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mudmagnet

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Everything posted by mudmagnet

  1. I've added some photos showing the boxing of the layout for safe transportation. The first showing complete box, the second showing the front cover removed, the third with one of the end boards un-bolted from the scenic board - note hardboard spacer strip to protect the ends of the track. The fourth and fifth showing the boards erected on their legs, with the front cover bolted to the main pair of legs to provide bracing stiffness. The second board piggy-backs off the main board.
  2. No photos to show much progress at the moment. Attmepted to get the accessory decoder to work - having a few issues, thankfully my local shop owner has offered to come round one evening to have a look (a bit like the DCC doctor making house calls!) With the weather being good, I've been cutting up wood and drilling holes to the make the packing pieces. Both boards are packed face to face, with end boards being bolted to the ends of each board (a trip of hardboard is sandwiched between the end of the baseboard and the bolting end board to protect the ends of the track - photos to follow when the glue has dried will help to explain more clearly). A further plywood board also clips across the open front of the baseboards when bolted together, thus creating a box to fully enclose scenic parts of the layout. This plywood board also is used a brace between the legs. Hopefully if the weather stays good, I will be able to take some photos and post to make things a little more clear.
  3. mudmagnet

    Waton

    Dave, Looking really great. Good to see a 'N' gauge layout in a reasonable size and not crammed with track. Looking forward to seeing the scenic development on the new board.
  4. Great layout. Everything blends together well. Like to the 47 and look forward to seeing the Hymek and 03. I guess that the 03 is a kit - which one have you built?
  5. Hi Marc, Thanks for comments. I've been trying to work through things in a 'logical' method and making slow progress. There are few jobs that need be completed in a specific order. There are a few jobs that I would like to get on with, but some the more 'boring' jobs need to be completed first. No photo updates at the moment, hopefully get a few over the weekend. I need to finish wiring the points to the accessory decoder, then can add the dummy point levers and finish painting and weathering the track and ballast. I can then add some redundant rail and old sleepers. The fuel tanks are almost completed and ready to glue in position - just need to add some more pipe work.
  6. Hi these three photos were taken on a wet day on the Welsh Highland Railway in June 2005.
  7. Hi Not much progress on the layout since the weekend, but have been working on the signal. This is now ready for final cleaning and painting. Eventually this will be operational, but unlikely to get sorted for a few weeks. The other soldering project are the PH Design depot baskets. As can be seen in the photos, the etches are very fine and so far have only soldered up one basket. As this is the first one, thus learning the best way to fold and solder. The rest should be easier. Very pleased with the result so far.
  8. mudmagnet

    Waton

    I've been following this thread for a while and each time there is something impressive - looking really great!
  9. Hi I've been able to spend some more time in the shed today - a bit to hot to do much else (i.e. decorating / washing the car). The scenery by the bridge has built up - more still to do, but a good a start has been made. The hedges are rubberised horse-hair, covered in Woodland Scenics (dip the pre-cut hedge sections in PVA diluted about 50% in 'wet-water', then into the Woodland Scenics and left to dry). A bit more variation in the colour is needed and then some more scenery added at the bottom of the hedge to blend into the rest of the scenery. I've also added some long grass along the redundant sleepers. A second OCA has been purchased and will be quite heavily weathered and will post photos when finished. Both OCA's will benefit from have some loads making, which will be removable so that they can be changed over. A small retaining wall has been started, which will fit behind the signal and will been carved and painted before gluing in place.
  10. Hi It's been a while since the last update on progress on the layout. I've had chance to get into the shed now that the weather is warmer and lighter to late. I have made a start o the signal and have position approximately as shown, just in front of the bridge. In order to get it to fit, some of the scenary has been cut away (easy with polystyrene and plaster bandage) and a stone retaining wall needs to be added in behind. I've also been filling in the sections between the track and next job is paint these sections and then add some grass etc. The concrete huts have been glued in position and will have some scrap parts added, plus a few weeds and grass growing. As suggested by Marc, I've added a few redundant sleepers beyond the siding. These have been made from plasticard and glued some Peco chairs (carefully sliced off Peco flexi track). Next, will be add some grass and weeds. This is the fun part, adding the scenary and detail parts. Still to add the buildings at the other end, but the low-relief factory will be re-built as I was not entirely happy with it, so needs replacement. Until this is in place, I can't finish the scenary at this end. Hopefully will get chance to get some more completed over the weekend and will update.
  11. No photos so far this weekend and haven't made much progress on the layout. Marc, as suggested, I have laid a few additional sleepers at the end of the siding where this comes through from the bridge - have been painted, but need to be ballasted next. Thanks to Peter Harvey at PHD - a few bits arrived in the post this morning, so will start on the depot baskets and mobile inspection platform. First impressions - extremely fine etching, with quite a few small parts - should be fun. I willl add photos when a start has been made. Also, a signal kit for a SR upper quadrant has also arrived in the post, plus a few smaller bits. Should keep me busy for a while. Now, where's my soldering iron .....
  12. Hi Gary, Looking very good indeed. The coastal scene looks great- also like your rusting 'wreck', something often seen on the tidal rivers, but rarely modelled well. The backscene helps to blend everything together nicely.
  13. Hi, It's been a productive weekend, after mountain biking this morning and watching the Grand Prix (a bit dull), I've highlighted the buffer stops with 'rusty' acrylic (Games Workshop / Citadel paint), and added some grass. This has been achieved the 'old-fashioned way' - i.e. using Woodland Scenics long grass cut to length and glued to small dabs of PVA (which has not dried yet when photos taken). There is still plenty to do around the buffer stops, but I fancied doing a bit of the scenic works - this is one of the areas that I enjoy the most - makes a pleasant changed from the other jobs to be started / completed! Still plenty to do - track ballasting and painting to be completed, plus fitting building at end of board to be completed next.
  14. Hi Chris, Thanks for your comments. That's what RMWeb is all about - the exchange of ideas and assistance where need. Yes, see you Tuesday. Cheers Richard
  15. hi Another weekend is here and another update on progress. I've completed the rocks, which are Woodland Scenic rock moulds, well one mould and two castings. These have been in my scenic box for a while and were broken into smaller sections by tapping the back with a hammer, thus giving random sections. The sections were then positioned 'dry' to check their fit, once happy these were fitted into position using Hydo-cal - which when it comes in contact with the rock mould or the previously applied dry scenery the surface water is absorbed almost instantly. So, only small amounts are used at a time, and then wetted and pushed into position using a brush. Additional hydro-cal is the pushed into place around the rock moulds to blend-in. When this has dried, these are painted with artists acrylics, with various colours painted in washes over the rocks until the desired colour is acheived. Then black is washed into the crevices and white / light grey drybrushed to highlight the edges of the rock shapes. I have also started to glue in the basic 'green' sections and will be built up over time to create the desired effect. I have been offered the loan of a Grassmaster - so better looking grass awaits. There is quite a bit of scenic detail to add and will be completed over the coming weeks and will update as and when done. Next job - to finish a couple of the buildings and get these glued into place.
  16. Hi Marc, Thanks for your comments. Yes, the bridge does look a litttle brighter - could be to do with using the flash on the camera. The flash on my digital SLR is a little harsh - I much prefer to use the camera on a tri-pod and close the shutter down to smallest aperture and expose as long as needed. Anyway, the bridge will be toned-down and weathered with the rest of the layout. I had thought about adding a few old sleepers, plus removed rail beyond the buffer stop, obviously re-positioning the concrete huts, to the end of the siding through the bridge. As far as operation, yes an odd wagon can be pushed from 'fiddle-yard' beyond bridge - a good view blocker as you mention. If I had space, I was tempted to include the brick edge of a filled-in turntable. I am attempting to show some of the history - eg that the original track plan / facilities have been removed / demolished, but some traces still remain. Again, the placement of concrete structures / fences / features trying to enforce this idea and at the sametime place firmly in Southern Region. The thought being that even without any engines on show - the viewer can see that this is a Southern Region depot. Now that the scenery is coming together, I can visualise everything more clearly and following my picture in my mind. I'm not one those modellers that like to sketch too many ideas or make minatures. I have a fairly clear idea in my head, which often gets 'tweaked' as the model progresses. I have a clear idea what to do next, but will not list here, except to mention that I've added a small rock cutting along part of the rear scenery and planning to paint over the next couple of days - photos to follow. Still loads to do - not long to its first public showing at the end of July!
  17. hi, Another week gone and some more progress to report on the layout - see photos below. The basic scenery has been created along the rear, by the bridge and a little section at the front. The first stage was to add the front profile boards from 3mm hardboard, being easy to cut and shape. Next a few pieces of polystyrene were roughly shaped and glued with PVA. There being several small peices fixed to achieve the approximate shape required. Next, small strips of plaster bandage (Jarvis in this case) were laid over the polystyrene, making sure that each peice overlapped the preceding. Once this first layer was almost dry, a second layer was added as required. After this had all dried, the final shape was acheived using Woodland Scenics Hydro-cal plaster (normal polyfilla or other similar products could be used). I just happen to have a large bag of Hydro-cal and found that it works very well. Only mix a small quantity at a time, about a hand full, as it starts to go stiff very quickly. It can be worked into position with a damp brush. The Hydro-cal is also very good when used with the Woodland Scenics rock moulds. There are a few areas of rock to be added along the rear of the layout - which hopefully I should get completed next week, so will post some photos and description when completed. The concrete huts are only positioned temporarily, just attempting to determine the best positions for these. The Ratio hut is well know, whereas the other two (one lamp hut and larger hut) are both scratchbuilt from plasticard. I have moved these around a little and likely to position as shown, but hey, still not fully decided. The fence along the rear, also have been temporarily positioned, but these will go here. I've added some graffiti to two of the panels, but will reveal more another time!
  18. hi Craig, Those cottages look great - very Cornish!!!
  19. Hi Tim, Thanks for response - it was no problem. We're all here to help and if you learn something or find a new technique or solution to a problem, that's great. Cheers
  20. Hi Marc Thanks for comment on couplings. I did notice Stu's layout. I've noticed something similar from PH Designs. For what I'm doing here, I will probably stick with what I'm using, but tempted to look at something else in the future - possible Spratt and Winkle or Alex Jacksons. Cheers
  21. Hi Darren, Thanks for the comments. I'm hoping to get a bit more completed at the weekend, but I am a slow modeller (certainly compared to your progress!). I've been building SR concrete lamp huts to go with the Ratio lineside huts, one of each will feature on the layout, firmly placing Orchard Road in the South West! hi Marc, One reason for building my own shed was that I wanted something individual. I prefer to scratchbuilt as much as I can (and that will include a few of the smaller details), just because I enjoy doing that and also adds a unique touch. Secondly, there are quite a few Bachmann / Hornby / etc sheds on layouts, and while looking effective, are not the the shape and size I was needing. Finally, in my opinion, a little expensive. I've still a couple of locos to weather - another class 25 and a class 50 - I have found some photos as a basis for the weathering. I find that you need a couple of decent photos of the real thing to get the weathering to look authentic. Cheers
  22. Hi Tim, thanks for your comments. The coupling is simply a piece of brass wire, bent into a 'U' section, then has the two ends bent upwards and inserted into two holes drilled into the chassis immediately behind the buffer beam. The height off the track is a little trial and error, as is the length protruding in front of the buffer beam. I've attached a couple of photos, which explain better than I can. Note, I have folded the 'loop' down to get the required height to suit the standard Bachmann couplings. cheers
  23. Hi The bridge has now been carved, painted and glued into position, as can be seen in the photos. The plywood bridge frame was covered in ready-mixed tile grout (not the water proof stuff though) and allowed to dry. After a little sanding, a small area was wetted with water and carved. The water just softens the grout enough to make carving easier. Once the whole bridge, well the visible bits were completed, the stones were dry-brushed using artists acrylics and the colour was gradually built up. A little weathering was started, but this needs a bit more work and will be done when I weather the layout as a whole - this way the weathering can be blended in across the layout to give a more even effect. The arches, being skewed were a bit of a pain, but trial and error with cardboard resulted in something that fits ok, but not perfect. Each cardboard sections was then covered with Scalescenes brick and then glued in with PVA and held in place with selotape. The road form has been started with a strip of cardboard, but will need to be covered with the road surface later, after the scenary at the front has been started. The dark paint shows where the scenary will be formed each side of the bridge. I still have some work to do on the low-relief building at the other end, but has been lightly weathered with pastel chalks - photos to follow when the windows have been completed. This can then be glued into place. Next jobs to do - front profile boards, scenary forms along the rear, finish the interior walls on the depot .... and so on ....
  24. Jon, Please keep the photos coming! Your modelling and photography is some of the best I've seen, very inspirational. It is impressive that you have fitted so much into a relatively small space - proving that you don't need a huge layout to built something realistic.
  25. Wow! Looks incredible. It's good to see the locos on the inspection pits and certainly gives a good feel on how the interior is going to look when finished (!) Thanks for keeping us posted.
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