Philou

Hello mes amis, It's another hot'un this afternoon. I did my stint this morning and I'm quite happy with the progress tho' as I had pre-cut the end pieces to Module G ages ago, I seem to have changed my mind somewhere along the way and had a little more fettling to do. The sides of the module are complete including the leg pockets that are in place and the one end is complete ready to be attached. I will have a strengthener to add (maybe two as it's quite high) to the last end piece and that'll be ready for glueing and screwing too. The longest job tomorrow will be making the four legs and once they're done everything can be taken to the railway room and secured in place - hoorah, hooray and huzzah! I did a dry run with the wall-side piece as it's the one where the Big Beam cuts through it - it's not as bad as I originally thought - a small cut out and the job will be jobbed - all for tomorrow. I hope I shall get it completed in the morning as apparently the weather is changing - coming from the UK so the meteorologists say. Thundery and rain with a marked drop in temperature. More updating tomorrow, Cheers, Philip

Hello @CameronL. I hope you'll stay with us until the end of the journey. I went back to the beginning of the thread and the previous one, but I think all the pictures that were before a certain date were lost in the great backup burnout last year (or was it the year before already?). I was dismayed to see that all this kicked off in 2017 and still no track is laid! But I'm getting there, thanks to the RMWeb collective. It took me much, much longer than I imagined dithering about and the angst of the right plan and then actually doing the work creating the space in the barn for the layout, topped by COVID and a lack of building materials just when I needed them! Here is the plan. It was created in SCARM - it used to be free but if you need to create a large plan you'll have to purchase a licence. I did as it was worthwhile. The software allowed heights and gradients of the tracks to be calculated and these I then transferred into SketchUp Make (which is still free, I believe). There is a selection of 3D views following the track plan: ^ This plan follows the awkward shape of the room. The space had been created, so why not use it? The overall measurements are 8.2m x 6.4m approx. No board is deeper than 900mm otherwise I wouldn't be able to reach to the other side due to having short arms (and deep pockets - old joke). BTW, where did Julius Caesar keep his armies? .............. up his sleevies! (Brian Cant - Playschool circa pre-Boer War probably). The layout will be a roundy-roundy with two through station based on real locations (as were), Ledbury is still in use (top of the plan) but has no goods yard and Pontrilas. This latter station was removed in the 60s but the building was not demolished and is a guest house and apparently a good place for spotting. The signal box remains as is one refuge siding. No curve on the layout is less than 1000mm radius (3' 3" approx.) Each station had a branch line, the Ledbury one going to Gloucester and that Pontrilas ending at Hay-on-Wye via the Golden Valley. (The Golden Valley possibly was named after the Dore Abbey which is a corruption of the French 'Abbaye D'Or' - the golden abbey - my guess, haven't checked). The two branchlines connect at a double track through station called Dymented (temporarily) that will allow trains from either station to terminate and go back (prototypically) or keep going to the the other mainline station (not prototypical). Though the branchlines were never connected, the mainline still is via Hereford and Rule 1 will apply In the centre is a 4m long 14-road sector plate, which is yet to have detailed work done and will be the very last construction to be completed (I need the central space for storage of stock until I've finished doing the trackbed and wiring up). Here are the 3D views - look great don't they? I just hope the real model will look similar 'cos if my woodworking has set out my stall .................... :(. ^ This a view of the Ledbury viaducts - there is only one in reality - but I wanted to get the branch over to Dymented. To the right is Ledbury station and to the left is a small fiddle yard attached to Dymented station where I can hold some branchline stock. ^ This view is looking at Dymented form the Pontrilas station direction. The mainline sweeps up a gradient partially in cutting (as the real line does) with the branchline dropping down towards Dymented. ^ This is Pontrilas station as was in about 1900. The station was extended by demolishing the water tower. The water tower wasn't re-erected until the 1940s and IIUIC water was pumped up from the River Dore. I liked the station with the water tower so I kept it. I haven't shown the goods shed here (nor indeed at the the other two stations!). ^This view shows the approach to Ledbury tunnel with the signal box protecting the single line tunnel. I wanted to keep this single bore tunnel so to give some operational interest. Here you will really need to pay attention to the signals before entering - otherwise 'Bad Things'(TM) may happen! You can also see in the centre where the mainline crosses over the A465 and the River Dore. Compression has dictated that the bridges be close together whereas in real life they seem to be at least 1/4mile apart (400m). Neither does this part of the mainline access Ledbury - it would be geographically impossible - whereas the other end of Pontrilas could link to Ledbury via Hereford (you'll see 'Hereford' mentioned in the previous post). ^ We've arrived back to Ledbury via the tunnel and into the deep cutting that had been created to form the station yard. Finally, a view of the proposed 14-road sector plate. Why so big? Just a lot of stock and nowhere to store it and it may as well be on show and used (even if not prototypically correct for the region/time period): Cheers everyone, more tomorrow, Philip

@JeffP My brother with whom I spoke yesterday mentioned that they'd had six weeks fairly continuous poor weather in the Cardiff area. Whilst I don't really fancy a cold wet summer, we really do need the rain. I'm really saddened to see that you and your wife cannot now come to France so easily as before. @Andy Hayter I've never seen an exclusion mentioning sea-level as a criterion - they're having you on, Shirley! Our paint hasn't held well on our shutters either, despite it being a good quality paint (complete with a proper RAL number). I put it down to the constant swelling and shrinking of the wood due to the extremes of temperature/dryness/humidity. I did once buy in B&Q some their own brand micro-porous paint that I used in our bathroom/shower room back in the UK. It seemed to last forever and that was subject to damp/dry on a daily basis. I can't seem to find any over here - probably has some forbidden/carcinogenic/other/nameyourpoison compound in it! The good news is that the last but one infill module (N) has been completed and put in place, levelled and secured. There was an alarming space on the one side between the adjacent modules despite measuring at least twice! Nevertheless, the securing bolts soon drew all the modules together so I'm happy with that. Here are some pictures and our little train journey will set the scene: ^ TaaaDaaaaaa ....... Module N in place and bolted. I did say levelled but any final levelling will be via the trackbed and the modules are just shaped frames indicating how and where the landform will be. ^ Module N covers most of the Dymented station area - we're looking at the Pontrilas end of the twin platforms. To the left, on the upper level is the double track mainline. As this is my make-believe/Rule 1 zone, I intend to have the mainline cut through a rocky outcrop with brick retaining walls at the back of the Dymented platforms. The back story is that the mainline company wasn't allowed running powers by the branchline company - due to an resolved dispute between various parties - and the mainline company built their track over the branch line - but at a cost geologically speaking. ^ Here our train will have left Pontrilas (behind and left of the camera) climbing the bank towards 'Hereford', the flat part on the right. The mainline here is bounded to both sides by the stop-ends of the relief sidings/loops. To the left is the Golden Valley branch that has now dropped down towards Dymented. At the other end of the module we can see the mainline on the right and the flat station area to the left. Beyond, at the Ledbury/'Hereford' end of Module O, we can see where the mainline will start to cross over the branch line (here, it'll be the fictitious alignment of the Gloucester branch from Ledbury). The branch will have completed it's drop from Ledbury at this point. The mainline will also commence it's drop down to Ledbury, crossing over the brick arched viaduct in the corner module (P) waaaaaay in the background. Can you imagine all of that? Can you? If you can, you're all doing better than me!!!!! :)))) An early start again tomorrow morning before things heat up, should see the two sides of the last infill module made up - they're cut to shape and now need the strengtheners glued and screwed plus glue blocks. These last items plus the leg pockets are already done. Then the ends, and away we go ...... upwards and onwards! Cheers everyone, take care and don't get rusty from being out in all that damp weather, Philip

Oh my! It's another hot'un today. Mrs Philou took pity on me and suggested that I work on one of the sun-decks that are shaded until around 11 o'clock (our time) and she even got a sunshade out of the barn for me so that I had shade 'til lunchtime. After walking the dog I managed about 30mins more work, but I've had to give up for today. The sun is so hot that it stings the skin even through the sunshade. In @Andy Hayter's region they're having over 40°! Given the height where he is, it may be a little cooler - let's hope so. I did get two sides and and end assembled with battens and glue-blocks and I also cut some leg-pockets fascias ready for drilling and assembling tomorrow. I've to do one length of batten for the other end piece and the whole module should be complete in the morning - yay! More updating tomorrow, Cheers, Philip

As by way of a diversion, those of you who may not have seen a motorised unicycle, I took a few photos on Friday of Mrs Philou's son about to embark on a 20 mile (35 km) journey. He was pleased and surprised that the Highways and Transportation Dept. of the Haute Saône have really been very busy and have constructed or resurfaced miles (kms) of cycleway mostly along the river bank - which he is allowed to use. I gave duff info a couple of days ago - the wheel is limited to 25kph and not 25mph. ^ It stands about 500mm all told. (Compare to our IKEA cupboard doors). The handle is just for manoeuvring off piste - not used when running. ^ There you go! One foot on the one foot-rest and the other on the ground ready to scoot off ............. ^ Going ..... going ...... gone and en route. Cheers and more updating tomorrow, Philip

Hello chums and chumesses, TaaaaDaaaaaa!! Yes! One more infill module completed this morning, placed, levelled and secured to the adjoining ones. Two to go. At the moment I have Pontrilas and Ledbury station areas complete (in terms of modules). I really do hope that by the end of the week the other two will be completed. I'm keeping the one under the Big Beam (do you remember the Big Beam?) for last as the beam will cut into one of the sides and will need trimming as and when. It's too hot for any more work today and it's Sunday anyway. My neighbours opposite are lunching with friends and family and as their patio faces the street, I think it would be very unneighbourly of me if I made noise. Here's a photo and I'll take you on that little train journey: ^ Module K in place and it all seems to match. Even the levels are in the right direction! ^ Our train is arriving from the 'Hereford' direction aka Dymented and has just dropped down the bank, the mainline bounded each side by the relief sidings and to the left is the siding leading down to the Pontrilas Chemical Works and the little crank adjoining the mainline to the right is the Golden Valley branch running parallel. At the bottom of the embankment, again on the right is a shallow slope leading to the now ex-A465. ^ This is a view of the station throat where the lines and pointwork diverge, towards the camera, and cross accessing the goods yard and the branch platform bay. To the right is a lane that runs under the pointwork and the signal box ( the size of the road 'tunnel' is more of a cattle creep) linking the A456 and the chemical works. There are a couple of houses along the lane too. The ex-A465 runs tight against the foot of the embankment of the throat so much so that there is a substantial length of low retaining wall. The A465 eventually curves away and off the board near the camera. In the background is the mainline curving away on a rising grade off towards 'Hereford'. The missing link just to the left in the background, is tomorrow's job. Today's apprentice is a young swallow who's managed to fly up from the main barn below whilst I had the cellar doors open. I've opened the Velux windows, but he hasn't yet understood that that is his escape route. He'll have to push off soon as they normally feed pretty regularly and besides which I don't want extra pooh on my boards taverymuch! Speak soon and more tomorrow. Philip

Hello chums and chumesses, I am about having returned from the club and peace and quiet has returned to the Mrs Philou abode. Good day at the club where one of the lads who's a bit of a whizz regarding electronics put in a pair of sound chips into a Dapol 68 and the driving unit of the Accurascale TPE unit for me ready for the club show later this year. I could have done it myself BUT I'm glad I didn't as there were some extra speakers to put in and the solder pads and wires were TINY! Sounded OK too. 🤯 I did end the day yesterday with enough parts pre-assembled to make up a complete module. This should be finished tomorrow, so I'll keep the real update for then (provided the weather isn't as hot and clammy as today - 35 in the shade!) Yikes! Cheers everyone, Philip

@lezz01 There is no seat at all - you stand on a pair of foot supports with the wheel throbbing between your legs - ooer, missus. As for being a death trap, it is limited to 25mph (40kph) and restricted to cycleways outside of any built up areas (technically). I haven't heard of any deaths or serious injuries caused by these machines, but perhaps @Andy Hayter might have seen or heard of some in his part of France. Given the max speed, I doubt if injuries caused by falling off would be any worse than on a bicycle. Push bikes can and do go faster! He's kitted out with a proper m'bike crash helmet, knee and elbow protection pads, reinforced gloves plus appropriate footwear. The wheel is also kitted out with its own head and tail light. Today's adventure was sluggish to say the least as the weather is still hot and sticky. Nonetheless, I do have six sides and six end pieces for the outstanding three infill modules plus the right number of legs cut. I managed to make up some battens too. Tomorrow should see glue blocks and pocket fronts made up. After that? We'll see as it's going to be even warmer, but I intend to have the 12 pockets assembled and the legs completed with their feet before we go out tomorrow evening. For an out in the sticks place, our Big Town tries to do things to attract people and they have a very active astronomy society and so Mrs Philou and I are going star-gazing (must remember my binoculars) - all pre-booked as there are not many places available. It may well be the Perseides shooting star night too (or is it another one?) that occurs around this time of the year. There probably won't be an update tomorrow night for the above mentioned reason and Saturday's may be late as Mrs Philou's son, DiL and daughter are off back to Paris in the evening and I'm out clubbing - yay- for most of the day and it'll be chaos when I get back from there!! Cheers everyone, not long to the weekend! Philip

He was on a forest track and well away from other people when it had made a strange 'chirping'. He was quite safe and rather adept at this wheel malarkey. It stopped before he did. Touched a command unknowingly. These connected things - they'll never take off!

Cheers chaps and chapesses, It's very gratifying to see your encouragement - gives a bit more oomph to the proceedings, especially if progress is slower than expected - like today. The sun was out and it was a brilliant day - however it was becoming very hot and humid and by 11 o'clock it was already 31° with humidity at 97% - far too hot and clammy for me! After lunch the dog was taken for her usual walk, but she too didn't fancy going any distance. I set myself to start and I decided to change the order of things as my saw was set to cut ply and indeed I cut one sheet into two more manageable portions and the rain started - any way, away everything went. I was going to get some stock ready to take to the club on Saturday and came a wail. 'My son has broken down on his unicycle* (yes, really). Can you go and fetch him?' So that too, was that. The upside was when I got back (about 15mins later) the rain had cleared completely, blue sky everywhere and out came all my tools again. I have at the end of today's play now marked out six sides for the three infill modules (G, N and L1). Tomorrow a bit of jigsawing and a final cut with the saw to separate them and I can start ripping the plank for the battens etc. With a bit of luck I may get to have a set of parts for at least one module in the afternoon. So, despite darkening skies and being waylaid, things all went in the right direction. *An electric unicycle - quite clever really. It has a set of gyroscopes built into the wheel (all hidden under casing) that keeps it stable. Lean forwards to go forwards (natch), lean back to stop - there's no reverse. Lean left or right to change direction. The further forward you lean the faster you go - up to a legal limit of 25mph (40kph) - enough to break your neck! It weighs a whacking 35kg (77lb) and it's equipped with two folding footsteps (oversized bike pedals) and the trick is to put on foot on one side and scoot a little all the while keeping balance whilst you get your other foot onto the step and off you go. Have I had a go? Not bloody likely!!!! Oh, and after stripping it all down looking for a faulty connection on the two chips that control everything, it turns out he'd hit a lock function while looking at his phone which caused it to stop! Silly boy! Mind you, you would have thought that there'd be provided a set of pedals to get you home :))) Cheers everyone, more tomorrow, Philip

You would have thought so. Nonetheless if I read correctly above, they were used extensively over the UK network albeit for a short time in getting materials ready and in place for D-Day. Some of those stocks would have been well off the mainlines viz: the Golden Valley branch. This branch was built to the absolute minimum in just about everything yet they went down there - so built to the UK loading gauge. Was it not the GC that was built to a more continental standard? Cheers, Philip @Nova Scotian Ha ha! Well done! I bit :)

And as a further thought regarding the OO/HO scale/gauge issue, our HO brethren also suffer in compromises, as regardless of being 'more' correct, they too cannot have steam locos with outside motion correctly spaced due to the 'toy' curves that they negotiate too. Who in the end is better off? No-one really, not even the 'purists' as they seem to suffer from running issues and lack of space to accommodate the radii required. Anyway, I suppose I ought to end here as we're definitely OT! I shall await the new S160 ......... Cheers, Philip

'Ay up, where's my post from yesterday? I wrote it late last night as I'd been waylaid, tripped up and diverted all day - perhaps I didn't hit submit and just closed down. Oh well, I can't remember everything I wrote but here goes .......... 'Tis me! I'm back, like the Black Plague! We have pictures! The first infill unit was wedged into place and secured. If you'll humour me a little we'll continue on our train journey. Our train is arriving from the Hereford direction on approach to Ledbury station over the Ledbury viaduct (you'll have to imagine that bit) and will pass through the Gloucester branch junction on an embankment before traversing over the Bromyard road overbridge (the two abutments for the bridgeworks are just visible) before arriving at the station itself. Bromyard Road is marked by a piece of scrap ply showing its alignment along the foot of the station retaining wall. The road falls from the wall towards the operating well: The second shot shows the module (R) wedged in place. Here we can see the continuous fall of the land between the station and the River Leadon valley. In reality this distance is very much longer and the tracks raised on a quite big embankment created from the digging out of the Ledbury tunnel and the station area and unfortunately, selective compression has had to take place. Even though the fit wasn't spot-on, I'm quite pleased in the way it worked out: Module R was secured in a slightly different way to all the others so far as I deliberately omitted the copper tubing sleeve over the securing bolts. The reasoning is that if the sleeve is trapped within the wood as intended, then there wouldn't be any way of removing any of the units later without resorting to tapping the sleeve out and risking damaging the holes in the ply. I shall do the same on the other infill modules just in case. As for today, not much happened as the weather was somewhat grey with threatening thunderstorms this morning and this afternoon the sun was shining, but it's bank holiday here and Sunday noise rules apply. I just contented myself to making lots of 'oles in the cross-members before calling it day - so they're all done for all the modules. I also found some suitable timber from which to cut legs for the modules and the battens/glue-blocks - tomorrow's work is set up. I was in the railway room this morning looking at the vast expanse of the Ledbury station area and I was thinking about sticking down some green wood-fibre underflooring and making a start on tracklaying too, especially as we now move into autumn and the weather can be variable. Nothing more motivating than track laying - for me! So sheets of it have now been brought up from the lower barn and laid flat with copies of RM to weight it down. It's taken up a curve due to being stored upright rather than flat - if you saw the state of the barn you'd understand why! PVA and drawing pins will hold it all in place when I make start. Cheers and more tomorrow, Philip

However, you may say that, but I've been so used to seeing the incorrect scale:gauge, that any EM/P4 layout just looks 'odd' even though they're more correct (strictly speaking EM isn't and I wonder why if you're going to the bother of resizing tracks and wheels why not go the whole hog and do 18.83mm gauge anyway?)

I know it's a subject that's been hotly debated on here and elsewhere, but the UK HO boat sailed years ago. It's too late for me to go back as I've far too much kit to even think about changing to any other scale. Anyway, if you think we've a problem with too narrow rails, give a thought to those who do Irish outline - it's worse and even on the continent, those who do Iberian (Portuguese included) or Eastern European, have it just as bad. I'll just live with my incorrect gauge/scale models. Cheers, Philip PS: The only thing that stopped me buying the Roco model at the time wasn't so much it was HO, but as the original was constructed to fit the UK loading gauge, it looked out of place size-wise.

I'm up for one, too. There's a wartime photo of one at my proposed station of Pontrilas, presumably waiting to take the Golden Valley branch for access to the ammo dump that was situated along the branch - what's not to like? Cheers, Philip PS: The Roco ones were very good and I was offered one with a huge discount, but unfortunately it was incorrect at HO scale!

Hello chaps especially @br2975 and @Barry Ten for the updates - and apologies for the late acknowledgements. At least the photos do show some movement and the knitting going up! When I were a lad and Noah had just saved his zoo, I worked in Mid Glam highways and transport department and it was at the time of the creation of the City Line - me wot suggested having a station at Waungron (as I lived just behind the park) on the basis that there would be the possibility of an interchange using the depot (at the time there were IIRC 5 bus routes passing the station). I do recall drawing up a plan of the junction with the bus interchange - but this was back in the late 80s. It had always been the intention of MGCC to get trains back to Irwin (Hirwaun) as land had been kept aside alongside the Aberdare bypass to make this happen - the bypass being another of my schemes. Another scheme which I designed was the Bargoed bypass and there I made sure that all overbridges were of a height sufficient above the railhead for electrification. The design had also allowed space to make a two road terminus station at Bargoed to allow trains to turnaround and therefore increase the number of tph south. Whether anything came of that, I don't know as I moved over to Essex CC to wreak havoc over there - early 90s 😁. @br2975 By way of curiosity, what is this super-school of which you speak? Cantonian was the favourite school of our TheJohnster, when he was a guard, I hasten to add! I don't have a Facebook account - is one required? Cheers and thanks for the updates. Philip

I'm still about but 'here' rather than 'there'. Finally got to Paris and on site ready to scrape the ceilings tomorrow morning. Job was good'un this morning - the module was legged and in place before I left for train - can you believe that? I will need to trim one of the legs back a bit (5mm at most) and then it's bolting together when I get back. Seeing you chaps have trouble with bookings makes me feel slightly less bad about my error. Talking of glitches, some modelling sites are not immune to bizarre behaviour either! Speak soon, Philip

Double BOO!! I'm still here! Surprise on me this time! Phat phingers and impatience conspired to keep me here for another day. Yesterday, I used Trainline.com to book my ticket for today. When you get on their site you have the option of 'Today' or 'Tomorrow' or there's a pull down calendar. I pressed 'Tomorrow' for today, but the site was sooooooo slow in reacting that I pressed again and then got into the ticket buying area. Found the train I wanted, checked the discount card, pressed buy now, did all the card numbers, had to wait for the bank to connect and send a 4-figure code by text (we have very poor mobile connection here at the moment), did that 'OK', and got the ticket, which I printed off - I don't yet have the handle of having a ticket on the phone. Fast forward to lunchtime today: Mrs Philou and I were off to the station (she was going to keep the car) and we were talking about birthdays blah blah blah ..... and tomorrow the 10th is so-and-so's birthday. 'Not!' said Mrs Philou, 'Today is the 8th, I know, as it's my patron saint's day (they're hot on patron saint days over here =:/ )' ' Whut??!! My ticket's wrong then as it says the 9th - no point going to the station as I shan't be able to get on.' ' Yes you will.' 'No, I won't.' etc. We were only half way there but against my better thoughts, on we went. Who wasn't able to exchange his ticket then? Who would have had a fine (again) a la last week? (I would have been marked down as a habitual offender, no doubt!) Home we came, with Mrs Philou muttering all the way back. In pressing the tab a second time, it must have registered the second tomorrow, hence tomorrow and not today (at the time of writing all this). I'm trying my luck again tomorrow, but I'm going on my own this time to the station! On the upside, despite time having trickled away, I did get some of the module done and it is all screwed and glued, save for one piece, dry fitted and it fits - not perfectly - but it's good to go. The pockets were made up and they're in place too. When I get back, there's a piece of batten to be cut to shape and then screwed and glued to the last piece and the whole unit can go in its place. No pictures as proof - sorry. I shall also make some legs up and that'll be the first infill module completed - yay! Keep safe everyone and speak soon, Philip

BOO!! Surprised I'm here? I'm not, not really. I didn't really want to go today as I don't like Paris much - prefer London - but I have to go to do this job. No job finished, no income. As I was on a roll Saturday, I pressed ahead with the infill module (Module R). By this evening, I had ALL the cross-members cut for all the infill modules, the sides of Module R marked and cut out with their ends chamfered, strengtheners and corner blocks glued and screwed and all that was missing was time, otherwise I'd have had it finished - all for want of time for 16 screws. No matter, I'd rather do it properly than rush it as the one end of the module is at an angle. I did do a dry-fit with the sides and it seems the lengths are OK. I suspect nothing will get done before Monday. When I restart, I'll assemble it (without glue, just in case), put it in its place and if it fits, then I shall also mark out and drill the holes for the connecting bolts. Once that's done, then it'll be taking it apart and glueing before re-screwing together. Legs to be made up (I have four that just need shortening), pockets to be completed and if all goes well, finished by Monday evening - well, that's the plan. Definitely off tomorrow - train ticket is booked :(( and then all hands (mine anyway) on deck scraping this cracked paint off the ceilings, skim and then paint. Other bits and bobs to be done whilst the plaster/paint is drying off. I shall be visiting RMWeb whilst I'm there, but probably restricted to lurking! Cheers everybody, Speak soon, Philip

And before the widening of Newport Road into Dumfries Place (post 1970 I think), there were of course TWO multi-track bridges at the neck. I know they were built eons ago when there was an awful lot of trains passing through Queen Street (834 per day ! - mainly coal of course) but nonetheless .......... I agree it's disappointing. I know they're talking about a lot of PESs* as so to avoid raising bridges or complicated OLE, but I just wondered if anyone travelling the routes could give an indication from time to time of progress as there's not much out there on YouTube, otherwise I wouldn't ask. Cheers, Philip *Permanently Earthed Section

Hello chums and chumesses, Naughty rain! Came and stopped my fun as I was galloping along. Not all was lost - the modules of yesterday were checked for level and bolted together. I also made a bridge as suggested by @Flying Fox 34F to take care of Mr Gravity AND a fourth foot appeared as suggested by @5BarVT so adjustments can be made. Do you wanna look, do you, do you? Here's the picture: I made up a double beam with some 2" x 1" and a connector between them where the foot is in the photo. The sort-of A frames were moved forwards as to be under the foot. The frames were extended upwards with some 2" x 1" and the double beam attached to both sides of the uprights. A small piece of ply was screwed as a spreader and the job was jobbed. The leg, though shorter, was made up in the same manner as the standard sized ones. The height was adjusted so everything is now level. Mid-afternoon arrived and I had the measurements for the first module (I decided to go for the awkward shaped one) and I'd hoisted out of the barn a whole sheet of ply ready to cut down for sides and the cross-members. Oh drat! No sooner done than the rain came, not much but big drops and I didn't want the ply nor my electrical tools getting wet - so that was that! Tomorrow, we're out (again) to another birthday bash - guess who's the nominated driver? Right, so I shan't be drinking other than the one glass. Next week I'm probably back in Paris as the meter is sorted and I should have power. For whatever reason, the ceilings have crazed - not all over, just in the central area - and they need scraping back, skimming and a coat of paint over. It'll take a few days to ensure all is dry before painting, so there may well be no updates until next weekend :( , harumph, just as things were getting interesting again. Cheers and speak soon, Philip

The weekend is here! (Again!) Hello everyone, I have finished legging the modules that have been made so far and they've been levelled. The levels appear to be good now that I'm doing by difference rather than off the floor heights. I would have bolted them together too, had my Dutch neighbour not had a plumbing problem (no not him, real plumbing) and as he's 86 I felt slightly obliged to try and help. In the end he needed a new fibre joint in a bleed-off tap, of a size that neither he nor I had. I was also delayed as I had a wall socket that was now clashing with the one module, so it was a case of prising it out and checking if there was enough length in the tails to put it elsewhere. Luckily I'd been generous when cutting the excess and there was enough length to drop the socket. A new hole was then cut in the plasterboard (keeping the cut piece) and the cavity socket too was removed and recycled into its new position. Connections done, fascia plate clipped, cut piece glued in the hole with plaster, a bit of a skim to just smooth it over and job jobbed. Took nearly an hour and so I just put the modules in place, levelled them all and they're now clamped together waiting for Bernie the Bolt tomorrow. Here are some photos of the latest developments: Unexpected electrical work :( : The last three modules, including the fourth corner, on their legs: Infilling will now commence - perhaps this one as it's the shortest but the most awkward in shape: And here are the tunnel modules but without the hills above (much easier for tracklaying!), or shall I do this infill first: Or this one?: Bits and bobs to do first thing (the sag over the cellar doors and the bolting of the units) and it'll be into the drawing up of sketches for the infills and cutting can commence. Roll on tomorrow! Cheers, Philip

Hello chaps and chapesses, My, is it already a year since the last comment was made on here? Doesn't time fly! I'm reviving this as I saw a snippet of a filmette on YouTube of someone filming at Treforrest station, and lo!, the wires are actually up in that section. Can anyone tell me just how much OLE has been completed and is it intended to put wires up on Platforms 6, 7 and 8 at Cardiff Central? I look at the videos filmed at CDF (mainly by Colin Prosser) on a regular basis, but nothing. Cheers, Philip

Today was an odd day - it started fine (as in OK, the weather was anything but) as I made up four legs and their pockets before lunch. After lunch it seemed as if I was working in treacle. I lost count the number of times I was up and down the stairs fettling the legs! All is in place and the module (K) is now standing on its own four feet and levelled. I have ready some more wood for tomorrow for four more legs and the pockets are ready for glueing and screwing. It'll be a bit of catch-up, unfortunately, especially as I was on my own this afternoon. There you go, win some, lose some, but it's all going the right way. Cheers, Philip