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Tim Hall

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Blog Entries posted by Tim Hall

  10. Tim Hall
    Having relaid and remodelled some of the track at the end of 2016, I left it a few months to see if I was happy with it all.
    Eventually, this autumn, I decided crack on with bits of scenery (see photos) and some ballasting (50/50 water/ pva, a few drops of washing up liquid and some black poster paint to weather it a bit). The shed areas had black poster paint added later to try to reproduce the grime of such areas.
    There is still a lot to do, but I'm pleased with the progress so far.

  13. Tim Hall

    Brown Boveri 18000

    By Tim Hall,

    An opportunist purchase from Hattons. Silver Fox body on what sounds like a newish Hornby 5 pole motor.  Very smooth, quiet and romped effortlessly on 8Mk1s. I had bought an unfinished one with a Lima chassis a few months ago, but will now sell it on eBay, as this one is better than I could achieve.
     
    Although it has transfers for the numbers and I had bought etched ones for the unfinished one, I think I'll leave it as it is, and sell the etched numbers on, as the transfers are neatly done and slightly smaller than the etches.


  15. Tim Hall

    2016, a few changes

    By Tim Hall,

    Late in 2016, after a long period of playing trains, but not doing much with the layout, I decided to remove the little used "freight loop" and with it the diamond crossings and three way points that caused more derailments than I was happy with. By asking handyman Mark (whilst visiting to do some work in the kitchen) to put a larger fillet in one corner of the fiddle yard, a siding could be extended, and brought all the way round the layout to become the 4th circuit.
    This gave the opportunity for another platform, which soon became an island platform (mainly from spare piece of timber just the right depth.) and finished in the same style as the others. Because of a lack of space it's very narrow, and slightly shorter than the others (approx. 6 Mk1s, whereas the other 3 are 7 Mk1s). A shortened Airfix/ Dapol footbridge provides access to it, and a lengthened Airfix/ Dapol footbridge spans the four track mainline elsewhere.
     
    I also moved the steam shed a bit, to utilise a redundant area and create a larger area for a village.

  16. Tim Hall

    Introduction

    By Tim Hall,

    We had the attic converted to a room about 4 years ago, to bedroom standards if we ever need to sell.
    Velux windows, laminate floor, radiator, fire door, loads of storage space, under the eaves. Our friendly local handyman, Mark Webber built the baseboards in two days, for the price of a couple of medium sized locos, as I had bought the baseboard material (9mm marine ply) and had it cut to size by the builders before the attic was finished (too big to come up the twisty narrow staircase once finished).
    The tops of the baseboards are 39 inches off the floor (ideal height for me to work at, and allowed four existing bookcases to slot underneath.) The 2x1 frames are only attached to the room by screws into the skirting board.
    The main baseboards are 15ft6 x 11ft6, with a large hole in the middle, and a 3ft x 2ft bit in the corner by the door.
     
    I have a reasonably large collection of mainly RTR 00 stuff from pre grouping to late 1990s sector liveried diesels, and wanted a fairly bland generic canvas to run them on in terms of location. The time period is broadly current, suggesting "heritage" status, though four continuous ovals rather contradicts that. I tend to run one era/ region for a few months then pack it all away and move on. I rarely mix wildly conflicting eras/ regions, except if testing new stock.
    As I mainly want to "lineside" through trains, and find much of the DCC sound unappealing, DC is fine, powered these days, by a Gaugemaster Q.
     
    The four photos below date from almost exactly four years ago, just after the boards were built.
     
    I plan to bring this up to date quite quickly.
  17. Tim Hall

    Onwards into 2015

    By Tim Hall,

    Three circuits, a fiddle yard, and a small branch line terminus appeared, as did a rather unconvincing fourth track crossing from the 2nd circuit to inside the 3rd one via diamond crossings, though I found that I rarely used it.
     
    The "Hall" mock up nameplate was made by friends at the railway I was then a volunteer at, to celebrate my half century.
  20. Tim Hall

    Progress 2014

    By Tim Hall,

    Track laying soon got going, using Peco code 100 and insulfrog points, on 3mm cork (bought a massive roll off ebay for less than £25, only used about half for the whole layout).
     
    Three continuous circuits were planned, each spitting into three in the fiddle yard at the far end of the room from the door. Due to the shape of the room, I tucked a long platform against the wall down one side, thus maximising the useful width, and enabling fairly generous curves. Track gauges being used to aim for 42 inch on the outer circuit, 36 inches on the second one and 30 inches on the third one, though much of it exceeds these radii, and Mk111 carriages used to check clearances where necessary.
     
    A diesel depot and small steam shed appeared.
    Existing Hornby platforms were used, but they were going to be disguised ASAP.
    Metcalfe card was used to disguise them, after rewhitening the edges, as can be seen in the last photo.
     

  22. Tim Hall

    Saturday randomness

    By Tim Hall,

    Having recently taken delivery of an extra Class 33 (1990s railtour condition), SDJR Jinty, and West Highland liveried MK1 (Fort Bill-Mallaig mid 80s), I posed some little cameos.
  23. Tim Hall

    Cruel close ups

    By Tim Hall,

    https://www.facebook.com/tim.hall.146/videos/1472078786229698/?t=10
     
    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1472080349562875&set=pcb.1592464890866521&type=3&theater&ifg=1
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