The Kelsby Light Railway; or, Red's Hopeful Layout

[RedGemAlchemist]

Kelsby update. Board 1 just needs the new turntable and the track pinning back on; and Board 2 has new roads and a lawn and garden walls for one of the houses. 

Overall, I'd say quite a productive Bank Holiday. 

Edited April 14, 2020 by RedGemAlchemist

[RedGemAlchemist]

Finally. Kelsby Station is mounted into its new permanent home. It begins again. 

[RedGemAlchemist]

Kelsby station is now fully rebuilt and hopefully permanently this time. The new turntable was a real pain to install but got it in; it's manually powered by a crank underneath the board because I'm terrible at wiring and I had one lying around. There's a few aesthetic changes - better detail, free sheds now have a lean-to, the yard has an extra siding now, signal box is slightly redesigned etc., but it's still the same station you have (hopefully) grown to know and love over the past couple years. Just tweaked a bit. 

[RedGemAlchemist]

[Annie]

Well done and congratulations Red  

[RedGemAlchemist]

Thanks, Annie. Track's still a bit iffy in places (nothing some wire wool and a touch of solder won't fix though) and I have no idea how to wire it up to get power around the whole layout, isolate the points so all the engines aren't running at once, etc, etc, but baby steps. I'm just glad it got out of the station before it lost power as it stands XD.

[RedGemAlchemist]

On 03/05/2020 at 11:19, RedGemAlchemist said:

Thanks, Annie. Track's still a bit iffy in places (nothing some wire wool and a touch of solder won't fix though) and I have no idea how to wire it up to get power around the whole layout, isolate the points so all the engines aren't running at once, etc, etc, but baby steps. I'm just glad it got out of the station before it lost power as it stands XD.

Follow up. Now got all the lines working, and most of the village built. I'll work on that further tomorrow and hopefully have some pics up.

[RedGemAlchemist]

OK, scratch the photos as it's been hammering it down with rain here all day. 

 

Kelsby village now has the church in, as well as a farm and such. All the wiring for the Kelsby is done and working (though it still needs a clean, need to get a track cleaner or something when lockdown ends), and got some plans for the run-up to Hewe and the branch junction now. 

[RedGemAlchemist]

Here's the update that was meant to be on the weekend. 

The corner near the church needed new points as they refused to work. As such, has to rework the corner.

Second, the Hewe Embankment has begun. It is foamcore as the case and, as you can see, paper mache for strength. 

[RedGemAlchemist]

The Hewe Embankment is now built. Also Hewe Station and Dock are now built, starting off the Alnerwick Quarry branch.

I am very, VERY pleased with how Hewe has turned out. Now to fill in the scenery leading up to it. Onwards and upwards. 

 

Also the boards for the line up to Berkham Station and Works are in place. Progress is definitely going well. 

[RedGemAlchemist]

The KLR mainline has finally started. You can also see the track for the Alnerwick branch is set up. Let's have a zoom in on that:

Yes, that's an old Tomica truck. Constructive criticism appreciated as always. 

[RedGemAlchemist]

Finally back in the garage now it's no longer so hot I feel like I'm being boiled in it. 

Right, first things first, starting on Berkham. 

...This could take a while. Advice as always appreciated. Already got some good thoughts from the guys on @BlueLightning's Discord channel, but any more constructive input from you guys is also extremely helpful. 

Edited September 15, 2020 by RedGemAlchemist

[RedGemAlchemist]

Right. After two months of drawing repeated blanks, here I am again asking for some help with ideas for you guys. I do at least have a better photo this time:

Did had to hang my phone from the ceiling to get it though. Also I apologies for the mess on the floor and the fact you can see into the bin.
As before the only permanently mounted track is the top corner, as such:

- which is where the main line from Hewe heads down towards the station. Down line is the one closest to the wall. The annoying bit is the fact I need to get the works and sheds in on the right-hand side, and I don't know how to organise all that. 
In the photo at the top, the station buildings and temporary track layout are in place more for a concept of how much room there is rather than where they're actually going to go. 

Any help, as always, will be greatly appreciated.

[RedGemAlchemist]

Decided to do some minor work that I'd been meaning to do for a while. 

First off, I've moved back the banking shed to make more room for the banking engine which will be arriving soon. I'll link the post to it on my workbench thread here when it arrives. 

 

Also finished Hewe Hall's back garden and started on a pig field to fill up the empty space on Board 3.

[RedGemAlchemist]

After nearly a year with no updates, here is what's happened on the KLR layout over the past year:

 

Berkham Station has begun construction in earnest. Big props to my best friend Jake Read, who came up with a simple but effective track plan after I spent months smacking my head against a brick wall about it. Sometimes all you need is a layman's viewpoint. 

 

The main line and the Alnerwick Quarry branch are really taking shape, with assistance from the first of many back scenes painted by my Dad, a professional landscape artist. 

 

And the Quay at Hewe is now totally finished, with the river now poured. Very happy indeed with it. 

 

The pig field is finished and now has pigs in it, thus finishing every board up to Hewe Quay.

Edited October 30, 2021 by RedGemAlchemist

[Annie]

Your Dad's backscenes are really nice Red.

[RedGemAlchemist]

54 minutes ago, Annie said:

Your Dad's backscenes are really nice Red.

I'd hope so, he paints this kind of thing for a living!

 

Joking aside, he's just doing these as something to do when he's bored. As such they'll pop in as and when he finishes them.

[sem34090]

Looking good and making me more convinced that I need to actually do some modelling again - Recent activities have been mostly 12ins/ft scale.

[RedGemAlchemist]

1 hour ago, sem34090 said:

Looking good and making me more convinced that I need to actually do some modelling again - Recent activities have been mostly 12ins/ft scale.

Fair. 

Reminds me, you still need to send me that M&GN A Class. 

[RedGemAlchemist]

A little clip of KLR No.7 Gremlin running through Kelsby yard to the sheds. Decided to video this as I was using Gremlin as a transporter for some of my materials while working on the other end of the layout on Berkham yard.

[F-UnitMad]

On 11/11/2021 at 16:08, RedGemAlchemist said:

KLR No.7 Gremlin 

Now I do like that as a name for a mischievous engine up to no good!!

I hope it doesn't get afflicted by real gremlins! 

 

Nice clip of part of your layout, too.

[RedGemAlchemist]

[Annie]

Merry Christmas Red.

[OliverRowley]

Looks great!

Love the charm of the layout you are building!

[LNWR18901910]

On 24/12/2021 at 12:49, RedGemAlchemist said:

Interesting 4-4-0! Did you make it yourself?