Test Valley Sidings

[bodmin16]

Hi everyone,

Following inspiration of @brightspark's topic about his new dairy micro inglenook layout (sorry I don't know how to tag the specific topic here, I am a real heathen and technophobe), I thought I would start a thread about my own EM gauge micro Test Valley Sidings.  It has been mentioned before on RMweb under my Cliddesden thread (link below) so I will try not to repeat myself too much suffice to say that Test Valley Sidings is little more than a test track not just for locos and stock but for modelling techniques too.  I have called it Test Valley Sidings based on the fact that it is a glorified test track and I have located this fictional yard in the very real Test Valley in my home county of Hampshire.  The layout is really just a bodge and recycle of ideas and equipment with the sole turnout literally being hacked from a redundant test track and transplanted into this layout, there is nothing clever about the technology used with the turnout operated by wire from a sliding switch to switch frog polarity, a single switch for electromagnet for the only uncoupling magnet and a switch to change traction control between the "main line" and the sidings.

 

Here are a couple of pics to whet the appetite but I will take some more up to date pictures over the weekend and give more background to what I have done so far, over the coming weeks.

 

 

[bodmin16]

A couple of quick posts to show a bit more of Tes Valley Sidings, doing so because I don't know how to compress images on my new tablet! This first is an aerial view  (hopefully).  There are also 2 fiddle planks , 1 for each end, which are not currently fitted. The stock in view is all wip, including the chassis for a G6 and a Q, both of which I am trying to fit pick ups to. I am not having much success and I think I need to rethink my original fitments.

[bodmin16]

A few more pictures, the railway cottages were previously seen as just a bare structure, on Cliddesden.  The timber hut was a giveaway with one  of the model magazines, I modified it by putting the corrugated roof on , using silver foil shaped on the ridges of a marmite jar lid.  I figured that the roof is too shallow for tiles as per the original model.

 

The brick built hut  was another magazine giveaway, and the black motor behind is Bec kit picked up at a bargain price on a certain auction site.  The loco is under going identity change from Southern to BR, hence the patchwork look.

 

The 4th image is the "control panel".

 

Finally a view along the layout, the tree is from the Gravett school of tree modeling at Pendon and the brake van is another of those bargains. It is a converted Hornby model.  I really must stop buying stuff.  Like many I have drawers and boxes full of kits and stock for building or conversion to EM.  I must confess I am fascinated, maybe even addicted to wagons and love building them.

 

Thanks for looking.

[brightspark]

Very nice Alan.

I like the short spur for just holding stock.

 

With ref to post 1, here is a link to my effort Anshurst - Daisy Sidings.

 

Andy

[bodmin16]

A quick update from the Test Valley, firstly a show invite!  Yep a show debut at Basingstoke in March 2022, all being well, fingers crossed, touch wood and all that, so i'd better get myself in gear and focus on finishing a few things rather than starting yet another kit.  I will post more details at a later date and of course you can always check out the BNHMRS website.

 

As for progress in recent weeks, at the left hand end the gardens are starting to grow and other detailing including dustbins etc are finding their way into the gardens and the population of modelu figures and a few cats are currently in the paintshop along with the second ofmy class 33s which I stripped backed to bare plastic again as I was far from happy with the finish.  I hope i don't get them mixed up!  At the right hand end the field adjacent to the yard entrance has grown some scrubgrass and some signage has appeared.  I have also picked up a number of road vehicles that are going to be reworked, so they may well get thier own post at some point.

 

The G6 chassis is now running quite nicely and the bodywork slowly coming together.  A number of wagons are now progressing towards the collection of those that are finished.  One thing I have to do is set up some sort of lighting, I have a temporary rig over the layout using a string of LEDs bought from a pound shop, I have 2 of these,they plug into a USB and I have some thoughts for making a lightweight structure to fit them to.  It has to be small as it all has to fit into my silly little car for transport.

 

Thanks for looking and more soon hopefully.

 

Alan

[bodmin16]

So Mrs Durham is away!  Shh, don't tell, it is so nice and warm in the dining room!  More soon!

[bodmin16]

Quite a bit done whilst Mrs D was away in San Francisco, the layout only spent one day on the dining table.  Amongst other things the layout has received a piece of hardboard on the bridge end and 3 coats of green gloss paint  on the out side of the boards to smarten them up (aka hide the poor Carpentry a little), a number of wagons have gained some weight, I have been practising my painting skills on the population of Test Valley Sidings and I have been experimenting with some light weight lighting, which I will go into further once I've developed a little more.  Whatever I decide needs to be compact enough the fit into the boot of my Tigra along with the rest of the layout.

[bodmin16]

Just to let you know Test Valley Sidings will be at the Basingstoke and North Hants Model Railway exhibition this coming weekend, 12th and 13th March, there is a thread posted by the host club somewhere on rmweb with all the relevant details..  It will be the show debut for Test Valley Sidings so it will be interesting to see how everything performs.

[OwenTheSignal]

Hi Alan, enjoyed seeing the layout at Basingstoke last weekend. As promised some pictures. Good timing, as the sun just caught the layout at the right time towards the end of the day on Sunday, giving a 'after the thunderstorm' effect with the lighting. Originals and other photos of the Show at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzFVzW
Stuart