Steam_Julie

The problem was a program called Babalon 5. Thanks! once again for the advice! Julie

I find it difficult to see why the company thought it would gain by using this type of software. They have as much as they ever will admitted what they have done, by saying that I consented to it's installation on my computer. Julie

Thanks for the advice. Julie

Hi I recently been hacked, and for a short while, untill I had removed the virus I was getting unorthorised adverts when viewing RMWeb. One of these was for brest enlargegments at a clinic in Bulgaria. I don't think the infection passed to RMWeb or anyone else, but it might be a good idea to check! I had a unauthorised plug-in installed on my web browser. The infection came from a software download server of a large software company, which has a footsy 100 listing in London. Julie

I don't have a colour printer at home, and thus I had to fold the sheet to bring it home, as it was raining. Julie

Hi The images below was printed off using a cheap inkjet printer, and thus has virticle lines, which are caused because of the multi pass nature of the printing process. This is a sample area of the proposed backscene. I think I have got the colours not quites right, I think the image is slightly too yellow. What do you think? When I am happy with the colours, I will have it printed by a professional print company. They will print the whole images which measures about 1000 mm by 120 mm on a single sheet, and the image will not have the virticle print lines. Julie

Taking the photographs for the backscene, was the main reason for my visit to Trefeglwvs and Caresws. The other photographs were incidental. Julie

High summer in 1947. I have a track plan, some black and white photographs and a timetable, for the main line. But I am modelling Trefeglwvs Road, the first station towards Van, but I need information about Caresws to develop a prototype sequence for the layout. Julie

Hi Now I am back home, I have made a first stab at composing the backscene, using the photographs I took on location at Trefeglwvs near Caresws in Mid Wales. the image below is much lower resolution than the one that will used on the layout, but should give an impression of what it might look like. I must be born in mind that the foreground will be mostly hidden by the hedges trees and buildings on the modelled area of the layout. I took all of the photographs at the highest resolution that my camera is capable of. I will require to play around with the colours, because the photographs were taken on a dull day in October, and the layout will be modelled in high summer. BUT with photoshop this transformation is possible. Julie

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that people don't go around blaming politicians for closing Roman Roads, but they do moan about the closure of railway lines. Incidentally the Provenders store was made at the concrete plant at Exmouth Junction. Julie

Incidentally there is an excellent fish and chip shop in Caersws, well worth a visit. Julie

Hi Whilst I was in Shrewsbury on Thursday, I made a short divertion the Caresws to take some pictures around the staion area, including the light railway buildings and structures still standing. Firstly the light Railway locomotive shed, from many viewpoints. And then the light railway staion, still complete with most of it's platform. Next the cottages, built for the staff of the light railway, now much moderised. The culvert which carried the light railway over a stream, still exists. Next some photographs of the main line station? These days it has been reduced to light railway status. then some details from the main line goods yard. Provender_2.jpg[/size]] Then I took some photographs arond the village, firstly the River Severn at Caersws. then one of the sign showing the distance to Trefeglwvs and then finally an interesting sign, did I fall asleep during History lesions? Finally the only reference, that I have found to the light railway from Caersws to Van on a modern map, is the poster on the station entitled Continuing Your Journey. For the english amonst you Caersws is pronounced Carezoos. Julie

I've taken the photographs which I intend to use to produce the photographic backscene yesterday. Julie

I don't have a fixed broadband connection, sometimes mobile works OK, but often there I have problems with uploads. Julie

Hi Since the last blog post, I have been researching how to model the water rushing over the weir. The basic water techniques I have used to model the stream were learned by watching Right Track 6, Modelling Landscape Part 2, by Barry Norman. This involves giving the stream some actual depth, modelling the surface with perspex sheet, and roughing and painting the stream base a dark brown colour. Next I went out using the digital camera on my phone to take pictures of weirs on local water courses. This was very instructive and gave me a target to aim for in my modelling activities. .jpg] [/font] The water I found was coloured a deep green/brown colour and followed an arc. Where the water coming over the weir met, the surface there was disturbance and white colouration. From Barry's video, I learned that surface effects can be simulated using PVA glues, because it dries clear. I then watched a video, on Youtube made by Woodland Scenics. The presenter made a great deal of always using Woodland products. They may be very good, but they are expensive for such a small project as mine. And he didn't just use one, I counted at least three different products. I decided that I could adapt their techniques using PVA instead. I decided that I would paint the PVA onto the front of a suitable strip of clear styrene sheet and the paint the reverse with the green/brown colour to simulate the water colour. I always make components longer, as it is easier to remove material, than add it. I also added some white PVA based paint to the PVA that I dabbed on with a cocktail stick to simulate the disturbance to the lower stream surface, where the water lands. The weir existed on the prototype, but as previously stated I have moved it nearer to the railway bridge, this is partly because it is a interesting feature, but the change in water level reduced the amount of the frame that required to be cut away, and therefore makes the layout structure much stronger. I placed the screw that holds the support block, for the upper water surface, under where the walkway over the weir will occur. This is necessary so that the gates can be adjusted. I have also completed the occupation over bridge at the other end of the scene. I need to get on creating the water effect on the weir now! Julie

From on standpoint I like the idea of modular layouts, because it allows many people to work together to produce a layout, and they can work in a semi independent way, providing they work to a common standard. But I seen them at an exhibition with Japanese modules next to LNER prototypes and with German trains passing them. I don't like that, because it is not prototypical at all. Julie

I will be visiting Mid Wales, tomorrow Thursday and time permitting I will take some photographs of the mountains in the area, to use when producing the backscene. These images will the be printed out using a inkjet printer and then glued onto the fixed backscene. I intend to extend this with a extension piece when the layout used. Julie

The use of the coloured fiddleyard backscene works on this layout because of the sharp approach curve, which are sub radius 1. Julie

Hi I had a frustrating weekend, attempting to paint a rectangle of MDF sky blue. In the last 6 months the two local art shops have gone bust, leaving us with no other option than buying paints from an internet supplier. The company sells a range of art products aimed at children, poster paints etc. I purchased a bottle of white poster paint and mixed in a small quantity of blue artists acrylic paint, the colour in the pallet was good, it had the correct consistency, BUT when applied to the MDF it didn't stick! Using a range of art techniques including adding PVA to the paint didn't help either. A friend came to see me yesterday, and he subsequently lent me some acrylic paint from a well know art supplier and that worked as I expected, and thus this posting has finally happened. Besides my fight with the paint, I have also pained the wooden baulks of the stream bridge, added the stone to the bridge supports, and clad the Mill Farm barn and finally added the stream surface in the area upstream of the weir. Have you also noticed how it happens, you have your trains operating smoothly over your layout, and as soon as a camera is pointed toward them they come off all the time. Well that happened too when I was taking these pictures. I believe this is an application of Murphy's Law, if it can go wrong, then it will. Below is a short movie of a train from Van entering the scenic section. This video was taken from the normal viewing position of the layout. The join between the main backscene and the fiddleyard one is designed not visible from the this position, but due to the need to place train cassettes in position to access the number 1 fiddleyard track, it is visible from positions to the right of it. Sorry for the repeating of the video, this is a function of RMWeb and GIF animations. With a little more attention to the colours and lighting used the join between the backscene and the become near invisible. Julie PS Previous entries in this blog can be found at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1394-steam-julies-layout-blog/

How do I simulate the water flowing over the weir? Julie

It's the preparation for a weir. The weir on the prototype was slightly further from the railway bridge, but I have moved it into the scene because it is an interesting feature. There was a general mill, which had an 8 foot undershot wheel. The waste water from the mill re-entered the steam further downstream, beyond the modelled area. Julie

Hi Since the last posting, I have continued working on the scenery. I built the basic station buildings, using a Peco kit, which has been modified to suit the location. The bridge that carries the farm track, still needs much work. The slope of the embankment which will carry the road is still impossibly steep, and there is no road surface yet. The front of the bridge structure exists, but not the back yet! The light railway, didn't go in for fancy fencing to enclose it platforms, they used simple farm type fences, as the local knew how to construct and maintain these. I have enlarged the train exit and entry, opening at the Van end of the station to allow the back wall of the Mill Farm barn to continue through the backscene. This is an attempt to make the transition work better, I leave you to judge how successful it is. After completion of opening out the stream where it breaks through the fascia, I then built the baulk bridge, complete with it's abutments. Mill farm barn of course needs to be covered in stone cladding, and the roof in tiles. Julie Previous entries in the blog cane be found, by clicking this link. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1394-steam-julies-layout-blog/

At Caersws there still exists the locomotive shed and the light railway station buildings. The above photograph shows the insubstantial nature of the infrastructure of a light railway. It not being shown on modern maps, is due to it's closure being prior to the 1960's too. Julie

I have been in the libruary this afternoon, looking at a OS map of the area, and I have found that I have misspelled the station name Trefeglwvs Road, it should be Trefeglwys Road. I do hope I have not offended our Welsh readers. I intend keeping the station name as Trefeglwvs Road, because I have made some selective compressions, in order to make an more interesting model. Julie

I need to continue working on the scenry, but I also require to replace the wiring lashup, with a proper wiring loom. Julie