Boco_D1

Just picked up Railway Modeller the layout looks excellent in the mag.

The site needs a chuffing fantastic button, that station and car park really look the business.

The optical illusion bridge is quite clever, nice work.

The new set up looks great, nicely done. Jimmy

Thanks Graham I might try that as I've been using Ratio OO Gauge GWR station fencing which is okay but does look a little out of scale.

Builders yard is looking great, what is the fencing you've used?

You could always try a signal sighting test with a camera at cab level to see what the drivers view would be. The one behind looks more pleasing to the eye but the one in front seems more prototypical to me as it's on the straight rather than the curve. But then again I only see my signals (on the real railway) on a computer screen and all the lines are straight!

It could be my nostalgic rose tinted memory but I always removed the lighting being yellow, it had a nicer warmer glow apposed to harsh stark white light of today's station lights.

Builders yard looks great Graham lets hope the owner doesn't store any containers full of concrete on that retaining wall, you don't want another lime street on your hands.

Thanks for the detailed description on your method of track laying, I think this method is an interesting way to go and something I may try myself.

This layout looks promising, I love the super elevation curves. Interesting method using super glue to lay the track, without fishplates how do you make sure the rails are lined up or do you do it by eye?

Thanks, I think nothing will ever beat swallow livery but I think green suits HST's rather well and Merlin is my particular favourite. The house move went well, now it's a case of sorting out the garage for the layout (once I've done all the other jobs round the house). But Githley shall rise again with a possible multi-level run to Buckingham Parkway.

Thanks Graham, it's fortunate Network Southeast had three variations of its livery because I'm definitely gonna need some more for NSE stock.

It's been a while since I've updated, mostly because the layout was stored away for Christmas and I am currently re-decorating although there was a bit of work carried out before xmas that I need to get round to posting. However I've been working on a little side project, I find the four large storage boxes with models packed in their boxes a little inconvenient so I have decided to build stock boxes. I wanted a simple and cost effect solution, after looking around I picked up some A4 size card boxes from Hobbycraft, at £2.00 a box it seemed a good choice. These are all the materials you need to make the storage boxes, Plain kraft box, foam board (a large A2 sheet will cover five boxes) foam sheet (I picked up 10 for about £5.00 from eBay), glue and paint. I cut the foam into strips 9mm wide and made 7 lengths and spacers at 25mm. I glued in place with pva and then made 10mm strips of foam board to go around the edge of the box. These are glued in place and will hold the top tray which is made from foamboard slightly smaller than the box, the foam strips are glued in place and I added 20mm foamboard strips at either end. The boxes where then pained into appropriate colours. In blue peter style here are four I made earlier, I decided to,paint the boxes in the loco liveries of the stock to be stored. The top layer... And bottom layer, each box can hold 24 locos/bogie stock or depending on wagon size up to 72 wagons. If anyone is interested I can do a more detailed post, but these are pretty easy to make and when made in bulk cost about £3.50 a box to produce.

The back scene looks good and once you got buildings and stock on the layout I reackon it will blend in nicely.

Nice work Graham the layout is really starting to look the business and those warwells look promising, hopefully Bachmann will be shrinking their newly announced VEA next year to add to your MOD train.

Great work thanks for the step by step guide. Jimmy

That is certainly an improvement to the 33 a modification I think I'll carry out on mine.

I'm loving the cromptons Graham, the Dutch looks very smart and really look the part on your layout.

That house is such excellent work and then you see its siting on a tin of humbrol to me it becomes outstanding, keep up the good work.

That's just what I plan to do I might give the track a light weather to give the impression it's been there for a month or two, but nothing more than that.

Thanks Graham I thought it would be a bit more interesting rather than a before and after photo (and I still got to play trains that way)

With the track laying train on site I decided to hang around and gets some photos of the new track being laid. 33102 has arrived on site with the new section, the loco must be on loan from NSE as it usual duties are on west of England services. By the time I got back to the higher view point the new track section was in looks like Dave is making sure all is right before ballasting begins. 33102 has run round its train and prepares to depart back towards the main line. The local shunter moves in to collect the ballast. Dave preps his gang for the ballast drop as the 08 moves into position. Local Signalman Bill Hodgers invited me in the box for a cup,of tea whilst the excavator worked on the ballast. One final shot from the signalbox before I headed off home, a job well done I'd say and I'm sure that track will weather by the time I return to St.Baxter.

The signalman at St.Baxter tipped me off that the spur to the branch was being relaid and there was a bit of classic traction to see. So I got my camera and popped down to the station. 37133 has arrived with its engineers train as Dave Thompson and the p-way gang begin work to remove the old track. I managed to obtain a higher view point looks like nothing has happened in the time it took me to get there. By the time I got to the platform the rails had been removed and sleeper lifting had begun. I managed to get into the sheep field for this shot, the sleepers have been lifted and no time is wasted in removing the ballast. When no one was looking I climbed up the signal and got a shot of 37133 with it loaded train before it backed into the station. I managed to get a video of 37133 running round its train and departing St.Baxter, the job must be on a tight deadline because as soon as it had departed 33102 arrived with the new section of track. I'll up load those photos in a bit...