ullypug

With the layout up, I have been able to assess and make a series of repairs required after its prolonged period in storage. First up was to fix and rectify all of the point mechanisms and prove the wiring such that I could get trains to run from one end to the other and back into the up and down yards. There's still a lit of errant ballast to deal with but I'm happy with progress. Most of the turnout droppers' soldered joints had failed and it took a while to sort out. I also fixed down some scenic sections which had come loose, reinforced the back of the layout where the road runs behind the hedge and dealt with the chasms which had formed at board joints, inserting new ply former pieces, applying filler and squeezing boards back together, with a sheet of cling film inserted to maintain the break. Scenics have been retrospectively applied and there's still a bit more to do.Photos show works in progress. The entire layout was then turned around so I could fix the fascia to the front. Filler has been liberally applied and it is currently primed, awaiting painting and scenery tweaks. This afternoon, I dragged the two 5ft fiddle yard turntables out of their hiding place and duly unwrapped them. These are Tim Horn products and came ready assembled. They're rather nice too. I couldn't resist putting some flexi track on the top to gauge how many roads I might be able to accommodate. At least 6 I reckon. They've been given a coat of Danish oil to seal the tops and I'll treat the underside in a similar manner. Once the fascia is done, the plan is to mate up the first and last board to their respective fiddle yard boards and finish the run off track work. Cheddar is going to the Railwells show in August as a work in progress, but I'd like to be able to run trains from one end to the other, if only to appease my sense of pride!

Excellent modelling Mikkel. It took a slightly dark tone there for a minute, a properly Scandinavian melancholy with shades of Edgar Allen Poe…

I don’t post much about my Clevedon layout anymore but just a note to say that the layout will be having a run out at the Sodbury Vale show in Yate on 9 March 2024. I’ve spent a pleasant evening servicing all the engines and checking the layout still works! All is well. Do come and say hello if you’re passing.

The long term aim is to have a garden room/shed and convert to a roundy roundy layout. And if I’m really dreaming on two levels so I can have the entire WC&PR system in EM too!!

It was a bit close. i had to open the window to get the spigot and socket of the support rails together

I didn’t know that Stephen, but thank you for the info. Might have to think about the long term effects. Having seen the gaps widen this week as it’s been in a heated space I’m hoping it’s something that can be fixed with a little bit of filler and some plywood packers.

Major milestones this month. For the first time since I started building Cheddar, some 11 years ago now, I’ve finally been able to put all of the 8 scenic boards up together. Cheddar is going to be making its exhibition debut at RailWells this August as a work in progress and with under 6 months to go I needed to take stock of just how much left there is to do before it gets there! The layout has been in various unheated garages for the last few years and it’s almost 6 years since anything last moved on it, way before ballasting and track painting started. So needless to say I wasn’t expecting a great deal especially as on retrieving the panel I noticed the din sockets were corroded and the box itself showing signs of mould! So first things first, the trestles and supporting rails were erected in the dining room, fitting with about half an inch to spare. Yes I did check when I bought the house but don’t tell anyone! After that the boards were brought out one by one and erected on top and the panel plugged in and an engine plonked on. Power applied. Nothing, nada, no sausages at all. No surprises there really. Then I tried all the turnouts. Plenty of encouraging noises from the tortoise motors but nothing moving. well at least the point feeds were getting to the layout. So I started cleaning the track. It had tarnished heavily and had a crust that needed serious attention from abrasive pads. No wonder nothing had moved. After a while though, I got the furthest (Wells end) board clean enough. A bit of power and the engine moved! After a hearty hurrah and a little jig of delight, I then worked my way up towards the other end (Axbridge) cleaning and testing. By the end of the week I’d got to the other end (yes it was that dirty), and confirmed that all track sections had supplied power to the rails and that both cab controllers worked to each section. DCC is a pipe dream… There’s still a long way to go though. Next step is to get each and every turnout working again, which will be a combination of cleaning out all the crud and scraping away the ballast which has welded everything solid. A couple of track joins require attention at baseboard ends as steps are now evident, I guess due to the plywood plates at the edges swelling over the years. Curiously, the scenery sections have opened up considerably across baseboard joints. These are on a mixture of extruded foam and paper-mache so I’m going to need to redress that, or blag that Cheddar gorge is a bit closer to the station… But onwards! I can start my snagging list now and carry on knowing that power is restored. It’s a case of deciding what has to be done by August and what can be left for later. One thing I will need is the fiddle yards, so maybe that’ll be next. Attached photos and I even took a few videos to cheer myself up. In the longer term, Cheddar will be exhibited (when it’s fully ready) and I hope that it will have a permanent home in a temperature controlled room where I can avoid the problems caused by its storage. The other highlight of the week came from a very helpful chap at Bristol Water who sent me the original 1920 drawings of the Water Works that was served by a private siding. But that’s another story.

That’s the one! I’ve a collection of figures from Modelu and Monty’s to go here

Gosh. Another year has arrived and the layout still isn’t finished! This time of year is always busy with various family birthdays but I have managed to find time to get a bit of modelling done. It doesn’t help that my progress this time isn’t really progress, rather the correction of things I didn’t get right in the first, second or even third case. Ho hum… The camping coach is all but finished, it just needs weathering down slightly and detailing added. Transfers were from Fox and I’m pretty happy with how it’s come together. The steps are made and I’ve a collection of figures to add a little cameo here when it’s all done. Progress with the E116 B set has been glacial at times, but both coaches have been resprayed chocolate and cream and one coach is now flush glazed. Lots of individual pieces of 0.5mm perspex cut and filed to shape before being secured with Klear. Now there’s just the small matter of changing the bogies, since it would appear the set had 9ft fish belly type and not the pressed steel type which I’ve modelled. I’ll have to swap them out and use them for something else. I’ve got some Bristol Division transfers from Railtec for the ends too yet to do. Lastly, having never ever seen a photo of the bridge on Station Road prior to its demolition, two turned up on the local Facebook history page which, yes you’ve guessed it, showed the bridge looked nothing like the first, second and third one I have built. So with suitably sized underwear on, out came the mini drill and circular saw and I did the best I could without destroying everything and bearing in mind there’s a piece of 12mm ply acting as a track base which obviously I can’t do anything about. I think we’ve got there and a little more weathering and maybe a little filler will finish it off. Tonight I’ve been sizing up the signals required for the layout and next I real want to get the whole layout up for some testing, oh and sorting out the fiddle yards.

Good to see the new venue worked well. Any news on how much the show raised for Weston Hospicecare this year?

I know what you mean. The main approach for Cheddar will be on the non viewing side at exhibitions!

Very impressive Mikkel. lovely how you have built up all the detail.

Hmmm. you could well be right. I must admit I saw the pictures of the E116 B set at Minehead in the Russell book and assumed they were carmine and cream. I don’t want to attach the picture. Do you have that book? I was chatting with Martin Goodall from the local EM group (and Great Western Study Group) on Thursday and he reinforced your and the ‘official’ position. mind you I also had this conversation about an unlined green 14xx with early BR logo until I found the photo at Yatton. Methinks a respray may be on the cards!

They're quite tricky to form and in the absence of instructions, I built the body around the floor. I also soldered a strengthening piece at cantrail level meaning some of the roof ribs had to be cut to get the roof to fit. I've since removed the plasticard I added to replicate the plated clerestory vents. They were plated over on W9906W but not in transpires on W9902W. It's great when you find that reference photo after the event! I also see that the recently re-announced Blacksmith range had a diagram E73 in its previous incarnation.

Hi Mikkel The solebars are included so you have to make the trussing, queen posts and fittings. There are a couple of battery boxes included with the kit but from what I can see in photos, these were removed for camping coaches along with the dynamo.