MarshLane

Hi Simon, Wow looks good! Those arches really make a difference to the scene! Interesting that you've gone down the road of your own laser as well, hadn't realised that! Going back to the track laying, do you use fishplates between the rails for visual effect? If so, are they the C&L ones and I presume you just glue them on? Rich

Very nice - love the detail. I love with this hobby its not about skill, money, space or ambition, its about doing whatever you want - everyone can take it in a totally different direction and come up with something interesting. Box files aren't something id personally do, but this is really good and fascinating! Well done. Rich

Can totally recommend Jon's work - i've one of his handbuilt 7mm ground signals sat here waiting to go on Marsh Lane - he progressed with that quicker than I did with the layout! But the detail and operational of the signal is mind-blowing. You really won't be disappointed - he's going to be doing the rest of the ML signals once i've got the layout progressed a bit! Well done on Newton Grove btw, really is coming on superb, and the people just add to the reality. Great stuff Rich

Brian/Steve, Im no expert on these things, but I understand the difference between double red and single red route discs was weight, and if i recall correctly D845 was within the North British built batch that had MAN engines, while D806 was in the earlier Swindon built batch with Maybach engines - could the NBL machines have had a height weight or axle loading? Rich EDIT: Hmm, may be not the different engines as i've just found this one Flickr and its only got one red disc, so maybe it was fitted with test equipment for a time, which increased the weight? Must be to do with axle loading and hence a more restrictive route availability when the image Steve has got was taken.

Evening all, Well a small amount of progress has been made. The power rods for the overhead lighting are now in, fitted, and soldered to the lights and supply - it even works! Soldering isn't my strong point (haven't done enough to become competent and as neat as i'd like to be!) but pleased with how its come out, and the rods make the whole thing neater than having wires all over the place. The two rods perform the role of positive and negative, and just to make sure everything stays separate, the positives are all soldered on the 'east' side of each roof truss, while the negatives are all on the 'west' side. I wanted to make use of the electric feeds to add some detail to the shed wall, so each is different. One rod is connected by a cable on the end wall of the shed, that I think has a look of conduit - its only glued at the top at present, still have the bottom section to do. The other, I was a little more ingenious with and although I'm happy with the result, the bottom section hasn't worked quite how I imagined. A rod runs from the lighting rod down the beam, to meet a second rod which runs down the wall, also covering a join in the brickwork plasticard. Unfortunately, the bend at the bottom, was a 1mm too long, which doesn't sound much, but has resulted in it bending slightly, revealing the join that it was suppose to hide! But it doesn't look too bad. In other news, the doors have also been trial fitted (i.e. propped up!) and look quite good. They've been painted yellow (what do you mean, you'd never have guessed? ) and have yet to be masked off for the black - the sides will also be painted black to hide the the overspill from the yellow spread. I think they've got something of a worn look about them - just not really sure how i've done it! Still a few white spots from the foam board to cover, but its getting there. I also had the new baseboards (well two out of the three) out and up in the drive this afternoon with the intention of finishing them, to allow work on the trackwork and scenery to start, unfortunately the weather gods had different ideas and having just got them up, the rain started! Its only October, what happened to the Indian Summer that was predicted??? Once the woodwork side has been completed, then I can at least put them up indoors to work on things. Just formalising the track plan at the moment, but its starting to move. While having a discussion on another thread related to Netherfield Sidings (a 7mm Woodhead based layout, which if you haven't seen go look - its superb!), the chap behind it said that it doesn't get many exhibition invites and the only one for 2017 is Stevenage in February - that set me thinking that there are probably a few layouts like that, and I know there have been rmWeb Meet Days in the past (West Mids or south i think) I'm not sure anyone has arranged anything up norf' as it were. I then started wondering whether there is the appetite or demand for such an event for the day (or weekend) ... or are there enough exhibitions about? My thought was whether it might be possible to arrange a day (or weekend) next year that brings rmWeb layouts and diorama's together (maybe 7mm, maybe a variety of scales), that haven't been seen for a while, or are portable but not normally exhibited, or get few invites? Any thoughts? Im now thinking I may have talked myself into something here if everyone comes back positive lol! But feel free to pass comment (for or against) or send me a PM if you wish ... but I reiterate its only a thought at the moment! Rich

Hi Rod, Nice to see things progressing with the layout - that backscene makes a big difference already! Well done! I'd got the baseboards out for Marsh Lane to do a bit of work outside this afternoon, but as per typical, the Weather Centre obviously didn't know my plans, and switched to light rail (followed by heavy and thundery!) almost as soon as the coach bolts were in! So they were swiftly put away again! Once the woodwork is complete, I can work on them inside! Things are progressing with the shed, albeit it slowly, but thanks for all the info you've supplied. The company I'm using have come up with a couple of suggestions that might improve the price, so we'll wait and see! As for Coachman's comments, I completely agree - your standard is definitely something to aim at for us lesser mortals! Rich

Thanks Guys, I'll have a hunt around - been having a discussion with Andi (of Dagworth and Ravensclyffe fame) about OHL, and he's given me a whole host of pointers too. Its a shame that Netherfield Sidings doesn't get many invites, it looks superb - i've ordered a back issue of RM to take a look. Maybe we shall have to take it upon ourselves to organise a Midlands/Northern rmWeb day so that some layouts such as Netherfield could be seen? Wonder if there would be any interest? I'm not sure if you have any, or if the layout is currently in a position where any could be taken. but is there any possibility of seeing some close-up images of the OHL, specifically the arms connecting to the wires, and the assembly around baseboard joints? Rich

Hi Mike, Starting to look good - nice to see a fellow Digitrax guy on here! Presume you went for Peco points? Rich

Many thanks for the response. What may I ask is EZ Line? I'm assuming it's some sort of fishing line? Do you have any other exhibition bookings for next year? I'd like to see the layout in the flesh and examine the OHL further! But can't make Stevenage. Rich

Hi Brian, Long term - I wouldn't say no! Although that would move the layout from the North East to the North West, or at least somewhere on the WCML in the 1980s! Certainly if Heljan brought out an 84 or 85 in O I'm definitely interested! Short-term, I'm looking at tinkering around with a Metro style system, based around T&W Metro, the thought being that it would run along the back of Marsh Lane Depot, with one or two units passing each other, and entering into automatic return sidings at each end, with a sprung point. It's all pie in the sky at the moment, but if I can get the OHL to look right, then given the success and enjoyment I've had with the shed, I might just have a bash at building a Metrocar! Rich

Totally and utterly stunning Andi. How i've missed this in the past I don't know - but wonder! The dual-level WCML works really well and breaks the layout up somewhat. Superb modelling - hope there's more to come! Rich

Haha! Ah! Sorry! Still pondering and talking to the company about that - progress, but slowly. To be honest with the winter now approaching, i'll probably leave it until early next year before I do anything in that regard - as it will need a concrete base laying, then it will be too cold to do anything out there until there's some form of heating and carpet in, so probably looking like March time. But if I can get everything sorted so its good to go, at least I can get working on the layout, and maybe even get some of the trackwork built! Rich

Brian, Apologies, I never said thanks for your kind comments on the pit lights - much appreciated. You asked, when you got to see the shed ... well .... There is it, in all its glory, sat on the kitchen table!! excuse the mess around - I need to clear my modelling stuff up a bit! Its quite amazing how substantial it is - its a 2' x 1' shed building, and easily liftable, but quite heavy! It certainly won't come to much harm. If your wondering why its sat on a piece of wood, its because of the pits extending 1.5" below the floor! While they are solid, i thought i best to sit the shed on a some support temporarily - hence the block of wood on each side. On the layout, there will be a hole cut in the baseboard for the pits to sit in, allowing the shed to sit on the baseboard itself. The weathering on the brickwork hasn't come out as well on camera as it looks in real life, but it does have a grimy feel to it. The join in the sheets of brickwork is to be hidden by a downpipe from the guttering. Oops, looks like somebody from the Saturday maintenance crew has left a window open! Marsh Lane isn't staffed from 18:00 Saturday until 18:00 Sunday, so you can see the view when its empty! Enthusiasts paradise outside tho, with nobody to tell you to sod off!! Finally an overhead view, shows a bit of the progress today. The top lights have once again been disconnected, and the first of the powering rods is in place on the right hand roof truss. The black cable going down the white wall, will be glued in place once completed, and forms one part of the power supply. The second part, (i.e. to make a circuit) will come from the second rod, not seen here, off truss no. 3 (middle) and run along the rod to the top of the photograph, where it will be connected to another rod, which is now painted black and stuck in place on the wall, and is just visible in this picture. When everything is soldered up, tomorrow hopefully, then the excess cable will be removed from each set of lights and hopefully the means of powering them shouldn't be visible! Once that is done, next task is the roof, and then onto the really fun stuff - building the layout! Rich

For anyone reading this thread, who has modelled overhead electrification or is interested in it, I've started a new thread in the scratchbuilding section of this forum, enquiring about how people have done this in 7mm. Until there is something to actually say on the modelling front (i.e. a layout) I deemed it more trial and error scratchbuilding than 7mm modelling! I'm not abandoning Marsh Lane (too much 7mm modern image stock to do that!) and indeed, the idea I'm working on could be incorporated as a backdrop to this layout, or yet be something totally separate - but if anyone has any ideas or can help - please take a look and chip in. As a quick prelude, building on the skills learn from the shed, I'm looking to see if I could add a small 'light rail' system (either separately or part of Marsh Lane) that would be based around the Tyne & Wear Metro in the 1980s. It all needs to be scratchbuilt, from the vehicles to the OHL, so its very much a slow progress thing - even slower than Marsh Lane - and it might not come to anything yet, but id welcome (indeed encourage) anyone with any thoughts or comments to chip in on the other thread. Light Rail OHL is not too different National Network stuff, not as heavyweight, but again, I'm just looking for something that can be made operational and looks right! Rich

Hi, Im hoping your still on rmWeb - Netherfield Sidings is wonderful - could you provide some more details on the OLE, as I'm about to attempt something similar and getting stuck with what to use for the contact wire! Id love to know how you did your gantries. Rich

Hi Mike, Ah! I must admit I hadn't looked recently, was just going off the info on his business card. From memory they are made from MDF, but looked and felt very substantial to me - from memory he also does a RTR version should you wish! Rich

Hi Mike, Looking good - shall be following along! Have you looked at Greenwood Models O gauge turntables? Its no recommendation as i've only seen them that the GOG exhibition at Doncaster back in July, but they looked, good and solid, and Mike was telling me they have the electronic bits to allow easy operation etc... have a look at www.greenwoodmodelrailwayproducts.co.uk - just a thought. Rich

Hi Brian, Once i've got a layout to put it on lol!! Seriously, i'll try and sort out a shot - there's still some work to do on the exterior (including adding the roof) ... but this will give you an idea I concentrated on building the shed first, but i want to try building some more track and a couple of points, so a mini Marsh Lane comprising this building, a fueling road and an outside stabling road alongside the shed is currently in my thoughts, using the recently constructed baseboards. I'll do a fully lit daytime shot of the shed for you tomorrow tho!

Evening guys, Well once again work and life have got in the way, but a fairly big update to come this evening! Managed to get the entire day working on the shed, with much help from my father, which has somewhat moved things along! Now for those who like to see how things have come together, this is a Spoiler alert! If you want to jump straight to the end result, i've popped a photo on the Realistic Models thread this evening, feel free to take a look! I've treated myself to a Nikon 1 J5 camera - a novel digital camera that is like a compact, but allows you to change the lens! Very interesting piece of kit, and going off my initial trials with these images today - very good! These were all taken on it, at 1600ISO - hardly any noise there, I'm impressed! For those of you who didn't click the thread (or those that came back afterwards!!) i've spent much of today doing bits and pieces, that were vital to finishing things off, but took bl**dy ages to do! So not a lot of visual progress, but the final outcome speaks for itself I think! You may recall that i'd got to the point of putting the first of the pit walls in, well first job today was to test the pit lighting (success!) then properly fit the steps (tick), before adding the hidden pit ends to block out all miscellaneous light (tick) and add the floor (yay!). With all this one, we set about doing it all again for the second pit, which is now also completed. The lights are small LEDs on a strip that I acquired on eBay from China - remarkably the postage was more than the lights, despite the cost of sending from China to Lincolnshire only being £2.49! Rather than being a bright white, they are a warm white glow that does seem to work well. These are the lights before fitting, and afterwards - the latter shot is somewhat odd, as i've had to take it while the shed is suspended, i forgot to take one while it was upside down. As you can see there's a lot of light bleed here, as the strip can only be cut every third light, so i've just left lights 1 and 3 behind the pit wall, and put hole through for light 2 to shine into the pit. However, in making sure the pit boxes are sealed, there is no light glow or anything through the pits when in the dark. While waiting for things to dry, some touching up on the paintwork was undertaken - the shed floor now looks suitably dirty, and the a few spots of Evostick TimeBomb that had squeezed out and down the pit walls, once painted black, look remarkably like oil spills! Elsewhere, all of the roof struts have been drilled for the lighting rods, and all six bulbs temporarily positioned. Two are permanently fixed, the other two will be glued in place tomorrow, and all will then be soldiered to the lighting rods - at the moment they are all wired together, somewhat roughly as its only temporary, as you might see in the pictures! The side doors have also been located, with one having been made operational to open/close, to allow images to be taken through the side door if necessary. One door is permanently open, the other swings, as seen here.... With all the pit elements now dry and light locked, the shed was turned back the right way up, and the Class 08 positioned inside. This was followed by the recently arrived Class 25 (a Tower Models purchase and weathering job) - this has highlighted an issue that i knew was there, but didn't think about logically. For those who have stayed with me since the early days of May (yes, it really has taken that long!) you may recall that when i built the track for the first pit, I managed to mix the rails up, with the left rail going on the right and vice-versa. I'd commented at the time, that as it was only the shed, it wouldn't really matter and carried on. However, I now realise that the wheels and flanges of any item placed on that road, ride over the chairs and keys which are on the wrong side of the rail - basically making it unusable to run anything into. It doesn't sound right and certainly doesn't look or run correctly. I'm going to have to re-evaluate this and work out what to do. Removing the track and correcting isn't an option at this stage, so I'm thinking it may be time to get a sharp knife out, cut the keys and protruding chairs and paint black. The pit lights are, for some reason, showing a green tint on these images, which isn't there in reality! And the last image for tonight - the one that I linked to earlier, and featured on the Realistic Models thread... The lights on the left pit, just lead the viewers eye to the 08, and then as you start to explore the image, i think the right hand pit lights shining through between the coach wheels really does achieve what I set out to achieve and what I wanted - the effect of realism. Other than that, however, its been a good day's work, the shed has come on in leaps and bounds and i think really looks the part now, as ever, i'd welcome any comments and thoughts. Still much detailing to do and internal fittings to create and put in place, along with the actual roof to finish, but its closer now than its been for a long time! Thanks to everyone whose following the thread, I hope your enjoying the journey, even thought its a bit like being on a local service formed of a '142' Pacer at the moment! Rich

Evening all Popped into Marsh Lane Depot this evening (O gauge) ... I'm on good terms with the Depot Foreman Managed to get a quick look around the shed, but just one of the Depot 08s in the shed, and a parcels vehicle being worked on for a brakes issue, but thought this image may be of interest to people. I'll be putting some more pics up on my dedicated Marsh Lane Depot thread later this evening, if anyone wants to look further! Rich

Hi Martyn, Thanks. I've been very lucky this year being able to built the fleet up a little bit. But I like the way your shed is progressing, stating to get that industrial fleet to it and I have a soft spot for J94s and the Bagnall 0-6-0STs .... but I must resist! Too much BR a blue due out the next 12 months! Like what you've done with the control panel. I often find simple is the best and easiest .. usually after I've overly complicated something! Rich

Hi Paul, Thanks! Didn't get round to sorting the photos today ... hopefully tomorrow - however the pit sides have stuck like concrete! Used some Evostick Timebomb - wow! Definitely some of the firmest bonding glue I've ever come across. Expensive but does the job - no way they will come off if I dropped it on the floor!!! Kevin - thats great .. i've been watching John Elliot's Leeds City thread but somehow missed all of that. Rod over on West Kirkby Town has been fantastic in his responses, its given me much info to go back to the shed people with for an accurate quote and also the confidence that it will work in practice! I'll now go have a read of John's shed and see what other information I can glean! Hope I can feedback and help others like this in the future! Cheers Rich

Evening all (well early morning I guess!) Just a quick update. The walls for the first pit have come together, lights have been fitted and everything. Glued into place, so I'm hoping tomorrow may see a photo or two with the pit lit! It looks good upside down, hopefully even better right way up! Work has kind of got in the way, this week but hopefully a little more progress tomorrow! Rich

Thanks Simon, That's good to know! Gives you confidence when others have already done it and it works!!! Rich

Hi Rod, That is wonderful, thank you. I hadnt expected such a detailed reply! That's very kind. I've read it though and it all sounds logical at the moment. I'm looking to the company that built or garage 32 years ago to put the shed in ... the garage is still standing so I'm working on that being a good thing! They can but bespoke buildings together, so I'm just waiting on the quote, but I'll feed some of your info back to them as a minimum requirement. As for fingers crossed, my fingers and toes are all crossed lol! It would be better than the loft and easier to cool on a summers day I think too. It also gives me an area that is around he same width as the loft, but about six foot longer and it's amazing what a difference that makes to the track plan ... and being able to take the track outside to a fiddle yard is another bonus. Have you had any issues with signs/point servos being mounted under the boards on the outside section, or electrical issues where damp has got at soldered connections? Rich