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Timmy84

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Everything posted by Timmy84

  1. I haven't had a huge amount of time lately to progress with the layout, however I have now laid the cork underlay for the trackbed. This was quite tricky to cut right as in the past I have always laid track first and then cut round it, however this was not possible as it was going on to a card base. Once glued down and dry I filled any gaps with humbrol modelling filler to ensure a consistent finish. This morning I have sprayed the whole top surface with Halfords grey primer. This means that if any ballast chips away in the future the gap left will be less obvious! It also leaves a bit of a neater finish and has covered some of the scribbles that were still showing on the base board from the old layout. Don't worry about the paint finish on the polystyrene, this will all be chipped away to add relief and covered in plasti-cloth, eventually! If it all dries quickly there is the potential for some track laying later today! In the meantime I have been assembling a little test board to try out some scenic techniques prior to using them on the layout, primarily attempting some options for the concrete hard standing required around the inspection pit and fuel point. Tim.
  2. Love this location. If I had the space... There is a pic of the container terminal in Paul Shannon's "EWS" book which caught my eye a while ago as a cracking small freight terminal project. Throw in AC electrics and long trains and you've got yourself a layout!
  3. Progress is slowly being made with the sub terrain that the track work will sit on. I have now sorted out the big hole where the traverser was on the old layout. I have also now completed the sub terrain and, with the help of some very large books, fixed it securely on to the baseboard with Woodland Scenics foam tack glue. I was pretty pleased with how neatly it all came together after lots of measuring and multiple cuts. I am now working on getting the cork underlay down on the lower level, after which the whole lot will get a coat of grey primer before the track is laid. It is always tempting to race ahead to get "something running" but I am trying to think ahead to all the potential pitfalls with the scenics before it's too late! In terms of the concrete underlay I am going to trial building the right level up with cork and using filler to bring it flush to the rail before essentially skimming the top of the cork to add texture. I am intending to have a completely dry run off the layout as I really don't want to get this wrong as it will be so important to the final look of the layout. This may however distract from progress with the layout for a short time! Tim
  4. Yes I don't think it will be easy. If you want it to go right up to the rails at any point it may be hard to avoid filler altogether. Thanks to everyone who has "liked" this topic recently. I appreciate you taking the time to look. More updates soon!
  5. As progress is being made on the terrain, thoughts have turned back to some of the challenges that lie ahead creating a convincing scene. This led me back to some photos on my laptop of Southampton Maritime which has always been a source of inspiration for this project. One of the things I am dreading is trying to create hard standing around parts of the trackwork. I have never attempted this before so any tips would be more than welcome, in terms of the best materials and techniques to use! In this shot the lightly ballasted and sleepered track runs adjacent to the concrete.... Things might be trickier where the rail itself is set in to concrete. I did note some great detail on this pic such as the very faded, red painted area around the outdoor inspection pit and the yellow hatchings on approach to the shed. These are features that I will consider adding to my concrete base. Also came across this pic which is hard to beat in terms of looking forward to the fine detail required to effectively recreate a small maintenance depot. The Freightliner team certainly keep the place neat, tidy and in good order - unlike some other locations! Once the terrain is finished and track is down I am going to have to bite the bullet and "have a go" at some of this. I am hoping that if my concrete isn't too neat I can at least airbrush my way put of trouble with some convincing shades and weathering. Tim.
  6. Another quick update on progress. The track plan remains roughly as designed 3 years ago. I now intend to extend one of the fuel roads beyond the scenic break as I don't think I will be able to get a bridge structure between it and the inbound road next to it. To be honest convincing scenic breaks in such a small space is probably the main thing I am still worried about getting to look right and needs some serious thought. Below is the track pla roughly laid out. The sub-structure for the main through road has now been completed and is a mixture of polystyrene, thick card and a top layer of cork underlay that the track will sit on. This can be seen below behind the sidings (track not yet properly laid). Sorry for slightly poor quality pics from the iPhone but this is the quickest and easiest way to regularly record progress. Next job is the slightly more complex substructure for the rest of the sidings that will sit in the foreground. Tim.
  7. There has also been some more messing about with card and polystyrene. The 60 is at the height it will be whereas the shed will be not quite as high, but higher than it is here! The idea is to get the difference as close as possible to the height of a platform edge, some of which will form part of the retaining bank. More updates soon.... Tim.
  8. So, some actual modelling. Here is the completed airbrushed Peco inspection pit that will be going in the single road shed. It may get a bit of weathering at some point....
  9. After over 3 years and two house moves, there may be some updates on this topic soon! Some bits and bobs arrived from Hattons today to get this project moving!! Tim.
  10. Hi Day off today so a chance to get a bit done with the airbrush. Thought I would do a bit of a step-by-step of the process. As previously stated I am working on some of the civils structures so they are finished and ready to be placed on the layout, so things like bridge supports, retaining walls, inspection pit, culverts etc. Firstly everything got a coat of Alclad 2 primer to ensure that an even finish is achieved. This is a boring and messy job but its worth it as trying to spray the final colour on shiny plastic is always a disaster. The second phase was then to spray Railmatch roof dirt in to all the areas where there would be shadow or dirt might accumulate. This is a rough job as the next step, once completely dry, will be to lightly spray the basic top colour over the top, with the dark areas beneath being blended in. I have also purchased some lifecolor pigments for leaks and stains so looking forward to getting to the stage where I can try these out! Tim.
  11. Peco inspection pit located today so when I next get a chance I will be airbrushing this and some of the other civils that will be required before any track can go down. This will also give me a bit of time to think about the design and double-check I am happy. May be a slight interlude in updates in the meantime! Tim
  12. A very fair observation and in some of my earlier sketches I wasn't intending to have any terminus roads to give maximum flexibility. Two things led me to chopping the two fuel roads off as it were: firstly I wanted to avoid mirror image scenic breaks at both ends and secondly it is useful to have somewhere to dump a loco on the blocks sometimes. The fuel pump will be at the end nearest the points so a loco not needed for a while can sit out of the way on the buffers with others coming and going as well. This was a key mistake I made on my last TMD attempt as I positioned the pump at the end of a terminus road rendering the rest of the siding useless. Further more in terms of the scenic breaks, I was also concerned that having 4 roads disappearing to the left would leave a lot of the fiddle yard on show in photos as there isn't much board left after you go under the bridge! In terms of prototype most things exist somewhere. A lot of yards have a drive through, Southampton Maritime being a prime example pictured on this thread (although in reality locos tend to come and go from the west avoiding the wagon shed). I believe places like Didcot, Avonmouth, Eastleigh, Warrington Arpley, Barton Hill and Westbury (I think this is a siding with a tanker parked by it) and I think maybe Acton Yard all have dead end set ups of varying complexity. A bit of modeller's licence is always going to come in to play unless you recreate a real location which wouldn't be easy with on 50 inches to play with. Tim.
  13. Anyway, must stop getting distracted from the layout. I gave up on xtrkCAD and got my pencil and ruler out after taking some measurements during the 3D planning exercise. With the words "keep it simple" going round my head I have as good as settled on the track plan below. Apologies to anyone expecting something more exciting. It fits pretty much all my requirements - it should create two or three distinct scenes for photos, the servicing shed, the fuel point and sidings and the raised reception line. I would love to pack in more but I wanted a few inches of scenics at the front of the baseboard to add perspective and some space for some kind of low relief buildings at the back. Stock can obviously move A to B and vice versa along the reception, as well as appear and then shunt back towards the direction of the yard (perceived to be at A). This would be nice with an 08 and a few wagons. Locos can also traverse from C to E through the depot without zig-zagging. Point D allows a loco to arrive/depart from the shed if it is boxed in by something else parked outside (where the 60 is in the shots above - the shed would be over 66098). Below is a 3D sketch of how it all might "feel". Comments welcome as I wont be doing anything too permanent as yet but thats the (current) plan! Tim
  14. Tom - great to see there's another photo plank out there! It's my 60 - can't afford Mercig! As you've encouraged me here's a close up....you all asked for it.
  15. OK - back to the models and some (limited) progress. I have acquired one or two bits and bobs over the last few days to try and get the project started. Firstly I have now got hold of all the MDF required to make the backscene and box in the baseboard. This was achieved quickly and hassle free using B&Qs excellent timber cutting service where, for no charge, you can have up to 15 cuts done on most types of timber they stock. As I needed some pieces to be as narrow as 2 inches to be honest I was not confident that they would be able to meet my requirements but I needn't have worried. In less than ten minutes I had the 8 pieces of MDF required in the correct size saving me hours of work! 6mm MDF is being used - I used this for the backscene on Powderham and it has held up well so hopefully this will be repeated. Secondly I popped in to my local model shop and picked up some Peco platform sides, bridge sections, a Woodland Scenics culvert and a Xuron track cutter (have needed this for ages! - no more hack-sawing for me!). The bits and bobs are all for further down the road but they have helped me think about incorporating some relief and I can get them all sprayed up and weathered in advance. Unfortunately they had sold out of the Peco inspection pit that I wanted to deal with at the same time so I need to pick one of these up elsewhere. I have also had a rummage through all my old scenic stuff and it looks like I have enough foam etc to make all the raised areas without spending a penny. With all this in mind a bit of 3D planning took place this pm, with the results pictured below... This first images show the "box" taking shape (all precariously balanced at this stage...) Here we see two 66s on the fuel point and a 60 and a 66 on the proposed "shed road" Two more angles - note the raised "yard reception road" in the background that will operate separately, hinting at shunting and arrivals and departures from the "wider world".
  16. I had a little trawl through some old photos for inspiration in terms of features I can fit in to the space available. This one shows some of the interior features of the shed at Maritime Yard, Southampton, including lifting jacks, although wagons seem to occupy the shed more often than locos here. I like the stored wheelsets on the running line in this shot from Bristol Barton Hill. At Maritime there is a completely seperate piece of track not connected to the running line used for this purpose but I can't find a shot of it. Another shot of 47815 at Barton Hill showing some general fuel point clutter. Maritime again, with 66536 taking wagons past the fuel point - it was this location that gave me the idea to hint at being part of something bigger with trains able to run through the layout rather than entering and exiting at the same end. Here 66501 is seen undertaking some reasonably complex maintenance exposed to the elements. when it rains at Maritime they seem to put locos under the road bridge to make a makeshift TMD! I also like the maintenance platform and other general clutter in this pic. Hoping to do some shopping in the none to distant that will allow some actual modelling to start - rather than pure speculation! Tim.
  17. Amazing archive pics on this thread. Great prototype if slightly daunting - I never knew the place existed!
  18. Whilst writing that last comment I was reminded of this photo I took at Bristol Barton Hill in 2010.Old style shed building, 08, 47 and a blue grey Mk2. There's an excuse for most things if you look hard enough!
  19. All good thoughts - I had thought about pushing the shed back to the board but I felt that then precluded having a line coming in front of it as I would have to have some kind of bridge structure effectively stuck to the shed! Having a small separation between shed and over-bridge seemed sensible to me, although I could always move the shed to the front... I used the idea of having a hidden siding behind a retaining wall on my last layout and it works well, however one of my key objectives with this one is to create a sense of the servicing point being part of something bigger (i.e a larger yard) to reflect modern practice as well as create "a point" to the whole thing. I have found that when you start to think about locos moving through the layout without stopping it starts getting more complicated! I am also trying to avoid too much zig-zagging across the layout which again, is rarely seen in real life. In terms of Rob D2's comment - I have to warn you that there is a high chance of the odd "ready-to-plant" building appearing on this thread! What I am trying to do, in a very small space is exactly what you are suggesting in terms of replicating 2000s era practice rather than having loco's appear and disappear through one portal and stop on some highly unlikely great big diesel depot. The Bachmann single road servicing shed just happens to fit that quite nicely and whilst I might scratch build a shed at some stage, it will do for now! As the point of the layout is largely to photograph locos and stock what I don't want is too much attention being drawn to a home-made building that may not be up to scratch. I will be weathering and detailing any ready to plant so I don't feel too lazy!
  20. First attempt on XtrckCAD to see what might work (apologies for poor quality of computer skills!). Servicing shed to the right hand end with ability to run a train in to the fiddle yard straight from the shed. Two terminal sidings for the fuel point. Access to depot from both fiddle yards and the separate reception line running to the rear (this is the bit I might electrify). Should be space for at least two locos on each fuel road and one in and one out of the shed on the shed road. Any thoughts appreciated - not too many options with the space but I am trying to think of creating a different scene at each end for photographic purposes. One of my main concerns at the moment is dreaming up two convincing looking scenic breaks in less than 3 feet!....
  21. Thanks for the encouragement. Not sure I'll be getting a shed the size of the one on Milton Grove on my board though!
  22. Hi I thought I would try and put a topic together to track the trials and tribulations of putting together a small layout. I have a spare baseboard that has been knocking around for some time measuring 50 inches by 11.5 inches that previously had a very poor diesel depot layout on it that I built several years ago. I have since built a small round and round layout called Powderham to run my ever growing collection of stock, some pictures of which can be found in my gallery. However I have been meaning to put something together that is more suitable for photographing stock so hence the description "glorified photo plank"! http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/album/2550-powderham-minimum-space-n-gauge-layout/ I make no apologies for adding yet another diesel depot layout to the world but I am hoping to add some novelty and learn from my mistakes last time. The main ideas are as follows: The depot is to appear to be part of a larger yard, such as the one at Peterborough or Warrington Arpley Despite the tiny board, there will be off-scene space at both ends so locos can trundle through as well as stop I will make use of some of the excellent Bachmann scene craft buildings available, both to make quick progress and as they will be better than what I would build! Despite their ubiquitous nature, I haven't seen too many layout making use of some of them... To add relief and more than one track height - a challenge in a small space! To try and incorporate catenary (maybe) Incorporate lighting Build a "box" around the board to make a nice display The first challenge was to remove the remnants of the old layout from the board - the strange gap at the end is actually a makeshift traverser that never really did the job and will be fixed in position going forward. Stripping the board was a bit monotonous but went fairly well leaving a nice blank canvas.... Next up was to get some of the old points and a few locos on the board to get a feel for how much space is available. Having a fiddle yard both ends doesn't leave much room for maneuver but it looks hopeful that a single road shed and a two road fuel point can be accommodated, along with a depot through road and a separate yard "reception line" running along the back to allow a few wagons to trundle by... Anyway, I hope the topic will prove to be of interest to some one out there - next steps are to finalise the track plan and try and get my head around the woodwork required to build a backscene and a box around the viewing area.
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