Ighten

Hi @SteveyDee68 I think some some small progress has been made but the months between March and July have been busy (ahem) with holidays and trips abroad. The layout has now just been moved into a more suitable room as it was getting just a little too warm in the top floor room as it's under the eaves and the backscene as you can see has suffered a little.. This does give me a little more space so the first job is to extend the cassette system and sliding yard so it accommodate longer trains. I see what you mean regarding the photos and I'm not sure I kept my own copies.. Anyway here are some from today..

Lovely work - For the money and as 45568 points out they cry out for just a little titivation that quickly transforms them..

The 0-6-0 potters around the yard this morning before heading down the branch to collect todays work . The keen eyed may spot the fencing has been extended and more brambles seem to be taking over the buffer stops.. Later a Lima Warship arrives unsure if its being sent for permanent storage or a trip to ebay - Shes in fine working order but the code 80 track does not suit her pizza cutter wheels so she can be heard approaching from many miles away. (ps doesnt matter what I do I cant delete the last photo?)

I simply modified the Peco ones on Tunstead Sidings.. May be a little hard to see here but I cut the rear supports away so the bufferstop (far right of pic) is now at the track and instead of a few cms down the line - space I couldnt afford to loose. Rule 1 Later I then added overgrowth and static grass clumping around - you can disguise it quite well (though I cant find a pic showing that)

Ah -- now it all makes sense

Im a bit confused with the threeway - there doesnt seem to be any way of using it to reverse past the actual siding. (EDIT or is it suppose to connect to the green yard stick)

Hornby OO Gauge Class O1 2-8-0 £79 (2 liveries available over 10 in stock) Hornby OO Gauge Class 87 £79 (2 liveries available over 10 in stock) Hornby OO Gauge Mk2D Coaches bleu and Grey (FO and BSO available) £23 each Hornby OO Gauge Mk2E Coaches Intercity (FO and BSO) £23 each all HAttons -- easiest way is to go through the home page scroll down to product news - these appeared as yesterdays date

Little bit of work on the tower and hiding the backscene cuts.... Still more to do.. Every time I photo I see another bit of backscene that needs attention (and dont get me started on the bubbles).. The tower needs a final wash before switching to oils to put rust streaks on it.. Then its a case of deciding if it goes or stays.

Between shifts.... (Damn you can see the splashers )

So if you remember (before I had yet another hiatus - sailing again) I was really wanting to fill that hole left of center with a little height and structure.. I grabbed a few things from the scrap box the first being an old wills signal box which seemed a good idea as the planking matched the goods shed and kept things together theme and colour wise but it was just tooo solid. It blocked the view and became dominate. I was quite taken with a layout (whose name I forget) I had seen which had a beautiful (dart casting I think) brass etched wind pump - but I think it may be beyond my soldering skills so I decided in the mean time to throw together the old Dapol water tank. I have built this kit before for a previous layout but I dont remember it being so deformed before - I seemed to spend half the time straightening practically every moulding. Anyway I like the impression of something you can look through but I still think this is too big and imposing (it also seems a little overkill for a bunch of sidings this size - but artistic liberty comes first). I took it away and repainted it from the weathered cream and green I have chosen to model it as a out of use and rusting away. Its only had the initial coat at this point - I still think it looks a little like a tripod from war of the worlds though and may be too big :). I'll see how it looks when the ground around it is completed and I I weather it and add some etched ladders and details. Other wise I'll see if any one wants it at the local shop. Another job I must get around too is extending and bushing out the hawthorn trees at the back so they hide where I had to cut around for the backscene (if you remember for some reason - possibly involving shiraz I attached that piece of scenery to the backscene board before I had put the backscene in place...

Which was not at the layout -- A slight niggle as there was a cpl of things to enjoy but I wish clubs would actually update the website/facebook it only takes seconds..

Some great ideas. Never thought about my water needing a source and I do have a stream. Will give it some thought. Realised after reading the Grywllhst thread I need other detailing bits so point levers are on order and thank you for the inspiration. That also goes to all on this site. We now have a full rewire tidy up and an accessory loop so lighting is being added. These are from Express models. A yard light I also on its way. As for now I'm heading to the first show for years at Colne to get some more inspiration from a layout thats very local to me

Just wondering if Bucks lane will be making it to Colne this weekend?

Not sure if any of this is new material or not TBH

So it's been another long break away from home and the model for a while. Main change you may have noticed in the video is I settled on a simple cloudy sky from ID backscenes which I luckily managed to pick up for a bargain price as part of a sheet was missing. Slight issue with the lefthand side of my landscape being glued to the backscene (not sure how that happened oops) so some surgery was required. Anyway thought I would post a more overview image of the layout. And talk about what's to be done next. Obviously there an area left center that I just can't decide what to do with. It was originally going to be a shed for the engine for service and overnight but it seemed to prominant and in your face when I put a mock up in position so any ideas are welcome. Stream bed needs it's dark wash before resin goes in. All the track bed needs a wash with tamiya earth to blend it in with the ballast better and detailing in the form of spare sleepers general trackside stuff needs adding. A signal needs fitting before the bridge to indicate that this yard is just down from the Station off scene. More fencing to enclose the area once I decide on the missing section. And more painting and airbrushing. The winter nights will just fly by.

Some moving action for a change

Pretty in green

As usual more time seems to be spent photographing and shunting than doing any modelling. It does help reveal areas that need attention though. There is a section still waiting ballast and grass and I need to think what this bridge is actually covering. I have some photos of a similar real life setup where the bridge is only straddling a rocky outcrop from which water a stream flows.Its just I have never tackled water before though the reeds are in what will be the stream bed waiting. As the gorse is in summer bloom perhaps I will say the streams dried up.

Took a little time today to start painting other areas. Such as the lamp shed, water tower and bridge. I use a method that starts with a dirty base to build on with acrylics and powders. Washing back if needed. So everything is now grime coloured.

Superb work.

Busy morning in store at Tunstead Sidings.