MichaelW

You could put those missing sleepers in while waiting for the postman...

I've had similar problems with the WS 2mm ballast - in the end I decided it was down to the fineness of the sprayer used for the wetting. Anything coarser than a proper mist caused problems with the ballast. Eventually I found a plant sprayer that was designed for misting plants, and used that for the last set of ballasting on my 009 modules - which seemed to work fine when squirted across the track (so any big drips missed the ballast). It certainly is an art to get 2mm ballast to stay in place...

And the critics are right It doesn't give a 'deep-ballast' effect, but then, you aren't using peco with its deep sleepers, so you don't need the extra depth. For SMP / C&L you only need a thin layer to come up to the tops of the sleepers, and you've got the cork to give you shoulders. From my limited experience: 1) The consistency of the glue matters a lot - PVA doesn't need watering down a lot - I think Gordon S describes it as 'thick cream', I guess copydex will be similar. 2) Paint the track first - that way you can spray it, rather than having to pick out each individual sleeper (this also helps hide the colour of the cork under the ballast. 3) Take your time - you don't have to do it all in one go

I wouldn't worry Jeff - by the looks of things you could run the path from the corner of the aqueducts up to the other wall just as it disappears into the backscene - in my experience paths over moorland tend to run feature to feature (be they rocks, poles or stiles) - so much easier to find the way when it snows. Your walling is looking very impressive Jeff! I hope you don't run out of enthusiasm for it before you reach the other end of the fell! Edit - got the aqueduct and tunnel mixed up...

I'm being a bit dim... Where do you click to see the numbers? I can't find it

Progress is looking good there Jeff, the cuttings look a good depth, and I like the way you've swept the hill up across them, so many people just have a flat top to their cuttings. Been prepping for plastering today, though for me I think it will be Thistle undercoat tomorrow. Also had a play with squirty foam. I think I managed to do everything I wasn't supposed to with just the first can. I'm now wondering how long till I'll try it for scenery...

I agree with the sentiments of the previous posters - looks great! I like that you've left room for the rock walls to be fitted. (I was going to comment on the shape of the hillside till I remembered the reason I can't find any plaster to do the walls in my house - it's all heading to the bunker to finish the Fell )

Like the new idea Jeff, though you might need to re-profile (again!) the supports to give a much more gentle slope down towards the station, and blend that slope into the mass of Lune Fell that you've already built. I suspect the aqueduct wouldn't be that curved, more threpunny bit shaped...

Morning Jeff, Interesting set of ideas coming through - glad to see you had a rethink on the precipitous slopes around the tunnel mouths, it looks so much better for it. Agree with Jason(?) though that a quarry would look good - they had to get the stone for the Lune Viaduct from somewhere afterall Also think the cliff topped hill would look best as a background, I think your idea of behind the viaduct would work really well! Mike, not there Sunday, am there today and Monday instead.

Those hoppers do look good Jason. I may have to pay a visit to the Parkside stand at York and get a couple to play with... Do they look like they would be easy to convert to EM? Just thinking about options (they would fit in well with the club's EM layout).

As Sir Humphrey would say "He who hath a secret to keep, must keep it secret that he hath a secret to keep..." Mole hills? Now, there's something you don't see modeled that often... Hmmm... How luney would I look if I went out walking with a ruler rule and kept stopping to measure the mole hills? All in the sake of accuracy you understand. Thinking about it, would need to measure separation too, so perhaps a tape measure would be better (and easier to conceal....) Hmmmm...

Sounds like you're going to have a fun day there Jeff! Looking forward to seeing the result...

Hi Jason, Still slowly catching up with things, and I see you're still raising the standards for the rest of us I can understand the switch to wagon building, I keep looking at my pile of 009 kits and thinking I'd really like to play...

No, it's one of those projects that when asked when it'll be finished, you always reply "Christmas", but carefully never tie yourself down to the year... Having finally finished the heating system upgrade (you know how it is, you take something to bits, put it back together again, and there's a few bits left over - I'll be off to the scrap yard soon, should be enough for another kettle!) I've been attacking some plasterboard this morning, though why I did it in my clean jumper is beyond me! Work? I'm not sure, but apparently when I'm at my day care centre I'm expected to do some. It really gets in the way of reading up on Jeff's progress and everyone else's, erm, contributions... It's awfully nice to be missed! Thinking of which, have you put those sleepers in yet?

Hi Jeff, Yes, I'm back around - I've had to cut down on my visits to do boring (i.e. non-railway related) things like work and sorting out the Christmas house project (finally got some floor back down, now just to put some more walls back...) You have been busy whilst I've not been around. That last set of pictures show all the hard work you've put into getting the basic shape 'right' is paying off. As others have said, your last picture is stunning!

Personnally, I would buy a Beyer-Garrett and hang about 100 coal trucks of the back, have a Crosti 9F waiting on the viaduct with a Nuclear Flask train and people will be so gob smacked they won't notice a little join. Have fun Now that would distract people... I'm sure you'll find a way to do the disguise so you're happy with it Jeff. And afterall, if the best exhibition layouts have joins, and people don't comment on them, then I don't think anyone will comment on your drawer's joint.