MarshLane

Thanks Steve, Will have to take a look at what JLTRT do with wagon kits - for some reason I never think about them for wagons, always associate them with loco kits. Looks really good tho. Rich

You know, i've looked at that photograph several times and thought, what an odd arrangement to the under frame. Only this morning have I realised the box wagon is sat on a dogfish!!! Duuuhhhh Just goes to show, even us idiots can be stupid at times! The transfers look good tho, I presume (having now twigged about the dogfish) that you still have the under frame to build? Whose kit the wagon body? Rich

Thanks Chris, Another good tip! Are there any particular suppliers or websites you would recommend/advise looking at? Rich

Thanks for that. I had a quick glance back, but obviously didn't go far enough! Ta for the reply on both queries. Rich

Very, very nice. Those Oerlikon sets are well outside my modeling era or knowledge area, but look superb! Really hope I can get to see this layout on exhibition somewhere. Rich

Paul/John, Many thanks for that. You've opened my eyes to brickwork I never knew bricks were laid differently on floors to walls, and have to admit, i've never heard of paviours! I'll go have a look at that Tamiya brickwork sheeting. Cheers Rich

Hi Chris, With all the issues with technology today, I'm not keen on sending a PDF over email with card details or, or trusting it to Royal Mail! Is it acceptable to complete and hand to you at Doncaster? Im assuming you'll have a presence on Saturday? Also, sorry if i've missed this elsewhere, but is the lined green livery the same/similar to the lined green Peckett? Rich

Thanks Paul, Im wondering whether it would be best with a 'grey muck' concrete ... or whether in an original steam era shed, the floor would have been brickwork with a blackish/grey much Something like ... From the Pinterest / Peter Loud website From the Heritage Images website. Note, i don't own the copyright to either of the above images - simply examples found on public websites, for the link to which has been included for reference. But in both of those pictures, the floor looks to be be a black, mucky, oily, well used brickwork? Rich

Some progress tonight, although no pictures to show. The 'inner-skin' and 'outer-skin' for both ends of the shed have been brought together, including windows in one end, while the second pair of doors for the entrance end have been completed. I've also been round and painted all the window apertures white on both skins for the remaining side. Hoping to complete that tomorrow evening - with some pictures with any luck. The other task for tomorrow is to attempt the grey mortar covering for the shed side brickwork. Once thats all done, I'm hoping to get a trial fitment of all four sides together to check measurements etc. The next task is to cut and fit the internal brickwork covering, which i think is going to be mainly white with a black band towards the base, as i've seen a number of images showing old steam sheds in that style. My thinking is to use some water colour black paint to add some stains and marks to the internal brickwork. With the internal brickwork, cut, painted and marked/stained, as well as glued to the inside of the inner skins, i think the main shed structure should just about be read to come together and have the roof trusses added. By that time the GOG event at Doncaster Dome on Saturday will no doubt be up on me, and attention will divert to track building - another area that i'm going to be tackling for the first time. Plan is to acquire the necessary items for the straight track in the shed, and the various parts for the first point in the shed yard, which will i hopefully keep me busy for a few more nights! Again, if anyone has any hints or tips, or can recommend any good topics on rmWeb to read with regards to 7mm track building, please shout out! I decided to hold off building the pits for the shed, until i've got the trackwork down on the base, that way they don't end up being too wide. One big question I have is what to do with the shed floor - should it be black, grey, concrete effect? Can anyone offer any thoughts or comments, or even photographic evidence? Everyone's opinion is welcome, so don't hold back!!! Picture update tomorrow, hopefully. TTFN Rich

Hi Barnaby, Many thanks for your kind comments. It may just be ramblings, but hopefully its interesting and of use to people! I'm no expert tho, so somebody with far more experience may well say I'm doing it all backside about elbow! Still it seems to be working Glad to have you along and hope you enjoy the journey - please feel free to chip in with thoughts and comments whenever! Rich

Hi Rod, You'll have to build some cassettes, so you can run the existing stock onto them - and use the cassettes for storage in the house or in the shed, then pull other cassettes out with the early 1990s stock on That way you get the best of both worlds and the stock is secure and safe! I've often thought a modern version of a small terminus with various 142, 144, 150, 153, 156 DMUs plodding in and out would be quite colourful given the current liveries .... then i look at the 20s, 31, 40, 37s, 47s that are sat next to me in the office and think .. nah stick with the 1980s - far more interesting hehe! Rich

Hi Jinty, Very impressed. I really must have a got at this weathering lark, its just gaining the knowledge to buck up the courage! That 'Toad' really does look superb tho, well done. Rich

Thanks for the kind comment Andy, Have to say I'm pleased with how its coming, as its the first time i've attempted anything scratch built - never had the courage or optimism to think it would work! So pleased with how this is coming together, although i'll be glad to get onto building some baseboards and running the odd train! Taking the photograph looking down the semi-finished side with the first of the roof trusses temporarily placed, really made me feel like i'd achieved something, the depth to the windows was there, and i think with all the six trusses in place, it will hopefully look very realistic, which has been my aim all along! Rich

Evening all, Things are moving forward on a couple of fronts. The idea of a 1960s private railway setting, depicting the end of the yard, and loco shed, has moved forward a little - thanks to a tip-off from an rmWeb member, i've managed to acquire an Ixion Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST in black at a very good price (thanks John!) so the first locomotive for the private railway is 'en-route' or will be once the Bank Holiday weekend is over! Its one of the black liveried examples, and will be weathered before appearing on the layout. The more thought i give to things the more I like the idea of having two completely separate fleets - one a 1950s/1960s private industrial collection, and the other a 1980s BR blue/early sectorisation diesel fleet. It provides variety and means that a number of different modelling techniques can be tried. I've also discovered how images can be attached 'in-line' with the text, so i'll try and do things a little different on this post - feel free to pass comment on which you prefer! For those avid readers (well the two that haven't fallen asleep yet!) you may recall that I had painted the Plastikard for the shed ends red, and then overpainted with grey, and that I was not 100% happy with the result. Both got repainted red again, and then this afternoon, i've added a very watered down grey wash over the top, which was then wiped off quickly using kitchen paper, to just leave the grey mortar effect between the brickwork. It seems to have worked a lot better, and i'm reasonably happy with the result. I need to find a way of trying to add a bit of weathering to the end result - anyone have any suggestions? The final effect is a lot more even than before, and actually looks better on the photos than it does in real life! Ignore the messy look within the window frames, thats just the masking tape protecting the MDF below. So with those two ends having dried and come out ok, i shall attempt the same with the two long side pieces later in the week. Elsewhere, the first of the shed sides has come together. I decided early on to create a 'double-skin' for the walls of the shed, both to give the windows some depth, but also to allow wiring for the lighting to be hidden within the walls. Hence there is an 'inner-skin' and an 'outer-skin' both of which have an internal (hidden) and external (visible) size. The windows have been glazed and stuck to the internal side of the 'inner-skin', which has also had wooden supporting bars fitted, along with channels for the wiring. There is also supporting woodwork around the side door, so that the wall is visible when the doors are open. I've yet to decide if this should be a wooden door frame, or whether the brickwork of the wall should be visible? This afternoon, i've attached the roof support beam to the external side of the 'inner-skin' - this acts as a beam along the whole of the shed, on which the roof trusses will sit, and as such it has a cut-out for each truss. Using a file, I've made a 3mm cut out in the inner-skin walls as well - ideally this should have been cut out when the MDF was cut by York Modelmaking (YMM), but yours truly forgot to add it onto the drawings! But MDF is quite a soft material to work with, so it didn't take long. The top picture of the previous two, also shows one of the one-piece roof trusses that YMM cut for me - their work really is superb and has saved me hours... along with being far more precise! The pictures below show the roof beam on the inner-skin - once complete, this will be visible on the inside of the shed. The second picture, shows a view looking along the inside of the shed, with one of the roof beams temporarily balanced during a test-fitting, purposely to take a photo! The third picture, is just to show the design of the roof trusses. Finally today, with all the windows having stuck, i've mated and glued, the south side 'inner-skin' to the south side 'outer-skin'. The result, to me looks very pleasing and effective. All that is left to add to this now is the inner and outer brickwork plastikard, and to position the side doors. My thought was originally to position one shut and one part opened, but it has been suggested to me, that modelling them both open, or at least with the ability to be opened, would permit a number of photographic opportunities 'looking in to' the shed. So further thought needs to be given to that one! But this is how the 80% completed southern side of the shed building now looks, with the two skins now glued as one. Once the plastikard brickwork is added, and the third level of the window frames (visible top left in the above picture ) are added along with the curved stonework above the window, I think it should all look quite effective. Cheers Rich

Hi Jon, Thanks for the pointer about that - somehow missed that bit totally. Your standard of work never ceases to amaze me! Looking forward to seeing your signals on Marsh Lane/Summers Lane as things progress Rich

Hi Jon, That gantry and GWR signals look superb. How did you build your lever frame? Was it scratch built or from components? Sorry to see 10001 looking worse for wear, hopefully its not a major job to correct the damage ... whoever invented gravity should be shot! Rich

Hi Rich, Excellent news! Glad to hear you had an enjoyable day, it's amazing what kind of a boost your modelling can get when something all works as it should! Sounds like the operating afternoon went well. Looking forward to some updated pictures. : Rich

Yes, I'd agree. I think the brass rod looks good and works very effectively. Carry on that man!!!

Very nice addition. Personally I think your passengers will long for the return of the Mk1 stock hehe!! Nice shots tho Rod, provides you with some variety on the layout. Rich

Good god Andy, slow down a bit! Rome wasn't built in a day you know ... Although it might have been with you at the helm! Hehe! Seriously, it's coming on really well now, love the detail. Have you used brass rod to create the four bar fence? At this rate you'll be done and finished by 1st June .... Or is that the plan to allow you to get on with the O Gauge! Hahaha! Looks really good, wish I could progress at the same rate! Rich

Thanks Chris, Think you've just sold one ... Maybe two! I'll be talking to you at Doncaster! Rich

Guys, It occurred to me tonight, that i'd put into words my plans for the four phases of this layout, but have yet to put a graphic plan in place! I'll develop these over the coming weeks to show the full story, but the plan entitled 'Marsh Lane Depot' shows how the depot will develop when used as a standalone layout. In essence, Boards 1 and 2, can be used standalone, or can be slotted into the main layout in the loft, and the track on the left hand edge of Board 2, will line up with the first of the permanent boards up there. However, Boards 1 and 2 can be removed from the loft layout, and used with Boards 3 and 4, together with a traverser which I built last year, to allow the layout to be run individually either downstairs, or outside during the summer. There is also the potential, as previously commented, for it to be exhibited in the years to come. However, the main aim is to give me a small layout that I can operate at home, but that the work involved isn't lost on the main layout. I do also have another cunning plan, which is way into the future, but forms the basis of a separate layout, potentially still set in the 1980s, but more of a view that it could be set in the late 1960s/early 1970s, on an industrial branch, and the layout represents on end of a yard, along with the locomotive shed. The idea being that this basis could use the Ixion Hudswell Clarke, or Minerva Kerr Stuart designs in an industrial setting - to give variety in operations and modelling. In this sense, only Board 1 would be reused, with boards 5,6 and 7 being a totally different design. The attached plan of Marsh Lane Shed (below) shows how the shed area would fit into this proposal. The tracks on Board 1 are laid in such a way, that the additional small shed (I thinking something akin to the loco facilities at High Peak Junction) could be included or not, depending on the period being modelled. As always, comments are welcomed. Rich

Hi Paul, Glad to hear your still working on things tho. Off to have a read of your workbench thread! Rich

Hi Peter, Superb images - several of those are so realistic. Really good to see you posting pictures of the layout again. Looks superb! EDIT: Struggling to find that wiring diagram, but looking at what others have posted, I tend to agree with you - a rotary switch could be the best and easiest way forward! Rich

Disrupted with family stuff today, so have only had an hour to spend on the shed construction. Painted the four sides of Plastikard brickwork a couple of days ago and went over it with the grey mortar yesterday, which was then wiped off. Overall it looked OK, but I wasn't totally happy so the two ends which had the grey added, have been washed over with red again! Hope to have another go tomorrow. In other news, I've put together the first five Windows for one of the sides together and they look superb, especially the two open windows! Three out of the five have now been mounted on Perspex and laid over the inner skin. The window cut outs on both the inner and outer skin have been painted white to represent the internal framework, which has worked well. Pics now attached below. The side doors and the internal side of the main doors are going to be covered in a Dark Oak wood stain I think, to give that 'oldy' style to the doors. The exterior of the main doors will be painted in black and yellow stripes. Can I also say thank you to everyone that has looked in, passed comment or given a rating. I find it quite remarkable that in the first seven days, this thread has had just over 1,000 views! Rich