Crofton - an N Gauge Modern Image layout

[porkie]

The bridges look spot on.

 

Layout is coming on really well

[DJTrains]

Now going back to the 'road under' section after the station exit .....   I wasn't happy with how the road ran out after coming down to the 'road under' under section and Mike suggested that I help give this area a raison d'etre ,  by bringing the level back up again,  and using this as the route for the footpath to the station.    Well if you know Mike,  you'll know that it usually saves a lot of time arguing to just agree       hahaha   -  and the mock up did make it look pretty good,  so here's that section going in,  along with the retaining walls for the raised track section going over ;

 

 

 

 

 

I'll need to bring up the slope level a bit more,  and then finish off the road design so I can mark out the junction, paint the road and markings.   

 

The central wide white strip going through the tunnel is a plasticard sheet,  so I will be able to paint this up with all the road markings first and then 'post' it through into place ;

 

 

Once this is painted up I can make up the pavement and curb stones.   I've ordered some laser cut pedestrian railings to run under the bridge also,  so will need these in place before it can all be stuck down.

 

The plan is to complete the scenery in this section - up to and including the large girder bridge -  before moving on to any other areas.

[Revolution Mike B]

For those of you that aren't aware, Dave (DJTrains), had a stoke three weeks ago and therefore has been residing in a lovely hotel by the name of Queen Alexandra. Apparently, the food is outstanding and the rooms are very spacious.

 

Jokes aside, Dave's on the mend and has made a significant improvement since being admitted and is looking forward to being able to go home in the next couple of weeks.

 

Thank you to everyone at Warley for their best wishes yesterday, and to those of you following my thread......I've passed them on to Dave and he is very grateful. I'm sure it won't be long until he's able to write his own posts and will soon be back playing trains.

 

Many, many thanks

Mike 

[DJTrains]

For those of you that aren't aware, Dave (DJTrains), had a stoke three weeks ago and therefore has been residing in a lovely hotel by the name of Queen Alexandra. Apparently, the food is outstanding and the rooms are very spacious.

 

Jokes aside, Dave's on the mend and has made a significant improvement since being admitted and is looking forward to being able to go home in the next couple of weeks.

 

Thank you to everyone at Warley for their best wishes yesterday, and to those of you following my thread......I've passed them on to Dave and he is very grateful. I'm sure it won't be long until he's able to write his own posts and will soon be back playing trains.

 

Many, many thanks

Mike 

Thanks Mike !    i'm now home and recouperating,  but still have a lot of work to get the use of my left hand back which will probably slow things down a bit for now.   Crofton is now officially 'on hold'   while I get better  (it's also at the end of the garden,  so access is currently a small issue too)   I'm lucky to have come through the stroke fairly unscathed in comparison to how bad it could have been,  and I'm sure Mike will be kicking my arse into getting back into the layout as soon as he/ we can.  Thanks to all for your kind comments.  I may have to come up with a temporary 'indoor' layout to keep me going for the next couple of months

Edited December 6, 2017 by DJTrains

[Revolution Mike B]

Great to have you back buddy     

[MarshLane]

All the best for a quick recovery - I'm sure the thought of getting back on the model railway will be a good incentive!  Take care tho.

 

Rich

[DJTrains]

All the best for a quick recovery - I'm sure the thought of getting back on the model railway will be a good incentive!  Take care tho.

 

Rich

Thanks Rich,   and yes it is a good incentive,  altho frustrating when your hand wont do what its told -  just need lots of practice and Crofton will be moving along in no time.

[MarshLane]

Thanks Mike !    i'm now home and recouperating,  but still have a lot of work to get the use of my left hand back which will probably slow things down a bit for now.   Crofton is now officially 'on hold'   while I get better  (it's also at the end of the garden,  so access is currently a small issue too)   I'm lucky to have come through the stroke fairly unscathed in comparison to how bad it could have been,  and I'm sure Mike will be kicking my arse into getting back into the layout as soon as he/ we can.  Thanks to all for your kind comments.  I may have to come up with a temporary 'indoor' layout to keep me going for the next couple of months

Hi Dave,

Hope your recovery is continuing. Looking forward to an update when your able.

 

Rich

[scottystitch]

Outstanding work, and really showing N to its true potential. Thanks for posting the steps along the way.

[DJTrains]

It's been great to finally get back out to the lodge and the layout  (even though it makes me a little nervous -  but that should pass with time) .....   and I'm getting close to being able to call the platform construction 'done'  .... if anyone hears me suggesting another layout with 3x 6 foot curved platforms -  please slap me !   

 

 

Once it gets the sign off then i'll tack it down with pva and weather the sides -  and I'm trying to decide on the platform surface.  when this layout started out it was going to be  in the London Midland territory around MK & Rugby (so was going to paint the platforms purple -  like the new ones at Rugby -  but now things have moved on and I've decided not to spend close to £500 on OHLE  -  and the location will now have to be more GWR  (due to lack of OHLE)  maybe Bath / Bristolish -  TBC - so any suggestions welcome. So I will now need to review the platform tops,  but due to size and shape I'd still rather paint(tarmac) rather than 'slab' them.

 

 

 

 

View leaving the station

 

 

And the in progress road under ;

 

 

Leading into the end and corner (where the storage loops are) -  bridge is nearly ready for sticking down & final  fill & paint -  'just' need to ballast the area under it  first;

 

 

[Temeraire]

Hi Dave

 

Good to see you back out in the lodge (shed) you must be feeling better? I take it the platforms are waiting for Mike’s sign off??! Just stick ‘em down tell him I said it was okay.

[DJTrains]

Hi Dave

 

Good to see you back out in the lodge (shed) you must be feeling better? I take it the platforms are waiting for Mike’s sign off??! Just stick ‘em down tell him I said it was okay.

Cheers Ian,  felling much better thanks -  even tho the left hand isn't quite 'back yet' (good job I'm right handed)  and yes,  got to wait for the guvnor Mike to sign them off first (it was his idea ! !)     - hopefully he'll be round tomorrow -  so watch this space.   

[porkie]

Hi dave, Hope you are recovering well fella.

 

I forgot how stunning you're retaining wall's and bridges looked.

Don't over do it fella.

 

Look forward to seeing your next update

 

Phil

[DJTrains]

Hi dave, Hope you are recovering well fella.

 

I forgot how stunning you're retaining wall's and bridges looked.

Don't over do it fella.

 

Look forward to seeing your next update

 

Phil

Thanks Phil

[DJTrains]

Still working on the platforms ....   change of colour and a fine sanding down to give it a weathered look -  and some powders to darken down the sides.....

 

 

 

I'll be using the metcalfe platform paving edging,  but the white stripe is too wide,  so  I will need to paint that on separately first.

 

 

There is however a bigger issue that Mike and I need to work out ;

 

 

This is the removable section which up until now has been a 'lift out' board,    but due to its size (nearly 5 feet) and slowly increasing weight (and me struggling with one dodgy hand)  I now need to devise a way that this can be slid in and out   (no mean feat with the accuracy tolerances we have to play with in N gauge.  I have managed so far to build this cradle out of CLS but will need to design some 'rails' to push it into..... 

 

So heads are still being scratched but we shall have another go this week......

 

 

  

 

[DJTrains]

While waiting for the construction above I thought I'd make a start on some more scratch building to 'hide a couple of storage lines. 

 

I have been struggling with them being both 'skewed' as well as hollow and without a base -  so basically trying to make a building with only 2 sides ;

 

 

 

to the left of these will be a maintenance shed (where the tracks go in)  -  these then go round  a tight bend and end behind these buildings.   The effect should be like a rabbit in a hat,  in that a 6 foot train comes out of a shed that's about a foot long !

[DavidMcKenzie]

Hi Dave

 

Great to catch up with this and see that you're back at it again. It's an amazing project you've got underway there.

 

That section with the bridge is stunning. I don't know if the idea will help, but my grandpa had a similar removable section on a layout years ago. It would slide roughly into place on wheels, then for location 3brass location bullets would slided into place and cross the gap parallel to the track (a bit like a bolt action on a rifle or similar) and then a spring clip kept it all in place.

 

Keep up the good work,

 

All the best

Dave

[DJTrains]

Hi Dave

 

Great to catch up with this and see that you're back at it again. It's an amazing project you've got underway there.

 

That section with the bridge is stunning. I don't know if the idea will help, but my grandpa had a similar removable section on a layout years ago. It would slide roughly into place on wheels, then for location 3brass location bullets would slided into place and cross the gap parallel to the track (a bit like a bolt action on a rifle or similar) and then a spring clip kept it all in place.

 

Keep up the good work,

 

All the best

Dave

Thanks Dave.    I have some alignment dowels but I think they may snag as its pushed into place.   We have a couple of 'cunning plans' to try out and I will update with the winning design once we've sorted it.

 

Cheers, Dave.

[DJTrains]

Well it looks like we have a Cunning Plan -  and so far it seems to be working well......          To be fair it was never going to be easy to fit a 5 foot long section that slides in and out - yet lines up perfectly every time ......   but ;   Mike came up with this arrangement at each end of the Gap ;

 

And added CLS ' Rails' to each end of the board ;

 

 

And so far it slides in and out just fine,  and has lined up perfectly - even had an HST running through for the first time in a very long time.

 

We just need to rework the rolling 'cradle' to hold the board on when it comes out - but that's this Wednesdays challenge     And then I can crack on with the rest of the scenery and hopefully adding some greenery at last  (And just a bucket or two of ballast  ) 

So a HUGE thank you to Mike for coping well with with all  my 'challenges',   and for the ongoing support.  You couldn't want a better man in your corner.

 

Hopefully this isn't holding up Oak Road too much -  we WILL be ready for Rotarail (Honest, Chris !)

 

 

 

[Crofton]

Well it looks like we have a Cunning Plan -  and so far it seems to be working well......          To be fair it was never going to be easy to fit a 5 foot long section that slides in and out - yet lines up perfectly every time ......   but ;   Mike came up with this arrangement at each end of the Gap ;20180315_173043.jpg

20180315_173048.jpg

 

And added CLS ' Rails' to each end of the board ;

20180315_173052.jpg

 

 

And so far it slides in and out just fine,  and has lined up perfectly - even had an HST running through for the first time in a very long time.

20180314_194735.jpg

 

We just need to rework the rolling 'cradle' to hold the board on when it comes out - but that's this Wednesdays challenge     And then I can crack on with the rest of the scenery and hopefully adding some greenery at last  (And just a bucket or two of ballast  ) 

So a HUGE thank you to Mike for coping well with with all  my 'challenges',   and for the ongoing support.  You couldn't want a better man in your corner.

 

Hopefully this isn't holding up Oak Road too much -  we WILL be ready for Rotarail (Honest, Chris !)

 

Just catching up with progress now that you are "back at work" - with Crofton anyway! Really glad that you are recovering well and the layout is progressing very well. Keep Mike's nose to the grindstone with Oak Road - it's only 5 weeks to Rotarail!

Chris

[DJTrains]

Just catching up with progress now that you are "back at work" - with Crofton anyway! Really glad that you are recovering well and the layout is progressing very well. Keep Mike's nose to the grindstone with Oak Road - it's only 5 weeks to Rotarail!

Chris

Thanks Chris.

[DJTrains]

Completed a job I've been puting off for some time.....   fitting the pedestrian railings to the underpass.....         well they are in now.  and the road section is now in place so if anything needs changing now it will require proper keyhole surgery to fix it 

 

 

I need to print  a more modern 'keep left bollard' and think I will have to make my own traffic lights too (non- working)  I'll have to go out and take some pics of traffic lights as Google has let me down this time -   so lots to do still but pleased to have got this done as its been playing on my mind -  as it does when you have an irreversible job to do somewhere.   

 

[porkie]

Absolutely stunning fella, like I said on Fb the bridge is superb.

[PaulRhB]

Looking great Dave! the structures are superb. Glad I found this.

[pantrogla]

Love the bollard (some thing I never thought I'd say!)  super detail in N gauge