wiggoforgold

Mine's a bit different. The layout has a high backscene, which is essentially white. It has self contained lighting. I wanted the room to focus attention on the layout. The layout is "L" shaped. The long wall behind the layout is white. The end walls of the room are pale grey. The remaining long wall of the room is a dark blue grey. The floor is a laminate, almost white. There is a central light and wall lights in the room, but the layout is designed to be viewed with the main lights off,so attention is focused on the layout, not the room. Alex

Upwell Drove is back home from it's first outing to the Paignton show, and is currently being re-erected next to Diddington. It was a good outing, intended as a bit of a shakedown so I could addrees any shortcominmgs for the future. I learned a bit, met some old friends and made some new ones, so it was a good trip. Ome point I'm pondering on. The distance between the bottom edge of the proscenium and the track on Upwell Drove is quite high. I have made the proscenium the same height as on Diddington. However, Diddington is wider, and I'm thinking the visual effect may be better if I lower the proscenium. The question is then, should I keep them the same height, or lower the proscenium on Upwell Drove (and the Elm Lane section.)? Alex

Some useful ideas here, which I will remember for the next layout. One thing I did: before laying the track, or anything that crosses the baseboard joints, assemble the boards with a bit f 10 though plastic sandwiched in the joint Then lay the rails, fix and cut them. Then remove the plastic. This will compensate for the bit of rail lost when the cut is made, and make the joint harder to spot. Alex

Indeed. But what is "normalcy"? In my train room it's a nationalised railway performing a public service, but I suspect that is not the same everywhere Alex

I'm watching this with interest too. I am having thoughts about a new project that involves inlaid track. There's some inlaid track on Upwell Drove, it's macadam and I have used card which comes up to just below rail height, which will be painted and sprinkled with talc in due course. Alex

For algae and duckweed I've used fine green scenic scatter, sprinkled on to PVA spread on the surface of the water. Reeds are from bunches of plumbers hemp, glued to the surface of the water. If you haven't already seen it, have a look at. Gordon Gravett's book on Modelling grassland. There's lots of ideas in there. Alex

Thanks for the kind comments. I must confess, that having lived in Cornwall ( a place where telegraph poles are vertical) I had forgotten about wobbly Fenland poles. I am pleased to report that there is still one on Elm Lane (out of camera shot) that isn't quite straight. I was going to straighten it, but having read the comments, will leave well alone. It's a salutory reminder that sometimes things in the real world are not quite square, and we can risk making models too perfect. Alex

The camera is a useful modelling tool. Not just for research and reference, but also to monitor work in progress. I find that the eye sees what it is expecting to see, so sometimes things are missed which become obvious when referring to as photograph of the scene. In the context of modelling, a photograph will often reveal areas for improvement which the eye has missed. As an example, I offer the following photograph, taken this morning. It’s a similar scene to one I posted on Thursday. The photo revealed a number of points for attention, so since Thursday’s photograph was taken I have addressed the following: Straitened and repaired the telegraph poles. Repaired and painted the fence. Adjusted some of the fence posts. Glazed the phone box. Painted the buffers on D2201. Filled the vertical joint in the bridge abutments. Replace the group of the clergymen and the car, which had been removed while I was working on the layout Installed a sign by the bridge. An ecumenical matter... Jonty's stalker has been out again.. Alex

I agree Rob. I think what the view blocker does is to make the appearance of the train on the layout somewhat less sudden. The points where the line enters Mutton are not obtrusive, without a need for any large view blocker as i recall. . I'm going to use buildings to disguise the entrance of the line to Upwell Drove, much as on Bleat. The thing I was reminded by this month's Model Rail was to make the roofline of the rearmost building lower than that of the building in front of the tracks. This means I have scrapped the idea of a chapel at the back of the layout. (There is a nice one in Upwell I thought of making) Alex

Upwell Drove will be making its public debut at the Paignton show on 11-12 August, so work is currently being undertaken to make it presentable. I’m looking forward to the show as a bit of a “shake down” for the layout, to identify any gremlins before it travels further afield next year. There won’t be any buildings this time round (there’s not that many planned for the completed layout), but the track is all laid, running and scenic work has started. Displaying it this way will give an opportunity to show some of the construction methods. The joining section, which joins the terminus to the main “Diddington” section is scenically complete, or though there are still a few jobs to do before August. Today I’ve been working on a view blocker for the point where the track leaves Elm Lane, and passes over to Upwell Drove. This month’s issue of “Model Rail” contains a number of interesting articles on view blockers and layout lighting, and I read this (I got my copy on Tuesday), before starting work. I’ve tried to disguise the point where the track passes through the backscene in the following ways: The “wing” at the front of the layout blocks a direct view of the exit. I’ve made the hole where the line exits the board as small as possible, bearing in mind the size of stock which has to pass through it. The hole is further disguised by hedges and a small tree. The view through the hole will be further disguised by the back drop at Upwell Drove. I’ve taken some pictures of work to date. This is the effect with a train entering the scene (I know about the wonky telegraph poles, replacements are built and should be fitted tomorrow) Finally, a view through the trees. Oh, and we need a brake van at the end... Alex

The wiring at Upwell Drove is now virtually finished, and I've been doing lots of test running. I've had to make a sligh change with the power supply to the turnout motors. I was hoping to power all the motors using a system of 16v AC uncontrolled "smoothed" to 12v DC using steering diodes. The system works fine with Tortoises, but unfortunately Cobalts don't seem to like it, so I'm installing a separate 12v DC power supply for them. There's now a joining section between Upwell Drove and the fiddle yard. It's the old "Middle Fen" section, refurbished, and renamed "Elm Lane". Next up, completion of the backdrop for Upwell Drove. I'm currently using a roll up cloth backscene: the jury is out as to wether it is permanent. In the meantime, heres some pics of recent operations.

On my model of D2201 I painted the ends yellow, and then applied the black stripes using the Fox transfer sheet (Which looks similar to the Model tech sheet Jonny liked to above) Details like hand rails and lamps were applied after the transfers. You can see D2201 in my layout thread. Alex

I,ve used the SE Finecast clear stuff. I think it's a bit finer than the plain sheet, and a much finer thickness. Alex

I‘ve decided that model railway layouts are rather like swans. Serene and organized above the base board, with desperate activity going on below. Take Upwell Drove. A group of old sidings in the middle of a Fenland field, eking out it’s days before closure. A peaceful scene, occasionally disturbed by a train. But to make it all happen, it has to have… this The pictures are of the underside of the terminus end of the layout. From left to right, we have the motors for the siding point and the slip (I’m trying Cobalts for this), the motor for the run round point, and at the right hand end are the transformer and the driver for the layout lights. All this works from two mains leads – one into the transformer box, and the other in to the led driver. The wiring is nearly done: I’m just awaiting a couple of diodes to complete the power supply to the turnout motors, which should arrive next week, and then it’s final assembly and testing.

We have friends in the Somerset levels. When visiting we have commented on how similar the landscape is to East Anglia. I appear to have gone and ordered a second one.....Alex

I moved to Cornwall from East Anglia 35 years ago. The Cornish take at least 50 years to accept you as one of their own, if at all. Am I now in limbo? I remain at heart East Anglian and hope this is not a bar to J70 ownership.Alex

I don't see that as a problem.

He's been told that if he's patient there'll be a J70 along in a bit.

With a scrunch of tyres on gravel, roving railway photographer Jonty Chambers arrived at Upwell Drove in his Bentley. In a meeting with the fat clergyman and the thin clergyman at Middle Fen a few weeks ago, Jonty had learned of the fenland terminus of the Diddington agriculturasl tramway at Upwell Drove, and had decided to take a look for himself. First here's a picture of Jonty at work. This is what he saw: More soon Alex

One of the purposes of Upwell Drove is to provide a terminus for the agricultural tramway from Diddington, a function performed by Juniper Hill for a number of years. When I started planning the layout, I wanted to make the proscenium match the existing proscenium for Diddington. Then I realised that since Diddington was built, thoughts on proscenium design had improved and developed, so I incorporated the latest thinking in Upwell Drove. This meant the proscenium at Diddington needed updating. I decided to paint it. Then I thought I would paint the railway room wall. Then I decided to redecorate the room. Diddington now has a nice new home.

Thank you for the kind comments Tony. It was very nice meeting you and Mrs Mulgabill at Taunton, and I came away with several new ideas, including those we discussed. I made a point of searching out your cornish hedge after lunch, and that has given me an idea for an improvement at Diddington. Alex

I've got one on order; I only need one; mine will have skirts. The valve gear looks nice. Good point about the need to ring the changes; I...must.....resist......

Nice to meet you too Rob. I am awaiting delivery of the 2mm glass fibre brush! Thanks for posting the pic. Alex

Hugely enjoyed it, and thanks to you all for organising. Better layouts that any show I have visited in recent years, and I learned a few new things, so well worth the time.