paulprice

I think I will have to investigate some ideas on how provide that unique northwest atmosphere, now how can I get some scale rain?

Lights in buildings do look good. But on an urban layout, it is a big project!

 

Only really comes into its own if you have a cover over the top of the layout so the exhibition hall lighting does not affect it.

Hey it wont be that big a project to put the lighting in I mean there will only be 30-40 buildings.......OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE

As I have not really had enough time to do any modelling today, I have been musing on the layout, but I have still not come to any conclusions.

The topics of thought tonight were

1, how tall should the layout be? (Im 6'7" tall but what is a good height for exhibitions?)

2. should the buildings be lit?

Oh well off to bed I go

Haha, well I'm sure it's gonna be impressive

I get the feeling it wont be a quick build

Are you keeping us in suspense regarding the track plan??    (or have I missed it)

Does that mean I have to have a track plan?

I may just be keeping a couple of secrets

Really nice boards very well made

Hey if I can make boards like this, it means everyone else should be able to make better ones.

Very impressive carpentry skills there! Wish I could say the same about my bodge ups! Looking forward to tracking your progress especially the scratchbuilding and LMS stable!

 

Good luck

Ian

Stable? what stable?

Remember you can take a Horse to water but a pencil must be led....

Well I've managed to get the second board completed, which means that I can start at some point, maybe if this go to plan?

A little work with some tools that does not include my favourite big hammer has resulted in the first of the layout boards nearly completed, the hardest bit was sanding all the profiles to remove the chances of that most evil of things SPLINTERS.

The scary thing was the accuracy of the initial cuts, which means I am on the verge of becoming a WOODWORKING GOD , once the profiles where smooth I added blocks of softwood to aid in the next steps of construction.

Being a forward thinker I decided to drill some holes in the profiles to create wiring runs as construction of the layout gets to the wiring stage, well that's what I told the Domestic Overlord they were for, when really it was just an excuse for me to use a cutting drill . As the profiles where attached to the front face of the baseboard, and the top surfaces where attached it actually started to look like a baseboard.

Being brought up with old fashioned chip-board baseboards, it still amazes me how light and strong ply-wood boards can be, the strength was improved further by the addition of the integrated back-scene/rear support board.

So there you have it, board number one nearly complete and its only taken about 200 screws, yes the baseboards are light, but the weight of the screws that's another matter. I must admit I do like this approach to producing layout boards, its cant be that hard because after all I can do it.

This will probably be the only time the underside of the boards looks tidy, as sooner of later the wiring will have to happen, yes I know I have a support block missing from the top left but this has been fitted honest

As with my other layout Foster Street I decided to go with lightweight ply-wood baseboards, but this time rather than just gluing and pinning them I decided to use screws to make stronger joints (the previous method I used on Foster Street is still going strong), mainly because I find it hard to give up old habits.

The other slight change to the previous layout was that with the exception of 3mm ply for part of the alignment templates, all the construction was to be made from 6mm ply-wood of the marine type, where as the previous layout used 3mm for baseboard tops.

Once I had the cutting plan finalised for the basic layout boards, it was time to actually cut some wood, and pretty soon a jigsaw of parts was created

Well after threatening it for a while, I have actually made a start on my second portable N gauge layout (Foster Street being my first), the difference is that this one will also be built with possible exhibition attendance in mind from the start.

Without going into too much detail at first, the basic outline for the new layout is as follows (some of it will be a challenge)

1 No more than 3 boards including the storage yard.

2 No more than 8 feet long (main scenic boards 4ft x 2ft)

3 To be constructed from ply-wood and to be as lightweight as possible.

4 To be multi level - to avoid the flat layout syndrome.

5 To be based in the LMS years in the northwest

6 To be very, very urban.

7 All buildings to be scratch built (well may be not quite all of them)

So looking at the above it should be a quick and easy? shouldn't it, I mean what could go wrong?

For those of you who may be interested keep reading, and I will post updates as progress is made...............

Well my 7F's have had their final run around the layout before they are off to the Wigan show.

Hopefully everything will go well, but I have cleared some space on the workbench of Doom for any failures

Which means I have the following big tanks to cover some of the local passenger duties?

My Fowler and Fairburn builds

My attempt at a Stanier 2 cylinder

Yet another attempt at a Flatiron and Johnson 1P

I know one thing though, I have had enough with lining tanks engines, and tender engines, all over black is the way to go I think

Well I have got this lot serviced in prep for Wigan, still lots to do PANIC PANIC

I have now got 5 LNER locomotives to head the occasional inter-regional working on Foster Street, and I think 5 is more than enough and I will definitely not be adding anymore to the fleet, honest

Well in an attempt to get a few things ready for the Wigan exhibition, I have managed to cobble together at least one example of the principle Moguls the LMS operated.

The Stanier mogul still needs a fair bit of detailing, but may make an appearance at the show, maybe, if all goes well

Sorry, but that's just plain wrong. It's not possible to have too many LNER locomotives. 

Even the LNER had too many LNER locomotives

I guess I better do some research on the MOS livery, as I really want to add one of these locomotives to the fleet, but I think I have too many LNER locomotives already

I know the LNER took a few Austerity 2-8-0s into stock, but did the LMS?

Im looking for justification to add one to my stock, but don't fancy adding another LNER loco to my fleet

Well the Jubilee has now received her number, and is still waiting for her nameplates, I need to place a large order.

There are still a few little areas to work on and finish, but she runs well and will soon join the fleet in time for the Wigan show. One thing is for certain she will not be this clean, as she needs a little grot applying to her, I mean I have to don't I?

My Stanier Mogul is progressing slowly, I replaced the original tender I built with a better one straight of the production line, and I have even managed slightly better lining on this one.

There is still a lot to do on this model, looking at the picture I think I need to lower her a little more on her chassis, I think I will need to adapt the motion more.

Again she will need a little weathering to at least hide some of the lining, and then she can take her place with the rest of the LMS moguls in the fleet.

Go for it! I've enjoyed following your progress with all those LMS locos. You could always forward date the layout a little and erect some OHLE and run some electric blue 86's and some green class 40's!

 

Best regards,

 

Jeremy

Maybe the next layout in the planning stage might be in a more modern timescale, hang on what am I saying, what about all my Steamers. You are a very bad influence on me

I just need to decide on what number to apply, and of course the LMS branding, and glazing and crew but then I will have another Jubilee in the fleet.

The problem is what to name her.

Well my Stanier Mogul is slowly progressing through the works, her lining is nearly complete, and then I can apply her number and branding, making progress is not good, surely this can be what modelling is about.

brilliant, your even tempting me to get some none steam stock

I totally agree. I think dear old (yes he is older than me! ) Mr Price can be overly critical of his work at times. Given that the Jube is around 135mm long (with tender), I think that the lining job he has done to this locomotive is an awesome achievement, shaky hands or no! 

Stop it you chaps will make me blush

Well progress has been made and its very very scary, thins cant be what railway modelling is all about can it?

This should add a little interest to the Black 5 fleet, if only from people saying "why oh why have you done that?"

I think this will definitely be my last Jubilee, honest, it will certainly be among the last few loco's I will be lining for a while, in N gauge lining and shaky hands are not a good combination.