Dad-1

I'm struggling along, and at times feel rather defeated by the sheer amount of work still to be done on Castell Mawr. In fact there are frequent times when I regret starting something this large, offering a 45 foot main line run. Yet how else can you get the feel of even a local 3 or 5 coach train running 'somewhere', let alone a 30 wagon goods train ? To keep spirits up I'll occasionally just have a little play, get some people, a train, or two and set up some simple cameo scenes. At times the focus is slightly out, but I enjoy most of the results. Here is Grandfather with Grandson having a look inside the cab. Another from the same 'play time' I always have batteries recharged after these sessions and resolve to get on and progress further !! Geoff T

August ....... last time I posted was AUGUST ? Yes I suppose it was. I'm still fighting my 'big' layout, but did some more ballasting tonight, stuck a loco and station building on. Digi cameras pick out all the small detail that's not quite right !! My friend who was persuaded to paint the rails missed in a few places You can just see the odd figure inside the station, perhaps I should have found a few figures for the platform, but they're all outside in the garage. Geoff T.

Hi All, The back operation went very well and my legs are working without giving me pain equal to a broken limb. Although there were no promises regarding general back pain that I've had for 50+ years there has been a considerable improvement. Shame the NHS thought they could defer until I was unable to move, was it worth the eventual private cost of £6 K, yes worth every penny. However now she who must be obeyed has pushed me into buying a holiday caravan by the sea. As a result all builds will slow down (even more). I have started again as I can stoop without pain and have been cladding the wooden wall liner with embossed plasticard. Had to make up a scene as I played. Quite a busy road in the morning. All still a little raw, but you get the idea of the scenic fiddle yard/sidings. Why have loads of track doing nothing for you ?? Off to the seaside tomorrow for just over a week ...... enjoy yourselves .......... Dad-1

I thank you all for the kind thoughts - I'm back home and a little sore, but my legs are working better than they have for a couple of years. Remember "The Strawbs" ...... First Cut Is The Deepest If I knew how to add a picture here I would, but it's not worth starting another episode. Geoff T.

I've never been the most prolific poster on here so I doubt I'll be missed for a week or two. The layout will shortly be on unspecified 'hold' as next week I go in for a spinal operation. NHS didn't want to bother because I was still fit & flexible, but they have no idea of the pain I have. So after a private consultation and parting with around £7K it will be done at a BMI hospital. So just as I reach the point of working my river end boards I'll have a break. Here styrene risers show the line of my planned main road & lane junction Here is the under construction main road under bridge which is close to the river. Geoff T.

I can make excuses, but a little sunshine gave me a chance to start the final base boards. I needed the space outdoors to arrange the swap around, stripping the two high end boards out and getting the two low end boards on legs in place. That started with a small garage clear up. Now I have to cut the track-bed board and risers of 140mm on which the track-bed will be fixed. This should enable me to get track wiring in which will not link between these two boards. It would seem that feeding the DCC bus from the other end, having it run roughly 22 feet each side of the feed will be fine, but to join up into a ring may cause signal errors. There are times (a few) when I heed advice ! While it was raining last week I got my plasticard out and made a lane under bridge that will take a road from board edge under the tracks, down a hill to join the main road. So far so good ..... I still have to make the main road under bridge and the railways river bridge, but these need to be built to fit the track-bed. Anyway my plasticard is getting low so tonight I re-ordered stock from Slaters. Geoff T.

Not the best summer is it ? Firstly I have too much going on, or stored in my garage to do much work in there. Hence this summer being a wash out is severly delaying my layout progress. For all those who enjoy seeing someone elses mess here it is :- 2012 weather is not the only bad news, as a member of the Milton Keynes Model Railway Society I have joined in the running of our railways as part of the Bletchley Park code breakers museum for the last 4 years. We have now been given notice to quit and last weekend was our last session open to the public. We now have until December to strip our rooms bare and remove all out accumulated possessions from the site. Even at this level politics and money rule the world !! 17 years there with 233,000 recorded visitors to our club displays has now come to an end. I tried to get my wife to let me have a full size home signal and lever frame in the garden ..... but she put her foot down !!!! Dad-1

I see I claim to have started on these at the end of May. Outdoor weather has been less summer like than ever, and these are 100% outdoor work. I'm still day dreaming with little ideas, but have started the raised track bed. Also have made rough road under bridge formers out of 3 mm MDF, these will be used as a base for embossed plastic sheeting. The supporting uprights will have 9 mm beading attached across the top each side as per the base, onto which the track bed will be screwed and glued. Once I thought the track so high against the river surface it would distort scaling of the bridge. However with the road being 25 mm or so above the river it looks about right to my eye. There are times when work is interupted by our little wild friend "Scruffy" who likes a digestive biscuit both morning and tea time ! Dad-1

Thanks for the comment devondynosoar118, Getting flowing landscape isn't easy, 'cos the railway (model) prefers to operate with a minimum of gradient change. Geoff T.

Although I want to work on my 'river' end I need to work on that outdoors and today the weather looked iffy. In addition I didn't feel too good as my back was playing me up. As a result I started plastering more of the cutting where the boards are up in the garage. Took this with one of my 3 x 14XX locos pulling a short freight. From track level that cutting looks quite deep. Still very wet and glistening ..... Probably slow up now as next week I'm away for a few days, while the current weather forecast is not too good. Geoff T.

I thank you cromptonnut .... I've still not plastered the far side, as a beginning had to be made on the other end. Typical for someone who likes working outside, the weather's changed for the worse !! I believe that natural light makes so much difference to any photo. Geoff T.

So far 'Castell Mawr' has proceeded at a steady crawl, but those gentle steps now give me 10 working layout boards with all 7 point decoders fully functional working my selection of points. The last posting shows the North end cutting taking on it's base plaster in preparation for adding grass and asorted other greenery. What I have done is to forget the Southern 180 degree section on two boards that sit just shy of 6 inches lower than the rest of the layout. On these I want a resin river, water meadow, main road running close to the river edge with the railway crossing the river and road twice. I began today ..... and the height at first looks almost frightening. Here we have my first 'artistic' planning ...... you know, put it down and see what it looks like !! My lorry is in a layby, the road outline is clearly seen. Where the joining beams are the road section will be cut down to around 1" high. Now here with a photo taken at river surface level you can see how high my tracks will be. It may look high, but I'm certain it should look right when all the surrounding landscape is added (I live in hope) Getting these boards right is something of a test, but I wanted a reasonable rise & fall of landscape over the 21 feet of layout. I've managed about 1 foot from the highest fields above the cutting to river surface ...... Oh and 4 bridges to dream up, this will take some time. Geoff T.

Although not ready for more photographs I can at least say 'I Think' the answer to one application of plaster cracking was the mix was too dry. I have since added two other applications and these show no sign of cracking. One is still quite damp as it was deeper to get my landscape profiles, the other mostly embankment sides has dried much faster, but neither show any indication of cracks. It could of course be that they were added in the garage and did dry slightly slower, but yesterday my garage was like an oven with sun beating down on the roof meaning it probably dried as quickly as if it were outdoors. Geoff T.

Hi Reemgee, I may fancy a Scottish scene, but I'll never get around to making one. The section I really took to was just south of Helmsdale where the railway runs along the cliff tops and then on an embankment over sand dunes .... It would be a scenic logistical nightmare, but look brilliant if done well. One day though I must finish my part built CR 439 class ..... and then that Caley coach ! Geoff T.

Bliss , or is it ? Working in the garden today laying a plaster/sawdust skin over styrene. Now summat went a little wrong as todays effort has developed cracks, yet that I did a few days back before the weather changed is fine. I presume that either the mix was too dry, or too wet, perhaps it dried too quickly out in the sun. Still no problem as the surface will be painted (and worked into any cracks) and then soaked in watered down PVA to attach all the greenery. Just for play time I put my Arriva Wales 150 on the track ....... you know just to dream of when it's a working layout. A second view from the fence (that will be there) at the cutting top, can't see the sheep either. The far side is now fully built up and may get plastered tomorrow. Geoff T.

Hi reemgee, A 'new' retiree ehh ....... I Hit 70 today. I'm a big believer in running what you want, when you want ..... except if doing exhibitions where one should try and make sense of when & where, your location is supposed to be. I'd love to do a Scottish scene, like my GWR, and appreciate BR both early & late although I'm not into post privatisation, no doubt summat to do with my age .... Still a long way to go and no new photographs. Geoff T.

I suppose the 'hacking' problems with the associated down time made me leave on-line things well alone. Meanwhile progress has been the usual snails pace. No apologies as this is a hobby to be enjoyed at whatever pace the poster wants. We do so often let ourselves be pressured into actions we may not want. I suppose we oldies become rebels as there's nobody who can dictate to us (except the dear wife that is !!) Castell Mawr rather than becoming a joint GWR/LMS route is becoming more or less GWR. I find I have no LMS locomotives or carriages, but bought a job lot from a club member that included 6 sets of GWR traction and 7 coaches - the bargain price was such it would have been rude to refuse !! Styrene formers going in to develop the cutting around this end of the layout. There is a nice operating desk space with twin sockets mounted in the back wall. This has now been painted black. Currently only 1 socket is live and initially all DCC point and track will be powered though it. The second socket is for a future mod of putting all the points onto an independant bus. Our operating systems will be either NCE, Dynamis, or Select depending on how we feel. As the desk area was cleared for painting all the usual rubbish was pushed further along the nearest boards. Never enough space, unless your name is Pete Waterman, but then perhaps he also would like more space ? Geoff T.

Hi devondynosoar, This is intended to be used at occasional exhibitions where operators in the central well will need to uncouple wagons, this means reasonably clear arm access over the inner tracks becomes an essential requirement. Running trains is the main focus although the immediate linesides will be suitably landscaped. When tested out should we find slots where a back scene would be no problem then we could perhaps add. Dad-1

When I started this in October I don't think I realised just how much work was involved in making a large portable layout. I had worked out the track would probably be 1K when points, decoders and all was built in, but this has just seemed to go on forever. However today I pinned down the last points by completing the south station throat with it's 6 assorted turnouts that includes a double slip and a 3 way. From above it shows main lines to the right, with the left siding to serve the builders merchants & timber yard, with a spare siding between. This layout was/is planned to be as compact and portable as possible, while offering some 45 Feet + of main line running with some sidings and 'industry' to serve by freight movements. As such there will be almost no back scenes behind the inner buildings. This way it is hoped that perhaps 2 small family cars can transport, at the most 3 vehicles meaning no hired vans. Hiring vans becomes a problem insurance wise when you pass 70 ..... and for that I have just 7 weeks !!! Dad-1

Posting twice in one week - something of a record ..... As I can't find a way of extending a thread by additional postings we have a new one !! After a couple of days 'messing around' I've at last made all the track on station boards 1 - 3 go live !! Not a single wiring glitch although two crossovers are not yet attached to their decoders due to being on separated boards and I've not bought the connecting plugs & sockets. I so often hear of difficulties with double slips and being code 100 track my slips are the only insulated frog turnouts. So once this went live I had a little play testing by traversing the slip in all directions using a selection of locomotives. All went through even at slow speeds, a Dapol 14XX; Hornby Railroad 9F; Bachmann Robinson 04; Bachmann Midland 3F. To try and get a scale feel I had a 6 coach train of clerestory coaches along what will be platform 1 with a local 'B' set being pulled by the 14XX at what will be platform 2. Slip testing time, part of the 14XX programme !! One more station throat to go !! by next weekend - no hope !! Dad-1

I have such long 'absent' spells that every time I come back it takes me ages to work out how to drive this darned computer !! Not posted anything new since January, ouch, time to show what has been going on. Firstly spending money, this layout has loads of points, each requiring motors, switches for frog polarity changing. Then as usual buying a few building kits and vehicles just to try and keep the enthusiasm going as well as working out what will go where ? Work has been done on the 'Station' side track, although not all laid yet. Now I don't know if it's me, but I can't start building the scenery until all track is down and working well. This shows the lines running throught the station. Main lines on the right serving platform 1, with the island platform having main line platform 2 with platform 3 and a goods line behind that. Almost out of sight is one of the station throats, but here is the board parked against my garage wall. All I'm itching to do is start scenery !! Before the fiddleyard/sidings were stripped down I indulged myself. Here seen from the operators side. But that rough 'planning' aside it's just boards & track .......... Dad-1

Thought I'd add a picture taken today of one station throats turnouts, all just resting on the 1:1 scale drawingsI choose to use. Now the rear section is up and running I've got to make the final decisions on the complete station track layout. Then we'll be making up the 4 modules to hold the station. We started ply cutting today for the first end section so progression has been faster than I expected for working in a garage during winter. Mmm.... can't seem to add pictures through this reply set-up. Dad-1

Hi Owen, Thanks for the comments. All my previous layouts/dioramas have been small enough for brush painting of track to just about be acceptable. This is in a somewhat different league regarding the amount of track. I will seriously have to think about spraying, but as you say there is the ballast to think about and an overall grey spray over that wouldn't do.without loads of rough masking. When brush painting that has always been done before ballasting. Glad to see you think what I'm doing kinda fits a Blog's rough idea. Dad-1

I'm never quite certain what to do with a Blog ? What exactly is it ? Well I use this as a sort of diary of things done and to be done. I have always tended to look forward, but explaining rough ideas for the future would be a waste of time. As a result all I can do is show a few things that have been completed enough to have something to look at. Back in October a few of us (4) decided to make a lightweight layout where we could have longish trains thundering around. This with a view to taking to the odd exhibition, so probably the primary design feature had to be small and light enough modules to carry in 2, or at the most 3 cars. Longish is amounting to 21 feet long, and even with a board width of just 20" the overall will be over 7 feet wide but having a decent sized central operating well. It's taken until this last week to have the fiddle yard/exchange sidings section up and running. Just track, points, & point decoders, although the picture shows some scenic bits they are just parked on this temporarily. Currently brush painting track ....... and this has a lot of track !! This amounts to about 1/4 of the boards - MMmm have I bitten off too much ??

Some interesting comments & thoughts. Although I've spent nigh on 40 years building scale aircraft kits (still have 400 unmade in the loft) I have yet to 'attack' a wagon kit. I think my reluctance comes from wanting a representative number to make a reasonable length freight ..... in other words, 10 to say 50 of a particular wagon type. I know I'd never be able to keep the enthusiasm going after 2 or 3 identical kits. Funny really when I think my 'pre-ordered' £56 Bachmann 3F is used to haul around 30 wagons that cost £240 or more !!! Dad-1