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Getting a good angle can be tricky - this view would be from the footbridge ( if I had made it up yet ). Once the scenery is complete - the window in the back ground could be shopped out and it might convincing to a degree.. This was taken with my iPhone 3 feet in to the layout.. The only work that isn't mine is the back scene ( Alisdair Macdonald), and the signal box and goods shed ( Peter Leyland ), point blades ( the late David Smith ) . There is still so much to do.... I agree with Tony Gee's comments, I get the most enjoyment when friends come to run the layout, I rarely bother on my own. I don't think I've run a train on it for 3 months - although I have been ballasting, which rather stops activity...

It was a nice hot day today, so all the doors and windows were open in the railway room, so that I could use the airbrush to tone down the ballast on Basford North. That's underfloor heating foam on the left in preparation for a raised bank. There is still plenty to do... The down platform fence has now been completed.. That signal is tight for clearances - I shall have to check full size requirements...

I've done a trial placing of the GC bridge, there will be an extended wing wall on the left to take the footpath from Vernon Road to the GC bridge. That and some trees will help disguise the proximity of the back scene at this point. Ballasting on the main line is now complete, the process of tidying up and cleaning the track is now under way.. Wagons are standing on the what will be the hidden line to Bulwell Common.

Back to the weathering - I found this picture of a a Crostie that I built for a client... I find the light weathering the most difficult.. I remember those Ambrico DMU's , I didn't realise how old they were! Regards Tony

Yes - I do like a bit of 'heroic' weathering, nearly everything on the layout is weathered - apart from new stuff which will be done in due course. Weathering, just brings the models to life. My first 7mm WD ( built - a long time ago ) - it's since been re-wheeled, that awful chunky beading on the tender was replaced with something finer and a cab roof ventilator added. Further weathering blended all that back in. Oh yes - the Little Engines O1 - I did build that one. I remember the chassis is anything but rigid, equalising beams on the leading two axles, motor axle fixed and spring rear drivers? Regards Tony

Yes....

We had a scenery working day yesterday, and as well as ballasting, I thought I'd make a start on the arched retaining wall that hides the Bulwell Common Line on its way to the storage yard ( it should be heading off in completely the other direction! ).

The Brooklyn Road bridge is nearly complete, I just need to finish the pilaster caps and tidy up..

Just a little correction on the history of the two Austerities - they were both built by Allen Hammett, one for me and the other for Roy Palmer. I acquired Roy's one when he changed scale. Both were built with Sharman wheels originally ( I thought the overlays looked awful ) but I also experienced the wheels shifting on the axles. So when the Markits wheel was introduced, I re-wheeled them both. I never really got on with friction fit drivers either... I was probably not diligent enough with their installation... Regards Tony

I do like making track, its even more fun in O gauge... and just when I think I've done enough, I have a whole set to make up for a large GW project.. This is the view off the end of the platform on Basford North. The track has now been ballasted and the backscene is in place. Signals in place but not connected up yet. I also wish I went EM, but had too much invested in OO - group projects etc. In the end I went to 7mm as I was always unhappy at the narrow gauge look of 16.5mm track and chassis..

Alisdair Macdonald came to fit the backscene today, and we spent a pleasant day with Geoff Taylor as well working on Basford North. It's very much work in progress, but it is now starting to come together.

More O4/8 fun - I just found this 4mm and 7mm comparison. 63877 was from a Little Engines kit. It came back to me after it was sold for a new motor/gearbox. I never liked those visible Romford nuts, so filled them with Plastic padding. It could easily be dug out if necessary and was worth the effort to improve the appearance of the wheels.

We do like an O4/8 - Allen Hammett built this one in 7mm for me by combining B1 body etchings and O4/7 kit. So I paid Allen for building it, as I didn't have time, and he had already built one for someone else. So at least I can call myself a cheque book modeller! It was a few years after that that I started building loco's for a living... The loco is running on my Basford North, where the scenery is very much in progress. I need to concentrate on the endlessly running video box that pops up of 'Sir' demonstrating scenic work on Little Bytham! The iron ore tipplers - all 20 of them are brass kits.. The layout is not a sole effort - the house behind was built by Peter Leyland, the platform faces are from York Modelmaking, and the bridge was designed and laser cut by Geoff Taylor - who also did the green stuff... The DJH austerities:- 90299 was built by Allen for Roy Palmer, then it came to me. Allen also built 90040 for me, at the time, we thought they were wonderful, the only other option, was to scratchbuild or do I recall correctly a Cornard white metal body on a Joeff 141R chassis? Years later, I did buy a Bachmann one, and I thought it was pretty good. I personally don't mind having RTR stuff - it gives me time to build the stuff that is not available off the shelf. As long as we enjoy it, thats all that matters.

Today was our first pass at the backscene by Alisdair Macdonald, with a trial fitting. There are corrections and adjustments to make yet. There will also be a scenic break in front of it up to a couple of inches high with higher ground level and hedges and fences.

I think the bridge might have gone, but I'm not certain... Once the brick sheets are added, it looks a bit more promising. I moved the buttresses out a little and added outer ribs on the cross beam. Some of my brick courses are not perfect, this bridge is located 4 feet back on the layout and will only be detailed on the viewing side. But I think the MekPak has had an adverse affect on me, I was quite ill last night...

Ballasting continues, as does work on the backscene. In the meantime, workbench time has been devoted to the Brooklyn Road bridge that is on the link to Bulwell Common. its the first substantial structure I have built in plasticard. Based on this bridge, though I have had to stretch and skew it. ( Photo by Hayden Reed )

The most difficult I came across to build was a blown up Jidenco Coal Tank to 7mm - that was definitely an assisted scratch build. It looked like the etchings had been stored in someones garden shed for years... not a good start... It came out all right in the end, but a lot of it was junked... the castings were good though!

I'm looking forward to my stint at Missenden in March - so Tony's observations were useful. Undoubtedly there will be guys that know more than me, but its the exchange of skills and ideas that is important. As Tony says, some people attend to get away from other distractions! Hopefully we'll all be able to take away something new from the weekend. Model making can be quite a solitary occupation, so it will be an enjoyable social occasion being with people in a creative atmosphere. How do you learn? Much of my learning was from sitting alongside friends and being shown what to do.. I'll be taking along my latest project as a demonstrator.. Cheers Tony

More placement of signals - 75,72 & 68 for Bulwell Common, Nottingham Victoria and Colwick respectively. The LMS/BR splitter ( 57 & 58 ) on the left control exit from the bay - The Vic or Colwick. Experimenting with ground levels on the left. That raised area needs to be slightly lower than that...

At last I'm getting to a stage where I can get semi real looking photos - there is still a lot to do with the scenery. I'd like a more late summer look.. With a bit of Photoshop, I could get those lines out in the background.. Now most of the signals are nearly complete, I can test plant them. Scenery and ballast progress slowly from West to East...This signal controls exit from the goods yard.. lots of places to go to! Signal 43 on the down line from Leen Valley Junction. A fence post is wedged in the wire to keep it horizontal!

Signal 43 takes shape, I'm not sure why it has two ladders, but the arm was low, to enable sightong under the GC main line bridge and I suspect the extra height was for guy wires between this signal and the adjacent splitting signal on the down line from Bagthorpe Junction. Background work continues apace, the signal servos ( SG-90s ) have all been mounted up on my stainless laser cut brackets. I still have a stock of these at £3 each, pm me if you are interested.

A while back we were talking about Gresley coaches with half compartments, I came across this D137 on John Turners collection on Flickr- https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/30965317078/in/photostream/ Now, that collection is a rabbit hole, there are some wonderful examples of rolling stock...I've spent hours browsing it! Regards Tony

A wonderful and inspiring collection of layouts Tony, thank you for posting them. Not forgetting Heyside of course, which won an award at the NEC:-

Thanks - thats interesting... food for thought. Whilst I'm at the workbench, I thought I'd knock up more items for the layout. I know the Intentio platelayers hut is GC, but it's very similar to the GN one and will represent the one by the Vernon Road bridge. I cut the GWR emblems out of the Peco station seats and they are quite close to the ones that were on the station platform..

Ah - thats interesting - we've had quite a few problems with power on twitching and got round it by having PSU's with a higher current rating, which did reduce it to a degree. My servo boards were obtained a few years ago in anticipation of this project... Is the LM317 a straight swap for the original regulator? Although I can see extra components on your board, so maybe not! Regards Tony