Philou

............... Philou Towers update incoming. Hats off! I have to take my hat off to those that construct their own track. I spent about three hours threading some bridge chairs onto some bullhead rail that @lezz01 kindly sent me. How do you do it? Despite having still nimble fingers and longish nails, the chairs had a bad habit of refusing to sit the right way up or would 'ping' off onto the floor - luckily not into the jaws of the carpet monster as we haven't got one. However, brown plastic on a wooden floor is almost as difficult to locate :) . Here are some photos of today's progress: ^ I found the easiest way to thread the chairs was to use some double-sided sticky down on the table - did help that it was glass! With a finger-nail as a back-stop, it was then much easier to guide the rail into the chair (the rail having been pre-champfered, natch). I speeded up the process by cutting off the sprue the exact number of chairs and then sticking them in groups of 8 on the sticky paper AND I remembered have an opposite chair at the joint so that the key against the fishplate could be secured. ^ Here is one of the baulks that I had ever-so carefully marked out with the spacings for jointed GWR track (44'6" panels) and it was then a simple task to slide them along the rail to their correct positions prior to glueing. You can see the pencil marks in the lower photo. One or two needed some fine adjustment (For example the 5th from the right in the photo above). ^ Four baulks all glued up. I now have to devise a way of putting all the transoms in place and then glueing them all up and keeping gauge. I have an idea for that which may work. I'll let you know how I get on. I will also have a gravel board at each end of the pairs - I have assumed that in real life a gravel board is used to stop ballast getting spread over the bridge deck. Tomorrow, the excess rail will be snipped off using a Xuron cutter, ends refiled and champfered and a lick of paint all ready to be stuck to the deck, when that is done. As an aside, I found that the double-sided tape was so sticky, I couldn't peel it off the table! A bit of solvent and a sharp scalpel did for it. Another little task completed. Back to my retaining walls and then a whole piece of rail may be glued in the branch line cutting - whoohoo! Cheers everyone and enjoy the weekend, Philip

Hello chums and chumesses, I went to the FREMO show yesterday afternoon. I was very surprised that it was not open to the public. Apparently the German Fremo groups don't do much by way of open doors and keep it for themselves - a bit like a private club I suppose. All the modules joined up made an enormous layout - about 60 x 40m and apparently it was only part of what they had back at home. I took away from it that their level of modelling is far superior to that of the club :(( , we're going to have to pull our socks up! Also the FREMO modules are quite high off the ground around 5' (1.4 - 1.5m) - children definitely need something to stand upon. Our club had built a spiral to join the French and German modules together. It was all DCC with mini-handsets plugged into the modules via RJ45 (telephone) plugs. The handsets weren't of a make I recognised, but possibly specially made as they were all stamped with the FREMO name. Upside was that as there were telephone sockets everywhere you could unplug the handset and follow your train to its destination. Just one console plus boosters to control the whole thing. With Germanic efficiency, all trains were labelled in the various fiddle yards with the loco type and fleet number, DCC ID N°, consist, destination and time it was supposed to leave the fiddle yard (I had to smile as with Gallic efficiency the timetable had gone completely to pot! :)) ). It all worked by section and acceptance or clearance of each train was done by internal landline to the next controller along. What I found odd was that where there was double track, wrong line running had been imposed (for the Germans) that meant the French modules had their signals facing the wrong way - bizarre that as I would have had the trains keep to the correct side on emerging from a single line section. The downside was the very, very long sections of single track meant waiting forever for a train to clear before another could leave with long periods of inactivity - much like real life. I did take some photos: ^ This was the set up - the FREMO modules on the left and ours on the right, it was big! ^ Vorsprung durch technik ^ The difference between ours and theirs was quite evident - very generous curves and (I thought) very good scenery especially the static grass - flocking good springs to mind! Some technical stuff: ^ This was our 'connector' between the Junior Modules and the FREMO ones - the spiral (very much WiP) with three levels inside. Seemingly all the trains made it uphill! ^ A home-made loco lift - I though it was pretty neat. I have a detailed photo of it but I'm at the 10Mb limit and I can post it separately if wanted. It was made with a 400 x 50mm(ish) piece of 10mm ply base and 4 'A's made from 5mm ply and a length of 25mm dowel as a carrying handle - all glued and no screws or nails - even I could make one of those! A piece of rail tacked on the bottom and connection was made by simple bent wire prongs (as in the photo) at the end of the storage tracks. All-in-all, a pleasant afternoon. Cheers, Philip Update of happenings at Philou Towers to follow in a while ..................

Thanks chaps @lezz01, @Andy Hayter and @Nick C for the advice. I do have a problem with stockings as they catch on my hairy legs and Mrs Philou doesn't wear any - prefers shorty socks ones as she's wears the trousers most of the time! The vacuum I have is a low powered Silvercrest one from Lidl - no good for domestic stuff, ideal for modelling. It's bagless so no need for any additional filtering (stockings/socks) and it did what I expected it to do - tipping the contents on the floor notwithstanding - I stood it up nozzle end down and it tipped over, d'oh! I did look at Jura-Modellisme straight away as it would have been a nice day out but they don't have stock of the particular combination size/colour that I wanted. However, my nephew-in-law is on his way to Newcastle-u-T and I've asked if he could pick up what I want in the UK in 1L volumes - if he's got room in his luggage. Otherwise I'll source it here in France (Amazon have some too but not the right combo either!). As I'm off to the club this pm, I doubt if I'll do an update this evening as not much is getting done this morning! Cheers everyone, Philip

Another exciting day! Hello chums and chumesses, I did some static grass today - the bad news is I've run out and there are no local suppliers of which I'm aware around these parts. Good news is that tomorrow pm I'm going to the club where there's a Freemo exhibition set up with some German modellers that have brought their modules along. I shall get some addresses of local suppliers - no doubt Modellbahnlippe will be mentioned! I really want some bottles of assorted colours either from WW Scenics (based in Swansea) or Woodlands in various lengths. Do you want to see photos, do you, do you? Here we are: ^ This is my first attempt at flocking for me. I had some colour left over from yesterday to which I added some black acrylic giving me a rather dirty brown colour - just what I wanted. There was about two - three tablespoon's worth and I added a 40:60 water:PVA solution giving me a volume of the equivalent of half a yoghurt carton (no accurate measuring here - all done by eye). Working quickly, I liberally applied my dirty PVA mix over the lower backscene (not too much as the mix was quite runny) and then with the applicator I applied 3mm, 5mm and 10mm fibres in assorted greens - the 10mm being of a lighter hue. Once sprinkled to my satisfaction, I crossed over the trackbed and did the longer section adjoining the mainline, and finally ending up above the rockface and that's where I ran out of runny glue and fibres. Next time flocking, I'll dab a bit of PVA on a couple of the 'rock' outcrops of the rockface - nature does get everywhere! I am very very happy with the result despite there being a bit too much alongside the cess but that'll be scraped off eventually. As I coloured the PVA, even though I may have missed a bit or been a bit tight light with the fibre, it doesn't show. What's not to like? I passed a small 12v vacuum over it ready to recycle the excess. That was a palaver - had to find the vacuum that had been stored willy nilly on the earth floor of the barn (not me, guv') and then empty it of dust and dead spiders, clean the filter and container, dry it all and back into the barn asap. It worked straight away! Recovering from my surprise I then opened it up to retrieve the contents and promptly emptied it all on the floor - hey ho! All back in the vacuum and there it'll stay until I find a suitable container in which to store it ;)). What next? Back to the bridge as my rivet transfers have arrived but I have no base coat with which to paint the bridge - my local hardware store had all the colours of spray that you could possibly want except grey primer - another hey ho! However, all my transoms are cut and holes drilled in the baulks in which to place them. I shall start putting the bridge chairs in place tomorrow before I go to the club in the afternoon. Cheers everyone and keep smiling as another weekend is just around the corner! Philip

^ Those are the gantries to which I refered and they extend over the Valleys Line beyond the Bute Street bridge. However, I hadn't realised there was a rigidly defined frontier between NR and TfW. Banging and heads springs to mind. I do hope the OLE will get to Queen Street and Bute Road at the very least. So much for the green credentials of HMG. Cheers, Philip

@Hogan22 Just as a thought - is your track ballasted? It only needs a bit of ballast or a drop of PVA to either stop the blades from throwing or gumming up the tie-rods. Been there, done that! Cheers, Philip

I took some pictures with a different camera and no flash - it makes a difference: ^ This is the colour I should have liked for the print-your-own building papers as it reminds me of Raglan stone, but it wasn't to be. Looks less like bark in this shade! Cheers, Philip

Hello chaps and chapesses, Out came the acrylics this morning and the rock face was given a going over - I'm quite happy with the result. I'm letting it dry out completely for the rest of the afternoon as there were one or two patches of white dribble that hadn't completely dried overnight due to puddling and it being very cold in the barn. It didn't stop the colouring being done: ^ The flash has washed out the colour a little as it has a slightly redder hue - the photos make it look just like - well - er - tree bark. I'll try without the flash and post up again later. The flash has also lit up the darkest recesses showing the unpainted polystyrene behind, but under normal viewing conditions you can't see it. Next step: The timber baulks for the bridge have been cut to size and I shall amuse myself this afternoon marking out for the transoms and the spacings for the baulk chairs. I haven't yet received the rivets so I'll have to wait until there done before the baulks themselves are fixed to the deck (easier to apply the transfers). It'll also give me time to dig out my rollaguage that I acquired years ago - I know it's not fine enough for Code 75 but I should like it as a third hand/back up. More later, Philip

It's all looking good @br2975. Can't understand why they're not doing the OLE through Cardiff Central - can't be more complex than at Radyr AND the GWML electrification helped a bit Queen Street end by the huuuuuuuuuuuuge gantries that stretch over the SWML and the Valleys Line. Cheers, Philip

MY WRINKLY BOTTOM COVERED IN SNOW!! Hello chums and chumesses, As the headline suggests, the PVA had dried out overnight leaving a surprisingly hard crust on the 'styrene and out came the white paint and several hours later - ta daa: ^ Here we are - all the background 'styrene and the part to the right of Dymented, plus the bark have been 'blanked' out. The only casualty was a bit of the bridge retaining wall got a touch of white on it despite having a paint guard. I'll wait until the acrylics have been done on the rock face (just in case!) and a bit of colouring or a piece of printed engineering brickwork will mask it. As the crust of paper plus PVA is very firm, I'm going to cut out the plastering part - no point really as there's no infilling to be done and what has been now painted, will be covered in flock and other materials. Definitely motoring at the moment and I shall continue to do as much as possible over the next few days. Toodle pip, Philip

Ooer - my apologies to both @martin_wynne and @Wayne Kinney for getting BOTH your names wrong/back-to-front (blushes furiously) - nearly, but definitely NO cigar. Onto today which was yesterday's tomorrow. You've probably all heard of Crinkly Bottom? Well, here's Wrinkly Bottom: ^ Aaww c'mon Philou, you're mucking about. Well, as you can see I've dismantled the mainline (again!) and I've done some papering. I did one layer of kitchen roll wetted in situ with PVA yesterday and a second layer today criss-crossing the earlier one over most of the 'styrene. I said Wrinkly Bottom* as the kitchen roll has dried wrinkly, but I'm not bothered about that as flock and other scenic materials will hide it all. I haven't done the hillock between Dymented storage yard and the operating well as I'll probably need to lift it out, and also the storage yard, so I can start painting everything white once the PVA has fully dried. Once the white paint has dried then it'll be a case of getting the acrylics out and colouring the rock face. When done, I shall do all the back scene of Dymented in various flocks - just hope I've enough to make a decent start! Following all of that THEN I shall lay the branchline in the cutting and ballast it. Once I'm happy with that, then the mainline can go back in place with the skew bridge and the track laid and ballasted there as well. I shall then move into the station area itself. I can't get too ahead of myself as I'll need to acquire some point motors in due course and have the holes cut for those as well before any permanent fixing and ballasting - so much to remember and in the right order!! It's all going well at the moment - just hope not too well ................. *Wrinkly Bottom - I like that as a name. Should I change Dymented to that? Cheers everyone and probably more tomorrow, Philip

@lezz01 Ooh! You seem to have boxes of useful bits and bobs! I've never used SMP though I've heard a lot about it. I could make use of it as I said in the yards, but there is a section of track through Ledbury station where the Up is flatbottomed and the Down bullhead and still is today). Now that would really be 'as is'. My brother is due over at the end of the month (he of Lord and Butler of Cardiff). Now, if it was sent to him, he could bring it with him together with some other bits that I've pre-ordered. I'll clear it with him and get back to you on that - thank you. I'll have an EM template copy please - one question though - is it GWR? I ask because the Big Four didn't do things quite the same. I'm still not going to say what it was I did today until tomorrow - but the skew bridge is now 'finished' regarding cranks and angles and I await the transfers before painting and glueing - so a few days wait to completion - just as well when I reveal all tomorrow (and no, it wasn't track laying) ;)). Cheers, Philip

@lezz01 I hope you won't think too badly of me, but it's RTP (ready to plonk) track - flat bottomed Code 75 from Peco. Bullhead would have been good for the goods yards at Pontrilas and Ledbury, unfortunately that boat sailed ages ago as I'd bought all my rail before the bullhead was announced. I've got about 150yds of track and 68 points to lay and whilst hand built pointwork would have been most excellent, I feel time isn't on my side and I would become quickly frustrated if I didn't construct the first point perfectly. I've been looking at the Templot programme together with the British Finetrax pointwork (from the two Wynnes), but I'd have to redo all my drawing for the pointwork and there'd be a learning curve for both. However, I have seen how to 'flex' Peco pointwork to achieve better flow through junctions AND I did see somewhere (perhaps on RMWeb - though I can't remember clearly) drawings showing proper sleeper spacing when doing 60 foot panels. I could be tempted by that to make the trackwork less 'samey'. A sharp craft knife and a simple jig would sort that out. No photo today, but I have been extremely occupied - I'll tell you all tomorrow ;))). Cheers, Philip

Hello chums and chumesses, What a constrast between two days! Despite the cold I cracked on and I really got to grips with the 'styrene and save some tidying up (tiny infills and the like), the area around Dymented is done. I even got the plywood base and track bed back in place and so we have some photos especially for @Barclay - yay! I also managed to do a panorama but as it looks odd, I've also taken some 'normal' ones - here goes: ^ Here you have it in its full glory. From the extreme left we have Ledbury viaduct with the Rule 1 branch behind, that arrives at Dymented via an underbridge (middle left). This is where the skew bridge will go when completed. Above, on the viaduct, is the main through line (Ledbury to Pontrilas). The left hand part of the viaduct remains to be decorated. The green area in front of it is a small holding area for branch line stock. The central area is Dymented station - I have prepared the cut-outs ready for the platforms and a small goods platform in the front. Despite the rather short look, the station platform is over 1.4m in length overall. Towards the front edge will be an industrial building - what exactly, I haven't yet decided - but it won't be dairy. Either a mineral bottling plant (shades of Colwall and the Malvern Spring Water plant) or some form of industrial use requiring chemicals originating from the Chemical Works at Pontrilas. The headshunt to serve both the works and the goods shed will form part of the storage area. To the right of the station area is another headshunt with perhaps a coal depot at its far end. In between this and the mainline beyond, is the branchline rising up to meet the mainline on the right (out of picture). The retaining walls need cutting out and finishing along the main and branch line. On the far right, you can see the rising hill with the roadbridge acting as a visual break between Dymented and Pontrilas. Below are the 'normal' pictures in the same left to right order: Much remains to be done in terms of landscaping, but I can reach the far side using a hop-up so it shouldn't be too much of a task. I must confess having seen the track-bed in place, I was very tempted to say 'Buggrit' and start laying some track! I will be patient and do the dirty stuff first and then have a nice clean area upon which to commence track-laying. All in all, a very fruitful day. Cheers, Philip

I would send Rails an e-mail with your old Hattons order number, if you had one, and include the stock details. I did one in early February to them and got confirmation that the order was set up within a day or so (wasn't for coaches). Cheers, Philip