Pete 75C

Not the most exciting Norfolk village, I must admit...

Just spotted this thread (where have I been hiding?) and I have to say it looks terrific. Great work. Pete.

Thanks guys. It was just a minor stupid mishap. Worse things happen at sea and nobody died... I should really add it to the "Why are railway modellers so clumsy?" thread but I'm sure it's already in there somewhere! I'll have a couple of weeks off - it might give me a chance to get the dining room finished and a bathroom plumbed in - my wife will be delighted...

Yeah, it's not the end of the world and won't take too long to fix - it was just incredibly annoying...

Oops. I've just had one of those classic "one step forwards, two steps back" moments with Lots Rd. My own stupid fault. I'd finished the high level ballasting and weathering so thought it about time to cut the rails over the baseboard joints and go for a trial separation. The cutting disc in the mini drill went through like a hot knife through butter. All I did was go through the rails - I didn't go through the sleeper webs. As I eased the boards apart, I managed to pull up around 12" of track on all 3 platform roads either side of the join. The air was truly blue. I didn't use copperclad at the joins as Lots Rd is not intended to be split very often if at all. Valuable lesson learnt. Quite a mess at the moment and I'm gonna have a bit of time off from it! Pete.

Having taken a look at the above pics, I must go into my little camera's menu and find "factory reset" if it exists. The pictures are far from clear, sorry about that. It may only be a compact camera, but earlier pictures seem much clearer. It may have something to do with the backscene blocking most of the natural light from the large window.

Have finally finished the tracklaying, wiring and testing (which is far from a favourite job). Fiddle yard has been *roughly* constructed just to allow testing but still needs work, especially with regards to alignment. I've begun the tedious job of ballasting but I'm wondering whether it would make sense to construct the platforms first? At ther moment, I've laid masking tape approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the edge of the sleepers. The intention was to finish ballasting and weathering the track, and then construct the platforms. I've already cut a template for the platforms to take account of the slight reverse curve to the edge of what will become platform 2. Any scenic gap between the trackside ballast and platform edge could be filled afterwards. I think I may leave the ballasting until after the platforms are in place. Another snag that I've had to address was how the passengers from the LT branch bay platform were supposed to get 15 feet down from platform to street level. There's not much room for stairs so I've used a"kickback" ramp as seen in the pictures. I think this looks pretty effective. The balustrading is overscale but I think in general it looks ok.

Agreed - don't think the semi-scenic section is finished. I want to go to town on the scrubby wasteland look and lots of extra detail, but not while I'm still likely to need to stretch across and damage everything! Thank God the backscenes pop off, so I can do most of the work on the high level from the back!

And welcome it is too. I have to agree. The low retaining walls are a plaster-cast ebay purchase. Sold as "brick", they are, to say the least, overscale. On a budget, and not wanting to brick-paper EVERYTHING, I thought they'd add a little relief. I have my misgivings too, but they'll have to stay. Hopefully as the layout progresses, the eye won't linger too long on what surely won't be the only mistake! I do wish I had the time and patience to scratchbuild everything, but as with most of my layouts, this is a relative quickie and it certainly won't be my life's work. As I get older, I may end up with a motorcycle and a supermodel mistress (only joking) so railway modelling may take a back seat to life's other pleasures. Seriously mate, any form of critical observation is welcome, it only serves to make us try harder! Best, Pete.

Having got a bit bored with tracklaying and wiring, I whipped the MDF backscenes off last night for a coat of paint. The result is a bit "Vision On" (remember that?) but in my mind it's a passable cloudy British sky. A coat of cheap primer was followed by 2 roller coats of a cheap Homebase emulsion (a couple of tester pots of "Pale Duck Egg"). Having butchered an old car sponge, white emulsion was sponged and brushed on then stippled, adding different shades of grey. There's even some Humbrol rust weathering powder in there somewhere! I usually get in a mess trying to paste ready made backcenes onto MDF or ply, so was determined to have a go myself this time. It's OK, not great, but I'm glad I gave it a go. My wife asked me last night where the trains are supposed to go? I've completely forgotten to build a fiddle yard for the right hand end, so that will be another job for later this week. Total layout size will be 14ft (4ft + 4ft + 6ft) by 2ft. Pete.

Many thanks to both of you. Didn't know what a frog juicer was. Sounds like something to be found in a French kitchenware store next to the coffee grinders... I'd planned to use those little Peco microswitches together with Peco point motors. Ian - I have a link to Brian Lambert's pages... http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/Electrical.htm As a bit of a numpty when it comes to wiring, his website is just about the only one that makes any kind of sense to me! I'm supposed to be taking the van over to Travis Perkins in Cromer this afternoon to pick up some timber for a fencing job, but I think I'll sneak in a little detour to the Bure Valley Railway model shop in Aylsham to pick up some extra Peco flex track. I think I'll crack on with the tracklaying as it gives me some respite from SWMBO's Eastenders etc... Thanks again. Pete.

Code 75 Electrofrog. I quite like the idea of wiring for DC (comfort zone) then turning everything "on" for DCC. Thanks for that.

Quick question about DCC electrics! I won't start another topic - it's been done to death already. I've just taken the offer of a free Gaugemaster Combi with a BRM subscription, so the LT low level branch will be ever so basic DC. There are no points on the scenic section and just a 2 road fiddle yard - there is no physical connection to the high level. The high level is where I want to dip my toes into DCC for the first time. Looking at the plan, the line at the top (which will have the longest platform face) is to be used by inter-regional LMR services and will have its own 3 road fiddle yard. You can see there is a connection through the double slip to platform 2 (the middle of 3 platforms). Platforms 2 and 3 will be 3rd rail electric and run to their own fiddle yard. Now I'm noft daft enough to think 2 wires and Bob's your uncle - I'm aware of basic concepts such as bus wires and droppers. However, if this were DC, I'd now be reaching for a pack of insulated rail joiners, particularly for the double slip to keep the LMR and SR lines apart as each would have their own controller... Am I right in thinking this is a redundant concept in DCC? Please help before I'm forced to either get abook out of the library or read the billion words already written about DCC elsewhere on RMWeb! Thanks in advance, Pete.

Basic ground cover is down on the LT branch - it will still need a fair bit of work but it makes a huge change from bare boards. Being a bit of a Luddite, I haven't yet caught up with static grass, so a variety of scatters on neat PVA was used. Sealed with generous amounts of cheap extra-hold hairspray. Bushes are tree and hedge foliage from the Javis range. I really want to go to town with the detail at the front edge of the layout but it makes no sense to go any further at the moment! If I can resist the urge to take the scenics any further, the next job is to complete laying out the high level track plan followed by wiring and testing. Pete.

Just a few shots prior to adding some scenic texture to the front embankments. The plaster has been liberally covered in Humbrol Dark Earth 29 acrylic - I get through stupid amounts of this paint shade, both in tin and aerosol form. The lower level London Underground platform is in place, made from 10mm laminated chipboard which happened to be lying around. The platform edging is 2mm x 1mm styrene strip from the bits box. 3rd and 4th rail is also in place and the track made to look suitably dirty and neglected using, you guessed, Humbrol 29, together with some dry-brushing with various shades. I don't want to go too mad with the detail at the front of the layout, as although I'll work on the rest of the layout from the back by removing the backscenes, I'm bound to cause some needless damage if I start fitting platform lamps etc. The detail can wait until the whole thing is in a much more "finished" state. I need to be careful with the scenic texture on the embankments, as I don't want a bright green summer meadow look! It needs to look scrubby and weedy, typical of the occasional areas of waste ground you get in urban areas. More to follow.

A few shots of the terrain "mess"... When using expanding foam from a can, I always use plenty of clingfilm to protect the parts of the layout that the foam will expand up against. If anyone's ever had to remove this stuff from their hands, they'll know it will destroy any painted surfaces it touches, ie: the retaining walls, track etc. The foam expands up against the clingfilm, pressing it tight against the retaining walls and fascia boards. When dry, the clingfilm can simply be torn away, leaving a neat, tight and invisible join between foam and layout. The Everbuild brand foam that I used this time cured remarkably quickly, so I was carving within 8 hours of spraying. All that's needed now is some plaster bandage followed by a thin skim of filler. The filler is mixed quite wet and smoothed into place using an old damp 1" paintbrush. I just find this easier than using a pallet knife.

The eagle-eyed may spot one of the "Your Model Railway Village" Mk1s lurking in the background. At £3.99, a cheap way to check clearances in platforms etc. What I'll do with it eventually, I have no idea - there's another 3 lying around in a cupboard somewhere... Pete.

Not a huge amount has happened lately. A start has been made on the basic scenic structure at the front of the layout. The cutting is now finished and I'm in the process of "hard landscaping" the change in levels. Next step will be to smooth the join between track levels and retaining walls. My usual expanding foam mess will be followed by carving and liberal use of plaster bandage. Following that, the 2 car bay platform will be built and the single track branch will be properly ballasted and the 3rd rail added. Odd choice to begin at the front of the layout. Usually that means having to stretch over the scenics to reach the back, but when I'm ready to lay the track and work on the main station level, I'll just remove the backscene boards and work from the other side. Pete.

Excellent detail shots. Makes a change there's no train in the way! Seriously - really, really useful. Pete.

Thanks for the link to those pics - nice. I started in 83 and don't remember 08/09s at Holmethorpe. We always used to assemble the train and drag it up the bank with a Crompton before running round at Redhill. Thanks again.

Looking very good. You've come a long way in what I think is a very short period of time. Maybe I'm just slow! Pete.

No, not quite! Moved to Sheringham a couple of years ago, got drunk at a New Year's Eve party, spilt my beer all over the Senior Helmsman's pager... went down to the boathouse the following Sunday to apologise, and the rest is history... The cIosest I ever to got to water as a child was the River Wandle. I grew up in Wallington and my father still lives there in the same house. I do feel ties to the area because I'm so familiar with it, but it just isn't somewhere I'd want to move back to.

Memories of local flooding when I was growing up in South London prompted a little search on Google. Slightly off-topic, but there's a link below showing how bad the Wallington bridge can get. It's 8 feet from the lowest point to the pavement above. http://www.suttonguardian.co.uk/news/4464664.Overhaul_Wallington_bridge_drainage_system_to_avoid_flood__says_councillor/

And it still does, but not quite as badly as the bridge over Manor Road at Wallington station, just a few miles further on towards Sutton. Many occasions as a child, we'd rush down to the High Street to watch a partly submerged double decker on the 154 or 157 route being towed out from under the bridge! Many a car have come to grief there too. Pete.

Apologies for the lack or progress. Managed to lose a little bit off the end of one of my fingers in a Lifeboat mishap... still bloody hurts and dexterity a bit hampered lately. Will get cracking again soon. Pete.