DanielB Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 Long time no update! With 8 days left to get West Allen Street ready for TVNAM on the 20th of this month, I thought it time I put some update photos on here. Very little left to do on the layout now - one structure to build and some brick papers to glue down, as well as a neatening up and blending of the ground cover plus a bit of work left on the sector plate. The majority of this will be done this weekend, so I can relax and have some fun weathering some freight cars next week before the show. Photos! 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CourthsVeil Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Hi Daniel, the next to last pic is really convincing! Very good this view into the street! Keep up the good work Armin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeHohn Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Hi Daniel, the next to last pic is really convincing! Very good this view into the street! Keep up the good work Armin Agree. As interesting and instructive it is to view from angles showing how you're building things, that street view was the one I spent the most time. I like that empty, bleak look. Very effective. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northpoint Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Excellent, Dan. Looking forward to seeing it on Saturday. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share Posted June 14, 2015 I'm looking forward to showing it! Massive progress made on the layout this weekend - the boilerhouse and chimney have been painted, the freight forwarding warehouse is almost complete, and the layout's little "secret feature" has been tested and is working. I'm deliberately keeping schtum on this one to surprise everyone on Saturday. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadoak Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 My best wishes for Saturday Dan, the layout looks pretty good to me. I shan't be able to attend due to other commitments. Kind regards Peter M Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robatron86 Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 It looks great buddy. I'm sure it will be a hit at TVNAM Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 Cheers chaps. I'm just nailing down the finishing touches to the layout, so I've spent most of the week weathering freight cars. Though, me being me, I only remembered to take photos of one of them. Here's the photo used for reference, courtesy of Steven Vincent on RRPictureArchives: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4181757 And here's my effort to replicate it: 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Hi Dan, Very good work, looks a treat! Cheers, John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 (edited) ...I'm just nailing down the finishing touches to the layout,....Great choice of words, Dan.... I'm sure that, with about 36 hours to go, TVNAM Grand Masters are just nailing down their track ....or maybe just nailing down their baseboard top surface.... "Wet Paint" signs at the ready, everyone..... Edited June 18, 2015 by F-UnitMad 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted June 18, 2015 Author Share Posted June 18, 2015 Update time! All my rolling stock with the exception of the ATSF caboose have been weathered ready for the show. I may work on improving the weathering jobs on the locomotives tomorrow, or I may leave those for next week. We shall see. Here are some photos of the almost finished layout ready for Saturday - I have had to hold off doing the finishing touches on the ground cover so I can prepare the secret edition to the layout before the show. A few licks of paint tomorrow morning should see that up and running. Until then, enjoy the photos: 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 TVNAM 2015 is over for another year (sadface!), and apart from me totally forgetting to tell Nick that I was bringing a second operator in the shape of Ford, I think that West Allen Street seemed to go down quite well. I did manage to trade in a couple of N scale Kato Coalporter sets with Sophie at Anorak's Anonymous, netting me £100 of store credit, which was duly spent on a Bachmann DCC Sound Alco RS3 and a couple of new freight cars - an Atlas bulkhead flat with load and an Athearn blue box 40' flat car. On top of that, I also collected a pair of GP30's from FUnitMad, bringing my loco collection up to 5! West Allen Street is now - for all intents and purposes - finished. I have a couple of tasks left to do - add a dummy switch stand for one, add in rail bumpers to stop freight cars running off the end of the layout, add roof detail to the freight house, and weather my locos and new freight cars. These will be done if and when the layout gets any further invites to shows. For now it's just my "lets play trains" layout whilst Cane River is stored away in my layout room. Anyway, enough prattling, you came here for photos, right? Well photobucket is being stupid, and won't display my recent uploads. I'll edit this post to add them in once they do. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kieran Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Daniel, While I'm not a fan of sector plate layouts (just as others are not fans of my caboose shove/no runaround layouts), I am absolutely enamored with your work on this layout and I always look forward to the pics of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 Thanks Mike, I really appreciate your kind words. I'm not a huge fan of sector plates either, especially now I've just built one! Here are the promised images, now they are displaying correctly for me in Photobucket. First, an overview of the track plan: And now for some shots of the layout itself: Let me know what you think. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeHohn Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Daniel, Thanks for posting the photos. Nice seeing your work in detail from several perspectives. I particularly like the Handy Company sign, your rolling stock weathering, and the covered hopper unloading facility. Sounds like you found the show very rewarding. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 The "not quite hidden" Sector Plate worked very well, I thought - in the scenic sense; I didn't see it in action, but assume it was ok!! I didn't see Dan's Surprise Feature in action either ( ooh er Mrs!!) but it was certainly something unusual. ( Capstan & chain shunting - stop sniggering at the back!!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robatron86 Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I'm glad the show went so well mate. Looks cracking Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted November 23, 2015 Author Share Posted November 23, 2015 It's been a while, but it's time to start focusing on the next steps of improving West Allen Street ready for the Mansfield show next year. I've been working on the layout over the last couple of days, adding details and such to make the layout 'pop' that little bit more. First thing's first, I'm not sure I'm happy with the ground cover. As such, I've been looking at photographs of urban shortlines around industries, and I'm trying my hand at staining the ground cover a much darker grey. If this turns out okay, then I'll progress with more detailing - adding trash, etc. If it doesn't, I'm thinking of ripping up all the gravel/ballast and trying to replicate packed earth/ash ballast using DAS clay and sand. I might not need to go so extreme, but we'll see. I have a list of things to do over the next couple of months, starting with the layout presentation. To this end, my next steps are to: 1. Add legs to the layout to make it free standing. 2. Add a lighting rig to the layout to brighten it up. 3. Add a fascia and viewing box - inspired by Rob's Tilley Yard 4. Add a taller backscene to strengthen the one on the layout already. I've got a lot to do but plenty of time to do it in. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted November 26, 2015 Author Share Posted November 26, 2015 Tonight's quick update, some very early photos of the change of tone for the ground cover - not convinced but I'll see what it looks like when it dries. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robatron86 Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 I think once it has dried then you can assess it better. I think the darker colour will look good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted November 26, 2015 Author Share Posted November 26, 2015 I'm hoping so. It already looks much better this morning. I'm still tempted to redo the ground cover completely, but we'll see. If it doesn't work, I'm planning on the Chris Nevard method of ash ballast. I've got until March before the layout is next out at an exhibition, so I want to get it from "Layout built on a shoestring budget" to "Exhibition Quality". 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CourthsVeil Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 (edited) Daniel, like a lot what you are presenting here – well done! In my last layout I've used gravel soil from our garden. Real gravel soil: washed, baked and then sieved onto the PVAed board. The sieve I use is really fine: 0.18mm or seven thou. Have a look there… May be sprinkled with some coarse "stones". Regards Armin edit: wrong word used – it is soil (fine earth) instead of gravel ! Edited December 7, 2015 by CourthsVeil 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeHohn Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Daniel, I like the new look. More muted, grungier. Looking back at your early work on this layout, I think you've made a big improvement. Mike 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
long island jack Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 I noticed a bald patch in my trash on 59th and rust Sunday morning, now I know where it went!!! Go on Pete (trisonic) tell him about his pallets :stinker: Looking good Ray 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted November 27, 2015 Author Share Posted November 27, 2015 Pallets? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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