Distillery yard micro layout - back out on the exhibition circuit

[1722]

Huge fan of the Peckett, Luke. I've got the Port of London one on preorder so I can change it into Rocket, my profile picture.

 

Distillery Yard is coming on brilliantly, and enjoy painting the barrels... Do they come with any ale inside?

[luke the train spotter]

Huge fan of the Peckett, Luke. I've got the Port of London one on preorder so I can change it into Rocket, my profile picture.

 

Distillery Yard is coming on brilliantly, and enjoy painting the barrels... Do they come with any ale inside?

Hi Chris, that's a lovely prototype you're working from! I think I'm going to keep my peckett free lance though it's in no fit shape to show at the moment whilst I butcher it to try and get a reasonable size stay alive unit, let's just say it's an open cab loco at the moment . I wish the barrels were full then I think I'd probably get through the paint easier! Edited January 4, 2019 by luke the train spotter

[luke the train spotter]

Just a quick picture of a running session tonight. More on the peckett tomorrow but I have managed to fit a high power stay alive unit to it so I'm just over the moon but more on that tomorrow.

[009 micro modeller]

Very nice. The Peckett suits the layout as well.

[luke the train spotter]

Well this is more post on the peckett rather than the distillery but since it is the new shunter I reckon I can post it on this thread. WARNING, the following post will show content some purists and peckett fans may find distressing. Fitting high power stay alive into a peckett is something I've not yet seen done so I felt in my own with this project. I decided before I began that I would rather have perfect running over appearance and detail as it's easier to hide some wires than it is to cover up dodgy running, especially at an exhibition. I started by drilling a hole through the cab floor. A 2.5mm bit was sufficient to allow all the important wires through to the chassis. I did consider drilling through the back plate but this seemed far more difficult because it was about 3, 4mm thick whereas the cab floor was only 2mm. Next I removed the rear wall of the cab (it being glued down the the floor and the roof) carefully with a knife. I then removed all the plastic detailing from the cab including the moulded fire box. This then allowed the stay alive unit and the decoder to fit in. A couple drops of super glue and all seemed good. It's a tight squeeze but it all fits. The wires were then threaded through the hole in the floor and a passage to the chassis was bored out using metal drill bits and a sanding disk with the Dremel. This was sketchy and after getting a bit of metal in my eye I decided to use some eye protection. I then hard wired the decoder to the chassis and spent a long time ensuring that everything was sufficiently insulated so that there would be no shorts. The blow the decoder now would mean that all my work would have been for nothing and I would have heavily defaced a beautiful and valuable engine. I now reassembled the chassis and the body and it is a beautiful runner. This was not an easy project and I would only recommend it to experienced modellers ready to risk their locos. Using power tools on such a small loco meant that there were some damages to it, I managed to break the whistle off the top of the cab, a piece of circular glazing off one of the rear windows and I also broke off one of the sanding pipes. I will repair and fix the damages in due course. Though quite a challenging but of loco surgery it had definitely payed off and the loco runs beautifully without hesitation even when I lift the loco off the track and let it run on my workbench for 30 seconds. Further detailing and weathering will hopefully disguise the electrical modifications to this fantastic and beautiful little shunter.

[luke the train spotter]

Some more progress with the layout. The vinyl letters have arrived meaning that I can now name the layout properly. A bit of a homemade just but I couldn't find a different name board I liked the look of so I decided to keep it simple. I also began to improve and continue with the scenery down in the corner by weathering the building , fitting drain pipes and doing some static grass so I'll leave that over night and see how it comes out in the morning. Whilst I was in the train room I had a play with the trains and the train spotter on the embankment took this picture. and also this picture too. I don't go back to sixth form till Thursday so may get some more modelling done but now I've got a lot of work to catch up on...

[luke the train spotter]

I forgot to ask in that post if anyone knew what type of brake vans would run to the distilleries in the Speyside region and if anyone has any prototype pictures. I know that the lner/br 20t ones did and I've got a kit built one of those on the layout but did any others run? Id like to get a second brake van to add some variety to the exhibition fleet.

[kevo]

really good work on your layout luke  and good work on the Hornby peckett what make of stay alive did you use 

[luke the train spotter]

really good work on your layout luke and good work on the Hornby peckett what make of stay alive did you use

I used a TCS unit from digitrains. It was a KA4 unit which is really good, very pleased with it. The guy from digitrains recommend etehrr a laisdcc 87021 Kung Fu deocoder or a DCC concepts one. I bought both but blew the DCC concepts one but the laisdcc one works really well.

[sb67]

The layouts looking good Luke, that was brave work with the Peckett, dont think I could have plucked up the courage to do that, well done.

Steve.

[kevo]

cheers luke  i will make a note of that . 

[luke the train spotter]

The layouts looking good Luke, that was brave work with the Peckett, dont think I could have plucked up the courage to do that, well done.

Steve.

Thanks Steve, I must admit it was quite a scary process but definitely worth it. It's not something I really want to repeat but locos don't get much smaller than the peckett. I do fancy one of those Hornby rustons that they've announced. Really look forward to them.

[Jerry1975]

The layout looks great, I will look out for it if your exhibiting it this year.

 

Jerry.

[scots region]

Hi Luke, sorry if I've missed an earlier post but what the advantage of a 'stay alive' unit? 

 

ScR

[luke the train spotter]

Hi Luke, sorry if I've missed an earlier post but what the advantage of a 'stay alive' unit?

 

ScR

A stay alive unit stores power so that when the loco looses power from the track (like if the track is dirty or goes over point work) you get non stuttery running without any stalling.

[scots region]

A stay alive unit stores power so that when the loco looses power from the track (like if the track is dirty or goes over point work) you get non stuttery running without any stalling.

 

Thanks, will you be investing in one the Rustons Hornbys bringing out? I myself have put down for the Dewars one, I'm only about 20 minutes away from Dewars in Aberfeldy. 

 

ScR

[luke the train spotter]

Thanks, will you be investing in one the Rustons Hornbys bringing out? I myself have put down for the Dewars one, I'm only about 20 minutes away from Dewars in Aberfeldy.

 

ScR

I am probably going to get one but since I want my stock to be flexible across a couple of layouts I'll probably get the plain green one with no wasp stripes. What has appealed a lot to me are those 6 wheel pecketts. I'm definitely going to have to out my name down for one of them as they look fantastic and would love one to accompany my current peckett. I will probably get a ruston as well depending on how my wallet feels.

[luke the train spotter]

Some more peckett progress, probably its final installment here. I have now weathered and added a few more detail bits to it. In the future I would like to add an oil can to it but I'll wait till I'll get one at a model railway exhibition. The peckett was brush weathered with enamels as I really couldn't be bothered faffing around with the airbrush but I'm quite pleased with how it's come out. It's just a relatively light weathering but I really don't like weathering black locos so I didn't want to go over board. I did put a touch of rust weathering powder on the smoke box door. Interestingly, the loco crew that I've fitted are actually bachman scenecraft station staff modified to suit and repainted. I believe that the guy hanging out the cab is the figure pushing the trolley if that helps to see the similarity. Anyway, here are some pictures: I may fit nameplates for it but I'm not sure yet about those. I would very much like to get some shots of it on Cronton Colliery Sheds though so expect some pictures of that in the near future probably. As February the 23rd draws ever closer I need to order some trsetle legs and curtain material for the layout. Hopefully I'll get that done by the end of January as if like to have a couple dry runs setting up and packing down the layout and timing it.

[Clover]

Luke the Hornby Peckett looks great weathered. I only use a brush when I weather along with weathering powders.

[luke the train spotter]

Luke the Hornby Peckett looks great weathered. I only use a brush when I weather along with weathering powders.

Thanks Clover. I find I choose different methods of weathering depending on the locos I'm working on. Like a large loco where dirt and muck accumulate quickly and it is cleaned infrequently I choose the airbrush but a smaller loco which would receive much more attention I use washes and then streak it off to replicate the effects of a dry rag on the loco. I find powders good and like to use them but try to use them very sparingly as they're very difficult to remove.

[luke the train spotter]

Well the layout is so close to completion! Last night I finished off the last bit of scenerion the layout and it's just getting glued down now. I've still got to sort out some static grass tufts which I'll try and make today if I get time. Here is a picture of the last bit of completed scenery. Currently I'm also making a stock box and I have some trestles on order. I'm very excited about the exhibition, considering I've been waiting since October it suddenly seems very real. I was looking through some camera pictures of the very start of the layout when there was no proper scenery and once the layout is done I'd like to revisit them and try and do some before and after photos. Thanks for looking

[luke the train spotter]

It's been a few days since the last distillery yard update and I've just been working in a few projects. Firstly I have made the static grass Tufts and applied them to the layout and they're looking quite good. For some reason my applicator doesn't make the grass stand up vertically but more at a 45° angle which is a bit odd and annoying. With that out of the way I've built a set of trestles to support the layout. They were self assembly heavy duty steel DIY ones from Amazon but I got the pair for just £25 and they feel very sturdy. Here's a picture of one Next I've been focusing on some rolling stock projects. I've added a load of lead strip to the inside of the Dapol grain wagon. It was a bit light but this should sort it. After finishing painting those 40 barrels I have begun to make a removable wagon load with some in. To save a bit of money I've chopped them in half then stuck them to some plasticard which has been raised up to add some depth. A bit more paint and a bit of a weathering should finish it off. I'm currently awaiting a parcel from rails of Sheffield which contains a new Hornby lner toad van (in br guise though) and a buffer stop. Now I know that the lner toads didn't really run in Speyside region according to my research but having just the one brake van has got a bit boring and it'll just be there to add variety not annoy the rivet counters. Until the track comes for my new colliery layout, full steam ahead with distillery yard!

[Sweet pea]

Hi Luke I can’t believe how much your layout has progressed. Your modelling and weathering skills transforms the layout. The Hornby Peckett you have purchased is a super little Loco and one I will be purchasing myself. A super little layout Luke.

[luke the train spotter]

Fueled by ginger beer and the fact that the exhibition is in just 31 days I have begun finishing off some of the smaller jobs for the layout. Firstly I have glued down the barrels for the layout. Believe it or not there are 50 in the scenic section (more in wagon loads) despite there not looking like there is many. The main job for tonight was to get the pagoda top done for the last distillery building. Once that is glued down I will have completed all the buildings. Here is a crude close up of the pagoda top: It's made of card and painted with acrylics and will be glued down onto the building once the paint has dried. Hopefully the Hornby lner toad will arrive tomorrow as I'm very excited to receive that. Also in that parcel should be a buffer stop kit which will be built and painted to suit then placed on the end of the distillery siding. I've still got to sort out a buffer stop for the end of the headshunt but that will probably be a scratch build out of some scrap rail. Thanks for looking.

[luke the train spotter]

More progress with today's update. Firstly, I have received the new Hornby LNER toad van. Now I'm a bit unsure how I feel about this particular wagon. The detailing and livery application is quite good and I was surprised to see how well detailed the under carriage is even though you will never see it when it's on the track. At a price tag of £20 though I wasn't impressed with the weight of the model. Thankfully the model is well built and designed by Hornby so it only took 2 screws to completely dismantle the model so I could get into the inside of the brake van and put some lead strip in. I found this much improved the weight. Next up it was weathered with some thinned enamel paints and weathering powder. I haven't over complicated the weathering and I opted for a brush weathering approach as I couldn't be bothered to get the airbrush out. I've also managed to get the pagoda in place on top of the last distillery building. It looks a bit odd but will do for now until I sort out some sort of replacement. Right I'm off to work now then I've got a load of homework stuff to get done for Monday. (am definitely on top of all my deadlines ) When I manage to free up some time I'll get round to finishing off painting those modelu figures I got ages ago.