Vale of Oxbury BR Western Region N Gauge

[carlwooduk]

Time to share my Progress on the layout continuing on from my thread on the old RM Web.


Background

For any readers who had not passed by the thread, that was started in Feb 2009 I will briefly re-introduce Vale of Oxbury.
Set in the Western Region, early 1960??™s, a freelance design inspired by the track layout at South Brent, Devon but located in my mind in the Wilts, Oxon / Berks area. So, plenty of Swindon Work??™s finest products from Kings to Westerns. Souhern visitors welcome from nearby as I have a soft spot for their loco's as well!


The layout is 12 ft by 4ft built on 3 Boards from Birch Ply, supplied by Brilliant Baseboards, it will be exhibited at an height of 4 Ft 6???. Code 55 Peco Track, DCC control throughout. Double track Main line, Branch line, small yard with Goods & Engine Shed with Turntable. Rail served Dairy. 8 track Fiddle Yard to store 16 trains.

Latest Progress

Having wired in the DCC Track Bus I was able to run trains on both up and down lines, only 1 Snag to address, the Branch line exit track from the double slip has a short! A problem yet to be resolved so, I may be asking for help later!

The left end baseboard with the tunnel now has the topography 90% complete, it was time consuming but, strangely satisfying to hand carve the Kingspan Insulation foam board.

Main focus over the last 2 months has been the centre board, I was able to negotiate with SWMBO to have the board in the house, I now work in our rarely used Dining room! Winter modelling in a cold garage no more, fingers crossed.

DCC trickery has continued, I have installed Team Digital SMD82 Point decoders, I was amazed that I got all 8 Seep PM1??™s to work from the unit 1st time, from my NCE Powercab. I have yet to attempt route settings, just changing 1 at a time for now.

The platforms have been built using Peco Brick edging with plasticard surface. When the buildings are placed, it??™s starting to look like a real railway at last.

Having planned the roads on the layout, they have been laid using Hardboard; the road under-bridge has been scratch-built using Ratio brick sheets and cut down Peco steel girders.

Next jobs

Will be to finish the roads on the centre board, fit the Motorised Peco Turntable that is currently being modified by Andy at DCC Supplies to be fully DCC controlled and fix the short on the slip!!

A couple of pics to show progress, taken with a flash so a bit underexposed at the back. As always feedback and suggestions appreciated.
Carl

Edited December 3, 2016 by carlwooduk

[Karhedron]

Hi Carl,

 

Nice to see Vale of Oxbury progressing. I will be following this one with interest.

[7APT7]

Hi Mate

 

Love the photos and the way you have cut the base top out where not needed, is that to make them lighter for transporting to exhibitions in the future...?

 

Layout that??™s done so far looks great, keep the photos coming...

 

Jamie

[nebnoswal]

G'day Carl,

that's some good progress you've made there. I too will be watching this with interest. I assume you will be swapping your Manor soon?

cheers

Ben of Oz

[Scale7JB]

2mm is far from my thing, but this is looking lovely...!

 

Look forward to seeing it progress...

 

JB.

[carlwooduk]

Thanks for the feedback so far.

Slip now working

With resolve and patience I have cured the short on my douple slip!! 2 snags that needed correcting . With the middle board now working perfectly I have taken a few more pics in Natural light.

 

Question about Footbridge

I have yet to make a decision on adding the Roof to the ratio Foot bridge, as supplied it has a curved roof. Most WR ones I have photos of have a straight pitch, I could have a go scratch building such a style an another idea is to leave the roof off and have some visible passengers crossing the bridge. Suggestions anyone?

 

So with the roads on the middle baseboard complete, until the turntable arrives its time to move on to the left board to progress with point wiring and basic Senic work.

Carl.

[Karhedron]

Question about Footbridge

I have yet to make a decision on adding the Roof to the ratio Foot bridge, as supplied it has a curved roof. Most WR ones I have photos of have a straight pitch, I could have a go scratch building such a style an another idea is to leave the roof off and have some visible passengers crossing the bridge. Suggestions anyone?

Leaving the bridge uncovered would be fine IMHO. Bridgnorth has just such a footbridge, the photo below is in its current state but it was much the same in the early 60s.

 

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=120050&nseq=8642

[carlwooduk]

A long overdue update on progress with the Vale of Oxbury.

 

 

All the baseboards have been set back up in Garage. One draw back of keeping the centre board in the house over winter is that there appears a fractional expansion in the MDF/ Ply boards and the tracks are about 1mm out of alignment with the Board that stayed out in the cold! I will need to carefully lift about 4 pieces of track and re-glue the Copper Paxolin strip with epoxy to get it all aligned……typical.

 

 

 

On a more positive note, I have virtually finished the topography, road bases and Bridge for the right end Baseboard. The roads are made from 3mm Hardboard, the landscaping has been done with 50mm Foam Insulation Boards that have been glued using “No more nails†type glue, cut and sanded down. Where needed, lightweight pre-mixed filler has been used as well.

 

Next step is to paint the surface with interior textured paint, tinted with acrylic umber paint.

 

 

The bridge was scratch built to span the 3 tracks, using a Knightwing Girder and Ratio Brick. I am pleased with the look for it to act as a scenic break as well.

 

 

The engine shed has been undercoated and again placed in situation so I can get a better feel of the yard / MPD area. The single track shed is based on the one that existed in Kingham.

 

Platforms are now in situ, ready for priming. They will accommodate a 6 carriage stopping train.

 

 

Next job will be the topography on the middle board, the fitting of the DCC controlled Peco turntable and the fitting of the point motors on the other 2 Boards. Only 12 months to the "Vale's" first exhibition booking in April 2011!!

Carl

[Bangor Lad]

Very nice. Looking forward to seeing this develop

[Scale7JB]

Should be a great 2mm/ft exhibition layout..

 

It seems there is a shortage of good exhibition layouts in this scale..

 

JB.

[carlwooduk]

Latest progress report on the Vale. The hard Landscaping is 95% complete and new lighting pelmet added.

 

.

 

I like to jump ahead on certain jobs to get a feel of what the layout will ultimately look like so, 3ft of Backscene added on the left hand end. Need to seal it with Artists fixative to avoid any mishaps. I must say gluing it with Border adhesive was a real pain, but I got there in the end.

 

 

The 3 bridges on the layout being scratchbuilt took an age, a few need the side walls added but that will be more straight forward, I am pleased with the 2 underbridges on the middle board.

 

 

Now what job to tackle next, I should really finish off the point wiring. I have made a tradition control panel box to sit over the fiddleyard using a Track schematic with CDU, Stud & Probe. I just did not get on with the DCC SMD82 Point decoders operated via the DCC handset. So out they came!

 

 

Lastly a view of the Shed with Peco Collett. The shed really does need painting and gutters and drainpipes.

 

 

Cheers Carl.

 

 

[Revolution Ben]

Hello,

 

This is looking very good. Where is the backscene from? It's very effective!

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[westerner]

Some how missed this one before. Great to see another WR layout on the forum. Will be interested in seeing this one develop.

[Barchester]

Well done Carl. Impressive and an inspiration for

my own efforts in N gauge.

 

I sympathise with DCC point control, I went for the Lenz units but

they are an absolute pain with the Lenz controller. I am looking

to use a computer. Also found it hard to see which route set.

[kiwinewt]

Any progress as we get closer to your deadline?

[Brinkly]

Hi Carl,

 

As Alan said I've only just caught up with this thread, looking at modern day N Gauge locomotives and comparing them with items from even 10 years ago things really have improved. When you think about it to achieve a similar size in 4mm would require 24ft by 8ft, so it is appealing.

 

Anyway good luck and I look forward to watching future updates.

 

Kind regards,

 

Nick.

[carlwooduk]

Thank you chaps for the nudge to provide a long over due update on progress on the Vale. Over the last couple of months I have been working on the following tasks.

 

1. Fitting over 30 Seep point motors ( very boring! )

 

2. Making the control panel with a track schematic that will sit over the fiddle yard.

 

3. Fitting the point switches on the panel that will operate with “All Components†LED point indicator units

 

4. Attaching the backscene to the centre board.

 

5. Fitted the 2 electro magnetic un-couplers for the DG couplings in the Bay platform and Goods yard entrance.

 

6. Finished the walls around the double underbridge.

 

7. Painted and detailed the Peco Turntable with

 

· A scratch built turning handle from Styrene and wire.

 

· Modified deck to accommodate above.

 

· New finer handrails fitted to deck.

 

· Brick paper for well walls.

 

· Well pit covered with very fine limestone and weathered.

 

· Rubbed off the Peco “ crazy paving†on the well edge ready for painting.

 

8. Fitted the DCC controlled / Motorised Peco turntable it works. clockwise, I need to suss out why it will not reverse!

 

9. Purchased 2mm assoc GWR style Buffers that were built from the etch by my friend, Ian Metcalfe. One is fitted by the turntable; a massive improvement on the coarse Peco rail built type.

 

10. Fully ballasted the Middle board using a mix of Buff Woodlands fine and Green scene materials. Medium brown ballast was added in the yard / siding area.

 

11. Ballast attached using “Johnsons Klear†via a syringe, coloured using Black and Brown washes from Games workshops. Rather pleased with outcome, just needs slight painting of rails sides and some more weathering with an airbrush.

 

 

My original target of a 2 year build to be ready April 2011 will not be achieved. I should make good visual progress this year ready for the Exhibition Circuit in 2012.

 

 

A few pics of progress, I am never happy with exposure of indoor pics on my camera.

 

Carl

[Kris]

The work that you have done on the TT was most defiantly worth it based on the photos.

Have you thought what you are going to do to hide the join between the baseboard and the backscene?

[Nick M]

Great progress Carl - looking very nice ( Nick M )

[Karhedron]

Hi Carl, great progress, nice to see you are back in the (metaphorical) saddle.

 

The ballasting in particular looks superb, the blend you have used captures the golden hues of ballast in the area surrounding the Cotswolds very well. Did you find that using Klear left the ballast glossy at all? I am planning to use it on my layout and was wondering whether I would need to add some matting agent to it.

[NWJ]

Thank you chaps for the nudge to provide a long over due update on progress on the Vale. Over the last couple of months I have been working on the following tasks.

 

...4. Attaching the backscene to the centre board.

 

...

A few pics of progress, I am never happy with exposure of indoor pics on my camera.

 

Carl

 

Enjoyed the pics of the progress. Just out of interest though, please could you tell me where you sourced the backscenes from. They really help to enhance the Vale.

 

Thanks

 

Neil

[scanman]

This is the first time I've seen this layout - impressive! I particularly like the use of 2mm/'N' scales' biggest asset - the ability to put the railway in the landscape. Whilst I understand it is based on Brent (& I always think it better to follow a prototype, even if not slavishly) the air of spaciousness really does come over well, assisted by those brilliant backscenes. Did you make them youself?

 

I;ll definitely be following this one!

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Claude_Dreyfus]

At the risk of another 'me to' post, I have to say I am most impressed with the quality of your modelling. I also especially like the way the layout fits within its landscape...the backscene looks particularly effective.

[Allegheny1600]

Hi Carl,

Yet another 'me too'(!) I'm afraid, you've virtually convinced me to give up modelling the WR in 4mm and go N gauge!

Those Hymeks on milk tanks look superb, as does the whole 'ambiance' of the layout, Hmmm........

Cheers,

John E.

[carlwooduk]

Chaps,

 

Appreciate the feedback so far. The Vale has been designed with the old phrase " less is more" approach. Thank you for the comments that it's starting to look a layout in the landscape, that is my aim.

 

The South Brent track scheme just ticks so many boxes for me, Double track main line, single line branch entering a platform loop, a modest goods yard but, with the shed and turntable being modellers license ! The road under bridges on both the Main and Branch are inspired by Tiverton Junction.

 

The scenic side of the baseboards from edge to backscene is 2ft 6" deep, so lots of scope for items in the foreground to take the eye away from the difficult Backscene join. It may not be clear on the layout photos but, there is a road at the rear going all along the middle board so, between that and the backscene will be Hedgerow , some fencing and a few Trees. Probably a couple of railway cottages, I have some reference Photos of ones near Fairford I plan to model. Its a diiffcult area to get right,. Anyone recall any favourite layouts in any Gauge that have cracked it?

 

The Backscene of Oxfordshire/ Cotswold Countrside was from an Ebay trader who persoanlly produced them in N & OO. They have not been listed for over 12 months, Sorry I never kept their details.

 

The use of Klear for the Ballast has been a huge success, No gloss at all. I did a short section using neat Klear, but I am happier when it was tinted with the Ink washes from Gamesworkshops. BTW the Ballast was initially whetted using a mix of Water / Isopropanol 80:20; sprayed using a very fine pump mister.

 

Carl