Market Lavington (previously Neely)

[GWRPhil]

3 hours ago, scoobyra said:

About 20, but all different!

Good luck. What 3d printer do you use?

[Revolution Mike B]

It seems like years since I’ve been anywhere near RMWeb, and while there’s not much to report on Oak Road, Neelbury, or West Neelbury (I still can’t decide) has had a fair amount of work done to it. First of all, I moved it up in to the loft so that I could play trains for a while (and use it as a test track for work) which gave me some much needed chill out time…but then the work started. The station has been completely removed with the building ready to be packed up and posted back to Terry. I’ve taken the level crossing out, removed the road and the bridge, along with the Standen Engineering buildings and this area will be reprofiled  with a new road, new bridge and the engineering building becoming a dairy. I’ve spent a lot of time colouring the ballast to make it look ‘Wiltshire’ main line style too which has given the whole layout a more colourful look. The biggest change though has been the removal of all of the MERG electronics and wiring which has been replaced by a more conventional DCC system that  works on Loconet (DR5000 and DCC Concepts decoder boards) and controllable via iTrain. I’ll get around to posting some pictures at some point but it’s certainly going to look a little different for GETS in October and Taunton two weeks after! 

[Revolution Mike B]

Having had a bit more of a look around Google Earth, I’ve decided that a good location would be on the Berks and Hants between Westbury and Pewsey, meaning the West is likely to be dropped in favour of just Neelbury. It would be assumed that the line to Melksham would diverge off here instead of the Bath line and then continue on to Chippenham as normal enabling me to run a whole manner of diversions. 

[5BarVT]

40 minutes ago, Revolution Mike B said:

Having had a bit more of a look around Google Earth, I’ve decided that a good location would be on the Berks and Hants between Westbury and Pewsey, meaning the West is likely to be dropped in favour of just Neelbury. It would be assumed that the line to Melksham would diverge off here instead of the Bath line and then continue on to Chippenham as normal enabling me to run a whole manner of diversions. 

Why not just go with Putney and Chiron and assume a retained (and improved?) line through Devizes and keeping the triangle at Bradford Jn?

Or does that not work because it’s a mirror image track layout?

Paul.

 

[Revolution Mike B]

12 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

Why not just go with Putney and Chiron and assume a retained (and improved?) line through Devizes and keeping the triangle at Bradford Jn?

Or does that not work because it’s a mirror image track layout?

Paul.

 

It doesn’t really work unfortunately for the trains down to Taunton via Cary. I do have a cunning plan though. 

[Revolution Mike B]

Right, after a bit of input from one of my work colleagues, I think I’ve found the ideal location, a town called Market Lavington - it’s more of less half way between Westbury and Pewsey, as well as being large enough to have a fairly substantial station with a few other villages nearby. This also means I can take elements of the Westbury buildings and butcher them to suit. 
 

I seem to have upset the original builder of the layout so from now on, the layout will be known as Market Lavington.

Edited May 15, 2022 by Revolution Mike B

[Revolution Mike B]

In no particular order, I’ll post up some images of what’s been happening to the layout since I acquired it. 
 

The ballast was very grey and didn’t suit its new GWR location, so after a few attempts, I finally got it looking a little more typical…

 

 

 

There’s still half the layout to go yet! 
 

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by Revolution Mike B

[Revolution Mike B]

When I bought the layout, half of the fiddle yard points wouldn’t work along with three of the tortoise motors on the scenic side. It’s no secret that I’m not MERG’s greatest fan so I decided to remove it all and start again with something I could use with Loconet. I didn’t need anything complicated and I know iTrain well as I use it on Oak Road, so with the help of James at DCC TrainAutomation, a DIgikjeis DR5000 arrived with some Cobalt AD-SX/FX units to control the points and removal of the MERG hardware commenced.

 

 

 

Once it was all removed, I started wiring in the new hardware and checked that it all worked. I also relaid the fiddle yard to give 4 long roads (two each line) but left the rest as it was for now. My plan is to completely rebuild the whole thing but for now I just want it running.

 

 

Edited May 17, 2022 by Revolution Mike B

[Melangoose]

5 hours ago, Revolution Mike B said:

In no particular order, I’ll post up some images of what’s been happening to the layout since I acquired it. 
 

The ballast was very grey and didn’t suit its new GWR location, so after a few attempts, I finally got it looking a little more typical…

 

 

 

There’s still half the layout to go yet! 
 

 

Some very realistic colouring on the tracks and ballast.  Keep up the good work.  Like the new name of the layout.

[Revolution Mike B]

10 minutes ago, Melangoose said:

Some very realistic colouring on the tracks and ballast.  Keep up the good work.  Like the new name of the layout.

 

Cheers Nigel

[Revolution Mike B]

This evening saw the layout put back up and apart from one point being programmed wrong, and the track being caked in paint, all went well. It’s nice to have everything working and being able to access every route. I’ve not bothered automating it yet as l need to do some other bits and pieces first but it’s on the ‘to do’ list. 

It just squeezes in between the purling supports. 
 

 

I’ll be leaving it alone for a while now as we’re quite busy with getting some new projects sorted at work and checking livery diagrams / samples and CAD drawings for some existing ones and I need a clear head! 
 

It’s nice to have the trainset back ….

 

 

Edited May 18, 2022 by Revolution Mike B

[Steadfast]

On 18/05/2022 at 22:28, Revolution Mike B said:

It’s nice to have the trainset back ….

 

Nice location to choose Mike, just over that there hill in the background. A patch I know well, one of my regulars when I was in Chippenham. 

 

Though for full accuracy, I hope you've got one end of the layout jacked up to represent the climb to Savernake and really make those 59s work

 

Jo

[Revolution Mike B]

4 hours ago, Steadfast said:

 

Nice location to choose Mike, just over that there hill in the background. A patch I know well, one of my regulars when I was in Chippenham. 

 

Though for full accuracy, I hope you've got one end of the layout jacked up to represent the climb to Savernake and really make those 59s work

 

Jo

It runs up hill towards the Westbury end on the layout Jo which is the wrong way unfortunately! 

[Revolution Mike B]

Made a start on the main station building today by bashing a couple of Peco kits around to make something resembling a combination of the original Lavington building, and the one one at Westbury. It’s not my finest piece of modelling as I really struggle with this ludicrous scale! 
 

 

I’m waiting for another kit to arrive so that I can finish off the middle section and then I can start on the canopies.

 

I’ve got a few ideas for the island platform similar to the structures at Westbury although my first attempt looks like something the dog has gotten hold of……which is even more special as we don’t even have a dog!! 

Edited May 22, 2022 by Revolution Mike B

[Revolution Mike B]

I’ve started doing some of the scenic work including the new main platform and the ‘Westbury’ end of the layout.

 

I’ve made the platform out of 6mm ply and by the time it’s had two layers of 40thou plasticard added to it, it’ll be roughly the right scale height for most of the western region stations before they started raising the height for disabled access….

 

 

…this will be shaped to form a gradient down to the road that’ll be reinstated along with the bridge. 
 

I cut part of the top off of the fiddle yard joining board and lowered it so that I can reprofile the landscape…

 

 

There will be an infill section to fit in to the right angle and give more depth to the scenery. Where the narrow gap is adjacent to the plain top, a road will sit on a man made embankment with a bridge over the tracks hiding the entrance to the fiddle yard. A similar thing will happen at the other end of the layout once I’ve completed this. It gives a more open feel to the scenery. I’ve also contemplated filling in the middle with lightweight scenic boards too as it’s a bit too small for comfortable operation - whether it’ll happen is a different story! Anyway, more pictures to follow as the work progresses. 

 

Edited June 4, 2022 by Revolution Mike B

[DavidMcKenzie]

Apologies again for my post earlier today Mike. Brilliant layout, lots of nice details without distracting too much attention away from the trains. I also like the clever cover to skip on the wires👍.

 

All the best,

Dave

[Revolution Mike B]

It seems like absolutely ages since I’ve posted anything on either of my layout threads. Work has taken priority (which certainly isn’t a bad thing) and it’s been very cold in the loft too. As far as layout progress goes, I’ve not really done anything except 3D print some station buildings to see if I can get something workable before I resort to card and plasticard. Although they came out ok, they’ve warped a little so it’s back to the drawing board. 
 

I have however been working on some wagons and a class 37 which can be seen below: 

 

 

The little MFAs were quite fiddly, especially the buffer shanks! 

 

The HOA with the graffiti on started life as a different livery to the MRL ones and as such has different body sides. After some bodgery I’ve managed to get it looking similar to the MRL version. There’s still a way to go (and another 9 to convert)) but I’m pleased with how it’s progressing. 

 

 

37025 is going to propel my test train (work in progress) and this one arrived courtesy of Rainbow Railways. I’ve got some etched ploughs to add at some point but for now it can just trundle round the layout as a light engine.

 

I also took the plunge and bought some of the Rails of Sheffield limited edition JJA auto ballasters, and although these come pre weathered, I’ve reworked them to represent the time period of 2016 - 2019 which is more in keeping with the rest of my stock. 
 

I’ve got a few more things on order from work, namely some 59s and our Caroline Inspection saloon (also to pair up with 37025). 
 

Hopefully when the weather warms up I can go and run some trains again……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 16, 2023 by Revolution Mike B

[AdeMoore]

Nice bit o stock Mike, all looking rather good.

Yes warmer weather and lighter evenings would be rather nice!

cheers

Ade

[Revolution Mike B]

I finally managed to weather the rest of the JIAs over the weekend and also the 57/6 which has been almost pristine since I bought it 4 years ago. 
 

These are not perfect but they seem to change appearance on a daily basis so they can stay as they are. 

 

I need to add the ploughs but I can’t seem to find the box! 

 

 

I’ve also had confirmation that at the second attempt, the layout will be attending Taunton RailEx in October so I’d best get my finger out and rebuild everything I’ve taken apart! 
 

 

 

 

[Revolution Mike B]

Time flies when you’re having fun….and it’s certainly flying by with work. So much so that I’ve done nothing with the layout except use it as a test track for our models, and run trains in circles when I can brave the cold up in the loft. I’ve decided that I’m going to tidy the layout up and after the Taunton show, move it on to someone else - not because I don’t like it, but I want to build something a little different (along the lines of Oak Road). Talking of Taunton, I’ve been weathering some stock so that I don’t end up leaving it until the last minute so here’s a few pictures of some sheds, JIA China Clays and some of Dapol’s super JHA wagons. 
 

 

 

 

As a shameless plug, the Revolution Trains Class 59 has been a mini marvel and I’m (we’re) really looking forward to getting them in to production. The Aggregate Industries one that I’ve tested to destruction is on par with a CJM version in terms of tractive effort with the bonus of having lights and full DCC capability.
 

It’ll be a while before I post anything else because we’ve got an exciting new project on the go and it’s all hands to the pump……..stay safe…and keep on modelling :-) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Revolution Mike B]

With the Taunton show being a little over six months away, a very nice man at B&Q has made me a new flat pack fiddle yard which I’ll aim to assemble over the Easter weekend.
 

 

The original fiddle yard boards are only a foot wide, so I’m upsizing them to 18” wide to allow for more storage roads - as you can imagine, HSTs, IETS and Block Trains soon eat up the tracks. I’ve also given myself the option to increase the depth of the layout by either 9” or 18” which will mean I can ease the curves and reduce the drag on the long stone trains. Experience tells me that the show will come around sooner than that so I’m going to spend the rest of the month making sure the fiddle yard works as it should and then I can get back to the scenery. 

Edited April 22, 2023 by Revolution Mike B

[Steadfast]

47 minutes ago, Revolution Mike B said:

With the Taunton show being a little over six months away

That's at least 5 months to pontificate before taking any action in my experience, far too keen Mr Buick! 

 

Jo

[Revolution Mike B]

I’ve had a change of heart with the layout and decided that rather than build a new one (which was going to be good for exhibitions but not so good for home use), I’m going to ‘redevelop’ it. The main difference is the addition of a 90° extension, seen below  

 

 

I’m going to realign the track at the station end so that it’s nearer the front of the layout but angling back towards the original alignment at the junction. 

 

 

This allows me to realign the bay platform and add an additional siding. 
 

At the other end, what is currently the single track branch will be removed and the existing double track Mainline will become the line to Chippenham. 
 

There’s one other surprise……the whole scenic section will be relaid using Finetrax Code 40, complete with super elevation and co-planed crossovers where needed. 
 

I’m not sure if I’ll have the time or the money to have it done for Taunton but the boards are almost built. The biggest stumbling block is the electronics, which account for almost 40% of the cost of the rebuild!!! 
 

Anyway, that’s enough for now. I’ll post an update towards the end of the month. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by Revolution Mike B

[Revolution Ben]

 

Hi Mike

 

I hadn't realised you had a thread for your layout.  Nice!

 

Building, laying, rewiring and re-scenicking the track sounds like a lot of work.  Will you get it done in time for Taunton?

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[Revolution Mike B]

14 hours ago, Revolution Ben said:

 

Hi Mike

 

I hadn't realised you had a thread for your layout.  Nice!

 

Building, laying, rewiring and re-scenicking the track sounds like a lot of work.  Will you get it done in time for Taunton?

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

It’s very doubtful that I’ll even start it before Taunton Ben useless I can be confident that I can get the electronics sorted in time. The plan is to build the extension but keep the original layout intact until after the show, then remove the existing track and relay it. It also depends on how busy we get…which at the moment seems to be gathering pace!