Selby Garden Railway

[Arpleymodeller]

Hi

Very different and unique B) ,will the section in the shed be scenic?

Regards

Lewis

[alleras]

Hi

Very different and unique B) ,will the section in the shed be scenic?

Regards

Lewis

 

No Lewis, there won't be any scenery in the shed area - at least not on the lower level. Later, once I have got the garden railway fully operational, I do intend to build a small layout in the shed above the sidings which are currently under construction, but that's some way off just yet. My scenic area is the garden itself, the shed is purely for storage purposes.

 

I've done a little bit more today but not as much as I had hoped. Using a left over section of decking board I have built 2 boxes (cowlings?) to go over what will be the rail access points into the shed area. They've been painted the same green colour as the shed and have roofing felt tops.

 

Inside the shed I've made a start fastening 12mm plywood sheeting to the previously built softwood frames and once I get hold of another sheet tomorrow I can then complete the remainder. Using a few lengths of flexi-track, I've worked out that I can stable a full set of 36 MGR wagons & a loco inside the shed area. With several other similar sized rakes of wagons I just hope I can squeeze them all in without too much difficulty.

[alleras]

Why is it that tasks that appear nice and straight forward always take longer to do than first anticipated? I was outside today from before dinnertime and it was almost dark by the time I had finally cleared everything away.

 

I've now added all the plywood tops to the wooden framework in the shed area and raised the baseboards to the height needed in order to line up with the exterior track. It was only once I had fastened the tops in place that I realised it would be much easier to raise the framework with the tops off, so one by one I removed them again, raised the boards using some wood offcuts screwed to the sides and centre bracings of the frames, and then finally replaced the tops again. I don't have an electric screwdriver so you can imagine how my hands feel this evening. Anyway, I now have a very solid baseboard around 3 sides of the shed and I've cut through the shed wall to allow access at each end. I've not had chance to do anything else with the access holes just yet but I want to add a solid internal cover to keep everything safe and secure. The following image shows what the interior of the shed currently looks like and illustrates how low the baseboards really are.

 

 

The baseboards will be covered with cork tiles before any permanent track is laid, however, for the time being I will be reinstating just a continuous run until finances allow additional track and points to be added.

 

On the outside of the shed I have added 2 wooden coverings over the access points to help keep out the worst of the weather. There will be an additional removable door or some other kind of covering to prevent rain penetrating inside.

 

 

It's not my lack of ability with a paintbrush that's resulted in areas of the shed walls not being coated in green preservative but rather the apparent excess of glue used in the factory which prevents the stain soaking into the wood.

[alleras]

Today I was determined to get something running again after the long winter break and so one running line has now been temporarily reinstated until a time when finances allow the purchase of some additional track and the necessary points to construct the indoor storage roads. After a couple of minor derailments in areas where the line required some packing beneath, it is now operating smoothly. I have recorded some video action of my Hornby Black 5 hauling a rake of 8 BR Mk1 coaches and I'm pleased to say that they don't appear to have caused it as much trouble as I first anticipated. In fact at one point earlier in the day it was hauling 9 coaches up the long gradient.

 

The video also gives a quick glimpse of the train running through the shed, which has been the focus of my attention today, so expect to see something resembling a building site. It's also worth pointing out that I didn't spend much time capturing the action and filmed only from in the vicinity of the viaduct but there'll be plenty more opportunities throughout the coming year.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAmPU29aZCg

[Arpleymodeller]

Great video,really had a feel of a real train,a good prototypical number of coaches as well. B)

Regards

Lewis

[Pete Harvey]

Have you thought about having two very shallow double track spirals in the shed to raise the tracks up to a sensible working height so you could have a fiddle yard or a station with in the shed and save you getting on the floor if you give me the dimensions of your shed I will try to show you what I mean in a design?

 

Pete

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Your hard work has certainly paid off. Very realistic and atmospheric.

[alleras]

Great video,really had a feel of a real train,a good prototypical number of coaches as well. B)

Regards

Lewis

 

Cheers Lewis. I reckon I could go to 9 coaches with the steam loco, perhaps even 10, but I agree that 8 looks okay and I really am pleased to be able to haul that many as I was worried it was going to be as few as six at one point.

 

 

Have you thought about having two very shallow double track spirals in the shed to raise the tracks up to a sensible working height so you could have a fiddle yard or a station with in the shed and save you getting on the floor if you give me the dimensions of your shed I will try to show you what I mean in a design?

 

Pete

 

Hi Pete. I'd certainly be interested in seeing what you have in mind although it has always been my intention to have a set of storage roads at low level in the shed. The railway is primarily for running trains in the garden and I'd not envisaged doing any shunting or marshalling once complete trains had been made up. Going into the garden was a way for me to overcome the space limitations I encountered indoors but with the ability to run scale length trains round the garden I'm not sure that my garden shed would be able to cope with a station large enough to handle such long trains. But, my shed is just 10ft by 6ft (internal 9ft 7ins by 5ft 8 ins) so if you have an idea that might be worth my consideration before I press on with my initial plans then I really would appreciate your input.

 

 

Your hard work has certainly paid off. Very realistic and atmospheric.

 

Thanks Western Sunset. I need to get used to the new vantage points because they certainly make for some good action shots. Once I get some storage roads added I'll also be able to vary the rolling stock on view and have trains passing each other. Looking forward to seeing one pass over the top of another at the over-bridge section!

[alleras]

I've just uploaded another video using clips from today's action which actually give a better idea of how the new extension towards the shed area fits in with the older part of the layout. My video camera uses miniature tapes and just after I had started filming, the tape came to an end and I had to replace it with a new one. When I put the first video together I completely forgot about the footage I had captured on the first tape so here it is. Same loco as before but without the sound and showing some different viewpoints.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdcB81BZ9_E

[alleras]

As clearly illustrated on my previous videos, I managed to get an annoying bump in the section just after crossing the viaduct and before the new over-bridge which has been bugging me for the past 2 days. This morning I decided to lift the track, cut away the roofing felt, and take off a sliver of wood from the newly laid decking board so that the very slight rise to the over-bridge is now much more gentle. It didn't take long and I'm so pleased that I decided to do it as I now feel much happier about that section of track. At the time of construction it seemed so insignificant that I didn't see the point in doing anything about it but it's simply exaggerated on film and as there will be many more videos in the future it had to be levelled.

 

The photograph below shows the section concerned now that it has been levelled and had a new piece of roofing felt applied and the track re-laid. I'm learning the hard way that it pays to make sure the job is done correctly first time!

 

 

I've still got the bridge itself to complete but once everything was back in place I just had to get some stock out and have a quick running session. Until I get the storage sidings in place, which may be a month or so away, I'm still restricted with the stock available for use and it's easier to keep the same things to hand. So, using the Bachmann MK1's, the Hornby Black 5 and an additional Bachmann Class 25, I made the following video which contains a mixture of movements, sound/non-sound etc. You may notice that the Black 5 has an additional coach today and can now be seen hauling 9 coaches up my long gradient.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra4ZWcgKhks

[alleras]

I've now reinstated double track running with temporary connections in the shed until additional points and track can be obtained to construct the indoor storage loops. Until that is possible then it's back to taking stock on and off in an effort to ring the changes but at least I'm up and running again with an extended layout and some really interesting vantage points.

 

It took slightly longer than usual to clean the tracks today. The tops of the rails on the line which had been unused for a few weeks were almost black in places and yet were still more or less shiny in others. There's obviously something in the vicinity of the darker tops which affects the track more than it does in other areas of the garden. Still, gentle use of the track rubber was all that was required before another running session could commence.

 

In action today was a Hornby HST and the Freightliner/Shanks class 66 on Intermodal wagons, all of which have featured previously on the Selby Garden Railway. However, I think this is the first time that the HST has been filmed since it was fitted with a single sound chip in the leading power car. I'd love to fit a chip in the rear car as well once finances allow. The HST is also now composed of 7 cars where it was previously only 6. Model Railways are a gradual development...

 

I set the two trains in motion and left them to it while I had the video running. The action is mostly all adjacent tot he new over-bridge but this is a great vantage point. With just 2 trains on view, if it gets a bit monotonous then I apologise - once the storage loops are in place it should make for much more varied running.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnMGDh8rjAk

[alleras]

Whereas yesterday was the return of double track running to the Selby Garden Railway, today was the return of the Hornby class 56 tension lock coupling problems. Yes, it's almost a year since I last encountered those random derailments on curves and I'd just about forgotten all about them, but in my efforts to ring the changes and introduce some new loco's and rolling stock onto the scene I picked up a couple of Hornby class 56's and a rake of 14 Bachmann TEA tank wagons.

 

Removing the TEA's from their boxes it was immediately noticeable not only how very finely detailed they are and how good they feel in the hand, but placing them on track it was also noticeable how very free running they are. My initial impression was that they would not cause any haulage problems whatsoever for the diesel loco's, being nice and substantial but not overly heavy like some other modern day stock. I coupled up the Hornby EWS 56059 which came with a factory fitted DCC chip and sent it on its way directly up the long gradient. It struggled to a stand and required helping on its way. I was taken aback - the Hornby class 56 had always seemed like a very powerful model loco. After one full circuit it came back inside the shed and I noticed straight away that the roof fans, which had been operating when it first moved away, had stopped working. If the drive belt to the fans wasn't working, but was still in situ, then there's no wonder it couldn't climb the gradient - it would have been like running with the brake on. So, as I did with a previous class 56, I removed the drive belt completely (and ultimately removed the operating fan) and the 56 stormed up the gradient on it's next outing!

 

That however, was just the beginning of my problems for the day. Within a short space of time the first wagon behind the loco had derailed and shortly afterwards it did so again, and then again. The ridiculous tension lock couplings fitted to the Hornby class 56 & 60 simply won't allow me to run a heavy load without it derailing the leading wagon as it negotiates a curve. I tried my best to alleviate the problems and did eventually manage to capture some action on video but I daren't risk running 2 lines at once just in case. I remember last year that with the MGR set I had to place some coins in the first wagon to prevent it being flipped over. A ludicrous situation.....

 

I tried another factory fitted DCC class 56 with exactly the same results but this time it seemed I couldn't cure the derailing problems and to cap the day off nicely, just as I was about to call it a day I got that tell tale aroma of fried chips and the 56 stood there with lights blinking on and off and it would no longer respond to commands. I replaced the chip with another and it was under command again but that's less than 30 minutes out of the box and the chip had expired and it still can't haul anything without derailing the leading wagon.

 

As for the action, it's just 56059 and the rake of 14 Bachmann TEA wagons, made to appear like there'd been not a single problem the whole day!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFCHBOqxr6A

[alleras]

Another very nice and pleasantly warm day but rather than having another running session I decided instead to do a bit of work on the line-side. Since laying the concrete base for the shed and with the constant digging out of footings for the breeze block wall, I have accumulated a nice mound of spent soil at the rear of the shed which needed moving. I decided that I would use it to form an embankment by piling it up against the breeze block walls of the layout in two areas and allow nature to do its thing. It took a fair few barrow-loads to move enough soil to form the embankments which wasn't made any easier by the fact that I can't access the inner part of the layout without climbing over the low wall. Not a harsh task by any means when you're simply stepping over, but with a wheelbarrow full of soil it's a different story altogether.

 

I decided to form one embankment around the curve at the top of the layout and another just ahead of the viaduct. Both areas can be seen in the two photographs below.

 

 

 

I had first cut some lengths of plastic sheeting to lay against the breeze blocks to prevent too much moisture seeping into the blocks themselves and then covered it with the surplus soil. I've trampled it down nice and firm but will allow it to settle itself before deciding whether it needs another layer adding to it.

 

Despite the fact that I've not run many trains today I have enjoyed my day in the garden. The railway and a spot of gardening is a nice combination even though I know very little about either interest. What I have enjoyed over the past twelve months or so is being able to document my progress and having the opportunity to look back on what I've done so far to see how things have developed.

 

The two Acer's I have planted adjacent to the line were bought for me as small plants no more than 12 inches high. Replanting them progressively into larger pots as required it became clear last year that they had outgrown their tubs again and were not in the best of condition. Their foliage was smaller than usual and very quickly shrivelled up. I decided it was time to remove them from their pots altogether and plant them out in the border. This year they are back to their very best with an abundance of foliage as can be seen in the photograph of the red variety below with my little dog posing in front.

 

 

I've just obtained a quantity of Iso-Propyl Alcohol (IPA) to use as a track cleaner and after sweeping the stray soil and other debris from the tracks I went round with a cloth and gave the rails a wipe over. I then placed a Hornby class 60 on the track and ran it at a slow speed fully expecting it to stall at some point or other as I hadn't used the track rubber at all, but it did eventually complete the circuit without faltering. To be honest the tracks were still relatively clean but I'm sure the IPA will be a big help during the routine task of trying to keep the track clean. The class 60 can be seen below as it poses with the TEA tanks on the curve ahead of the viaduct. It's the same spot that I photographed it last year with some HEA wagons and a comparison of the 2 images shows how the plants have grown in that area since that time.

 

 

I didn't post anything yesterday regarding my latest uploaded video as until I have the means to vary the stock on view it might perhaps get a bit boring with the same train on view all the time. However, yesterday I used a Bachmann 9F for a change so that's something different at least, even though the video contains almost 7 minutes of it in action.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TONNOzS2jJs

[alleras]

In its 'out of the box' condition my sound-fitted Hornby Black 5 was capable of hauling no more than 6 coaches up the long gradient on my garden railway. By simply adding 35p worth of 5p pieces to the empty space in the smokebox I managed to increase the load to 8 coaches.

 

I recently purchased a quantity of metal wheel balance weights intended for motor vehicles which looked ideal for adding additional weight. Each small ingot weighs 5g and with an adhesive backing you can easily stick two or more together in a block to the size required for the space available. Using a combination of 5p pieces (which are a perfect fit in the Black 5 smokebox) held in place with a small blob of blutac and several of these 5g ingots, I have increased the weight of my Black 5 from its original 236g (without tender) up to 294 grams.

 

Contrary to what most might think, it doesn't require a lot of additional weight to get things moving. You can tell this by how little light finger pressure is often required to re-start a locomotive that has come to a stand with an over-heavy load. The additional 58 grams inside the body of my Black 5 now means it is capable of easily hauling 10 Bachmann BR Mk1 coaches up the heavy incline on the Selby Garden Railway and although not captured in action on the following video, 11 coaches didn't cause a problem either.

 

Just to show the results of adding some additional weight, here's a short couple of clips of the Black 5 with 10 coaches.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcoQ_aJT06E

[0O00]

Very good Alleras, very good indeed.

[Allegheny1600]

Hi Mick,

I've just spent a very enjoyable hour or so, reading through all your posts here and i must say, i'm mightily impressed! I certainly hope your mods to Hornby locos work out well so you can haul prodigious trains with them!

Well, you have certainly opened my eyes to the possibilities of a garden railway - it's something i dreamed about in the past and over the years, rather forgot about! It even looks as though i may be able to get permission from the household authorities! Just got to do a decent landscape of the garden first, as it's a bit of a blank canvas at the moment!

Keep up the good work and heres hoping for a decent summer!

Cheers,

John E.

 

PS Forgot to mention - would it be an idea to perhaps set up some sort of "cat flap" (that can be locked open during running!) at the shed entrances, to prevent mice, rats etc from gaining access to your nice warm shed?

[alleras]

Very good Alleras, very good indeed.

 

Thanks for the comment 0O00. Even devoid of model railway scenery the garden railway is a long-term project not unlike that of an indoor layout but I do sense now that I'm at the point where the things I do actually make a difference to the overall appearance and general appeal.

 

 

Hi Mick,

I've just spent a very enjoyable hour or so, reading through all your posts here and i must say, i'm mightily impressed! I certainly hope your mods to Hornby locos work out well so you can haul prodigious trains with them!

Well, you have certainly opened my eyes to the possibilities of a garden railway - it's something i dreamed about in the past and over the years, rather forgot about! It even looks as though i may be able to get permission from the household authorities! Just got to do a decent landscape of the garden first, as it's a bit of a blank canvas at the moment!

Keep up the good work and heres hoping for a decent summer!

Cheers,

John E.

 

PS Forgot to mention - would it be an idea to perhaps set up some sort of "cat flap" (that can be locked open during running!) at the shed entrances, to prevent mice, rats etc from gaining access to your nice warm shed?

 

Hi John. The openings into the shed are closed off when not in operation so nothing can get inside. I actually like the idea of a cat flap - it would help keep out the draughts when running is in progress!

 

I'm pleased if I've stirred your imagination because it's something that I put off several times in the past myself. As you've got a blank canvas to start with then you could design the garden round the layout or vice versa. Initial tests of the modified coupling on the class 60 look to be very favourable but I've still not given it a good run round the complete layout. It was very nice outside today but instead of running anything I got on with the task of soldering wires across the remaining rail joins and a bit more landscaping. It's very tempting to have a running session whenever the weather is fine but until I get the storage loops in operation, any session is a bit limited in the stock available for use and cleaning the rails beforehand is a task that merits much greater use afterwards.

[alleras]

Managed to get a couple of hours running time in today before it started raining later in the afternoon. The first part of the 'session' was disrupted by yet more operational niggles in the form of derailments. Firstly it was the Black 5 which began derailing the leading coaches when the tender coupling decided to start coming out of its socket. A spot of glue required there to hold it in place. Secondly the 9F's pony truck began derailing for some unknown reason and some remedial action was required to the metal spring plate in order to exert more downforce to keep the wheels on track. Finally I managed some uninterrupted running before the rain came!

 

 

Seen in the photo above, taken just as it had started raining, is my Bachmann 9F No. 92185 which featured in a recent video. Today I removed the TEA tank wagons from the layout and replaced them with a rake of 16t mineral wagons so that the 9F could do what it does best - hauling heavy freight. Not that the load was particularly heavy as I have still to fit some coal loads and it's quite obvious that I also have a lot of weathering to do. But I must admit that in my opinion the 9F looks more at home with freight than it does with a set of coaches. I'm looking forward to installing the storage roads so that I can also try it with some 4-wheel vans and tank wagons as well as a large collection of PO wagons, the majority of which have never been out of their boxes since purchased. It's been so long since most of them were purchased that it'll probably come as a surprise when I find out just what I've got packed away.

 

It may be of interest to note that despite the relatively large size of the layout I still have just the 2 wires feeding one section of track on each circuit inside the shed and now that I have almost completed bonding all of the rail joins, one of which can be seen in the above photo, I experience very few disruptions due to loss of, or intermittent, power feeds and with the additional regular use of the IPA cleaner before any operating session, running qualities are greatly improved. In fact I find it best to wet the track rubber with IPA as it seems to clean the track better and easier that way. When the rubber is dry there's a lot of friction between it and the track but dampen it and it just slides across and in my experience it does clean easier and perhaps gentler than a dry rubber does. I then just wipe over with a dry cloth straight away to remove any dirt residue. I've also started taking extra care to ensure loco wheels are clean and it certainly makes a big difference. A garden layout does of course attract far more dirt and debris than an indoor layout, most of which can be quickly and easily brushed away. Not so easy to remove however, are the endless bird droppings, and it's a toss up as to whether the dry stuff or the runny stuff is easier to dispose of. One particular section of the layout seems to attract bird droppings more than any other part but it's not that there is a perch above from which they foul the track below, but that the birds find that section of track itself a convenient place to perch.

 

Anyway, if you haven't seen enough already, here's a video of the 9F hauling a rake of 46 mineral wagons. I have 2 unfitted brake vans in the same storage tray so I will assume that the train reverses en-route and have attached a brake at either end to make it easier.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IewGNwjPQ0w

[alleras]

Not seen since last year, today I decided to give another run out to my Bachmann WD Austerity which I obtained already fitted with a sound chip and also a smoke generator. Having just put together a short video of the loco in action I now remember just why I decided to construct a garden railway in the first place and if anyone doubts whether OO in the garden is a good idea then I think the WD will show that it certainly is.

 

The sound is hardly deep and throaty but you do get the small sense of a roar as it emerges slowly through the bridge opening. The smoke is only light and whispy but it adds another dimension to the scenario although it lasts for only a little more than one complete circuit before it needs refilling.

 

The video below is just a little bit short of one complete circuit but it does show what a garden railway has to offer - when the weather is favourable of course.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NqdS2aC398

[alleras]

After a short break in the West Highlands of Scotland and while I wait for the much needed pointwork to enable me to begin adding the first of several proposed storage loops inside the shed, the weather has been nice enough since my return to place some different rolling stock on my two existing roads and relax in the garden with some trains circling round. I'm not sure exactly how long it took me but it seems to have taken ages to remove approx 70 small 4-wheeled wagons from their boxes and place them on track. I'm certainly not looking forward to having to pack them all away again in a hurry. I like to see a collection of private owner wagons and whilst some of those I have in my collection represent companies that are local to me, others are from more distant areas of the UK. I managed to form a rake of 49 and found that I still had more than 30 left in their boxes so until more roads are added they will have to stay there.

 

In addition to the private owner wagons I have a small but growing collection of 4-wheeled vans and other wagons, including quite a number of 14t tank wagons. I made a rake of these behind the WD Austerity loco and although I did manage to film a few video clips, my mains adaptor for the video camera, which also charges the battery pack, decided to expire and so the camera is currently useless until a new mains adaptor is delivered. The video will have to follow later so in the meantime here's a couple of still photographs taken this afternoon showing the WD with some 4-wheelers.

 

 

 

The curve just before the viaduct in the two images above has always been one of my favourite areas for taking photos of trains rounding the curve. It's now got a fair bit of lineside vegetation to act as a backdrop and just requires some greenery over the embankment at the other side to disguise the harsh edges. It's also time I started adding some detail to the front of the loco's and began learning the techniques of weathering the rolling stock.

[alleras]

Held over since the date of my previous post due to the mains adaptor/battery charger of my video camera giving up the ghost, here's a short video of some action I took just before the battery gave up on me.

 

The video begins with some standard non-sound action of my Bachmann 9F hauling a random mixed rake of private owner wagons and then continues with the WD 2-8-0 and Black 5 double-heading a mixed rake of 4 wheeled wagons, vans and tanks, firstly without sound and then finally with the 2 loco's sounding out in unison.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm1URtriVwA

[alleras]

It's been so long since my last update that you'd be forgiven for assuming that I would have almost completed installing the storage loops inside the shed by now. The truth is that I've done hardly anything since the beginning of the month and the shed remains almost as it was. I've also had very few running sessions during the last 3 weeks but I have managed to get some stock out over the past 2 days. However, I'm not a big fan of overly warm weather as apart from suffering with hay fever it seems that at this time of year I'm also targeted by midges/gnats or whatever insects they might be. Just one bite on my arm or leg and it swells like a balloon!

 

Anyway, today I installed a chip in my previously unused 'second-hand' Heljan class 47. In common with a number of owners I had a real fight attempting to remove the body from the chassis whilst at the same time trying not to cause any damage. In the end it required brute force and the aid of a screwdriver blade which fortunately left only scratches on the sides of the chassis block. The chassis appears not to be distorted (unlike some others have recorded) so I guess it was just a tight fit. I've now filed away some of the metal on the front of the chassis block to aid future removal.

 

47981 can be seen in the photographs below along with a Hornby brake van and some Bachmann ballast hoppers.

 

 

The above photo is taken on the curve just ahead of the viaduct while the one below is taken on the large curve beneath the tree at the top of the garden which gives some nice dappled lighting. As with almost my entire collection, detailing parts have yet to be fitted.

 

 

I've also had the video camera out again to record 47981 in action along with some previously seen steam locos. I've attempted to film some 'closer' up shots of the motion on the 9F as I've always been fascinated by the valve gear on a steam loco but holding the camera steady with a smooth panning action while trying to keep the subject zoomed in and central in the viewfinder isn't easy especially when the subject is only 12 inches from the ground and you're the wrong side of 50! I'll keep working on that one. Here's the video anyway....

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDJCnnwscs0

[agentskj]

Good to have another check in with progress i must agree about the weather

 

Sam

 

Just a quick question roughtly how much stock are you blessed with ?

[alleras]

Good to have another check in with progress i must agree about the weather

 

Sam

 

Just a quick question roughtly how much stock are you blessed with ?

 

I would think that like most modellers I've got far too much stock but again like most, I can't resist a bargain or a selection of new model releases. I've got sufficient numbers to ring the changes and to run steam or diesel (or both) with perhaps a change of livery now and then to maintain interest.

 

Never satisfied with what I've got, I've been contemplating rebuilding the viaduct. I set out with the intention of building shuttering and constructing the viaduct out of concrete or a cement/sharp sand mixture but changed my mind and ended up building it entirely out of plywood coated with exterior Polyfilla. Now I wish I'd gone down the cement route so that it would be weatherproof and I wouldn't have to worry about it getting wet. As it is I have to keep it covered up whenever there's the possibility of rain. I think a rebuild is in order.

 

Speaking of the viaduct, here's a couple of recent photo's of trains in that vicinity. Firstly there's the good old Bachmann 9F hauling some 4-wheeled stock about to be passed by a pair of Bachmann sound-fitted class 20's hauling a rake of mineral wagons.

 

 

And here's a Bachmann sound-fitted class 37 with a short ballast train. Like the 2 class 20's this soundchip is one of several that I have earmarked for a re-blow when I get round to it although the Bachmann 37 sound is a good deal gentler on the ears than the somewhat annoying 'whistling' 20s. (I'm sure my neighbours will agree too!)

 

[agentskj]

Hi there

 

Just had another check in but no updates wit hthe excelent summer we have had this suprised me

 

Sam