retroman

Hello chaps Very little work has been done of late, I'm afraid I've just been playing trains. Here is the Heljan Traverser in action. Quite a temperamental bit of kit, but when it DOES work, it is tremendous.

I've pre-ordered one from Hattons and am frankly getting fed up of the delays. End of Feb now. Hornby are a joke.

I had to have one on my layout, as Mrs Retro is from an old Cornish Family. Here is Wheal Pencare ... more pics on my layout thread.

As Mrs Retro is Cornish, the Kernow MRC Engine House was a 'must buy' for my layout, despite being a bit, er, 'out of area'. I now have a 'Kernow Korner' at MARSHFIELD .... 37207 does the honours with those lovely China Clay hoods .... passing 'Wheal Pencare'.

Just a quicky, what's the best way to secure the valances? I'm forever picking them up around the layout .... v prototypical but a bit annoying!! I'm thinking a blob of varnish might do the trick? How have others addressed this?

Once more into the breech for the winter modelling season. First job: knock up a loco cabinet.

Thanks for the very encouraging comments!! Mr McC, for the roadway in the industrial area I used old bits of sprue as the former, in-filled with Polyfilla, sanded it smooth once dry then removed the formers. They came away easy and leave a proud 'shoulder'. Hope this helps. I will try and get a video added at some point, but at the moment I don't have access to a decent camera.

Thanks 66. I have weathered the traverser pit, still weeds and some other bits of debris to add. Plus a wonderful 22 has arrived. Complete with loose valances, as per prototype!!

A few more of the industrial area. That Transit needs its lights sorting. A bit more work finishes off the cutting at Bute Tunnel. A final phot for now, seems pointless photographing the same subject over and over. The layout is now complete and has given me a great deal of satisfaction building it these past 7 years. I now look forward to fettling my locos and stock, and playing trains for a few years more.

The loco yard on a weekday, when the allocation is out earning its keep.

Thanks Brit. This project has taken 7 years, the layout is now complete (well, as complete as these things can be). I intend now to concentrate on locos and stock for a bit, although I will add details here and there as the need arises. Anyway, the small industrial area - inspired by the steelworks I drive by every day taking hapless prisoners to Cardiff Bay Police Station - is now complete. Thanks to Brian Rolley (BR2975 of this parish) for supplying photos of the area. An 03 works this area for now, its crying out for the Hornby Sentinel I feel. An overall view of this area, which occupies about 3'x1'

May I humbly suggest running two threads, one Pics Only - No Comment (for folks like me who would rather make up our own minds), the other linked to it with Comment/Discussion welcomed. Dapol Dave - I have seen the model in the flesh at Lord and Butler and was stunned by it. Certainly the best RTR model diesel ever produced IMHO.

What a frustrating thread. I come on here to check out photos of the new model (as per the thread title) and end up with a few pics and pages of waffle/piffle from the rivet counters. Any chance of a few pics of the model, folks?

Thank you, DWP. Plaster roadway now laid and landscaping/detailing commenced. The 03 trundles off towards the shed with its single tanker. Lots of scrap, scrub and garbage to add to this scene.

I have been learning about electrics as I've worked on this. My knowledge is still very basic. I have added a CDU which seems to have sorted out a few issues with sticking points. I have also built a small control desk, shielded from the rest of the layout by a factory shell built from an old FOR SALE sign. It struck me that I could add a small end-to-end industrial layout to run alongside MARSHFIELD with suitable mods ... the forthcoming Hornby Sentinel will be accommodated here. Here is the completed desk, with PECO point motors, simple signal control, Heljan Traverser control, DYNAMIS, programme track doubling as world's smallest fiddle yard, and outlet line to the main layout. How it looks from the viewing side. With the lights on! Latest project is to mess up the area with overhead pipes and other stuff.

High time I added an update. After months of inactivity I decided to finish all the wring and sort out the control desk. First of all - depot lighting. The Power Box. Even the signals work!! Although I have 3 gantries which are 'dummy' at the mo. Finally, this is the sorry mess under the baseboards ....

Thanks for the very kind comments. I will knock up a track plan one day, I promise!

How odd. Didn't notice that! Sigh ... back to the attic ....

Meanwhile, Fred the Ned is causing problems over at the Depot again. Time that he was ejected.

A new addition to the fleet .... an 03 has been acquired by the BSC for use in the Ely Bridge complex. I think it looks right at home in amongst the heavy industry.

That's a great tip. Thanks!!

I've tried, it's a ###### to work with. The heavier gauge strings don't retain the coil, neither do the lighter ones. The G is the only string I could get to work by wrapping around a pencil with a pair of pliers, but it was hard work. It's the wrong wire to use, basically!! I'll replace it with something else in due course.

Ahh yes that's my pathetic attempt at Barbed Wire, using a discarded G string from my guitar. Obviously not very convincing!!

Thanks for the thought Rob, I have already explored this and decided it would be too much uncomfortable work. I think a new layout in a few years is the better option, learning from the mistakes I've made on this one!!

My dad was a Royal Marine, so I've made this a RM base. If you are wondering how this space is accessed via vehicles, its through the larger of the two green roller shutter doors!! I do need some Marines and a few more details to complete this, I've already got another Bedford truck and a forward control Landrover OMWB. The flags were downloaded from the internet and printed off.