Nick G Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 58 minutes ago, CazRail said: Yes Im planning to go, been looking forward to it for a while! Make sure you say hello. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted July 20, 2019 Author Share Posted July 20, 2019 2 hours ago, Nick G said: Make sure you say hello. I will do! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted August 11, 2019 Author Share Posted August 11, 2019 With some luck, some more work will kick off very soon, the first job I will tackle will be the legs. Meanwhile, i had a cheeky little purchase from ebay, being push-pull Ivatt 2mt tank 41324. Both the real 41324 and 41233 were both 6H (Bangor shed) locos for a period in their careers, so both will have almost certainly had a trip to Amlwch, and rather handily, Bachmann have modelled both at 6H, so they're ideal for the layout. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 Decided to add a stream with a Culvert under the track to add more interest and detail to the layout. I scratch built the culvert using Wills brick sheet for the walls and Wills concrete sheet for the capping stones. I started by cutting out some of the polystyrene land form to create the ditch which will become the stream. I will use Sculptamold to form it. The culvert inlet and outlet I scratch built. The internal walls are cut at an angle to fit under the track, as access to cut out the polystyrene was limited by the fences. With the culverts in place, I added black card inside on top of the angled walls to create the illusion that it runs under the track rather than stops dead. Up next will be Sculptamold and scratch build some fences for the top. 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 Not too much time on my hands, but enough to lay the Sculptamold to create the stream, and feather the new culvert inlet and outlet into the scenery. Next up to paint it brown, with textured 'mud' on top, then a smattering of static grass to blend it all in. Ill knock up a couple of post and rail safety fences for the top of the culverts, thinking of making one longer than the other. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted October 22, 2019 Author Share Posted October 22, 2019 Done a bit more tonight, having painted the white Sculptamold into more suitable burnt umber, and built, painted and installed some fences to the top of the culvert. Quite happy with how things are turning out with this, im hoping once complete and blended in with it's surrounding scenery, itll add a bit more interest to the layout. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted October 31, 2019 Author Share Posted October 31, 2019 Inbetween sessions of threading wire through fenceposts on the layout, I decided to have a play and see if I could replicate the bowmac concrete crossing panels... For a future layout, maybe? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted November 1, 2019 Author Share Posted November 1, 2019 Did some more last night, wired up some of the fence, but soon went cross-eyed and struck with a severe case of boredom... ...so I proceeded with a bit of scenery, and started adding brambey-type vegetation along the line... Ill take some better photos when I get home from work later. I'll leave you with a parting shot of 56003 powering towards Amlwch with a rake of MEAs. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted November 9, 2019 Author Share Posted November 9, 2019 Had half an hour on the layout tonight, so decided to do more on the fence, paint the rails and play around a bit with the scenery. Its quite difficult to photograph the lineside vegetation with it being in artificial light and it being down a bank, but hopefully this shot gives you a feel of what it should be like. Heavy and reasonably dense as it is on the lineside in the dingle today. Ive used a mix of Woodland Scenics dark green bush and seafoam covered in various scatters and leaf foliage of varying colours. 5 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted November 10, 2019 Author Share Posted November 10, 2019 Done some more today, including (thankfully) finishing the rail painting, finished off the ballast around the bridge ends, and doing a bit more vegetation works(ironically I do the opposite of what i do on the layout on the real railway at work) Here's a photo of a Western Region Pannier tank, which seems to have taken a wrong turn somewhere... 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted November 12, 2019 Author Share Posted November 12, 2019 And now for something new... I populated the unit with a smattering of people, and ofcourse people sat behind the driver watching the line ahead! Hopefully have a LaisDCC 21MTC 6-function chip arriving for it tomorrow. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted November 12, 2019 Author Share Posted November 12, 2019 Decided to strengthen the service on the branch with the 121... Here it is leading over the bridge towards Llangefni... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted November 13, 2019 Author Share Posted November 13, 2019 Decoder arrived today, and I promptly fitted it after coming home from work. It's the LaisDCC 21MTC 6-function decoder, which I read somewhere is what Dapol sell as their 'Imperium' decoder(be it true or not I don't know, but all the functions worked straight from the off.) Very happy. Had to make a small modification to the bogie side steps for the guard's door, by prying them off with a screw driver and re-positioning them further into the bogie. This eliminated any issues with the steps catching in the detail, causing de-railing on 'train set' curves. Very happy. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted November 19, 2019 Author Share Posted November 19, 2019 Decided I'm in need of a new DCC system, one I can have a walkabout type cab and/or be able to use a smartphone or tablet to operate the trains. Ive made a bit of a shortlist. - Using Raspberry Pi via a SPROG. - Gaugemaster Prodigy DCC01 with WiFi. - NCE Power Cab. Decided the Z21 is well out of my price bracket, despite that probably being the ideal choice. However the z21 Sart is affordable for me, but I dont know the pro's and cons of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erixtar1992 Posted November 19, 2019 Share Posted November 19, 2019 I have a powercab and its brilliant. it does however have a couple limitations which a friends Z21 setup on a smartphone does not, mainly being able to operate funtion 10-30 without faffing about, something which is starting to bug me now that i have so many sound fitted locos. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted November 19, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 19, 2019 My layouts are often operated by various helpers during shows and I find the NCE a very good system both for them and me. It is also easy to use for basic programming and I've got hold of a reasonably priced (Tam Valley I think) booster from Digitrains for use on my 7mm layout. I have a heavier duty Lenz system (both LH100s and 90s) but it rarely gets used. I'd like to get hold of an NCE Procab but they currently appear to be in the rocking horse p** category in terms of availability atm. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnauthorisedCinnamon Posted November 19, 2019 Share Posted November 19, 2019 The thing that bothers me about the PowerCab is the recall stack - where it 'forgets' the function/speed settings if you call up more than 8 locos Is there a way around that? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted November 20, 2019 Author Share Posted November 20, 2019 Thanks for your input, really appreciated. The NCE system does sound good, but I came across the z21 Start, is that a 'little brother' type of thing to the normal Z21? Meanwhile, another box of seafoam arrived today, so some more trees have appeared on the layout. Ive also temporarily fitted some boards around the rear to see how a backscene would pan out. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted December 2, 2019 Author Share Posted December 2, 2019 First board up on its own legs! 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack374 Posted December 2, 2019 Share Posted December 2, 2019 Nice work Caz, the scenery is excellent! I was gonna say it’d be nice to swim in that water but the layout is based in Wales...... Just a note to take care with your layout. I recently exhibited my small (and thin) depot layout and had to use heavy barrier weights to keep the boards from wobbling, and they’re about as thin as yours. If anyone knocks, bumps or leans on the boards I found they’re quite unstable being so thin. Just be careful as I’ve had stock on the floor before having been rocked off the layout! You may find with a longer layout (mine's only 2 boards, 3 legs) it may be more stable, but be warned! Thanks, Jack. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted December 3, 2019 Author Share Posted December 3, 2019 20 hours ago, Jack374 said: Nice work Caz, the scenery is excellent! I was gonna say it’d be nice to swim in that water but the layout is based in Wales...... Just a note to take care with your layout. I recently exhibited my small (and thin) depot layout and had to use heavy barrier weights to keep the boards from wobbling, and they’re about as thin as yours. If anyone knocks, bumps or leans on the boards I found they’re quite unstable being so thin. Just be careful as I’ve had stock on the floor before having been rocked off the layout! You may find with a longer layout (mine's only 2 boards, 3 legs) it may be more stable, but be warned! Thanks, Jack. Thanks bud, I wouldn't swim in that water either knowing what's up stream Yeah the stability of the boards did cross my mind, but I figured that because the shape of the layout isn't straight, ince all together it might strengthen it a bit. Im yet to assemble it all with these legs so time will tell. All the best Caz 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted December 3, 2019 Author Share Posted December 3, 2019 Considering buying two Dapol 57ft Stanier coaches to create a mock of a push-pull set to run on the layout with my Ivatt 2s. Wont be authentic but i don't mind that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 Some ethernet cables and connectors arrived today so fitted them to the board. The sockets are intended as 'tap-in' points on two boards, whilst the cables connect it all together. I bought two RJ45 cables and two 'waterproof' RJ45 sockets. I still need to buy a couple of splitters, more cable and more sockets, both to power this layout and my home layout. A socket installed. I think they look quite neat. Underneath the boards, where the lead from the Prodigy command station plugs in (this will eventually be via a splitter with one lead heading off to another board) And here it is all connected and powered up. As said im planning to install this lead and socket set-up on my home layout, which could even then be used to connect a Hornby Select to my Elite. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted December 17, 2019 Author Share Posted December 17, 2019 Winding down for Christmas now, so by tomorrow evening the layout will be packed up until next year. But on the workbench, things continue to blossom, including this Dapol 57ft coach im improvising into an LMS push-pull. Not, ofcourse, accurate, and it isnt supposed to be. I just wanted something to run with my Ivatt 2mt tanks which wasn't freight. And so far I'm more than happy with my progress. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CazRail Posted March 21, 2020 Author Share Posted March 21, 2020 And so with this Corona, the exhibition booking for the layout has been cancelled/postponed. It was due a second appearance at Anglesey Model & Collection show in Llangefni, but as with everything else it's been postponed. Progress on the layout has been sparse since the last post, but despite everything I'm still going to keep working on the layout now as if the show was to still happen. The work must go on! So really only two bits of progress to report. Firstly, the push-pull driving car/brake has been more than less completed, only needing to glaze the windscreens. A composite coach has also been added. Secondly, Ive begun the process of painting the woodwork on the front of the layout black, to make it look more presentable. 41324 with its push-pull set. Board 5 with it's front painted up. Next up(apart from the painting) will be to make legs for board 2, re-configure the south staging board(as board 5 has made an appearance since the last show) and carry on with scenery, experimenting with different products. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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