RedgateModels

It's not often I look a gift horse in the mouth, so when SWMBO suggested that I fill a gap at the Mansfield Show by manning a demo stand demonstrating the various techniques used to build a layout I thought and jumped at the chance So, armed with newly constructed baseboard with cork trackbed and reversed plan glued to the underside, point, plain track and tools etc I set up my tables. First job was the DCC power bus, done with way over the top 6mm twin and earth blue and brown wires screwed to 30A terminal blocks at each end of the underside. The track was then superglued down after first threading the dropper wires through the pre-prepared holes. Insulation was stripped back on the bus wires and the droppers soldered on. This proved tricky as my 30W iron struggled to get enough heat into the 6mm wires, but I got there in the end. AT this point I connected the track up to my trusty H&M Clipper and put the pug on the track. In full view of the adoring public nothing happened - a dead short somewhere Steve1 leant me a multimeter and after a bit of random sleeper gapping with the minidrill I sussed it. Where the plain tracks come tgether at the heel of the point the sleepers interlace (I nudged them in Templot to allow this). When I fitted the track some of the paint must have scraped off one of the sleepers that goes under both rails leading to the frog causing the short. A quick go with the slitting wheel and all was well. After lunch on Saturday I broke out the ballast bought from Benhams the previous evening. I chose Woodland Scenics coarse buff and a mid brown medium grade. I took all afternoon to ballast quite a large section and was pleasantly surprised that despite my careful mixing of the two once I had finished brushing it around I got a nice uneven affect. Kinda looks like the brown was original and the buff is recent repair work. Sunday was reserved for soldering up a yard of track for the first cassette. I was a bit tight and only sleepered every other one on the templot plan, so the result looks like it should be Gn32 track if there is such a thing Anyway, a VERY enjoyable weekend with much chatting and maybe a little modelling B)

Don't forget, you can come along to the Mansfield Show this weekend and watch me, probably very slowly, working on Fourgig East. I hope to be laying track, wiring up, soldering up some more track, fitting a point motor (hopefully) and maybe some ballasting. All the Scalescenes buildings will be with me too. Come along and say hello

shame you didn't see fit to upload them to the forum rather than use an external hosting site that is blocked by many employers' firewalls....

Oddly enough I'm wiring up Fourgig East this weekend - in the full glare of the great unwashed at the Mansfield Show

cork trackbed in now in place and holes drilled for the droppers and point motor. Need to remove the top and glue a reversed version of the templot plan to the underside as per Steve Bedding's 2FS - Smokey Bacon. Once done I can glue and screw the ply down for good and start track laying

Friday afternoon, kids off school so I have a free afternoon. Called in at the local woodyard on the way home and set to it. Here's the results One traditional 9mm ply topped, softwood framed board. 4 foot wide and 46cm deep. Why the mixed units? - it was easier to work out the length of the side members that way as the framing timber was 2cm wide Might have a play putting things on tonight when the kids are in bed - SWMBO is on a girlie night out

Well, progress has been slow on this one, it's quite a complicated job and one that has not been helped by the fact that you really have to get the thickness of the steps right otherwise it don't fit together - It's 3.5mm or nothing in O gauge. I've also built them with 18mm off the back faces so that I can make the overbridge in half relief. The sidescene will be mirrored to provide the illusion of the other half and the station beyond! EDIT: And here it is in all it's glory. The span is not glued on yet, I'll do this once the steps are fitted to the platform

He likes the challenge too

Ah the shop of my childhood. Always dreamt of a "supermarket sweep" with 1 minute runaround to grab what I could, sweeping all the locos off the stepped display shelves B) They used to do repairs and servicing in those days too. There was competition from Skills, Beatties and also Zodiac Toys in the Vic centre. I suppose I ought to make the effort and visit sometime, if only for old times sake

But Steve, how did you get the mirrored print out of Templot?

Truly stunning Chris B)

Some of you may know I'm in the market for an O gauge TOAD brake van http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260729041904&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT but honestly, that's more than the list price of a new, untouched, guaranteed kit from Parkside Good job I paid £35 delivered for one today from Castle Trains

a Second hand seller at last year's Sheffield MRS show sold a "cooking" version for less that 70 quid to a member, he got to it before I did

Thnaks to LN Lancs I now have the possibilty of an Anglo-French exchange on Summat Colliery this year Should raise a few eyebrows and it makes the Crosti look stylish