Orchard Road TMD - BR Blue - The Story Continues

[yellowvanman]

Hi Mudmagnet, layout looking great , excellent scenics with some nice pics ...i can`t wait to do some greenery on mine ,this is the sort of effect i`m after with the old looking buffer stops ect with the grass and bushes ..cheers YVM

[67A]

Layout is looking good, I have been browsing as I am building a new layout and looking for inspiration, I have also decided to scratchbuild my depot building in order for it to look different. Do you intend to exhibit at some stage? Keep up the good work.

Mike.

[mudmagnet]

Hi Mudmagnet, layout looking great , excellent scenics with some nice pics ...i can`t wait to do some greenery on mine ,this is the sort of effect i`m after with the old looking buffer stops ect with the grass and bushes ..cheers YVM

 

hi YVM

Thanks for your comments. glad to read that I can provide some inspiration. Does help to use a Grassmaster for the long grass though (I borrowed one, which I need to do again for more grass).

 

Mudmagnet

[mudmagnet]

Layout is looking good, I have been browsing as I am building a new layout and looking for inspiration, I have also decided to scratchbuild my depot building in order for it to look different. Do you intend to exhibit at some stage? Keep up the good work.

Mike.

 

hi Mike,

 

Thanks for comments. I decided to build my own depot, mainly so that I could build something individual (although the Bachmann shed (s) look OK, you do see a few around now) and that I couldn't find anything that fitted in to what I wanted to achieve. I also enjoy scratchbuilding as much as possible.

 

I have exhibited Orchard Road earlier this year at my local club show (last July) in its un-finished state (when is a layout ever finished??). Due to show again next July at the club show when OR will be more or less finished. I also have a couple of invites within the South West for next year, but always open to offers!!

 

Hope your own depot building goes well.

 

Mudmagnet

[marc smith]

Some more great angles on those latest photos there!

As another poster commented - the layout is nice and uncluttered.

Those 25's really do look at home!

Nice work Richard!

 

Best

Marc

[mudmagnet]

Hi

Not much progress to show on the layout at the moment, but have made a start on the pipe work from fuel off-loading to storage tanks and hope to get most of this finished over the weekend.

I have also now bought a NCE PowerCab as an upgrade to my Dynamis and need to set it up - i.e. fit socket panel etc.

[Pete Harvey]

You will find the Power Cab a lot more logical and easy to use compared to the Dynamis.

 

Pete

[mudmagnet]

You will find the Power Cab a lot more logical and easy to use compared to the Dynamis.

 

Pete

 

Hi Pete,

 

Although I have been pleased with the Dynamis as a starter set into DCC (this was purchased before NCE offered the powercab starter set at a sensible price), there are a few limitations (as mentioned on other threads so won't repeat here). I have not found any problems with loosing the signal due to interference, but did have a slight problem when exhibited the first time, where I did not incorporate a shelf on the layout to sit the receiver. The receiver was balanced on a few boxes and not very practicalbe as occasionally the receiver was nudged. Part of the reason for going down the DCC route was to minimise the use of a control panel or additional parts to carry to an exhibition. I operate the 4 points via an accessory decoder, using the Dynamis and found a little awkward, but workable.

As far as hands on use - I do find that you need two hands to operate comfortably and that the joy-stick took a little time to get used to. However, my 13 year old son had no problem (could be something to do with Playstation / ExBox). The NCE can be used in one hand, which is a help when operating.

I will stick a piece of Velcro on the back, with a couple of corresponding pieces on the layout - I have used this with DC hand controllers and is very useful when you want to put the controller down.

The NCE will also give me the flexibility to operate from the front of the layout, sat in front of the fiddle yard, but will need to change the Bachmann couplings to auto-matic / semi-automatic couplings (Sprat and Winkle / Alex Jackson / etc) so that I remain seated at an exhibition. Ir have not yet decided which to use. I will not use the Kadees, as in my opinion not appropriate visually for my rolling stock - these do work very well, but best suited to an American outline.

The additional functions on the NCE will be helpful - e.g. being able to read the CV's. I have also found, with limited time to operate that the NCE operates the locomotives more smoothly (all fitted with Bachmann 3-function decoders). In future, I will likely use TCS or similar. the first one to change will be the Bachmann class 08 as I feel that this would benefit from a better quality decoder. I think that the Bachmann decoders are good value for money and operate fine on Dynamis, but perhaps limited when using a better DCC system.

 

Richard

[mudmagnet]

Hi

 

A very productive couple of days. SWMBO away for the weekend, so brought the layout indoors and used the dining table to set up one of the boards as this is easier (and warmer than the garage) to work on. Finally managed to cross a few jobs on the list - (1) reclad the brick work on the depot building, (2) add pipe work from fuel off-loading to storage tanks, (3) added fencing along rear above rock work and (4) additional office building. I have attached a few photos. Whilst one board was on the table, I took the opportunity to take photos not easily accessible normally when the layout is assembled.

 

There are few details / bits and pieces to add around the office building. I will probably add some 'low-relief' tress behind the depot building and still need to finish into the corner of the board at the end of the factory building and will likely be the next task.

[Arpleymodeller]

The latest pictures present a lot of atmosphere and capture the 70s/80s look of the railways. The first image of 25095 and the last image with the light reflecting off the bodyside of the 47 are my faviourites B)

[darren01]

Hi Mudmagnet

The last lot of photo you have done look amazing ! , one thing that i have noticed is the coulor of your rocks.

Being as it it set in devon ,the rocks round here have a lot of iron in ,and have a dark rust coulor to them .

Keep up the good work and keep the photo coming mate.

All the best

Darren01

[mudmagnet]

The latest pictures present a lot of atmosphere and capture the 70s/80s look of the railways. The first image of 25095 and the last image with the light reflecting off the bodyside of the 47 are my faviourites B)

 

Thanks for comments. The first picture is only possible with just this one board - i.e. putting the camera where the baseboard joint is and aiming towards the depot. The last photo was taken with the layout in my hall-way, the light coming in from the side - certainly casts an interesting light!

[mudmagnet]

Hi Mudmagnet

The last lot of photo you have done look amazing ! , one thing that i have noticed is the coulor of your rocks.

Being as it it set in devon ,the rocks round here have a lot of iron in ,and have a dark rust coulor to them .

Keep up the good work and keep the photo coming mate.

All the best

Darren01

 

Hi Darren

 

Glad you like the photos.

I will have a look at the rock colour. The rocks round here do vary from area to area and certainly redder the further south you travel. Should not be too much of a problem to wash some colours into the rocks, although they are not too red around here.

 

Next job is to add some grass along the front of the layout close to where the office has been positioned - cue 'grassmaster'.

 

Richard

[Pete Harvey]

Richard

 

The baskets and the platform look good.

 

Pete

[Andrew P]

Hi Richard, Just love that depot and fueling point. The track colour and ballast look good so I am keeping a eye on your progress. Good luck. Andy.

[mudmagnet]

Richard

 

The baskets and the platform look good.

 

Pete

 

hi Pete

 

Glad you spotted those! Although it took me a little while to work out the best way to assemble the baskets complete with feet, I got there in the end! I am very pleased how they turned out and with a little weathering certainly look the part. I still need to add some bits and pieces inside to a couple of the them though. The platform went together very well, although I did find the casters a bit tricky.

 

Richard

Edited November 29, 2010 by mudmagnet

[mudmagnet]

Hi Richard, Just love that depot and fueling point. The track colour and ballast look good so I am keeping a eye on your progress. Good luck. Andy.

 

hi Andy

 

Thanks for the comments. The ballast is Green Scenes, which I find is very good and not too large granules. The ballast and paint has been painted by washing in over a period of time a mixture of acrylics (from DIY store tester pots) until the desired colour is achieved. Oil patches are acrylics (same pots) mixed with acrylic gloss medium and dabbed on were appropriate. A little blue has been added in places to the gloss medium to try to give an oily sheen.

 

The fueling point is a Knightwing kit, largely assembled as per instructions, then painted and carefully weathered with washes and dry brushing.

 

I am very pleased with the depot and judging by the number of comments, other people like it as well. I still have the doors to make and then finish the interior.

 

Richard

[mudmagnet]

Hi

 

I have temporarily set up the NCE Powercab on the layout over the weekend and found it easy to use. The locos are run better and smoother on the NCE when compared to the Dynamis. Just need to set up the point accessory decoder.

 

However, I did have a problem with the transformer that was supplied with the set - i.e. it did not work. I borrowed a transformer from a friend, which enabled me to use the NCE. I sent the transformer back to the shop (which arrived yesterday) and a new transformer arrived today - all working perfectly now. Many thanks to Bromsgrove Models for their rapid response.

[mudmagnet]

Another photo, with the light coming in from the side.

[mudmagnet]

Hi

 

I have borrowed Darren01's (as in 'Torrington' of these parts) Grassmaster and have added some grass along the front of the layout and in front of the trees. Still a bit of work to do on the scenery to finish it off, but thought that I would share a photo of the buffer stop at the end of the fuel off-loading siding and grass growing around the pipe work. Unfortunately the colour is not quite right - a bit low on light source, but did not have chance to take any photos earlier today. Whilst moving the layout around (from hall way back into the garage) I took the opportunity to photograph looking towards the bridge, taken from the baseboard joint - a view not easy to photograph when both boards are erected. A few more jobs to do, such as finishing the scenery and adding a few details (not much do do though). I can then make a start on the interior of the depot building.

[darren01]

HI Richard

Looking very good ,nice and over grown around the bufferstops.

Would be good to see some day light shots of the layout ,to show it off to it full effect ,well done mate keep up the good work .

All the very best

Darren

[tpxpress]

This is looking really good-Well done

 

Thomas

[mudmagnet]

Hi

 

As a change from blue engines, I have attached a photo of two recently completed mineral wagons (couplings to be added when I can locate my packet) on Orchard Road. These are unlikely to ever 'run' on OR, but posed for the photo. These are the Parkside Dundas fitted wagons, built as per instructions and then painted and weathered using acrylics. The inside of the wagons were painted using watered-down acrylic (artist tube variety), which streaked and went patchy on the plastic, producing the results seen. A little more 'rust' has been drybrushed in places and 'rust' washed into the corners (which can't be seen in this photo). The exterior was weathered using Cidatel washes and dry-brushed acrylic.

[jimmer]

Absolutely fantastic work. This is probably my favourite layout on this site. Bravo Sir . Just one query what are the radius of the points you used? Small, medium or large?

[mudmagnet]

Absolutely fantastic work. This is probably my favourite layout on this site. Bravo Sir . Just one query what are the radius of the points you used? Small, medium or large?

 

Hi Jimmer,

 

Many thanks for your comments - glad to read that Orchard Road is one of your favourites!!!

 

The three main points are Peco medium radius - i.e. from the bridge into the depot and the two fueling roads. The fourth point, the one kicking back towards the bridge is a small radius. Ideally this would be better with a medium radius, but on the basis that I already had this one, I thought that I might just use it!

 

Mudmagnet.