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Over the last couple of days I have been adding a little more third and fourth rail on the outer LT circuit and I have also now started the upper level woodwork for the curved trackbed at this end of the layout. The first couple of pics show an intermediate stage with third rail only laid.

 

MoreThirdandFourthRail3.jpg

 

MoreThirdandFourthRail4.jpg

 

MoreThirdandFourthRail8.jpg

 

MoreThirdandFourthRail9.jpg

 

MoreThirdandFourthRail2.jpg

 

MoreThirdandFourthRail1.jpg

 

With the woodwork, you can now get a better idea of how the lower level will interact with the upper level with retaining walls and then a tunnel mouth roughly where the end of the (temporary) brick wall I have placed for the photo. I may have to use a simple girder and brick 'cut and cover' style tunnel entrance here.

 

I may possibly be able to narrow the width of the trackbed before I finalise it, after testing clearances with various items of stock.

 

Markingoutthewoodwork.jpg

 

UpperLevelCurveUnderConstruction1.jpg

 

UpperLevelCurveUnderConstruction2.jpg

 

UpperLevelCurveUnderConstruction3.jpg

 

UpperLevelCurveUnderConstruction4.jpg

 

It doesn't look much but I am very happy with the result as it all comes together. What also strikes me is that the third and fourth rail seem to give the illusion that the track gauge is wider, reducing the 'narrow gauge' effect of OO track.

 

I have now deleted the previous two posts as not being relevant, now I have got the photos to work.

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Over the last couple of days I have been adding a little more third and fourth rail on the outer LT circuit and I have also now started the upper level woodwork for the curved trackbed at this end of the layout.

 

With the woodwork, you can now get a better idea of how the lower level will interact with the upper level with retaining walls and then a tunnel mouth roughly where the end of the (temporary) brick wall I have placed for the photo. I may have to use a simple girder and brick 'cut and cover' style tunnel entrance here.

 

I have now deleted the previous two posts as not being relevant, now I have got the photos to work.

 

Nice.

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It will do, Doug, although it'll be a while before anything actually runs on the upper level - probably 2013! Once it is up and running, only the LT stock will remain on the lower level. There will also be more opportunities for shunting and other operations on the upper level, as well as a longer run for longer trains.

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I have been fiddling a little more over the last week, a little bit at a time. Further third and fourth rail has been laid, including most of that for the crossover. Note that I haven't painted any of the newly laid rail yet!

 

321_080958_300000004.jpg

 

I have Blu-Tacked some arches and retaining walls to give a rough impression of what I have in mind for the longer term. I really want a steeper slope on the retainign walls so I will have to do some cutting and joining of segments but some of this would have been necessary anyway to get the walls around the curve. The retaining walls came from International Models and the slope they provide would seem to be aimed more at a railway line gradient rather than a road or more naturally created slope.

Please bear in mind this is by no means final!

 

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The curved track on the upper level is only pinned very lightly as I will most probably be able to space them a little closer and pare off a bit of the inner edge of the track bed. The radii are roughly equivalent to fourth and fifth radius (around 22" and 24", very roughly). The 6EPB gives an idea of how it will appear with six 64' coaches - still sharper than I would like but it's the maximum I can squeeze out of the design.

 

The traffic jam at the front of the layout is only there because I needed somewhere to store all the road vehicles after clearing the vilalge area!

 

Edit: If the images don't show, I'll fix it tomorrow.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I haven't done very much to the layout in the last two weeks but I do keep experimenting with the building positions and ideas for the locations of roads in the village. My new Hornby Town Houses arrived yesterday (so I haven't had time to modify or paint any of them yet!) so I have positioned them going up the slope for the moment.

 

Villagetest4_zps86f834af.jpg

 

 

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For a little fun, I set up a running session with mainly Network SouthEast trains running today. The trains in view include a Hornby 4VEP at front, two Bachmann 2EPBs in multiple behind (one NSE liveried and one blue/grey liveried one), a class 455 on the other side of the platform (Bratchell kit) and a renumbered Heljan Railfreight class 58, 58 017, on a Speedlink service behind that.

 

NSERunningDay1_zpseb31576b.jpg

 

 

NSERunningDay2_zps06964a20.jpg

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  • 2 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I have cleared all te stock and track off of the hinged storage/fiddle yard board to allow me to extend the Underground's siding with another yard of track. This was glued directly to the baseboard and the buffer stop was heavily glued down to prevent any accidental overruns on what is a hidden section. I'll worry about train detection later!

 

While I have this cleared I want to mark out and cut out the point motor holes before glueing some cork to the whole area. For the holes I will be trying out a new technque (for me!) using a hole saw ... as soon as I can locate where I have hidden my hole saw set! This, I hope, will be a lot less traumatic than drilling four corner holes and joining them up with the jigsaw.

 

gallery_6935_2369_37208.jpg

 

gallery_6935_2369_81486.jpg

 

Also visible here are my latest ideas on orientation and positioning of buildings in the village area. This is still by no means the final situation.

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Hi Jeff,

 

Good progress there.  Hope you had a good Christmas and did Santa bring you anything for the Railway? 

 

For an LNER modeller, all the A4's, B17's, etc are coming at once.  I even got the Bachmann SECR C class, very nice model.

 

I have finished my single line viaduct and it is planted and trains running over it.  That was today.  I am using the old camera so photo is not the best.

 

 

Have a great new year, and I should make it down sometime soon.  I think Frank K is in March, so will try to make that.

 

Mark

 

post-7319-0-69486800-1356770289_thumb.jpg

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Hi Mark.

 

That looks very good.

 

I had intended asking SWMBO for one of the 'C class locos for Christmas but Bachmann's delivery times said January so I didn't ask - I had two on pre-order from Hattons. Anyway, the SECR one turned up in November and the BR black one before Christmas so I could have asked after all! Anyway, I got a nice bottle of Jack Daniels with two fancy glasses so I'm happy ... in more ways than one! ;)

 

I hope you and your family had a nice Christmas and have a Happy New Year. We will be at Brian F's for New Year, together with DougN and family and John and Mary from Brunel Models. Probably get to play with Exeter Central for a bit (I haven't operated that for some time but one doesn't forget!) then we'll watch the fireworks from all around the bay.

 

There have been a few nice LNER models released recently. DougN had some of the Hornby Gresley teak suburbans the other day (very nice too) and the Thompsons are to follow. As you say, the B17s are out and the A4 variations are hitting the shelves. Any plans to get a P2 when they are available??

 

I'll look forward to seeing you in the New Year. As always. you are more than welcome to call in here if you are in Melbourne. I will have to try to get out your way (I wasn't all that well last time you had an open day).

 

Regards,

 

Jeff.

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Well other than having the end of the year reoganised. Yes there is a lot of new models comming for the LNER. I am not sure how many A4's is too many a bit like spam cans? Yes I have ordered an O1 from a well known emporium in Sheffield. Not sure what else I want. The Layout is now up and working again. (lower fiddle yard had gone out of alinement!) It has had a bout 5months with nothing happening. SO I may do a bit more to it over the next few days.

 

All the best for the New Year etc... happy easter... see I got in first for this year!

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HI Jeff, and Doug

 

Thanks and wishing you too the best for 2013.

 

The single viaduct was a bit more difficult as I had to disgard the internal framing supplied, but I am happy with the end result.  I did consider getting the Wills viaduct, but that is a heavy product and again I would have to cut it down and I think making it the same as the double viaduct keeps it uniform.  I have sealed both with a lacquer.   I have laid some track over it and am running trains.

 

I have a set of Hornby gresley suburban teaks, will pass on the Thompsons though.  I picked up from a fellow LNER modeller in UK a Comet Gresley Restaurant Triplet set, unfinished, but well built and painted.  Just have to attach made bogies, interior and roof, but a good buy I think.

 

I have ordered a P2 high spec.  That will go nicely with my streamline P2 Thane of Fife.  I have also ordered an A4 Sir Nigel Gresley, thankfully that is all for the coming year at least from Hornby.  Haven't ordered an 01 as I have 3 2-8-0's (04, 8F & 7F) so don't need another one.  Though if Heljan produce the 02 with GNR cab in 2014, then I will hang out for that one.

 

The B17 has been run in and was pulling a set of gresleys today, the detail stuff is fragile, like drain cocks and steps.  I always like my tender drive B17 which had improved running, but sold that.

 

Keep up the good work and easter is not to far away.

 

Mark

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Can't see all the photos,but the ones I can look very good, nice work.

 

Yes, some of the earlier photo links were lost when RMweb was upgraded. I restored some but haven't got to all of them yet. Sorry about that.

 

Thanks for the kind comment.  :)

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Hi Jeff

I'm intrigued by the off white west county in post 137, can you give us some information on this?

 

Ray.

 

It is actually a resin body for an original Merchant Navy from Golden Arrow Productions (GAP). It is mounted on a Hornby rebuilt MN chassis although I have yet to modify the valve gear properly. At the moment the body is simply tacked together to show what it will look like.

 

Chris Meachen (of GAP) offers versions of the MN to represent most of the major variants, with two different cabs and different front end arrangements. I won this one on eBay from Chris's shop; it was offered as a second series version with 5100 gall tender body but as I had more 6000 gall tenders 'spare' I asked Chris to substitute the tender body, which he very willingly did for me.

 

I have no connection with GAP or eBay but am a satisfied customer of both!. I currently have two other GAP products in build: a Maunsell diesel-electric shunter from the BR 15201 - 3 series (nearly finished) and an ex-LSWR G16 4-8-0 tank which is proceeding nicely. The MN will follow on from these on the workbench.

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  • 1 month later...

I decided to take a few videos of various workbench projects actually running on the layout (for which I still don't have a firm name, yet!). These are a little shaky as they were only on my mobile phone and I have strung some of the clips together but couldn't use decent transitions on my Pinnacle software in Windows 8 - it kept repeating the last second or so of the previous clip. I will eventually set up the tripod with the proper video camera and take some better quality vids but, in the meantime these will have to do.

 

Bear in mind that most of these models are not yet completed, missing things like glazing or handrails or final paint touches before adding transfers.

 

The London Transport 'Q' stock, made from resin kits (mostly Radley Models but a couple of DC Kits too). There are 1923, 1927, 1931 and 1938 cars in this train, powered by two Black Beetle motor bogies with one T1 decoder in one of the 1923 cars. I want to add one more vehicle eventually, ideally a 1935 car but these are n longer readily available so I may have to wait a while.

 

th_LTQStockmedium_zpse8fc3316.jpg

 

The Ayjay Models 'Tin' 2 HAL unit, powered by a Black Beetle bogie with an NCE decoder on board. I still need to tune this decoder to better suit the running qualities of the Black Beetle.

 

th_Tin2HAL_zpsbd5a6f08.jpg

 

The Golden Arrow Productions (GAP) G16 4-8-0T on Hornby Stanier 8F chassis (ex- 2-8-0 !). This still needs a little adjustment to the wheels' back-to-back settings as it occasionally stalls momentarily on certain curves and points.

 

th_G164-8-0T_zps66647794.jpg

 

And the GAP Maunsell 0-6-0 diesel-electric shunter using a Bachmann chassis and a TCS M1 decoder. This has a 'stay alive capacitor but has the old-style pickups on the wheel treads which means it still stalls if too much dirt builds up on the pickups. Note also that the body is not sitting fully down n the chassis at this point. Also, please ignore that second mineral wagon that kindly chose to derail while I was trying to video and drive at the same time!! :D

 

th_MaunsellDieselShunter15201_zpsb45ec07

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  • 1 month later...

I have been laying cork underlay over the last couple of weekends for the hinged part of the upper fiddle yard. Having completed that yesterday, I started laying some track today. I have been cutting out small portions of cork (which I was careful NOT to glue down!) to fit around the point operating mechanisms and motors. These bits will eventually be attached to the points themselves to make the job of mounting the motors and wiring them and the microswitches and frogs.

It will still be some time before trains are actually running on the upper level but this is progress! The photos show progress to date with four of the eight tracks pinned loosely and points positioned correctly, while the remaining four tracks are still to be done. There is a crossover in the middle between the innermost two tracks to allow for reversals of trains. The viewpoint of the second photo would be roughly what the local Vicar would see from hs church steeple!

FiddleYardTrackLayingCommenced1_zpsdc296

FiddleYardTrackLayingCommenced2_zps01018

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Looking good as always, sir. Interesting to see the layout from that side. Was it originally closer to the window or have you moved it out?

Great to catch up last Sat. and see your new machine (205) running around at Franks, will you be posting any videos of it in the near future perchance?? Hint, hint!!

Regards Glenn.

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Hi Glenn. The whole layout is on castors and has been wheeled out from the window and wall to allow me to work on it from behind.

 

The 205 didn't run brilliantly on Frank's layout as it needed a tad more voltage. It runs very nicely on mine and I have posted a video in the DCC section, under sound videos. The camera work was a bit shaky as I was driving and filming simultaneously (Look Mum - I'm multi-tasking!!!!).  :)

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