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John Geeee

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  1. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed By John Geeeee
     
    Well it has been a while since I last posted a blog entry. After months of nothing, I have been re-skining the station. The base was a Scalescenes card job that had turned a silly shade of pink due to using cheap printer inks. Rather than waste it I thought I would try and add Finecast stone sheets to it and paint it accordingly.
     
    I broke the building down into sections and removed any signs and cills etc.

     
    I used another printout of the scalescenes kit for templates. Heres the completed skin before painting.

     
    First coat of stone base colour applied and old roof peeled off.

     
    Various washes applied to give a bit more weathered look. I struggle with dry-brushing but find I can get a nice effect by repeated dirty washes with burnt umber and a final cream wash for morter and to add a kind of faded appearance, and now needs final finishing with guttering, downpipes, and signs.
     

     
    The finished thing, Dirty windows and all, its about time the window cleaners were in:

     

     

     

     

     
    I say finished, I want to add a clock on the platform side and maybe some flower baskets or something if I ever see such things in the future. THe nest project is to apply the same skin to the station platforms to again hide the pink base and turn it into stone with a complete paved surface.
     
    Cheers
    John Geeeeee
  2. John Geeee

    24. Loco Weathering

    By John Geeee,

    Well its been a while since I posted any updates so I thought I would show some of my recent weathering efforts. Its all done with an airbrush and I use humbrol enamels leather and matt black and a bit of encouragement from the various frenzy of DVD's, books, and magazine articles that have been released over the last 12 months or so. I am not sure if it is to everyones taste but I like what I have done so far. I think there are some interesting effects especially some by using a bit too much white spirit thinner which once dried seems to have left an uneven damp look on a couple of the locos.
     
    Anyway I hope you find some interest in my efforts, sorry for the quantity but I get carried away and think they are all worth posting
     
    Thanks for looking.
    John Geeeeee
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    And to Finish here is a picture of my new Bachmann Deltic and Crimson coaches.

  3. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed By John Geeeee
     
    Well it's been a few months since Part One, but slowly I have been making progress. The platforms have now been weathered and fencing added.
     

     

     

     
    The high street road and pavements have also been relaid using Scalescenes printouts. A new station wall is in progress made from stone Wills sheets to replace the flat looking brick card used previously. It now just requires capping stones, painting, and fixing down.
     

     

     

     
    I have also added a nice looking double decker bus that I could not resist. So I thought I may as well add the pictures here.
    Work remaining is to finish some more stone walling at the top of the high street and across the end of the station platforms. Then I need to sort out some street lighting and to add some steps to the front of the station. I will also add a small pavement island at the front of the station with a bus stop or something.
     

     

     

     
    I hope you like the work and please feel free to comment.
    Cheers
    John Geeeee
  4. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed
     
    By John Geeeee
     
    I decided to extend the length of the terminous track and add an extra crossover for a longer runaround. I also thought I would build a new station building and a new platform to accomodate the extra length. The extra length will now hold 5 carriages plus the loco and tender. I also wanted to move the station building to sit along the track rather than across the track ends.
     
    The new station and platforms are made using Scalescenes kits. Here is the station building and all I have added so far is plastic doors.

     

     
    Here it is on top of the old platform

     

     
    Next I started the framework structure for the new platform. Once measured and glued together it was fixed down with bluetak and then the card for the top was cut to size. I ran my widest locos up and down to ensure that they did not snag on the platform top. Surprisingly I found one of my 08 shunters created most problems with the platform catching the connecting rods.
     

     

     

     
    The platform top was covered with the tarmac and paving printouts and finished with the edging stones. The paltform structure was made from 2mm card and the top was 1mm card. The 1mm card was too thin so I fixed thin strips to the edges underneath to try and give a thicker appearance.
     

     

     

     
    I like the look of the platform and the new station. Next I need to add some fencing, Platform canopies at the farthest end and a footbridge onece I have made the other platform. I will probably have a stone wall across the track ends and I need to construct some steps for the front of the station building. Lots of detailing and bedding down to do once I have sorted out a new road surface and perimeter wall fro the high street.
     
    Cheers
    John Geeeee
  5. John Geeee

    20. Welcome to WagCam

    By John Geeee,

    The OO Garden Shed
     
    By John Geeeee
     
    I have just got a mini DV recorder to play with on the layout for a bit of fun. It is just small enough to be able to hold on the side of a wagon and for the size and memory the quality of the video seems quite good. Here is a pic of how I attach it It is a bit heavy so it does need a counter weight in the wagon:
     

     
     
    So with a bit of playing to get the best angle and height so as not to drag I offer you the following videos to watch (you will have to ignore the dates and time on the vids, I have not figured out how to set the current date on it yet):
     
    The Down Line:

     
    The Up Line:

     
    While I am at it, here are a couple of pics of the refuelling station that has now had some weathering applied.
     

     

     
    Thanks for looking.
    John Geeee
     
  6. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed
     
    By John Geeeee
     
    Hi All.
     
    May I take the opportunity to wish you all a merry Christmas.
     
    I have started work on a diesel refuelling point. It still needs weathering and once in place I will also add some pipework to join it to the two storage tanks.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    I have also done some work on the first Dapol turntable. I have replaced the plastic rail post, that I kept breaking, with a rail and posts from brass wire. I have also added some decking to the bed of the table to try and make it look better. I then plan to redo the motorising method to something more reliable.
     

     

     

     

     
    Cheers for now.
  7. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed
     
    By John Geeee
     
    I purchased the new Right Track 11 Weathering Techniques with Tim Shackleton from the Warley 2009 show. He makes it look so easy so it inspired me to "Attack, Attack, Attack"
    I already have a "cheap" dual action airbrush and compressor which I have used for colouring the track. Time to put it to better use. Following Mr Shackletons recommendations I use Humbrol 62 Leather and Matt Black mixtures diluted with white spirit to give a nice sprayable consistency. It takes a bit of practise to get used to how much to apply. I find the more you dilute the paint the weaker the effect, as I would expect to be the case. So it takes some time to get a feel for the amount to apply but I think I picked it up rather quickly.
     
    Now the bad news is that this entry brings you completely up-to-date with the layout so far. So the blog upto this entry is everything i have done for the last 3 years. Therefore entries will slow down a bit now, but the good news is I do have lots of things to do so it is by no means anywhere near completion.
     
    Here are some before and after pictures of the first weathered wagons:
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    I think I need to add some odd rust to the metal components, rivets etc. Otherwise I don't think they are too bad for my first attempt
     
    Next Up - I have not got a clue as yet! Watch this space.
  8. John Geeee

    16. The Coal Merchant

    By John Geeee,

    The OO Garden Shed
     
    By John Geeee
     
    Here are some pictures of the next build, a Coal Merchants Ratio kit. For the wood construction I paint the wood a cream "pine" colour and then "stain" it with burnt Umber washes until I think it looks right.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    A stone wall will be added later to seperate the coal merchants from the rest of the yard area.
     
    Next Up - Coal Loading Building.
  9. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed
     
    By John Geeee.
     
    Lets see if we can turn two Dapol single engine sheds into a two road roundhouse shape shed for the area by the turntable. I managed to make the two sheds form a triangular shape by adding an extra window section at the back and using a piece of plasticard to fill the gap between the roofs.
     

     

     
    I lined the inside walls plastic stone sheet and added gutters and down pipes to the outside. I also added some beam structures to the inside roof. The painting was carried out in the usual methods I have previously described to give dirty stone look.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    I haven't fully bedded it in yet because I would like to add some lighting and equipment to the inside.
     
    Did it work? You tell me. I know I like it..
     
    Next Up - The Coal Merchant.
  10. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed
     
    By John Geeee
     
    I needed a space filler for the top left of the layout to add a bit more interest but there was not much ground surface available because of the way I had fitted the backboards. Therefore I decided to go for a warehouse unit that I could fit over the backboards without actually taking them off. I went for the Scalescenes model because it could easily be configured to fit any space. It was something different to build and because of the size I was building it required a lot of paper and card. I used about 60 sheets of premium 100gsm inkjet paper and 3x A1 sized card with adhesive backing from Hobbycraft. The adhesive card made life a bit easier and gave a reasonable stiff structure. I made the model with only three sides because the back could not be seen.The most difficult part was fitting the north light roofing because it was quite difficult to keep all the corners of the walls square. In the end it was a case of trimming some of the north lights to fit and squeeze them in as best I could. After building it I sprayed it all over with matt fixative to try and prevent the inks from fading. I wanted it to sit over a single siding so that wagons could be shunted in and I added a platform to the ground level.
     

     

     

     
    The floors are only half width because that is where the backboard comes to when the warehouse is fitted over it:
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    I still have some bits to add to the area such as a couple of steel exhaust pipes to the outside of the warehouse and also I think I will add a retaining wall to the rest of the corner at the back.
     
    Next Up - Kitbashing an Engine Shed.
  11. John Geeee

    9. The Retaining Wall

    By John Geeee,

    The OO Garden Shed
    By John Geeee
     
    I look on my layout as eventually being a series of Diorama scenes all linked by railway track. I am certainly learning all the time so I never consider any scene to be complete untill I can master all forms of the art of railway modelling. Therefore as I learn a new skill I revisit one of the scenes and try to improve it, as seen earlier with the way I think I was improving the yard surface.
     
    For the area past the new turntable I decided to create a small corner area with retaining walls. I used Wills retaining walls which are easy enough to put together. Parts of them were cut to size to hide the back of the corner hill area.
     

     
    After construction the walls need to be painted. I decided I wanted to try and do a dirty sandstone type of colour effect rather than a red brick or blue brick effect.
    I use cheap artist acrylics for painting my plastic kits. In their straight out the tube form they paint the plastic very well and dry relatively quickly. They can also be diluted with water to form a wash. I have also used them diluted for airbrushing various parts of the scenery.
     
    Here is a completed wall section, I still have to add some water drainage down pipes:

     
    The Walls are first painted with a Yellow Ochre basecoat:

     
    I then added the drain pipes. I painted the arch bricks in a prussian blue and then picked out some bricks in different shades to break up the brick pattern:

     
    Finally I made up a dirty wash to liberally brush all over. I apply about 4 or 5 washes to gradually build up the dirtyness, allowing each wash to dry before adding the next. This stage needs a bit of patience because it can take a couple of hours for the wash to fully dry. If you add the next wash too soon it will just dissolve and remove the previous one. I used a misture of browns and blues for the washes on these walls. I think it created a bit of a "green" tint unfortunately. I have since found that I get a better effect by just using a burnt umber wash on brickwork, or at least that gives my favoured appearance. I find that if you apply the first couple of washes with the plastic horizontal you can get small pools of brown concentrating on some of the individual bricks so that when it dries some bricks start to take on a dirtier appearance which I think adds to the effect rather than having a totally even wash.For the final couple of washes I apply them and then stand the plastic vertically so that the wash runs down and a stronger colour builds up at the base which is where most of the dirt would build up on the at ground level.
     
    After tehfirst couple of washes:

     
    After a few more washes. I have also tried to add some other "water" stains. Well it was my first attempt at painting stonework :

     
    So I fitted the walls in place using a bit of silicone sealant on the back to fix them to their surroundings and then added some greenery to the back of the left side walls to blend them into the corner hillside behind:

     

     

     

     

     
    I may still get the paintbrush out again on theses walls one day, but for now they wil do.
     
    Next up - A cattle dock and coaling stage.
  12. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed By John Geeeee
     
    It has been about 18 months since I last posted a blog update on here. I have mainly been playing with sound decoders and growing my sound fitted loco collection.
    I picked up a Bachman stone signal box the other week which was at a sale price in my local model shop. It came in a blue/green colour scheme (Scottish??) so I have repainted it to fit more in with my loose LMS type theme. I am now putting together a Ratio white metal signal box interior kit to install in it.

     

     
    Here is the source of all my DCC frustrations of late! Don't get me wrong, it's a great controller, probably the best, but trying to program decoders when you do not know what the terminology means is a nightmare.

     
    I have recently got a new SLR that has a video function in it so thought I would try some quick DCC sound demos of my fleet. The first is a Bachmann sound fitted 55022 that I bought from someone on this site. The video shows that in reverse it only has a single slow speed? When moving forwards it moves off straight away before the engine sound has had time to ramp up? Can I figure out how to change this, can I hell! I am not sure why the picture links show up as small but Click and Watch and you should see the full size versions:

     
    The next two are a new Bachmann class 55 and a Dapol Western that I have fitted sound chips to. Everything hunky dory and fun.

     

     
    The last one is my only (and probbaly my last!!) sound fitted steam to a Bachman 5MT. A loco that ran perfectly well under DC, stick a Sound decoder in it and it wants to sit and admire in silence every point it crosses!! I have cleaned and proded and cleaned and proded....... nothing makes it any better. It has an MX646R Zimo decoder in it and it was suggested that a stay alive capacitor could not be fitted to it, but I honestly can't see how it will work without one. Once it is running at pace it can skip over points quite effortlessly, try crawiling around a yard and my index finger gets blisters from pushing!

     

     
    I also recently bought a Digitrax PR3 decoder programmer to help me with easier programming by connecting it up with DecoderPro software. It lasted all of 30 minutes at which time I innocently connect it to my program track at the same time as my ECoS 50200 was connected to it. I assumed the PR3 would just read the decoder whilst the ECoS would test out the changes. I pay my attention to my laptop and behind my back the PR3 is now smoking and melting away!! Hopefully it is now on its way back to Digitrax for repair under their "I am an idiot" accidental damage warranty.
     
    So the world of DCC is certainly more exciting. Is it simple? There are people who baulk at the thought of wiring up a DC layout, believe me it was a piece of p**s compared to getting a DCC sound loco running how you want it to
     
    Cheers
    John Geeeeee
  13. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed
     
    by Ginger64
     
    original page on Old RMweb
     
    I did not want to buy ready-made buildings if I could help it, after-all what do you learn about modelling from them. I discovered Metcalfe and liked the look of them. I thought they would be good to get the layout populated relatively quickly. I had actually started building some of them before I had laid any track so that I could measure things up like stations and good sheds etc. The long term plan is to slowly replace the card kits with more "realistic" looking plastic kits etc as I learn more about how to paint them etc. Theres not much to say about building the card kits other than read the instructions carefully before starting anything. I glue them all together with good old Bostik. It can be a bit stringy but on delicate areas like windows etc I apply the glue by using a small pin that I put into the nozzle of the glue tube to collect the glue and transfer the glue to the window or card by rolling the glue covered pin where glue is required.
     
    The Terminus Station Building: The platforms can accomodate 4 carraiges.

     

     

     

     
    The Brewery Buildings:

     

     
     
     

     

     

     
    The Through Station:

     

     

     

     
    The Engine Shed:

     

     

     

     
    Next up - The First Turntable.
     
    Cheers
    John Geeee
  14. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed By John Geeeee
     
    Well the Garden Shed is feeling a bit neglected of late. It's been a long while since it's had any work done on it and the spindley legged spiders have taken a good hold everywhere I look, shudder...... I did a refit of the main station platform which looked ok but now after a few months it has buckled up slightly in the atmosphere of the shed so another disheartening project may need to be revisitted.
     

     

     
    So whats happened in the last couple of weeks? I have bought a couple os second hand Warships and a new Bachman 10000 taht I could not resist at the Warley show last week. The 10000 looks very nice to my uneducated loco eyes, runs very nice out of the box on track that has not been cleaned for a very long time. Below are some pics and a link to a video of the 10000 running around the layout.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    Click on the link below to see the video:
    http://s128.photobucket.com/user/JohnGeeeee/media/10000ontheloose_zpsf5e9004a.mp4.html
     
     
    I am currently working on a Ratio signalbox so if I can complete that within the next 12 months I will add another update
     
    Cheers
    John Geeeee
  15. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed By John Geeeee
     
    I have replaced the cardboard platform with a plastic based one. Made from a Ratio platform kit and scratchbuilt steps. I painted it to give a stone effect in my usual way as described in previous entries. It is fixed down with a bead of milliput. The milliput just needs painting and a few crates and other goods added to finish it off.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  16. John Geeee

    23. The station wall

    By John Geeee,

    The OO Garden Shed By John Geeeee
     
    After a few months of lack of enthusiasm for modging about in a cold shed, I have finally got back on with things and finished off a new wall for the station. It's scratchbuilt using Wills Stone sheets and painted with cheap artist acryics in my usual method. Yellow Ochre basecoat, repeated burnt umber washes untill some of the dark brown starts to settle on the big stone, then finish with a creamy coloured wash and wipe off with a damp kitchen towell to lighten it again.
    Here are some pics:
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    Cheers
    John Geeeee
  17. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed
     
    By John Geeee
    I decided to add a small representation of a coal pit so that there was somewhere to load coal into the wagons for delivery around the layout. At the time I was not up to scratch building standards (and still not ) so I searched but could not find exactly what I wanted. In a desperate move I went for a Faller kit to use as loading screens over a track. It was fun to build but to be honest it does not work for me because it is not "British" enough in my opinion because of all the wood. I was not going to add it to this blog but well why not it is still a modelling exercise! Knightwing have since started producing a Coal Screens kit so I now have one of those to try. I also plan to scratch build the Pit Head at a later date. So for now here are some pictures of the completed kit but it may not stay on the layout for ever.
     
    I may just re-clad the top wooden unit with corrugated sheet to try and improve it. The roof is also removable and ther is a hopper inside so that you can pour coal into the wagons below.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    So if anybody has any other sensible suggestions for turning it British please let me know.
     
    Next Up - First Time Wagon Weathering.
  18. John Geeee

    13. Down Our Street

    By John Geeee,

    The OO Garden Shed
     
    By John Geeeee
     
    This is the row of terraced houses and the church yard at the back of the layout on top of the tunnel section. They are all Metcalfe models and I have added gutters and drainpipes for extra detail. The top of the tunnel is in two pieces to make it easier to take off in case of a derailment. Therefore I have to be careful how I set things up on top so that I can still take the top off in two halves.
     
     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    I added part of a Peco backscene to the end of the row:

     
    The Church:

     

     
    There is still a lot to do to improve the area. I created the churchyard on a card base but over the summer this has warped slightly so I may have to modify it slightly. I have more details to add to the churchyard such as gravestones, monuments and some trees etc. I need to add more stone walling to the front of the rock face and then I plan to create an area for the house residents as either a playground or some sort of seated viewing. I am also still on the lookout for chimney pots for the houses which is why there are not any at the moment.
     
    Next Up - The Industrial Warehouse.
  19. John Geeee

    12. The Goods Shed

    By John Geeee,

    The OO Garden Shed
     
    By John Geeee
     
    I like the Metcalfe card buildings because they are easy to build and you can fill a space very quickly but sometimes I do not think they look detailed and textured enough for areas that are easily viewable. So as time goes on there are certain buildings that I want to replace with better quality options. The first was the Goods Shed. It's at the front of my layout so very visible. Here is how I built the Ratio Goods Shed.
     
    Personally I think this is my best paint job so far. I think I got the stone work just right. Unfortunately I do not have pictures of the painting stages other than the ones here. My method was again start with a base coat of yellow ochre on the stone work. Then apply washes of a dilute burnt umber until the stone work is looking a darker colour. This needs patience and takes several days to complete allow each wash to dry before repeating. A apply the wash to a horizontal surface which seems to allow the brown umber to build up on certain "bricks" to give that uneven appearance. When I have applied 5-6 washes and I am happy with the darkness I apply a cream wash to highlight the morter lines. I make the cream wash less diluted than the umber wash which seems to give a lighter weathered effect on top of the umber washes. When I brush on the cream wash I wipe it off again lightly with a damped paper kitchen towel to take the majority of it off the stone surface.
     
    Here is the inside platform painted as described above:
     

     
    I try and paint as many parts as I can while they are still on the sprues:
     

     
    The Goods Shed walls all painted and ready for the doors and canopies to be added. I like the random colour to the bricks but this has not been achieved by delibrately picking out certain stones. The effect is just the way the umber washes settle more on certain stones:
     

     

     

     
    Now with the final details added:
     

     

     
    Now the pictures of the shed on the layout:
     

     

     

     

     
    These final pictures show a yard crane added to uload wagons. I will make a better platform for this when I get time:

     

     

     
    Next Up - Down Our Street.
  20. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed
     
    By John Geeee
     
    The first turntable was a learning curve and not all of it was for the good. I decided that the next turntable had to be better in every way. I went for the Peco turntable and I needed a way to motorise it and get better reliability. Whilst visiting an exhibition I came across a Meccano stall and bought a motor some rod, couplings, worm gear and a gear wheel. I made a fixing bracket for the motor from a 6"x4" steel panel and fixed it in place to the baseboards under the turntable. A rod was attached to the underside of the turntable and with a gear wheel and worm gear all was connected to the mecano motor. The motor was wired up to the same Hornby controller used to operate the first turntable, so this provides a variable rotation speed. Then with the help of a couple of isolating switches I could decided which turntable to move. The track is lined up by eye and I think it is easy enough to see. The power to the table track was just tapped off the feeds and returns from the terminus station area via an isolating switch. It took a bit of playing to get the gear drives in the right place but eventually it worked although a little jerky. So finally I added the magic ingredient.. Vaseline! Rub a good blob on the gear and wheel and voila! smooth turning! Yippee!
     
    There are a few wires around but once they are taped out of the way theres nothing to worry about.

     

     

     

     
    And just to show that it works please click on the image link below..
     

     
    Nwxt up - The Goods Shed.
     
  21. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed
     
    by John Geeee
     
    Here are some pics of the Cattle Dock, Coaling Stage and Water Tower. All of them are Wills/Ratio kits and are easy to build. I think the most difficult thing to decide with these kits is how to paint them. I do not know how they looked in real life and most pictures in reference books are black & white. So in my case it simply comes down to imagination. Hopefully I have got them half right, if not please let me know.
     
    This is the Coal Stage just after initial painting. It later gets a dirtier airbrushing around the stone base.

     

     

     

     
    The Water Tower is added:

     

     

     
    The Cattle Dock was a little more work. I do not like the lamp posts because they are so fragile and difficult to get the top arc glued on straight. If any body has any tips on the lamp post please let me know:

     

     

     

     
    Everything still needs bedding in but again all in good time.
     
    Next Up - The Other Turntable.
  22. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed
    By John Geeee
     
    I was becoming dissatisfied with the facilities available to the terminus. I wanted a nearby turntable to turn locomotives but I did not have the room. So another extension was required, "but thats the last one!" said Mrs Geeee. I therefore got the wood out again and increased the area so that I could add a turntable with some storage sidings and a loco service area. This extension would offer more room to develop the goods yard, add a coal merchant siding, provide refuelling for steam locos, an engine shed and maintenance sidings off the turntable, and finally a diesel refuelling siding.
     
    First some pictures of the extension boards and the whole cut for the Peco turntable.

     

     

     
    The track was laid straight onto the boards becuase I did not want it to look too raised and point motors added to the points.

     

     

     
    I would soon change my mind again and I was not happy with the raised look of the track. Therefore I covered the board surface with cork floor tiles and then painted it with a dark muddy colour emulsion. To add some texture I added dried sand to the paint and then brushed in various directions to look like track marks around the goods yard. Once the paint dries I use weathering powders again to lighten the look of the surface.

     

     

     
    Later I would decide I was still not happy with the look of the yard so I filled the gap on the outside of the rails with DAS. I also extended one of the sidings so that it would fit two diesels for refuelling.
     

     

     

     

     
    Now I am happy with the yard surface
     
    Next up - The Yard Retaining Walls.
  23. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed
     
    By John Geeee
     
    I wanted to do something to add to the scene around the terminus station. I got the wood out again and added about another 8 inches to the left hand side baseboards so that I could add a row of high street shops and at the top end some kind of factory.
     

     

     
    To cover the baseboard joins I put down some black card and stuck it with some spray adhesive. It seemed a good idea at the time but about 12 months later the card has slowly bubbled up and become uneven. So I am currently thinking about repairing the road surface. Otherwise the black card worked well and I applied light coloured weathering powders with a brush to grey it off. I added a wall to the right side as the boundary to the station. Then I created a pavement on both sides using the Metcalfe self adhesive paving. All the shops, banks and pubs are Metcalfe kits for now. In the long term I will have a go at making my own shop fronts by scratchbuilding with plasticard etc, but thats probably a few years away yet! At this end of the high street I want to add a hotel structure facing the station building but I am yet to find a suitable kit.
     
    The back scene is created from Townscene backscenes stuck onto card and then the skyline was trimmed around all the roofs and chimneys etc.
     

     

     

     

     

     
    When I have repaired the road I will then add more details like street lighting, zebra crossing, road markings etc.
     
    The top end had a Metcalfe industrial building for a while but it eventually gets replaced with a Scalescenes warehouse structure, this will appear in a later chapter. Here are some pictures of it for propserity ;-)

     

     

     
    Next up - Another extension to add another turntable and loco service yard.
  24. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed
     
    By John Geeee.
    OK, lets break things up a bit shall we? Here are some videos of the trains moving. Its not the best digital camera in the world for taking the first five videos but I hope it gives you a different view of the layout in action. The last two vids were taken with a new camera and have a better quality picture. You will see that I like to run things at express speeds so my appologies to those that get travel sick:rolleyes: Lets feel those G forces......
     

     

     

     
    The Devon Belle with lights:

     

     

     

     
    Next up - The High Street Shopping Experience!
  25. John Geeee
    The OO Garden Shed
    By John Geeee
     
    So, this is my first attempt at a working turntable. I bought the Dapol turntable kit because it was relatively smaller than others available and it was cheap. I thought I would try and motorise it and use it in the first loco yard. I bulit the kit easily and tried to paint it to make it look dirty and weathered. This was my first attempt and I think it shows!
     
    I plonked a length of track on top of the turntable and added a couple of brass strips underneath it with wires leading to each side of the tracks. Once I had glued the circular base to the baseboards I then took a couple of pieces of flexi rail and bent them into a suitable semi-circle shapes and fixed these to the baseboards with some track pins. Then I wired one semi circle with a feed and the other with a return to povide the power. The brass strips under the turntable are positioned so that one pics up the feed and the other the return. Then I attached the table to a Maplins geared motor fixed under the baseboards. The motor was wired up to a Hornby controller which provided the variable speed. After a bit of fiddleing it eventually worked. It does not look exactly right and I am in two minds what to do about it. Sometimes I want to just rip it up altogether and other times I want to start again. The motor has become a pain and was not very good and often just slips if the table snags because of the brass strips. I have bought a new motor and some mecano gears etc so one day I may make a better job of it. I am also thinking about taking the piece of track off because it looks rubbish and replacing it with just some fixed rails and filling in the track bed.
     
    So here are some pics and a video of its best days. For a better effort see later for my much improved workings with a Peco turntable.
     
     

     

     

     

     

     
    Next Up - Lets see some action!!
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