bridgiesimon

Love this layout so far, has the makings of somethign really special! I think that the trains to Fitzgerald lighting stopped running many years ago although I do not know for definite when, an sure there are people here who can confirm this. best wishes Simon

I am very interesting in these models you have designed, congrats for starters. Just wondering, based on other threads I have been reading, is there anyway of doubling up the print for the grinder so that both bodies are printed together? Am thinking that this would reduce the price a little and possibly increase the sales. Best wishes Simon

Just found your thread and am mightily impressed, I am seriously considering ordering one of the grinders to have a go at, they look superb, mega congratulations for stunning work!!!! Best wishes Simon

I love the idea that I am getting the layout to look realistic! I will try taking some piccies from the end in a bit to show you how the scenery rises up from the front towards the rear of the layout , sorry no go, the house got in the way! I need to take the layout to work next week to build the storage yard so will take some there where I will have some space. best wishes and once again, thanks for the kind comments. Simon

Mega development over the last few evenings, most of the polystyrene structure work is now completed, a couple of the buildings are only loosely fitted at the moment as I need to finish wiring in the lights before fixing them in. I think that the overall balance seems to be getting towards the look I was hoping for, the hills are lower than I had planned but this works better as the slopes are now shallower which works better for the pathways etc.

I have managed, between attacks of the dreaded lurgey, had to cancel exhibiting my other layout yesterday I was so ill!! I have completed the scenics on the last, for now, hobbit hole. My wife has also solved a problem of my scenics jars for me, what a hero! After visiting the local poundland in Bridgwater, she told me they are stocking different sized boxed with clip on lids very cheaply, small ones 3"x2"x1" deep 3 for a £1! and medium ones 6"x6"x2" deep 2 for a £1 so for less than £15 all my scenics are in their new homes with the item details written on the lids in permanent marker. The med boxes are large enough for a pack of Woodland scenics flock for example so are ideal and they stack as well - Usual disclaimer, no business connection just a happy customer hoping they restock soon so I can get more!! Next job is to sort out the storage board so the trackwork can be completed and wired in fully. Best wishes Simon

Thanks for the positive comments, Backstory will be put together at a later stage, not thought about it but it is on the list, Hobbiton End is still the name I will be using. I like the idea of signs with runes, will look into that and get some togetehr, thanks for that! Simon

Next hobbit hole is nearing completion, also complete with a little interior detail (lit) and a garden full of very cool plants courtesy of Busch! And from above to show the interior, only minimally detailed as the only view point will be through the front door! I aim to construct the storage yard board at work next week, now that the board connectors and adjustable feet have arrived! Best wishes Simon

I have been into my local model shop in Bridgwater station today and have found a new scenics range they stock - http://www.flower-soft.co.uk/Cart/EC-Categories.php?PRICategoryID=67 this is a range of most excellent fine foam 'flower material' siumilar to woodland scenics but in a massive range of different colours. £3.50 per pot, yes a screw top pot to store it in as supplied!! As mentioned I got mine from - http://www.modelrailwayslimited.com/ I am lloking forward to giving it a go before returning to buy a selection of colours to give me a rgeat range of flowers for the layout. Anyway time to stop soon and go to watcht he rugby instead!! COME ON ENGLAND!!!!!!!!! Simon

Cheers, I am aiming to make a start on the next one this evening. This time with a sloping front garden and steps leading down to where the pathway will pass by. Maybe some washing on the line as well. Simon

Busy times are continuing, I have been detailing one of the sets of hobbit holes for towards the rear of the layout. It has been made up on a separate base to be built inot the scene later so that I could detail it easily on the desk instead of trying to lean over the layout to do it. I am rather please with the result - Just need to try and keep to at least the same level of detail over the rest of hte layout. Simon

hehehe, sounds like a good time to keep quiet or I might find the invite revoked!! Simon

The scenery along the front has now had a coat of green paint, watered down at first to soak into the plaster. This helps to give an idea of how it is going to look as well as being a barrier to stop the dust you get with bare plaster. Just had an email confirming the first exhibition for the layout - July 27th Barnstaple - Invites most appreciated and most scarey!!!!! sooooo much to do before then - Just a quick list not in any particular order - Build a storage yard with train cassettes Build and wire in a control panel complete the scenery and then grass it. build and add trees, plants, details etc Sort and construct enough stock for a show Get a curtain made build a lighting pelmet paint the backscene paint the fascia only one phrase seems appropriate and it goes thus - aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!!!!! Simon

I saw the first picture of the clay wagons and though, oh! Say the other piccies and realised the colour was obviously just the lighting!! Your weathering looks most excellent!!!! Simon

I agree, it also overpowers the buildings behind it. Good looking bridge though. Simon

Sounds good Geoff, am enjoying exhibiting at the moment now that I have sorted out some of the issues with the running. best wishes Simon

Well to my eye that weathering looks great. Only just come across this thread and will be following with interest. It is great to see another modern image N gauge layout appearing on here. Best wishes Simon

More details here - http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-train-fire-derailed-heritage-1237448 mega ooer!!!! I love this layout, a most excellent model and it rums as well as it looks. Simon

With stock with little overhang, I curved the coupling dropper to use as much of the available space as possible. Simon

My goodness, November since the last update - Oh dear!!! Anyway, a week off work last week made a massive difference as the following pictures will show, I am now in a routine of around an hour or so each evening so the development should be more appropriate for the un-confirmed July exhibition deadline with another possible show in November - ooer better get on then! Firstly I am well on with the wiring. I will be having a separate control panel, likely to be a bolt on to the, as yet unbuilt, storage yard so have made a pair of 25 way connector units to screw onto each end with a 25 way cable between the two - One has been fitted to the board and part wired so far The underside is starting to look like something may happen on the thing - Above the board, lots has happened - From the left hand end, I have fixed down the small wine and beer store and built the rock face around it, some touching up of hte tiles paint job will be needed as well as a full paint job on the rock. As can be seen in the first piccie, I have used 1" polystyrene sheets to build up the initial scene with rock sections from the Woodland Scenics moulds to make the basic rock face which was then filled in and shaped with patching plaster when hard to complete. This is the part of modellling I really enjoy, the developing of the scene slowly but surely! I have used the same process for the area around the headshunt - All the Basic scenery across the front of the layout is now complete, polystyrene and the plaster layers sanded down smooth, and ready for paint and greenie stuff! This includes the moulding in of the front hobbit hole and the pipe weed store on its platform to the right hand end of the layout. The walling around this caused a frustration when I ran out of the plasticard for the faces with only 1 side to finish - aaargh and a quick visit to the local shop for more! At the recent Weston Super Mare show where we were exhibiting my other layotu, Polpendra, I acquired the followign pack of O gauge Petunias which I as rather pleased with. 4o small plants for less than £8 sound good value to me!! Well that is all for now, although I have started bashing a Dapol N gauge Terrier into a Dapol Pug kit for the next and 3rd loco, hopefully this should work pretty well. Any comments appreciated. Best wishes Simon

Hopefully these will come out ok - Hymek - Coaches - First a Grafar Mk1 - Now a Dapol B-Sub - Hope these help Simon

I have fitted the MBD couplings into the coupling pockets on the Dapol Hymek, glued to the top of the inside of the pocket, just trying to take a piccie. As for coaches, again just trying some piccies but they are fitted to the bogies some on top and some into the coupling boxes. Seems that the different manufacturers have slightly varying heights of their boxes. Will add piccies if they come out in a mo. By the way, for anyone in the area, Polpendra will be on tour this year - Monmouth on the 12th Feb Swindon on the 9th March Nailsea on the 16-17th March Bideford on the 26th May Isle of Wight on the 2-3rd November With a couple of others not yet confirmed!! Hope to see you there. Best wishes Simon

I am very impressed with your model making, just because it is fantasy does not mean that you have scrimped on detail. This is a pleasure to view and I hope you add more pictures. Just a shame that you are the wrong side of the pond and that I wil not get to see it is the flash as it were, I hope you are very proud of your work. best woshes Simon

Looking great, as already emntioned, what make is the class 22? Looks the part! Simon

This has just been pointed out to me by a mate of mine, not sure how I had not come across it by now. A lovely layout showing the use of N gauge at its best, a railway in a landscape. Most excellent modelling, what is the latest on its development? best wishes and happy new year to all readers Simon