Multigauge

4 hours ago, Guy Rixon said:

The view along the viaduct wall in the first photo is particularly effective. Perhaps this mini-layout would benefit from mounting at eye level? It would look bigger that way.

 

The brickwork is all a bit red for London. Some stretches of yellow brick would place it better.

 

For the setts, you can buy rollers that fits 00/H0 track and imprint a pattern into DAS or similar. Those should sort out neat setts around the curves, but they wouldn't work well through the turnouts.

 

Rather than a canal basin, how about a barge dock connected to the Thames? If I had that layout to finish, I'd put a wagon turntable at the end of the longest siding, with another line running back from the turntable along the dockside. Then I'd hang a scenic extension on the front large enough for a model of a Thames sailing-barge. 

Thanks. Some good points to raise there and very helpful tips. 

It's interesting you mention brick colour as I always remember it dark and dirty so assumed it was a red brick mixed with engineers blue.

I like the idea of a wagon turntable and it crossed my mind when I was planning it though I was thinking of having some gates leading off to another imaginary area of street running like Grove St Deptford.

I've bought some Wills sheets and will see what finish I get on the stone setts front. At the moment I'm building up the base to the top of the sleepers. 

1 hour ago, Enfys_Rainbow said:

Nice work! Are the warehouse buildings from Fair Price Models? 

Thanks. Yes. They have crept up a little on price incidentally, but I think they are still gvfm. 

Yes, I know what you mean. That kinda of look down from the lines above as you pass overhead.

Cheers. It's slow going at the moment after a bit of a schoolboy error on the second warehouse construction.

Most of the rails were painted last night and I hope to complete the rest tonight. 

It will need a clean and test run after...  

I also need to fit some magnets as I want to use kadees.

If it's any consolation, I was planning on doing some modeling yesterday, but I only had the energy to write about it. 

Life does get in the way a lot and add to that health, (not to mention disappearing done a Google rabbit hole about the latest interest to tickle my fancy ) it can become frustrating when you see others forging ahead. However, I do take their efforts as inspiration; and your ramblings always strike a chord close to home in an amusing way. 

A little bit more info.

The board is 81cm by 31cm at its narrow end and 41cm at its widest. 

The track is peco code 75 with electrofrog Y's. 

The point control will be wire in tube or something similar - note to self, need to get some piano wire - and it will be wired for DC. 

I want some of the track work to incorporate stone setts - most likely the area running off between the buildings and right  - but I'm in a quandary. 

What do people think of:

Wills stone setts.

Metcalffe stone setts.

Using Das clay and a home made dai/stamp.

Using a good quality filler.

I'm also not sure how easy it will be to get a good finish through the second Y. 

The brick arches form the scenic break to the fiddle yard (it's one line with room for a loco and 3 wagons at a push so calling it a yard seems a bit OTT) and I haven't quite decided the angle I want them at, but they need to be at an angle to give the effect I want.

Technic arrow, it may be a long one, but it helps to explain the thought process and deliberation. I like the congested feel that you have but I'm pleased you've removed the small office and replaced it with the lorry; it didn't look right before. 

I love the gallery view of the supporting pillars and i agree that only covering it half way looks best, otherwise a large portion of you usable track will be covered; it probably makes cleaning easier too.

You animated GIFs are brilliant by the way! 

Last year I started Badsworth Rd with my daughter and although it has been mostly finished, personal circumstances mean that further work on it is unlikely in the short to medium term and playing with it is the same.

A left over bit of MDF seemed to be calling me to do something with it, and so I've been pondering another small shunting layout. The purchase of a B4 gave me the idea of a tight radius layout with a diamond for added interest, but I couldn't make it work the way I wanted to with the space I have, so it's become more inglenook.

It's not meant to be prototypical, and rule 1 will apply, but I want it to have a mild flavour of the area around New Cross/Deptford. 

Whilst rather diddy in size, I do want it to have an ability to extend, even if it is only to have a fiddle yard. 

I've been constructing some MDF buildings from an eBay seller which I've been adorning with brick papers which will hopefully go well and I have also trialed some Scalescenes freebies that I think work, so along with a left over section of Wills brick arches I found in my bit box, I've been working on view points and angles. 

I may add a canal basin at the front - it was seeing the Scalescenes kit that started that idea - too, but I'm not sure it it may be a tad over doing it. 

I'll post some better pics soon. 

Watching with interest.

Crikey, that's gonna be interesting to watch developments. 

Are they all Scale scenes kits? 

17 hours ago, ManofKent said:

Thanks for the confirmation on the Y's - are they insulfrog or electrofrog. I'm looking at plain DC and simple wiring.

Electrofrog with very simple DC wiring. 

I've also used wire in tube (or wire on chocolate blocks), but the sector plate needed something more robust so I used some long wooden dowel a pin and a fob of hot glue. 

I'm planning a similar small, light industrial/urban based layout for my Peckett.

I've just finished building my baseboard and I'm playing with various track layouts using wagons and buildings to fully appreciate the space. I like using small Y's and have no issues with stalling on Badsworth Rd which has 2. 

Watching this develop with interest.

I love the foliage effects that you have created. The close ups really work show a great level of detail.

That looks really good. 

I have just downloaded one their freebies to build and if it all goes well I'm planning on purchasing the canal wharf kit too.

My plan is similar to yours in not using a box file, but a plank or small board. 

Will be watching with interest. 

Looking good. 

Interesting paint comparison; thank you.

1 hour ago, Andrew D said:

That looks utterly brilliant! I love the use of sprues etc making up the pipework on the roof - that looks absolutely excellent. 

Me too. I'm always keeping sprues for paint stirring, but now I shall consider them for pipes as well. 

Thanks for sharing your loco construction; it's a good effort and I think it will look even better when it's finished. 

Using card is such a cheap and simple idea, but are you confident that just painting it will ensure its robustness? I'm sure I've read another post about using shellac to harden it off. What's your thoughts? 

@TechnicArrow Thanks for the kind comments. 

All being well I will get some more modelling time over the next couple of days if homeschooling doesn't prove as arduous as it has been over the last couple of weeks. 

It's been ages since I've updated this. Mainly due to not having the time to do so, and not having that much to update on; demands on my time have been high and modeling has very much taken a back seat. However, some of fruits of my slow progress can be seen below. A few buildings - including a water tower -  have been recycled from a layout of yesteryear.

As you can see, the little ones engines have been getting some action. 

I really like the buddleia bushes.  Are they off the shelf or bespoke? 

A work of art! Really good atmosphere. Loving it. 

Fantastic modelling that oozes atmosphere. 

it took me a fair few weeks but I have enjoyed reading your story so far. The sections on weathering have been very informative.

I'm looking forward to the east anglain instalment. Jaynes Trains is my local and possibly the only model shop now in South London; great to hear their customers are far and wide.