London Calling.. WR Mainline - Acton Green

[rob D2]

It's a great layout but I'm surprised you've. Gone for semaphores not colour lights

Edited December 12, 2015 by rob D2

[SparxD428]

It's a great layout but I'm surprised you've. Gone for semaphores not colour lights

Hi Rob,

Actually I haven't , I will be doing colour lights. The semaphores were scratchbuilt for my last layout Westquay, and I have just been using them on this layout to get an idea of signal positioning when I get the colour light signals. Have been contemplating scratchbuilding a basic 4 aspect signal using LEDs just to see if it will look OK and save a few quid as I think I'm looking at around £25 a throw for off the shelf kits, which I probably will end up getting as the last items before ballasting!

Cheers,

Stu.

[SparxD428]

Earlier today I had a bit of time to do some modelling on the overbridge. Painting, weathering, anglicising all done today. Just now have to work out how to split the backscenes in a way that would seem to take the road away into the distance. More experimenting with printing or yet another bridge on a bridge option??

Quite happy with another refurb of the Hornby buildings and the scratchbuilt bus stop and printed signs.

 

And of course an impulse buy yesterday at Alton Model Centre. Every London layout needs a Routemaster on a bridge surely. Even if route 11 is a little lost but not by too far so could be road diversions.

 

Cheers,

Stu.

 

Routemaster and station. Tube station building is going to be separate in the background but can be accessed from Platform 4 of the station.

 

Awkward corner backscene to deal with

[SparxD428]

15 out of 16 point motors in the scenic section now wired, leaving me only 1 short at present. So I think I may have to start building a panel soon.

Also printed and scaled down a road disappearing into the distance for the bridge - not perfect but with so much going on in the corner the eye doesn't spot the join that much. Just need to put  a retaining wall on the other side to really finish the effect.

DCC still running well. ordered a Howes sound chip today. Maybe noise by Christmas,

Cheers,

Stu.

[SparxD428]

Purchased 2 more Decoders yesterday and now have both 50020 and 33004 chipped up. 50004 after severe attention is still suffering horrendous squealing and it appears to be coming from the drive gears inside the no.1 end bogie. So more attention required when I have some time to concentrate as stripped it out a fair bit last night but didn't want to split the bogie until I can see clearly how it comes apart.

 

Finished painting the Platform 2/3 footbridge and also printed a couple more signs including a Do not alight here in a very tight space where the platform disappears under the bridge and a large end of platform Acton Green sign.

 

Have now been able to run 4 trains on all lines and no problems touch wood with the electrics.

 

Took a couple more pics too.

 

Cheers,

Stu.

 

33004 (showing incorrect 62 headcode) pauses with a short TTA train whilst 11 is on parcels duty

 

Footbridge 2 now painted up and positioned with a canopy for company

 

 

[P.C.M]

Hi Stu,

You are making some great progress, the layout is looking superb. Nice too see a Crompton out on the mainline.

 

Cheers Peter.

[SparxD428]

Hi Stu,

You are making some great progress, the layout is looking superb. Nice too see a Crompton out on the mainline.

 

Cheers Peter.

Thanks Peter, thought I needed to chip up the Crompton to break the dominance of the Vacs just a little bit and I remember them occasionally on various freights on the WR main. All the old DC loco's safely away in boxes. Almost feel like I'm starting the collection again but will run with what I have for now.

Cheers,

Stu.

[SparxD428]

DCC sound has arrived at Acton Green. Shoe-horned a Howes(ESU) decoder into 50020 today. Had a little play and its not too bad, might need to tweak the settings a little so if anyone out there has Howes sound in their 50s would be interested in the settings for SV, Acc, Dec & TV. 

So the Operable Acton fleet is up to 5 currently. Hopefully not enough to distract me from continuing the layout build, particularly the monotonous work of painting rail sides and then worse than that, ballasting. I think that can wait until 2016 when everything else is done.

 

Cheers,

Stu.

[Temeraire]

Hi Stu

 

Been away a couple of nights or I would have replied earlier. Just checked both Ajax and Illustrious that you played with on Tidworth and settings are:

 

SV 1, Acc 30, Dec 20, TV 40.

 

I started with the settings that Kevin uses on Leaford where Acc & Dec are double these values but I found them a bit too sluggish on a roundy roundy (Exford Park) so I lowered them to the values above. 

[SparxD428]

I was hoping to get a lot of work done today on the layout having a free day. Having painted a stretch of rail and rewired a couple of point motors I decided to have a play, only to find constant overload on the controller. Continuity check proved a short somewhere, and I don't have power districts. Removed all stock, buffer stops, clutter, everything and anything and visual inspection of all dropper connections yielded nothing !!

So started the laborious task of methodically disconnecting droppers from the bus and continuity checking until I located the section containing the fault. Found it though really have no idea what caused it. All reconnected and seems to be working again. Glad I made a dropper/bus map to help me, not one of the more enjoyable afternoon on the layout. Still , lucky I found it relatively quickly otherwise I envisaged days of cable checking and testing !!

Think I'll leave it for the rest of the day now..

Hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year.

Cheers,

Stu.

[NIRCLASS80]

Great layout, keep those Class 50's rolling, love it.

[SparxD428]

Been busy again. Some scrubland has appeared at the front of the layout by the down main, and also a points control panel has been built.

I wanted to keep it small and simple rather than overbearing, so it is just a simple piece of MDF with thin frames approx 9in x 4in size. Next I designed the diagram using paint, and printed off on to 6x4 photo papers (scaled to fit across 2 sheets). Due to close proximity I had to move some of the studs, which are just panel pins. After first soldering I discovered small 5A terminal blocks screw perfectly to the panel pins thus making it easy to wire for future removal and also cover the sharp pointed ends !

And it actually works beautifully so dead chuffed !

 

Also weathered a Railfreight van which will be the resident stores van, as there is no road access to the depot end so any supplies will be loaded at the opposite siding and shunted in when needed - just need to buy a chip and hard wire the 08 next up.

 

Thought I would take a few pics too.

 

Cheers,

Stu.

 

1. New Panel

 

2. Weathered van

 

3. Scrubland inside DM

 

4. and of course some trains. 50020 arrives wrong line with van service for the bay whilst number 4 idles by the shed.

 

 

[SparxD428]

Been nearly 2 months since my last post and not a lot of work has happened on Acton Green due to work circumstances over the past 6 weeks. However onwards and upwards, they should be resolved soon so to celebrate this has arrived from Liverpool this morning

 

 

 

So now with something new & shiny to look at I may start pulling the paintbrushes out and do what I should be doing (rail side painting).

 

Cheers,

Stu.

Edited February 20, 2016 by SparxD428

[SparxD428]

Slowly getting back in the groove with the layout, which is just over 1 year old since the first piece of wood was cut. So progress overall in the last 12 months has been pretty good. I have spent more time rail side painting so slowly getting there. About 25% of the rails in the scenic section to do now so on the home stretch.

 

I have also weathered 33004 and added the Heljan snowploughs, although I haven't done the manufacturers build but instead cut the ploughs individually and glued them to the bogie either side of the coupling, and dispensed of the requirement of the centre plough as I am sure if I remember some 33's only had side ploughs, although not sure if 33004 was ever one with ploughs.

 

Also I have shoe-horned a Bachmann 36-555 chip into my 08 and have this up and running, although i have yet to add extra pickups so lots of cleaning will be required. I have the bodyshell so tight I have a feeling it may eject itself under the strain or just crack in the centre.

But for now she's holding good.

 

I have also purchased some dark brown ballast to mix slightly with some buff as that dreaded time will be approaching once the rails sides are done.

And finally, I will be at the Basingstoke show on Saturday helping Ian crew Tidworth so if anyone is going come over to say hi and have a drive.

 

Just some pics to finish.

 

Cheers,

Stu.

 

33004 on Speedlink Freight - I added the ploughs after I had done some weathering so she has the look that says her home depot has just prepared her for winter.

 

Passing the 08 with its stores van parked up in the short loop.

 

 

 

[SparxD428]

Did some test ballasting on a couple of stretches last night which has only just dried so will hoover up tomorrow and post some pics.

Unfortunately due to a schedule change with my new job I am not going to make Basingstoke this Saturday now. 

P'ah !

[SparxD428]

Back from a week abroad with work and unfortunately I will be away from home in 2 possibly 3 of the next 4 weeks too, so any layout time at the moment is a bonus. Extended the test ballast area a little tonight. I am using 2 out of the bag shades of brown, trimmed with buff around the shoulders. I may yet the weather the track part to give it a little more consistency, but so far reasonably happy. 

Will try and get some more done over the Easter weekend as I do at least have that time off.

 

Here are some lovely pictures of ballast !

 

Cheers,

Stu.

 

 

[SparxD428]

Another busy weekend with ballasting and some further work on the block of flats and the stabling shed.

Have about 25% of the track ballasted now on the scenic section so progress is slow. Had a few snags to sort but seems to be working OK now.

Had a little running session afterwards to check all 4 lines good as well as all crossings. Happily all is well currently.

 

Took a few pics as well.

Cheers,

Stu

 

DPU 55991 waits to cross off the main into the relief platform

 

50004 stops on the down main

 

DPU unloading in platform 4. Stabling shed can be seen in the background now fully "plated" waiting painting and weathering.

 

More structure work on the block of flats

 

[SparxD428]

More steady progress on the layout today. Some small advance on the ballasting has been done but that gets boring, so spent the rest of the day weathering up the speedlink goods platform, the stabling shed, the old Lima GUV as well as scratchbuilding a fuel tank from an anglicised TTA for the fuelling point.

All in all a good days progress. Might even start on the brickwork for the block of flats this evening. As usual took a couple of pics at the end of the working day.

Cheers,

Stu

 

Stabling shed weathering completed. Just need to add a few details now like drain pipes, other pipework and possibly the edge of a yellow/black wasp stripe depicting a roller or shutter door.

 

Fuelling point with a new tank. Playing with positioning so this may change. Also weathered up the little hut to live here for the moment anyway

 

08243 with the better weathered GUV. I need to weather the 08 at some point but until I sort fitting better pickups that can wait. Difference between the factory BR blue and the weathered GUV blue is now obvious

 

And finally an updated view from the overbridge looking towards the station

 

[SparxD428]

Some more progress on the layout before I have to go on a work trip next week. I have built a small stores hut which is loosely based on such a structure that was at West Ealing in the 1980's next to the site of the old signal box as I thought it would look better next to the overbridge than another wooden hut.

A little more ballasting as well has been done as well as some more work on the block of flats, and some on the fuel point. Need to really decide how I am going to get road access to the speedlink platform and what structure I will put there. Funnily enough the old milk platform at West Ealing is what I am planning to use as inspiration.

 

Took a few pic as well

 

Cheers,

Stu.

 

50004 idles by the new stores hut

 

50020 on the fuel point

 

33004 by the shed and also a view looking in to the shed.

 

And what to do here?? The next phase of the project.

 

 

[ess1uk]

Looking great

[SparxD428]

A busy weekend again on the layout finally. I have completed the ballasting towards the station scenic break, so about 70% of the final ballasting on the layout is now complete. I have also tidied up one or two snagging jobs on the ballast as I saw them so overall the layout is looking a lot tidier.

Last week at Fareham I purchased another Bachmann BG in Blue/Grey, second hand for a reasonable price, but I doubt it had left the box much.

So today I have weathered that to go with the old GUV,as well as weathering the 08 a little around the buffer beams and ends to tone down the bright yellow it has been exuding.

I have also taken a couple of pics using my work phone's camera, and I think they are vastly superior to my phone, even when reduced to < 1Mb to upload.

 

There are a few detailing jobs to do from the overbridge to the platform ends but the layout is beginning to take shape now.

A couple of pics from the works phone below showing 33004 and also the weathered BG in the stabling yard.

 

Cheers,

Stu.

 

 

[pitbull1845]

You can't beat a 33 with parcels stock Stu, the weathering's looking good. 

[class"66"]

Looking realy good with ballast down Stu..

 

 

cheers neil.

[P.C.M]

Hi Stu,

Layout and stock looking good. I would add a bit more grime to the underframes though.

 

Cheers Peter.

[SparxD428]

Hi Stu,

Layout and stock looking good. I would add a bit more grime to the underframes though.

 

Cheers Peter.

I agree Peter, I need to work more on the underframes as currently they are a little too "black".

I will probably give them a light wash with brown either thinned enamel or some acrylic mix in the near future just to break up the look.

If I can get mine within half of what you have achieved with your fabulous 33's I will be very happy.

 

Cheers,

Stu.