Laoson Valley - 1990's to modern day TMD, Oil Terminal & P-Way Yard

[big T]

Flippin heck Sam you've been busy!

 

Ive thoroughly enjoyed the last 50 minutes reading through your thread.

 

You've done some cracking mini-projects within the overall layout project itself - The oil terminal is really good, and the UTU, not to mention your control panels, wiring and lighting schemes! 

 

You have a great eye for detail, and you seem to have included a lot within a small space without falling into the old trap of making the layout look cluttered an un-natural - something I am very conscious of with Long Lane.

 

Great stuff indeed.

 

Cheers

 

Trev

[sdw7300]

Flippin heck Sam you've been busy!

 

Ive thoroughly enjoyed the last 50 minutes reading through your thread.

 

You've done some cracking mini-projects within the overall layout project itself - The oil terminal is really good, and the UTU, not to mention your control panels, wiring and lighting schemes! 

 

You have a great eye for detail, and you seem to have included a lot within a small space without falling into the old trap of making the layout look cluttered an un-natural - something I am very conscious of with Long Lane.

 

Great stuff indeed.

 

Cheers

 

Trev

Trev, Thanks for your kind words. Your 50min read covers about 3 years work, but what's the rush ;-)

 

Seeing you ballasting Long Road makes me think doing a bit more on Laoson should be next on the list!

 

Thanks again

[sdw7300]

Hi Sam,

 

Really like the layout and how it's progressing - great stuff!

 

Must be a nice feeling getting to the stage of adding some of these details and bringing various areas 'to life'.

 

Looking forward to seeing more!

 

Chris

Thanks Chris. Yes, seeing some areas nearly finished is quite nice!

 

Cheers

[class"66"]

Lots of nice trackside detailing here Sam...

[Marcus 37]

Hi Sam

Just trying to catch up with everybody's threads. The greenery and trackside detailing looks really good now. It's those small details that bring the layout to life. Top work mate.

Cheers

Marcus

[sdw7300]

Thanks for the complements fellas!

 

Whilst I've been focusing my limited modelling time on the Europhoenix Tractor (see my Mostly Modern workbench), in between coats of paint I've manage to grab the odd 10mins on Laoson Valley. Over the last couple of weeks I've done a fair bit more ballasting and experimenting with some grass and weeds between the lines.

 

(I must replace the missing point lever!)

 

Whist photographing down at Laoson I heard a growl coming from under the bridge.

 

He pulled up to admire the new ballasting!

 

Then decided to commit a huge safety issue by pulling down under the fuel unloading gantry.

 

Finally it called into the depot and straight into the shed for a once over.

 

Next on the to-do list is add some weathering to the new ballast.

 

Thanks for looking!

 

<edit for spelling!>

Edited September 13, 2016 by sdw7300

[Andrew P]

Excellent pics of an excellent Layout Sam, Thanks.

[sdw7300]

Afternoon folks - I need your thoughts.....

 

The area in front of the oil terminal was to be a Permanent Way yard / virtual quarry but having given this some thought I don't think I've got enough room. It would be the unballasted siding only in the photos. The line at the front is the headshunt for the TMD. The idea was to have a pile of ballast with a couple diggers loading / unloading the wagons.

(The yellow diggers are 1/87 scale, the orange one is 1/76)

 

So thoughts have turned to a making it into a Flask Transfer Terminal.

The crane was mocked up in 10 seconds purely for illustration purposes! 

 

I think it would fit the space better but flask transfer terminals are normally in the middle of nowhere (except for Bridgewater which is in the middle of a housing estate!). I doubt one would be located next to an oil terminal, however I could just apply "Rule One of modelling". I quite like the idea of scratch building the crane. 

 

So what do you think? Am I trying to shoehorn too much in? Any better ideas to fill the space / use the siding? (I don't want to move track etc).

 

Cheers

[Andrew P]

Hi Sam, I'm really not sure about the Flask Terminal, a Ballast Yard would give you more choice of wagons, some clean, some dirty some slightly damaged etc, far more variety I would have thought.

Here is a couple of pics from my Kingsmill Yard (also see link below), to give an idea of how mine fitted in. I only ever used the back siding for the Loading siding.

 

,

 

 

 

I hope this helps.

Edited August 30, 2016 by Andrew P

[Wrighty]

Can't believe I have missed this one! Cracking layout will be following with much interest .

 

Chris

[sdw7300]

Hi Sam, I'm really not sure about the Flask Terminal, a Ballast Yard would give you more choice of wagons, some clean, some dirty some slightly damaged etc, far more variety I would have thought.

Here is a couple of pics from my Kingsmill Yard (also see link below), to give an idea of how mine fitted in. I only ever used the back siding for the Loading siding.

 

Kingsmill 152.JPG,

 

Kingsmill 965.JPG

 

Kingsmill 1557.jpg

 

Kingsmill 375.JPG

I hope this helps.

 

Thanks Andy - you're right. Plenty more stock variety in a ballast yard (not to mention I already have a fair bit!). A Flask terminal would be a couple of flask carrier only (which I'd need to buy....). Decision made.  

 

Can't believe I have missed this one! Cracking layout will be following with much interest .

 

Chris

 

Thanks Chris - great to have you on board.

[sdw7300]

Not much progress to report as we spent the last few days of the school holidays in Wales. As we were passing we thought we'd pop into Devil's Bridge to see if any trains were in, only to stumble upon a new attraction: "Become a Driver for a Fiver!" I didn't need asking twice!

(Not sure if me or my boys have the biggest grin!)

 

Got back off holiday to find the grass has grown at Laoson Valley

 

My homemade static grass applicator didn't seem to be working very well so this is all applied by rolling static grass fibres between finger & thumb to create a "cigar" and dabbing this end on into the glue. It actually creates a more random effect for longer grass. 

 

That's all folks

 

 

[LongRail]

Grass looks good

[class"66"]

Grass and scenery looks great Sam...  

[big T]

Hi Sam,

 

Your static grass looks realistic. Ive got a spare applicator thats now redundant now Ive got a Grassmaster - youre welcome to have it if you want as its gathering dust on a shelf......

 

I like the sound of a compact Virtual Quarry, They seem to pop up regularly on the real railway, and don't really require huge amounts of room, so that sounds ideal.

 

However, I also like the sound of a flask terminal too!

 

Have you decided which one youre going to go with yet?

 

Cheers

 

Trev

Edited September 15, 2016 by big T

[sdw7300]

Hi Sam,

 

Your static grass looks realistic. Ive got a spare applicator thats now redundant now Ive got a Grassmaster - youre welcome to have it if you want as its gathering dust on a shelf......

 

I like the sound of a compact Virtual Quarry, They seem to pop up regularly on the real railway, and don't really require huge amounts of room, so that sounds ideal.

 

However, I also like the sound of a flask terminal too!

 

Have you decided which one youre going to go with yet?

 

Cheers

 

Trev

Thanks Trev.

 

I had a play with my homemade static grass applicator tonight and got it working. I think I was using too fine mesh for the longer grass. Thanks for the offer of your spare, very kind, but I'll be ok.

 

I think I'm going to stick with the virtual quarry. As Andy P says, more potential for wagon variety. Sticking a flask facility next to an oil terminal is a tad unlikely.

 

Might see you at Lichfield show on Saturday. I'll be there with my boys late morning.

 

Cheers

[Andrew P]

Thanks Trev.

 

I had a play with my homemade static grass applicator tonight and got it working. I think I was using too fine mesh for the longer grass. Thanks for the offer of your spare, very kind, but I'll be ok.

 

I think I'm going to stick with the virtual quarry. As Andy P says, more potential for wagon variety. Sticking a flask facility next to an oil terminal is a tad unlikely.

 

Might see you at Lichfield show on Saturday. I'll be there with my boys late morning.

 

Cheers

I hope to get along Saturday as well.

[sdw7300]

I hope to get along Saturday as well.

Great stuff, will be nice to say hello.

[big T]

Thanks Trev.

 

I had a play with my homemade static grass applicator tonight and got it working. I think I was using too fine mesh for the longer grass. Thanks for the offer of your spare, very kind, but I'll be ok.

 

I think I'm going to stick with the virtual quarry. As Andy P says, more potential for wagon variety. Sticking a flask facility next to an oil terminal is a tad unlikely.

 

Might see you at Lichfield show on Saturday. I'll be there with my boys late morning.

 

Cheers

 

 

No probs mate

 

I think that a VQ is a good way to go - I'm biased as I like engineers stuff!

 

Sound as. Ill try and get over in the morning and I may have or or two miserable teenagers in tow, depending if I can prise them from their slumber!!!

 

Trev

[Marcus 37]

Hi Sam

Great work as usual mate. Static grass looks really good. Need to get some longer grass for PDW eventually.

Really love the Europhoenix tractor. Did you do that yourself? If so its a superb job.

Think I'm with Andy and Trev and go for the VQ mate.

The headshunt will look like VQ 5 at Bescot which is just long enough to store two loco's on. Im there tomorrow so will try and get a picture if I stable our loco on there.

Cheers

Marcus

[sdw7300]

Hi Sam

Great work as usual mate. Static grass looks really good. Need to get some longer grass for PDW eventually.

Really love the Europhoenix tractor. Did you do that yourself? If so its a superb job.

Think I'm with Andy and Trev and go for the VQ mate.

The headshunt will look like VQ 5 at Bescot which is just long enough to store two loco's on. Im there tomorrow so will try and get a picture if I stable our loco on there.

Cheers

Marcus

Thanks Marcus. Yes, I re-liveried the Europhoenix- have a look at my new workbench thread for more pics (link in my footer).

 

Some photos of Bescot VQ would be appreciated if you can grab any. The best view I get is whilst driving on the M6!

 

Cheers

[sdw7300]

I bought a couple of second hand locos ages ago, tried to run them, failed, then gave up. This week I decided to give them a proper service!

 

First up 59206 

 

Bought from the second hand stall at DEMU 2015. It's a repainted Lima model with a Lenz DDC chip hard wired in. Could never get it to run properly so I unsoldered the motor, dropped out the bogie and stripped the motor down completely. I think the problem was motor was full of gunk - the plate which the brushes make contact with was black. After a thorough clean with some IPA (not the beer!) and re-assembling the motor worked! 30mins each way on the rolling road and it works fine (although it's still quite loud!).  

 

Secondly 67029 with large Beasties!

 

After seeing photo's of this loco on Flickr with the large Beasties I had to have one. This is a Hornby ebay special with the description "doesn't run very well". After removing the body I spotted one of the axles from the centre mounted motor to one bogie was jammed. Once freed up, she runs really well. Comes with white directional lights but not red rears. The PCB has solder points for the rear lights so I might add these at some point.

 

Both need a light weathering.

 

I also have a Lima 67029 in the same large beastie livery - it's been repainted and looks a dog's dinner. This, along with a Lima 60 might be next on the workbench for new liveries. Just not sure what yet....

 

 

[class"66"]

DB 66 looks spot on!!

realy must buy one soon for Banks road..

[sdw7300]

DB 66 looks spot on!!

realy must buy one soon for Banks road..

Ha, right shape, wrong class (it's a cl.59). Although I couldn't tell you the difference.....!

 

Thanks Neil.

[Revolution Mike B]

I bought a couple of second hand locos ages ago, tried to run them, failed, then gave up. This week I decided to give them a proper service!

 

First up 59206 

IMG_2041.jpg

 

Bought from the second hand stall at DEMU 2015. It's a repainted Lima model with a Lenz DDC chip hard wired in. Could never get it to run properly so I unsoldered the motor, dropped out the bogie and stripped the motor down completely. I think the problem was motor was full of gunk - the plate which the brushes make contact with was black. After a thorough clean with some IPA (not the beer!) and re-assembling the motor worked! 30mins each way on the rolling road and it works fine (although it's still quite loud!).  

 

Secondly 67029 with large Beasties!

IMG_2042.jpg

 

After seeing photo's of this loco on Flickr with the large Beasties I had to have one. This is a Hornby ebay special with the description "doesn't run very well". After removing the body I spotted one of the axles from the centre mounted motor to one bogie was jammed. Once freed up, she runs really well. Comes with white directional lights but not red rears. The PCB has solder points for the rear lights so I might add these at some point.

 

Both need a light weathering.

 

I also have a Lima 67029 in the same large beastie livery - it's been repainted and looks a dog's dinner. This, along with a Lima 60 might be next on the workbench for new liveries. Just not sure what yet....

 

I love my Lima 59s Sam......and they don't need sound chips