nharding99

Thanks Steve, I guess you mean something like this... https://www.osbornsmodels.com/faller-222202-n-scale--boiler-house-16293-p.asp It shouldn't be beyond me to scratch build a lower building. All the Best Nigel

Right now I'm looking at the factory positioning and would welcome a few opinions... I'm reasonably happy with the factory - I do want something in front of that long retaining wall to break it up a bit - but my concern is that even in the grimy 1960s the chimney might be regarded as a bit low in height in terms of polluting the road above. Looking at some photos on Google it would seem that many chimney towers are much higher than the one I have. Modelling pragmatism may lead me to just leave the chimney out. I'd welcome any opinions... Many thanks Nigel H

First post of the year so if it's not too late then Happy New Year everyone! Progress has been slow over the holiday period and I don't seem to have found much time for developing the layout in the new year. I have however completed a building. This is intended to be a 1960s supermarket for the street on the right hand section.It's a kestrel kit with some added detail. The roof still needs a bit of work. I have also added the upper walls to the stream bridge although these need re-planting because long locomotives do catch the inside wall on the inner curve. Hopefully I'll have more to share soon

In some ways it's been a frustrating week! I've managed to lose my platform shelter, I've spent about 4 hours looking for it. The layout has to be stored on top of a storage unit when not in use, it's easy to have something slide off if it's not glued down. I've no idea where it has gone. I've also managed to yank the NCE power cable out of the connection panel and done some damage there so need a new panel. Also one of my sound fitted DMUs is dead so I'll need to diagnose that. Furthermore I damaged one of my retaining walls but that's not a biggie and can be repaired or disguised. On the positive side, I've made progress with the goods yard and the river/stream (done some woodwork to lay the foundations and have developed the over bridge). The only carpentry remaining now is the backscene which I've been putting off a bit but I'll need to tackle it fairly soon. If I can get that right then I know it will improve the appearance no end. Here's a quick video showing a short engineer's train and an 04 shunter running past the colour light. I find the signal changes very satisfying... The novelty may wear off but I could spend all day watching it change from green to red to yellow to double yellow to green. You're lucky I didn't video the whole sequence! The shunter by itself (and the same with other other short wheelbase locos) doesn't trigger the signal change. I understand that that is fairly prototypical and with the shunter's wagon added everything is fine. So I'm happy enough with that. I think that's all for now. Thanks for reading!

The engineers have been busy and have installed new (correct) catenary posts in front of the station bridge... These NBrass parts are a little fiddly but I think they look very good when finished. This angle exposes the fact that I have a gap between the embankment and the wall so a bit of infill will be added there. Just a quick update, that's all for now!

Thanks Steve. Yes I suppose the intention was always to put my own spin on your layout (different era, different structures, electrification). Also there aren't too many transition era electric layouts around and I've never seen a green AM4 in N Gauge (I have a cunning plan for that, however it will be a longer term project). My layout wouldn't be what it is without Lymebrook Yard though - it has really helped me visualise what to do in the space available and of course I have totally adopted your track plan.

Excellent! You anticipated my next question (is there a suitable part from N Brass?). Thanks so much for the hints!

Thanks Carl. No the posts are not permanently glued in place. I'm always ready to be educated. Would you expect a supporting structure to be attached to the bridge itself? Many thanks!

Just a quick update (hopefully you're not bored with this yet but I promised myself that I'd try to offer a weekly update where possible, it helps to keep moving the project forward). The station now has more personality, this week I have added the overhead catenary masts, small bus shelter type waiting room, other platform fittings and people! I suppose the platform numbers will need to be attached to the station lights (I hadn't really thought about that until now). I plan to add a "way out" sign to the walkway. The station is getting there though. In the background you can see that I'm planning the concrete apron area for the goods yard. I'm currently cutting out mounting card for that purpose, I'm inevitably being a bit inaccurate with my cutting and am creating gaps that need to be filled. I'm wondering if it might be easier to roll out some DAS modelling clay as I can then get closer to the tracks without leaving gaps. Here's a shot from the other side... Not photographed, the MAS sequencer has been installed below the board. I think I have figured out the wiring for the interlocking. That's one of my next jobs (plant the signal and wire it up). I've lost the ladder from my colour light signal so I'll have to source a new one (any suggestions? Ideally an etch I suppose). That's all for now

Some late night modelling... I'm pleased with how the laser cut bridge turned out... Painting it took some patience, lots of iterations with masking tape. I think it was worth it though! Spear fencing has been added to the station overbridge. Just need to add the platform furniture and build a small bus shelter type waiting room and that part of the layout will be ready for "sign off"! The yard crane that you see is just about completed now. It's a white metal kit which is not my favourite medium but it has scrubbed up quite well... Next jobs will be to add the 4 aspect signal (I'm just ensuring that I understand the wiring required off scene), develop the goods yard and the right side elevated section. Thanks again for reading! Nigel

I have been quietly working away on the control panel... It is just about fully functional. The 6th lever will now be removed as I now plan to control the colour light signal with a sequencer and interlocking with the mainline fork. The presentation needs some work (permanent creation of a track inlay diagram and I'll probably paint the whole panel). The passengers now have a means of getting from the station building to the platform... This is a Ratio lattice footbridge which has been rearranged into a single staircase. It needs a bit of weathering but the scene is looking more believable now. At the other side of the layout I'm trying out a laser cut bridge by KS Laser Designs. The appeal of this is that the detail is good and it is based upon an actual Manchester bridge in the Oxford Road/Deansgate area. So hopefully that will add some authenticity to my "South Manchester-ish" theme. I still need to complete painting. It was a tad on the low side so I'll add some foundation to it, the bridge sides would benefit from being raised a touch and I don't want any pantographs snagging on it when the AC electric locomotives arrive! The road section near the station has finally been completed... I used some textured paint for this. It's verging on the edge of being a bit too lumpy for N Gauge but I think it does the job. I'd probably keep it smooth next time. And finally, I thought it was time for some operating fun so here is a video of a DMU chugging around the layout. It's quite tricky to drive and record with smart phone at the same time, hence the slightly hesitant start :-) Thanks for reading!

Hi Steve, You weren't there when I visited the layout, I think you must have gone to lunch. It was great to see it in the flesh, it certainly lived up to expectations. All the Best Nigel

This week's update... I have been working on the elevated section on the right hand side of the layout. The retaining walls ( à la Metcalfe) are now glued in place. The section has dowel plugs as per the other side for lifting off and track cleaning. I have added a 4 aspect colour light signal ~(though not permanently fixed in position yet). This is my first venture into non semaphore signalling. This item is from CR signals and really looks the part. The base has been trimmed to fit the location. It's a tight fit, stock only just misses it but I didn't fancy the thought of an overhead gantry so hopefully it will be okay. A Heathcote Electronics MAS sequencer is on order for control of the lights. I plan to have it interlocking with one of the mainline points so some learning for me to do there. (Just a note for the purists that the loco pictured would not be controlled by that signal, the signal controls the line which passes to its right I'll install some dummy ground signals for the head shunt and sidings. I was using the loco to test clearances). The jury is out on the uncoupling magnets. Perhaps they ought to be buried into the baseboard surface a little deeper. They do seem quite prominent. They would possibly look better if they were painted to tone them down. I'll have a think about that. Thanks for reading!

I'll be there on Saturday Steve. Hopefully there will be a quiet enough moment where I can introduce myself!

As regular readers will know, my layout is based upon Steve Farmer's Lymebrook Yard and so I thought it was worth a shout-out to remind everyone that Lymebrook Yard will be appearing at the Warley exhibition on Saturday (see http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/112891-lymebrook-yard/?p=3367596).I see Lymebrook Yard as the more mature, better looking older sister So go along and see it, as I intend to!

I'm really looking forward to seeing this layout in the flesh. 6 more sleeps

Thanks TomJ. I think there has been a NGS journal article about this within the last couple of years. I'll see if I can dig that out. I don't have a cork layer but same principles should apply. It's possible that weaker neodymium magnets would work. I'm not sure of the science here and how strength is measured and how that would work. In any event I'll keep trying it out on a test plank. I think the next thing to try is the standard Dapol magnets and see how well they can be disguised. Thanks again! Nigel

Progress has been a little bit slow over the last couple of weeks (work, family, the usual stuff) but I have managed to work on the bridge and retaining walls on the station side of the layout. I decided to go down the Metcalfe route in the end. The result is far neater than my own efforts at scratch building. I did vary it a bit by removing the Metcalfe arches and created a straight wall. I have also added an embankment and started to put down some static grass. That's the first time I have done that for real, you can see that I've missed quite a bit on the right hand side so that will have to be built up and further developed. I also should have masked the track when I built the embankment, there are a few bits of plaster on the track. I'm thinking that I will try a few gentle washes of ballast and track colour to fix that. It seems suitably dark in the tunnel so that is good. The top section is removable. In the end I decided to use a couple of dowels as plugs and the section just rests on the baseboard and slots in quite snugly. It's quite secure (unless I decide to tilt the board at steep angles which I wouldn't do anyway during normal usage). Next jobs: Decide upon uncoupling magnets and install Build the stairway down to the platform (I'm thinking of using the Ratio lattice footbridge as a basis) Build/paint the road Complete the elevated structure on the other side of the layout And a few hundred other things That's all for now!

It's looking really good beneath those platform canopies. There was many a time that I caught a DMU at Shrewsbury for Aberystwyth from Platform 5 in the early to mid 1980s. Your layout certainly recollects those days. Keep up the good work!

A few shots showing this week's progress. I have been planning and temporarily adding some of the station fixtures. I plan to add a bus stop type shelter. The idea is for some sort of mashup based upon the Severn Models etched brass kit (it's currently too narrow for a railway shelter so I'll have to widen it somehow, possibly with another kit of the same type). I have added an overall shot so that you can see how the layout will eventually look, many items posed while I think about building placement and how exactly the road will work on the right hand elevated section. The building that you see is intended as an engineering works, it's something I made some time ago, a cut down and anglicised Heljan kit with Kestrel boiler house and chimney. Have a great weekend everybody!

The left hand elevated section is coming along. I've used an asymmetric wall to hopefully help disguise the fade to the terraced back scene. Just a note on that, the plan is to remove those 3 furthest left backscene terraces and plonk some terraced houses and a shop (from the Farish range). I'll most likely be doing a bit of shopping at Warley! Some details still to be added of course (street lights etc). I thought I'd add a billboard or two in that triangle between road and wall so a quick mockup is staged there. The roads aren't finished yet, still haven't completed my road surface experiments (thanks Freight Connection for the hints). In the foreground will eventually be retaining walls. Moving back to the railway side of the fence, the plan is to have catenary (without the wires modelled) on the mainline and to leave the goods yard unelectrified. I will need one gantry, the rest will be Dapol single masts. Shown here is the NBrass gantry, temporarily sited. The left hand line and the converging line that the unit is on represent the electrified lines. The bit of unballasted track is there pending whatever uncoupling solution I use. I'm finding that neo magnets (in conjunction with EasyShunt couplings) are tricky to plant at the right depth. Placed at baseboard level they grab and derail weighted trucks, sink them a mm or two and they are too weak. I could always revert to the Dapol magnets but they are big and wouldn't look as neat Still so much to do

The station forecourt is taking shape now. The Redutex sheet arrived and for me really looks the part. It's expensive so I wouldn't want to use it for large expanses (I am building this layout on a budget where possible) but it does a great job for the station area. The station has had a gents toilet added (scratchbuilt using brick sheets and platform edging for the wall capping). The bus stop island has a temporary bus stop sign tacked in place. I'm not sure if I will persist with the Scalescenes roads. They may look alot better when properly glued down and blended in. I'm wondering if it would be easier to just paint the road surfaces or maybe use some painted fine grit paper. Maybe I could cut out and use elements from Scalescenes such as the zebra crossing and give-way signs. I'll maybe do some experimenting there. The left hand upper section has now been mapped out and pavements glued into place. Just a reminder that this area sits above the station platforms. My thinking is to complete the station and upper section first, then move on to the other side of the layout. Hopefully it will be more fun and motivational to see distinct zones completed in reasonable detail before tackling the next job. In many ways I'm finding that building a layout is like watching 'The Martian' (or reading the book if you are of a more literary bent). You have to solve one problem, then sort out the next challenge, then if you keep going you end up with a successful outcome. Next challenges for the layout are: Sorting out auto uncoupling. I have some small neodymium magnets which I have tried fitting between sleepers in conjunction with Dapol EasyShunt couplings. So far the magnets are too strong so I may try burying them deeper in the baseboard Building an NBrass catenary overhead gantry. I've never worked with etches before. It's going okay, I'll probably share that in a future update. I think that's all for now. Thanks for your interest!

Thanks Steve. Redutex- that's a good idea. Never used it but I've seen that others use it so I'll give that a try. I do have the Townscenes town/city rooftops scene already. I'll have to dig that out and see how the roads fit in. Thanks again for the hints.

Good evening everyone! On my workbench tonight... I have made progress on the station building. It still needs some detailing (adding of drain pipes, some paintwork such as the main doors) but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. It took a long time (probably 10 or more hours) but I have something which is unique and fits the location. It was much harder to get the brick coursework looking right on this building. The posters cover a multitude of sins. It might be a while before I scratch build my next building! I do need to add a Gents toilet to the left. That will be a simple 4 wall facility, probably without a roof. I have been looking at how I lay everything out on the over-the-station section so here is a trial fit... I'm not 100% convinced by the cobblestones (Scalescenes). The contrast seems to be quite high and a bit monochrome, I may try some tinting in Photoshop. I have really changed mediums for the moment and am using Scalescenes roads with mounting card to get a feel of how it will all fit together. I need to come up with a good vanishing point on the left as that road will hit the backscene. Does anyone have any particularly good examples of how this can be done well in a city scene? Right at the front of this scene as you look at it will be a couple of terraced houses (with their backs to the current perspective if you see what I mean). On the right is the baseboard edge at the viewing side. I think there will be a zebra crossing, it's perhaps not in the right place yet. The pavement is just a trial and will need to be extended. I plan to mount the station building on a pavement section too. Thanks for reading!

Here we have the aforementioned signal box and a test fit of pieces for the station booking hall. The signal box is almost finished. It just needs a bit more toning down of the brick work and a few details added in places. This box is based upon the Knightwing model but I thought that the original small windows panes were a bit on the thick side so I took them out, retaining the top level vents (I think that's what they are), and added finer brass windows from a Ratio detailing kit. Time for bed now!