RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted December 27, 2017 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 27, 2017 Thanks Robin! I pretty much copied the Kwikfit in Newark, but the mobile picture makes it look less model-ish! (I'll have to take more mobile pics haha) Cheers Simon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted December 28, 2017 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 28, 2017 Hello Everybody! It was a bit of a race to get finished yesterday, now I'm safely back in London and the layout has been packed away. I got pretty much everything thing done except for building the fence for the exchange; here's a roundup of the bits that were finished off and some notes on the stock that I took up (so I don't forget) I got the final buffer stop built, I'm pretty sure it won't cause a short but just in case I cut one of the fishplates in the fuel road. I like how simple these ones are, and it looks much better than the Peco ones. I had to do a bit of cutting and shoving to get the shed in place, but I managed! I also got a copper birch stuck in slightly further up the garden. There's still la load of detailing work to do in the garden, but it will have to wait. One of the workers having a break. I need to make a small wall for this little patio, but it won't hide this. (The signal gantry that will hopefully go up here might hide her slightly...) The 153: needs weathering, it ran fine through both fiddle yards but didn't like going through the station pointwork on the outer track - 153s and the 155 will have to stick to the inner line. FNW 156: this would only run on the outer line, it wouldn't stay on the track through the reverse curves in the inner fiddle yard, but it would more or less run into the turn back sidings so it can be a bit flexible. I want to have a look at changing the warning yellow, it looks too washed out; then I want to weather it. Here are the RMC hoppers just after I pushed them over the crossover to try on the outer track. They worked fine! Phew! I've got three more kits to build and then I need to weather the wagons. The loco also needs to be detailed and weathered. North Western plain blue 156: worked fine on both tracks - I need to source some transfers, finish painting round the warning panels, and weather above the solebar. These ran well, I need to sort out the bogies that join the two halves of the train, and I've got 10 more wagons to build / rebuild... Then I need to choose a livery to paint them and get on with it. The 60 needs the same as the blue one above. I've got more to post, some more shots of the layout, the stock, and a video to edit and post. Cheers Simon 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted December 28, 2017 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 28, 2017 (edited) Hello Everybody, As threatened, here's the slightly shaky and blurry video I fastened together in iMovie just now... it shows most of the trains I took up with me for the weekend. If I drive up next time I'll take my tripod and try to do better (and I'll take some more freights up with me) Cheers Simon Edited January 5, 2020 by MrSimon 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks522 Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Hi Simon, Superb work on the layout, its looking great! Can only echo the comment about the garage, very very hard to tell its a model! Really enjoyed the video too, how does the rolling stock behave on the trailing points in the fiddle yard? Graham. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted December 30, 2017 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 30, 2017 (edited) Thank you Graham I got a bit lucky with the lighting on that picture, I'm pleased with how it turned out :) This one is also from my phone, looks much less real! The stock mostly behaves well but there are some issues: there are board joins very close to the points (on the inner the board join is in one of the actual points) so if the stock comes off on the join it won't get through the point. On the inner track I get more trouble with certain vehicles that won't go through peco set track points, or they won't go through radius 1 reverse curves so they're limited to either the outer track or certain fiddle yard tracks. I have a few more issues on the outer line because I cut the point blades a bit too short so I sometimes loose shorter wagons down the holes. The trailing points are really reliable though, but I've heard they don't work for DCC. Are you thinking of them for the new layout? Cheers Simon Edited December 30, 2017 by MrSimon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Gresby is currently making access to my workshop a little difficult waiting for the RAF Newton site to reopen after the Christmas etc holidays. Assuming the weather is OK the smaller boards and the legs will go back on 2nd Jan and the rest a week later. Fortunately I don't need to work on No Place for a while, but I can't reach the plaster bandage I need for Croft Spa just yet. Plenty of locos to service in the meantime, however so no shortage of jobs. Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted January 1, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 1, 2018 Happy New Year Everybody! Thank you for all your support and advice and 'likes' over the last year - there's another busy year of modelling ahead as I want to get Gresby ready to do exhibitions in 2019. There's not much left do but I aught to write it out as a 'to do' list: Finish the station/platform buildings Build the flats that go above the shopping centre Finish the buildings that go at the end of the fuel road (and the fence up to the baseboard edge) Finish the car-lot and the derelict bit of baseboard behind the back alley Finish the brewery office and other building that hides the baseboard edge Finish the old tram Re-do the field Finish the pub Finish the viaduct front and builders merchant. There will no doubt be some other bits I've forgotten, but there's plenty to do there. I've also got a load of things to do on the workbench thread (and the other half suggested I try and finish the tram this year too!) Plenty to be getting on with anyway haha. Anyway, here are the rest of the pictures that I took over the Christmas works. I got the end of the siding bedded in, the fridge mountain looked so big on my desk but it's actually a tiny bit of layout. The top of the carpark is quite sparse, I'm not sure whether to build a payment machine or assume it's in some sort of lobby area inside. This chap has just taken the stairs up. Limit of shunt on the back siding. I'm going to get a few more of these trees and fill in the trackbed in front of the exchange. The skip, plenty of activity in the fridge 'recycling' place, but no people or vehicles to be seen. The dairy/icecream van graveyard looked much better on the layout than on my desk, another scene with no people. I spent the entire time the layout was set up moving the Landrover around to find the best place, I finally found the ideal place and forgot to stick it down, so now it's back on my desk. (This is the place) Granny's been in place for about five years now, still going strong. The first house I 'finished' and fitted. I nearly brought it back with me for finishing finishing - it only needs chimney pots though. View from on top of the tunnel. The seacows performed well, I'd brought six with me that were in a different box for painting - the rest need a bit of work, but they don't all want tagging like this one. The 58 ran faultlessly, and the NEM socket meant it could cover for the disgraced 47 (which wouldn't run at all round corners - something to investigate) Lots to do! Simon 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltic9014 Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 Happy New Year Everybody! Thank you for all your support and advice and 'likes' over the last year - there's another busy year of modelling ahead as I want to get Gresby ready to do exhibitions in 2019. There's not much left do but I aught to write it out as a 'to do' list: Finish the station/platform buildings Build the flats that go above the shopping centre Finish the buildings that go at the end of the fuel road (and the fence up to the baseboard edge) Finish the car-lot and the derelict bit of baseboard behind the back alley Finish the brewery office and other building that hides the baseboard edge Finish the old tram Re-do the field Finish the pub Finish the viaduct front and builders merchant. There will no doubt be some other bits I've forgotten, but there's plenty to do there. I've also got a load of things to do on the workbench thread (and the other half suggested I try and finish the tram this year too!) Plenty to be getting on with anyway haha. Anyway, here are the rest of the pictures that I took over the Christmas works. SAM_1435 2.jpg SAM_1424.jpg I got the end of the siding bedded in, the fridge mountain looked so big on my desk but it's actually a tiny bit of layout. SAM_1441.jpg The top of the carpark is quite sparse, I'm not sure whether to build a payment machine or assume it's in some sort of lobby area inside. This chap has just taken the stairs up. SAM_1458.jpg Limit of shunt on the back siding. I'm going to get a few more of these trees and fill in the trackbed in front of the exchange. SAM_1457.jpg The skip, plenty of activity in the fridge 'recycling' place, but no people or vehicles to be seen. SAM_1438.jpg SAM_1439.jpg The dairy/icecream van graveyard looked much better on the layout than on my desk, another scene with no people. SAM_1440.jpg I spent the entire time the layout was set up moving the Landrover around to find the best place, I finally found the ideal place and forgot to stick it down, so now it's back on my desk. (This is the place) SAM_1442.jpg Granny's been in place for about five years now, still going strong. SAM_1445.jpg The first house I 'finished' and fitted. I nearly brought it back with me for finishing finishing - it only needs chimney pots though. SAM_1436.jpg View from on top of the tunnel. SAM_1407.jpg The seacows performed well, I'd brought six with me that were in a different box for painting - the rest need a bit of work, but they don't all want tagging like this one. SAM_1451.jpg The 58 ran faultlessly, and the NEM socket meant it could cover for the disgraced 47 (which wouldn't run at all round corners - something to investigate) Lots to do! Simon Looking good. The chap at the top of the car park looks like the sort who would drive a Toyota Prius. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted August 27, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 27, 2018 Hello everybody! I know I'm a bit of a procrastinator, but 8 months between posts might actually be my record... and as I was putting off doing something else I made a start on the block of flats I was going to do in January Obviously I eased myself in with the easiest side: I made the strip with the windows and then when I knew exactly how wide the strip was I covered the inner wall with some of the rounded tiles I had left over from the posh house. Then I cut the tiles to shape and fitted the window strip. Finally today I built the rest of the skeleton for this part of the block and put the first layer of edging onto the large wall. I'm not sure whether to make the other 'easy' walls next and then do all the big walls with the difficult doors and windows in one large session, or make the different bits of building separately... Lots to do! Simon 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMcKenzie Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 Great to see some progress again Simon, the block of flats is already taking shape nicely. All the best, Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted August 29, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 29, 2018 Thanks Dave! I started a second easy(ish) wall yesterday - it's great to be back building (pictures at the weekend when I'm a bit further on! Cheers Simon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted September 2, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 2, 2018 Hello everybody! I've done the second wall, and have pictures as promised. What I did this time was take some pictures as I went on to document the method - I've got four window-heavy walls to do next which will all be built the same way as the window strip. Step one: cut out the window holes and then glue on the vertices that define the edges of the windows and panels. This strip had to be exactly 12mm wide. Step two: add the horizontals - window sills and lintels, the top of the internal floor, and the bottom layer of the bar across the window. Step three: the second layer of strip on the lintels, sills, and the uprights at the edges. Step four: trim to size. Step five: test fit then fit all the bits around the edge (the other walls won't have tiled walls so there won't be as much edging). Then glue down the window strip. All this will need painting, including the tiles, which will take quite a while. I've also made the mounting board shell for the second tower. This will have a window wall on the left (your left) and the stairwell will go on the right. I'm leaving the central block until last as it's the hardest bit... Lots to do! Simon 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Cuckoo Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 Glad to see things are still moving on. Your progress is lightening quick compared to my own! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted September 9, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 9, 2018 (edited) Haha not exactly lightening speed - it took my 8 months to get started on this building that was definitely going to be done in January! This week instead of making a start on one of the hard window walls I started on the stair-well: I'm trying to limit myself to only the bits that are visible... but you know how things are. These are the half-landings that will be visible through the windows, with where the stairs will go marked out. Steps - but only the ones you'll see This has been a bit of a strange one for the order it all goes together/gets painted. Here's as painted as the side wall is ever going to be, and the start of the inside of the wall that separates the two halves of the stairs. Once the separator is fully painted and cut to shape at the top I'll fit it, then build the representation of the steps (just to stop the light going down the shaft) and then I'll paint and fit the second wall - then build the brick outer layer. Lots to do! Simon Edited September 9, 2018 by MrSimon 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBE Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 All looking good Simon. Don't worry I have massive hiatus's between modelling sessions. By the way, vertical window frames are called mullions not vertices. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted September 16, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 16, 2018 Thanks Cav! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted September 16, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 16, 2018 Hello everybody! I've been concentrating on finishing the stairwell - this time (for the first time) I've only made the bits that can be seen, and been really strict about it. Here is the a picture of some white paint drying... it's the inside of the second wall and the wall that goes down the centre of the stairwell. The half of the stairs that is a ramp has been fitted and I painted it after I took this. The interior completed. Next up I stuck on the first layer of cladding. I'd slightly mis-measured so needed to add a layer of brick-sheet to fill the gap. The stairwell was then glued in place. The tiled side I made the other week is placed on the skeleton to check how it looks. I'm a little worried about the height, but I'm pretty sure it'll be OK. Next up I need to finish the last of the brick cladding, then I can make a start on the sides with the windows. Lots to do! Simon 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted October 1, 2018 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted October 1, 2018 Hello everybody! I've been working away on the tower block. I got all the other bits of exterior made for the stairwell, and I'll paint it all at once. Then I sketched out the parts I needed for the rest: It's modular, as the real building would be (if it wasn't made-up). Once all the window parts are built I'll build up the walls with brick in-fill. I started with the easiest parts - the door width single window strips, everything else is measured off these. First 5 window panels done, 29 to go... Then I started the double units... Lots to do! Simon 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan. Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Hi Simon, I admire your tenacity with this building, looks like a lot of work but it is coming on nicely. Cheers Duncan (and Janet) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted August 7, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 7, 2019 Hello Everybody! It's been a while, I've not done much (any) layout stuff this year other than some bits of stock - but I had the day off work and nipped up for a running/sorting session. There's quite a lot of new stuff that's never run on Gresby before, so I took it up to play with test. There were some other bits I have run before but I've either finished working on them or needed them to test the bit of track work I needed to do. This time I only took my phone camera, but the pictures have come out well, with one weird exception, below. Stock tested included: the coal containers, the MGR, the Pacer, the Dapol twin box wagons, the Revolution cargowaggon twins, and a box of engineers wagons. I also took the stairwell of the towerblock to check that it wasn't too high. It's fine, however, I forgot to take it off the layout when I packed it away again so it's trapped until Xmas... I'll just have to work on something else! The Pacer worked fine and with certain rules around running can work all three of the normal duties for an older DMU (inner line, outer line, turn back service) but I'll need to change some of the dead sections in the fiddle yard to longer powered wheelbase. My fix on the couplings on these worked, so I'm going to permanently fix the pairs together when I build a stock tray for them. I took a FL66 up which developed a split gear on the train up, so the 60 stood in. I did quite a bit of soldering work in the fiddle yard to make it more reliable. These wagon's are still problematic; I think I need to add weight to the front half of the train because the full train is too heavy (but if I add it to the full train then the full train will still be too heavy and the front will still fall off...). I had too many engines in the bag and took out the 31 I didn't think I needed, then found that a 47 or longer pulled these off the track - lucky I brought the 20! The revolution cargowaggon twins ran well on the outer track (the inner is 9" radius track so they had issues on the fiddle yard points) - on the trip working to the factory siding it wasn't happy coming out of the fiddle yard, but I need to do some work on the exit to make it smoother for all trains. This is the first time I've run the full 22 wagon coal container train, it was right on the edge of what the class 56 could cope with, but it looked good! it found one quite major problem that I only identified when I sent it through the platform road: It never used to do that! The next 'longer' working session will see the platform get partially rebuilt so this problem will go away. I also measured up for a new back scene as the one on there at the minute is a bit weird and greeny. As is the custom I made a video as I played. I filmed it on my phone, and it looks really good on my phone; then I tried to edit it on my phone - for some reason it cropped it to be square and then overlaid the sound from the TV. It's weirdly square and with bizarre sound, but here are the video's I took today: I must get cracking finishing all the bits off... lots to do! Simon 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan. Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Hi, It looks like you had a fun time playing, sorry I mean testing your new items! Regards Duncan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted August 8, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 8, 2019 Hi Duncan I did have fun - it’s a while since I’ve been up to run anything and always good to get the layout up and have a play! I always find there’s only so much you can do with stock before testing that it runs, if the Pacer/Freightliner box wagons hadn’t behaved on the layout they’d be on eBay by now... I’m just waiting for the permanent fix on the shorter couplings for the box wagons to dry (the bars as supplies are too long, and the knuckles uncouple in my track), and the Pacer’s joined the queue for weathering/sorting out. All the troubles on this 47 seem to have gone away, I just need to refit the Dapol coupling; all it needs now are the name plates (which are always out of stock) I reckon I can get all the bits needed to finish this bit off at Xmas. There are definitely some other buildings I can get finished by then too - this shot shows exactly why a better back scene is needed! Lots to do Simon 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigP Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 (edited) -- Edited February 1, 2021 by bigP Deleted 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted August 9, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 9, 2019 It is pretty creepy! I've no idea why it picked up the TV sound - it didn't pick up the wheel-squeal on the coal containers which I thought was much more interesting... Full day modelling tomorrow, pics to follow :) 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted August 10, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 10, 2019 Hello everybody! I didn’t manage a full day modelling yet, but here’s what I’ve managed this afternoon: From pages and pages ago you remember the car lot? I got it out for finishing off today: I think I’m happy with the front, I’ll probably matt/satin varnish the green wood though. The back has always annoyed me slightly because it’s so plain. The plan was always to have gutters and a hose out here, and some oil drums on the path (but I’ll have to stick them down in situ) First I added a gutter and a down pipe, then I build a tap and a hose reel: I need to paint the hose but it’s not being shaped until I stick it down (so I know where it needs to go). I’ve already painted the guttering but not the hose reel yet. The security gate is modelled open, I painted it to match the gutters. Once I’ve finished the painting and touched up and weathered the brickwork I want to add moss to the roof - I saw someone had done it to a 2mm building over in the 2mm section so I’ll have to give it a try. There’s some other bits of detail I want to put together for this area before I next go up to work on the layout. Lots to do! Simon 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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