G-DIMB

I doubt I'm going to go with no building at all as i agree it would make it a little bit too bare. I'm wondering whether a kit bashed gaugemaster/Hornby HST shed or a peco one kit bashed with a new roof. Either that or a ready made scenecraft shed. Whatever it will be i would have to modify the hard standing area to fit the new shed.

Ive been spending some time looking at the layout over the last few days and Ive come to conclusion that i am not happy with the fueling shed. It looks OK but despite me putting a rather large amount of plastruct section to beef it up, its still too flexible which is causing numerous problems as it has to be removed for transport. I did think about permanently attaching it to the board but it would make cleaning the track difficult to achieve so could cause longer term issues. So I'm left with a problem. Do i put the current building to one side and replace it with something else or do i just simply go for no shed as after all its only a fueling/inspection point so would probably only have basic facilities anyway. Any thoughts?

Its the camouflage version for an armored train!

Ive just spent a few days reading through this thread from the very beginning (7th of October 2009 for reference) and its a massive source of inspiration for me and is partially a reference for my own project. I like the way you have modeled what you saw and not what you think you saw which is a very easy trap to fall into. One suggestion i do have is to cut the YouTube clips together into a longer video as it gets little disjointed between the different videos, if that's the biggest criticism i have however then i don't think you have much to worry about.

Sounds like the aftermath of a typical exhibition Saturday night gathering (remember them)!

I'm actually making a little test bed so i can try different techniques to find out which ones works best. Ive also just spent a few more pennies on some details from West Hill Wagon Works as Ive been suitably impressed so far with the quality of the items received. Ive also ordered some LEDs and the other lighting towers so i can install them. Hopefully also the DR4018 will be here soon too so i start to wire it in! And i still haven't found the time to get down to take photos of those tank ends......

Over the last week Ive been busy with the fencing and greenery. Most of it is by woodland scenics and is a range of various different colours and thicknesses although these don't come out so well in the photos. Ive still got more work to do on this to add some longer grasses to further break it up but i am waiting for them to come in. The shed now also has its roof which is simply Wills clear roof sheets with two plasticard strips to hide the joins. The tank area is also getting close to completion although i am still waiting to get a trip down to st Phillips marsh to get the tank faces done and then this can be bedded in properly. Ive also dumped the dyanmis set up and gone for an NCE power cab as it offers quite alot and seems to be well regarded amongst users. This will be linked with a Dijkelis (might have spelt that wrong) DR4018 point decoder which with a cross board connection will power all the points and also have its own power supply. Next jobs will be to wire the lights in (although I'm still waiting for 3 more lighting towers), weather the track with the airbrush and fit and paint the front fascias so it will begin to look even more finished. This will also mean it can move into its home inside the house and i can then begin the task of adding the smaller details.

And how many are us......

You need to have an under baseboard hideout like the box tunnel strategic reserve fleet where you can hide them. Or build another layout for them.

The horror of a blank page! Gah loaded for me as a blank page every time but now comes up!

Apologies again for dodgy phone cam pictures but it shows enough of the progress to date. Ive begun the fuel tanks which is a Ratio kit with a homemade base. For the tanks I'm planning to fit the end of them with a similar style to those at St Phillips Marsh Depot in Bristol which have Thomas faces painted on. Its looking like it will need to be a transfer to get it done correctly so a little field trip needs to be organized to get the necessary photos. Ive also begun fitting fencing and flocking in the back. Ive still got more to do as i ran out of ballast bond but i expect to have some more tomorrow so can finish off. It also tends to darken the ballast so the lighter the dark brown probably hasn't had its coat. All Ballasts and flocks are from the Woodland Scenics range. Another new addition is the footbridge as a scenic break. As the front of the layout was going to have buses parked on it i didn't want a bridge with a bus on so decided to have a footbridge to break it up. This is simply a Ratio station footbridge kit bashed into what you see there. I had actually picked it up from eBay for £5 and given the original price sticker was £4.75 shows it must have been around for a while without being used. Ive also put the first of the yard lamps in although i do still need 2 more so they will be fully wired in once i have those two. I also have secured them in case i knock them while leaning over. Another of the fair price models low relief industrial units arrived today which will go at the far right so i can have a little industrial yard there as this one has a roller shutter door in it. Hopefully this will be ready by Monday/Tuesday so i can begin to fit these and finish off the main structural work so i can begin final detailing. I also had a look at putting that extra pair of points in but sadly it would leave the head shunt too small so had to be discounted.

Did it involve a Norwegian Blue variant? Was it the nails that gave it away? The trouble is spare parts for some models is drying up and so demand for them goes up. The only way to get said parts is either through reproduction or dismantling "runners". Indeed i wonder if the fact that many of the newer generation of models have specific parts rather than the days of Lima and Hornby where a part would be reused over many models is making this more common and is growing into what is a massive market. In fact i recently bought 10 Lima 67s which were in a fair to poor state of repair (i do want a few but the seller wanted to sell them as a joblot so it was either all ten or none). I did consider using three of them for parts keeping the two i want, sell the other 5 or 6 as good complete models and sell the others for bits. However having seen what a good Lima 67 sells for compared to spare parts i could sell those 8 split for parts for nearly three times the price i could sell 5 working and 3 odds simply because of the demand so that what I'm going to do after all why on earth would you turn the money for nothing down?

I found them on ebay and simply stuck to foamboard. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114589800388?hash=item1aae1597c4:g:pPEAAOSw8dVe9IUS Is Plan Ahead https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114221516251?hash=item1a982205db:g:UEIAAOSwbPBeussb Measure Twice cut once. They have lots of others too of which i have too many.

Thanks for your comments. I will have a little play and see how it works out as i do have a spare set of points and that wouldn't be a major job to fit and could offer some extra operational interest.

I decided to use the Hornby shed as a base as in some respects its a very useful design and its also something alot of people don't use compared to the Peco train shed which is almost as common as the bus on the bridge. Also I'm hopeless at scratch building but I'm a passable kit builder and kit basher so used it as a base to make something a little different. Talking about Bristol Bath Road. I wish it was an original! Be worth a fortune now! I did think about using it as a layout name board but i think people would get confused!

Had a chance this afternoon to get some suitable sky coloured paint onto the back scenes. I use a colour called Toulon from B&Q as this isn't a bright blue and is more of a hazy/misty blue/grey colour which i think is not so in your face compared to some colours that i have seen used. Ive also added the brick bottoms to the industrial units and put the hard standing in for them to sit on. I do need to find some suitable air vents etc (i used the unit models range before but it seems to have disappeared and i cant find anything to replace it) together with signage to finish them off. The parcel from west hill wagon works also arrived today so i have some detail bits to paint up and get installed. I have to say so far they look very good for the price and i will certainly be keeping an eye out for any new releases. I also had some yard lamps arrive from railroom electronics but i still require 4 more so will need to wait until he gets more in stock before i can finish the job. Of course all this means that i can no longer put off ballasting and i think I'm going to go with Woodland Scenics Grey (Gray) Blend as i think it will give me a good coverage and will bed in well with some extra weathering. I guess the buff and dark brown shakers i currently have will have to continue in their use as weights when sticking things down. Also i notice there aren't many (if any) replies to this thread. I am always after feedback and i assume people must have some so if you have any suggestions please do mention them as i will always consider new ways to do things as i am most certainly still learning when it comes to all of this.

Today i have been mostly fencing and getting covered in bits of polystyrene. I decided that the industrial units didn't look right at the same level so decided to jack them up a little with a bush/weed/dead grass bank to add some colour. I'm also planning to have some waste ground just in front of the stabling sidings very much like the Latchford Sidings in Warrington and made decide to place a photographer in the bushes just like you used to see in real life. Ive also purchased another low relief unit from Fair Price Models however this one has a roller door on it for the very far end by the scenic break so i can have a little yard to add a little more interest and possibly park my Ford Transit and Cargo vehicles there being loaded or unloaded. Ive also invested in some of the scenic details by https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/westhillwagonworks They seem to be very detailed while being a reasonable price so i await their arrival which together with the building lights from layouts4u and the yard lamps this should really set the details off. I also have some fuel oil tanks made from the ratio kit which will be at the end of the siding next to the shed. This is so i can park up a TTA tanker in the end to simulate it being unloaded. I just need to find something i can bash into an unloading point. The next job and Ive been putting it off a little is the ballasting. I really cant decide which base colour to go for. I'm tempted by a grey but i do have a big bottle of Woodland Scenics Buff and a bottle of Dark Brown but i don't have any grey (if i do go grey I'm thinking medium grey blend) Obviously i will be weathering the track with an airbrush again once ballasted to simulate the dirt and grime that seems to build up over the years so it will blend in nicely with the surroundings, i just worry buff is too light and dark brown is well too dark. Apologies for dodgy cam work on one of the attached photos. I take them with the phone and it doesn't seem as a sharp as it once was but as its a 5 year old smart phone i suppose i really shouldn't criticize it too much! Anyway if anyone has any comments constructive or otherwise they are always interestingly received.

Some of the latest pics with some of my diesel hydraulic fleet posed. I now have to begin the ballasting which is a job i am never really enjoy but then does anyone? Actually looking at the photos again the 1970 scene does suit it.......

Got it all tested now and works fine which is always a big moment but Ive hit a problem. Ive been able to pick up a Dynamis Ultima for a good price which doesn't look like its had much use. The only trouble is for the computer control bit the program has been registered so i cant reuse it. Now my conundrum is do i buy another disk for £50 from Bachmann or do i dump it and go for the other option which was the NCE power cab? It didn't occur to me that the code is only valid once so once its been registered the program is useless without a new activation code and as such will affect any Ultima that has had this done. The other problem is i have found the ESU point decoders struggle a bit even with their own power supply and Ive been since advised to change them as they can be problematic hence this thought that perhaps i should change the lot option rather than throw more money at the problem. Comments and advice on this welcome! In terms of the layout i have had some low relief warehousing arrive from fair price models on eBay and they look very good and an excellent scratch-building aid. At the moment i have had two parts together so need to wait for the PVA to dry before i can begin spraying and adding brickwork and detailing. Ive also fitted the buffer stop lights which are train-tech units and marked out positions for yard lights. Oh and yes the shed now has lighting both on the inside and outside. Obviously none of this photo worthy but once its all wired in and ive put the buildings in position i will take some. Oh yes and i also painted the rails with the airbrush so they are now a lovely colour of sleeper grime.

While the layout hasn't had much done to it mainly due to time constraints, in the rare time i have had ive been getting on with the shed. Ive used the original Hornby glazing as it doesn't look to bad and its probably better than i could achieve. Ive also found some old Knightwing portacabins that i have modified and attached to the shed together which together with the brick sheeting is starting to resemble something a bit different. I'm intending to get the track weathered tomorrow by airbrush so i can begin the task of ballasting the track and also so i can do the hard standing for the shed area at which i am hoping it will begin to come alive. Ive also ordered some low relief industrial units from fair price models on eBay which i hope will arrive this week so these can also be painted and installed. Ive also changed era and location a bit. Its now set in the late 80s in the Bristol area. This is mainly so i can use part of the layout for a bus depot as i have a collection of EFE Badgerline buses (VRs, REs and Nationals) of which most have had at least basic details of new number plates, wing mirrors etc with some others completely resprayed with doors opened etc. This also allows me to make good use of the range of oxford diecast cars that are available for that period although again these will have been "improved" to take away the out of the box sheen with many of the tips shamelessly borrowed from Everard Junction. Also apologies about the dodgy photos. The phone camera doesn't seem to be as crisp as it used to be so once some more substantial things occurs i may have to break out the proper digital camera. Comments also welcome!

Had a clear afternoon today so decided to get on with the wiring. DCC power bus and I'm now just waiting to get the dcc unit and the point decoders so i can then finish it off and test it. I can then begin with the bit i enjoy the most, scenics. I find that the most satisfying as you can begin to see it all come together. In terms of hours spent so far its about 6 hours so far and while i'm aware its not to any kind of finescale its simply not meant to be that. Its mainly to be quick and simple so i have something to play on in the house while my bigger projects are bumbling along in the background.

Just a quick update but i have managed to lay some track tonight all of which is code 100 with electrofrog points. The DCC unit is also on its way i should be here on Tuesday so if i am able to get the track wired up over the weekend then hopefully i may be able to test it on Tuesday evening. Hopefully it will all work as planned.

I managed to spend some time outside today to get on with more woodworking so i can understand how i want things to go. Ive still got to do the front and end fascia units but i hope to have them done by the weekend. Ive changed the track plan a bit so it comes in more in the centre and removed a road i felt was a little unrealistic. I hope by next week to start laying the track and begin the wiring. The jury is still out on the dcc unit as i cant decide which to go for. Its either the Dynamis for which i like the handheld nature, ease of use but its annoying its infrared. The NCE power cab looks to fit the bill but at the moment is coming in about £60 more than the Dynamis or do i push the boat out and go for one of those digikeljs (might have spelt that wrong) so i can use my phone to control it. I have a sneaky suspicion it will be the Dynamis as I'm aware of someone selling one with pro box and two accessory decoders for at a price that is very tempting. £150 all in in fact..... Decisions Decisions.

All comments are welcome. Indeed there's something i cant get quite right in my head. If I'm honest i tend to wait till i physically have the track and board in front of me and then occasionally think that certain things look better. The scenic break is on the far right and is marked by the two lines with the board joint the line in the middle. In terms of the head shunt it was only for single locos to work on the stabling sidings from the actual servicing point although when i play around the actual track.

After having finally done something to show i thought id better start a thread in the layout forum section. First off its a 7.5ft by 2ft layout on two boards. Power is provided by DCC but i haven't as yet decided which one but as things are starting to move i will have to make a decision in the next few days. After building the boards i decided given how much a centre piece building it would be i thought i should build the shed first or at least the basis of it. Its started out as two of the Hornby fueling shed kits which are being heavily kit-bashed so that only the basic carcass is used but will have new roofs and glazing together with extra structural bits. Ive begun the first bits but there is a long way to go but i can now look at where the tracks can go and then begin the necessary prep work. I also have the back scenes which i will be fitting this afternoon. Apologies for the dodgy photos but sometimes my phone cam doesn't do the best. Ive also got a track plan but I'm not a 100% certain on it and there is a very good chance it may change ever so slightly. Any comments are always welcome especially if they don't contain lots of profanities about quality.