PMP99

From an email update from Hattons just now: Hattons - Lionheart Trains by Dapol LHT-S-4501 Class 45xx 'Small Prairie' 2-6-2T 4555 in Great Western green £435.48 Our latest information from the supplier suggests this item will arrive with us between April 2022 & June 2022

Completed goods shed and platform with ramp. More of the smaller ‘tin sheds’ as Mr Wolf put are under construction in the background!

Before I can finish the roadway down into the yard I need to establish where the various buildings will sit. The small corrugated goods is under construction.

Some more progress with the paths and roadway, with the dummy hotel in place.

Building up the banks around the pathways

Constructing the drive and paths around the hotel entrance.

A bit more colour applied. I think I’m going to leave it at that rather than end up over working it, if I haven’t done so already! Some taller vegetation/bushes will be added in due course.

Hi Andrew, Yes, it is teddy bear fur. The biggest problem I have with it is the acrylic paint rather clogs it up. I suspect I’m applying too thick a paint in one go. Graham

A few variations of green applied. Needs more when dry and the new section blending in with the earlier one.

After giving the fur a trim!

Next sections of fur applied, awaiting trimming once adhesive has set.

The wall along the river, after having a base coat of brown, has been further coloured.

Walling along what will be the road now in place and initial painting done.

Further build up of scenery formers. Much of this is the course of the road above and behind the hotel.

Initial formers of foam board in place for the next stage of hillside construction near the Hotel.

Thanks Andrew, hopefully make a bit more progress this summer now if too many other things don't get in the way!

And with the track powered up and lights on!

Finally back to working on this layout after spending longer than intended doing things on the 7mm. However, before I get on with more scenic developments, I took the time to fit LED lighting inside the Foreman’s house, loco shed (inside and above entrance) and also replaced the yard light pole with a working example.

Not much progress recently as other matters have taken priority, However I have weathered the roof of the Dapol suburban coach, and fitted it with Dingham couplings. Will be concentrating on the 4mm layout for a while now.

Also sorry to hear that, but good luck with the next project. Graham

Yes, I think I read that thread myself a long time ago. There’s probably plenty of pictures around on the net that will assist you as well. It’s just understanding the basic geometry of the layout that’s needed.

I’ve tried to follow prototypical practice as much as I can, but as you rightly say anything is better than nothing. There is an extensive article in the GWR journal No 89 Winter 2014 by Mike Christensen on GWR point rodding which includes some excellent close up photos and explanatory diagrams of cranks, compensators, rodding runs etc.... It may still be available from some sources. Graham

One further close up, about the best I can do!

Hi John, A few attempts at closeups. I used the Wills point rodding kits for 4mm to provide the cranks, compensators and mounted them on small blocks to raise them up, and to try and replicate concrete basis. I also used the forked arms to connect the cranks to the rodding. They may not be the best, just that I had quite a few left over from my 4mm layout! The stools are from Modelu and are the ones for GWR round rodding, again set on blocks. The rodding itself is just 0.7mm nickel silver wire from MSE, and the dummy signal wire pulleys outside the signal box were left overs from other MSE kits if I remember correctly. The hardest part was gluing the rodding to the ends of the Wills arms. Hope that helps? Graham

Thanks John. I am not sure the point rodding bears very close inspection, but I will see what I can do!