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A layout for a little lad


Tom J

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Well, I have spent about four days stripping in repairing the door and associated architrave in Thomas Ivor's room, in between my childcare duties and repairing cars. Katie (my wife) has painted the outside of the window and the replica architrave and skirting has been delivered, along with paint. We have some plumbing to do for the new radiator (which I have to get up the stairs yet - I have let Katie off helping carry that at circa 30 weeks pregnant), some floor boards to repair/replace and then once I am happy to paint and glaze the door, we should be motoring.

 

I am still trying to figure out what the bespoke piece of cabinetry under the layout is going to look like, and indeed how the layout will locate on it whilst also being able to stand on legs at exhibitions... answers on a postcard!

 

Meantime, Thomas Ivor was with us the weekend before last, and a fortnight before that. After a quick trip to the GCR to see the visiting '9F', which after all that effort is of course now not 'visiting'(!), he had a bash at the RM free kit with his Grandad before going to watch Derby County (His step-family's team - Liverpool is beyond our resources  at the moment!); last weekend we were at Stafford.

 

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Unfortunately he has now got it into his head that there will always be opportunities to operate layouts when we go to exhibitions - we really do need to get our own in order!

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Ah, well thereby hangs a tale, Gruffalo, because there is a chance at the moment that we might be involved at RMWeb Live... Unfortunately we cannot be certain as to Thomas Ivor's availability, and in our circumstances, that is particularly awkward. I very much hope that we can take part in some form.

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Ian, I have dates to the middle of July (i.e. the end of the school year) at the moment and am waiting for 'feedback' on my draft for the year from July.

 

Unfortunately, when we drew up the present set of dates, the GCR event hadn't been announced, so we moved that weekend to the one before, so he was with us on Fathers Day. I am weighing up whether it is worth trying to get it changed, but I don't rate my chances. Thomas Ivor is pretty annoyed, because not only is it on our home turf, his favourite N gauge layout is going to be there!

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Meantime, Thomas Ivor was with us the weekend before last, and a fortnight before that. After a quick trip to the GCR to see the visiting '9F', which after all that effort is of course now not 'visiting'(!), he had a bash at the RM free kit with his Grandad before going to watch Derby County (His step-family's team - Liverpool is beyond our resources  at the moment!); last weekend we were at Stafford.

 

Good to see he is getting to see a decent team!!!

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  • 3 weeks later...

The thread is due some more pictures, even if there is relatively little to report (let's just say I have received no reply to any of my letters regarding his future availability!).

 

The decorative woodwork in the bedroom ought to have been done by now, but my chop saw isn't big enough to accommodate the necessary mitred cuts to the skirting board. I was going to do a swap with my father for his crossover saw, but last weekend, with all of us in the car, the turbo blew on our people carrier and I spent half the night at LfE services on the M1, the children and my wife having been collected by my sister-in-law. As such we are now down to a Peugeot 106 Rallye (MoT due next month!) for our soon-to-be family of five. UPS have lost the parts I need for that one, it had all four tyres slashed in the street, and the turbo job on the 'Daddy bus' is 'on decision' - and hence not much has gone on in Thomas Ivor's room!

 

Nevertheless, we have paint on the ceiling and two walls, the cast radiator has gone in (with only a small amount of the water which escaped hitting the ceiling, thanks to my father's 'little-boy-with-finger-in-the-dyke' routine), and I have managed to get our replica architrave to mitre nicely to the original, which is a blessing.

 

Meantime, Thomas Ivor has been for half term, helped with some of the above and also had a couple of days at the GCR with me. I shall let the pictures tell the rest!

 

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Model railway content will resume very shortly now! Still open to ideas about a piece of built in storage to go under the layout...

 

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  • 1 month later...

The 'model model railway' (2ft : 1mm scale) is now taking shape, as, you will see in the background, is Thomas Ivor's bedroom, which is now almost decorated.

 

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After an afternoon spent painting brake rigging for 'Witherslack Hall', we stopped off at Swithland for another field trip, in this instance with the model itself!

 

Today we have applied some scatter material to the board, to give as an idea of the contours and sight lines. The 'south end' is presenting a challenge in terms of the scenic break, but otherwise I think it will work out.

 

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In other news, after inordinate effort and attempted horse trading, we will now be deferring Father's Day until the weekend after, so that Thomas Ivor can now come to the model railway event at the GCR in June. If he is a good boy...

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Hi Tom,

 

The layout is coming along really well and it looks like he is a bit handy with the paintbrush too - and on GWR bits as well! We might be better off if he does the tour of Didcot instead of me... At very least I will have an assistant! Mind you, if he's that handy with the brush we shall get him busy in the works. Now what needs painting, hmm, let me see, there's Pendennis Castle, No. 1363, Lady of Legend...

 

I look forward to seeing you both at 81E in July.

 

All the best,

 

Castle

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Some pictures of our 'model model' (which is more or less T gauge scale - now there's a thought!). This is proving a useful exercise for us both, I feel, as he gets to make something quickly and both of us get a feel for how the layout will look (and tweak the plan if need be) before we even start cutting timber for the baseboards.

 

'Helicopter overview':

 

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Reservoir end, looking towards Rothley:

 

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A slightly closer view of Lord Lanesborough's station, rebuilt after the abortive works of c.1898:

 

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Slightly higher up than most photographers but a common view these days, looking towards the reservoir. The Mountsorrel branch peels off into what will be more trees in the distance, to the right:

 

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After two years or more of grief from a well known high street bank named after a Yorkshire town, which has contributed to our household's troubles of late and necessitated the involvement of our MP, an apology, enclosing a cheque, arrived recently and thus has enabled the purchase today of a Farish 'Jinty' to represent Roger Hibbert's 47406. It is running in, with only very minor 'nosing' to report so far, on the old layout, whilst we do some trips to the tip. New baby due any day now, so we are staying close to base!

 

Very grateful for all the interest shown - would be equally grateful for any constructive comments on our plans at this stage!

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the turbo blew on our people carrier and I spent half the night at LfE services on the M1,  

 

and the turbo job on the 'Daddy bus' is 'on decision'

 

 

Have you tried '247spares' ?

I've been pleasantly surprised in the past by their prompt response and prices.

 

Jeff

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We have a few '16 tonners' Andy, yes - not quite a full rake but they are priced just right to be used as a reward for good behaviour!

 

There is still a question at the moment regarding the RVP shed - I think the jury is out and we will decide, when it is up, whether we like it or not and whether to 'lock down' the layout before or after its erection!

 

Modelling it would probably make for greater operational interest, although very few of the RVP vehicles are easy to model in 'N'. This week has seen the purchase of a Gresley buffet, but ironically that is currently in the 'RB' rake whilst the Mk1 RBR is gutted and rebuilt.

 

I am told that the curvature of the Mountsorrel branch has proved too tight for 'pullman' gangwayed coaches and that buckeyed stock will not be used in future. As such, there is a chance that we might see at least one Mk1 suburban coach used on the branch, for which our new '3F' will be ideal.

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There is still a question at the moment regarding the RVP shed - I think the jury is out and we will decide, when it is up, whether we like it or not and whether to 'lock down' the layout before or after its erection!

 

Modelling it would probably make for greater operational interest, although very few of the RVP vehicles are easy to model in 'N'. This week has seen the purchase of a Gresley buffet, but ironically that is currently in the 'RB' rake whilst the Mk1 RBR is gutted and rebuilt.

 

Is the RVP shed still going to be built? I thought there were planning issues with this building? I did ride in the Gresley buffet the other week whilst visiting the line with my daughter, always nice to sit in there with a pint of real ale!

 

What other reprsentations of the current G.C.R fleet are planned for the layout?

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There are all sorts of possibilities, given the present Farish releases in particular.

 

The aim is to provide sufficient vehicles to represent various points in the time since I started going to the railway (mid 90s). Each train that passes should be authentic or at least plausible, with the probable exception of a visiting fGW HST and the 'Preserved' Blue Pullman... The RVP shed footings are about to go in, if not already there, I am told. 'N' gauge Beavertails, anyone?

 

Well, I have to share this. Baby number three showed up spot on time last Sunday (I am winding her as I type!) but Ruth, the 15 month old, reached a major milestone today, which I can find nowhere in her 'red book' to record:

 

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So, the question now is, will the title of the thread have to change before the layout appears?!

 

Thomas Ivor returned to Devon on Wednesday; I am spending my baby soothing time swotting up for baseboard time!

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So, the question now is, will the title of the thread have to change before the layout appears?!

 

 

You could go for "The Family Layout" as it seems everyone is getting "hands on"

 

Cheers

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After trips to B&Q (wasted), Trylon (glad they were shut - turned out to be very expensive) and Wickes (got a piece of Knauf Spaceboard) on Tuesday, and having spent all of yesterday waiting in for a midwife who never came, we went back to Bedford today to register Rhoda's birth.

 

Mrs Jones has told me to get on and build baseboards, so the old layout (seen above) can be properly retired and so Thomas Ivor can run trains again. We called in at Sheffield Insulation, then, and filled the people carrier with this:

 

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http://www.insulationexpress.co.uk/Floor-Insulation/Dow-Floormate-300A-Styrofoam-Insulation-Boards.htm

 

Since we have need of some insulation for the end wall, whatever we don't use for baseboards will be suitably employed!

 

I have to say I now understand why some people are so particular about which extruded foam they use. This stuff is in a different league for strength, even compared to the Knauf Spaceboard. It is clearly tougher to work, but as a base surface I think it will do well. Time for some ply and a final baseboard design, methinks!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Newsflash: Who knew that the tooth fairy had a stock of Peco large radius points?!

 

That kicked the bidding war between Northants and Devon tooth fairy provision into touch :-D

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  • 2 weeks later...

The decorator (Mrs J, no less, now back in her decorating overalls after the birth) has nearly finished and the carpenter should be coming imminently to repair the floor, so it really is time to crack out the track plan, the styrofoam and some ply, and live a little.

 

You would see a picture, but the image size cap is now proving a barrier when I am using the iPad, which is a shame. Why the server can't resize on upload, and delete the original, I don't know.

 

Today I am back on the road to fetch Thomas Ivor. MKC-EUS-PAD-NTA (3 mile walk, collect Thomas Ivor, PNB) -DBY and home!

 

Still not quite sorted on the baseboard design front. Styrofoam board design is a doddle if your layout's topography is generally higher than the trackbed. This layout being predominantly on an embankment, I am considering a tiered approach, to avoid having 100mm of foam under the trackbed. It's not like the weight makes any odds, but it will be much harder to get at things from underneath!

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