SouthernRegionSteam

Thank you

Hope the finished layout lives up to your expectations!

Thanks J,

I have to be honest and say that most of the scribing has been fun to do - however it can be a bit(!) tedious and scribing on curved walls is very time consuming as you've got to be so careful - especially marking out the horizontal courses. I am really glad you have enjoyed seeing it develop and hope you enjoy future updates!

Speaking of which, I will aim to update the blog later on (usually about 8pm, server permitting) to show the scribing progress. I am tempted to scribe it when it is flat to save about 5 hours, but the trouble there is that the lines aren't as sharp and clear. Perhaps I will do only the horizontals whilst flat.

Thanks Will,

It is certainly a well known fact that a deadline will spur you on!

Hi Don,

Thanks - I agree about the original 'cake' though

The gateway took about 1-2 hours with the gatehouse still unfinished but has taken about the same time so far.

Fingers crossed I will get it finished and then be able to enjoy the show.

Thank you for your continued support and I wish you well for the future

Oh, and happy birthday!

Hi Matt,

Thanks I wasn't sure whether to completely cover the sleepers or leave the tops of them bare. (I've just left it as a mess at the moment!). I gathered this section wouldn't necessarily be infilled so I was thinking about a kind of sandy or weedy overgrown section (I'd paint the DAS a yellowy colour).

Still undecided (there's a change!)

Thanks James!

Luckily you won't have long to wait to see how it turns out. Glad you're enjoying it so far.

Matt - I thought you were the king of DAS-ing?

Mind you, you may be on to something - considering the amount of times people said my castle looked like a cake...!

Or for desperation!

Haha there is that, too!

You'll be amazed to hear it still works, John! I couldn't believe it personally

I didn't know you were coming to Landford? See you there then!

Thanks Dominik, appreciate the comment.

I'm glad its all starting to come together at last. Deadlines are brilliant for motivation!

Thanks Matt!

(You really ought to finish your layout and get it on the exhibition circuit at some local shows )

There should be another update later today where it will look like the layout has lost a fight with a tin of white paint

Thanks John. At times I had to step away from that NG track as it was starting to irritate me.

I can mock up a photo (I'll send it via e-mail). Basically it just screws in to the lattice but it is at a funny angle so a photo would help!

For the mounting brackets I'd just attach some dowel pegs to the control panel and then the two holes (where I assume the screws in there are used to hold it all together) at the back mean the whole controller can literally just slot onto the round dowels.

Thanks John Looks even better currently with a slipway and sea bed, but seeing large amounts of DAS clay will probably scare you into thinking it isn't removable (which I hasten to add it is removable. )

Knew there was something I had to ask - what kind of size (roughly) would the control panel need to be?

I can then make a start on it tomorrow probably providing my suggestion of the track plan with toggle switches and controllers either side is OK?

I'll remove everything from the layout and store it safely by Thursday evening so don't worry about that. The layout will still be able to be turned upside down. Insulated fishplates present and correct

Thanks Dominik - that's really useful information!

As for the Heinkel He 219 - all I can say is

Thank goodness I don't have to do camouflage like that! Maybe I should just get on with it and stop moaning . I actually didn't know about lighter colours usually go first - a very useful tip. I guess on some of my models I have painted I have done that anyway (more luck than anything!)

Many thanks Dominik!

That I certainly did! Tell you one thing, however - WWII German aircraft are NOT for the weak of heart. Those camouflage schemes on them are so complicated that they can drive you into deepest and darkest despair . In comparison, that camouflage on the Walrus you linked to is actually a piece of cake, if you ask me!

May I ask - How do you mark out where to paint the different colours in the camouflage? Or do you just paint it by eye and hope for the best?

Really not looking forward to painting it!

Phew - probably around two dozen over the years, give or take a few. I don't have them any longer, though.

Quite a serious hobby then! Sounds like you enjoyed building them then?

Funny, I've been looking at exactly the same one earlier this evening when I looked whether there might be any Walrus builds on there . But yes, that's exactly what I mean and always admired when I browsed through the site.

The models are so good it almost gives you the opposite feeling of admiring them!

Oh right - I didn't know you had built model aircraft. How many had you built?

I see what you mean about not reaching the skill level - I'm looking at one which is in the right colour scheme and I'm in awe This one to be precise.

Thanks for the compliment, Dominik.

And thanks too for the brilliant website link! I'll have to read through that thoroughly. It's certainly been bookmarked.

Thank you very much Matt and James!

I'm glad the layout is living up to your expectations.

Sorry to hear of your driving woes!

The three platefuls of spaghetti was entirely TIC, but your explanation would probably help to reassure other members of the need for such wiring. Tip 2 now corrected - I was trying to remember them off the top of my head (surprised I remembered that many!).

We will keep in contact to arrange another visit!

Many thanks

No problem at all.

I know how hard it is to get started and how easy it is to keep putting off something or stalling a project because you don't know how to do something and are unsure of who to ask help from!

Thank John - I'm just writing them down and passing them on. To someone with little experience like me they are really useful!

Oh yes - wondered if you'd remembered about that.

I like the sound of a French military Decauville!

Let me know how much I owe you

John headed home at about 5pm which means I'll be laying the track and fitting point motors to the NG. He'll be visiting within the next couple of weeks for a couple hours to finish off the wiring. I'll need to build the control panel when I know what I want and have checked it with him.

Absolutely - I'm very pleased!

Oh blast

Shame as I don't think I can make it to Andover on the Sunday either. Just out of interest, have you got any photos of "The Works Yard" as it sounds very interesting.

Thanks,

Jam

Hi John, and thanks.

The new layouts debut will be at Landford exhibition, Landford Village Hall - so if anyone is able to come along it would be nice to meet you.