TEAMYAKIMA

Point taken ..... but it's still a work in progress! I'll se what I can do !!

Here is the latest interior ............. a local supermarket .......

Some of you may have noticed the 4 rail electrified track on our 7mm layout - Addison Road - as seen in the photo above..... So it has been pointed out that in a sense we already have a D&E layout .... albeit set in the 1920s!! Our 7mm layout is based on Addison Road (now known as Kensington Olympia) on the West London line. As there were no kits available for the LNWR Oerlikon stock we designed and made our own kits. Here is a built up one in LNWR livery..... And one in LMSlivery...

Thanks Kev .... a few years down the line I think!! Meanwhile ....the next interior is virtually finished ...the laundrette

Hello Mike, Thanks for your input. Let's face it we are probably thinking initially at 4mm. Traditionally our club, like most I suspect, had a generic OO/HO layout where anything could run. Back in the day it would not be unusual on a club night to see a Tri-ang Stephenson's Rocket running on one track and a HST running on the other ..... in other words the Club OO/HO layout was a glorified test track with non-specific scenery. But times change .......things move on and the hobby has become more sophisticated There is a demand now for era/period/region/country specific layouts... it seems to us that D&E modellers or other special interest groups (eg American HO) are no longer prepared to put up with 'one size fits all', they want something specific. So TDMRC has built a Multi-Gauge Running Track (MGRT) which has four circuits and by clever design it can accommodate 14 different gauges from 'Z' to 'G' ... this is for anyone to run everything. We are now building a 'common fiddle yard' in 16.5mm gauge with 14 tracks which will be able to accept multiple scenic fronts. The first scenic front is a Southern Region 3rd Rail electric suburban scene based on the real Twickenham station (pre-WW2) but now re-imagined into 1961, although the group is building up a fantastic collection of 1961 era 3rd rail stock, once built the layout will be available on club nights to run 'anything'. However,once the common fiddle yard is finished (later this year) the committee is keen for other scenic fronts to be built to diversify the club's appeal........ some of us would like that next scenic front to be D&E. BTW ..... we do sometimes have D&E running on our new 7mm layout (see below) and we plan a 'Diesel Running Night' on or 'O' gauge layout in September - all welcome!

Bringing the thread back on topic if I may, anyone who's interested in D&E, of any period, and who is planning to come along on July 25th should ask to speak to our Chairman, Steve Waterfield. Steve is leading the push to get TDMRC into the 21st century ......or at least the late 20th century!

I said I think the committee are prepared to be very flexible to facilitate getting a D&E layout ... not sure they're prepared to be that flexible!

Hello Scottish Modeller and everyone I have taken your advice and contacted DEMU to see how they might help us publicise that TDMRC is open to D&E ideas. Hopefully with their help we can get a group together to build a D&E layout. It appears to me that the committee are prepared to be very flexible to help achieve that aim.

I've spent the day doing odd random things on the buildings...... One of the last interiors will be a laundrette .... partly to use up all these washing day figures I've acquired along with the washing lines. Here are a couple of women who will be working in the laundrette...... They are Preiser and originally very tall 1950s style typical Germans with typical 1950s style dress. They have been shortened and their clothes have been carved into more a modern style.

It's about time I put out a request for help with this huge project! This is a personal project in the sense that I make all the decisions and I pay all the bills but in concept, size and complexity it needs to be a group project if it is to be completed and exhibited in my lifetime. I'm getting a lot of help from Al and some help with the DCC design from fellow members of Twickenham MRC ( yes, I know I live in Watford!) but this is a HUGE project and ,although I have even cut my hours at work in order to spend more time on it, progress is still SLOW. I have now been invited to my first exhibition - St Albans Jan 2017 - time to think about putting together an operating team ...... anyone interested in getting involved? BTW - I will be demonstrating at the CMRA modellers day on July 18th if anyone wants to discuss getting involved on a 'face-to-face' basis.

Today I have been working on figures. I don't want any two figures the same on the layout and I am trying to avoid the popular ones you see on every layout. Because I have bought so many sets of washing/laundry from Preiser/Faller I have ended up with loads of women hanging washing ...... here is one converted from a 1950s German woman hanging up a sheet on the line into a 2005 Chinese woman getting down a bottle from the chilled cabinet in the shop.

Last Friday (June 19th) saw some first draft mock-ups of the Russell Road houses which will form the backdrop to the layout. These are being reduced in size to 66% to help give perspective. First is a real mock-up using the architectural plans as a basis - just glued to some old foam board. Now here's the clever bit....... Having photographed the real Russell Road houses and by using photoshop, Grant has re-created the houses as photo-realistic giant 'Superquick' style kits. Here is the first pre-production one..... there was some discussions as to at what angle to pitch the roof, hence the two options put to the group. The shallower (incorrect) pitch actually looked better than the more accurate acute version. Note that the bay windows are not flat but 3d as are the steps. Each house will have different curtains and/or blinds.

TDMRC has a new mobile friendly website .... take a look at www.tdmrc.org.uk

The club in general and the Addison Road in particular are working away to prepare for TDMRC's Open Day on July 25th.... are YOU coming to see us? Here's the latest on the footbridge - nice columns! And some new posters around the gas station .... The station building continues to progress .... And finally how about a close up of the track .....

Just an overall view of the old tenements - nearly finished with these .... maybe another month just adding lighting and finishing off .... then maybe later one more if I go with an idea I have to extend the scenery beyond its present constraints. BTW these will not be configured like this on the layout - they will be in a straight line making the backscene.

OK ..... moving on to the next interior..........still plenty to do on this one but progress made ......... A café with many workers having breakfast and an American tourist (wife of a railfan ) who has just asked if they do 'eggs over easy' and she's telling her husband who is outside photographing trains that they don't!

OK!! I really must move on to the next interior now! Have added various boxes of 'bits' and there are now two VCR recorders for sale on the top of the shelf unit ....... I must remind myself that this will be a minimum of 4ft away from the viewer!! Is it worth all the effort? YES!!

Latest TDMRC news ................... 1. There will be a sales stand at our Open Day on July 25th 2. Club trip this year is a 'behind the scenes trip to the Great Cockrow Railway in Chertsey inc a private train trip - double headed! - and a workshop/shed visit.

And here is the inspiration ......

It turns out that the large one belongs to the local TV repair man .... And here he is ................

Have been working away ... these interiors take ridiculous amounts of time! I have making these industrial racking ..... cut down from an OO scale laser cut kit What shall we put on them?

Hello Phil Thanks for your comment Most of our members consider a 9f 2-10-0 as modern era so I think we can assume that we have no DEMU members in our mist at the moment ( I was a member for a year some time ago) I think some of us realise that in order to move forward and grow as a club we need to broaden our appeal. The club leadership is open to ALL ideas to make a D&E layout a reality. Basically it's a chicken and egg situation ... we go around in a circle............... 1. The club doesn't have a D&E layout because we have no-one interested in D&E 2. No-one interested in D&E joins our club because we don't have a D&E layout There is a move by some to break this circle ............ hopefully some will join us!

Right we're back ... see previous posting! The footbridge has been test fitted - just look at that detail! Not to mention a new signal .... so close to the baseboard edge that the arm overhangs the board! Last but by no means least .... work has started on the Russell Road petrol station

OK .... the modelling pace is quickening! Our official 'launch' at our Open Day (July 25th) is fast approaching! Work has concentrated on the main station building area .. fitting the new gas lamps that hang under the canopies.. More photos and news to be added later today ... come back later!

Hello Twickenham & District MRC wants to build a D&E OO gauge layout! Come down to discuss how YOU could help make that dream a reality. FYI ... here's our website www.tdmrc.org.uk