MAP66

Stu

Just noticed your new profile pic. hilarious.

The cottage is looking excellent and I like the post box addition.

All the best

Mark

Hi all

Haven't posted for a while, as if it wasn't a struggle enough to find room to work on a layout, we now need to cram in a home office 

I have done very little since my last post on the layout apart from experimenting with adding a road crossing. 

I wanted to have a go at modelling a hard asphalt road surface leading up to the crossing (deep gap filler again) and also wood planking (balsa) in between the rails, still work in progress. The other side of the crossing will be wood planking over the point rodding leading onto some concrete hard-standing. I may have the lamp hut on the hard-standing with a couple of oil drums and some clutter.

Here's a progress pic and hope your all keeping safe and well.

All the best

Mark

Another late night posting update;

It was a very simple task to get the signal working from a 9v battery, sorry I don't have a video of it working but have included two pics to show signal at danger and at safe, it's a lower quadrant.

I can report that operation is a little noisy, similar to that of a tortoise point motor, but if your running DCC and locos have sound activated you won't notice it. There is no signal bounce but I believe wiring through an accessory decoder with this feature would work. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this.

15 hours ago, willsheldrake said:

So finally, after a long time of doing nothing but thinking, I have decided to start my first proper layout. I have a small 1ftx4ft baseboard which I plan to use. I'm thinking about doing a small station, on possibly a light railway, with a small siding. It will probably be slow progress as living in NZ and school don't help much. I've included the track plan below and would love some advice on it. Stock will be 7 plank wagons and small 1-2 coach trains. No back story as of yet...

I like the concept and I have been scratching my head to come up with something similar you could try which adds some more operational potential.

I have kept your baseboard dimensions the same but added an additional one foot to the right for a fiddle yard. I used anyrail and track is Peco streamline 100.

You now have a headshunt for a run round loop at the station and the addition of a double slip allows the coal yard siding to be on the right with more space for the yard and possibility of further goods siding with store store of goods shed and yard crane. I have tried to keep to your original concept and hope this is of help but please ignore if of no use - no problem.

Regards

Mark

29 minutes ago, Elliot Friend said:

Roughly positioning the townscene back scene to see how it will look. 

Looks fantastic, excellent work and back scene blends in nicely.

1 hour ago, Jerry1975 said:

Never used rodding etc myself,  these look good and look forward to seeing the end result. 

 

Jerry. 

Point rodding isn't everyone's cup of tea, so don't blame you for not trying it. It's really fiddly and will try the patience of a Saint.

I'm attempting to install some as I have always been a tad envious of layouts which have point rodding, I thinks its a nice detail to have - I am now learning at what cost though, possibly my sanity.

Regards

Mark

Following on from yesterdays post, I have temporarily removed the cranks and installed the pulley wheels for the signal cables. Two wheels are in a single housing, one wheel will run the cable to the home signal and the other will run a cable in opposite direction towards the tunnel for the distant signal other side of the tunnel. 

The first pic,  shows the gubbings housing the pulley wheels and pulley post in position serving the home signal, wires will be added much later.  Second pic is exploded view of the aforementioned gubbings.

On 14/03/2020 at 22:59, Modelling Mike said:

 

I’m aiming for the ash/old ballast/anything lying around look for the goods yard area. Most of it will be covered in a layer of grot and grime as well, so clay looked like a good way to go. The track work on Prior’s Dean looks superb, thanks for the picture. More food for thought! The crossing is coming along nicely too - those RTP walls are a great product and should blend in nicely. 

Hi Mike / Adam

I wanted to achieve the same ballast effect and found that clay was too time consuming for my taste, so I experimented with ready mixed deep gap polyfilla. A little bit of diluted pva applied first to the trackbed helps pull in the filler and it almost finds it s own level to just below the height of the sleepers.  As previously mentioned you can then gently tamp in some ballast every now and again and when dry weather to suit. The filler also dries leaving a fine texture surface which is also good for road surfaces or yard areas and can be easily sanded for an even finer surface.

I find this method much faster that than using clay, I have attached a photo of finished piece of track from 'Tyteford Halte' using this method. Please note I only used the filler in between the sleepers between the rails as I wanted to represent the build up of congealed muck and filth normally found in between the track at station platforms, the outside of the track I left more ballasty.

It might not be your bag, but thought I should share.

Good luck with the ballasting

Mark

Have a look at the range of 3D figures available from ModelU. They cover industry and all era's even Victorians, you should find something suitable there.

Loving the build so far.

All the best

Mark

I've started on the point rodding!! Much respect to those modelers who have ventured into this dark art and have come out the other side making a success of it.

It seems that you need the eyesight of a peregrine falcon and the ability to be able to shrink oneself to 1/76th scale and walk amongst the workings so that you can see why the blessed brass rod won't go in the stool. Having none of these attributes presents a challenge and there is also that fact that I have been cursed with sausage fingers.

However, perseverance is the name of the game and every 30 seconds I shout out loud "It will be worth it in the end". Said it so many times now that I've almost convinced myself.

Here's a couple of pics of progress to date, by the way nothing is fixed in place yet, its just loose laid for now.

5 hours ago, Jerry1975 said:

It will be interesting to see how you get on with the signal,  have been thinking about getting one myself, it looks great on your layout. 

 

Jerry. 

Thanks Jerry

I have a 9v battery kicking around somewhere, so I should be able to rig something up and show a short video clip of it working. If I can figure out how to upload a mp3 file without exceeding the 10MB limit.

11 minutes ago, chuffinghell said:

Looks great, I do like black and white photos 

 

I'm planning on using the Dapol signals too the difference being I’m going to go for the square post version

 

The other difference is that I’ll probably put it in the wrong place because I’m lost when it comes to signalling

 

does this help?

 

Chris

Thats brilliant, many thanks.

Just now, chuffinghell said:

Looks great, I do like black and white photos 

 

I'm planning on using the Dapol signals too the difference being I’m going to go for the square post version

 

The other difference is that I’ll probably put it in the wrong place because I’m lost when it comes to signalling

 

Thanks Chris

Let me know how you get on with yours as it might be a while before I get this operational.

I'm with you on correct placement of signals, this is just to see if I can the thing working so that I can use on a future layout, so not worried if I have planted it incorrectly.

What does one do stuck indoors for the foreseeable future trying to avoid Covid-19? 

Attempting to install a Dapol GWR Home signal is one idea, there are other ideas of course, such as surfing the internet trying to find suppliers who still have hand sanitiser in stock.

Back to the signal; I wanted to try out the new Dapol signal as opposed to building a Ratio kit. The model I am installing is 4L-00-003 and I have opted to place it in the space between the end of the platform and the signal box. You need to drill a 16mm hole through your baseboard and you will require at least 6cm clearance beneath your baseboard to allow for the threaded barrel which houses the electronics for the operation of the signal. I will be wiring up the signal a little later, this is partly because I intend tackling all the layout electrics at once but mostly because I have mislaid the instructions. Finally, I will attempt to run some convincing looking signal wire for the signal box to the signal.

Here's a few progress pics...

Just going back to the ID photo back-scene as it needed further work to complete the illusion, below are blown up images of before and after. On the far fence line I painted out a couple of posts and created a gap in the fence where my new fence joins it, allowing access along the footpath to the station. Hopefully, you can see what I mean from the images.

1 hour ago, Jerry1975 said:

Very nice figure that, can I ask who makes it?

 

Jerry. 

Thanks Jerry

The figure is from MODELU. 

Finally, the platform receives its first passenger, others to follow...

9 hours ago, chuffinghell said:

May I ask if the signal box is a Wills kit?

 

I only ask because I’ve been looking for a small signal box and I can’t decide between the Ratio or Wills kit

 

Chris

Hi Chris

Its a Wills kit 'SS29 Ground level signal box' and I've added the small signal box interior kit from Lcut.

Thanks to everyone's kind comments to date and just to report that I finished the signal box tonight, the interior light will be added later and I will need to add some guttering.

I'm thinking of putting in a small allotment to the right of the signal box, something to keep the signalman occupied. Grateful for any thoughts on this or any other suggestions.

Here's the pics...

1 hour ago, sb67 said:

I've started painting the house. Now brickwork is something I've never really got the hang of, I painted a diute mortar colour (Humbrol Pale Stone) over the walls then after a few minutes wiped the top coat away and this is what's left.

 

 

The building looks far too pale now. My plan was to drybrush various bricks different shades but have I used a too light mortar colour or not wiped enough off, I'm not sure how to remedy it now without starting again. 

Any advice greatly appreciated. 

 

 

Hi Steve

I use the same technique for painting the mortar lines but then use coloured pencils to colour the brick faces. If you look at page 2 of my thread Tyteford Halte you can see this technique on the brick tunnel portal.

Excellent progress report Jerry, loving the detail you are adding.

Is the layout operational as yet? as I would find it hard to keep on modelling with the continuous temptation of wanting to shunt something. A very nice dilemma to have.

All the best

Mark

I managed to spend a couple of hours last night adding some interior detail to the signal box and another poster board for the platform fencing.

Its a bit bish, bash, bosh with the signal box interior, but when the roof is on and with the door left half open, it will give just a glimpse of what's inside when viewing through the windows and door.

I also intend to add interior lighting, representation of oil lighting using a yellow LED. Next tricky bit will be to cut hole in the roof in right place  for the stove pipe to pass through.

On 07/03/2020 at 21:00, Jerry1975 said:

That timetable looks great. 

 

Jerry. 

Thank Jerry

I'm hoping to add some more platform detailing soon, been a bit busy with other stuff at the moment but should get back to the railway modelling soon.

All the best

Mark

Here's my rather over the top and extensive train timetable for a station halte.

These self adhesive signs are from 'Trackside Signs', they have a whole range of station type signs and posters covering different era's and can print your preferred station name. I am mounting the signs onto thin card slightly larger than the sign, then I simulated edging with some 0.8mm Plastruct half round strip.

Not sure whether to fit a piece of clear plastic to resemble a glass fronted display board of just leave as is.

53 minutes ago, Jerry1975 said:

Thanks for the replies Everyone.

 

Today I am going to cover the bridge in brick paper or maybe brick sheet if I have enough and then detail it up and add the road too.

 

Jerry. 

 

 

Hi Jerry

Good luck with the miniature civil engineering works today, looking forward to seeing the end results.

All the best

Mark