MarshLane

Hi Steve, Well done on the Class 25 repaint - looks lovely. Im very envious of people who can repaint and weather locos and stock! A skill I'm very nervous about attempting, having never done it before, and not really knowing where to start! Yours looks superb tho - as so the low relief shops. Coming on well now - as the saying goes ... Carry on that man! Rich

Hi Peter, All look superb, great to see your '47' photos on here. Oh if only for a time machine eh! Just spent an enjoyable 15 mins catching up on the thread Keep up the good work. Rich

Evening all, Made a substantial bit of progress with the shed tonight. The fourth wall structure was completed - it still needs internal and external brickwork adding, but with the main structure now complete, it gave the opportunity for to put the shed together for a dry run and see if i'd actually been able to transform what was in my mind to reality! I'm happy to say, I have! Still a long way to go. The external brickwork for all four sides is now complete, just needs attaching, the internal brickwork has been cut out for all sides, i just need to decide how to colour/weather it (if anyone has any views or comments, please shout! Once thats decided they can be dealt with an fitted, and I think the core shed can then be permanently glued together and the roof trusses properly installed. Remaining work will focus on the floor, which will be brickwork (well, paviours) as discussed earlier in the thread - but whether that is paper or DAS modelling clay remains. I have found a brass stamp for doing such things in DAS, which may be useful, and the pits, then finally the roof. Now i know the building is coming together as planned, i'm also proposing to start work on the first of the baseboards over the next couple of weeks, so as they say, this is where things should get really interesting! Thanks to everyone for their continued support and comments. Apologies for all the clutter in the background! And finally, just one looking through the doors! EDIT: In case anyone is wondering the very poorly painted white window surrounds won't be seen on the finished version, once the internal brick work is in place. I noticed while test fitting that at a couple of angles, the brown MDF may show for a fraction of a mm, so decided to give the windows a white surround to deal with it. That should, I hope solve any such problems.

Hi Rod, Definitely that 150 has been upgraded! I'll take a 25 and Mk1s over a 150 any day! Better comfort, better interest and more noise That BR Blue 25 sits well on the layout! I see you've been trying ideas for cassettes too? Is that 'U' shaped guttering? Rich

Hi Paul, I like what you've done with the coal in the tender. Looks good to me! Well done. Rich

As Paul, and a couple of others on PMs, have requested a few more pics of the A2, I've had 10 minutes with the big DSLR and done some proper pictures. It will be better when the layout is built and there are decent surroundings to photograph things in, but for now these work quite well. For anyone whose new to the thread, these are taken on my ballasted test track. The loco, purchased from Steamline, is entirely scratch built - the builder must have had an amazing skill. Fitted with American-style pickups and a big Bulmer motor, its currently DC only ... and is likely to stay that way for a while, as I haven't even looked at taking the body off and how easy it is to fit a DCC decoder as yet! While an Aberdeen Ferryhill loco is out of area for the North East, this was one I just couldn't resist! Hope you enjoy the photos, I need to learn how to do photo stacking or whatever its called, to improve the depth of field on modelling shots! Rich

Hi Peter, Thanks! As Mike has already said, the last pic with the '27' is Ian Futers Lochty Lane SP. The guide describes it as a small stabling point somewhere in Glasgow as a sub-shed of Eastfield. Just for Peter there is a short (it is short too - three clips!) video that my father took of the layout yesterday. I've now managed to create a YouTube account, so as Marsh Lane progresses, you might get some video content too!!! http://youtu.be/U_0xI3-6-l8 EDIT: Not sure how how to get the video embedded on the page, but the above link works.

Paul, I'll do some pics this afternoon and upload them. Looks stunning to me! North Eastern: Thanks for the comment. Acquired from the chap at Steamline, whose stall was right over the back, same row as JLTRT. Had it on the test track at the exhibition and runs lovely and smooth. Rich

Good chat with Chris at Doncaster today - and order form duly handed over! Rich

Hi Peter, Very nice work. If you don't mind me asking, what did you use to create the slate roof on the station? Cheers Rich

Hi Richard, I enjoy playing around with electrics but they can be infuriating things at times! Personally, i think they know when your having a good day and think (oh yes, electrics can think I'm sure of that!) to themselves ... oh lets cause him problems and mess up his plans for the ENTIRE day Glad to hear you got the better of things and found the fault tho. Interesting to hear your comment about the boards/servos pulling more power than available on startup. I'm planning on using the Megapoints Controllers on my layout so the points can be DCC or lever frame controlled, and Im wondering if that will need to be a similar consideration for me. As its the servo thats pulling the power, i suspect it will - so thanks for the heads up there. How's the ballasting going? I had a thought today, not sure why the issue of ballasting all your track popped into my head, but it did! Have you thought of one of these ballast spreaders. I've not used them personally - i use Carrs light and dark ballast mixed, then spooned onto the baseboard, before being covered with PVA glue sprayed from a plant spray, but it occurred to me that something like that given your volume of track, may at least give you a quicker way of laying the ballast. I appreciate you still need to glue it somehow, but just a thought? Rich

Thanks Lee - sounds a good idea! Yes I agree, weathering adds to the realism and they seem to take on a whole life of their own somehow! Somehow, I enjoy the models far more weathered. At some point I've got a part built mineral wagon plastic kit here, might have to get some hints and tips off you on weathering and have a go - that way if i mess it all up on that wagon, its not a problem. The more I read your thread however, the more I am tempted to look at JLTRT loco kits - but I keep restraining myself to get the layout built first, so that I've something to run them on once I have built one!!! Rich

Hi Lee, Oh no, I'm very definitely in the BR blue era! I think the big layout in the loft is going to stay BR blue, and the portable version of Marsh Lane may go 1960s era! That way it saves moving stock up and down to the loft!! There seemed to be plenty of money changing hands at Doncaster today - hopefully the traders did well and it will become a firm fixture. Wish i'd known, would have been good to put a face to the name! Maybe next time - i shall be heading to Telford. Your 40118 model looks superb - how could anyone be lost to steam after seeing that hehe! Progress with 40060 looks good too - I'm keeping up to date with your thread! Rich

Hi Andy, Really coming together well now. Love the harbour scene, looks very effective and those gardens behind the cottages are superb. Popped over to the Gauge O Guild exhibition at Doncaster this morning - the Sheffield O Gauge Group had their Yeoman's Quay layout on show. Having seen the quayside and buffer stops - i thought of you and your layout! Couple of pictures attached, if your interested! Really enjoying following your layout construction. Rich

Evening all, Well returned from the GOG Exhibition at Doncaster today with some surprise, some happiness and some disappointment! The exhibition I felt was superb, five wonderful layouts that were a pleasure to look at, and excellent trade support. Nice to have a chat with Mr Waterman about his forthcoming wagon kits and the Class 47 kit - all of which are to be out at Telford he tells me. Lots of people wandering round, although not too many that you couldn't move. Pleased to see it was well attended and hopefully I that bodes well for Doncaster featuring in the diary next year. I was disappointed that C&L weren't present (not that they didn't turn up, I'd just assumed incorrectly that they'd be there), so a phone conversation and purchase will need to be had for the track for the shed. The range of traders was superb, with just about everything (other than the parts for hand made track!) being available. The surprise comment in my initial sentence was the purchase that was made, that has probably disrupted my plans for the Western hydraulic era idea. That now appears to have become a North Eastern LNER early 1960s era proposal, having returned with a superb LNER A2 model. I've always had a hankering for the A1s and A2s, and I appreciate that this was an Aberdeen Ferryhill loco, but have a feeling it's worked south on a passenger working and got 'nicked' by the MPD for local duties! It's a scratchbuilt model, but runs so smooth and is so detailed. The purchase price took a bit of thought before the card came out! But having got it home and on the test board, I'm really very very pleased with it. Attached are some pictures of the layouts from the exhibition as well, I may have missed one, so apologies to that layout owner - nothing intentional, I think I got so fascinated watching the layout, I forgot to take a pic or two! Enjoy - work on the shed tomorrow, hopefully! Hankering to get it finished now and move onto the baseboards! Rich EDIT: Added images.

Thanks Nick, Yes I think I agree. The left hand one doesn't look as fussy as the others. Rich

Thanks Steve, Looks great - as a matter of interest, what have you used to wipe it off? I've been using kitchen paper, but haven't got the overall standard effect that you've achieved. Rich

Hi Steve, That box looks superb. I presume you've done an all-over base paint, then picked out individual bricks in different shades? Rich

Evening all, Well managed to spend most of the afternoon on the shed construction today, so things have really moved on a bit. To recap where I am, one of the two long sides is complete with both inner and outer skins glued together. Both ends of the shed are in the same condition. I've made one mistake in that the air vent at the doors end of the shed, should have been mounted inside the outer skin before the two skins were glued together, so have that little issue to correct. So today, started with painting the outer brickwork for the two sides. I'd already got the red coat applied, so this afternoon was all about the grey mortar colour. With the two outer ends done previously, I used a watered down grey colour which seemed to work well, so for the sides, i went with the same principal but watered it down a little further, which seems to have helped. This was one part of the side before the grey was added, and (below) after being covered in a grey colour wash, lightly applied. Ive then used cheap kitchen paper to carefully wipe across the plastikard, in one go, from left to right, to remove the grey, leaving just the infill between the bricks. Don't press too hard or it brings the red off too! Above is the finished product. Its not totally even, but i think thats a good thing, but it looks nice to me. Having established that I was happy I then proceeded onwards to do all four parts of the side walls. Because the length of the wall is longer than the plastikard sheet, each wall has two pieces to it. The bottom right wall, looks to be different to the others - its not, its just it was the last to painted and the way the light is falling on the wet paint is giving the glistening effect. So those were then left to dry (their still in the same place now!) and i moved onto other things, in this case attaching the outer brickwork to the end walls of the shed. Because of the slight error with the air vent, that circular and not very neat hole is now not required! But again, overall I'm pleased with the way the brickwork looks, and each of the side and end walls, being 6mm thick have a feeling of durability and solid construction to them. Just to see how its going to look, i've propped the doors up against the opening. Two held in place with masking tape, which won't be there on the finished shed obviously. The doors still need a little bit of tidy up work, but for a first effort I'm really please. They were purposely done slightly shorter to account for the trackwork, if closed. With the external brickwork now fixed to both ends, i moved on to completing the second long side. This meant it was back to creating windows! Why I put six in to this side, i'll never know!! Im not sure if i've really shown off the window packs that come from York Model Making, but I'm very impressed with them. Each comes in three pieces, an upper front, lower back and external frame: It is possible to purchase open windows (as some of mine are) in which case the open section is modelled on the back piece (the middle item in the picture about). For me, i then glue the front and back pieces together and add the glazing behind. The front frame, goes on top of the external brickwork. These are the six finished and glazed windows for the remaining side, just sat on the inner side of the inner MDF skin. The four on the left are (obviously) closed versions, while the two on the right are the open variety. There are also some top stone sections to go either on top of or inset into the brickwork. I'm going to put them on top for ease on this occasion, but there are two/three different types of stone work and I'm not totally sure which I prefer. The three types are supplied again by YMM. The above picture shows the finished full end, with glazing and also the outer window framework applied. This shows the three different stone 'over bits' (I'm sure there's a proper name for them - is it lintels?) but the right hand version should have a 'key' stone in the centre, which i've not put on for this photo. They are only placed on at this point, but I think the one on the left works best? I need to do something with that red line thats visible - only just noticed that when looking at the pictures! And there end'th another day. If i can get the final long side completed tomorrow, then I'm hoping to have a trial get together of the structure tomorrow, which should make a nice picture and start to show how everything will look finally. Hope your enjoying the journey so far - if I'm boring anyone or going into too much detail please say, but for me, the number of people reading the thread and commenting, is certainly providing something of a boost to getting on with the construction! Comments as ever, are welcomed! Rich

Mike/John, Thanks to both of you for the replies. I'll grab a sheet or two and see how it looks and comes out, and report back. Thanks for the info and the suggestion John - this is what I love about rmWeb ... People are happy to pass on knowledge and ideas, and help those of us who are new to these things. Right, off to do some work on the shed building! Cheers Rich

Sorry Captrain,Really must go to Specsavers! Arthur has posted the form I see, but you can also order online for the Minerva website for the Peckett's. Rich

John, Quick question for you - i've been wandering around the web tonight, looking for various things including the Tamiya item you suggested. I've found it in several places, but do you happen to know - is this card or plasticard? If its card, how good is it to weather/paint to a mucky black colour? Im guessing you've probably used it before. The write up's seem to suggest the brickwork is raised, or embossed on the sheet somehow? Rich

Hi Andy, Your progressing well - all coming on nicely - you'll be finished in a few days at this rate! I like the idea of slanting the harbour wall back, well done. I'd not have thought about that and would have gone for a vertical! But i think that looks far better. Pleased to see you've sold the concession for ice cream sales however, just hope that chap knows what he's in for ... 1st June and we've had the bl**dy heating on here! I know the east coast of England isn't renowned for the place where the sun comes soonest .. but i think some of your essex yobs have done a deal somewhere and sold the sun! Anyway, hope he manages to sell enough 99s and flakes to cover the cost of renting the pitch! hehe As for buffer stops at the end of the quay, I seem to recall somewhere (but not sure where) that had a wooden buffer stop, just two vertical posts, with a horizontal at buffer height. How useful it would have been to anything other than a wagon buffering up nice and slowly i haven't a clue, but that could be another option if you decide against the steel version. I guess in todays world, Health & Safety would say buffer stops would be a trip hazard to the public in that position, but back then, surely common sense would have prevailed and said stopping something running into the Quay Stores was more important than the odd stubbed toe! Rich

Hi Jon, I never knew there was a real Marsh Lane Box!! No relation at all, although it would have made sorting the signalling out far easier if it was! Fascinating! I'll be in touch with you shortly, things are moving forward ... albeit a bit slowly, but i'll drop you an email. Rich

Hi Captain, Yes on Post 53 of this thread... I've just printed it Rich