Brian D

I have had a few hours out in the shed today along with a few more on Sunday afternoon. Thus far, all the mdf lining is now sealed with diluted pva and the roof has had two coats of matt white emulsion. Hopefully I'll get the first coat of sky blue matt emulsion on the walls tomorrow afternoon - going to Lakeside tomorrow morning according to SWMBO apparently, so no work in the shed until later in the day. I have also just nipped out and had a final internal measure and appear to have a space 10 ft 6 inches by 6 ft 5 inches with which to create my layout, which is about what I was expecting having insulated and lined the nominal 11 ft by 7 ft shed. In between all of this, I'm making slow but steady progress reinstating the laptop to the level it was before it died a few weeks back. Among the software reinstalled is AnyRail 5 (which I had bought) and TurboCad, the computer aided drawing programme I use for drawing images like that in the above post (#76) and for drawing out card building outlines. I used to use TurboCad for layout design as well but AnyRail is so much simpler to use. Computers drive me nuts. For things that are supposed to be logical they are so not-logical sometimes. A case in point is the problem I think I have just resolved. When the repaired laptop returned I had to reload the software for my all-in-one Canon printer/scanner/copier. It steadfastly refused to load the drivers for the device but apparently Windows 8 had already provided the driver for the printer/copying functions but not the scanner. Several visits to Canon.co.uk were made to download the drivers without success - kept getting the same message that the drivers were not presently available due to technical reasons and to try again later. After a flash of inspiration, I visited the Canon USA website and I have now successfully download Windows 8 compatible drivers including the scanner function. The scanner is important to me as I no longer retain my railway magazines for any length of time, merely keeping scanned copies of articles of interest on the laptop. Progress on all fronts. Regards, Brian.

Thanks for popping in nathan9117. I did consider using my loft but the ridge level is too low. Nowhere in the roof space can I stand up straight. I measured things up and drew the attached. Cramped, I'm sure you will agree. Regards, Brian.

I wasn't planning to visit the DFR but inclement weather forced us to seek a "museum" on the satnav and we eventually ended up at Park End station on the line. A very nice chap in the DFR museum offered a tour or the workshops which was greatly appreciated. In between the rain I managed a few shots and caught the arriving dmu. Don't you just love the autumn colours in the trees. Oh, and you will see I didn't cross the line Regards, Brian.

Thanks, Jock. I'll post some pics on here of our travels which included the Dean Forest Railway. We had a great time - beautiful part of the world. Regards, Brian.

Thanks for that, Les. If I have understood you correctly (apologies if I haven't), what I have not shown is where the scenic part ends and the off scene part starts. I imagined a skew bridge just at the entry to the fiddle yard (just ahead of the Y point) maintaining the appearance of a dual track main line up to that point. The junction is very simple and allows only access to the "branch off a branch" and colliery sidings from the direction of the main terminus. Thus I envisage a shuttle passenger service between the main and branch stations and coal trains leaving the fiddle yard and proceeding to the reception siding at the main terminus for collection by the colliery loco. I've added some lines to the plan to try and show the skew bridge and back scene position. I hope this clarifies my thinking. Regards, Brian.

Hi Bigbee Line, If I can reply on Andy's behalf? In an earlier post Andy explained that the baseboard will be cut back in that area to give access to his work bench below. But if the work bench could slide out, traverser stile, then maybe your suggestion might work. Regards, Brian

Back from our short break in the beautiful Wye Valley, I ventured into the shed this morning for a little bit of a tidy up. Can't do much else today, getting too dark out there now for my temporary lighting. Tomorrow I'll crack on with sealing the mdf. In the meantime, I thought I would share with you some of my initial layout thoughts. Before doing that I will tell you about the problems I had with my laptop. Although my laptop has been repaired, I have learnt a severe lesson about carrying out regular back ups. The laptop was repaired under the 12 month warranty by having the hard disc drive replaced. All data there on was wiped and it came back with just the basic Windows operating system (the despicable Windows 8 and McAfee antivirus. I had not backed up the relatively new laptop for several months - well, it was new, wasn't it, I wasn't expecting any problems. Along with some other bits, I lost my AnyRail files. But I did take some prints at the time so I have phone pics of those A4 prints to share with you. Based on 4 mk1 coach express trains (an improvement on the existing of 1 additional coach) or possibly 5 short gresleys, I fancied a spiral type layout as shown below. Basically this design is very greedy having a main terminus served by a twin track branch, an intermediate station alongside a colliery and a fiddle yard under the main terminus. I developed the plan thus. Not being able to satisfactorily fathom out in my mind how the "buried" fiddle yard would work and could be built, I then considered shortening the branch from a spiral to a "U" shape with a simple fiddle yard shown behind the colliery station/branch off a branch as shown below. In all three plans, the grey blocks at the top and top right represent scenic town areas and I think you can just see a skew bridge over the station throat. A curved viaduct is also envisaged on leaving the main terminus. Any comments, critiques or comments on these initial proposals are welcomed. Regards, Brian.

Thanks for the suggestion, wireman (and greetings from the Wye Valley). I'll keep an eye on the rain splashing phenomenon you mention. Hopefully this wont be an issue for me. I have placed pea shingle behind the shed on two sides, principally to keep the weeds down. The other two sides are lawn. Nevertheless, I'll monitor that and fit gutters and downpipes as necessary. Thanks again for your advice. Regards, Brian.

Just caught up as you can see Les by all the various "Likes". I am familiar with the Durham coast line only from West Hartlepool to Easington (white steps). Is the viaduct you saw today similar to that at Crimdon Dene? Regards, Brian.

...a real engineers's attitude - "there ain't no such thing called a Problem, just think about Solutions" ...or if it works, don't fix it Off to bed now - early start to Bristol (tomorrow) and the Wye Valley for a few days. No work in my shed this week. Regards, Brian.

Must be downtime, or is it "Downton" time?

Hi Iain, RMWeb is so huge so I have only just caught up with the latest on your thread. Whilst I am not usually of the LMS/LMR persuasion, I can only admire and envy your superior work - simply stunning. Regards, Brian.

Spotted in Menorca some years ago now.... ... presumably some one didn't..

I don't want to talk about football!!!

Hi sp1, Thanks for your comment. You may be right about that brace but it's only a shed door (not a particularly heavy door like you see on loco sheds) and there is a further horizontal brace below and three substantial hinges externally. I'm focusing on sealing and painting the mdf so I can get the electrics sorted - that's what I see as the critical path. However, I intend to add additional edge timber to the door and insulate and line it with mdf as the rest of the shed. This should stiffen up the door even further. Regards, Brian.

I took a couple of snaps just now with my phone showing the completed insulation and lining - see below. I'm starting to get excited now - whoopie doo. Calm down, calm down. Anyway, while we were out this morning I popped into B&Q and found a nice tin of their own make "sky blue" matt emulsion - ideal for the walls once they have been sealed. I'm hoping I've got enough matt white left overs for the roof. Regards, Brian.

Good evening all, A bit of a land mark shed-wise today. All of the walls and the roof are now fully insulated and lined out internally with mdf , apart from the door which I will sort out later. So, next steps are to seal the mdf paneled roof and walls and then apply a couple of coats of emulsion paint. I fancy white for the roof a sky blue for the walls. Once the painting is finished, I'll get the electrics sorted. Sorry that there have been no photos posted lately. The dead laptop has now been repaired and was returned to me yesterday with a new hard disc drive installed resulting in some lost data and downloads . After much updating of Windows, anti-virus, reinstaling software, etc, I am now sending this message on the aforementioned repaired laptop. Nearly time for zzzzzzzzzzzzs. Over and out. Regards, Brian.

Good Evening Viewers, Latest update. No progress in the shed yesterday or the day before. Today, however, I have completed another quarter of the roof and had a hair cut! Before going to the barbers, I estimated that I had just enough mdf but not enough Jablite so, after haircut, another sheet of Jablite was brought home. More non railway related shopping trips are planned for tomorrow morning but hopefully I will complete the roof tomorrow pm. Regards, Brian.

Progress report. Considerable progress made today "sans grandson" (we will have him on Wednesday this week, not the normal Monday). Firstly, a trip to B&Q to get two more sheets of 8 x 4 9mm mdf (including cuts) and 2 same size 25 mm Jablite boards. The Jablite was cut up as usual in the car park, this time the right size to fit between the roof beams so saved a bit of mess in the shed. Then, this afternoon, I spent about 2 and a half hours in the shed (and in the drive finessing the mdf) and have completely insulated and lined half the roof. Unfortunately (a) the forecast for tomorrow will probably mean not much progress made after dentist for an extraction and elsewhere for a haircut and ( I don't think I've got enough mdf and Jablite to finish the roof (almost but not quite). However, hopefully by the end of the week all the walls and the ceiling will be finished in terms of insulating and lining and I can move on to sealing and painting the mdf. Regards, Brian.

I managed to get in the shed this afternoon for a couple of hours. Having bought some 34 x 18 mm par softwood battens last week, I fitted one to the eaves each side of the shed from the end wall to the centre steel support. These battens will support the mdf ceiling sheets at the eaves, the other supports being the main ridge and mid slope roof members. I am now ready to insulate and line out half of the roof following a trip to you-know-where tomorrow for another sheet of mdf and another sheet of Jablite. Regards, Brian.

Just back late this afternoon from the Peterborough show. A bit of a ritual for me and Mrs D from the very first show at the venue. We have always stayed over on the Friday night at the Premier Inn down the road a bit. A good show I thought today but a bit thin on the floor (in terms of floor space occupied by exhibitors) and thin in terms of numbers attending - no queues to get in when we arrived as we have experienced in the past. No matter, we enjoyed our visit today. Highlight? It has to be seeing Dave Shakespeare's diorama in the foyer area. Truly inspirational and very moving. Back in the shed soon. Regards, Brian.

I managed to complete the door wall today in between sorting out the car. Probably won't be getting anything else done until next week - Peterborough beckons Regards, Brian.

'Evening, All, An eventful trip to B&Q at Gallows Corner, Romford this afternoon. A journey that should have taken 25 minutes took an hour - road works eastbound on the A12, three lanes down to one lane at the Ardleigh Green lights - hrmph. The news at B&Q was good and bad - the good news was they had the 9 mm mdf in stock, the bad news was I had to wait half an hour for my cuts - hrmph, hrmph. As a consequence of all the delays, I only spent about an hour in the shed when I got home but managed to fit the board immediately to the left of the door, a one piece rectangle 1880 x 575 mm (courtesy of B&Q) with a small triangle cut off by yours truly to accommodate the roof slope. In between getting three new tyres put on the Mazda tomorrow, I will hopefully finish the rest of the door wall tomorrow. Won't be doing much on Friday and Saturday - off to the Peterborough show with Mrs D. Regards, Brian

Hmm. No 9 mm mdf to be had at my nearest B&Q at Thurrock Lakeside today - none expected in until Friday. Looks like a trip to one or other (or even both) of the Romford stores after the dentist tomorrow. However, I did pick up a 5 litre bottle of their own make PVA adhesive for £8 which I thought great value and which, when diluted, I'll use to seal all the internal surfaces of the mdf prior to a couple of coats of emulsion. Beware of their website stock checker though - it says this board is in stock at Lakeside when clearly it isn't Regards, Brian.

Thanks, Andy. Still a few weeks away from getting everything finished (i.e. the interior of the shed completely insulated, lined, sealed and painted) to the point that I can get an electrician in to do the necessary. Enjoying this part of the build though - love working with wood (but to a lesser degree the bubble wrap stuff and the Jablite)! It's just such a nice feeling to "plan, do, complete", especially when the last few screws are driven home through the final sheet of mdf lining that completes the wall. Your interest in my ramblings is much appreciated. Best regards, Brian.