HGS12063 Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 (edited) Hello! Welcome to the thread for my first “proper” layout, Bulverhythe Road. Having constantly started layouts, and never finishing them, lockdown kicked me up the backside to get on with one! Having spare turns now classed as working at home, I’ve been busy working away quietly on this project. Please feel free to contribute ideas, comments and banter - all are welcome. Bulverhythe Road is a fictional terminus station based in the South East of England on the third rail network. Once a bustling station, only one 2 car platform remains open to the network. The former goods platforms have been been revived into a preserved railway, who are actively restoring the site, including the currently redundant signal box. Currently the layout comprises of 2 boards 4ft by 18inches 3ft by 18inches an additional 5ft by 18inches is currently in order with Tim Horn Edited February 18, 2021 by HGS12063 Updated info Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 So.... Bulverhythe road started it’s life with me like this: I purchased the layout in June 2020 looking like this. Some track had been laid and ballasted. The two baseboards are Tim Horn masterpieces, although one is currently missing its facia - I have so far unsuccessfully tried to contact Tim to see if I can get this. Once I managed to get this indoors... the planning began! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 Fast forward a couple of months... the layout had been living in my bedroom on its side. Numerous plans had been drawn, but it was the number of stubbed toes that ended up getting me to set it up on it’s trestles at the end of my bed. As soon as I did, I opened up one of my boxes of supplies and started coming up with ideas for the station. I removed some of the already present buildings and added some addition track. All peco bullhead track... and the correct peco rail for the 750v dc third rail (aka the juice). 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 Next more buildings were added, and I started to get ahead of myself by focussing on the scenery, before completing the addition line - marked out using code 100 as a template. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 September 2020.... more additions to the station. After inspecting a walking route at work, I attempted to build one. Needless to say attempt number one was a tad chunky. However, I persevered! 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 Late September 2020... the chunky walking route continues. Payday came.... so signals started to appear! 2 Dapol SR region semaphores 2 CR signals 3 aspect colour lights 1 Absolute aspects 4 aspect with route indicator / feather 2 DCC concepts shunt dummy’s The adjoining NR Pway / S&T yard starts to take shape. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 October 2020 - bullhead Mainline added and ballasted. Scratch built OOU signal for scenic break added - yet to add signal ID, SPT, and bag with X over it. Also yet to add AWS magnets. Chunky walking route completed... and decision made to start it again! 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 Late October 2020 - Another payday, and more station details start to appear! Walking route MK2 under construction using a number of great items from Model Railway scenes. hillside got a covering of some green stuff too! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 November 2020 - detailing continues... and the network rail yard has ballast added and glued down. The small board has its hillside started, and begins to take shape. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 Late November 2020 - Signal box area improved with new scaffolding. Still more to add, just awaiting supplies. Also, an overhead view of the station board progress. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 December 2020 - Layout progress stalled for the first 3 weeks of December due covid nearly killing me off... unsuccessfully! Once out of hospital, I got a further 2 weeks off work, and managed to crack on with the following: All Third rail completed Weathering started more details for the station area Begun wiring lights More figures added Locos tested Scenery progressing on hillside 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 (edited) January 2021 - Progress on hillside and bridge towards the country end. Still work to complete on the bridge, but it’s coming together now nicely. Trees have been added on the hillside, further weathering, and detailing has appeared on the bridge. The hillside has stabilisation works in progress, along with the appropriate blue fencing. Edited February 8, 2021 by HGS12063 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 February 2021 - up to date and current now! Recent progress includes: A lot more detail added to the road bridge. The picture was taken just before I added the lower beam. Next item will be to wire up the street lamps and traffic light. Detailing outside the flats has been completed for now. Figures to be added soon. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 I’ve found whilst trying to wire my Cobalt IP digital point motors over the weekend that 3 of them don’t wish to work. After speaking to DCC concepts, I’ve stuck them in the post, and hopefully will get them repaired or replaced soon. Just before I removed them, I took this picture of the whole layout - it’ll hopefully give you a better picture of the floor plan. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 Wiring.... well today is day 3 of winter annual leave. And it’s taken me about 4 hours to wire 3 street lamps and one set of traffic lights on the road bridge. I feel slightly ashamed to admit that! However, I will openly admit that wiring is by no means my strong point - it’s something that I actively avoid where possible. I understand the theory... I just simply cannot solder! An update will follow later to show the bridge in place with the completed wiring, and was the mess I made with the soldering! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37Oban Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 1 hour ago, HGS12063 said: I understand the theory... I just simply cannot solder! An update will follow later to show the bridge in place with the completed wiring, and was the mess I made with the soldering! I have the opposite problem - soldering a doddle but electrickery... Yet I find quantum theory understandable and making a strange sort of sense! Says something about how my brain works! Roja 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 I know that problem... I can read music, play the bagpipes, speak Latin.... but could never understand a word of French! Just sat trying to re solder a wire my fat fingers snapped earlier... painful! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 As promised, here is a picture of the working lights on the bridge. Unfortunately, the glue on on street lamps hasn’t full dried and I got impatient to take a photo, hence the wonky angle of the street lights and one of the double yellow lines. I’ve not yet figured out a power supply for auxiliary lights and signals, so it’s currently wired to a square battery! Any suggestions for a cheapish permanent solution? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 Question - an recommendations to improve the paint on my backscene before I permanently glue the bridge into place? Thanks in advance Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 12, 2021 Author Share Posted February 12, 2021 This afternoon was spent wiring signals... The majority of the lights and all signals are DC powered / controlled. Today I managed to wire the two semaphore platform starters and one of the 3 aspect led signals. Wiring in the switches is proving to be a learning curve, but I’m slowly getting there. Hopefully more progress on Sunday! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 17, 2021 Author Share Posted February 17, 2021 The last few days has been a rather tough learning curve. As previously noted, all auxiliary power for lighting and signals if remaining DC. I successfully wired in all streetlights, and tested them with a square battery. I then proceed to connect them to the mains via a 12v supply. I unfortunately forgot to add the all important resistor! As expected, they all died within a fraction of a second, and I wrote off many hours of work, as well as a fair amount of equipment! I walked away for a few days, and today I received a delivery of new lights, resistors and a few other bits. Picture shown below of today’s progress. Next item to tackle will be replacing and requiring the lights on the other board. Also, I’m trying to design a third board, which I plan to order from Tim Horn in the near future. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 18, 2021 Author Share Posted February 18, 2021 Today was spent on more wiring... a mixed day! Pros - DCC concepts ground signal wired Absolute Aspects signal all wired - apart from feather / route indicator Control panel built and nearly completed Cons - feather / route indicator works but is intermittent. I dropped the soldering iron on my foot... whilst on! Progress on the small board is shown below. Once the route indicator is sorted, I’ll move on to the station board and begin the wiring saga on that! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPNaylor0301 Posted February 19, 2021 Share Posted February 19, 2021 Really enjoyed catching up on this - great work! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 23, 2021 Author Share Posted February 23, 2021 Another day, another update! Well today was spent on a number of tasks. Union conference, rail recovery conference and once finished with both, I sat down and got on with the layout. Today’s tasks included wiring in the remaining lights - although I will likely add some more into buildings. I’ve purchased some cheaper lamps for the pres line side, and I will add some colour to the lamps to tone them down. I’ve rejoined the boards together, and used my Hornby 466 as a guide to show the lighting at work. The 466 has been modified with added interior lights and BIL lights. Pictures to follow! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGS12063 Posted February 23, 2021 Author Share Posted February 23, 2021 Showing the current 2 boards of the layout set up this evening. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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