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Oak Road - 2013 to present (a fictitious place somewhere in Somerset) - Raising Money for Meningitis Research


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Well, that was !?&%@$* stressful!! 

 

Day two was almost a complete write off because everything crashed, derailed, shorted out, or any combination of all of the previous three. I got so stressed that Jase walked off at half time cos he was fed up of me shouting and swearing at him........can't say as I could blame him either. Dave, well Dave was just Dave...... he put his ear plugs in and ignored me!  :laugh:  :laugh:  :laugh:

Lots of lessons learned this weekend and one of them was never again, am I taking a half finished layout to an exhibition....EVER!!!

 

A few slightly biased people thought is was a good layout.........hmmm, specsavers people! The highlight of the weekend was the 'end of the show, show'......my 57 pulling 33 coaches....that made half a lap before derailing....so out with one of the tractors for another go which got a little bit further before doing exactly the same!

 

However, there was one more thing that topped that......

 

In the pictures that Paul posted up earlier, you can see a little lad in a green T shirt who was....how can I put this without sounding like I'm being rude? Autistic? that at first was adding to my stress level as I couldn't understand what he was up to.....but then I realised that he kept coming back to watch the trains, and every time an HST whizzed round, he'd be jumping up and down with excitement. running from one end of the layout to the other just to watch it.....and this went on for probably the best part of an hour...maybe longer. He'd disappear for a couple of minutes to look at Loftus Road, then he'd be back again for ages watching the HSTs, and this made me feel quite humble, and reinforced the point of building the layout in the first place.......and then stressed me out even more, because I couldn't get the trains to run long enough for him without a hiccup. :(  :(  :(

 

If anyone local to me knows who he is, or his parents, please let them know the layout will be back in Fareham in April so that he can come along and watch it again, and if he wants to, stand in the 'drivers seat' and have a go himself.

 

Thank you everyone that popped in and said hello, and also for Jase and Dave, and Ian for helping get it set up and taken down.

 

I'm having a month off now to crash trains on someone else's train set!

Edited by scoobyra
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I visited the Fareham show today, was very impressed with Oak Road, I know that Scoobyra was getting stressed at certain times and kept apologising for it being unfinished, but I would have paid my entrance fee just to see this one layout. Well done.

Edited by Melangoose
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Massive thanks to Paul for the photos, and Nigel for fantastic videos. 

 

When I first had the daft idea to build an exhibition layout, I wanted to have an HST passing under a stone bridge and racing away at speed through a station set in the countryside. There's one particular video on YouTube that captures my original vision perfectly and if it never gets finished, I'd be quite happy to watch it over and over again, because for once. I actually think I've nailed it!  :O  :O

 

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It's a model......there's a flippin' great piece of plasticard with a hole in it right next to the cable trough! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Only because you know that ;)

 

You have just list the issues and take them on one at a time. I got through three viaducts before I got my Swiss layout right. I also ripped out part of a rock face three days before a show to redo it. The left end looked superb and considering the fiddleyard was only installed on Saturday that ran pretty well too. Sort out some good endplates to protect the track at the joins too if you haven't already.

 

I use 9mm ply with wide strips of wood or thick mounting card glued to the face so the track doesn't rub on the endplate.

post-6968-0-82401600-1507550330.png

Edited by PaulRhB
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Well done Mike for putting your whatsits on the line and getting it out there for people to see - it looks fantastic!

 

Those videos were great and the HST rushing through demonstrates how well the flowing trackwork works - great stuff! :good:

 

I'm sure it'll all feel easier at the next show :scratchhead: :fie:

 

Cheers, Chris

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Well done for showing the layout as is, shows the public how it all happens and helps people realise its not out of a box and that it takes a great deal of hard work.Many years ago  the club asked me to fill a gap in a show,I put together a small GWR terminus and fitted the stock with three links never again after two hours I was ready to throw the whole lot in a skip! Look forward to seeing progress and one day I might have the pleasure of seeing it in the flesh.

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I forgot to mention that whilst at the Fareham show, some chap called Steve Flint (I didn't know who he was) spoke to me and asked if I'd like Oak Road to be featured in Railway Modeller when it's finished.

 

After I'd got my head around his question, I said YES PLEASE!!!!

 

Plans are now in place to make some legs, along with a lighting rig, redesign the fiddle yard slightly and then automate the pointwork for a more user friendly experience.......before Rotarail in April!

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Well done for your first outing hopefully the first of many. I think you have done a great job and only wish when I start I can get half as good as you and I will then have a beam across my lips. Forget all the past issues carry on the great work and looking forward to your model in the Modeller.

 

Keith

 

Ps its so life like that when I am on the Night Riviera in November (60th Birthday treat) I will dream of going through Oak Road.......

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Well done for your first outing hopefully the first of many. I think you have done a great job and only wish when I start I can get half as good as you and I will then have a beam across my lips. Forget all the past issues carry on the great work and looking forward to your model in the Modeller.

 

Keith

 

Ps its so life like that when I am on the Night Riviera in November (60th Birthday treat) I will dream of going through Oak Road.......

 

What a lovely comment. Thanks Keith!

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Hang on .....    Dave was just Dave .....   well I'm not quite sure what that means  :O   Hahaha  -  but if it means I just got on with stuff and ignored all the drama queens  :sarcastichand:   then yeah,  that was me being me Hahahaha.   

 

Well done mate,  it was a very good show and the feedback has been amazing.    At least we know it can't get any worse ......     

 

Unless the legs I make fall off at Rotarail that is   :laugh:  :laugh:  

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Operations Zen master from now on Dave.

 

As to Mikes earlier comments about us being biased I think Mr Flint counts as an independent adjudicator :)

 

Hahahaha!

 

I still don't get it.....and nor do many other people judging by the videos of the show on YouTube!  :laugh:  :laugh:

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I was very impressed with the sound quality on your trains, do you use Legomanbiffo sound chips on all of them?

 

All the one's used at the show Nigel were Bif's, with a range of speakers including the EM2s. Interestingly enough, the HSTs have 8ohm bass reflex speakers in them from Maplins!

 

My 158 is from Kevin at Coastal and will soon be up and running.

 

The video you've just posted is ace.....it's just a shame I wasn't driving that HST, it accelerated a bit too quickly...DAVE!!!  :laugh:  :laugh:

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This is the next stage for the layout....

 

post-18825-0-81990000-1507898057_thumb.jpg

 

With ideas again borrowed for Ian Blackall's 'Tidworth', a full length fascia will incorporate the Oak Road station sign, supported on 5 equally spaced uprights, that will also help keep the backscene boards nice and straight. The jury's out on how the lights will fit in as I've got a few ideas and I know Dave has a few suggestions up his sleeve too, so watch this space!

 

The biggest headache is choosing the right material to make it all from as the ply I've used for the lower fascia isn't the best and doesn't seem to stand up well to being bashed around......but like everything else, I'll do it about 5 or 6 times until it's right  :laugh:  :laugh:

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