Ampton - Post-privitisation OO in the south.

[Red Fox]

Not much done to the layout itself but there have been some new arrivals.

 

First up now operating the Ampton-Reading via Basingstoke service is 3 coach 150001.

 

 

Centre coach is a Bratchell kit with through wiring to resprayed Bachmann 150/1.

 

 

Fluorescent lighting has been quite cruel to the pink on the doors, shall have to get some pics in natural light!

 

Departing on a stopping service to the capital it's 450022. Some joker has been fiddling with the destination display though as it says its going to Euston.....

 

Few bits need sorting on the Desiro, like the lack of black on the gangway doors and the blue spots above the first class windows.

 

 

Now this has arrived I fully expect Bachmann or Modelzone to announce a 450 (you can thank me when they arrive )

 

Can't claim to have resprayed these myself, not in my skill set I'm affraid, but they certainly look the part and add something unique to the layout amongst the the more run of the mill standard issue units that populate Ampton.

 

Layout plans???? Possible replacement of some of the Peco points and a slight remodelling of the station area but we shall see. Far too hot to do anything at the moment.

 

UPDATE 1740 - More pics, outside this time.

 

Edited August 17, 2012 by Red Fox

[rob D2]

Units look good and personalise your layout with the attention to detail. I saw a FGW 150 the other day on the kemble -swindon line.

[pitbull1845]

Hi Red Fox,

Loving the look of the new additions to the fleet. I hope Bachmann do produce the 450 in the future, would be a shame not to.

Hopefully they will let you have 6 months of originallity before their announcement!

[Red Fox]

Desiro all sorted now and has the black section on the gangway doors and the first class spots

 

 

Continuing to ponder what to do with the layout as there are various bits and pieces I am not happy with.

[njee20]

That 450 is superb, well done!

[Swifty11]

Having read all the posts and updates this looks ti be a very promising layout! now a follower

[ess1uk]

What happened to this layout?

[Red Fox]

What happened to this layout?

 

Ampton mk2 is essentially no more, there were a number of problems with the layout including the weight of the baseboards and lack of planning on my part. I was distracted by other layout ideas and Ampton mk2 was largely dismantled in 2013.

 

But Ampton will return! I've continued to plan, gather information and purchase stock and track for Ampton mk3. The mk3 version will feature Tillig Elite pointwork on the scenic sections, DCC Concepts Cobalt point motors and lighter laser cut baseboards. It will be around 15 feet long.

 

The big question design wise at the moment is should the layout have the modern buildings of the mk2 version or should it more closely follow the buildings of the real Southampton Central??? I'm leaning more towards basing the buildings on real life and have managed to get hold of a number of diagrams for Overline House and the down side buildings. I'm also looking at a way to replicate the Southampton Tunnel portal which has a bit of an odd shape, any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Lowlander]

Hi

 

Ampton 2 looked excellent. Did Ampton 3 ever materialise?

 

Regards

 

Stephen

[Red Fox]

Hi

 

Ampton 2 looked excellent. Did Ampton 3 ever materialise?

 

Regards

 

Stephen

 

Ampton 3 currently exists as a very long piece of paper where I am trying to fit in everything I want within the planned length.  Trying not to make the same mistakes as Ampton 2.

[Peter Crawford]

Not much done to the layout itself but there have been some new arrivals.

 

First up now operating the Ampton-Reading via Basingstoke service is 3 coach 150001.

 

150001a.jpg

 

Centre coach is a Bratchell kit with through wiring to resprayed Bachmann 150/1.

 

150001b.jpg

 

Fluorescent lighting has been quite cruel to the pink on the doors, shall have to get some pics in natural light!

 

Departing on a stopping service to the capital it's 450022. Some joker has been fiddling with the destination display though as it says its going to Euston.....

 

Few bits need sorting on the Desiro, like the lack of black on the gangway doors and the blue spots above the first class windows.

 

450022.jpg

 

Now this has arrived I fully expect Bachmann or Modelzone to announce a 450 (you can thank me when they arrive )

 

Can't claim to have resprayed these myself, not in my skill set I'm affraid, but they certainly look the part and add something unique to the layout amongst the the more run of the mill standard issue units that populate Ampton.

 

Layout plans???? Possible replacement of some of the Peco points and a slight remodelling of the station area but we shall see. Far too hot to do anything at the moment.

 

UPDATE 1740 - More pics, outside this time.

 

150001c.jpg

150001d.jpg

450022b.jpg

450022c.jpg

Of course Barwell has made one!

[Red Fox]

On 30/05/2018 at 20:37, Peter Crawford said:

Of course Barwell has made one!

 

You're welcome! 

 

Ampton (v3) still remains a plan on a very long piece of paper and lots of points in boxes as I try to fit in what I want within baseboard limitations. 

 

I'm pretty sure I'll be sticking to the current Southampton Central style buildings this time round and various bits and pieces have been bought or made to hopefully bring this version more to life, I've got the basic shape of the tunnel mouth correct along with new signal gantry, the footpath footbridge is awaiting assembly as is the Toys 'R' Us building.

 

I haven't stopped preparing stock for this layout and I have recently completed some FGW units, the Heart of Wessex 150/9 which has recently been disbanded in real life and a Local Lines 153 which will become 153399. A 3 coach 158 will follow at some point which should complete the FGW fleet.

 

 

 

 

On the SWT side of things a 158 have been stripped down for respraying, all the bits for a 442 are ready to go and a pair of 456's are just being finished for added interest as a SWT test train or Southern service in place of an Electrostar (which also maybe forthcoming!).

 

 

 

This is the dummy power car of the pair of 456's, the powered version and its trailer will have working head and tail lights.

 

The layout glimpsed in that picture is a smaller roundy-roundy layout slowly under construction which may get it's own thread but there is not much to show at the moment.  It's an exercise in improving my modelling skills so features handbuilt track, heavily modified kits and scratch-built buildings plus some 3D printed items from various people.  It is set on the same fictional mainline as Ampton, the South Wessex Mainline, a line that looks suspiciously like the South Western Main Line....  Progress with various projects can be followed on https://twitter.com/SWMainLine  but I'll still keep RMWeb updated.

 

So lots to keep me busy and out of trouble!

Edited December 31, 2022 by Red Fox
re-upload pictures

[Peter Crawford]

...I love the look of it, but if I can get the 350 for 100 and the 450 for 250, I'll take the 350 and buy vinyls.

[Peter Crawford]

It looks exciting and I hope to see some progress...

[Red Fox]

Latest unit for the layout is more or less complete.  158959 is a hybrid 3 coach unit as commonly found on Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour services.  The model has been resprayed and had the excellent Precision Labels FGW Local Lines transfers applied.  Coach C has a mini-plough but A and B do not so the unit is modelled in pre-2015 condition. All 3 cab fronts have had door covers added.

 

 

The unit will eventually be weathered and the Bachmann lighting replaced with something more prototypical.

 

Next unit in to the spray booth should be a SWT 158.

Edited December 31, 2022 by Red Fox
re-uploaded photo

[Red Fox]

Limited progress has been made layout wise as I continue to tinker with positioning of points on the large piece of paper that currently represents Ampton v.3.   The tunnel mouth is now structurally complete with a short stretch of the interior constructed and is just awaiting cladding with embossed brick sheets.

 

Stock wise more progress has been made with a few new units joining the fleet.

 

During the summer SWT 158888 emerged from my spray booth. It was originally a bargain basement WYPTE 158 with bits missing. Now fully operational and with new more prototypical LED light clusters. The lights closest to the gangway being red/white bi-colour LED's and the outer ones bright white LED's. The FGW 158 will also get these lights in due course.

 

 

Last month a chance find on eBay of Northern 150 made this next project possible.  Bachmann Northern 150's are quite rare but I fancied a go at the gWr branded 150207 for a bit of variety.  The Northern branding was removed with T-Cut and Precision Labels gWr branding, Northern bike and wheelchair logos and numbers applied.

 

 

Finally another gWr addition to the fleet that must rank as my top eBay find of the year joins my own resprayed 3 coach FGW 158 on Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour via Ampton services.  This will also gain new LED lights and probably modified object deflectors.

 

 

I have one more DMU project in mind for the short term before moving on to the EMU fleet with some heavily modified and cut and shunt RTR to represent the recent past as well as the end of the slam door era.  Plenty to keep me busy!

 

Edited December 31, 2022 by Red Fox
re-uploaded pictures

[JDW]

I've only just come across your thread for some reason, it's great to see some different modern DMUs and EMUs being tackled.  The Bratchell centre car on the 150 blends really well with the Bachmann unit, and the 3-car 158 and 150/9 are nicely different too.

[Departmental203]

Just bumped into this forum (have been discovering some new ones recently...)

 

I like your multiple units and an ambitious project of Southampton Central (watch this space!!)

 

Keep at it!

 

Jules

[Red Fox]

I've only just come across your thread for some reason, it's great to see some different modern DMUs and EMUs being tackled.  The Bratchell centre car on the 150 blends really well with the Bachmann unit, and the 3-car 158 and 150/9 are nicely different too.

 

Thank you.  The Bachmann/Bratchell 150001 has recently departed for pastures new and is being replaced by a fully Bachmann cut and shunt so the cab doors are correct and the centre car is a proper match, I've just got to build up the courage to take the saw to my spare 150 bodies.

 

Just bumped into this forum (have been discovering some new ones recently...)

 

I like your multiple units and an ambitious project of Southampton Central (watch this space!!)

 

Keep at it!

 

Jules

 

Thank you.  I think maybe layout v1 and v2 were a tad over ambitious but hopefully v3 will get the right the balance between being achievable, looking right and reliable operation.  I'd like to think my skill set has developed considerably since v2 began life so hopefully I'll be on to a winner this time and there'll be no need for version 4!

[SouthernMafia]

Good to hear progress on the layout being made. I thought about a similar idea (having lived in Southampton) but am waiting for you to build yours!

[Red Fox]

Been a while since the last update and there has been some slow progress on the layout since last time.

 

Scenery wise the tunnel mouth is done. It may not be a perfect match colour wise but it's firmly in the good enough category!

 

Signals facing away from the tunnel work and are CR Signals heads, ones facing the tunnel are Knightwing dummy heads. Signage for the gantry will be added.

 

 

 

 

Eight out of ten baseboards are more or less done.  Scenic length is around 15 feet as is the fiddle yard area, each area is made up of three roughly 4x2 boards and one 3x2 board.  The boards will receive extra cross members for strength and to prevent warping once the electronic layout is finalised.   All that is left to do is a pair of 6 foot long boards that join the scenic area to the fiddle yard to complete the roundy roundy.  One will have some city scenes above track level to make use of the space.  I'll get on with them when I can get some screws, don't think a trip to B&Q for them is an essential journey!  The boards are seen below with some random members of the fleet for scale...

 

 

 

Stock wise since last update I've added a pair of 165's to the fleet for the Ampton Central - Reading service, one for each of my modelling era's.  A Thames Trains one and a FGW Neon, they have had their roof vents modified, extra window added on one coach and more hopper windows.

 

 

165125.  Since that picture was taken I have corrected the window frame colour so it is consistent along the unit, I used the wrong shade of grey initially. 165125 is the first piece of rolling stock that has Ampton Central displayed on it's destination board at one end, the other shows Reading.

 

 

165132, I'm considering spraying a lighter blue along the top of the coach side to improve the Bachmann paint job.

 

My new and improved 150001 has finally made it to the spray booth and as of today has had its yellow ends sprayed on.  It is a cut and shunt of Bachmann 150/1 and 150/2 parts. It will be painted in FGW livery.

 

 

 

 

And last but not least for today the 442 has also been making progress, here is a shot of the TSW in its first coat of primer to pick out any issues, of which there were a few. The 442 will be painted in SWT Swoosh v1.

 

Edited December 31, 2022 by Red Fox
re-uploaded pictures

[Red Fox]

Two more rolling stock projects for Ampton are now complete.

 

150001 in First Great Western livery. A minor disaster occurred when I was putting the cab moulding back in and one of the joins cracked but this was rectified and the unit is now ready for service.

 

SWT 4-VEP 3417 Gordon Pettitt.  This originally started life as an NSE example and has had quite a bit of work carried out on it to look more like a VEP than an out the box Hornby model. This included reworking the cab face, removing the solid First Class corridor bulkhead and replacing it with one with windows, turning the non-powered bogies the right way round and replacing the malnourished vents and horns.  It joins SWT branded NSE 3415 which has also been modified and a Connex example will follow in due course.  I'm considering drilling out the axles boxes and putting bearings in and replacing the wheels on my three VEP's to improve running, that is why the axle caps aren't yellow yet.

 

 

Other projects in the pipeline are Gatwick Express 488/2, 488/3 and GLV even though they are out of area for my layout setting, a SWT 442 and 4-BEP to finish plus the layout itself.

[Swifty11]

Great work! I've just had a look through the twitter feed too, really good read. 

 

(I really should get back to my uni essay!)

[Red Fox]

Rolling stock update.

 

Latest completed projects are for the early 00's fleet. I've now finished what will probably be my last Hornby VEP project (unless I find another cheap one!) and this one is South Central 3822.  As with my previous Hornby VEP's I've rebuilt the front end, replaced the ventilators and horns and removed the solid First Class corridor bulkhead. As this is a 423/8 it only has First Class at one end, the other is open throughout as I've removed the corridor and the compartment bulkheads. Window bars have been fitted on all the passenger doors as per the prototype. I've also replaced the wheels on the trailer bogies with better free rolling ones with bearings to improve running.

 

 

 

 

The South Central transfers are by Britannia Pacific Models applied with a lot of Microsol to sit over the hinges and door frames.

 

I chose 3822 as I found pictures of it at Southampton, a 4-VIP was a slightly easier project than a standard VEP and I wanted one with South Central branding which is how I remember seeing them.

 

 

While I had the airbrush set up and the appropriate colours I also made a Thumper centre coach from Replica Railway parts.  I haven't sorted the couplings and the through wiring on this yet.

 

 

 

Current big project is the VEP's replacement. An Electrostar 377/4.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a cut and shunt Bachmann Turbostar with 3d printed cabs by CMAC Models which are available on Shapeways

 

https://www.shapeways.com/product/MDAK258QN/late-model-electrostar-cabs-x2-00-gauge?optionId=206768682&li=shops

 

I've finished the body shells on all 4 coaches and I'm just correcting the final faults and making the cab air con pods before progressing to the painting stage.  Since these pictures were taken I've removed the hump in the middle of the air con pods as Electrostars don't have these.

 

 

1 chassis out of 4 is ready, the other 3 are stripped down ready for chopping up.

 

I was making pretty good progress on rolling stock and the layout but this may shortly come to a grinding halt as while typing this I was offered a job so my focus will be on that for a bit.

 

 

Edited April 17, 2022 by Red Fox
re-upload of pictures

[ess1uk]

Some great rolling stock you have there