Rich_F

I believe the logs are being taken to Chirk 😉

Work on both layouts continues. Work on wagons for Lyle Park is complete with various loads & weathering done. 

Some painting has been done on the log micro. Rock faces are going on the backscene with trees. 

I've repainted my Hornby 73 into a GBRf loco although the decals are being difficult so may need some new ones. 

I picked up a NEW Railroad Colas 47 for £65. As this loco is featherweight I've added a Lima weight & some extra weights into the body. Now it's a chunky Duff 😆

20 minutes ago, nightstar.train said:

I like the Loram livery, would certainly buy one. And a police 37 whilst we’re at it. 
 

The deltic in Porterbrook livery was widely derided and hated, but sold so well it’s become the only loco (and possibly model) that Accurascale have ever rerun. (I have one of those too, and a Porterbrook 57. A Heljan 47 might join them soon). 
 

PS I absolutely despise BR blue and refuse to have any stock in it. Although I am buying a 37403 as it’s my local preserved one and I want to support the SRPS. 
 

PPS. I’m trying to persuade Accurascale to make 50017 in pseudo coronation red livery as well. That would be a definite add to the stable. 
 

🤪🤪

Seconded. I secretly really like that new livery. It's growing on me. 

Would deffo buy one if Accurascale released one! 

Another in-building micro layout based on the tuning fork trackplan. 

Modern image logging/timber micro yard. All four OTAs are scratchbuilt from very old Hornby VDA vans. 

8 hours ago, ITG said:

Hi

if still available, I could use these on my slowly progressing new layout.

Ian

Feel free to msg me & we can arrange sending 

Those trees have been purchased from the same model shop or in a large scenery bundle. All the leaves are the same colour!

3 x 3D printed bridge abutments/supports (OO/HO scale). 

Purchased from ebay as a set of 4 but these 3 no longer required by me. 

Postage only please!

Some more pictures of updates: 

Layout: 

• Left hand bridge has been converted into a hidden pipe bridge as per the idea from @RichardT. 
• More scenic details including more bushes etc added.
• Platform details & figures added. 
• Scratchbuilt low relief building entrance constructed. Not finished but nearly there.
• Back scene replaced with a more open factory image. This is Lots Road power station adapted & mirrored to fit on the back wall. Not finished but nearly there.

Stock: 

• 2 x MEA wagons weathered & 2 x Dapol 24T hoppers weathered.
• Scrap loads created for all 4 from my spares bin. 
• Class 20 further weathered. 

Some pictures of some scenic and small additions...

The section with the rough paint is to become a low relief building with a fake roller shutter door so will disappear soon. 

Needs to weather the buildings & wagons otherwise it's too clean...

Amazing resin water effect too!

On 07/04/2024 at 12:25, Redkiterail said:

How did you make your hopper metal loads? 

They look awesome & would like to copy for my open MEA/Limpet wagons.

This image was taken on Agfa CT18 film on 1 April 1975 and shows a single-unit railcar (Class 121, I believe) awaiting a morning departure back to the mainline, stopping at delightfully named stations such as Toller.

12 minutes ago, RFS said:

One daft one here ffrom TMC. £727.98 for a Britannia Models 4-CEP unit that looks decidedly inferior to the Bachmann model, which at least has door handles etc and can be had new for little more than half the price. 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266217819364

I've always been utterly baffled by TMC prices when you compare at other retailers!

On 13/04/2024 at 23:10, John M Upton said:

Arty night shot at Gatwick Airport whilst waiting to drive down to Bognor this evening. 

Thameslink is such a dull operation that an eight car 700 going to Brighton is almost a "interesting" variation.

 

Yawn...

Try being a semi regular user of the peak East Grinstead line Thameslink services.

When they actually run, aside from the 07:14 to Bedford that's solidly a 12 coach, it's a good game to guess if you're going to get an 8 or 12 coach unit turn up!

Hi all!

I'm looking for some street lamps to go on my loosely late 80s/early 90s themed micro layout. They DO NOT have to be lit, just scenic examples. 

I'm after some of the nice swan neck sodium style lamps that would have been commonplace on side streets/alleyways at the time. Aside from the expensive Scenecraft packs, I'm struggling to find a retailer who sells something that might have been put up in the 50s/60s. 

I've popped in a couple of pics of the types I'd ideally like to get. If anyone knows a retailer or 3D print outlet that makes lamp posts similar to the pics please reply!

I've got myself two job interviews in the next 2 weeks. I feel this has allowed me a reward day to work on the layout & make significant progress.

All is still rough & in progress but the theme is taking shape!

Scenery:

The bridge scenic bridge is up & installed. These are card kits from Manchester Model Railways & good value. The blue bits behind are to be painted black. 

On the other end I'm undecided & need something for the bridge to feed into on the left : Maybe a low profile warehouse frontage or something? 

The platform is complete with a low profile waiting hut I scratchbuilt out of spares. Obviously we need some lamps & a couple of figures. 

Rolling stock:

I sold some other non-railway items which allowed me to acquire a near mint Lima 121. Sadly the BR blue/blue grey examples were way overpriced so I bought one of the GWR replica units. Cue some minor re-branding into a sort of believable BR livery. A quick service & some minor weathering & it's a peach of a runner!

1 hour ago, James Hilton said:

In the summer of 2022 Paxton Road was conceived. Today, in the spring of 2024 it is loved. What has happened in the intervening period is scope creep and a recent refocus, let me explain…
 

 

We are all guilty of the impulsive purchase - and the very nature of the layout almost rewarded such an approach, its blank canvas making any new model feel at home. From pre-TOPS hydraulic to big red shed with a lot in between I’ve enjoyed the evolution and maturing of this wonderful layout.   
 

 

However - storage space is not infinite. Nor is my wallet! The opportunity to revisit the core essence of the layout was happened upon by chance, by placing the Railfreight 26 and a few suitable wagons on the layout, shorter, more compact 2 axle affairs… this brought the reason for its genesis clearly into focus and drove my recent ‘clear out’ of the 22, 24, 25 and 31 along with their vacuum braked stock. 

 

Paxton Road is Speedlink, it is 1990 and it is inspired by Scotland.

 

I’ve enjoyed every moment of the scope creep and I’m sure more will occur but coming back to the raison d’etre, the purest of inspiration, the grey Sulzer has helped me reign back a collection release funds and find renewed enthusiasm for this tiny slice of make believe.

 

Perhaps today is an opportunity for you to take a moment to assess your current project, or projects and revisit their genesis. Ask yourself are you happy with things as they stand or have you too fallen for retail therapy? It can be incredibly rewarding to refocus on the purest distillation of our inspiration and let the rest go… but for now until next time, more soon…

 

I also find that periodically thinning & detoxing a collection of built up models can be therapeutic. It's rewarding to have a "core" stable of 2-3 locos & some stock & get good use of them, rather than a huge collection of locos you'll use once & possibly never run again. 

That theory probably works best for us micro layout builders than larger layout builders in truth. 

The location for this micro has been set - somewhere upstream of Silvertown next to  Venesta Wharf/Lyle Park. 

Services would likely take the form of a single class 121 running to/from North Woolwich, with a couple of extra peak hour shuttles to Stratford Lower Level. See the imaginary red track layout for what I was imagining in my mind! 😆

Thus, I've renamed the layout 'Lyle Park'.

On 04/04/2024 at 19:58, Steel Grid said:

More of the same, only different...

 

I've also been active on the wagon front while bits of the 44 have been drying. The next ingot mould wagon is meant to represent a diagram 1/180 based vehicle. It uses a Bachmann body on a Parkside chassis, fitted with 51L axleboxes and Lanarkshire buffers. Everything else is the same as with the previous wagon, except this time it is loaded with larger ingot moulds (again from RT Models). I've got one more 1/180-based ingot mould to build and then three Parkside-based wagons, which I'll batch build. That will allow me to sign off the ingot mould rake.

 

Here's River Don with both wagons and an aerial view to show the load: 

Love the job you've done on the shunter. Making me want to buy an old dock shunter & do similar to it! 

Some significant progress. 

Too much to explain so I'll upload some images. 

As you can see, each end will have a low relief bridge support to hide the scenic break & platform end. 

A footpath will run under the bridge support to the scenic break. 

The platform area will be where the piece of paper is. 

I'm quite proud of my little burned out Ford Fiesta (mangled & weathered Oxford model). Some more vegetation needs to be added. 

I've had the itch to create a micro layout set in an urban environment. Call it a new project to work on to distract me from my frustrating job search 🙄. To this end I've devised a very simple micro layout design using two Wills station halt kits as a terminus base. 

I've taken inspiration from places like Croxley Green & Silvertown with some influences from the Marshlink line for station buildings. 

Ideally I'd like it to be a micro layout but also feel cluttered & busy being set in an urban setting. The goal is to create something urban but in an absolutely tiny setting I could transport around!

Setting: 

• Somewhere in London 
• At the end of a soon to be closed branch line 
• Set it an urban environment
• Served by a single diesel railcar/DMU 

Design: 

• Single track line with siding (possibly disused)
• Scenic break hidden by a road overbridge
• Two platform halt kits along the back wall
• Brick retaining walls
• Parking area at the front with a foot crossing 

Construction

• Wickes wood shelf cut-and-shut to size
• MDF panels cut to encase the cameo scene
• Fiddle yard made from leftover section of the shelf

9 hours ago, bazzer42 said:

Another variation on a familiar theme.  Edenley quarry loading point. Inspired by Machen pictures it will be a tuning fork with possibly a kick back for a loco or crippled wagon.  I'm afraid I'm too tight to buy some rock moulds so made use of a strip of styrene attacked with a knife, screwdriver and blow lamp!  

That's definitely giving me inspiration for a future layout! 

7 hours ago, Classsix T said:

How'd that pan out Rich, and may I enquire who the support was?

 

C6T.

It was a good gig. Lots of classics but they also played 2-3 from their new album Black Red. 

Myself, the gf & a friend went drinking in Camden so we missed the support. But for each venue they had a smaller, different rock group supporting. 

Coulsdon Town?

Albeit modern the A23 goes under the station directly. Dug out & built in 2006/7. 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.3225078,-0.1363521,17z?entry=ttu

Redhill?

A25 road comes down the hill & under 3 platforms + sidings & through tracks. 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.2400376,-0.1662937,3a,75y,103.24h,92.94t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1swq1MWf9arYrML9ah2QSTjA!2e0!5s20230401T000000!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1?entry=ttu