Portland Grove

[McGomez]

Grimley´s Visit & renewing the diesel tank curve.

 

Now I´ve never exhibited a model railway, mainly due to the fact that I´ve never had one that was more than 2 tracks going round an 8´x 4´ board but I now understand what it must feel like to get to the last few days before showtime and trying to finish it all off.

Back at the end of July, Alex of Grimley and Boxenby fame had a read of this thread and said he was going to be holidaying in this part of the world so after a couple of PMs, we sorted a date out for him to visit Portland Grove.

 

My problem wasn’t the scenic side of things (because there aren´t any) but putting 2 bits of the layout back together that I had taken apart the previous month due to the derailing problem on the tight curve I mentioned a few posts back involving my 2 Heljan Cargowaggons.

 

It shouldn´t have taken that long but due to the fact that July and August are quite a sociable time of the year, ie, my wife kept inviting friends round for something to eat & drink or we would be going round someone else’s place to do the same thing or as happens quite a lot here in Spain, the Spanish just turn up unannounced!

The thought of Alex showing up and not being able to run trains on the long circuit had me sweating up until the night before his visit but I finally managed to get everything wired up, finishing at 2 in the morning, and up at 7ish the next morning, cleaning the tracks.

We spent a couple of hours talking trains, both model and real and generally sorting out the worlds problems and of course running a few trains. I´ve only got 1 class 60, the Loadhaul one with sound and Alex seemed to like it so I wouldn’t be too surprised to hear sound coming from Boxenby shed one of these days!

 

To show you what was altered, here are a few comparison shots of before and after. (sorry about the different colours - got my camera buttons mixed up)

The curve was originally made to a radius of 600mm which gave me more room to move within the garage. The new curve has a radius of 750mm.

 

 

In the view below, the new curve can be seen to go behind the rectangular post which is seen to have disappeared in the first and third “after” shots.

 

In the “after” view below you can see the gradient now starts earlier so that when it reaches the curve it starts levelling out, whereupon it runs directly above the 2 lines coming off the viaduct.

 

In this view you can see how the new curve has been moved back over the viaduct tracks.

 

The ramp down to the station is now taken on less of the curve so this also helps with the balance of longer freight trains that don´t like gradients and curves at the same time. Especially lightly weighted wagons,

 

Here is a video of my blue and grey HST on the relaid curve.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7hV5_f_334[/media]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7hV5_f_334

[McGomez]

And here is the HST doing the full tour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8prxjnFonKU

[eldavo]

Impressive stuff!

 

Cheers

Dave

[McGomez]

Hi Dave.

Thanks for the comment. I´ve now got to keep pushing on with the scenics.

[McGomez]

Movement of track under diesel tank curve.

 

I forgot to mention in the last instalment that the freestanding piece of track that brings the trains up from the fiddle yard via the middle board was removed and replaced closer to the fiddle yard board. This creates a bigger space to get to the middle board if or when I ever think about cleaning it up and laying some track on it.

 

 

Just in-case anyone wondered, to get in to the middle of the layout relies on crawling underneath. No hinging or lift-out viaducts here I´m afraid, although my knees may live to regret it in future years.

 

 

This instalment brings the layout up to date more or less.

Hopefully this thread will give me the kick up the backside that I sometimes need to keep pushing on with the layout.

 

Watch this space.

[McGomez]

Model railway exhibition Lleida.

This post is nothing to do with my layout but as a few people have enquired about Spanish modelling, I put this together.

 

This year in March, a mate and I, went up to Lerida/Lleida to see a model railway exhibition. There were really only 2 layouts that got my attention. One was a German scene. Just a stream of trains passing by. They had illuminated the layout with a string of RGB LEDs which changed from white to dark blue to imitate day and night. At the Minitur Wonderland in Hamburg they do a similar effect but fade 3 coloured (white blue & red) fluorescent tubes to achieve the same result.

 

The other was a French N gauge layout called “Orleans” by a guy called André Pinat. I stood and watched this one for ages, mesmerised. It even made me congratulate the guy in my very limited French.

 

The following are images of a modular Spanish HO layout.

 

Here are the better modules of a huge N gauge set up. If I remember correctly, it was around 50m long.

First up, a couple of Japanese trains running through some Spanish scenery?

 

A Talgo III crossing a river and below that a “puti club”. Something you don´t see modelled too often.

 

In the 3 images below, the top image was for me the best module of the whole N gauge set-up. A well captured industrial unit and adjoining station.

The middle image is of an embankment with earth retaining blocks modelled. Simple things please simple minds I presume but it is one of those things you take for common but I have never seen modelled.

The bottom image needs no explication.

 

As in America, the Spanish tend to like their modules, be it HO or N gauge. The big difference is, that the American modular layouts I have seen, have the scenery fully integrated and flowing from one module to another but here it looks so disjointed because everyone does their own thing scenery wise from module to module. Sounds a bit like the Spanish Autonomous communities/regions but don´t tell them I told you so.

One of the national model railway mags (of which there are 3 IIRC) published the standards by which anyone can make their own module (or modules) and in theory it should fit together with the rest.

 

This was by far the best model of a Spanish prototype but then again this guy is a professional layout builder. Jordi Auque.

 

Sorry if I´ve gone a bit off topic with this one. Back with "The Grove" next time.

[pennsypaul]

It's my dream layout... give it back

 

Congratulations on a seriously impressive piece of Railway Modelling, I could sit and watch that HST go round all day.

 

Paul

[McGomez]

Thanks for the kind comments Paul.

I do sometimes sit and just watch the trains go round and because of that I don´t get any scenery work done.

Work has kept me away from the layout during the last 3 weeks but I have been dabbling with various colours of ballast, to see which one I prefer.

I´ll up-load some photos soon.

[Kris]

First time I have looked in and WOW. I'm missed out by not seeing this earlier.

[Grimleygrid]

Hi Andy, I feel very honoured that you spent a lot of time preparing the layout for my visit, many thanks I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Portland Grove. We certainly put the world to rights! It was great to see trains running round your fantastic layout and the sound fitted locos were superb, and you might be right Boxenby might need a few sound fitted locos!

 

Love the HST video, quality!

 

Thanks again Andy, next time you are visiting the UK and in the area please drop by.

 

I look forward to seeing more progress.

[McGomez]

Thanks for the compliments Kris. I hope the scenery improves it further. (I keep saying that, but don´t seem to be getting anywhere with it so far!)

 

Hi Alex. Thanks for the offer. It would be great to see Boxenby in the flesh (swarf and all).

I´m thinking of how I could wangle a visit to Warley this year? I managed to do it last year but haven´t been back to the UK since.

The best excuse I can think of at the moment is that it is the Spanish general election on the 20th. What better, than to be out of the country for that?

I believe Wibdenshaw will be there this year and it is one layout I have always wanted to see "live".

My sister is over here at the moment and brought with her a couple more MGR wagons and a few blue/grey Airfix MKIId coaches that have been acquired off Ebay (by me, not her). Now I´ve got 2 rakes of MKIId stock so I dare say Bachmann will announce an all new version in the new year.

[McGomez]

Retaining wall trials (with a glimpse of ballasting)

 

I downloaded a Scale Scenes retaining wall ages ago and finally got around to trialling it on the layout. The curved effect will obviously not be part of the finished article. I should have stuck it to a piece of card but I only really wanted to see the colour aspect.

I´m still in two minds over using the Scale Scenes prints or embossed brick plasticard to build the walls as I seem to have a plague of Silverfish (I believe that’s what the little……….#%*&er$ are called – Pez Plata in Spanish if you are studying for your Spanish “O” levels this year) in the garage. I built a Metcalfe engine shed some 3 years ago and the little devils have eaten bits of the brickwork. I presume if I were to spray the Scale Scenes paper prints with a matt varnish, it would solve the problem.

I´ve never built anything from embossed plastic sheets so don´t know if I´m any good at it. My problem here locally, is that I can’t find a supplier of the stuff. The hobby shop in Murcia charges about 4,50€ for a 200 x 150mm sheet of Vollmer embossed brick so that option has been knocked on the head.

I may wait until I get the chance to go back to the UK and see what is available.

 

In the image below can be seen a Bachmann class 47 and to the right a Portuguese loco (English Electric built) and a RENFE class 333 posing in front of the retaining wall with a glimpse of ballast showing.

If I can find time tomorrow I´ll upload some more ballast trial pictures.

[newbryford]

to the right a Portuguese loco (English Electric built)

 

Hi - who manufactures the CP 1400? Is that one of the Grupo Moose kits?

 

Cheers,

Mick

[McGomez]

Hi Mick.

Its not a kit, it's by these people.

http://www.sudexpressmodels.com/sudexpressmodels.html

I believe I have seen one on Airthrey Park.

[McGomez]

Ballasting trials

 

The image below shows the first section I ballasted about a year ago and can be seen with a class 37 posing on it way back in this thread.

It was a mix of Woodland Scenic’s Grey (HO) and a slightly darker version by Busch (N).

The rail sides were painted by brush with Railmatch rusty rail colour.

 

 

I came across the ballast in the image below at the local hobby shop in Murcia some time ago. It is Busch “Z” gauge brown ballast. Code Z7125.

I thought that the HO gauge ballast was over scale and to tell you the truth, they didn´t have any “N” gauge ballast in stock at the time of my visit so “Z” gauge it was.

The track was given a wash of Railmatch sleeper grime that was weakened with 96º alcohol, that I clean the rails with. I then added the ballast, brushing it into place and fixing it in the time honoured tradition with diluted PVA.

I liked the initial look as it resembled a very well used ballast. To tell you the truth, I´m not too sure now?

I quite like the sleeper weathering though.

 

 

The next trial (below) was with Woodland Scenics light grey “N” gauge ballast. I thought it a bit too “clean” so very sparingly sprinkled some of the Busch brown “Z” gauge ballast between the sleepers and slightly more generous application in the cess, trying to imitate track that has been recently replaced but with the older stuff still present either side of the running lines.

The track was given the same wash with sleeper grime as mentioned previously.

 

 

The last trial was with the Busch “Z” gauge brown ballast once again but with some mid grey ballast from I don´t remember where! It may well have been a "Z" gauge grey bag by Busch as it looks to be a similar calibre.

This was placed onto the slow lines that duck under the high level line.

The track was once again given the same alco-sleeper grime wash which toned the sleepers down and took the plasticy edge off them.

This track is laid on thinner (2mm) cork and gives the impression that it is more of a secondary line with less of a shoulder.

 

 

The image below shows the high level “fast” lines and the low level “secondary” lines.

The high level lines show too much uniformity in the ballast colouring in my opinion although I still like the dirty brown-ness of it.

 

 

I have bought a bag of Woodland Scenics, light grey, buff and brown ballasts; all in “N” gauge but have still to try them out.

The samples shown have not received any weathering yet.

 

So what do you think of the samples?

Any comments gratefully received as I´m still in 4 minds.

[newbryford]

Hi Mick.

Its not a kit, it's by these people.

http://www.sudexpres...ressmodels.html

I believe I have seen one on Airthrey Park.

 

 

Hi Andy,

Thanks - Many happy hours spent on the Tunes-Lagos branch in The Algarve with two coach trains.......... Binary driving - either full or no throttle!

 

Will try and track one down when I'm next in Portugal.

 

 

 

The image below shows the high level “fast” lines and the low level “secondary” lines.

The high level lines show too much uniformity in the ballast colouring in my opinion although I still like the dirty brown-ness of it.

 

 

I have bought a bag of Woodland Scenics, light grey, buff and brown ballasts; all in “N” gauge but have still to try them out.

The samples shown have not received any weathering yet.

 

So what do you think of the samples?

Any comments gratefully received as I´m still in 4 minds.

 

Nice ballasting by the way - try the weathering - it can really make a difference.

 

Often track is a uniform colour with subtle changes of shade if the ballast has been down for a while.

Cheers,

Mick

[McGomez]

Hi Mick.

Thanks for the ballast weathering advice. I´ll give it a go.

Attached are a couple more pictures of the CP1400 just incase you needed persuading!

They came out 3 years ago IIRC and you don´t see them in the shops too much these days.

If I ever see one I´ll drop you a PM.

 

And here is a real one on the route from Oporto to Regua. A train ride up the Douro/Duero valley we did whilst on holiday back in 2009.

[CWJ]

Wow, what a fantastic layout! Can't believe I've never spotted this before. Please keep the photos coming, it will be great to see the whole thing operating, which you don't look to be far off already.

 

Some nice woodwork there too.

 

Cheers,

 

Will

[Grimleygrid]

Hi Andy, you have been busy! The retaining walls look very nice indeed as does the ballasting. The sleeper grime certainly tones it down and really does make a difference to the look of the track.

How sad is this, whilst I have been waiting for my train at Stratford over the last few days, I have been looking at the tracks for weathering ideas. Studying the sleepers, rail and ballast.

Very sad eh!

Keep up the good work Sir.

[McGomez]

Hi Will.

Thanks for looking in. The layout is operating. It just hasn´t got any scenery. There are still a couple of sidings to put in place. Attached below is a video to show you something moving.

If you don´t constantly do updates, threads tend to disappear down into the nether regions quite quickly.

 

Hi Alex.

That is 2 sad people in the world then. I have been studying some books and no two pictures are the same colour or grade of stone. Add to that the 4 seasons (not the musical variety) and you see that it is always going to be constant variable.

I bet you would prefer to be standing on Stratford station watching a 47 with silver roof or a freight train with a couple of tractors up front off the NLL appearing. Now that would beat looking at ballast.

Back to reality. Here is my one ond only class 60 doing the rounds on Portland Grove. I even remembered to turn the flange squeal on as it leaves the station and crosses back over to the fast lines.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUI3duoO0FQ

 

At about the 1 minute mark can be seen how I am going to box in the high level line that runs behind the station. Just a mock-up at the moment with offcuts of card. It will have to be removable, just in-case of derailments but will have the backs of houses and the station building on top of it with a footbridge leading to the platforms. I hope that is understandable.

[Poindexter]

Hi Andy

Fantastic thread, lovely layout (but totally mental!!).

Now that I have found Portland (via youtube and a post on BRBlue) I am here for the duration.

Really interesting seeing the build and trials and tribulatations involved. And thanks for the Helix build in stages.

 

Guy

[McGomez]

Hi Guy.

Thanks for the complements and for bringing the layout to a wider audience over on BR Blue.

 

Here is a video with my 70s/80s blue fleet on show.

 

I´ve always been a big fan of the Deltics and in my opinion there is very little that comes close to their sound. (Tractor fans, calm down.)

Here are a couple of them doing what they did best. A rake of aircon MKIIs flat out.

A class 40 also sets the scene on a train of TEAs.

There are a couple of class 20s on a Freightliner layed over in the UP loop (although the wagons look to be of a slightly more modern type - just use your imagination).

St. Paddy didn´t make it to the end of 1978 either come to think of it.

It will be the 30th aniversary of their withdrawl at the end of next month so this is my little tribute.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhsvr1-WV4g

[Brush47337]

Great video - thanks for taking the time to make and share this.

 

The class 40 sound was fantastic especially the revving up when passing through the station - is this Howes or SWD sound ?

Sorry if I missed this being answered already - too busy looking at photos - probably!

 

Thanks

[McGomez]

Hi Stuart.

Glad to see your railway mojo returning.

The class 40 sound is a Howes re-blow onto an old V3,0 Loksound chip.

Just a standard 23mm speaker in this one.

 

All the best.

Andy.

[McGomez]

Firstly, Happy New Year to all.

 

Scenic mock-up.

As I´ve said before, back in the summer of 2011 I did a bit of a scenic mock-up.

Pretty basic I know, but it was just to get a feel of how I was going to hide the higher double track section behind the station.

 

Forward to Xmas 2011 and I´ve actually started doing a bit of retaining wall. The disappointing thing is that I should have done more as I had the week off work.

 

I have used the Scalescenes dark red brick sheet for the bit of wall behind the area that will eventually be the station. The height of this wall is 230mm which equates to about 57 ft or 17m and it has to be that tall for the simple reason that the high level line runs behind and I want to cover it and have the main station building and some housing on top.

 

This excessive height has been on my mind for some time.

Can anyone provide proof of a retaining wall that high?

It won´t change anything but at least I´ll have an excuse ready if anyone mentions it in the future!

 

 

The base is a 2 metre long piece of composite aluminium panel. It is 3mm aluminium/poliester sandwich that is strong but fairly light and I have a regular source of offcuts.

I cut 8 sheets of the printed artwork to 250mm long and stuck it to the panel with No More Nails for some reason? I´ve got a few tins of Spray mount lying about but the NMN worked well enough and gives you a chance to move the print it you don´t succeed in laying it straight first time around.

As the artwork is only around 180mm high, I cut a 34mm plinth which works out at 8,5 ft and covered it with the same brick print and doubled the paper over the back of the plinth. This will be glued to the base of the main 2m long panel.

To hide the joints in the brick paper, I have made some supporting columns from 3mm foamboard. More offcuts.

There are 3 pieces with the first butting up on top of the plinth and the other 2 in front of it and touching the baseboard. Once again the same brick paper was glued, this time with spray mount adhesive and the top of each 3mm piece of foamboard was chamferred to give the impression of a concrete "topping" stone. Not too sure if that is what they are called?

 

 

I have only finished off 2 columns so far and the jury is still out whether it looks OK or I should go for a flat topped tile/slab with a tiny bit of overhang?

I´m going to do one tonight and see what it looks like.