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Wow, that fiddle yard is looking great / big.

Can't wait to see it filling up.

 

Some of us have been sad enough to work out that the lomgest single lane is about 16' uninterrupted - not that we are working out who has got the longest train to fill it...

 

Chris

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  • 2 weeks later...

Latest Update

 

All the  track now down in the fiddle yard and on the new scenic boards.

 

Time to get the wire and soldering irons out, start wiring in the power and install all those point motors. :banghead:

 

Hope to get some pics up later in the week.

Edited by Sam Seagull
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Any new updates??

 

The most important update is that we are due a Loftus Road Christmas Curry shortly and many of our best ideas have been formulated, discussed and abused over the infamous Chicken Tikka Pizza Naan, so this will help shape the layout going forwards

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The most important update is that we are due a Loftus Road Christmas Curry shortly and many of our best ideas have been formulated, discussed and abused over the infamous Chicken Tikka Pizza Naan, so this will help shape the layout going forwards

 

Whenever I work on my layout there is normally biscuits and dandelion and burdock... And still nothing happens!

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More new stock for Loftus Road - a real piece of 'local' traction in the form of 47004 'Old Oak Common T&RSD' taking to the rails

 

0-0-0-0-0-0aaa47004-02.jpg

 

Further details can be found on my OMWB thread -

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/44066-wells-green-tmd-377-electrostars-even-more-dirty-fun/

 

Cheers

James

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Good news about Salisbury James, If I'm off then I'll be there.. 

How easy will it be to fill that FY??

 

Cheers

Scott

Haha too easy Scott!!

 

We've all got bulging stock boxes of toys (which strangely seem to get bigger following every exhibition with Martells's stand present) so we'll soon be jostling for space again I'm sure! Best thing is we can now fit longer freight trains and mmmm...perhaps Eurostars... Haha!

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Further to our previous updates, we've just come back from a superb Loftus Road curry, I present Worthing's finest, the behemoth that is the legendary Chicken Tikka Pizza Naan!

 

27675674634_a651908441_b.jpgLoftus Road Christmas Curry by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

This irresistible 8" monster is sometimes painful to fit in but always guarantees a pleasurable night

 

Meanwhile in layout news, the fiddle yard trackwork has been fully laid, here we can see Mark and Martin beavering away on the pointwork installation, the classic drill and hoover duo is caught in action below -

 

28291744275_794a3174a9_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

 

Pleased with their efforts, we can see the fiddleyard in all its glory -

 

28257621906_87014a17cc_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

Of note is the stalwart Lima Mk3 coach, the first rail vehicle to traverse the new fiddle yard. As Pete Hollman's special test vehicle, it is fitted with extra wood pieces for loading gauge purposes and has survived in frontline service for many years testing new trackwork and platform clearances on both versions of Loftus Road and I'm sure many more layouts in the future!

 

Following a thoroughly good curry, we are now working out strategy to complete the essential tasks in time for our Salisbury show in May, the wiring beckons!

 

Cheers

James

 

 

Edited by James Makin
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Hi chaps!

 

With Christmas out of the way, work begins again on Loftus Road and the planned layout extension. The track in the new fiddle yard is all fully laid, and work on the board joins nearly complete.

 

The layout's 'curves' that linked the scenic section with the fiddle yard have long been ditched, to be replaced with fully scenic'd front boards. Here was can see the Loftus Road Wrecking Gang in action with a controlled demolition of a bridge that Network Rail would be proud of!

 

28213377021_10eaa33d60_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

LR team member Mike (left) is tasked with turning the old low-relief bridge into '3D', and it was decided that the simplest route was to construct an entirely new bridge. Here we can see Mark (right) tackling the old bridge pier, shortly followed by careful removal of the roadside flowers scene, for careful reconstruction on the new structure!

 

Meanwhile in other news, Loftus Road is gaining an HST!

 

28291804385_43edf2a971_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

I'm rebuilding an old Lima HST in legendary First Great Western 'fag packet' and documenting it on my workbench thread -http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/44066-wells-green-tmd-377-electrostars-even-more-dirty-fun/

 

Should be fun when complete!

 

Next on Loftus Road - we will be separating the new boards for the first time, work will start on wiring the layout, and some of that bare wood might see some scenic action!

 

Cheers

James

Edited by James Makin
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This week, Mark has made and attached the new backscenes to Loftus Road - 

 

28257691696_7486c7ff7b_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

These include both the old and new sections, and are built to a greater height, allowing for taller buildings, more sky and less of us appearing in the viewers eyeline!

 

27675746794_8a1c3f24e5_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

Exciting plans are being made for the scenery in this corner, watch this space!

 

Cheers,

James

Edited by James Makin
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  • 1 month later...

A little more of an update on where we are so far:

 

Pete has been wiring the front boards again, splitting the two main lines so that each as its own DCC feed, ready for the installation of the PM42 board (see post 41 above). He has also added the point motors to the new front scenic board, along with the Lenz bus wiring for the new boards.

 

Round the back, Mark, Martin, Spanksie and others have been wiring the new fiddleyard, again in preparation for the separation of each side into two distinct DCC zones which will eventually feed into the PM42. For the curious, we will not be trying to run the Lenz bus to work with the Digitrax version, although I understand that there is a converter for doing this.

 

In the meantime, we tried some shots of the layout in the style of Google Earth...

 

post-901-0-72096900-1393585246.jpg

 

and two more...

 

post-901-0-47109800-1393585353.jpg

 

post-901-0-49166300-1393585364.jpg

 

Finally, to show that we are working, the fiddleyard has been upended for more wiring (in the background)

 

post-901-0-94038600-1393585418.jpg

 

We are aiming to test run the first locos around the layout by mid-March...ducks and runs fast after making rash public promise!

 

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A little more of an update on where we are so far:

 

Pete has been wiring the front boards again, splitting the two main lines so that each as its own DCC feed, ready for the installation of the PM42 board (see post 41 above). He has also added the point motors to the new front scenic board, along with the Lenz bus wiring for the new boards.

 

Round the back, Mark, Martin, Spanksie and others have been wiring the new fiddleyard, again in preparation for the separation of each side into two distinct DCC zones which will eventually feed into the PM42. For the curious, we will not be trying to run the Lenz bus to work with the Digitrax version, although I understand that there is a converter for doing this.

 

In the meantime, we tried some shots of the layout in the style of Google Earth...

 

attachicon.gifGoggled Mirth 1.jpg

 

and two more...

 

attachicon.gifGoggled Mirth 2.jpg

 

attachicon.gifGoggled Mirth 3.jpg

 

Finally, to show that we are working, the fiddleyard has been upended for more wiring (in the background)

 

attachicon.gifReality.jpg

 

We are aiming to test run the first locos around the layout by mid-March...ducks and runs fast after making rash public promise!

 

 

No Pressure then Chris!   

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Scenery on the new boards is now well underway. I've been tasked with tackling the cable troughing and given the gorgeous weather, gone for an alfresco modelling session - it's like Ibiza with plastruct!!

post-6896-0-05198300-1401024087.jpg

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Well it's been a while since the last update, but despite sweltering weather and violent thunderstorms the gang have battled on to make Loftus Road ready for our upcoming debut at Worthing MRC show on 27 & 28 September.

 

Pete, Chris, Mark 1 and Mark 2 and the gang have been busy connecting the new fiddle yard boards, installing point motors, wiring up the vast array of new pointwork and electronics for the new control panels.

 

With the major permanent way being taken care of, I've been (unwisely) entrusted with doing some of the arty farty scenery bits, including some sizeable new bolt-on West London cityscape scenes which are in development and also some of the track detailing.

 

Following on from the last post, the cable trunking has now been laid -

 

 28257912016_cc9692bab3_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

These are all individual bits of Plastruct square, chopped to the correct size and interspersed with actual 'U' channel so we can lay some cables inside where lids are missing, and also model the instances where the lids crack in two and drop down into the gap.

 

I painted these with a blend of greys and weathered using a few darker greys and the paint-on/wipe-off method.

27676407143_f893fc849e_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

 

We're constantly trying to add more detail onto the existing centre boards, I've just installed some more platform signage this week but here's a few other lineside details which aren't always so noticeable at first glance!

 

28257914306_68b275e693_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

Network Rail get to work on the back of VC698, on the signal gantry scratchbuilt  (with working signals) by Pete Hollman, while below we have the secluded equipment hut with someone in the background cheekily relieving themselves! 

 

27675992314_aaf90f53d1_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

28188072882_ec28f2cb9d_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

London isn't London without a spot of graffiti and here's some on the bridge retaining walls, not normally visible from the public's viewpoint

 

28257918126_69e6469885_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

Then we have the legendary graffiti below, shamelessly copied from the real Kensington Olympia, which could be seen on the station fencing in the mid-2000s.

 

28292033745_035e1daa9d_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

27675995924_2591ff1dd3_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

More signage has gone in lately, including the 'don't you dare walk off the platform' signs, naturally with a trainspotter who has decided to go beyond the line...perhaps there's a steam special approaching!! ;)

 

28292026275_58e2a59436_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

But it's not all about the railway, the surrounding London is gradually being modelled and the existing Tesco car park is due to have another storey added on top in due course!

 

27675987694_42e4d2edb5_b.jpgLoftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

There's many more exciting jobs to be done but the race is now on to get the layout fully functional for the Worthing show, and those blank gaps of MDF will get filled - it'll be alright on the night!

 

Edited by James Makin
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