chriscleveland

It’s mad before the boiler shop and carriage shed it doesn’t change for ages but makes it’s hard to keep to the time frames when photos are limited with dates on them and so much happened so quickly

So much has changed now the whole yard, platforms, platform canopy, the bridge, second siding etc can’t keep up posters and signs will be the next challenge.

A busy yard at Ropley

Took the plunge and completed the bank between the road bridge to the platforms. This is the first layer completed before adding more colours to the bank to look like other shrubs and plants growing through. Very happy with the shrubs now having a bit more depth as the horse hair brings more depth. This is now the front of the layout nearing completion for Ropleys next show. Think the headshunt will need some trees to block the exit to the fiddle yard. Then attentions will turn to a new backscene and smartening up the layout in other areas. Then will have to redesign the shed roofs again to make it easier to see more in them as well as make them look finished as I’m not happy with the current ones again but lighting is nearing completion.

Bit more work on Ropley last board towards Alton having been electrically corrected being the headshunt has also given me the opportunity to finish the scenics. Very happy with the difference of using horse hair makes really gives it more depth. Thank you Ian for the tips of how you did this on Tidworth. Down side now is the other side of the bridge looks dusty and flat not to mention in need of a refresh looks like I know what I’m doing next.

A view many will be familiar with. Looking down from Bighton hill road bridge. Looks like the yard is fairly full as yeoman 08 heads off from the headshunt to start moving some locos

Next job has been locos I have decided to un motor all locos that are out of use to make dc operation easier plus this will help when one day if I do decide to turn Ropley dcc having to keep notes of how they go back together if I ever decide to

Good catch up yesterday with everyone and thank you for having me round. Couple of photos of the layout. The layout is coming on nicely! Here’s a couple pictures of photos I took when playing trains.

Not much going on that’s obvious currently. Wiring continues and finding ways to simplify the layout. I have started to un motor some of the out of use locos but need to do an 08 test to see how many they can pull without support. Thomas struggles with more than 1 Loco and the USA tank can do one and a tank engine. I have now also started making better tree trunks with mod rock to make them a bit fuller too and removed those I tried with polyfiller. You would have thought I would have remembered to stay clear of the stuff. Next job will be the lights going back into the wheeldrop shed. talking of sheds I realised I never posted the finished photos of the main Loco shed. It’s been tough to find the photos and had to add my own imagination into this final look. after it’s show later this year I’m October attentions will be turned to backscense to get these updated and more fitting ready for its first show booked in in march 2024.

Thanks Ian it’s the exmouth junction part I’m looking to get done photo 1 got the rest done when I had the crane 3d printed on etch plates. Great photos thank you for sharing

Breakdown crane coming along nicely now with its new coat of paint from grey to black and plates added. Now just got to get some transfers made for its numbers and shed location

Playing along the woodland walk here we see the black 5 returning having run back light engine from Alton. The crane is in the yard ready for some upcoming lifts. 92212 sits on the pit ready to be used on the demo freight train on a service later in the week.

Great weekend out helping operate Tidworth. Layout preformed amazingly as always and looked good in its fresh coat of paint. It was good to catch up with everyone. The 117 and bubble car looked the part in the new livery too. Such a difference from the original blue. Here’s a couple of photos I managed to get when I wasn’t operating.

Looking forward to getting to see them this weekend they look amazing and such a difference to before.

The windows aren’t to bad to pop out I only found a few places were tricky when I repainted my one

Plenty of projects on the go I might finish one soon progress has been made on reshaping and grassing the hills on the up platform to narrow the station platform widths. I must say the people who mentioned this were right on narrowing it and doesn’t it make a difference shame it’s not as easy by the wheeldrop shed on the other side but definitely a good progress. Next stage will be adding shrubs and other platform and embankment details.

Lots of progress in the carriage shed the old pmv went out and returned looking a little like this. Think it’s a much better look for the wagon and sets more of a scene in the carriage shed to show the work carried out

A busy moment in Ropley yard as 4mt 76017 has its boiler lifted ready to go into the shed for overhaul

So after doing loads of work in the carriage and boiler shop someone’s had a change of mind in the ideas I had for both sheds. My mistake as I found the Bachmann crane at a great price and couldn’t resist another working crane. Will have to get it to look like the one the railway has but think this is a great addition to adding something different into the yard when we are running a gala. Now what to get it to lift.

Ok I’ve started too many projects and I will finish one soon. However the carriage and boiler shop project has made me realise I need to up my game so I have turned to the main shed and cleared the shed ready for a complete revamp. I’ve been putting this shed off as finding photos of the shed before the workshop extension is extremely hard. This one will be a challenge but hopefully a needed transformation.

Having to look at the wiring on the station boards I’ve decided to look at the boiler and carriage shed. After trial fitting the new roller doors between the two I’ve now started to look at the carriage shed as well. The PMV the other side is the longest static model on the layout. I’ve looked at making it how the railway use the space of 2 coaches long but decided it needs something a little different and unique. Time to start planning another setup. Think it will be another static model again as I don’t gain anything as everything in the boiler shop is attached to the layout.

Whist at Ropley the other week I looked at the headshunt as I thought the bank nearest those viewing the layout could be better. I have made a start with removing my woodland scenic materials and added horse hair to give the bank a better look with more of a bramble effect. Still plenty to do but a good step in making the bank look a lot better. before anyone asks I’m sorry but I’m not making the headshunt two lines and still have no intentions of adding the King’s Cross bridge and new platform waiting room, even if the photo with a pair of class 20’s looks really nice. Up the other end lights are now wired and wiring on the lighting rig is being improved to make it neater and above on the baseboards the next step is to ping a line along the platform to get all lights in line and all upright as I stick them down, then the fun starts.

Another job has begun after some long thinking 🤔 I’ve decided I’ve over scaled the widths of the platforms. After a quick trip to Ropley to see I agree this to be the case so have made a start with the hardest part or moving and rewriting all the lights along the station to their new locations. I’m hoping once this is completed this will give the layout a much better look at this end

Ropley nex Loco project progressing well is 4mt 75079. I never thought it looked right after the work was done to it originally and after seeing many photos of it decided it’s time to look into it 76017 I scrapped one of the versions of it this year due to having a air fix chassis and when I went to replace the chassis couldn’t get the body and chassis apart so got another air fix kit instead so made sense to use it to sort out 75079. so far the cab has been returned to the Loco now it’s time to make it look a little nicer as well as look like work has begun on it as in this timeframe it arrived to the railway, went into the head shunt then into the main shed to start restoration where it’s still being worked on today but in a much advanced stage of overhaul

Not all quiet here now the layout is back it’s time to look into the issues we faced at Alton. Luckily a lot of these are simple as either under the boards or in the fiddle yards. Some are mainly notes we picked up on like tidying up the wiring below. Now it’s time to get the glue out and stick down all those bits I never did (forgot about) first jobs have been to repair the fuel tanker and re add the guttering to the carriage/ boiler shop