Miserable

Re the 37. In the late 70s/early 80s a 37 on this train would only be due to engine shortages/a failure, it was very much a 31 turn, replaced in part by 'Hampshire' units for a while, then by a mixture of 33 +5 and 2x3 car units that split at Westbury, first half to Portsmouth, second half to Weymouth. This was my links only passenger turn - we never had ticket training, so freebies all round (the public worked it out). As an aside, 37s were standard on the Eastleigh and Northam yards to Severn Tunnel Junction, East Usk, Carlisle and a couple of others I can't remember just now.

Much as I like white semaphore signal posts, I don't remember many, if any, BR(WR) that were white by 1980(ish). I seem to recall they were a grey/silver colour, like a zinc-rich primer. Does anyone make a correct colour paint (I tried mixing Foster Yeoman silver with a suitable grey and created a monster!)? Cheers

The signal had a coat of white, where appropriate. Not overly exciting. The power supply I was using to test LEDs caused a ripple - the signal suddenly stopped working not long after glueing the lamp on... Supply the died. Replacement on the way. Ah for the days of popping down to the local electronics junk shop to rummage around for a replacement. Maybe not. A coupe of signal wires are now in place. The castings of the pullies have gaps-ish above that, if drilled out, would allow the wires to actually sit on the pullies 'properly' but broken 0.5 and 0.6mm drills kicked that idea into touch. The fall-back is to just the superglue the wires to the posts/pullies so they look nice. This is incredibly slow since the wires kind of want to do their own thing so each has to be held where it's wanted with bits of card with a clothes peg to provide tension. This is insanity, but should look cool when done. Hopefully. The planks are on the crossing now the signal wire is done. I tried laying them one at a time but they seem to have a separate existence which involves refusing to stay put. So out with the Evostick to make up panels on the bench to just drop in place. Painting tomorrow when the glue has definitely gone off.

On the signal theme, the LEDs arrived from Layouts4u and much to my relief the wires are long enough to reach right down inside the pole. Another happy accident! These are supplied with the resistor at the other end from the LED which is great for signals, buffer stops and the like where hiding a resistor would be tricky. So, chopping the resistor off temporarily, the wires were twisted together (makes them more rigid, but still flexible) and poked down the hole where the lamp fits - and out from the base they popped. Solder the resistor back on and nicely done. The LED was glued in the lamp as per the dummies earlier. Wiring it up confirmed form and function. On the lighting front, I came across those two little beauties on the Layouts4u site. The lamp at the bottom of the signal box stairs is coming out and one of these going in over the door, as per my box. And while the glue dries on the signal progress can be finally made on the crossing. It might not be all that prototypical (a footpath over a headshunt? Nah.) but I like the scene so there we are. I almost accidentley found that buying 200 6mm stirrers is a lot cheaper than driving to my previous supplier and buying a coffee. I've put the frames in place, and, when the planks are on top, it will all be titivated with some bits and bobs to make it look like it's there for some long forgotten reason (that's the cover story). That's a bit less re-ballasting too :-) I even remembered to leave a gap for the signal wire to the repeater. This will get put in before the planks go on to allow shaping the 'sides' to go over it. More waiting for glue to dry...

Settling down to a nice session to finish the Stop signal. First off a hole was drilled in the lamp post bracket and the post to take the (still not arrived) LED wires, easily done with the pin vice. The wires will (hopefully) go down inside the post to keep things nice and tidy. Next the lenses got put in the spectacle plate, which had been attached to the arm. The kit came with some not over substantial sticky back plastic for this, but I chose to use some 'lens' material I'd got from MSE. Basically I drew round the hole for the lens with a round needle file point and they cut away with cutters to slightly over-size and job done. As with the dummies, the lenses were stuck in with a smear of Evostick. They are a bit on the Probably Should Do That Again side, but no one without a mirror is ever going to see the front! The balance weight arm ... ah. I spent ages cleaning it up and drilling the holes for the rods/wires when it slipped out of my fingers and headed for the floor. No worries, I watched where it went. Despite a hands a knees finger tip search it has vanished. Time hole or quantum singularity? Who knows. I had to use the similar one from the bracket signal kit, which meat chopping a bit off. That kit is probably defunct now, which is a shame. Using super glue very carefully the balance arm and crank were fitted. I kept moving both on their pivots for a while in case the glue went walkabout. Now it's just waiting for the LEDs.

Cheers :-)

Originally I'd decided that just having the signal wire posts and pulleys would be sufficient, but having done most of the point rodding I thought I'd just try a guitar string since I'd mentioned that might work and thought it would be fun. So I did, and entered a whole new world of "this is actually probably insane". The No. 1 problem is actually being able to see the dammed things... Still, the experimental one went ok, putting a nice bend in it round the pulley at the box (my needle file is the right diameter) and going along fixing it to the posts. That is after I'd realised that the posts were going to have to move nearer the track so the traditional 'planks' (walkway) will fit in front of the box. I also realised that planning this really should have been done at the track laying stage, along with the point rods. Luckily (thank [Insert deity of choice]) the posts are mounted in holes with a little Evostick to secure them, so a gentle tug (they are brass castings from Wizard Models) and out they came, or a least the ones i wanted to move. I also had to drop all of them down to near ground level so the pullies would be at the right height to connect with signals. For the ones that weren't moving a tap with a bit of wood did the job. Googling found plenty of prototype examples so all's good, but I couldn't find out how higher wires get down to track level in the real world if I wanted to do that. This means the walkway to the crossing is not (that!) obstructed. Next came a lot of pulley making and then seeing how they would be positioned so the wires turned angles (and heights) at the right places to line up with their targets. I'll bend guitar strings into shape before fixing, much like doing very small plumbing (down pipes and gutters for the signal box, add to list!). The pulley 'stacks' (MSE etches) are incredibly fidlly to make. I kind of position everything having tinned the required bits, dumped a pile of flux on and the heated it all up with the iron. Using tools to hold the loop over the top proved a little erratic, so in the end I used my guitarists finger ends. It still burns, but you get about 20 seconds pain-free before it kicks in. Each one took about 20 mins of stack, solder, swear, de-solder, start over before getting it right. Good job I've not got a lot of signals.... oh, wait! Signals... Having got to the point of just about getting ready to lay the pullies and wire I remembered the signal that also has to go here. I had a chunter about this the other day. So fetching it from the workbench (aka tip in the corner of the studio) where it was resting while I awaited some more LEDs I was amazed to discover the base fitted where it needed to be and allowed the pullies and wires to fit without obstruction, and also not obstruct the wire that carries on to the repeater. That was lucky. This drove me back to google to see if I could yet find a suitable kit. It seems I can get one, but I am now utterly confused about whats what with Wizard, MSE and SSS! While doing this I got to thinking again about having a 'junction' bracket. I have a bit of a thing about them, something about the geometry I guess... but it's really OTT for the application. A root around in the magic box produced the near finished standard GWR/BR (WR) 'stop' signal. After looking at the two in place I've kind of reluctantly concluded a single signal 'works' better, especially with having the double dummy there. So now the single signal awaits an LED, and I'll be ordering another single signal for the platform road. The bracket signal I guess I'll finish... one day. And sell. I'd forgotten that kit cost £42.50! All in all, progress and learning. But all to see for it really.

Hi, I'm plodding along with my layout and doing some signals. I have a (nearly complete) Scale Signal Supply kit 'GWR/BRWR 3' (photo) which is the wrong 'hand' so to speak- the junction bracket is on the right. I've looked at taking it to bits and re-building it (and adding lights) but that's not really practical. No worries thinks I, I'll finish it and sell it, then get an appropriate MSE kit. Only MSE/Wizard seem to have had a major cull on the kit front. So the question is - does anyone make a BR WR (left-hand) junction bracket kit that can be made to work? Google isn't helping a lot here and the weathers rubbish :-(

Finally, "all", there's still a run the run-round points when I've decided what's going where, the point rodding is in place. I have to say the results make the effort worth while, but it's not exactly over-exciting doing it - and it holds up so many more fun things (like ballasting!). The rods at the south end have had the attentions of the P&D dept. For this I went with Halfords grey primer sprayed into a can lid and then applied by brush. This is a reasonably match for new but dulled galvanized steel, so the inevitable chalks came out and brown drawn on erratically to the rods. This was then rubbed with a finger a bit and comes out quite nicely. Some very dilute black poster paint was then applied to the stools to get a slightly oily look - these aren't oiled in real life, but the black looks right which is the name of the game? With the poor lighting I have some bits missed and will be touched up when the rest gets painted - along with the cranks etc. Next.... signal wires... should be fun. 0.009" guitar top E strings for these, and the telegraph wires. Oh, and the reception road trap point - completely forgot about that. As this has to be on a curve I'm going to make a simple single blade version. - rodding... Perhaps some skullduggery here I think. Still, I can get with ballasting/claying now.

It seems like every time I look there's another bit I've overlooked! Hopefully though, the south end up to the signal box is now down. Good old geometry stuck it's oar in now and again, yet while not claiming perfection I'm happy with the results - a bit of paint will hide the anomalies. He said. In a hopeful sort of way. Oh, signal wires - that's going to be fun. Also, the banner repeater now has the correct black handrails. And the Bobby's Defender has arrived (from under the scarily high stack of invoices) :-) And the signal box steps got weathered, as did the non-brick bits of the box. Forgot to weather the woodwork on the repeater though.... sigh.

So it seems having cork under the track causes problems with my 'mix wall paper paste with the ballast' approach. Basically the paste flakes won't stick to the cork, and rather than soaking into the baseboard (always chipboard back in the day) it just sits there and expands if the ballast is re-wetted, say for tinting with a wash. . So for everything else (so far, anyway) I've reverted to placing the ballast dry and then misting on a 20% PVA solution with a sprayer - from a safe distance so the ballast doesn't get moved around. When it's damp a bit more aggressive spaying makes sure it get nice and soggy. Initially I topped it up with dilute PVA from a dropper, but that turns out to be over kill. Having done some replacement of the original for a test piece the difference is all too obvious . I've also manged to omit the FPL rod on the double slip. Out with the chisel.... Some testing shows that the paste problem might be the ballast itself. I'm using Woodland Scenics which it appears is made from shells, but with some old real stone ballast the method works ok.

About 6 or seven years ago work on the Warship came to a halt along with everything else as the music kicked in. On resurrecting Soddingham, or more accurately actually starting it, I pondered about what to do with it. The bit that was blocking progress at the time was glazing. I'd spent hours cutting out 'glass', with many failures - and then promptly lost them. This was, shall we say, disheartening. With the reprise of Soddignham I've been pondering whether to gather all the bits up and sell it for what I can get on eBay, since a mainline engine seems a bit over the top. Then... Heljan do replacement gazing for their Warship. Well, they should be pretty much the same size, no? Risking a few quid seemed like a worthwhile punt, so I ordered a full set. I've not actually put any in the holes yet (because if I take them of the sprue I just know they'll be offski at a rate of knots) but yes, there are indeed almost exactly the same, a bit of filing here and there may be needed but that's nothing to cutting out new ones. (Probable) result! When I get round to it....

I finally knuckled down to doing the point rodding. Somewhat to my surprise it's all gone well, if a little slow. Under the branch track the crank for the facing point lock went it and using Plastruct square the rod the headshunt point rod placed. The the FPL and branch points were connected to the run back to the signal box. These are 's's of round 0.7mm round brass kinked to drop the height from the rod in the chair to the crank and soldered to 0.7mm square rod . They are perhaps a little exaggerated over the prototype but I'm happy with result - they look the part. Some of the crank positions had got a bit lost, but skullduggery means you'd have to be Mr. Picky to really notice them. For the rest of the layout, where not already placed, I will place the cranks at the same time as the rodding so they do properly 'work'. I installed the rodding by starting at a crank and superglueing the rod to the crank, using bits and bobs to hold the rod in the first two or three stools. This was to get the angles right so to speak, and ensure the rod was sitting square in the stools. When this had gone off the rod was fully placed in it's remaining stools, a small blob of runny superglue to fix at each stool. Where there is a join, the rod is cut so it sits half on the stool, the next section can then be joined and glued. The join is all but invisible and there's no kink (measuring the stools position carefully from the nearside rail paid off handsomely here). Then just work along. I'll be stopping just past the signal box for now, the south end hasn't really happened yet! It would be possible to make fishplates out of thin brass for the rodding joints as per prototype but that's a step too far form me. The effect is well worth the effort I think, I almost decided against point rodding due to (suprising!) cost and fiddliness. So glad I didn't. Next : sort the ballast out and go to McDonalds to get some planks coffee. After sorting the Bobby's lamp for the stairs - how could I forget...

With the end in sight, though still quite a distance off, thoughts are turning to the other end of the layout and what to put where and why. I have a plan, but I suspect it will evolve somewhat as things roll south just like the north did (i.e nothing like the plan at all). For now it's a bit of a stuff park.

I've also dug out the mostly built bracket signal. Plan A (yet another one) was to disassemble the signal and re-make it with the bracket on the left, but to be honest I really don't think that would go well, so much has to be re-done. A new kit is too much dosh to justify. So, it's going to be wrong, but I'm blaming a re-signalling at some point in the early 60s where it was decreed stuff should be reused if at all possible, so the signal is 'wrong' because signals.

I've put it off as long as possible... it's a bit fiddly, but so far so good. The bent rod connecting the square runs to the cranks idea has proved rather more durable than I thought for just a plain soldered joint - that bit's been putting me off, I admit it! So, some Plastruct square rod has gone under the rails (to ensure no short circuits) and the rest dropped into it's respective stools. I still managed to miss one out... Basically I super-glued the end to the crank, let it go off and then put the rod in the rest of it's stools, a blob of super-glue on each stool to make sure things stay where they are intended. Team P&D (panting and decorating) will be along when all is done.

As ever, having made the telegraph poles it was time to position them. First step - how far apart should they be? Well, to be scale, it would appear that 1.1m or so would be right, but mocking it up they just looked like they'd been planted randomly. Clearly telegraph poles, or at least the distance between them, don't scale at all well. So I just went full aesthetic mode with them. I'm happy, so all is good.

Whilst it's not been over busy due to musicy stuff, I've attended to loads of small bits and bobs - as well having a nice game of telegraph poles. The small stuff has been putting in the remaining cranks for the point rodding, filing in ballast around the point tie tie bars and some general adding of splashes (?) of grass here and there. The dummies have been weathered and their counter-weights painted black (no idea why I painted them white in the first place!), just need to add the 'lenses' to the double one before it goes in the station throat. The junction bracket has arrived on the workbench for conversion to 'left-hand'. On the layout I think all the basic work is done, bar fencing which will go in last (in case anything gets in the way!) and on crank I keep forgetting, on the north section. The plan is start from the tunnel mouth and work south doing everything, signal wires, telegraph wires etc as I progress along to the signal box. A trip to McDonalds is needed to get some planks to finish the crossing ;-) And a couple of 'trespass' signs. Oh, and the speed signs... It's amazing how much junk goes alongside a railway line. So, to telegraph poles. I spotted these Peco ones whilst having a browse. From not registerting to 'must have' instantly - how could I have forgotten them? Easily, apparently. It seemed a bit odd that they come as a kit, but then there are options - different length arms supplied, you don't have to use all the arms/insulators etc. I opted to use all three arms (long variety) and a few insulators, initially because I've then got to fit less wires but subsequently because cleaning up and drilling a 0.5mm hole in the bottom of each insulator is a tad tedious. All went well, and the posts painted Dark Earth on the wood, and Dark Earth/Dark Rust on the steps and empty insulator spikes, with white and black chalk to weather then to 'been there a few years, but not that long' look. Guff that got on the insulators while doing this took care of their finish too. More follows...

I'm a bit of a tightwad when I can be, I like to try and have a go with what I have to hand. Apart from the RBO I've done them all now. Unless...

Cheers for that, it would been a lot easier! Should I have make more I'll give it a go.

I stumbled across the Peco P-Way gang tools kit. Just too cute. I am weak. I bought.

So that's everything moved across. Just need to figure out how to get pics into the blog post listing rather than the default snazzy designs. Back on the layout, more ballasting has been done, all but the RBO trees are made and placed, though not fixed yet. The signal wire posts are fitted and the point rodding chairs painted, the remaining cranks fitted. Ballast has been quarried for the point rodding to pass under the rails. Quite a lot of fencing to do, but that'll have to be work-in-progress over time - the Slaters fencing is great, but you only get one pair of ends per pack and it's quite pricey - I already have a mountain of unused plain fence posts. Would be nice if they did the 'ends' separately.

It doesn't seem I can just transfer my blog across from it's old home, so... rewind to the start of the great lock-down and hopefully things should catch up quite quickly.

With the banner repeater done and installed (painted the hand-rails white for some reason, will have to change that), the far corner tree placed (but not fixed yet) and the footpath lamps in place all that needs to be done is: Fix bushes etc to hide the gaps; Put the foliage on the RBO (Ridiculously Big Oak) and plant it to the left of the tracks; Plant the other NSRBT (Not So Ridiculously Big Tree) on the right together with the tiny trees; Add some 'dry grass' and some darker 12mm grass here and there; Make the throat bracket signal (and make it work); Place the throat double dummy; Do the point rodding; Ballast; Finish the crossing (need to visit a McDonalds there); Point heater bottles and cage; Lampmans' hut; P-Way hut; Place signal box; Finish fencing; Telegraph poles! Now I've had the idea I'm not letting go! That's an alarmingly long list.... ah well, here's some pics of things today. View the full article

Whilst painting the inside of the tunnel I got to wondering about Starter signals. Plan A, not that one, the other one, was to put a Section signal at the tunnel entrance but even by model railway standards the Station Limits would be ridiculously short, especially when there's quite a lot of shunting moves that would require blocking back inside the home signal all the time (an even bigger pain in the bum on a single line with tokens going in and out all day). While perusing the Wizard/MSE site I spotted a GWR banner repeater kit. What fun! So, as ever there was no picture, I ordered one. It will look cool and make things a bit more probable. The kit requires a post, so I ordered a round signal post kit as well. This is banner repeater kit after removng the required parts from the etch. The 'bracket' bit has been folded. You actually get two in the pack. The post kit is essentially a bunch of appropriately size tubes. The instructions are the usual MSE sketch type of thing, great if you have a reasonable skill set but not perhaps for a starter kit. The top right circle (the front of the signal) has to have a strip of brass soldered to it to get the 'depth' of the thing. I used a centre from a till roll (the black thing) to form it, and the soldered in in stages while holding it with the needle file. It worked better than I expected! If, for some reason, I make the other kit I would use a wider strip of brass for this, the one in the kit is a tad narrow when folding up the signal head, requiring some Araldite for a filler. The kit can make a distant or stop repeater, hence the distant arm shown. Try as I might, I couldn't find a picture of one of these signals - there's a few of later ones but I wanted (bloody mindedness) to make the GWR one. I made the lamp work with a sub mm LED, using a slightly oversize bit of tube from the post kit to take the wires. The rear piece of 'glass' has been given a coat of slightly diluted white before assembly to get the background effect. The instructions say there should be planks to form a platform for the lampman to do his stuff, but there's no dimensions so I basically measured the size of the platform and the handrails from the sketch provided. The handrails are at the bottom of the picture, the tape holds it all while soldering. And here it is primed. View the full article