Jules

May 11, 2015

Thanks for all the likes and comments

I think that the garden walls can use a little weathering at the bottom.

There will probably be some tufts of foliage added the next time I do some scenic work, helped by a layer of dust!

Hi Jules, what is the rental rate for the cottage please? I wouldn't mind living there

The rates are very reasonable! Although if you want to see trains running - you might be disappointed.

After taking the pictures, I had a nice long operating session. It was slightly spoilt by the odd wagon derailing on the point leading into the station. This point has now completely failed - one of the blades as snapped/fatigued/failed at the clip that holds it onto the tie-bar so it flaps around loosely. It is usable for the platform road, but not for the run round loop or sidings.

So the only train I can really run is the Auto!

I now have the joyous task of getting the old point out and replacing it, without inflicting damage to anything. A task I could do without...

May 10, 2015

Well another few weeks have passed, and there is some minor progress to report on the slow evolution of Mayshill!

First up, I think I have just about finished the corner with the level crossing/cottage. The cottage now has its surrounding wall finished, grass and flower borders and a couple of trees. I'm quite pleased with the overall result.

The second change is that I have finally built a proper fiddle yard! I have been using wooden cassettes (as shown a long way back in this thread) which were ok...ish except the constant danger of stock falling off the ends, plus the sides were slightly warped which scrapped the paint off a few handles! So I have built a four road ladder type fiddle yard. Each track is isolated to give a bit of operational flexibility.

Since the pictures were taken, I have added strips to the edge of the board (re-used from the old cassettes) to contain any stray stock. This also allows the empty space to be used for storage.

While construction was ongoing, the station at Mayshill played host to a few visiting locos...

April 14, 2015

I think copper craft should have done the letters in white, then the board could be painted black and the paint scrapped off over the letters

Couldn't agree more! The letters for the station name are in white, and as you say, it makes it far easier to remove the black paint from the letters, rather than the white paint from the black background.

Here are a couple of pics of the crossing box - I had a bit more 'fun' painting this name board than the main signal box one.

Thanks John. I had tried using Word to print nameplates and other signs, but I think the combination of Word, the printer and the paper made me give up!

Regards from a sunny South Gloucestershire!

April 13, 2015

The signal box nameplates are indeed Cooper Craft. Fiddly to assemble and paint, but well worth it!

April 13, 2015

I've finally managed to source some GW light stone paint (stopped off at Expressway Models at Buckfastleigh on my way to a few sunny days in South Devon), so the goods shed is finally painted. It now just needs to be fixed in place with a few weeds round the base to hide the join.

At Trainwest, I picked up some lettering that has finally allowed me to create the name plate for the signal box, it's only taken a couple of years to do this!

I have also added some flowers to the cottage by the level crossing, another scene that needs completing! Eagle-eyed viewers may notice the gap in the background where the crossing box should be - this is 'away' having its nameplate fitted as well.

Finally, some more flowers on the platform - spring must be here!

April 4, 2015

Hi Mikkel, glad the finger is better!

I'm not sure what the crew will be - I have a few figures in my spares box which might be suitable but which make they are I have no idea! If not, Montys might be an option.

Fortunately, it looks like the 64xx has a complete cab floor unlike the old 57xx so fitting the crew should be a lot easier.

April 3, 2015

Hi Mikkel

Ouch! Sorry to hear about your finger, hopes it's not too bad and doesn't prevent your modelling. I've just been admiring your tea chests and chocolate boxes - they are superb!

The panniers are lovely locos, I think I have four now which is a bit excessive for Mayshill!

The 64xx is just out of the box, I still have to add my usual coal, etched plates, fire irons, lamp and crew.

April 3, 2015

Sounds like Hornby getting their money's worth out of the tooling!!

I have actually done a bit more on the layout itself...although it isn't visible! Since the layout was built, it has been strictly 'one engine in steam' due to the way I had wired it. I have been toying with the idea of adding a couple of isolating sections (the main station line, the head shunt at the platform end and the loop) to enable one train to arrive as another is waiting to depart.

So after a few days of head scratching as to the ~~best~~ easiest way of doing this, this morning I got on and did it! I'm always a bit reluctant to start fiddling under the baseboards as I always expect that it will disturb the existing wiring. Fortunately, I have managed to add the three isolating sections without mucking anything else up, and they work!

I'm not going to show any pics of the wiring in public - it's far to embarrassing!!

So here are a few pics of movements that weren't previously possible : 6407 waits to depart with the auto train while 4612 arrives with a freight

April 3, 2015

Sarah - thanks for the history on the coaches - I had one as a child in teak and that is the only livery I remember then in!

Chris - I have had the platform lamps for over ten years so my memory might note be quite right, but I think they are one of the Langley Models range. They are white metal and need handling carefully when assembling/painting as they are a bit flexible! Hope that helps.

I intend to attempt to paint the coach door handles and grab handles in a brass colour, and add some 'branding' when I get the chance!

Thanks for all the 'likes'

March 31, 2015

I'm still waiting to to get the paint to finish off the goods shed...but in the meantime I have been doing another couple of bits and bobs.

First up...

I wanted some different coaches to supplement the 'B' set and autocoach that normally form the passenger service to Mayshill. I haven't yet ventured into the realms of brass coaches, so I thought a quick and easy solution was to repaint a couple of the ancient Hornby (or Tri-ang) clerestory coaches. I know these are not based on any GW prototype (or any prototype?), but I thought they would add some variety, quickly!

Besides an external repaint, I added interior partitions to break up the hollow look and replaced the large tension locks with small ones. So here they are, a few evenings work and a bit of variety to the passenger stock.

An added advantage is that being short, I can add a bogie syphon to the train which os not possible with the B set due to the length of the cassettes.

The other couple of items I have built are the Wills barn and forge. These are currently just placed on the layout, pending their permanent placement and landscaping

March 19, 2015

Peter,

Thanks for all the 'likes'!

There is potential to extend the layout into a U shape, but I don't think it would ever have a junction at the other end, unfortunately there just isn't enough room. Apart from giving a bigger and better fiddle yard, there wouldn't be room for much else other than scenery, maybe with a single coach halt. Whatever it might (or might not) be, it would involve a bit of room re-arranging and a thinning out of my 'library', so nothing will happen quickly!

Cheers

Jules

March 16, 2015

Looking good - I'm still to finish re-painting my goods shed, I haven;t managed to get the paint yet!

March 15, 2015

Crikey - have I really spent 10 years reading RMweb rather than modelling?!

Congratulations and thanks (I think!) to Andy Y for setting up this great resource.

March 5, 2015

Always nice when you can start ~~playing~~ operating trains!

March 5, 2015

Thanks for the 'likes' and comments.

Chris - I'm sure the painters would take a trip up north, for a fee! It's amazing how changing the colours changes the look of the goods shed, and is a nice quick job to do.

Sarah - nice images of your modified Wills shed. I did consider that kit when I was first looking for something to fill the gap, but thought it a little small for the location. I guess I could have joined a couple together in some way, maybe next time! Like you, I often wonder why kits do not span scales, would seem a sensible use of the drawings.

Mikkel - the new shed does make that end of the layout look quite different, it's almost like have a new layout for a simple change! The pigeon van is a lovely vehicle isn't it? It was originally in maroon for my previous layout, but I repainted it in teak so I could use it on this one. Must get some transfers for it. It was also on of the nicest kits to put together, and one of the only long wheel based wagons I have managed to assemble without it rocking.

Les - thanks. Haven't seen any Bishopscombe updates for a while. I hope it is still giving lots of pleasure.

Cheers

Jules

March 2, 2015

Time for another update...

When I first started building the layout, I couldn't find a suitable goods shed to fit the available space - the Ratio one was a bit too big and the Wills ones not quite right either, so I bought one of the Bachmann scenecraft jobbies as shown below (I can't remember the proper name for it!). It had been my intention to scratch build a suitable shed, but I never got round to it, and now I have less time for modelling, probably won't in the near future either.

I noticed the Bachmann (again!) had produced a scenecraft goods shed based on Shillingstone goods shed, which seemed about the right size, so I thought with a repaint it should do the job quite nicely.

First job was to remove the old goods shed, and cut away the built up ground to accept the new shed. Fortunately, this was pretty easy, with only a bit of cutting and carving to remove the old ground, and a bit of modelling clay to reshape for the new shape.

A repaint of the door runners, doors, gutters and soffets in dark and light stone was then required. Unfortunately, I found my light stone had solidified, so those pieces are temporarily 'undercoated' in cream until I can acquire a replacement light stone tin!

The pics show it in position, but until the repaint is completed, I will not bed it in properly.

I'm fairly pleased with how it looks, I don't think it is too overpowering in size and is possibly a bit more in keeping (size wise) for a terminus of this size.

February 20, 2015

Thanks for the info, I'll keep my eyes out for one.

February 18, 2015

Can't have too many GW blts! Looking forward to seeing this develop.

I'm interested in the goods shed, is it from a kit, scratch built or a resin one? It looks like it isn't too big and might be just what I am looking for.

January 10, 2015

A Happy New Year to anyone who reads this!

As per the last few posts, not a lot of time has been available to do much modelling, although I do manage to squeeze in a couple of operating sessions most weeks.

Over Christmas I did manage to add a few details to a Prairie I acquired late last year. The reason I got it was because it was numbered 4555 and I remember this loco from the Dart Valley railways when I was a nipper.

I had already added brass cabside plates, but wanted to add crew, coal and fire-irons. Disappointingly, when the loco arrived, the front number was printed against the top edge of the buffer beam, rather than in the centre (this can just about be seen in post #365). So that was another task!

First pic shows the repositioned front number. I used Fox transfers for this.

As I had the body off to add the crew, I thought I would remove the moulded coal and add a new lower shelf so that the coal in the bunker was a bit lower. This also involved repositioning the the guard for the upper lamp. The next two pics just about show this compared to my other Prairie that is unaltered.

The next couple of pics show the fire irons on the tank top, and one of the crew in the cab. I picked out some of the cab features (regulator, pipes, brake stand, reversing lever) although these are not really seen at normal viewing distances.

Finally a couple of the loco at work, firstly on a short parcels train,

and secondly shunting the dairy.

Thanks for looking

December 15, 2014

No more photos of the Loriot W at the moment, I will try and remember to take a couple.

The transfers are waterslide from Modelmaster Jacson Evans, number GW301. The pack has a variety of numbers for a range of GW wagons, opens, minks etc. The tranfers for the Loriot are actually for a 'P' rather than a 'W', but I I thought they would be better than nothing...

December 9, 2014

:)

As requested, some pics of 5224 on a very short train...

After arriving with the shunters truck, the PW wagons are removed from their various resting places

Apologies for the poor lighting, using a point and shoot in artificial light isn't going to give the best results!

Thanks for all the likes and interest

December 8, 2014

The 52xx is a bit camera shy...I think it feels embarrassed by the short trains it gets to pull

It actually gets quite a bit of use, it is such a lovely smooth running low speed machine it is a shame not to use it.

December 6, 2014

I've had a bit of spare time so I have finally got on and built a kit I was given for Christmas about three (or maybe four) years ago. It was actually one of several kits I had that year, all the others have been built except this one.

The kit in question is the Cambrian GW 6 ton hand crane and match truck. Quite a fiddly kit to build, not helped by me making a few mistakes!

The obvious errors are the tool boxes on the crane body should be at the front of the crane body, and the pulley wheel should be further in on the arm.

On the match truck the guides on the floor to attach the side frames are too far apart so some packing washers were added to the axle boxes to make the wheels a proper fit. On the crane, the guide for the side frames are too close together so these needed a bit of packing! The floor heights are different so the coupling hieghts also needed adjusting.

The other kits I had that Christmas can just about be seen in the pics below -

So Mayshill now has a little PW train for variety!

November 20, 2014

Excellent news - I might finally get a decent running 48/58xx!

October 15, 2014

Thanks for the comments and 'likes'. I'm hoping that now the dark evenings (and grotty weather) are here, I might get a bit more time to 'do stuff'!

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