James Hilton

Looks grand!

That's an impressive embankment for a £12 swatter thingamy and you must have excellent eye sight to apply those fish plates! They look superb though - you really have to look close to see it's 2mm!

Incredible - I think you've got away with those pick ups too Martin - very unobtrusive, especially once painted. I still think this model was asking for battery power though - or even better, a miniature diesel engine inside generating it's own electricity!

It's been one hell of a journey, and now we're at the end.

But it doesn't feel like this is it, far from it, as we're left asking one question...

What next Jon?

Thank you for sharing the highs and lows - I have thoroughly enjoyed your posts and blogs.

That stone wall is fantastic - love the top capping stones, very effective!

Those new brass details really lift the model don't they!

Having seen the weathered photos I can't wait for the final installment.

Will - one word - wonderful.

It's been a great journey so far, thank you for sharing it with us all This should be a 'feature' in the next MI I think...

Jon - it looks grand although those yellow ends look a little plasticy? She does sit well on the lowered bogies though, and I've a soft spot for these GW 150 finished engines, I had the Lima Sir Daniel Gooch as a kid - one of my favourite models!

Will - I'm really sorry to hear about your near disaster! If it's any consolation I had one myself today - sprayed varnish on my latest G-scale repaint only to see it bloom before my eyes and react oddly! Totally ruined an otherwise excellent paint finish. It's dried smooth but will require me to repaint the base colour and re-apply transfers - not an easy job since they were custom printed - I too had 'one of those afternoons' but my daughter managed to lift me out of it with kite flying in a local park in the sunshine.

I can't wait to see this finished - it's making me wonder about a HOe project...

Spray some of the plasticote directly into a container and use a brush to apply it - you might need to chuck the brush afterwards if you can't clean it, but at least the colour would be the same

Will very effective

It looks big, but then it's a complete landscape layout that would be 2 or 3 times this size in OO. I for one look forward to seeing some overall shots soon Will!

I think that's very effective again Will - it's incredible the focus this deadline has given you on this project. Wonderful to see it come to life

Me too!

A much more satisfactory result - one worth perservering with I suspect

Extremely effective Tom

Martin - WOW! I'm going to throw in a curve ball here - as you know I'm into G scale these days and a lot of outdoor modellers use battery power...

The idea of adding pickups and running off traditional track power for such an engineering masterpiece seems a comprimise - have you considered an on board lith ion cell - and RC gear?

Will it's interesting to hear that even in Z you need to make some compromises in the landscape and artistically compress some aspects however I don't think that you should fret too much as the landscape will really dominate the trains and the layout even if it's not 100% accurate. Like Jon I'm looking forward to seeing things progress.

Fantastic to read this blog post Jon - excellent news and I wish you good luck with the respray. The underframe detailing is truly exquisitite - you've pushed the boundaries for me on this one. Good job!

Definitely!

Mirrors sound very promising actually Will - plus it will be framed by a window and view blocks each side with luck. As for a turnout - hmmm - we'll see - it makes the geometry more difficult but I'm not sure yet... it's really not much more than a scribbled sketch in my notebook at present.

I look forward to seeing it progress from test plank to layout!

Considering how tiny this is Will I think it looks very promising already - but agree with the hue. At least the texture will be right

And Jon - in answer to your question - no this front section is all scratchbuilt detail - 30 thou plasticard drilled (0.9 and 0.7mm) for the pipes at the back. The pipework is 0.33, 0.45, 0.7 and 0.9 brass rod. There is also a 1.5x0.5 (IIRC) section of brass for the stantion.

It's not perfect - as any thinner and the wire would be too fragile, and I can't do all the pipework but I hope I achieved the layered look of the prototype. I also have not removed the lighting recess from the front, as I intend to keep the Bachmann lights - another comprimise.

Oh well - I'm no perfectionist - I suspect the visual impact will be impressive enough for me to overlook these minor differences

Thanks guys - I knew you chaps would respond, thank you for your kind words of encouragement. In the cold light of day I do feel less flat about the project, more up beat. I can see the potential - if still a little daunted by the scale and complexity of 'plumbing' this all in! At least the other side is a lot less complicated!

So I think I will continue to progress the 66, slowly, alongside the scratchbuilt station building and kitbashed guard/brake van for the Austrian outline large scale outdoor layout...

Unfortunately Paxton Road is now beyond rescue and I think is best remember for the wonderful photos that appeared in the Traction Annual last Christmas... There are some scenic details I'll be rescuing for re-use. I have learnt a lot in the project, and some things I am very pleased with - the texture in the yard, the colours (although I'd like to go more sun-bleached next time) and the ballast shoulder achieved on the running lines. However I was never happy with the short radius points and running quality (I didn't wire up the frogs so the shunters sometimes stalled).

So I've mocked up Paxton Road Mk2, http://paxton-road.blogspot.com/2011/06/rmweb-2011-challenge-proof-of-concept.html initially as a RMweb challenge entry - however if I do progress I think I'll not restrict myself to the sizes of the challenge and build something to the space I have. It's a cliche, but anyhow - the idea is it's a 'window' on a large yard - a bit like what Marc Smith does with those tiny layouts (Hendre Lane and the wet night scene steelworks). At the front some parallel sidings, DC controlled for shunting with my Bachmann 08s/09, and a place to show off my stock. At the back a DCC powered line for the big locos, lights and sound.

Potentially a line between the pair, with shouldered ballast and more respectable permanent way - the idea being that this is a line into the station - a bit like Didcot yard.

Storage / offscene there will be a traverser or sector plate on the left hand side - potential expansion to include one on the right hand side to allow a Sprinter (165/166 in Chiltern or NSE or FGW) to run from side to side to add interest.

Benefits - simple small and finishable.

No points on the board - no extra wiring!

The ability to use finescale more realistic track (Exactoscale bases, nickel silver track)

A self contained box to allow storage in the study when out of use - not in the garage.

Covered so the cats can't sit on it!

What do you think?

I might do some more sketches and post something up about it...