MichaelW

Again, thanks for all the replies.

White Rabbit - your example piece is just the thing I was thinking of for the narrow-gauge layout. I like the bend in the fence where Daisy's been trying to get at the greener bits on the other side. If you wait for the first coat to dry before adding more scatter, how do you fix the extra scatter without coating everything with glue?

Giles - Your example looks really good, I hope I can get close to that when I get going. How did you do the thistle(?) by the water course?

Re the conductive glue - I'm sure I read somewhere (I think in an article about outdoor railways) that tap water tends to be more conductive than rain-water, sufficiently so that tap water (from a hose-pipe) on track causes a short circuit but not rainwater. If you water down the PVA, this could be enough to make it conductive.

I must have a go at a trial piece...

Thanks for the replies guys...

D421, I agree with the experimental approach - I just didn't have a clue where to start and hoped to glean some experience to push me in the right direction. I'll try a few mixes and see what I get.

White Rabbit, couple of good tips in there, the instructions with the applicator don't mention conductiveness of the glue, and I hadn't thought that one through... Thanks for the colour chart, I've only got a few spring and summer mixes to play with so far.

I also note you mention mixing static grass with other flock - would you always do the static grass first?

Scale-wise, I model in N and 4mm narrow gauge, and hadn't actually thought as far as what season. Probably late summer for the 4mm stuff I think.

The job isn't conducive to photos. I doubt anyone wants to see a jungle of multicoloured wires under the boards!!

Only if they form interesting or unusual patterns... Or look like an 8F. Sounds like you are making good progress under there, won't be long before you'll be 'testing' the electrics...

With all this discussion of kettles, why am I, a confirmed modern image man, looking at the 'Steam Loco' pages of Hattons? I must resist, I must!

Edited to add - Other model shops are available...

That backscene really does work with the on-layout scenery. I'm not much of a fan of photo-backscenes normally, I think they tend to have too much foreground detail that doesn't gel with the scenery. Yours on the other hand give a perfect backdrop to what you have created.

Can I suggest you make the abandoned tunnels more of a black hole though? The light coming through them spoils the rest of the image in your last photo.

Hi Jeff, How are you getting on with the point motor wiring? Are you carefully thinking things through to get the wires the right way round, or just trying and correcting as needed? I always find I get a 50% hit rate with the latter method. Embarrasingly, that drops to about 25% when I think about it!

I won't add any encouragement to break the loco buying ban, other than to say that is amazingly good slow running...

Wow! That is a fantastic space you have, and what seems a very good idea of what you want (and that is definitely a good start to have). When I saw the first post I thought you might be trying to emulate Physicman's attempts success at layout room building. Sorry to hear you've had so much trouble with the builder - it does seem to be a worldwide problem - and I hope it's all sorted now!

Glad to see you took his advice to get a thread started - he's been trying the same on me, and it really does make a difference to attitude for the build. Keep the story going, I will certainly be following this one with interest.

Just a thought on the plan, on the bottom wall, you have a nice wide baseboard, and all the track confined into about a third of the width - would it be possible to wiggle one or two pairs of tracks towards the front of the boards? I think it might look better to have some scenery between them, and then the join into the station will look more like a junction? Just a thought...

It always happens like that!! Lol. "Great minds... (not fools seldom differ!)"...

 

The panel will only be for the points. There'll be 2 other little clusters, bottom right and bottom left, for fiddle yard points not yet fitted. I will add a switch for every turnout - so it looks the way the real thing does, but wire some of the switches to control a pair of points in a crossover. May seem a bit of a waste, but the switches are cheap and it only takes ten minutes to wire each one up.

I think we'll stick with the great minds. Though I have to say as an ex-research scientist I'm disappointed that you have so much space for adding additional 'features' but no desire to do so On the other hand having reformed myself as an engineer in industry I commend the plan to keep it simple!

Robmcg - those are very impressive images - where do the backgrounds come from?

I shall shockingly drag the discussion back on topic and say:

That's a good looking control panel Jeff. I like the space you've created around the switches. Will you be adding much more to it? Or will it be for point control only?

Hope your underboard wiring goes safely tomorrow...

Edited to say - You got there first Jeff!

Hi all,

I've recently acquired myself a static grass applicator, and a range of static grass to use with it, but I have no idea what I need to do to create the various effects I see on the best layouts on here. Anyone care to share some hints and tips?

I'm currently looking at wanting to produce grazed fields and unkempt railway embankments, so any suggestions you can offer would be gratefully welcomed!

Thanks,

Michael

Hi Jeff, sounds like you're making good progress there. Don't forget to enjoy the track-laying/soldering/fumes while you can!

How are you powering your cobalts?

Have you thought how you're going to split up the track bus so you don't lose all power if you get a fault? More importantly of course, the same divisions will make it a lot quicker to locate the fault.

Cheers Nick. I'll take a look. I sometimes wonder whether there's a degree of pedantry in some of these terms. Check or Guard rails? Trap or Catch point? But then again, to the uninitiated, Mass and Weight are the same thing. Aren't they? NO NO NO NO!!!!!

You only make that mistake around SWMBO once... Weight discussions should never ever include the word Mass(ive)...

Ah, you spotted me having a sneaky peak before I leave work (hope no-one here did though). For the rest of you - the difference the sleepers have made is big - if you're lucky Jeff may post some pictures on here for you all...

Hi Jeff,

You really are making good progress with the track laying, the photos of the viaduct really do show the care you're putting into the layout. I'm still impressed with the finish you've got on the stonework, the first picture really does look good! Almost enough to make me try something slightly simpler...

How are you getting on with the in-fill sleepers? Any chance of on overall view once you've completed them?

In the firm belief that the only stupid questions are those that aren't asked... What's an Olfa Cutter?

I've spent the past couple of days reading through your thread, and all I can say is wow! Your buildings really do look good. I hope that one day I'll be able to produce something approaching that quality.

I have to admit I did think the tank looked a bit large - the new one looks a better fit, but both of them are really well executed!

Think the last time I saw one of those test tube holder thingies was when I did A-level chemistry.....

Ah.... it brings back memories of people being sent to the technicians for a "long stand" - generally in retribution for some level of rudeness...

Have you got to the stage I always get to of just wanting to see something run yet Jeff?

Wow! I go away for a couple of days and another hundred ish posts appear! Thanks all for the ballast colour discussion - it gives me plenty of scope for working on my home layout.

Jeff - a few comments on what I missed:

Super-elevation - looks really good if done well, causes no end of trouble if done poorly (particularly with transitions and pointwork), I have a few tales to tell...

Bringing back the curved crossover by the viaduct - definitely, I think you restricted the play value operational possibilities when that disappeared.

Good to see more trackwork going down, but I have a question - you appear to have a gap in the sleepering around the points, how are you intending to fill them in?

Hi Jeff,

Been slowly reading through your thread for the past few days to catch up - and I have to say I'm mightily impressed at what you have achieved - and what looks set to come! You've certainly encouraged me to get on with the woodwork for club layout I'm involved in (thread for that may appear soon...)

I look forward to seeing what you manage to do when you get back from your break!

Michael

Hi PLD, yes it is and no I won't, sorry.

No point giving others more ammunition on something that apart from a delay, won't affect them.

Dave,

Thanks for letting us know - and thank you for having the confidence to reject them and face the (unwarranted) criticism for wanting to make sure they are right. I shall look forward to getting them when they do pass muster!

Is it OK to build something within the specified dimensions but on a larger board? I've got a larger board available and I'd like to add off-stage storage after the challenge is finished, so I'd rather not chop bits off if I can avoid it.

Quite a bit earlier in the thread I asked the same question. Unfortunately, no, you have to be able to show just the 20x11x11 part without anything else...

Thanks for the clarification Andy - I'll stop finding excuses and get going soon. I suspect some glue and a couple of nails will sort the 3 pieces problem at the appropriate time

The 'module' should be presented as not exceeding the 20" x 11" but if you wish to design it in such a way that additional off-scene areas can be integrated after the deadline then that is fine. Anything outside the 20" x 11" cannot be included for judging purposes.

Sorry to seek clarification on this - can the diorama be a 20"x11" part of a larger baseboard? I'm thinking from simplicity that I'd like to keep everything on a single board, rather than have 3 boards for a 4' long setup...

Oh, and yes, this is definitely going to be a challange - I'm thinking of using it to experiment with home-made track, in N-gauge...

I like the idea of a 20x11 challenge - but surely there should be a 6 in there somewhere...

How about the RMWeb 20x11x6 Birthday Challenge?

A diorama that can fit within a 20"x11"x6" virtual box. How you get it to fit is up to you (so you could have 2 20x11 boards that can be boxed together with the scenery all within a 20"x11"x6" box, or a single 11"x6" board with 20" high scenery), giving you a bit more freedom in what you do...

Do we get an extra month and a minute for the deadline?

To make up for this long delay I think Dapol should reward those of us on pre-orders with a blue class 26 in January.

 

Nothing ventured, nothing gained ;)

Failing that, there is always the phantom Northern Rail 153 that could see the light of day...

Certainly the HST looks a good model, can't wait to get my hands on one or two.

Dave,

Your trees look seriously impressive, how do you go about making them? Or have you covered that earlier in the thread?

Michael