gismorail Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Very impressive house, or should it be described as ' a railway room with accomodation' well even the most avid modeller has to sleep Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Dave, Just played catch up with your thread. Thanks for taking the time to keep us all updated! Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CUTLER2579 Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Waddled! I only ate what I was given, it would have been rude not to. Anyway, you had exactly the same.Seriously, the whole thing is just wonderful, railway room and house attached thereto. I thought you were crazy to take this on, but now I've seen it in its finished state I'm only too pleased to apologise. As you said, you had the vision of it in your mind right from the start, but I couldn't see it. If the vision you have in your mind of the new layout comes to fruition anything like as well as this it is going to be very special indeed. I'm really pleased you have decided to go for some proper track, and who knows, having got accustomed to putting your hands a couple of inches in your pockets you might like it so much that you extend them a bit further. You know it would make sense. What Gilbert !!! Change the habits of a lifetime. Dave, I bet in the final years of your career your honesty and John Bluntness were a bit of a shock for some of your new colleagues.Not very "Yellowbelly" like. You and your partner are a very talented couple who can only be admired. Well done in constructing a fabulous house,which will no doubt make a fantastic home. Is the Cement Mixer eventually going up for Sale? Regards,Derek. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetleys Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 What Gilbert !!! Change the habits of a lifetime. Dave, I bet in the final years of your career your honesty and John Bluntness were a bit of a shock for some of your new colleagues.Not very "Yellowbelly" like. You and your partner are a very talented couple who can only be admired. Well done in constructing a fabulous house,which will no doubt make a fantastic home. Is the Cement Mixer eventually going up for Sale? Regards,Derek. What Gilbert !!! Change the habits of a lifetime. Dave, I bet in the final years of your career your honesty and John Bluntness were a bit of a shock for some of your new colleagues.Not very "Yellowbelly" like. You and your partner are a very talented couple who can only be admired. Well done in constructing a fabulous house,which will no doubt make a fantastic home. Is the Cement Mixer eventually going up for Sale? Regards,Derek. Cutler 2579, Thanks for your kind comments but I don't have a partner just a good old fashioned (female) wife. One of the reasons I only made inspector was my honesty, I tried but just couldn't see, let alone admire the Kings new clothes, I'm even worse now, Political correctness or downright lying to elevate politicians spin and lies were never my forte, a great career and it's given me all I now have including a half decent wife (she did come with her cement mixer as a dowery) but I'm afraid it went to the dogs when New Labour took control, glad I'm out of it. As for the cement mixer A.K.A. 'Dizzy', it will be staying, I'm now busy on the 25m x 2m brick and stone boundary wall and my middle son has invited me to his house for a summer break "oh, while your here dad we've just got a small wall to build". The good news is that until my delivery of sand, cement and more bricks arrives I have been busy with glue and nail gun, the first half dozen elements of the new baseboards have been made and I have most of the timber on site to build the rest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CUTLER2579 Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Apology to Julie (Mrs S), I should have realised that you were married as I read about the Dowery a goodly number of years ago. The joys of being a Father, Banker,Builder,Mechanic and Alibi the list is endless. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetleys Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 Life doesn't get much better than this. Sunshine on my back, building materials not arriving for a couple of days so time to start making baseboards. I have decided to 'splash the cash' and use birch ply it costs an arm and a leg but I don't trust far eastern ply since I had my problems with woodworm and it is not good if you get a splinter. So, 5mm ply cut into 50mm strips and 75mm strips by my builders merchant so much easier and more precise than trying to struggle with my table saw, they didn't charge me but I have spent a few bob there recently. Generally I'm using 75mm deep side rails for the layout but where I have the main storage tracks above storage tracks for the secondary circuit I want to maximise hand room for re-railing and cleaning the lower track so that is where I am using 50mm side rails. To maximise rigidity in the 50mm rails I am sandwiching 50 x 24 (old 2 x 1) planed timber between two skins of ply along the entire length. I am using ordinary PVA as the main bonding agent but also pinning with my air brad nailer. Forget those mincey little Evo Stick bottles so loved by the modelling press, costs a fortune and goes nowhere. Buy a gallon for about £5 - £10 and refill a litre bottle. Also forget nails and certainly screws at this stage even with a battery powered driver, the strength is in the glue and the brads mainly secure the joint until the glue sets. My compresser which I also use for air-brushing, general building, inflating car and motor bike tyres and a host of other handy jobs. It costs the same as a Hornby A3 or one of those fancy diesels. I cannot understand why so many people buy shed loads of locos and try and build baseboards and layouts with a hammer, panel saw and screwdriver! The ply is actually slightly wider than the timber core but as long as one edge is flat for securing the baseboard ply face it doesn't matter. Moving swiftly on to the 75mm side rails, I am using 75 x 25mm (old 3 x 1) planed soft wood for the reinforcing timber but only 5 bits 200mm long for a 2.4 m length, again glued and brad nailed. The finished article but I outsmarted myself, (not difficult I know) I initially worked on a couple of trestles with a supporting board spanning between but discovered that I was actually introducing a bit of a 'kink' so reverted to 'Plan B' that is working on the garage floor complete with knee pads and so ensured the beams were made true. I'm sure I can force the kinked beams into a more straight alignment when the time comes. All the components are now in the railway room awaiting some suitable timber for supporting legs and a time window to start assembling them. I'd like to think I can resist track laying until ALL the baseboards are in situ. Watch this space. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Welcome to the world of carpentry once again, Dave... B) I'm not sure how big your table saw is, but I tend to make my beams oversize and then cut them exactly square and to the exact length on my bench saw. I allow an additional 10mm in length and width which is plenty to cover any minor misalignment of the sides or end plates. I've also started playing around with reversing the grain on each side plate to see if I can eliminate any tendency to warp either way. Still early days yet so can't say with any conviction whether or not it is an improvement. Great to see your latest baby in its infancy. I'm sure it going to be just great. Any chance you could slow down a bit? It seems to take you a few hours to do something that would take us mere mortals days....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Tetleys, you're not far from the most exciting and interesting part of making a large model railway, the time when baseboards are finished and you can plan your layout in 3D, placeing track, points and buildings etc on the boards, moving them around (quite a few times in my case), umm'ing and aye'ing, scratching your head, getting everything "just right" and as you like it before you lay your first bit of track. Looking forward to your future posts. Brit15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetleys Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 Welcome to the world of carpentry once again, Dave... B) I'm not sure how big your table saw is, but I tend to make my beams oversize and then cut them exactly square and to the exact length on my bench saw. I allow an additional 10mm in length and width which is plenty to cover any minor misalignment of the sides or end plates. I've also started playing around with reversing the grain on each side plate to see if I can eliminate any tendency to warp either way. Still early days yet so can't say with any conviction whether or not it is an improvement. Great to see your latest baby in its infancy. I'm sure it going to be just great. Any chance you could slow down a bit? It seems to take you a few hours to do something that would take us mere mortals days....... Gordon, Your table saw is a Rolls Royce whilst mine is more Ford Cortina, my boards won't be as well engineered as your own which is why Im only taking hours, unfortunately I'm currently jugling more balls in the air than is ideal for building a model railway but I'll get there eventually. I'm also threatening to get back on my motor bike and hopefully spend a day visiting Wokingham. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxie22 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Hey, Dave Your Tetley's Mills 2 layout got me into model railway.. An absolute work of art, I have bought all the magazines that have featured it and thankfully was fortunate enough to get the BRM issue which had the DVD. I hope one day I can have a layout even half as spectacular as Teleys. Thanks for inspiring me to get into this amazing hobby. Jules Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetleys Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 Hey, Dave Your Tetley's Mills 2 layout got me into model railway.. An absolute work of art, I have bought all the magazines that have featured it and thankfully was fortunate enough to get the BRM issue which had the DVD. I hope one day I can have a layout even half as spectacular as Teleys. Thanks for inspiring me to get into this amazing hobby. Jules Jules, I can think of no better inspiration to 'get up and go' than your comments which I find very humbling. The Rev. Peter Denny and his Buckingham Branch line is probably responsible for more current layouts (mine included) than you can shake a stick at, my generation have much to thank him for. I would never dare to draw comparison but if in my own small way I have and hopefully continue to give others inspiration to get into this creative hobby of ours I consider all my previous work worthwhile, I never imagined such compliments back in September 1997 when my first efforts were published in MR1. I've always tried to emphasise that I'm not that clever, especially when I look at the work of other RMWeb members who leave me in awe. I do like to think however that what I do create is well within the capabilities of anybody, Railway Modeller used to advertise it's self as being for 'The Average Modeller' that is me and my Tetleys Mills. In my own opinion the original was OK, the second was better, the new viaduct addition was an improvement and hopefully my next layout will be even better although it will never compare with the best. I often write my articles with tongue in cheek since I never want to be considered 'holyer than thou', elitism has no place in my railway room and I'm certainly no rivet counter although like most of us 'Grumpy Old Men' I can be opinionated. My advice is. Just do it, if it looks right it probably is to the majority of modellers, I enjoy looking and taking inspiration from other layouts published in the hobby's mags and here on RMWeb, as long as they are weather'd. I've undertaken more work on the baseboard elements but the recent fine weather has forced me into bricklaying mode but the new layout is never far from my thoughts. grumpy Old man of Ancacaster. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnT Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Hi Dave I too was inspired by Tetleys in that edition of MR and I have watched the later dvd many times! I am also no rivet counter but believe that weathering is essential and provides that touch of realism that pure accuracy to prototype cannot do alone. I am really looking forward to following your efforts again and I am sure that you will produce something better than what has gone before. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetleys Posted April 18, 2012 Author Share Posted April 18, 2012 Rain stop play! I was nicely into bricklaying mode and making serious in-roads into my planned 25m by 2m garden wall when the heavens opened up and it appears the weather is set for the next week or longer. Never mind, we certainly need the rain and Mrs Shakespeare has just taken delivery of a couple of water butts so it's probably her fault so what can I spend the next week doing? Retire to the 'Man Cave' and make a start on the new model railway. I have already made a lot of the components and have recently taken delivery of 45m of planed 2x2 timber for the support legs and with plenty of PVA glue and loads of 75mm dry wall screws left over from the house build, 75mm is a bit over kill but they drive in easilly so I'll use them rather than buy alternatives. The first 8' by 2' module took a day to make but it is a 'double decker', the top will carry the high level main line storage tracks while 19cms lower is a second storage shelf for five tracks to hold the secondary line's shorter trains. The cross bearing for the lower storage tracks gives the 93cm high support legs some rigidity and although light in weight the modules become very rigid and strong when finished. Another day of heavy rain so I don't feel guilty about not building I've built a second storage yard module, this one is a little more complicated because I have to make provision for the 3' radius curve at one end. I've pre-drilled 12mm holes in the cross bearers to make threading wires easier in the 50mm timber but where I use deeper 75mm timber I'll increase the number of holes and probably use larger diameter holes. Tomorow will see me finishing the storage track modules and I'll gradually work my way round the room. Once all the modules are finished I'll cut and fix the 9mm birch ply for the track beds. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetleys Posted April 19, 2012 Author Share Posted April 19, 2012 I have now completed the third module for the storage area and all 22'6" of the north wall, a bit tricky with the two tiers and the beginnings of a dumb bell return loop but now I can speed up the process since I only now need to build to the lower level which is the datum mark so to speak. The upper level being basically only a twin track main line will be built as an elevated track bed including the new feature viaduct. The lower level becomes the basis for a secondary line and will include rudimentary stations and sidings. I'll add another couple of images as and when since I suspect the weather may draw me outdoors and back into wall / house building mode for the next few days. It's actually nice to have a foul weather option. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetleys Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 The main reason for the new baseboards being built so slowly, the wall will eventually need about 6000 bricks and numerous sq.m. of limestone before it's finished but the wet weather has meant I've completed a few more base modules. The house behind the wall is our current house and the single story extension was the previous home of Tetleys Mills, 5m x 8m with a bay seating area but since it was a second living room I could only really use half of the available floor area, not so the new railway room WHICH IS ALL MINE and has a lock on the door to guard against intruders / grandchildren / marauding Reevers and especially rivet counters! The corner unit is where the storage area begins or ends depending which direction one is operating of course but it wll have four main line tracks entering which will split into 12 parallel tracks, six for each direction but I hope to keep a pair of tracks for continuous through running so I can just let trains trundle round. It's difficult to visulise but the lower level will carry a 30" radius return loop for the lower secondary line which will have five storage tracks, scenically a double track but the return loop means it will operationally be a single out and back circuit, simpler and easier for one man band operation. I need to incorporate an access hole for building and servicing / re-railing, this whole board will have removeable scenery and none of the track will be visible. The first peninsular module at the opposite end of the storage tracks, built at the lower track level because the higher main line will emerge from a tunnel and pass through a cutting with an over bridge to disguise the four feet radius curve before running onto the reverse curved 13' or so long viaduct above the lower secondary line which will also emerge from a tunnel before running into a small station with rudimentary sidings. This line will follow a long sweeping curve and I will try and make the whole area an interesting jumble of urban sprawl with ad hoc Victorian /Edwardian industrial and slum type housing, very 'Des Res'. I've mentioned before that the style of house dictated a maximum board height of about 1m so this boardand most of those to follow is only about 80cms from floor level although it may become more of a problem to crawl beneath as years pass by but I don't need to duck under boards to access the main operating area only for servicing re-railing needs. If I had the choice I would have aimed for much higher boards, lift up sections are not viable in the real world. My 74 year old mate Tony is staying for week and as always he'll insist on spending his holiday doing building work so further baseboard building will again be put on hold. Mrs. S. and I have just spent a week with friends braving driving rain and sub arctic weather on a narrow boat between Worcester and Birmingham so now armed with a better knowledge of canals and especially the 110 locks we passed through I think a canal or at least a canal basin might also feature, they are just crying out to be modelled. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted May 7, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 7, 2012 Smashing bit of wall there - top notch stuff (oh and the baseboards are very impressive too). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Both Dave & Gordon should go into the bespoke carpentry business. Did they miss their vocations????? Beautiful work on the House and Baseboards..... Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Looks super Dave, but Jeez, can you slow down a bit? You've done in a few weeks what took me months... Most impressed.... Glad to hear you enjoyed your narrow boat trip. Done the Thames several times and have promised ourselves a narrow boat trip one day. Good company, good food and good beer. What else does one need? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetleys Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 Looks super Dave, but Jeez, can you slow down a bit? You've done in a few weeks what took me months... Most impressed.... Glad to hear you enjoyed your narrow boat trip. Done the Thames several times and have promised ourselves a narrow boat trip one day. Good company, good food and good beer. What else does one need? Gordon, In our case good weather. Took our walking coats and leggings but with limited storage on board packed the usual T Shirts, trainers and light weight walking trousers that convert to shorts. Last Sunday wore three layers, all the waterproofs, AND A PAIR OF SOCKS ON MY HANDS WRAPPED UP WITH PLASTIC CARRIER BAGS! We've walked in worse but steering a narrow boat doesn't involve much movement, the previous afternoon saw us do Tardebigge lock flight of 30 locks in three hours so we were warm enough. Arrived in Gas Street Basin Sunday afternoon and spent the following morning in Sport Direct buying various gloves, wooley hats and a 'dry' pair of steel toe cap work shoes so as to ensure warmer and drier return trip. Having said all that we'd recommend narrow boating but ideally you need a like minded and hard working couple to accompany you, I'd do it again. As for the work rate, I'd normally be doing one module a day so say a couple of weeks for the lot but other work keeps getting in the way and my new layout isn't as ambitious as your Eastwood and I'm not the perfectionist that you are. I've also got the small matterr of 4 or 500 square meters of brick drive paving and 80m of fencing to do. I'm not sure Julie is pulling her weight! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsforever Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 How about a layout on the boat it will give you something to do whilst the crew (freinds & family )operate the locks ,at least thats what our neighbours do when their family goes boating with them.! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westerner Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 I'm glad nobody saw my naked baseboards. As for boating if you haven't already you ought totry the Norfolk Broads. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetleys Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 I'm glad nobody saw my naked baseboards. As for boating if you haven't already you ought totry the Norfolk Broads. Mrs. S. and I spent two weeks walking most of the long distance trails in Norfolk including the Broads, they look great from the top of the banks but as with the Rivers in Lincs the views from water level might be a tad restricted. Worse still, we found Norfolk has an identity problem, situated in East Anglia but Pubs and B & B's think they are London Based, being a poor pensioner I can't afford their prices. Ancaster Skinflint Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 The Broads were OK in the fifties......the last time I enjoyed the area... Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 45156 Posted May 8, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 8, 2012 Many thanks for the updates, Dave, I am enjoying watching the birth of a new layout in the hands of one of the modellers I admire most - between you and Gordon's Eastwood Town, I am getting enough inspiration and advice on baseboard and track building to stand me in good stead when I finally get round to tackling the bits of modelling that I like least - the carpentry and the trackwork. It must be very difficult to fit in two major projects at once, and I take my hat off to you. Regards Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 *snip* If I had the choice I would have aimed for much higher boards, lift up sections are not viable in the real world. *snip An interesting conclusion, Dave: I am curious as to why you came to this position. It sounds like bitter experience. Either way, I'd like to hear a little more, as I'm about to commit to a lift out section on my own layout, and would like to know what pitfalls have coloured your view. Regards Scott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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