Duncan.

Looking very, very good. Its better than my first attempt at a layout.

7 hours ago, gingerangles said:

 

Hi @Duncan. - is the attendance of the layout at those shows confirmed?  I'd love to see it before it's retired.  Also will you be updating here with regards the raffle - it would be nice to contribute.

1 hour ago, Andy_C said:

I can be cheeky, ‘cos I’m helping with Shirebrook at both exhibitions - but yes both are confirmed. 

Hi @gingerangles

As Andy said both shows are confirmed. I will be updating raffle news on both Shirebrook  and Hobbs Bridge  Goods threads. Thank you for your support. I hope I can sell tickets to RMweb members pre event.

6 hours ago, DavidMcKenzie said:

I am sure many of you are aware, but@Duncan. is organising a raffle. Money collected will go to the Manorlands Hospice and if I have understood correctly there may even be a chance to win one of Duncan's outstandingly weathered models. 

 

 

You are quite right Dave, one of the prizes will be a Dapol class 56, a Dapol class 50 and another yet to be selected. All the models have run regularly on Shirebrook, are weathered and detailed/modified as appropriate. All funds raised will be donated to Moorlands Hospice Oxenhope where my late friend and Shirebrook layout operator Robert spent his final days. RMweb readers generous support will be very much appreciated.

Duncan

Robert last operated the layout at the Barnsley Show last November. He is pictured here 3rd left with his son Harry on the far right.

And the latest views from Hobbs Bridge Goods

 It's a case of spot the newest detail really!

Cheer

Duncans

 This post refers to Shirebrook please see links below, however it may be the most important in the threads.

Today's running day was arranged for one of our operators, Robert, after he received a terminal diagnosis for returning cancer. Sadly he passed away earlier this week. We continued with the running day at his and his son Harry's request. Harry also operates the layout. The stock on the layout in the main belonged to the operators.

You may be aware that Shirebrook will be retiring from the exhibition circuit later this year, our final shows being Loughborough in August and TINGS (Leamington Spa) in September. It has been my intention to hold raffles with some of the locos and stock from Shirebook up as prizes. We will be sending profits from the raffles to Manorlands Hospice, who looked after Robert in his final days. Please repost and get as much support as possible. 

Final details TBC but I hope tickets will be £1 each. One of the prizes will be a weathered 50149 from Dapol, other prizes will be some items of rolling stock and probably a class 56 from the Shirebrook stock box.

Cheers and thanks

Duncan

3 hours ago, woodenhead said:

Things must be bad on the ECML if not only are they diverting via Shirebrook they've had to travel back in time too 🤣

Hi Woodenhead,

Today's running day was arranged for one of our operators, Robert, after he received a terminal diagnosis for returning cancer. Sadly he passed away earlier this week. We continued with the running day at his and his son Harry's request. Harry also operates the layout. The stock on the layout in the main belonged to the operators.

You may be aware that Shirebrook will be retiring from the exhibition circuit later this year, our final shows being Loughborough in August and TINGS (Leamington Spa) in September. It has been my intention to hold raffles with some of the locos and stock from Shirebook up as prizes. We will be sending profits from the raffles to Manorlands Hospice, who looked after Robert in his final days. Please repost and get as much support as possible. 

Final details TBC but I hope tickets will be £1 each. One of the prizes will be a weathered 50149 from Dapol, other prizes will be some items of rolling stock and probably a class 56 from the Shirebrook stock box.

Cheers and thanks

Duncan

Hi,

Here is a weekend update for Hobbs Bridge.

I have been around the layout with the air brush mostly weathering the ballast. The platform is painted. I used a mixture of Acrylic paints and pva glue for the road surface,  sprinkled with a mixture fine sand and wood powder to complete. Please note most surfaces are only base painted , scatter and static grass to be added, the scene is far from complete.

I use the photos to study the work I have completed, spot areas for change and or improvement.

Cheers

Here are the latest photos, just the area round the platform base painted.

There will be steps at this end of the platform and a foot crossing for staff to access a works bus for onward travel into the nuclear plant.

Cheers

Duncan

4 hours ago, Dunalastair said:

 

I am enjoying the vertical relief, and it is good to see an appropriate fence appearing around the flask gantry. It was not altogether flat around Wylfa when that facility was operating, although perhaps not as rocky as around Trawsfynydd. Cooling water was the must-have for reactors, whether salt or fresh - who knows what might be over that hill?

Hi,

I think you've hit the nail on the head, what indeed, may be over the hill? I have only the platform to paint. Air brushing and scatter/static grass to follow!

Latest  photos to follow....

On 27/02/2024 at 23:05, DavidLong said:

Is a DMU about to appear, Duncan?

 

David

Probably not (yet)... I will have to purchase a bubble car... in the meantime  it will have to be a loco and one or two coaches.

Weekend past progress.... a few details  added,,,, landform completed with installation of platform for a passenger service for employees only of the nuclear plant

I'll get the base colours down soon and the track bed weathered next.

Cheers

Hi Andy

I'm  sure your patience  on this mammoth job will be well rewarded, certainly looking good.

I am a firm believer in using all modern technologies to make sure parts stick together.

Thanks David, valuable info. Do you have any contact details for Andrew Hartsthorne, I may go into production myself. Thanks for your kind comments.

Cheers

By way of light relief I thought I would include some photos of the current situation.

I have used Redutex for the cobbled area of the goods yard and access road.

The ballast looks very messy and far too clean in these photos. It really is not so bad  but I do need to take the airbrush to it and weather it down.

Cheers

Duncan

The control panel is constructed from ply wood

The layout is wired for dc operation. The black toggle switches operate servomotors to operate the turnouts via a Peco smart switch system. The yellow toggle switch turns scenic lights on. The red push buttons power pk electromagnets for uncoupling operations using DG couplers. Red leds on the mimic indicate position of the turnouts.

The bundle of blue wires connect to the layout while the white cable is the power supply from the power supply box.

Hi

Here is the control panel and power supply for Hobbs Bridge.

All the dangerous stuff.... mains is contained in the near box. The white cable connects to the control panel and is only low volts 24 and 16v ac (safe).

The internals of the power supply

On/off switch (mounted on lid) and transformer.

1 hour ago, Kevin Johnson said:

Morning Duncan I have just come across your layout build. The layout looks brilliant with a really nice job modelling the rock faces and the foliage above. You have also done a lovely job on the bridge. We'll done.👍

However Kevin, what you see is just the base.... I will be adding scatter and static grasses in due course. I have a couple of buildings and lights to 'plant' and the backscene to paint, and much detailing... please look out for future updates.

Cheers

Hi David,

The intended model will use Daubhill as inspiration in the architecture etc, it won't be a direct copy, but I hope to capture the 'feel' of the area.

I won't be starting construction  before the Autumn. Collecting materials  and making plans for now.

Cheers

Duncan

14 minutes ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

On my Samsung phone (and sometimes other devices too), I find it helps to slightly edit each photo once I’ve taken it - this can include rotating it as well.  Once “re-saved” they usually seem to load OK.  Not sure why - I guess the editing process ‘breaks’ any auto-assumptions the device is making for me.  Just a thought, Keith.

Thanks Keith, tried that didn't work!

16 minutes ago, DavidLong said:

If I recall correctly, either in this thread or elsewhere, you did some musing about Finetrax or Peco and I am still slightly disappointed that you didn't take the Finetrax option. As James Hilton has shown it really adds something to go with the quality of modern N scale products.

Hi David,

You are correct. If I can ask you to check recent posts in the Shirebrook thread you will see that Shirebrook is being retired this year from exhibitions... last one at TINGS, and you will see a brief peak at my new project using Briish finescale track. Tell me your thoughts! That will also use DGs.... 

Cheers

Morning , I had intended to upload this photo last evening , however, no matter how I tried it was upside down (uploading from phone). If anyone knows how to upload from a (samsung) phone without the photo turning upside down please pm me!

This weekend progress; roads smoothed, coping stones added, buffers painted, concrete hard standing formed and painted, platform started.

Cheers

3 hours ago, MarshLane said:

I am slowly progressing with a layout personally, and now have a dislike a Peco track work - it looks to 'modelly' for my liking, so am into the field of handbill track work.  Something I would not even have considered 10 years ago. But other people say I am quite happy with Peco, thats fair enough, and each to their own.

Any photos etc of your layout with the handbuilt track Rich, I would like to see that.

Cheers

3 hours ago, stivesnick said:

I am trying to put myself in the mind of the people building the nuclear power plant or British Rail and am struggling to come up with a reason why you would end up with the situation like this. Depending on how long the approach tunnel is, it might have been easier to have the rail terminal on the other side to save the costs of maintaining the tunnel and the viaduct. During the construction of the power station, there could have been materials such as cement and steel delivered by rail, requiring a much longer loop. The same is true of the tunnel to the power station itself, it would be much cheaper to upgrade the local road. Generally you would not build a power station in a very hilly area.

Thanks for your kind thoughts NIck. In response to your remarks posted above I would say that the rail alignment was existent long before the power station. Being a former 'main' line it was built to good standards and provided a reliable connection to the site. My assumption was that this was the closest point to the site. Trawsfyndd was built near Bleanau Ffestiniog high up in the hills of North Wales. The other inspiration for this layout was Devils Bridge near Aberystwyth, Hobb being another name for Devil.

Cheers