Andrew D

Enjoying this build! Very interesting.

Thanks Kevin, it's certainly been good as a skill-builder, and help me keep my expectations real!

I’ve had another go at the static grass, re-using what I scraped off, and while it still doesn’t look great, it now looks less bad than it did. I’ve ended up hard wiring the current collecting tender to the Caley Pug, as the loco+tender plug+socket looked awful. I’ve made a video since those updates, including a running session that starts at the 11:35 mark if you want to jump straight to that: https://youtu.be/FYumpjQSavU

On a similar subject Luke, do you wire the point blades and switch the frog, or do you leave it down to the point blades making good contact and not worry about the frog because they are dead end sidings? I’d like to use wired-blade electrofrog points with a switched frog, but manually controlled. The frog switching stuff I’ve seen seems to rely on a point motor to switch it. If you do wire the blades and switch the frog, what do you use to switch the frog (and where can I get one?!) I’m a DC dinosaur by the way :) Cheers, Andrew

@davidparker172 Hi Dave, I guess it depends on the box files you have. The ones I used use something like gaffer tape to attach the front to the base, so when pulled down it’s like Option 2 on your diagram. Mine are only taped and stapled at the join, so it’s simply a matter of brute force to pull the front down and remove the staple. @The Bandit @TechnicArrow Thanks for your kind words - and your encouragement throughout! Still more tinkering to be done I think, especially before it would go in The Dispatch if invited.

'DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT' If you'd have told me when I started this that it would take me TWO YEARS to get it presentable, I'd never have believed you. But here we are. I guess I don't have as much free time in reality as I do in my head. I've had a real push this past fortnight to get the layout looking OK, using only stuff that I already had and not buying anything new for it. Here are a couple of Before and After shots: I'm pleased with the layout overall, but there are things I'd do differently next time, and the one thing I'm really not happy with is the static grass. My fly-swatter tea strainer worked fine with the 2mm and 4mm, but the 6mm (which I thought was 4mm) was a disaster and might get scraped off and worked again. One recent addition I'm very pleased with is the mystery barn/store building where nobody quite knows what goes on inside. The door was my first attempt at hairspray weathering and I'm very pleased. I'm also pleased with the idea of making the inevitable channel in the box file a drainage ditch by painting it brown and then coating with PVA. There's a steel plate to allow cars access to the Mystery Barn. In this view of the other side of the line where Robert Wood stores his caravan, you can see one mistake I made which was to not paint the sleepers before ballasting and weathering. I'll leave it for now, but I'll definitely be painting the sleepers as well as the rails in future: The caravan needs a bit of green mould on the roof too. I've repainted the engine shed window frames black from white which wasn't the big improvement I was expecting, but at least I made some lintels out of cardboard which finishes off the windows/ I've tried bedding in the buildings with household filler tinted with acrylic paint, but even using cling film around the buildings has has limited success. Next time I'll apply the Das Clay after siting the buildings. A very kind RMWebber sent me some surplus pigments to help me improve my weathering, and I'm pleased with how both the Class 29 and Caley Pug have now turned out. I've since broken that awful connection between the Pug and its pick-up tender by trying to hide it, so I might just hard wire the pick-up tender to the Pug: Oh yes, the Pug needs crew as well! We'll see what else I find in my model railway cupboard to add detailing to the layout, but right now I'm going to get that Pug tender re-wired and have a good play for a few days. But this has been the frustration all along - always something that needs fixing before playing! Thanks for reading, and thanks for all the kind replies and encouragement.

The weathering you've done on the paving looks fantastic! I guess you could always fall back on weeds growing through a few gaps ;) Good luck with the Hymek.

I’m impressed at the pace you are cracking on with this. That platform surface looks great - did you use paving sheets? Please spam the thread with as many photos of the layout as you can - and video please! :)

Cheers Dave. I think most people use the Streamline Short Y turnout which offers a good compromise between electrofrog reliability and a compact footprint. Looking forward to seeing your project on here once you start!

Great progress Luke! I really do like the blue sheds you've built - very inspiring. Looking forward to your running session on YouTube. No pressure but... OK, pressure! ;)

Looking good! The J94 is on my list next time I see one for a decent price at a show. Weathering looks great! 👍

Hi @davidparker172and thanks for your message. To answer questions 1 and 2, take a look at the post dated 31st January 2022 which shows how I dealt with ‘droppers’ (by laying the track on foam board so I could gouge out cable runs) and the switching for isolating sections (yes it’s DC). In the building phase I assumed that every set of points would fail (which they did on my N gauge layout) so added droppers to every side of track that relied on continuity through the points. This was a sound move as every set of points has indeed failed. I’m afraid I edit out the manual point switching, coupling/uncoupling, and isolating in the videos. Sorry, I don’t have a wiring diagram. The front panels are just stapled in - a bit of brute force and ignorance separates them from the sides. But I would think very carefully before doing this as it really does massively affect the integrity of the box file. I’ll not be doing that again if I do another box file layout, and I would probably stick to only one boxfile. Anything bigger, I’d suggest a Scale Model Scenery micro layout baseboard in a Really Useful Box. Yes, I have used Setrack throughout. A huge regret. I wish I had used streamline Electrofrog points. I’ll never be using Setrack points again, ever! I am resigned to the fact that if you are going to ballast and weather track, you’ll be needing extra wiring anyway, so you might as well go electrofrog to start with. Hope this is helpful. It’s not a patch on Brierley Canal Road, but for a relative beginner I am very pleased with it overall. I’m AMAZED it has taken so long. I don’t think I could ever have a large layout due to the sheer overwhelm factor! Cheers, Andrew

This time last week I envisaged that I’d be writing about Caran Leisg falling under the Beeching Axe and the project being broken up. It was something that @TechnicArrowsaid on his thread about stalling projects that got me thinking. I’d seriously lost my mojo with this project because it was so unreliable and not robust; something was always broken which needed fixing and made me feel like I was never making any progress. So I’d procrastinate instead. Many of us are guilty of drudging through or stalling projects that seemed like a good idea at the time but have since for whatever reason lost their shine. But because we invested all this time/money/energy into something, we procrastinate rather than cracking on, because our heart isn’t REALLY in it. To cut a long and ruminating story short, I decided that what I really really want to do is pursue the realistic roundy-roundy in OO that I’ve been wanting to do for years. This means I’ll need to sell off or put on hold all the other projects that I had in my head and had started buying bits for - often way too many bits and pieces. But as far as this boxfile layout goes, it’s proved to be very frustrating for so many reasons. Basically, I have tried to make it do too much. I want smooth running, operational interest, reliability, more than a nod to scenery, AND I want it to be low-budget and portable. After plodding away at this for two years now, here’s my advice for anyone thinking of this kind of layout: - If you want portability, DO NOT remove the front panels to the boxfiles like I have. This compromises the integrity of the boxfile too much. And keep the track plan simple, a maximum of two roads (not three as I have) as you’ll be peering down at it from 45 degrees and won’t be able to get down to track level to see it. - Be realistic about the amount of space you have. I don’t have the space to leave this layout set-up even though it is small. - If you are going to ballast and weather the track AND you want reliability in your running, DO NOT use Setrack points. This is the second layout I’ve built where the Setrack points have worked fine until the track is painted and weathered. Not one of the five setrack points on my layout works properly. And you have short locos etc falling down the ‘V’ section. In future, I will only ever be using streamline electrofrog points. - If you want reliability, portability, and an operationally interesting track plan, don’t use a boxfile. Invest in a proper baseboard and box to put it in, like a Scale Model Scenery Layout in a Box. Anyway, I was basically fed up with bits breaking and falling off and the whole thing being generally unreliable. I’d decided that while I wait for the baseboard for my next project that maybe I’d scrap this layout and re-use some of the pieces to make a simple, one unit boxfile layout. The only rule I had was that I was not allowed to spend any money at all on it, but this idea went out of the window because of the unreliable Setrack points. Eventually I got the boxfiles out and started tinkering, wondering how to rationalise them. I used the main Box 1 & 2 unit on its own with the fiddlestick as a shunting puzzle, and thought that maybe I could just bung a bit of static grass down on the front panels and call it done. But I then connected box 3, and thought that I may as well make the Scale Model Scenery barn and fencing that I’d bought about 18 months ago…. … and here we are a week later with the mojo fully restored and absolutely loving working on the layout. Since adopting the mindset of ‘Done is Better than Perfect’ and removing all need for portability, I’ve started really enjoying getting the layout to a ‘practically done’ stage - especially as these last stages are generally the most enjoyable. And despite all the problems and failures, one thing I really really love about this layout is the track plan. It offers so much operational interest and play value. I could do without the engine shed siding, so I might yet decommission this and have it as a disused siding, we shall see. Here you can see the front fold-down flaps are painted ready for landscaping, and the new fencing in Box 3. One of the biggest headaches has been what to do with the channel that is left between the boxfile floor and the front fold-down panel when in use. After 2 years I’ve finally had a brainwave - it’s going to be a drainage ditch! The front will just be grassed over for now, a hard stand in front of the barn in box 3, and the engine shed tittivated as I’m not so keen on the white windows. Then it will be a case of weathering and blending the track and ballast, adding weeds, and seeing what I have in the way of little people and finishing touches. I am not spending a single penny more on this layout so it’s all down to what I have lying about. The end is in sight. I can then refocus on the stock and I might even attempt to rebuild the broken home-made controller, but if I can just get this looking decent finally, I’ll be happy. As always, thanks for reading.

This looks great! Am looking forward to seeing how you get on.

Mate, you don’t know what a profound effect this little comment has had on me for the past 24 hours. I’ve totally stalled with my boxfile layout and as such I spend evenings procrastinating or watching YouTube videos instead of modelling. And I end up feeling bad and disengaged. You’ve inspired me to bite the bullet, rationalise my stock and dispose of all the N gauge stuff as well as the old and crusty OO gauge stuff, disassemble the boxfile layout, and start again with something even smaller in OO using a decent baseboard and a tiny roster of tiny trains. There comes a point when you have to be realistic with the amount of free time you actually have, and the aspects of modelling that you actually enjoy. Thank you.

I’m really enjoying this build! As the kind of bodger who prioritises operation, aesthetics, and play value over prototypical realism I’d say keep the platform short. The longer version looks a little large for the layout. Just my opinion. As for the signal box… you’re a better man than me! 👍

First off, as someone who struggled through one measly year of uni to get a CertHE, HUGE congrats on the Masters 👍 Loving what you are doing here. I’m dying to get the time to complete my unreliable box file layout so I can move on to something more robust and reliable like you. Looking forward to updates.

I'm absolutely LOVING this build! Very inspiring 👍

I feel your pain Paul. I'm also sworn off Insulfrogs after my boxfile layout. Maybe the old Tin Foil trick might work if you can't find that paint, or if it's the solid lump you fear? Maybe laid over the frog and possibly carefully painted in it wouldn't look too bad. Hope you manage to sort it.

Many thanks @Torper and @Gilbert . Sounds like they might be ideal. I’ve done a little bit of weathering (on an old model, of course) using brushed acrylic paint, chalk pastels, and wash made of thinned acrylic paint with a drop of washing up liquid. I’m reasonably happy with the result but the grilles are too black and the powders have not adhered very well to the bogies, so I need to go back and revisit. I’ve not had the confidence to crack open the box with the airbrush in it yet. And yes, I know there is only one way to get over that! 😉

I use similar ‘cheapy’ acrylics from The Works, mixing them myself to get the exact colour, and have always been delighted with the results. I apply over primer; usually multiple thin coats (thinned with water). However, I found the acrylic paint from Poundland to be terrible. Very watery and little pigment. Wilko’s acrylics are also very good. The moral of the story is, not all ‘cheapy’ artist acrylics are equal, and it is worth spending a few pennies more - which is still massively cheaper than ready-mixed modeller’s paints (which are consistent and simpler to use).

As a fairly new modeller, I’ve been using chalk pastels scraped with a knife to produced weathering powder. I’m fairly happy with the results, but I’m guessing I’d be right if I said that proper modeller’s Weathering Powder would adhere better? Is there a marked improvement using ‘proper’ powders over pastels? WWS looks to be the best value for 4 or 5 pots, but Humbrol seems to produce more relevant colours (like white to bleach bodywork). DCC concepts seem very reluctant to reveal how big their pots are, and they only seem to be available in sets. Any advice and tips would be much appreciated before investing in a set. Many thanks.

Much appreciated Paul. I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds your modelling hugely inspirational. That’s my Sunday afternoon taken care of, going back to the beginning again!

Many thanks for explaining that. It is, if I may say, pure genius! It looks like this might be within my limited skills. Cheers.

Absolutely wonderful to see you posting again Paul and to see that the layout is to be continued. You know how inspiring I find your work from my (continuing) poor imitation of Brierley Canal Road so I’m looking forward to see what you get up to over the next few weeks. Cheers, Andrew.