Tempfix Rich Papper Posted November 26, 2018 Author Tempfix Share Posted November 26, 2018 (edited) Good Evening A little more ballasting tonight. The two sides of the room haven't quite met yet, but they have at least overlapped on the two levels. Decided to do the ramp to the upper level where it crosses the end of the room in front of the window. Really need some sort of backscene here but haven't decided what and it won't do much to disguise this particular space compromise anyway. This track will be the first to receive third rail - hopefully have all the bits for this. Have also painted in the wall, capping strip and cable runs. Still a little bit of shuffling needed with the tunnel mouth mid-way up the incline, but I'm starting to see what it might look like! Will finish the ballasting on the lower level before weathering. More anon.Rich Edited November 26, 2018 by Rich Papper 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted November 28, 2018 Share Posted November 28, 2018 Coming together nicely Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted December 1, 2018 Author Tempfix Share Posted December 1, 2018 (edited) On 28/11/2018 at 03:22, ess1uk said: Coming together nicely Thank you, very kind. Unfortunately had a slight setback last night. The usual just trying to get one more thing done in that brief quiet period between finally getting two small children to sleep and them beginning to randomly wake up again throughout the night... In a word, bu&&er. The board at the far end of the room acts like a sort of a keystone to hold the others in place. As it is wedged between boards either side, it is the only one that doesn't have alignment dowels, just M8 bolts. I've only had to take it out about 5 times in the last five years, but this time managed to snag and bend one of the rails at the end. Fortunately near a join in the track anyway so was able to clean the area up along with the rail and then bend it into some semblance of its previous shape. Cruel close up of terrible soldering skills. Now back in and everything seems to be running across it OK. Typical that have been running trains over it with no issue for five years and then break it the same week I finally get round to ballasting that bit! One more bit to do on this board, then weathering and some greenery. Hope everyone is having a slightly less stressful weekend. Rich Edited October 15, 2022 by Rich Papper Replace photos Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted December 9, 2018 Author Tempfix Share Posted December 9, 2018 (edited) Good Evening All, Just the one picture update tonight as everything is just a bit brown. Well, a lot brown. First dusting of Humbrol 29 over the new ballast. Deliberately patchy. I feel like one should be able to tell that the main lines have more grey ballast than the siding, albeit with both being pretty mucky. Will be a few other colours over this, then the tunnel mouth can be fixed in and trackside bits and pieces and greenery can start appearing. Rich Edited October 15, 2022 by Rich Papper Replace photos 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted December 24, 2018 Author Tempfix Share Posted December 24, 2018 (edited) Happy Christmas World. Have a good one. Rich Edited October 15, 2022 by Rich Papper Replace photos 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dj_crisp Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 Happy Christmas Cheers Will Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted December 28, 2018 Author Tempfix Share Posted December 28, 2018 (edited) Hello All, Hope everyone is enjoying their celebration of choice. In between hauling huge quantities of cardboard out for recycling this evening, some track details are appearing. First some dummy point motors. On about my third attempt at these I found this excellent thread regarding their correct placement. Thank you to all those on there with good advice and clear pictures. I've mounted them on extended timbers, and made a representation of the various lock and detector slides (apologies poor lighting below). Secondly, some third rail has started to appear for the first time. This will link the hidden sidings with the upper level station and will operate independently of the main lines, maybe later with some sort of shuttle system. Peco bits and pieces. I've blackened the rail with gun blue as per advice from Pete75C elsewhere (apologies Pete I can't find the thread to link to!) and tried painting the insulators before installing. First just with an aerosol Humbrol 29 acrylic - it all immediately fell off when I tried sliding them on, then with airbrush and enamel 29 - same effect, then with plastic primer first and then the enamel - still the same and they were harder to fit! Might just paint them in situ! Needs track weathering yet anyway, just decided to leave it until after third rail fitted to bring it all together. I did decide to recess the pots slightly into the sleepers to try to make the rail more resilient and less likely to interfere with dummy collector shoes. Seems OK so far with what I've tested near it. Only thing that won't run is track cleaner, but that was inevitable. Drilling a lightly larger hole just takes them down one 'lip' of the insulator - about 0.6mm, but better than nothing. Right, still Christmas, there must be some cheese somewhere. Carry on. Rich Edited October 15, 2022 by Rich Papper Replace photos 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted January 5, 2019 Author Tempfix Share Posted January 5, 2019 (edited) Good Evening All and Happy New Year. Been working on a tunnel mouth for the last few evenings. This one is about half way up the incline at the far end of the room and where the line leading to the upper level disappears. Construction has followed the same path as the larger one, basically make up tunnel mouth section with various Wills sheets and arches, then create similar aperture in plain plasticard and brace a distance apart governed by how far one can see into the tunnel from normal viewing angles (note tabs of L section etc to attach lining): Then line tunnel with Slaters or similar thin brick sheet - needs to be bendy: Then prime, various layers of paint etc.: Will get it in place in the next week or so hopefully. Have ballasted the section that will be in it and added third rail. Then all I have to do is work out what it is a tunnel through... Rich Edited October 15, 2022 by Rich Papper Replace photos 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted January 13, 2019 Author Tempfix Share Posted January 13, 2019 (edited) Hello All Been playing with some bits of Wills vari-girder for a while now to see if I could get a realistic finish on them. Tried salt weathering for the first time, experience as follows: Painter rusty brown colour, dried then sprayed with hairspray, then sprinkled with table salt randomly, dried, then over the top with grey. Then took a toothbrush to it under running water to chip some of the salt off exposing the brown underneath. Decided then that although the effect was good, the brown was too uniform so dabbed some small patches of other Humbrol browns. I think this is where I might tweak how I did it next time. The effect was a bit 'blobby'. Next time I might mix up all sorts of varied browns blobbed all over first, then salt, then grey so different browns are exposed. Then wash over with Humbrol dark brown wash. Fairly happy with the effect. Not quite finished yet, but close to it has a good texture and colour. Will get in place soon. In other news single tunnel mouth is now in place and ballasted on incline. All for now. Apologies for being a bit photo heavy tonight. Rich Edited October 15, 2022 by Rich Papper Replace photos 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted January 14, 2019 Share Posted January 14, 2019 Only just found this thread, this layout is excellent! The section of Sydney Gardens looks superb. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Boco_D1 Posted January 15, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 15, 2019 I do like the weathering effect, I tried this before and it didn’t work too well for and now I think I know why I tried salt first then hairspray but from the looks of your photos the other way works a lot better. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted January 20, 2019 Author Tempfix Share Posted January 20, 2019 I do like the weathering effect, I tried this before and it didn’t work too well for and now I think I know why I tried salt first then hairspray but from the looks of your photos the other way works a lot better. Thanks. There are a few things I would tweak, but mostly painting. I definitely put the hairspray on and sprinkled the salt onto that. Rich Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted January 20, 2019 Author Tempfix Share Posted January 20, 2019 (edited) Good Evening All, A few bits this weekend. A few of those 'spend ages doing something, make a massive mess, have little to show for it, but need doing' jobs. First, bit of contouring with much styrofoam. Once glue set - find woodglue best on this stuff - not sure why - attack with surform. More mess, but starting to see shape to it. Then some weathering of the track on the incline. Including adding the cables that connect the sections of third rail. All a bit poignant this weekend. 15 years ago this weekend I lost my father. I expect it's something a lot of us here have gone through. Time is a good healer, but there's always something unexpected that reminds me when I pass the actual day, and it's never really got any easier. Like so many of us it was him that got me into all this, so a photo and a mug of tea raised to him. I'm actually in both photos, but I think you'd struggle to identify the model shop windows featured. Answers on a postcard... Keep on keeping on folks. Rich Edited October 15, 2022 by Rich Papper Replace photos 8 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted February 10, 2019 Author Tempfix Share Posted February 10, 2019 Hello All, Ok, first go at positing with new RMWeb, cross fingers. Been fiddling around at the top of the incline with tunnel mouth. Got some of the walling in either side, bit of the blue foam, some filler as before. Cable trunking is down and I have a little ballast in the tunnel entrance. Then have been having a tinker with an old friend. I'm turning 40 tomorrow. Not really bothered, but thought I would find this old chap and see if he still worked. Hornby R402 37207 William Cookworthy. Terrible model by modern standards, but a present from my Dad for my third birthday. I have always had it, probably always will. A bit of a polish inside here and there, a LaisDCC chip, and it is off and rumbling around happy as you like. Looking at it, I can see why I can take or leave most reviews of modern releases. To me, this is a 37. I have a Lima one which is better, one of the first Bachmann releases from about 1998 (?) which is better still, and a new Bachmann one which is slightly more refined still. Some criticise the early release Bachmann 37s. The tumblehome isn't quite right and the panel lines are too big - but compared to this - who cares? Maybe I'm just a Luddite, but they're all 37s to me, and they all make me happy. Have a good evening folks. I'm just going to look up 'just for men' and carpet slippers on Amazon. Rich 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted February 11, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 11, 2019 (edited) Reading through your thread Rich makes me really envious of you and Ian (Temeraire) that you've both got space for a permanent layout - I'd much rather be able to have Oak Road indoors as a complete roundy roundy! I'm loving the track and it goes to show that you can make code 100 look just as good, if not better than code 75, and as for the brick work, what a novel way of colouring the bricks! I actually think they look good without the wash and would be tempted to leave some as they are with just the paint pen. Cracking stuff! Edited February 11, 2019 by scoobyra Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted February 11, 2019 Author Tempfix Share Posted February 11, 2019 (edited) 6 hours ago, scoobyra said: Reading through your thread Rich makes me really envious of you and Ian (Temeraire) that you've both got space for a permanent layout - I'd much rather be able to have Oak Road indoors as a complete roundy roundy! I'm loving the track and it goes to show that you can make code 100 look just as good, if not better than code 75, and as for the brick work, what a novel way of colouring the bricks! I actually think they look good without the wash and would be tempted to leave some as they are with just the paint pen. Cracking stuff! High praise Mike, thank you. It'll never be Oak Road, but it's making me happy. It is nice having the inside space. I suspect having the space for a layout inside always makes you think there isn't quite enough - if I just had a few more feet there... etc. Probably a bit like money - no matter how much you earn, your outgoings always seem to manage to rise to match it! I'm well aware that I'm trying to squeeze a quart into a pint pot, and most of it will never be exhibition standard, but it is giving me some good practice. Five years in there are already things I will do differently if (when!) I do another exhibition layout. I have always been happy with code 100 track - and it means I can run all the old stuff like the 37 above - but I do like the look of the finescale, particularly the new Peco bullhead. Fairly certain I don't have the patience to ever build my own track though! Inspired by Oak Road, when I have finished the current bit of wall-bodgery, that whole end of the room needs to get greener. I bought a static grass applicator at the Bristol show last year and have been itching to have a go. I've also been slowly stockpiling a few bits and pieces - but any tips would always be welcome. Thanks again. Rich Edited February 11, 2019 by Rich Papper terrible spelling! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted February 11, 2019 Author Tempfix Share Posted February 11, 2019 A bit of a running session tonight. Birthday. Present I was going to run hasn't actually turned up yet due to some mail order ineptitude, but managed to find a few things. 50035 Ark Royal disturbs the peace in Sydney Gardens with a rather out of place NSE Mk1 set. 47406 Rail Riders held at a signal in the other direction. Cross country set with 4 Bachmann Mk2f and a Mk2a brake. The brake will need fitting with lighting to match the others at some point. Still not entirely sure on the best couplings for this set, the 2f's don't seem to couple as closely as the 2a's, but otherwise are a good match. The three out of shot are in the Intercity livery - idea being I could run these with a 73 and scratch built GLV as a Gatwick Express set (I know I'd have to squint not to see the coach modifications I don't want to do on a £70 coach!). Now watching Hornby 2fs with interest to see if pennies could stretch to some of those that I would mind less chopping about. Another view of 47406 emerging from beneath a bridge. And finally - always looking out of place on a dirty civil engineers train - 73101 Brighton Evening Argus emerges from the gloom of a tunnel. That's all for tonight. Can't stay up late anymore - old. Rich 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted February 12, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 12, 2019 This image!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted February 18, 2019 Author Tempfix Share Posted February 18, 2019 On 12/02/2019 at 10:15, scoobyra said: This image!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks Mike - and for all those reading, please visit Mike's 'Just Giving' page listed above. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted February 18, 2019 Author Tempfix Share Posted February 18, 2019 Good Evening All, A little bit of fiddling with a tunnel mouth earlier today. This is the upper entrance to the tunnel on the incline between the upper and lower levels. Still a bit of snagging to do around the portal itself, and although it is ballasted inside with third rail for as far as you can see at normal angles, there does need to be a little more to disguise the edge of the liner a bit better. Basically, the overhang of vehicles negotiating the 90 degree curve in the tunnel necessitated the liner being slightly larger at one end than the other. This would be obvious if you could see the brickwork on the side facing the wall, but you can't! I thought having the third rail on the outside as it emerged would disguise it but it doesn't quite. Will do a closer look when I've tweaked it a bit. A bit of a running session tonight too. First 33101 on a short ballast working (this section still needs some trailing greenery). Then 50032 Courageous and 50017 Royal Oak rumble out of a tunnel on the lower level. And finally, a shot you can get in the real Sydney Gardens if you walk right to the end of the footpath and look back down the line, and HST thunders towards the camera with 43078 leading (view slightly spoiled bu DMUs sat above in the background - sorry!). Hopefully more soon. Have a good evening. Rich 13 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted February 21, 2019 Author Tempfix Share Posted February 21, 2019 Good Evening All. Had the CamTruck out today. I started by filming the same loop I started with back on page 1. I like doing this as it shows me where there is progress even when it feels like I've spent ages on something that doesn't look that different. Been on to Andy Y today to see if I can get any better at posting a video. Here goes: Cross your fingers! Rich 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted February 21, 2019 Author Tempfix Share Posted February 21, 2019 (edited) It worked! Thanks Andy. It comes up really large on my screen, but that might just be my setup or the size of the footage the CamTruck shoots. Nice for a meander around the layout though. Sorry about the mess everywhere else in the room. The fish-eye lens has too wide a field of vision for me to hide that much of it! The focus is sometimes a bit peculiar as well - particularly on ballast. Sometimes it shows it in full detail, sometimes it just looks like a grey blob (could just be my ballasting). Well flush with the success of that, here is a trip not seen before - hidden sidings to upper level station - platform 2. That's as far as the ballasting has got at the moment. And the platform surface. There'll be a building at the end there one day. And finally a shunt from platform 1 into the small yard. Have a good evening folks. Rich Edited February 21, 2019 by Rich Papper 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted February 21, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 21, 2019 I need one of these camtrucks! Great footage and clear as a bell. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted April 8, 2019 Author Tempfix Share Posted April 8, 2019 (edited) A small running session tonight, and nothing particularly glamorous. First 50007 passes through Sydney Gardens with a short van train moving parts between depots. Then the peace is disturbed in the opposite direction by 37049 with some GUVs. Both of the above sound fitted, not so the next but under battery power it sounds much like this anyway. MLV 8009 makes its way back onto the electrified network. Hopefully more soon. Need to do some more landscaping. Rich Edited October 15, 2022 by Rich Papper Replace photos 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted May 7, 2019 Author Tempfix Share Posted May 7, 2019 (edited) Hello All, Been a month, but there is some progress despite a multitude of garden jobs to get out of the way. First, been doing a bit more on the bricks. Nearly completed the length of retaining wall in front of the upper level station. Did the usual several layers as detailed somewhere earlier on in this thread and then realised that this will be nearly invisible behind a large building. Felt like I should do it anyway in case plans change and I forgot how I did it! Also been having a play with some static grass. Never used it or the machine before, but I am feeling quite positive about first bit of testing. Bought a Green Scene 'Flockit' (details here) at the Bristol show last year and realised a few nights ago that I hadn't got it out the bag yet and I should to pick up any other bits I might need this year. Had a bit of a play with various lengths and colours on a spare bit of plasticard. Will try to get a bit down on the layout at some point soon. Need to have a couple more tweaks of colour blend first. More soon I hope. Rich Edited October 15, 2022 by Rich Papper Replace photos 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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