Bristol_Rich

AutoGlym Alloy Wheel Silver spray paint is very good in modelling applications. Unlike car body sprays, the metallic flake is very very small and the paint gives excellent results...besides which at ( £6 amazon/ £8 B&Q) is excellent value for such a large can.

If you use PVA it won't come back up any time soon. Copydex would be better assuming you are happy to sacrifice the grass matting on removal... If not double sided carpet tape?

Not sure if this is going to address or answer any of the current questions but I remembered seeing these pics on the Swedish Gotland Railway Museum webpage... http://www.gotlandstaget.se/soller.htm

Might be worth spending some time on the micro layout section of the forum and see what is possible in various scales and spaces. If it helps Frampton is no bigger than 6x2ft with self contained fiddle yard... http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/90684-frampton-1980s-p4-1883-challenge-layout/?fromsearch=1

https://youtu.be/NqXecQ9KZJE https://youtu.be/IlUw4ial6oA

Specifically for the window bars... How about printing a appropriately sized and shaped grid onto self adhesive labels? Remove the 'glass' by carefully cutting out the 'panes' to leave a grid of window bars which can be then applied to clear acetate sheet?

The work to remodel Filton Abbey Wood station from three to four lines started this week. Walked through there only this morning and the excavators were busy excavating away the embankment preparing the site...

The footbridge at Pilning was due for removal during the closure IIRC. The Patchway bridge remains.

Down at Frampton a shockvan sits awaiting its turn for unloading...

Suspect they'll leave it like the have with the Patchway tunnels From 31:30. Given the closure of the tunnel and the route to it from Filton triangle you would assume it's a good time to conduct some of the other infrastructure works e.g the removal of the footbridge at Pilning.

I too remember 205's at Patchway on more than two occasions doing the run towards Cardiff via the Severn Tunnel...

They are there on the model if you look closely. By the looks of it it's simply a case of the cranks being fitted incorrectly in relation to the balance weights which given the models development status is not a huge issue.

HIgh Speed Aggregate Train?

If you are thinking of boycotting Humbrol try Valejo acrylics...the range is comprehensive including metallic mediums and varnishes. The paint be brush or air brush applied but as with all acrylic not as durable as enamel...but Valejo isn't far off.

Have a look here and see if there is something similar... http://www.railsigns.uk/home.html It's by no means fully comprehensive but it's a start.

Fortunately that is one of the few Heljan 47's that has escaped the dreaded rot...or it least it had when I checked about 6months ago... Red Star is still with us I think?! If it has a growth issue I have managed to source an appropriate spare body and have plans to reconstruct a replacement chassis using what bits I can salvage...but hope never to need it.

Liddy Here is how we have constructed the track on Frampton. The principles remain the same for both track and turnouts. Materials Sundela board - We used strips of Sundela board on the layout as it provides a suitable medium to push the pins in to and more importantly it holds them in position. Plywood sleepers - I think we used Scalefour items approx. 1mm thick, suitably stained in a concoction of Indian inks and wood preserves! Rail - Frampton uses Code 75 NS FB rail but the process works with any flat bottomed rail in any scale. Track pins - The track pins we use are KB Scale RS01 Rail Spikes and are available through the KB scale site here: http://www.kbscale.com/track-parts.html They are preformed with a "head" and have a sharp point to enable pushing into the sub base material and quality wise they are very good and appear hardened and can take some punishment. I have no idea how many were used on Frampton but in some ways it best not to think about it! Laying the track Part 1 With the Sundela board laid strike a line to represent the centre line of the track. A flexible curve is useful for drawing any curved section of track. Part 2 Using a suitable adhesive for you sleepers, stick them into position using the centre line as your reference. Part 3 Using the centre line as your reference, divide the required gauge in half and measure back this dimension. This will provide you with your datum rail. Part 4 Once located, start to insert pins along the outer face of the rail using a pair of flat nosed pliers. The pins are sharp enough not to require any pre drilling or pilot holes and are strong enough to hold down the rail with the one side pinned in place. Repeat along the inner face of the rail. Part 5 Using the now set datum rail, gauge off this to set the opposite rail. Installation of the pins is the same as before, this time pin down the inside face of the rail first, followed by the outer. Part 6 With the track now installed the final checks can be made to ensure consistency and accuracy of gauge. Where minor adjustments are required, these can be made through gently lifting the pin adjusting the rail and reseating the pin back down into place. There is no need to remove the pin fully from its original hole. The pin will retain a tight hold on the rail. Very small adjustment can be achieved through gently turning the pin heads in-situ pushing the pin head against the web of the rail. Hope that helps!

"Great"... or more like yikes! For the track I'll run up a little how too guide...probably won't be until tomorrow or Sunday

This may help explain the movements a little more... A - Fiddle Yard approximately equal to Siding C B - Three quarters the total length of Siding C D - Half the length of Fiddle Yard A and Siding C E - Half the length of D E is by the far the smallest headhunt on the layout and can accommodate a Class 25 or 33 max. I totally agree with the packing up! One small box of stock, two halves of layout, two legs and an extension lead!

At the moment, no. We are anticipating an invite to the Lydney Show in September however I would like to think that by then we have enough of the Swedish NG running that I can take that as a demo, or maybe another proj currently being planned.... assuming the alignment of many planets to enable me find some modelling away from the day job!

Monmouth Exhibition complete. Actually feeling pretty tired as it was quite a busy show and the legs and feet are aching! The layout took some time to warm up (it had been stored in the car in the garage the night before) but once up to temp operated without hitch only requiring the usual mid session track clean required but other wise nothing untoward. All packed away, into the car and on the road in 15mins, home for tea within an hour. Met a fair few RMWebbers was always good to talk as always. David The operation of the layout is simply to move wagons around the layout, on or off scene. The dimensions of the various head shunts restrict the movement sufficient that no one siding of wagons can be moved in one complete movement...the larger the loco the more difficult this becomes, the more wagons on the layout the less space there is in which to move. As to what size loco I usually use an 08, 25 or 33. Anything larger and things get a bit challenging!

So minor wagon repairs now completed, paint work touched up and weathered the rolling stock is up together and ready for the weekend. Next job is to give the track a thorough clean and patch in any loose or missing scenics, final electrical test and pack up!

In preparation of Frampton's next outing at the Monmouth exhibition I've been rummaging getting some bits up together. Stumbling across the stock boxes it would appear that the Lydney exhibition took its toll on some of the wagons possibly through transporting home - minor paint damage, loose/missing parts or wagons generally looking a bit "unkempt". So here we have the Frampton wagon repair shop. Each wagon is in for some minor surgery of some kind or another and in need of a bit of TLC. The repair schedule is as follows... Parkside Vanwide - Additional roof detail Parkside 12t Ventilated Van - Additional Roof Detail Bachmann Planked 12t Ventilated Van - couplings and vac pipes (to be added) Parkside Grampus (Black) - Wagon load to be weathered down a little Parkside Grampus - Load to be replaced...it looks like storing in the garage the ambient moisture has got to it? Cambrian Dogfish - As above re load plus broken W iron repair and touch up paint and weathering Red Panda Sand Wagon - Broken buffer plus I'm not happy with the load (as above)...thinking this might end up sheeted. Scratchbuild Flask Wagon - Addition of accurate buffers Scratchbuilt/ Britannia Models(?) Inspection Saloon - touching up of paint.

There is a retailer who called "Little Cars" who sell very small lenses that would fit nicely into those Scottish 37 headlights...unfortunately looks like their web site is down

So You Say You Lost Your Baby - Death in Vegas