Pikey Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 Now that my layout has a name, I thought it the right time to start my own layout topic It cant be the most original name, I feel sure someone will have used it before - but Upton is actually a real place near me (Upton-upon-Severn) so lets say that's where the fictitious location is, as that works with my London Midland, First Great Western and Arriva Trains passenger stock. Its 3m long by 600mm wide (10' x 2'), split into three boards for transportation. DCC control, set present day (with a little imagination required). I'm going to show it at the StowRail exhibition in May next year. After that who knows - I may keep it and install it permanently in the garage, or sell it, or take it to more shows, I really havent decided what to do with it yet. Anyway, here's a few pictures of where I am so far: Overview of the scenic boards (there's a third one added to the right hand side, the front of which will be scenic, with a fiddleyard behind). So I have a three-platform station and a single goods siding which serves a warehouse/distribution centre, a two road fuelling point and a two road yard/depot for servicing and maintenance. This photo was taken about a week ago: I'm not really sure what to do with the triangular-shaped piece of land between the station and the fuelling point. Any suggestions? Jeff 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Alister_G Posted December 14, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 14, 2016 That looks great, and I love the name too. Could the triangular bit not be the staff car park for the yard, possibly with a portakabin office and stuff? Al. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan product fan Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 Great work so far agree with al staff car park in the triangular bit and name seems bang on pal . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted December 15, 2016 Author Share Posted December 15, 2016 Here's the full length of the layout as it currently stands: So I've already put in a car park behind the shed as you can see, and I was thinking the triangular bit at the back, behind the platform, would be a public car park for the station - although this could also be more low relief buildings. I dont really want to add another car park area I dont think. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted December 19, 2016 Author Share Posted December 19, 2016 A quick run of my Christmas present from my girlfriend, Olivias Trains sound fitted DRS Class 37 : Managed to get some cars in the car park behind the maintenance building too: 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
big T Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 (edited) Hi Jeff, If the two tracks to the left are a fuelling point, how about a nice oil storage tank with a bunded wall and pipework? Im sure you could a cylindrical tank in your space, alternatively, go for a rectangular one on brick piers? Failing that a bit of a storage area for S & T? Cheers Trev p.s. I like the name! Edited December 19, 2016 by big T Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 Upton under Severn is Nigel Mansell territory. Like the layout so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted December 22, 2016 Author Share Posted December 22, 2016 Added a few minor details last night. Lever frame and point rodding for the fuel and depot points: And some things for the warehouse - aircon machines on pallettes wrapped up for delivery (its just cling film but looks quite effective as industrial packaging): 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Looks good. That triangle could become a NR buddliea nursery where bushes are grown, prior to being carefully transplanted to all parts of Britain. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Very smart looking end to end you have here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 An assortment of yellow. Cant decide which picture I like better: We had a few running sessions over Christmas, to figure out how its going to work at an exhibition. Havent really got past the 'make it up as you go along' stage, but that seems to be working so far. I feel like we might need something a bit more structured to fall back on in case we run out of ideas. Signals, platform lights, and all the 12V wiring next. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul W Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Hi Jeff Looking good so far. At exhibitions I find that a structured operating schedule is always a good idea as you then don't need to think when was that loco last on the layout doing what I am about to do with it. This ensures it doesn't become a "tail chaser" on a small layout,. if you get my meaning. It also ensures you use all your loco's and stock and don't generate favorites which may hog the lime light at exhibitions. Also if you have unexpected help it is fairly easy for them to quickly become competent if they have a bit of structure to help along the way, and you can have confidence in what they are doing, so long as they actual follow the schedule and don't make it up as they go anyway. Will be watching this one develop. Paul 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 Yes, I tend to agree - its alright at home when you can do whatever you want, but when there's a dozen eyes watching your every move it might be a different story. I wonder what the average attention span of a member of the public at a model railway exhibition is - I've never thought to time myself watching one before I get bored, I guess its around 10-15 minutes (?) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted January 4, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 4, 2017 I vary the method according to my mood. I have worked out a wtt for the layout, not difficult as it's only a simple blt, and run the sequence, which I like because it gives it structure and meaning. But sometimes I'll go in and sit at the controller and just wing it, and have found that these session are more apt to devolve into what I call a potching session, where you run a train, perform some small task of maintainence or modelling for a bit, run another one, go off and have a cup of tea, come back in half an hour, run another one, and so on. I like to occasionally break the routine of a sequence session, say by red carding a bg on the outward parcels when there's no other brake vehicle for it handy, so that one has to be sent up on the back of the next passenger, for instance. Of course, that puts the parcels out of sequence, and you get a knock on effect exactly like you would, and do, on the real railway when things get out of sequence. But sequence running is definitely preferable at exhibitions, whether or not the punters are let in on the secret like they are on Borchester. After all, the real railway runs to a sequence, although you'd be hard put to believe it on occasion... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 Some more goodies turned up. I now have all my platform lights and signals, including these ground signals: And some more figures, including photographers: 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan product fan Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 I like the ground signal been thinking of getting one for New whitt . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 I bought a pair of portakabins from my local model shop this afternoon, made a little site office in that triangle of land. I'm trying the upload tool from my mobile as well, hope it works :-) 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 Another view 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted January 12, 2017 Author Share Posted January 12, 2017 Found a suitably-posed chap lying around in my box of many bits, and because the Hornby 08 has a proper opening cab door I could do this: Also got some names printed out and installed onto the station nameboards: :-) 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight-Freight Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 I really like the look of this one. Possibly because it's vaguely similar to mine, well in so much as it's an end-to-end affair made up of 3 boards. I also have a triangle of land I haven't yet decided on what to do with so there's another similarity! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted January 18, 2017 Author Share Posted January 18, 2017 Some stencilling work on the car park: Modern ticket barriers, these are super fiddly to construct but do look good: And some litter bins: We've been painting up some figures, so we should have a populated station platform very shortly too. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 More nice modelling here.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 (edited) My wiring always looks so untidy Still, at least it all works - well, most of it does - the position light I added to one of the signals doesnt light up and I cant see why. Other than that, it all works Edited January 23, 2017 by Pikey Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted January 24, 2017 Author Share Posted January 24, 2017 Here's some more untidy wiring, Just temporary while I test everything, and then I'll make it all neat, a bit like this (but more complicated): We now have platform lights and yard lights: And we've made a start on the mesh and barbed wire security fencing - this is mega mega fiddly! The thread we're using looks really really good when installed, as its got several different colours wound together which gives it a sort of metallic looking sparkle - except that makes it super hard to thread through the tiny little holes in the fence posts, because if just one of the threads isnt lined up it wont go through. Patience is indeed a virtue. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 My wiring always looks so untidy Still, at least it all works - well, most of it does - the position light I added to one of the signals doesnt light up and I cant see why. Other than that, it all works Looks actually very neat. What are those red connectors ? Easy way to join wires ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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