J Futts

Hi all, Not entirely happy but definitely an improvement on just plain wood background!

Bit more static grass down, it's gone on very thick, I think essentially I need quite a but more! Also got my backscene to fit as seen rolled up in the bg above, not totally sure how it's going to look but you have to speculate to accumulate. I also got round to ordering and installing the boiler kit for my katie, fast run on steam this week, really pleased with how close my valve timing is, a little more tinkering required!

Happy new year all! Dragged the car out the garage to make some more progress. Have focussed on getting the station platform in which I'm fairly pleased with. The whole layout is now in brown in preparation for some static grass! I have painted my grey wagons with lms lettering but not totally happy eith it, struggled to find transfers the right size so I've got a set of stickers on the way to try. I'm rectifying the school boy error of ballasting with non-waterproof pva when using live steam and have started applying the all weather stuff! I have also ordered a backscene which should come this week, I think it'll feel like it's starting to become a proper layout with that! Will update whenever I get time to make more progress. Cheers, Jack

Glad you're back on it! With regards a name, do you have a vague location its based in? North Wales etc?!

Hope you're all having a good Christmas break, I've just been doing a few different bits, still no layout update, but made it to East anglia group layout at Bressingham a week or so ago and had a great afternoon of running. Just one of the tram on their layout: I've finally started painting my 3 pack of North pilton works wagons, they're a little chunkier than I would have liked but enjoyed doing the kits! (Also put up a nice new display shelf!) And finally I've been busy finishing the katie chassis kit, will order the boiler kit in the new year! This also has a slomo fitted: Hopefully going to get the layout off the wall again soon! Cheers! Jack

Not much to update about the layout at the moment as it has been hung up on the wall while the car is in the garage! I have painted the base boards brown ready for scenics though! Had a good end of season steam up and a week or two ago, not many pictures, but got to show off my further modified running boards including lamp irons and led lamp! A new engine is in the frame erecting shop, when I started my Lady Anne it was a close call between it and the rh katie... now I'll have both, is this 'the bug'!? Meet Great Gable: Photo taken as a screenshot of a short video which I couldn't upload! That's all 8 have at the moment but will keep updating with progress as and when! Might drag the car out to make some layout progress soon. Cheers, Jack

Enjoying reading all this! I absolutely love my slomo, my next one should be In the last group of the year! Everyone in my local area group comments on how nice it is to run at scale speeds with ease.

Started to add a little topography: use foam board and cut to form and nice small hill with the effect of a shallow cutting for the railway: I spent yesterday evening getting covered in plaster to give the hill it's casing. And have ordered sculptamold to finish the shame off. I've also made a small amount of progress on the platform but will share once I've tidies it up a bit!

We have lighting! Managed to get some lighting mocked up last night, really pleased with it, just used aluminium angle and led strip light, definitely needs finessing, but baby steps! Now I have that I'm more confident with scenics as the lighting will be more consistent. I've spent a little more time on the tram and it now has black skirts. I've had to lower the buffer beam as it was 5mm higher than everything else!? I've drawn and 3d printed some now cowcatchers (pics to follow) You cN just about see in the pic about the start of the platform. I've used the ubiquitous 3mm ply to make the structure and bought resin stone for the sides. Need to decide how long I want it to be. I've also bought ply to make a backscene, happy with the size, just need to decide what to put on it... any help is appreciated! Cheers, Jack

Minor update from the mpd! I now have a working battery electric tram using the locoremote unit for control - so simple!! Still needs more work but it is running, even have a little play on the layout last night. I've now got the layout back I up in the garage and am putting the track through its paces before I start to do any more. Next thing is a few minor builds, platform, buffers and a retaining wall I think! Anyone able to offer advice on setting up the worm gear mesh, seems a bit noisy with a bit of lash but when I tighten it, it seems too tight? Cheers Jack

Morning all, Bit quiet for a few weeks, other commitments and all that! Did manage to get to a local area group steam up and debuted my latest build prior to painting! I bought a 3 pack of North pilton works open wagons, pleased with how they turned out but with hindsight should probably have got the 90mm wide ones rather than 110... I've now painted my garage floor so should start spending more time on the layout soon! Another project I've started is a ip engineering tram engine ( currently part built) just waiting for my locoremote kits so I can drive it from my phone! Pics of the steam up at the weekend:

I finally stopped just procrastinating on building my fiddle yard and got some materials. Version 1 is complete, I'm sure there'll be a revised version but you've got to start somewhere. Hopefully can have a steam up soon but need to make a little space in the garage! It's essentially a 1220x600 osb3 board, 9mm thick on drawer rollers, I've got a latch to help position it in its traverse and wil add stopped on the bottom to stop it come over too far. Pretty pleased with it all in all! Cheers, Jack

In other news I worked out my 3 compartment coach issue - I made the wheelbase the same as other wagons (not very satisfying visually) and still had issues, realised one set of wheels had been gauged very tight to the track width and was even causing some resistance on the straight. A small amount of encouragement with a hammer and a couple of sockets I was able to re-gauge the offending wheels using my roundhouse gauge tool - now its absolutely fine - nice to get a win! Also tried my hand a tape lining - not totally sure I like it, but will leave it and see if it grows on me - not the neatest job!

I finished the ballasting! All three boards are now ballasted: Great, however I decided to have a steam up and play which highlighted that I had made 2 of the curves a little too tight causing the engine to slow down somewhat! Nightmare, it was at this moment I was glad my PVA isn't waterproof (something I had been worrying about and will probably remedy at some point). I took the gamble of wetting the ballast in the areas that needed a p-way team amendment. I had 3d printed a 3ft radius curve guide which allowed me to see if I was making thing better. I was able to realign to much smoother curve: Before: After: I'm struggling to visualise how to construct my fiddle yard. I've bough some drawer runners but can't decide whether to effectively make the board the same but upside down and mount the runners etc on the top. In my head I'd rather just have a frame rather than a whole board on the bottom and top - more thought required - any advice is gratefully received! I've also started looking a small amount of elevation using a similar technique to a lot of 00 gauge layouts with plaster bandage. In my head I have a maximum height of fixed items - buildings like station shelter will be removable for ease of transport. probably anything higher than 10cm will not be perminant. I've purchased some 3mm plywood to start fabricating a platform. I bought a sheet of resin stone wall which I have started cutting as a platform front - more detail to follow. Cheers, Jack

Hi all, Thank you for your responses! My local area is Cambridge 060, I've also been following Dinmore manors thread with interest and envy!I've also enjoyed the information about your new project! I've managed to get the ballast down on the second board, just one more to go. I also need to build my fiddle yard board! In lieu of a proper layout update here's a short video of 'Scafell Pike' at my local area meet at the weekend. YouTube video First time videoing with a view to sharing properly so lots of lessons learnt there - number one: video landscape not portrait! I just got my 3 compartment carriage rolling and realised I've committed to schoolboy error of building something that won't go round my corner radius! Need to play with the wheelbase, failing that, I might put it on bogies. Hopefully will get board 3 ballasted in the next week. Jack

Managed to spend a bit more time on ballasting last night, the main running line on the first board is now stuck down, and I've started the next board which is trickier due to the points! Always a bit alarming seeing all the PVA! I was winging it with a 1:2 mix pva to water, think i might try 1:1 next time as a lot ran off the board. Now all set! Onto the next board! Should be attending a local area meet this weekend so shall add a picture of two form that - might not get a chance to do anything on the layout until the weekend. Cheers, Jack

Hi All! My name's Jack and I've been enjoying my kit built Roundhouse Lady Anne for a couple of years now and have decided to make a proper layout to run it. Layout obviously inspired by hambleden valley and another layout build on here. My plan is to have a small station with 2 siding and a runaround loop. Then a small 2 lane fiddle yard at the other end. My Lady Anne has a slomo fitted which will allow this confined running, I also intend building a battery loco and maybe building another roundhouse kit for it. Initial track plan photo: I think with the 3 2x4 boards this is about as interesting as I can get without it looking crowded. In my head it will be loosely themed on the lake district with a bit of inspiration from the now dismantled Boot station on the Ravenglass and Eskdale railway. Rails are fixed and the track has been 'sleeper grimed'. My first run of ballast gluing was done last night so hopefully i will be able to update later! I used 6mm > dust granite. Bit of trial and error I guess so we'll see! a little taster: Hopfully can keep this thread updated over the coming months! I also have an instagram page for the railway and my other railway bits - @railways_big_and_small Cheers! Jack