luke the train spotter

So I've got a couple IKEA knagglig crates knocking about and I'd also like to take a small layout to uni. Currently I've got some sketches drawn up for a small 3-2-2 Inglenook based on part of the internal Distillery system as well as the Distillery engine sheds though that has less operating potential. All ideas in the works bit first I've got a diorama competition entry to design and build!

Just been playing around with a few ideas of future projects now that Cronton is nearly finished and the idea of an inglenook popped into my head. So when I was originally designing Distillery Yard I did design it so that it could be operated as an inglenook shunting puzzle as a 3-2-2 variant rather than the larger more common 5-3-3 variant. For this I use the fiddle yard loop as the headshunt and then the distillery siding, scenic headshunt and run around loop as the 3 sidings. I was impressed by the enjoyment I got from completing the different shunt puzzles and think I will take this concept and apply it to a layout I will build and take to uni later on this year hopefully. That's all very nice but some pictures are in order! The ruston was in charge today and I just can't get enough of this loco. I may accidentally purchase one of the distillery Queen Anne versions some time since they're going cheap at the moment.

I was thinking the same thing! It would be a great way to add in internal lighting too.

Wow love that wooden frame!

60 years ago a British pathe camera crew visited Cronton Colliery and filmed this short documentary.

Firstly I have painted and re-weathered the j94 and it can now fully rejoin the colliery fleet. It still needs a crew, some small running board details as well as some small cab tarps I think for variety but it's getting there. It was weathered with valleyo washes and powders as per my usual and it really gives it a matt look so kind of a middle grade weathering. As we as that I have proceeded to paint my industrial water tower kit. Now this is still in development and will have pipe work added but I really wanted to get this added onto the layout and will add pipework later which will be in the kit when it is properly released (I'm just waiting for some silicone to arrive so I can make some molds for it). I hope to add some more shrubbery to the backscene area to blend it in nicely and make it seem a bit rougher as well as covering up a few painting errors so that I can film a British pathe style documentary on it like I did with Distillery which will feature the j94. I might try to add some generic steam loco chuffing sounds to the background too so if anyone knows of anywhere where I can source some it would be very useful to know.

Absolutely love that road texture, spot on! And the colour match with the backscene is perfect.

The high capacity stay alive and decoder arrived today, now I'm using a stay alive unit from laisdcc which is just as good as the TCS one I've used before and half the price (also double the size but theres plenty of room in the loco). My DCC fittings are definitely getting more organised. I hard wired the decoder in and hot glued that into the cab whilst the decoder sits in the smoke box. I could've fitted the decoder on top of the stay alive but it would've been a tight fit and I didn't want to risk any trapped wires. Everything is insulated with electrical tape and the larger components hot glue gunned into place. With all the internal electrics done I could finish fitting the white metal parts and assemble. Ill finish it off tomorrow but it's great to have a j94 back on the roster. I'm thinking I might name this one "Cronton".

Looking good! Any plans for road traffic? Stupid question but what do you use to clean your brushes after using citadel paint?

Well it's impressive how easily distracted I can get! So first up I am currently rebuilding my dj models j94 buy adding my own homemade reliable pickups, fitting high capacity stay alive and a decoder as well converting it to a giesel injector with some rt models parts. Not a picture of that yet but it will be nice to have the original model that inspired the layout up and running again. Secondly I seem to have another narrow planet kit on the way but that will get it's own thread when it arrives. And lastly I have spent a bit of time researching and designing a small resin cast kit for an industrial water tower. Mine is based off the one at Beamish but the design is very common and generic for a range of industrial railways. Its not finished yet as it needs pipe work adding but as a basic kinda skeleton you can see where it's going. I hope to launch these on eBay under a banner (can't really leak anything but it's a dream come true for me to produce my own kits) with a good friend later on this year. Thanks to it all being made and manufactured in house we should be able to keep costs down to suit the budget friendly modeller. I've probably said too much already but I'll tease you with a chassis component of a rolling stock kit I've currently got in development - note they should be spoked wheels (I have some on order).

This is the video that we produced on the competition with the rules outlined as well of the details of how to enter. Happy modelling!

So though the layout hasn't really had any work done on it I still like to run it. I thought doing a running session in a British pathe 1960s documentary style could be fun so here you go (think I need to work on my British accent but I'm sure I'll do more of these)

I'm looking forward to building my entry. I'm thinking something narrow gauge will suit the space well.

Chemical transfer pipe now made and in place. Its wooden down with paper straws as the corner pieces. Painted and weathered with acrylics. The dowl is actually recycled from the original transfer pipe on cronton.

Love the pannier on it! So ive built a few traversers and sector plates and I find that sector plates are easier and less complicated to make. I make mine by either dropping the sector plate area below the track bed or by raising the rest of the track up a bit on some card or thin wood. Then the sector plate track and layout trackwork will be the same height. I find a pivot point next and make the actual sector plate. I put copper clad pcb board down and solder the rails to it and make sure all the tracks can line up to it. I cut the rails to length and glue down some wooden alignment blocks that I can push the sector plate against so that it will always align in the right position. Its kind of difficult for me to just describe in words so here's a picture of the one on Cronton. Something I should mention is that the power feed for the sector plate comes from the rear near the pivot point which is a piece of dowl drilled into the baseboard.

Thanks guys. Today has been all about getting the original coaling tower to fit into the new cronton. I used the original coaling tower plus some brick plasticard to bed it into it's new home.Its important to note that the coaling tower still works so I can load up wagons and maybe some tenders at exhibitions. I'll work on the pipeline covering the fiddle yard entrance next and then get the water tower bedded in before doing the detailing.

Ploughed on today with some static grass, ground foam and small shrubbery bits left over from Finlarig. The static grass is varying lengths and colours from woodland scenics. I feel that it's made quite a big change to the appearance of the layout already.

Coming along nicely. Really like the name loch doon for it!

A wooden fence made out of coffee stirrers cut and died with a black acrylic wash has been installed along the rear of the backscene. I used a lot of the original fence panels but had to make some new ones too. Tomorrow I will be doing the base static grass scenery.

Ash and coal dust now on the layout with glue currently setting off now.

I meant to post this last night but i couldn't get into rmweb for some reason. I cleared the plaster of the sides of the rails so trains can now run and put a thin black acrylic wash on all over the it. This is just the base layer of scenery as I'll be adding coal and ash dust on top of it all.

Today I covered all the track in a thin layer of all purpose filler/plaster to create a smoothened mucky look. In hind sight I could've just used das clay but the thin plaster makes it an easier to apply a thin layer.

So today I have ballasted a lot of the new track with a layer of beach sand sieved to remove any possible pebles. I have also added in a piece of plastic painted grey in the inspection pit to keep the rails in gauge. This should keep everything nice and smooth when operating the layout.

Today has seen the track sprayed brown to give the first base of weathering and the basic landscaping completed. This was done with some scraps of foamboard and plaster bandage. I didn't want to build it up too high since it will be covered in thick shrubbery and small trees as well as overgrown grass. I've also made up a set of cardboard steps to go on the other end of the inspection pit. Once the plaster bandage has dried up I can begin on the ground scenics which will be a layer of dried beach sand everywhere following the exact same method and using the exact same materials as used for the original cronton ground works.

Heard rumors that you're thinking of adding a giesel injector to the loco too.