket already booked. Well, the long stretch from "the north" to "the south", if not the hop over to Sussex, but I'm visiting family anyway. No pressure!

As for helping to operate it, my driving licence only covers cars and vans, so I'll print off some 2mm 'L' plates. 

Good luck!

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46444
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Morning Pete,

 

That must be a relief to get that track work and wiring sorted. :D

 

Quite a lot of beavering by all accounts.

 

Be interesting to see your platform technique as well. Hopefully, you can crack on with the buildings and scenics shortly.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

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Jon020

Hi Pete, really good to see you're making some progress... whereas I'm not. 82 days.... yoikes! Need some fresh air to restore mojo - inspiration drought at the moment! I think you might want to take care with the MEK Pak in case it causes the inks to run... I had a nasty experience with varnish and ink-jet scalescenes - scrap and start again. Looking forward to seeing this soon.

Jon

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TomE
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I would quite like to try the method used by (Missy and Tony Simms I think) of applying Liquid Poly/Mek-pak onto the paper and soaking it until it bonds with the plasticard

 

Hi Pete.

 

If you do this, make sure you leave it under something very heavy for a while. I didn't with my platform edging for Ropley and now it's distinctly banana shaped! It's not beyond use, but it is going to take some serious adhesive to ensure it doesn't ping off unexpectedly at a later date.

 

Tom.

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nick_bastable
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Pete

 

trying to swing it to get to the show if I do may bring some real coloured EMU's along   :senile:

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Donw
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Nice to see you posting again.

I wonder if fixing the tissue paper both sides would reduce the tendancy to curl.

 

Don

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bcnPete
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Ticket already booked. Well, the long stretch from "the north" to "the south", if not the hop over to Sussex, but I'm visiting family anyway. No pressure!

As for helping to operate it, my driving licence only covers cars and vans, so I'll print off some 2mm 'L' plates.

Good luck!

Thanks Chris - I'll have a set for myself too as its only my second exhibition in the last three years...

 

That must be a relief to get that track work and wiring sorted.

Quite a lot of beavering by all accounts.

Be interesting to see your platform technique as well. Hopefully, you can crack on with the buildings and scenics shortly.

 

Thanks Mark - tempted to get your iron warmed up now? :D

 

Hi Pete, really good to see you're making some progress... whereas I'm not. 82 days.... yoikes! Need some fresh air to restore mojo - inspiration drought at the moment! I think you might want to take care with the MEK Pak in case it causes the inks to run... I had a nasty experience with varnish and ink-jet scalescenes - scrap and start again. Looking forward to seeing this soon.

 

Thanks Jon - hmmm...better re read your blog entry too before I try then...

 

Hi Pete.

 

If you do this, make sure you leave it under something very heavy for a while. I didn't with my platform edging for Ropley and now it's distinctly banana shaped! It's not beyond use, but it is going to take some serious adhesive to ensure it doesn't ping off unexpectedly at a later date.

 

Thanks Tom - I used them with card and spraymount on my sons 4mm layout...and it pinged off then too, so I have a bit of previous with this...am getting itchy feet now...

 

Pete

 

trying to swing it to get to the show if I do may bring some real coloured EMU's along

Be really good to see you again Nick... Not your EMU's, but you yes :P
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bcnPete
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Nice to see you posting again.

I wonder if fixing the tissue paper both sides would reduce the tendancy to curl.

 

 

Thanks Don - Interesting point...perhaps I can give it a misting with some el cheapo Spanish hair spray I have for my scenics...

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scanman

Hi Pete -

 

A suggestion re the platform surfaces...  First (if you can) use a laser printer.  I still have concernes about the longterm stability of inkjets...

 

Second - print on A4 label paper (Staples, Avery etc do '1 label per sheet').  It sticks like the proverbial to a blanket on styrene or card, and  doesn't reach 'warp factor' like solvents...

 

If you don't have acces to that size of label (a box of 100 costs about

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bcnPete
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Nice work Pete! Looking forward to seeing how your platforms turn out. Nice to see you posting again.

 

Thanks Jeremy - The platforms will head the route above/below now ;)

 

 

A suggestion re the platform surfaces...  First (if you can) use a laser printer.  I still have concernes about the longterm stability of inkjets...

Second - print on A4 label paper (Staples, Avery etc do '1 label per sheet').  It sticks like the proverbial to a blanket on styrene or card, and  doesn't reach 'warp factor' like solvents...

If you don't have acces to that size of label (a box of 100 costs about

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ChrisR

Hi Pete,  Good to see you're posting again back here. Hope all is going as well as can be for your relocation!

 

Haven't yet bumped up the BHMRC Exhibition but seeing it's only 82 (less a few now!) days, maybe I ought to! Looks like you've got a good following who'll be coming to the show. I'll have to give you more space!

 

Look forward to actually seeing the results of your labours on how you achieve your platform faces (and the rest!).

Chris

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bcnPete
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Good to see you're posting again back here. Hope all is going as well as can be for your relocation!

 Haven't yet bumped up the BHMRC Exhibition but seeing it's only 82 (less a few now!) days, maybe I ought to! Looks like you've got a good following who'll be coming to the show. I'll have to give you more space!

 Look forward to actually seeing the results of your labours on how you achieve your platform faces (and the rest!).

 

Hi Chris - many thanks...although not sure I need additional space...there will be a crowd drooling over Jon's Deltic and Duff next door so you might need to reduce my space than expand it :D

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