bootneckbob

I didn't get all the track done yesterday, but I finished it off this morning and did some running, well lots of running to check for any issues. The upshot is the incline is more gentle; there was a bit of a tip off previously between boards, that's now gone. As the gradient and curve is more gentle it's opened the line up for some HST diversions. There wasn't much point before as the front of the train was in the tunnel before the rear left the station. I've attached a photo of a very quick mock up of how the slope of the terrain ought to be, and what may be obscured. Have some other jobs around the house to get on with this afternoon, but I hope to get back in later.

Rather than get on with any number of buildings that need doing this morning, I was feeling like opening up the incline. Although the tunnels don't look as bad as the original plan way way back, it still looks to steep for the surrounding area; mainly due to the drop off on the left hand side of the incline. Also, I like being able to see as much of the train as possible, and the workbench that covers that part of the railway isn't used so I thought I'd look at the track and if I could make a more gentle curve with the tunnel portal moved. Happy that I can improve the curve I set to work and not for the first time on this board I prepped for some scenic surgery! Cutting the scenery isn't hard for those who haven't needed to do it. It took just 3 cuts to take out all the scenery I wanted (for now). Then a quick look to see roughly how it will look; wouldn't be hard to replace everything at this point if I'm not happy. Finally I run a train on to the track as it is at the moment to have a better look. I think it looks much better. I've stopped for lunch now, but when I get back to it I'll lift the track and relay it with a more gentle curve. I doubt I'll get much more than that done today. I will blend the old scenery with new. The overall look will be more open, less steep and now I get the incline with a sweeping curve. It's sweeping completely the wrong way but what the hell.

Yes I was looking for some video of the building today; hoping there would be some good footage from a spotter and I found out myself that it had been knocked down. Didn't know the red building is going too; that's the old Station Masters isn't it?

I'm really feeling the effects of having a massive layout and only me working on it but the wife's away to see her family and leaving me to look after the animals for a few days. With any luck I'll get loads done this week 😄 I bought some more scalescenes kits despite having the scratch builders yard; they are very cheap, and do have some additional textures and features. One of the kits was the CLASP modular building. I bought that as I thought it would be good as the base for the Train Crew building at the back of the Bay siding. I think it will also be good for the Royal Mail site and porta cabins in general possibly. So this afternoon was spent doing a first pass at the Crew building and driving a few trains. The new change in the fiddle yard is brilliant; don't know how I missed it before. In case I've not covered it I've extended two of the shortest through roads and binned the dead end siding in (one anyway). It now means I can get HSTs in any of the 10 sidings from either direction. Since my last update I added some road markings to Red Cow. Most will probably be removed or painted over again but more layers just adds to the depth and a bit more realistic. So here's a few photos. The viewing angle isn't a good one (for the finished layout) but it shows how things are as is.

Had a week off but not got much done on the railway. Added a bit more detail to the 'brewery', repainted the road and Red Cow crossing, and spent yesterday painstakingly painting the barriers and lights for Red Cow crossing too. Painting wearing magnifying glasses whilst actually painting the items under another magnifying glass! Don't know how anyone can work in N gauge. Today I added some extra droppers into the line for platform 5 as there was some intermittent power issues (which are now sorted); and did a quick mock up of the display the crossing attendant has which show which lines the approaching/departing trains are on.

So am I John!

Bit of work done on the roof tiles. In case anyone is any doubt or was wondering I'm using Scalescenes printed paper. I bought the scratchbuilders kit as an Xmas prezzie to myself.

Well I can't believe its been 3 months since the last update. Busy with the other hobby and looking after the house and garden (yawn). Anyway, I really wanted to push on a bit with some time off this week; didn't do as much as I wanted but got some more ballast down in the station area (northern end) which has helped stick the platforms down to the base board and stop any warping. Will this be a good idea in the long run; who knows, watch this space. Along with the ballast I did a bit of the cable run on platform 4. Should have taken a pic but you'll see it in time. The other thing I've been up to is the building which is now the Brewery (I think). Slow work but this building unlike my other mock ups has been made in card not foam-board. Not finished but it's taking shape and given the confined space I think it's looking ok. I just gave the main roof a quick coat of grey paint as it didn't show up well in white card.

I got Defiance without any NEM pockets and the spares arrived today so this was her first time out hauling anything. Caught her doing some light Speedlink work down by Cowley Bridge a few minutes ago!

I took this picture last week when it turned up and cancelled my Accurascale order for Defiance yesterday. I will be getting one of their 50s for sure but swapping out all 6 of my 50s will be expensive. My 2 NSE ones are still in their boxes and never been run or out of the box for that matter so I might sell those and get the Accurascale NSE model. Anyway without repeating myself, when I found out about Defiance in Rail freight and the year (1987-88) I had to get one. I've always said the layout is set around this time, 86-89, so this just narrows it down that bit more.

Well spotted!

No idea on the 45. Looked at the download of it but the number's illegible.

One today from taken from platform 3

Last day in the shed for my Easter break although it wasn't a day at all it was 3 hours, still worthwhile. As I expected, the Brewery (as it is now) did need some compression. With what I've mocked up today I think I'll get away with it visually, but the side adjacent to the road will take up the slack; i.e. there will be no outside yard space other than the loading bay. From the viewing side it should look ok. Although not shown in the photos, I've looked at all the areas of the building, widths, heights and clearances, particularly for the canopy which extends over the 'removed' line at the entrance to New North Yard. I've attached a couple of photos again. This time the view from the ends of Platforms 1 & 5. I've also included a real photo of the scene probably taken from the end of platform 3 / 4., although it's zoomed in a little bit too much. I've also showed a bit of an overhead shot to show how I mock up the areas. I really should have sorted out the car parking sign! Late edit: Cropped version to compare the composition between reality and the layout; plus my mrs couldn't tell what she was supposed to be looking at, so I cropped it! Overhead showing the floor plate for the 'Brewery' and one side representation View from platform 1 View from platform 5 The real view, probably from platforms 3 / 4.

Well I got in the time accelerator early this morning; honestly I don't know where the day goes when I'm in the shed! I wanted to get the warehouse (second building from the front on the right in the picture above) done, and by that I mean knocked up in foamboard although I actually used foamex today and I really like it. Ordered by mistake but much better. I used to make signs using it in another life. I had to finish off some details on the wall I was doing yesterday before I started on the warehouse, but I'm quite pleased with the look. It's all by eye and first go but I think it passes the test. It should be wider but there's that damned compression again! The next building, the one in the foreground will be the worst I'm sure. Before I left it for today I took 3 photos (not staged) and cropped them. I have to say I really like it given the scene wasn't setup and the finish...well it's no where near finished! A view from the end of Platform 5. Taken from close to the entrance to Riverside Yard Looking over the wall on Cowley Bridge road.

So today I had fun and games with the Merchant Navy class again🤐! Stupid DCC setup on it. Finally put it away and cracked on with my intended job for today which was cracking on with the Cowley Bridge Road area leading to Red Cow Crossing. Doesn't look like I've done much but I've gone firm on the road layout which has been a real problem due to the super compression. I've been playing around with road for literally months, probably years actually! The other work was with the walls adjacent to the road. Must get in the shed early tomorrow, not much holiday left!

@Coronach That's what I thought; I had read that online, I just wasn't sure if both 'sidings' in the Bay would require them? I think platform 2 yes absolutely as it's a used passenger stop/termination. The other line I wasn't so sure, but I think the answer is in the signal I've roughly copied for now on the approach to Red Cow. It has 6 feathers on it to indicate 6 platforms (signaled). I think the siding in the bay area would be for a loco or shunter from New North Yard or Riverside possibly? Anyway I'm going to run with that idea and only have the one buffer lit for Platform 2 and the other not as it's a siding. Thanks for your comment.

Well I've spent a long time looking at other locos but decided I should first check mine. Long story short, as I suspected the wires from the tender to the loco were causing the problem. I re wired it all with a much smaller gauge wire and it runs fine over the points now. So it can't operate from every road as the curve and weight of the rake causes problems with traction, but it can run on both the main up and down lines with no problems. I'm undecided now if to keep it or sell it. Anyway, going to go a few hours in the garden this afternoon and hopefully get back in the shed later.

Here's the buffer stop for platform 2. I'll drill the holes for the wires tomorrow, fit and re ballast. Looks better when its seen normal size, and viewing is nearly 4ft away at the closest point. John, I will look at the locos you've suggested tonight, thanks.

Too right; very rough out there. Just come down for some lunch. Main effort this morning; cleaning and polishing the rails after yesterdays ballasting but also started some custom illumination with a red light on a peco buffer stop for platform 2. Does anyone know if the siding would have been light too?

Easter update. Well I finally finished painting the track. I'll start again, I finally finished painting all the track in the station you can see from the viewing angle. I still need to finish off the other sides of some of the rails. Needing to feel like I'd made some sort of progress I turned my hand to the Signal Panel Box. It was late in the day so all I did was cut out the windows and doors and put some scale scenes paper on. Not happy with the colour so I'm going to look at another finish today. I also sold one of my HST rakes which incidentally meant selling the MK3 coach I recently bought so I could sell it as a complete 8 car rake with all the right carriages (A-H). I discovered my Merchant Navy Class steam train not only can't negotiate the incline, but it can't handle the curved set points in that lead in to the fiddle yard at one end. I knew about the incline previously and had fitted DCC power base to assist in that area. Not sure how I missed the points?? So, I'm not messing with the points, the layout is set in the 80s and the steam train was a big concession to the layout but one I was prepared to make just because they are lovely things and sound great. Unfortunately though I will be selling it on I think along with the rake of Mk1 chocolate and cream carriages. Yesterday I got back in for a full uninterrupted 'modelling' day and set to work on ballasting. I did the initial base layer in the Bay platform area and finished off the area north of Red Cow Crossing. I say finished off, not weathered yet obviously. Hoping for another productive day in there today as the weather forecast is terrible today, but looking out of my window at the moment there's lovely blue sky over Bideford Bay.

Sadly not. Just a common as muck XR3i 😀

I've still got Indomitable and Glorious (both in NSE livery) in their boxes on the shelf. They were bought in 2017/8 and never been run. Not even been out of the plastic inserts! Daft thing is I have DCC sound chips for both after I sold off my later NSE liveried Achilles and Superb. I'm saving them for when the station is further ahead. I was actually quite gutted to see the NSE Exeter being released this year. But as it's about £100 more now than I paid for Indomitable, I'll get over it... So Basically I now have 50 004 St Vincent BR large logo 50 007 Sir Edward Elgar in Brunswick Green 50 026 Indomitable NSE 50 033 Glorious NSE 50 035 Ark Royal BR large logo *Edit I forgot I have 50 149 Defiance on order! So from 2 cutting around the layout (for testing) to 6 😲

Well progress has been slow but I have been in the shed working. I've spent a lot of time painting the track in the station area (still not finished) and tinkering. I threw a bit of grey paint around the crossing last night to dull down the white plaster. It's all coming on......slowly! I've also been buying a bit more rolling stock with 3 TTA tankers (will be for the TMD fuel point) and a MK3 TSO to alter one of the HST set from 2 FO to 1; prototypical for the mixed rakes at the time. Also bought a CMX cleaner. I have the British version but I've always kept my eyes open for a 'cheap' deal on the CMX. It's certainly heavier but I've not used them enough to lean one way or the other yet. Finally I've added a couple of 50s. After reading up on the history of 50149 Defiance, I realized it's a must have for my layout as it's Exeter 87-89. After a small bidding war for one on Ebay I decided to look at Accurascale. Although very expensive, once the sound is added its no more than current Hornby versions which are old anyway. So, that will turn up next year I expect. In the meantime I picked up a bit of a bargain on 50 035 Ark Royal. Needed some work done but all within my expertise!