Old Elm Common (N gauge Hydraulic era layout)

[D1059]

Hi Robert, I took the glazing out to save problems getting the glass dirty, also I'm changing head codes on it and repositioning the windscreen wipers too.

I'm toying with the idea of losing another valance and taking a third off but putting it back at a slight angle as was sometimes the norm.

Cheers

Dave

Nice. I thought about cutting a valence off when I weathered my 22, but chickened out

[DJM Dave]

Hi Steve,

I've cut 2 off 1 side and 1 off the other now.

 

Cheers

Dave

[D1059]

Hi Steve,

I've cut 2 off 1 side and 1 off the other now.

 

Cheers

Dave

 

Brave man

[DJM Dave]

Brave man

Worth the effort, believe me.

[DJM Dave]

Hi everyone,

 

About time i got my 'mojo' back and did some more on the layout, so in the last couple of weeks i've done a little bit more ready for the completion of the control panel and testing.

 

Recent work has included a 12in high marine ply back and side panel which were cut to size for me at my local DIY superstore. They spent 6 months being pressed and dried more than they were because if some amount of bowing.

 

I've also fitted droppers to all rails on the baseboard shown, and i'm making sure this is wired, tested and running, before fitting the point motor on this board and then moving on to the other basedboard.

 

I've also fitted a front fascia NCE panel, which will be linked to the rear one directly across from it, and another one on the other baseboard.

 

Stock collection has become a bit of an obsession again and ive added more Warships, Westerns, 37's, and 25's to the stud, and ive given quite a few of them a wash of Flory washes, ready for gently removing them to create trails down the bodysides etc. Its great stuff to work with and comes off, before its sealed with just a damp cloth as its simply a clay slurry with pigment added. There are 8 basic weathering colours and i'll add 4/5 of them.

 

My Westerns will be detailed as per the running number/name they carried, and i currently, thanks to Dapols recent cheap clear out, have 23 of them now.

I know, too many for the layout but each will carry a different name so i'm justifying it to myself ;-)

Mind you i currenly have 9 Warships too. lol 

Blinking addictive this Western Region modelling, but i'll be stopping at the 31's i have on order, unless i can get Lord & Butler or Mercig to do me a Grey/Blue Pullmann with jumper cables.

 

I'm getting to the stage where i cant wait just to place a couple of buildings, and power up a few sound loco's and just create some atmosphere in my mind.

cheers

Dave

[DJM Dave]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm in the throws of putting concrete rail level 'flooring' between the fan of turntable tracks. this is relatively straight forward. However, my problem is that i will need to get (obtain, make, 3D print etc) a set of non working lamps that were fitted around the turntable and fan. These were quite distinctibe and i wonder if anyone has seen any about that matched or at least came close?

 

if not, anyone know where i could locate one in real life to photograph and measure it for replicating in N gauge please?

 

cheers

Dave

[roundhouse]

In 3D they are likely to be prone to damage but I suppose that if you get plenty of spares in the print run then at least you can then easily replace them if thats the option you end up going for.

[DJM Dave]

Hi everyone,

 

To motivate myself some more, i'm showing OEC at the following show ( 1 baseboard only though and still under construction, with some burbling Hydraulics on it :-))

 

Here's the press release for the show........

 

NGF MEET UP IN LANCASHIRE 17th OCTOBER 2015 (CO-SPONSORED BY D.J.MODELS & ROY BARTON)
The N Gauge Forum will be holding a meet up for those in our area and anyone else who can attend on Saturday 17th October 2015 at St.Aidan’s Parish Church Hall, Bamber Bridge, near Preston, PR5 6QR.
This event is open to Forum members and card carrying members of the N Gauge Society and 2mmFS.
Admission is £4.50 payable on the door to cover hall hire and insurance.
Opening hours 10.00 – 16.00
Plenty of free parking.
Refreshments available.
The venue can be found just off Station Road in Bamber Bridge and is on a side street next to Withy Grove Veterinary Practice (big sign on property). For anyone travelling by rail, turn left out of Bamber Bridge station and the venue can be found on the right hand side of Station Road after 10 minutes walk. For those intending to fly in we have 3 local airports (Manchester, Liverpool and Blackpool) so anyone with a private jet has no excuse for not attending.
Layouts currently booked are:-
Wulstanton Road  – NGF member ‘Mainline’
Modern image twin level  minimum space layout 1970s to present day.
Bethandale – Mike Shakespeare 
LMS branch terminus set in the Peak District mid to late 1930s
Old Elm Common – Dave Jones (DJ Models)
Dave will be bringing one board from his layout featuring DCC sound equipped diesels.
Dave will also be treating us to another talk/Q & A between 14.00 and 15.00

[DJM Dave]

Time for a layout update methinks;

 

I rushed to get the number 1 (of 2) baseboards finished for the recent NGF exhibition at Bamber Bridge and failed spectacularly.

I over used the static grass a lot to cover areas that nee to be dirty ballast and minor weeds.

 

I also didnt finish the back scene (or start it for that matter) and forget the wiring, it was literally cobbled together on the morning of the show so i could have sound from 3 loco's. 

 

I did however start to plant (at the show) some 3D printed representations of Old Oaks Turntable lights, which i havnt take  pics of, sorry, and these helped enhance things somewhat.

Coming back from holiday and having the baseboard on its side i found the 2ton strength epoxy i glued the offices down with, wasnt, and this had detached itself. lol

 

Lots of things learned from this show and seeing it up and dressed properly for the first time......

 

1) Finish the back scene

2) Shed lighting to add

3) Remove lots of grass and replace with dirty ballast

4) find and fit fence posts (any one know where and from whom?)

5) Finish wiring

6) plant some 4D trees to break things up a bit

7) More vehicles parked in the depot

8  ) finish wiring the turntable.

9) More dirt and weathering

10) no building to have a visible join to the baseboard (a personal hate of mine)

11) Dress the turntable area properly

 

Anyway, here are some snaps of the layout at the show taken on an old i-phone but slightly post processed in lightroom. (forgive the dark corner as this was the phone case i hadnt spotted encroaching).

 

I'd love some comments and ideas if you have any please?

 

I hope more than anything, you can see what i'm trying to achieve here with Old Elm Common.

 

Cheers

Dave

 

 

[cornish trains jez]

Wow! Hydraulic Heaven! That Pullman could do with a little dirt thrown at it!

[DJM Dave]

Wow! Hydraulic Heaven! That Pullman could do with a little dirt thrown at it!

Yup agreed, and that's something for later as i'm going to give it to Mercig to do for me.

[D1059]

Love the weathering - careful with the Pullman, have to be subtle with that one 

[Gordini5]

I have to say the weathered Western 2/3rd's out the shed with the 22 looks like the spotters have been taking flakes of paint off when out & about. Saw them do that at New street years ago on Sultan. Weird what you remember.

 

Great work Dave.

[DJM Dave]

I have to say the weathered Western 2/3rd's out the shed with the 22 looks like the spotters have been taking flakes of paint off when out & about. Saw them do that at New street years ago on Sultan. Weird what you remember.

 

Great work Dave.

Ah, that's my Mercig Western Champion, done to reflect the state it was in at the blocks in Paddington during the end of its working life.

A lovely rendition by Ian too.

[DJM Dave]

Hi everyone,

 

Long time since i did anything to this thread, so apologies but i have been busy with other things.

 

However since i got a DCC sound fitted warship, 108, western, and the new 40 i got some of my latent mojo back and have organised to have a professional company fit and wire the cobalt motors, and track perfectly, plus finish off the woodwork which will allow me to press on with the layout.

 

I'm also going to commission a grey / blue Pullman for the layout with nose end pipes too, as i think this would look lovely on the layout. and 2 long'ish fiddle yards (5ft each). I might have considered continuous run but if i'd have done so i'd have wanted a Nelevator but they are more for static layouts than show ones.

 

I've got a nice etched bridge kit coming that should span the town end of the layout at an angle quite nicely too.

 

Anyway, the 2 baseboards will probably go across to the guys in about 4 weeks, and i'll report back when their done and maybe put a video of some loco's burbling on the layout or running on and off the turntable.

 

more to come, watch this space.

cheers

Dave

[woodenhead]

Nelevator and 4 track continuous run for home and then maybe just the shed for exhibitions.

 

Of course then you'll need coaches, lots of coaches

[Karhedron]

I'm also going to commission a grey / blue Pullman for the layout with nose end pipes too, as i think this would look lovely on the layout. and 2 long'ish fiddle yards (5ft each). I might have considered continuous run but if i'd have done so i'd have wanted a Nelevator but they are more for static layouts than show ones.

Looks like Farish heard you.

 

REVISED TOOLING – WESTERN PULLMAN 6-Car DEMU

 

Metropolitan Cammell (Birmingham) built 2, 6-car Pullman Diesel Multiple Units between 1959 and 1960. The two 6-car units worked between London St. Pancras and Manchester on the Blue Pullman service. Following electrification of the West Coast Main Line, Pullman services between London and Manchester transferred to the new electric railway for which new coaches were built. The two units were transferred to the Western Region in 1966 where they worked alongside 3, 8-car units. The former Midland Region units were fitted with cables on the cab front to enable the two units to be coupled together and they received a revised BR livery adopted for Pullman services of grey and blue (reversed corporate livery). All units were withdrawn in May 1973.

 

We have revised our existing Pullman tooling to allow the later Western Region version of the 6-car former Blue Pullman unit to be modelled, as working on the Western Region of British Rail (1966 to 1973).

 

Fully detailed cab and passenger interiors.

Accessory pack includes full buffer-beam detail and semi-permanent close couplings.