Leon

Hi Scott, In that case the steelworks could be based on a site within Newport Dock or on the Uskmouth branch I believe there is a steel facility. They used to use a brake van when propelling a train down the branch with would be a useful job for your brake van.

Mid week update. Some formers added to the road embankment behind the coal site and layout exit to the fiddle yard, also some line side fencing erected to keep those wandering sheep off the lines...

Attempted to form a Class 37 consist, One loco is sound fitted so they are not working in tandem at the moment. Located the ground signal for the exit from the service depot.

Another rough one sorry, this time 56040 Oystermouth passes the service depot heading "up the Valley" with a loaded train of household coal for the washery. Waits for the route indicator to set then heads into the siding for unloading. I will dig out a tripod, hard to get a nice smooth run whilst holding the phone.

Bit of a rough video from last night, nothing fantastic but I hope it gives a better idea of the layout than can sometimes be seen in the photos, 47612 is seen entering from the 2nd fiddle yard passing the coal blending/washery.

Hi all, Done some more work on the scenery yesterday and placed the signals in place, not great photos sorry as just rushed with the iphone but will hopefully show the progress. Some of the points are playing up so I am glad to leave the trackwork ballasting to last this time around. Class 37/8 waiting in the reception siding for an InterCity Cross Country service to pass. Although its based on a Coal loading site I have always like the class 47 loco hauled trains so needed to keep this if possible, hence having the line used as a diversion on occasion. InterCity 47612 on loan from the parcel sector passing on a diversion Swansea to York service. You can just make out the two signals in place, one to stop any trains coming down the valley to allow anything to enter/leave the coal site. The other signal is to exit the coal site onto the branch. 47612 powers past the coal blending site whilst a Trainload Coal 37/8 waits to be loaded. The 37/8 has a full rake of HAA MGR wagons for loading for a local power station. Canton 56040 arrives at the blending site with a mixed train of Railfreight HEA's and new into service MEA's There is no run round facility at the site so the locomotive will either need to be released by the onsite 08 or once loaded/unloaded propel its train back out onto the branch. If the train arrives from up the valley then it will propel its train back into the site for loading/unloading then simply leave without any run round needed. The work in the background is a bridge to hide the exit into the fiddle yard and also a rouad under adjacent to the line that is access to the coal site, looking forward to working on this area of the layout. 37/8 "Cwmbargoed DP" still waits as 56040 "Oystermouth" arrives with a loaded household coal train for washing/blending. I was just toying with the idea of making the siding with the 37/8 on a run round loop but im reluctant to keep adding more track taking up the scenic areas. The operation will work without a run round loop, will just require a little shunting or propelling of the train, the site will have an allocated 08/09 shunter to assist. Bit annoyed, just noticed in the last picture the hill does not blend into the backscene too well .

Scott, Looking amazing mate, Hopefully we can both reach "the finish line" with our layouts this time, I have set a deadline for Christmas for mine which is achievable. all the best mate.

Hi all, little update from the last two days, the PVA on the hills have dried, I have noticed the static grass I used seems shiny, I must have run out of the grass I used on South Wales Freight, it was much better, I may need to tone it down with the airbrush. Some nice new arrivals over the last few days, resin dry stone wall. Not sure where it will go but i liked it. InterCity Brake, completes my Swansea to York set. Just need the 47/8. £17 from Hattons, Brake to complete my York to Swansea Cross Country Service, Took a while for the prices to come down but worth the wait for the saving. Gone down to £14 now. Although the line is mainly freight only to the Coal plant on occasion it will be used as a diversion as I have a fiddle yard at both ends, this will allow me to run other trains I have such as the Swansea to York, DMU's Steel trains, MOD traffic & Speedlink etc. Some coal loads added to the MEA's to attach to the Railfright HEA's until I get a full rake of each. I think the coal site will be a washery or blending plant so I can have a mixture of HAA, MEA & HEA's

Good plan, I just picked up a coach for £17, then reduced to £14 the next day off hattons, previously the was £30+ That now completes my InterCity cross country set. I still need more HEA & MEA's but waiting until the price is right.... Three packs of sheep on order on your recommendation.

Looking good, I like it.

Thanks for the encouragement guys, thanks Johnster, I will have a closer look, Does Cwmdimbath feature on this site ? As for a bridge, I just liked the idea of one as I have seen some nice examples in Wales but I didn't really need one as such for any road access, I may be able to use them elsewhere, I am going to use one to cover the exit near the coal loading site as I don't want another hill/tunnel here to exit the layout into the fiddle yard. Hopefully once I happy the hills don't need anymore spray paint I can fix them in position and start to cover the gaps and blend them in with everything else. Its not easy working on used boards, was so much easier the first time when the boards was clear of any ballast/glue.

I have decided against a road bridge at this spot now, I think I prefer the open view, the PVA is still wet hence the hills still looking white. Im sure I will need to do some touching up once dry.

An hours work in the attic, should have been longer but opened a Bulmers and that was the end of the modelling. Got on with the hill and mountains in the corners, my plan is to do around the edges 1st then ballast the track last when i am 100% happy all is running well. I think the hills blend in pretty well with the back scene, most important part is to try and make it feel Welsh, so I am ordering some sheep. Forgot to mention I used my trusted expensive static grass tool, a balloon (red one) rubbed against my jumper.....!

Change of plan, I never liked the idea of a bridge going over the coal siding, something didn't sit right so I have moved the bridge to the other corner, this now allows the road to go somewhere, it now slopes down to the coal sidings so on occasions it can be used to unload MOD vehicles for exercises such as done at Cwmbargoed, the road over the bridge heads off into the hills. This now free's up a bridge to be used to disguise the exit into the fiddle yard. The 3rd picture shows the bridge crossing the line and also the siding, something I didn't like, seems a big effort bridging a siding.

Pushing on, still on track to complete by Christmas i` think. Second lot of Modroc arrived on the weekend, I love this stuff, so easy to use and can cover large area's of the layout cheaply and easily. Completed the hills in each corner and in between, Primed tonight and then sprayed a base coat of Green ready for the static grass. Also primed the two girder bridges, the bridge will cross the line and also part of the coal headhunt, Road not needed, just breaks up the landscape a bit I think. Hoping to get the hills fixed in place this week, I want to build as much away from the layout as I can so as not to get paint on the back scene.

Thanks David, Yes its taken way too long to be able to run trains due to costs and time restraints. It can be an expensive hobby nowadays. Got more Modroc on order so should be able to push forward with the scenery again soon, making sure I build all the scenery at the back of the layout first, this time round. Then once happy i can ballast the track and wire up the signals.

Bit of a sketchie video sorry, controler in one hand mobile in the other. Just gives the idea of the layout. The train can be seen entering the layout from the fiddle yard passing the only surviving part of South Wales Freight, the service depot. The train then passes under the motorway and into the valley setting and around passing what will be the coal loading site (currently a pan and brush) before exiting the layout and into the other fiddle yard. The buffers at the start in front of the hill is the headshunt for the service depot.

Started the Modroc on the hills this evening, then ran out. Misjudged the amount. More now on order. Not a great deal to show at the moment sorry other than the nearly complete depot area with lights now working.

Hi all, Not much visible progress this evening, the layout and atic needed a good tidy up. Ready to move forward this week with the hills, modroc on the way from eBay. A pair of Tinsley lass 37's rest after working to South Wales. Local Class 60 takes on fuel along with fellow heavyweight Class 56 in Sub Sector Metals livery.

Thanks Mal. I have that box of Seamoss, Too dead looking for me so I had planned to add more green like you have just confirmed. I will give it ago. Many thanks

Looking very good, can I ask what tree's you have used ? I need to source some soon for my hill areas. Many thanks

Hi guys, Hour or so on the layout this evening, concentrated on wiring up some lighting onto the warehouse for the fuel tank area so I was able to get on with fixing it in place. Working my way around the layout from the service depot, through the motorway road bridge then onto the cutting and hills in both corners and finaly the Coal loading area, one of the surface mounted points is faulty so the scenery used to cover this will need to be movable, the wall used will be fixed in place with velcro so it can be removed when we replace the point motor. The retaining wall seen on the left of the last picture covers the point motor with a small hole for the point rod. The depot area was the only part of the previous layout kept.

Some inspiration and ideas from Oulton Road at the Swansea show.

lol, quality mate.... I better get on with getting it built..... Great shot.... Wow, Looking grand mate ! That's some impressive steelworks...

This is Wales