LDM34046

Really coming along lovely! Looking forward to seeing future progress. The modelling on the house is just superb.

Just stumbled across this blog and it’s brilliant! A brilliant little layout with plenty of little details. A simple but effective track plan. I’ll be following with interest!

Well, probably one of the most spontaneous but productive modelling days in a while but the left hand side of the layout is now looking much better. A once open area where the sky blue met the concrete has now been built up with a variety of foliage and laser cut fencing. The fence was spaced out from the backscene to allow room for trees and bushes to be placed behind. WWScenics grass tufts were used in areas along the floor to help hide any gaps in the scene although a few more patches of static grass won’t go amiss. Towards the back corner of the layout and the ‘exit’ of the yard, more trees were added and the existing ones ‘bulked out’ to create a denser look. Longer grass was used to hide the edges of the fence and the bottoms of the trees. A few more bushes were added around the track (closest to the Peckett) to really add to that overgrown ‘end of the line’ feel that I originally wanted. Overall, much happier with the new look, compared to the photos I posted earlier today.

Thank you Jeff for those kind words! My first proper attempt at railway modelling so went with a small layout so it was achievable to complete! Really enjoying adding in all the little details.

The old trees and areas of the grass removed. Trying to squeeze new trees into the corner will prove too fiddly so the old trees are carefully removed so the whole area can be started again.

Lasercut fencing cut and assembled. Coated with a layer of Lancaster Lane Signature Brown and weathered with a touch of dry brushing and fibreglass brushes.

‘Tomorrow’ turned in today! Making a start on the revised scenics for the left hand side.

Having looked at the previous photo, and many others. I've decided I'm not overly happy with the left hand side of the layout. The rest of the layout has hills, trees and fencing to break up the horizon however the far side just looks off into the abyss. I thought about painting distant hills but didn't feel that was in keeping with the rest of the layout. I was recently drawn to the beautiful layout 'Shelfie 2 Guyzance' by Paul Marshall Potter which featured in last month's Model Rail magazine (No.295) which used trees and heavy foliage to create a very closed in area, like an opening in a dense forest. I was always taught to be wary when adding trees as sometimes less is more however I keep coming back to the layout thinking a few more shrubs and trees should be added. I've decided that tomorrow's job is make up a few more seafoam trees and bushes as well as potentially another fence row to help break up the vast abyss on the left hand side.

The sun is shining this afternoon!

Thank you Graham! Yes, the headshunt always provides a nice low angle for photos, especially with the grass.

Just a few photos this morning with 5775 on the shunting duties. 5775 waits in the headhunt as the afternoon sky clouds over.

With the dead rail on the three-way point now wired up with an extra dropper, trains can finally run again on Lancaster Lane. A nice long operating session last night, the first time in three weeks. Having spent a while under the layout, looking at the top of the layout I’ve now decided I want to make a few changes to the scenic area as there’s a few areas I’m still not happy with. A project for another weekend!

Productive day yesterday with the arrival of the DCC Concept cobalt motors. Very impressed with them, easy to install and wire up with the terminal blocks. Straight forward wiring diagrams on the website. Good thing about the 3-way point is it's wired in a way so it's interlocking, a nice little touch. I haven't posted any photos of the wiring under the board, purely because it's a mess! A bowl of spaghetti is the best way to describe but it works and the connections are neat and well soldered. I wanted to make a tidy job of the switches so designed a small facia on Adobe Illustrator, printed on card to check for spacing and size. The other half, who's quite skilled in crafty bits, cut out the panel on thin acrylic using her laser cutter. Really happy with the facia, looks neat next to the NCE Power Cab panel. The finished product! Engraved with the point numbers should anyone else want to operate the layout. Small beads of superglue in the corners to keep it in place. Visible above are the remnants of the old slide switches. A job for the future is to cover these over with card and a bit of filler and re-apply the static grass. The two cobalts work a treat now and reliably throw the point and the frogs. Trying to run some trains this afternoon I noticed another problem. (Which may have actually been the original issue many moons ago at the exhibition!) One of the internal rails of the point appears to be dead. The frogs are live and the point blades are live however the left hand rail is completely dead. If my rookie knowledge of point work is correct, I'm thinking I can solder the bridge across the insulating joint? That way the rail is then the same polarity as the frog. A simple fix I hope with a bit of solder!

Brilliant modelling! Static grass can be incredibly addictive and sometimes can end up like telly tubby hills with a carpet of regular grass, however the different layers and colours looks great. Great work on the river as well!

Thanks @Alister_G I double checked and I cut the links when I installed the point itself along with the isolated rail joiners on the inside rails. The polarity of the point worked perfectly fine when it was manually operated with the wire-in-tube switches, I think the issue lies with my attempt at trying to use the autofrogs which confuse each other.

Get Well Soon Grahame. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

A ‘point’ in the right direction? The next step of the puzzle arrived this morning in the shape and size of the DCC80 Frog Juicers. For the two single points on the layout, they worked a treat and very confidently and reliably change the frog polarity. However another stumbling block occurred with the Peco 3-way point. At first I thought the DCC80’s would simply replace the switch in changing the polarity however I was wrong. My electrical knowledge isn’t the strongest and upon hearing other modellers articles, the Peco point consists of two motors but three frogs, two of which work in tandem. However I think because the DCC80’s are independent circuit boards they confuse each other which polarity they’re meant to be. I’m currently at a dead end with my only seeming option being to find more reliable point motors with built in polarity switches? The DCC Concepts Colbalt range is staring me right in the face but at a huge expense! I may have completely overlooked the situation and been the victim of my own creation. Clearly SEEP motors aren’t designed for (reliably) operating electro-frog points and Auto Frog Juicers aren’t the solution for 3-way points. All of a sudden the wire-in-tube method doesn’t seem bad at all!

An Update It's been a short while since I last posted any sizeable update and there's a good reason for it. This is the current state of affairs! Since the Gravesend Exhibition last year, I've had issues with one of the wire-in-tube switches reliably throwing the polarity of the frogs and never got round to replacing it. After much deliberation, and with the added dates of new exhibitions (now 2023 rather than 2022 due to Covid-19 cancellations!) Lancaster Lane needed to be reliable. I then took the leap to dive to into point motors. In hind sight it was probably something I should have done from the start however Lancaster Lane's original purpose was to be a budget shelf layout so wire-in-tube method seemed the best option... I went with (seeming) the most cost effective method and used SEEP PM1 point motors. These are point motors I've used in the past on my old layout and their price point and electrical simplicity made it a no brainer. The points were installed in a matter of hours and all four were successfully and reliably throwing the points. My first head scratch came when I then started to work out the manner of sorting out the frog polarity. While I didn't think of it at the time, my old layout featured insulfrog points so the frog polarity wasn't an issue and the SEEP motors worked fine. After a quick google the SEEP PM1 points feature a built in tab which is switched along with the point blade. Visible in the picture below the Frog's common is wired to tab F and the two rails are soldered to tabs D and E. As the point motor is thrown, the metal contact switches between the two tabs and changes the polarity. Further research, including that on RMweb, highlighted a major reliability issue with the PM1 switches and electro-frog points as the blade sometimes doesn't throw far enough to ensure a reliable polarity change. After checking a few of the electrical tabs on the points that had been soldered, there was enough of a throw for there to be an electrical connection however with 2023 looking busy for exhibitions I was concerned for long term reliability. A juicy solution for a froggy problem! The most talked about and 'easiest' solution for this PM1 issue is to use a DCC Frog Juicer, something I've never heard before. A simple circuit board is wired to both rails and the frog in the middle and the simple device detects a short in the system and instantly switches the frog polarity, quick enough to not notice any running issues. I've placed an order for the Gaugemaster option, the DCC80 and am currently waiting for them to arrive ready to be installed. Interested to try this new solution. In the meantime, a bit of cable management might be in order! I apologise for the lengthy explanation, however information on the issue I found was slightly limited, albeit helpful. I'm hoping my breakdown will help a few other modellers as I know the Gaugemaster PM1 motor is a popular product!

Foggy Cold Mornings.

How many people does it take to polish a cylinder?

Good Morning and a Happy New Year! Hope everyone has a good break over the festive period. It’s been good to go through RMweb the last two days and catch up on everyone’s new projects. No major new changes to Lancaster Lane other than the addition of some new rolling stock and a few more kits to keep me busy! With a few exhibitions on the horizon (still subject to covid) the electrics will be getting an overhaul in the next few days as well as the potential start of the new extension in the next few months, of which parts are slowly starting to accumulate in the background. But for now, a two of my favourite recent photos! Happy Modelling! Luke

Hi Tom! Considering the calibre of modelling on your last project I’m very much looking forward to the progress on this new one. I may be a bit late to the party but I might offer my own findings. I used the wire-in-tube method on my layout and found it very difficult to find the right switches. In the end I settled with Elaine’s Emporium for their slide switches. Jewellery wire was threaded through small plastic tubing and into the point. The excess was drilled through the switch and then wrapped around the switch. It looks crude but having since done the scenics and foliage it looks fine. Wiring was simply done, as per the wiring diagrams in this thread, made to change the polarity of the frog and hey presto, it worked. It’s great to see more modeller’s using this method, as when I initially did some research, I couldn’t find many methods of ways to do it! Sorry for the long post! Happy Modelling! And New Year!

Just had a quick catch up with your Blog. Excellent work Jack, this layout promises to look excellent. Lot’s of mainline running! Look forward to seeing more progress in the New Year!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and are well rested. Just a short clip from yesterday’s operations.

Thank you Rob! Your work is always an inspiration. Look forward to seeing the developments of Ewe next year.