westcountryman

Hi Neil, Thanks for sharing your excellent modelling, Carrick Road is such an inspirational layout & ticks all of the boxes as far as I'm concerned. It's great to see someone actually modelling & not just passing their hard earned over to a major manufacturer. Keep up the good work buddy, & hopefully we'll meet up again, possibly Taunton next month, & I'll bring the famous Barnstaple MRC 9F tender tea mug! Have you toned down the shirts yet, or is it still 'migraine fashions'! Cheers Rob

I utilised a single detached garage at our former house for my layout, & as long as you are aware that the walls & ceiling will need insulating, you won'y go too far wrong. I used Kindspan / Celotex for the wall insulation, you can get it online or from any of the big DIY retailers. I fixed it to battens, & then 'dry-lined' the walls with foil faced plasterboard. I built a framework of stud timber & infilled the cavities with more celotex, to provide a partition wall, & I also fitted a standard door to allow access. The ceiling was simple. A wooden framework, & rolls of fibreglass ( itchy!!) formed a suspended ceiling structure, & again a face lining of foil faced plasterboard. As there were already electrics installed in the original garage, I simply re-routed them to provide effective lighting, & used dry-line pattress boxes for the sockets. Heating was supplied by a pair of thermostatically controlled 240v oil filled radiators, & although a bit expensive to run, they proved ideal. I would say that the entire job set me back about £300, as I did all of the work myself, & only needed a qualified electrician to test & sign the job off. As long as you take your time, use a spirit level, & have access to fairly run of the mill tools, the job should be well within your capabilities. If all else fails, just look on Youtube at the tutorials for particular jobs, because they are well worth searching out. There was not an issue of planning permission, as when I talked to the planning office & building control, the structure wasn't being totally converted. When we sold the house this minor 'conversion' was actually quite pivotal in securing the sale, as folk seem to like the additional room. Anyway, best of luck to you, & I hope that the job works out well. Cheers Rob

I've really got to applaud you on this project, as it's a real breath of fresh air. Many of the featured layouts are constructed as if money is no object, & it's lovely to see someone trying to budget their modelling. I was chatting to a lad at our club the other night, & he was put off by the expense involved with setting up a layout. I was delighted to be able to point him towards your thread as proof that it can be done. Well done once again, & I'll follow the progress with great interest. Cheers Rob

Hi Richard, Good luck at the weekend, I'm sure that Orchard Road will impress the crowds, as always. I'll give you a bell after the weekend. Hope all goes well Cheers bud Rob

I've got a horrifying picture now formed in my mind.....................thanks for the reminder Darren! Good luck for the weekend Ray, You've got a cracking layout there mate, be proud of it. Don't forget the birdsong backing track, I hear Bill Oddie is in the area! Cheers bud, I'll speak to you soon Rob

What's thirty feet long & stinks of wee? The dinner queue at an old peoples home! ...................................................................I'll get me coat

Hi Ray, I love the additions you've made to Yard Shunter, . I'm so leased that you managed to sort out your 'Gronk' I know how fond you are of the ugly little devils. Thanks for everything yesterday mate. Here's to further success in the future Rob

Hi roundhouse, Like Mudmagnet , I also live just down the road from Appledore. I think you've got the backscene photos just right, it really is a lovely spot & is justifiably popular with locals & tourists. Situated at the throat of the Taw/Torridge estuary, the variety of sea & river vessels is very varied. This is also due to the proximity of the Appledore shipyards. Mind you, if you base the scene on fact, the clouds should be dark grey, shining streets & locals wrapped in kagouls! I'm with Mudmagnet on the subject of Hockins ice cream though, once tasted, never bettered. Cheers, Westcountryman

Hi Richard, It sounds as if Orchard Road was a total success at Exeter this weekend, well done once again mate. I'm so sorry that I couldn't make it down with you, but it sounds as if you had fun with Ray & Darren. Did you manage to survive Ray's 'dickie bird chorus' throughout the day? Perhaps you need to put a scale scarecrow somewhere on your layout, just to try to counter the bird life! All things being equal, I should make it to the club night this Tuesday, so I'll see you there. I only hope that Len hasn't 'blacklisted' me for not being in circulation lately!! All the best buddy, see you tomorrow. Rob 'westcountryman' Morgan

Hi Ray, I'm so pleased that you enjoyed a successful show, Yard Shunter really does deserve all of the praise it gets. I'm absolutely gutted that I couldn't make it at the weekend, as I always enjoy our get-togethers with Darren & co. Sounds like your still suffering from the curse of the 08, but stick with it mate, it'll all come good in the end. From Darren's comments, it sounds as if the 'cup the size of a 9F tender' does have it's drawbacks! Don't let the tide go out! Fingers crossed that I'll finally get down to the club this Tuesday evening, it'll be good to finally get back to normal. In the meantime, sit back, put your feet up & enjoy a well deserved rest. See you tomorrow night buddy, all the best. Rob 'westcountryman' Morgan

Hi Richard, Just wanted to say a big thank you for such an enjoyable day yesterday. It was fascinating to see how quickly Orchard Road was assembled & dismantled. I've got next year's date penned into my planner, so save a passenger seat for me. It was great to hook up with Ray & Darren, & to put faces to so many RMWeb names. See you on Tuesday night. Cheers buddy Rob

Mornin Ray, Just want to say thanks for such an enjoyable day yesterday at Taunton. It was lovely to see you getting so many positive comments & congratulations on Yard Shunter, it was very well deserved. Your little layout just needs one more addition, so Darren & I are looking out for a 4mm scale Bill Oddie figure to put on to the bridge! The 'battle of the birdsong' between Yard Shunter & Poynton Sneer was epic whilst the speeches were being made! Looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday evening, & we are all here for you whenever you need us buddy. Take care Rob

Evening Richard, Looking forward to the RMWeb members day at Taunton tomorrow. It'll be good to be in convoy with Ray & Darren. I'll be over at your place bright & early in the morning, I'm aiming for a 07-45 arrival. Is there anything you need me to bring along? See you in the morning Rob

Hi Ray. Glad to hear that you are enjoying your break, shame you don't have last week's weather though! I'm sure that the inside of your caravan will be a hive of modelling activity, & the trip to Buffers sounds like a nice way to spend an afternoon. I'll be interested to see the finished offerings from Dapol, because I was thinking of getting a few myself. I didn't manage to get to the club this week due to a vicious attack of 'man-flu', no. don't laugh, it really laid me low! I'll be fighting fit for the Ilfracombe show on Saturday, so I'll drop in on Darren & Torrington. Enjoy yourselves buddy, & make the most of the unseasonal weather! Cheers Rob

Hi Ray, Once again, cracking photos mate, you've really got the atmosphere spot on. The coalman & weighing scales really look the part, & once you get the forklift planted it'll really bring it to life. The flowers have certainly added to the overall effect, & well done, once again. Are you going to try to give it a 'backing track'? Because it would be smashing to have a bit of bird song & countryside sounds. I reckon you'll enjoy your break mate, but knowing you, I suppose you'll have some bits & bobs to get on with tucked away! See you soon buddy, & have a good time. All the best, Rob

Hi Richard, Having just seen East Yarde for the first time 'in the flesh' tonight, all I can say is 'Wow!'. The level of detail & the standard of modelling skill on display in such a limited space is nothing short of remarkable. You have certainly captured the look of a 'perfect summer afternoon' with the trees, planting & scenic display. All it needs is a Class 22, gently ticking over, with a single coach, & you've got the ideal, sleepy summer diorama. Maybe a background soundtrack with some collard doves 'cooing' would just complete the scene. I'm going to have to stop now, as I can feel myself drifting off, it's either an overactive imagination, or a hard day at work! I always say that whichever project you undertake, the end result is remarkable, & you've certainly not disappointed with East Yarde. Very well done once again buddy. See you next week. Rob

Hi Ray, What can I say, the layout is looking fantastic. You've made a lovely job of the trees, & they have transformed the layout. It looked good before, but now, it looks terrific. As soon as I get everything sorted out, I'm hoping to pop over. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing it in the flesh. Keep up the good work buddy, & I'll hopefully see you on Tuesday night. Cheers mate, Rob

Hi Richard, I'm waiting with baited breath for the postie to drop my copy of the Hornby magazine through our letterbox. I really hope that they do justice to your modelling skills with the feature. It's been a long wait buddy, but it'll all be well worth it when you finally see it in print. All the very best & I'll see you on Tuesday night ( I'll be the one wanting an autograph! ) Cheers, Rob

Hi Ray, You've made a lovely job of the buildings. I can see you giving Richard a run for his money in the architecture stakes! Keep up the good work pal & I'll see you at the next club meeting on the 10th Jan. Compliments of the season & a happy new year Rob

Hi, we have used closed cell foam on our club layout 'Tawbridge' (take a look on layout topics) but the only difference to your plan was rather than use double sided tape, we used copydex latex glue, when it came to ballasting, we again used copydex, but watered down + a drop of washing up liquid. This ensured that the trackwork & ballast remained flexible, thus allowing the foam to act as an effective sound deadening medium. It might be worthwhile taking a look at our club layout & it's construction just to confirm this. Cheers, Rob

Hi Richard, It's lovely to see another of your high standard layouts. The backscene looks just right, the simplicity of 'sky' paper suits just about every situation. I think young Chris may be on to something with his idea about a 'link-up' of a collection of the various layouts, who knows, maybe a way to get the 'additional' hall for next year's club exhibition! Just imagine, a journey in OO, from Meeth, through Torrington to East the Water, through Tawbridge, then on to Burrington Arms, East Yard (possibly conjoined with Yard Shunter) then maybe a diversion to St.Brannocks!!........I think I'd better go & have a cold shower & a rub down with the latest copy of Hornby Magazine!! Keep up the wonderful work See you Tuesday Rob

Hi Ray, I thought you said that Kaye was going to keep you busy with the Christmas shopping! Your layout is really beginning to look very good, & every update looks super. Those post & wire fences look excellent, well worth the hard work. And the mixture of shrubs & static really are terrific. I have every confidence that Tawbridge will develop into an equally gorgeous layout. Keep up the good work buddy, & I'll see you Tuesday. Rob

Hi Ray, The layout is looking lovely, the Grassmaster is a real boon to our hobby, & it's made your layout look smashing. You've done a nice job on the fence posts & I've dug out some really thin fishing line for your fence wiring. I'll bring it along to next week's club meeting. Keep up the good work. Cheers Rob

Morning Ray, You have made really good progress with the girder bridge & roadway, it's all coming together nicely. If you are interested, I've just cleared out our wood burner & saved Richard a pot of wood ash, for making his road surfaces. If it's of any help, I can bring you a pot when we meet up at tonight's club meeting. The only thing to remember, is that it isn't sifted, so there may be an occasional nail or two! I've got my syringe & a few old brushes ready to do battle with the ballasting on Tawbridge. It'll be a mammoth task, but with plenty of us busy on the sections, we should make reasonable progress. Anyway mate, I'll see you tonight, & keep up the good work, it's a credit to you. Cheers, Rob

Hi Ray, Sorry mate, I think that age or late nights are beginning to finally catch up with me. I think I need your steadying influence at the club nights to bring me back to normal ! Anyway, the goods shed looks a treat etc etc Right, I'm off for a lay down in a darkened room! Good luck with the pillars, I sure that they'll look excellent All the best Rob