chriscleveland

The lights are one of my only purchased ready items. They were purchased through kytes lights a few years ago and painted to the correct colours required for Ropley. Better than that i could make, making the yard lights were hard enough.

Another Loco project done. I am slowly getting all locos correctly named and numbered for the layout. Here we see 33053 ticking over in the station after arriving from Alton and awaiting for the signalman to set the route into the yard. I have just finished renumbering 33053, varnishing, and weathering the loco to give it a good faded blue look. Thank you @Temeraire for the tips on getting the faded blue look.

Well looking over the last year Ropley is starting to pick up on productivity so with the enthusiasm on a high why stop. More fencing has now been straightened out along the board. A very long a fiddly job with new bits of brass being added to drop into the hill for stability as well as straightening out all the kinks after being attacked by the cat. with another board joint done now allows me to take it over the baseboard onto the board closer to the carriage shed. with part of Ropley out of the cradle I can also work on track heights from scenics to fiddleyard as Alresford was the most problematic as the point board seemed to have a slight dip and track nights not level meant Loco bogies would rise above the track onto the scenic board and cause derailments with a certain few locos. with scenics in full swing we see class 11 shunter putting into the wheeldrop shed another item of rolling stock for me to also start on. Another kitbash project is on route as well as some Loco projects. Chris

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. I have attempted to re straighten the fence in just a small section of the embankment from damage in the past. It’s shocked me how much of a difference it makes as well as having people up in the bank looking over the station and yard.

There is not a lot of play room unfortunately. As I am running out of bigger projects currently as sourcing them is tricky I have decided its time to start repairing and finishing the brass fencing along the top of the hill. A couple of photos taken around the station before 33202 left the line

Hello Nick It was indeed in the time frame but sits just off scene unfortunately that is one of the down sides as I do loose a bit of the overall scene because if I made the baseboards wider transport would have been an issue as well as getting it through doors. Chris

Hi all running short of projects now as I can’t seem to find some locos to become donors for my next Loco projects and the layout is only up in a small section I have been looking at the board joint on the hills on the platform board as I never originally put wood in to support and it’s always has a small gap. I also have finished the tender for 31806 as it gets closer to completing its overhaul. hopefully I can acquire some locos to start some projects I want to so but with no exhibitions makes it a lot harder cheers chris

I was thinking that myself

Hello mate What do you use to make your trees as I have some of the same problems on making them look realistic Chris

More work starts on populating the layout with the next group of people pinned ready to take there place around Ropley. The tender is drying at the moment so some photos to follow. Running out of jobs on the line as I need to switch the boards around and obtain some new projects from the model shop to do. Chris

Thanks Nick hadn’t thought about steps up to the coaches only the tower I have plans to run cables and air hoses is a good idea, and not to be moved signs are a tricky one as the coaches get shunted about but would be a good idea for the non moving PMV!! very Helpful indeed ! Thank You Chris

Coaching myself on building a carriage workshop. After a few weeks of making coach parts and everything to go into the carriage shed to make it look like things are really moving forward this is where I am currently at. everything is all scratch built all bar some parts which have been cut off of a coach side donated from one of the bulleid coaches I have made with all the woodwork showing. A lot of research I have put into this to try and make it look as detailed as possible using photos I have taken and found online. Still feel I’m missing some bits. Please feel free to add ideas invade I have missed anything. The difference from empty benches I think really brings the shed to life and gives a good reflection of what occurs to get rolling stock back into service. I think this project has made me want to revisit the main Loco sheds too.

Tender moments today as I have decided to chop 31806’s tender up removing the coal to build an empty bunker to go with the Loco as it undergoes restoration in Ropley sheds. James’s tender is the one made by Bachmann and the other two tenders are having the inners scratch built. When this is complete hopefully it will look more realistic as I think it looks odd a Loco undergoing restoration with a tender full of coal.

A quiet afternoon at Ropley as no passenger trains are running, but here we see 50027 Lion trundle through with an engineers train from Alresford heading back to butts bridge siding near Alton station.

Looking down at Ropley station building a quiet day by the looks of it.

Inside Ropley in oo gauge’s carriage shed. Plenty of restoration work taking place on the bullied coaches

The Carriage shed is starting to be stocked up on more projects from the coaches as they are restored. The carriage shed itself has had the benches repainted and now its time to rummage through my offcuts boxes to see what we can use to make the carriage shed look better.

Another long overdue project to do is the carriage shed internals. Here is a few photos before work starts. Some board joints come in handy I guess as it opens up these photo opportunities.

Not much going on other than planning the next part of what I need to get done. Ropley is now back in its cradle and work is starting on detailing the platforms before they are populated. Lots of bits to make for this challenge and might have to make interior details for the station building as the lights show an empty building. with this going on I will also look at other locos to finally complete and hopefully get the layout closer to a finished look for some big things to come! I have also started more work on the construction site too.

Some more work on Ropley at last. The platform tops have had a new coat of paint. Now time to start those long overdue details

Really liking the look of d1047’s 03 shunter so thought I would share my 08 and 45 both receiving work on them. not as good as the 03 but there’s still time

looks very interesting on for the Santa layout for you Ian

A few photos around Ropley this morning. It still amazes me just how different the whole layout looks with the shed roofs in place. It all looks so much more completed. A new arrival on the layout has arrived which completes one of the galas in 2011 joined by city of Truro and duke dog. more work continues along the platforms at present And I am about to move onto the building site next.

Next focus on the layout will be the platforms. I have recently filled in and levelled all the top surfaces off again to get rid of all the joins. Lots of details I will need to make like notice boards, Bins, platform equipment and more. I have also noticed I have lost a topiary tree located next to the station building too so might need to make a new one of those. Might even need to give the track a spray as you can see from the photos all the different colours within the ballast alone. The other job in hand is the platform tops are getting a full repaint as I felt the colour used was to light and didn't look right which brings me onto my last question which is how do people secure there details like people? i have only glued them down but wondering if a pin under the foot might help as i have done this on the embankment but wanted to see how everyone does theirs as little details can be easily knocked? cheers Chris

Some Loco shunting in the yard at Ropley just had a play with some different camera angles the other week and thought I would share. I am starting to feel like the yard is stepping into the right direction now but still lots to do all around the layout really. One day it might be closer to completion.