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Jon Fitness

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  1. Jon Fitness

    Early Daze

    By Jon Fitness,

    We moved into our lockup in October and started with this.

    After a week or so Steve had painted the floor and found a bit of carpet

    and the place seemed quite homely.
    As work beckoned, I missed the next 10 days or so but imagine my surprise when I came in to offer a bit of help and this lot had appeared.

    The track was only placed just to see what would fit where, but it gave us an idea of what we could do. All the planning in the world won't really tell you what looks right until you physically try it out. (Unless of course, you're a designer by profession which we aren't)
    We had a plan of sorts but it was just one that said "we'll have a train running by christmas"
    Steve being Steve, of course had other ideas....
  2. Jon Fitness
    After receiving an offer of 4 petrol tank wagons, Steve decided to squeeze a small petrol terminal in to the end of the LM station yard. Again, several bits and bobs were unearthed from boxes of stuff rescued from "Talacre" and fashioned into a representation of an unloading area. Although it's a "bitza" it began to look ok. We're not rivet counters here, it's more about having a bit of fun with the stock we have.

    This gave Les and Steve a chance to fill a bit of space with a roadway. This provides access to the terminal and also to the back of the locoshed. (Cue sleeper fences and a gate placed in such a way as to make bunking the engine shed difficult to do without being seen from the shedmasters office ) The road comes through a single file tunnel that will hopefully have working traffic lights eventually.

    Steady progress was made at the petrol terminal with lights and buildings soon being installed.

    Although not really in keeping with the LM region flavour of the station, my IOW 02 No22 Brading payed a call to shunt the yard. It ran well which was a tribute to Steves track laying as the loco only has pickups on the driving wheels. (Although a Ron Chaplin motor gearbox with flywheel helps)

    Anyone remember the film reference in the previous post? The film was 10, Rillington Place. Steve says now I've fixed a streetname to the house he's going to add a 7mm scale policeman peering down an open manhole cover. Anyone smell something

    An old controller with inertia and brake control, home made by persons unknown, was unearthed from a box, tested and found to be excellent. Duly fitted at the LM station it provides hours of fun, catching out those unfamiliar with its odd ways. Good job we have stout buffer stops!.

     
    Finally for this post, I made a bit more progress with the walling around the bridge and station entrance, thanks to Slaters chunky stone walling. I reckon I need about 25 sheets in all, to do all the various retaining walls in the LM station area!

    The next post should bring things up to date.
    I'll then decide whether to carry on with the blog, or switch over to a thread.
  3. Jon Fitness
    Ok here's a bit of an update. I can't currently include any pictures within the text due to what must be, to Andy and the dedicated admin team, frustating problems, but the link to the gallery should give you an idea of where we are now.
    Steve and Les are much faster and more regular workers on the layout and have for the most part, completed the major scenic work on the main lines and surrounding areas. I've plodded on with my little area by the LM station entrance when I can, but work and other commitments have kept me away a little.
    Hopefully in the next few weeks I can crack on with the rest of the stone walling while Steve and Les make a start on track laying on the upper (WR) level station.
    Now the ballasting is completed, I now have 3 or 4 signals waiting in the wings to be installed by the LM junction, including a sort of gantry on the approach to the Jc points. I say sort of, as it's design and construction would probably make a purist wince but it's a case of "waste not want not". Precious few of the signals from "talacre" can be re-used without modification and some may have to be sold on as not suitable for the track layout on the Saltney Railway. Shame.
     
    I think I'll leave any further updates until RMWeb is healthy and fully functioning again so...
    TTFN B)
  4. Jon Fitness
    Well not exactly all change, but Steve's Station (reputedly going to be called Upper Mill; doesn't sound very ex GW to me..) has already been changed before it's even reached the serious tracklaying stage.
     

     
    The original wide board which spanned all 4 storage roads and the hidden lines leading to the LM station is now only half it's original width and the retaining wall will be moved back to suit.
     

     
     
    This has now exposed the inbound and outbound lines to the LM station which run round the back of the loco shed. These have been moved apart wide enough for a small island platform to be installed, just below where the GW station will start to "fan out". Kenny is just suggesting he calls the station Lower Mill.......
     

     
    At least it's a change from painting stone walls...
  5. Jon Fitness
    As suggested, a new little station has appeared by the loco shed along with a signal that has mysteriously sprung up . Must be the time of year. . As Steve has named the GW high level station Upper Mill, me and Kenny reckon the new station is called Lower Mill.
    I think Steve will get back to me on that one...
     

     
    A nice Marcway curved point has also appeared near the junction. I think it was one of those "I've got one of these going spare/free if you can make any use of it Steve" things.
    Rude not to really
     

     
    Once the ballast is tidied up it will be toned down to match.
  6. Jon Fitness
    As Steve had started the water tower building for the loco shed (Made from some parts of a Kittle Hobby engine shed and some Foamex with rivet details added from a sheet) I thought it was time I had a go. Heres a few Work In Progress pics
     
    This is Steves tank
     

     

     
    And the startings of my goods shed for Slugworth. Its made from 3mm foamex and will be clad in Slaters stone plasticard.
     

     

  7. Jon Fitness
    Decided to stick at 5 trusses, which I think gives a full enough look without being too crowded.

    I've included an internal picture of Waverton goods shed (LNW wooden built, near Chester) as a comparison.

    I think Steve likes a few lights in the buildings so some level of internal details is necessary.
    Hopefully it's now time to start the "pretty" bits. Slaters stone walling and embossed slates.
    I'll probably need some detaily bits from Invertrain(windows, doors, chimneys gutters etc., Duncan Models (wall mounted crane, people etc.) and 10 Commandments (sacks boxes pallets etc)to finish it off.
    I'll be taking it round to the layout to see if it fits where it's meant to so watch out for more pics soon.
  8. Jon Fitness

    Saltney, It fits!

    By Jon Fitness,

    Took the goods shed round to the layout to see if it would fit in the 'ole Steve marked out for it.
     




     
    As it seems to, and doesn't look too bad, it's time to take it off again! (Then go away and finish it..)
     
    While progress has been slow in my workshop, Steve's finished off his water tower and re-started laying track on the high level station.
     




  9. Jon Fitness
    The goods shed at “Slugworth†(not convinced that name’ll stick) is now just about finished and in position.
     
    I’ve built an internal crane from wooden coffee stirrers and assorted bits of brass from the scrap box, fitted gutters & downpipes, LED lights and the windows in the office.
     

     
    The roof and canopy have been painted and weathered but there are still ridge tiles to fit and quite a bit more internal detail to add.
     

     
    Steve’s now added the island platform to the GW station. It’s a bit longer than the one at Slugworth, a point I’ll have to remember when making up passenger trains in the station!
     

     
    Steve’s latest building is Mousey’s garage , tucked down the side of “Rillington Place†and is ready to repair a now engineless F series Vauxhall Victor. The building is scratchbuilt and fitted with a vehicle lift and lights it really looks the part.
     

     
    Wonder if he does bodywork there? You know what those F series were like for rusting!!
     
     
  10. Jon Fitness
    Just a quick update on the Skytrex “L&Y style†signalbox kit.
     

     
    Looks more like an RSCo. Box as supplied to the LYR.
     

     
    Seems to be fitting together ok but I’ve had to shorten the cast whitemetal handrails for the staircase by about 5mm.
     

     
    The interior kit is (as usual) a bit Great Westerny so I’ll use the lever frame but scratchbuild the rest
     
    I think it’ll look suitably Lanky-ish when its done and painted.
     

     
     
  11. Jon Fitness
    Some old friends have returned to the layout recently;
     
    My JLTRT 10001 has spent too long on the shelf at home and needed a run out and Steve’s Springside “Foxcote Manor†made a welcome return having been crocked for a while.
     

     
    Also, a couple of Ex Talacre signals have been planted and are awaiting their servos to operate them.
     

     

     
    A batch of Metcalfe stone card has been unearthed and pressed into service, on the long wall round the edge of the LM station. We’re not sure if this wall can be covered permanently as there are point motors behind it and we haven’t come up with a successful “access†solution for them yet. No sense using expensive embossed plasticard and going to the trouble of painting it if it all needs ripping out to access the PMs. The Metcalfe stuff will do for now and looks acceptable (to us anyway!)
     

     

     
    As Steve and Les got fed up of waiting for me to build something in the hole behind the loco siding, they did it themselves….
     

     

     
    Nice “lump†fellas! Serves me right I suppose….(Note to self….must work faster!)
     
     
  12. Jon Fitness
    Steve’s finished the footbridge over the lower yard and I think it’s blended in well and adds a bit of interest.
     

     
    Still in the lower yard, some of the sidings have been partly buried in plaster to represent the ash and general waste material that was traditionally used to ballast the track in sidings during the steam era.
     

     
    Still a lot of work to do on it with bits of grass and weeds etc.
     
    The goods shed looks a little more “planted†now as well.
     
    I’ve now fitted a couple of illuminated buffer stops at Slugworth station and will be fitting a third now I’ve run the wires through the platform structure.
     

     
    Due to space restrictions, when the track was laid at the GW station, the layout only allowed arrival at one of the 2 platforms.
     
    This has been rectified by the simple expedient of……moving the platform across!
     

     
    (No track was harmed during this process………………..)
     
    During last winter, 3 bonsai trees were inadvertently left outside in the garden at my place. Needless to say none of them showed signs of life but they were given a chance until summer. Not wishing to waste them, I gave them to Steve who planted them on the layout. After a bit of treatment with the glue and lumpy green stuff I think they look quite presentable..
     

     
  13. Jon Fitness
    Well, here we go. It’s been ages since the last update, and quite frankly I’ve lost track of what’s been done since the last one. I’ve attached a little gallery as a bit of a “catch-upâ€
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/gallery/album/7179/1299-saltney-railway-catch-up/
    but far more pics are available at
     
    http://thesaltneyrailway.fotopic.net/
     
    Things we’ve done that come to mind (not necessarily in date order!) are..
     
    1. New roof on the loco shed. It dated from Talacre days and was a bit …flat. Smoke hoods will be fitted once a simple way of making so many of them has been found.
     
    2. The L&Y signal cabin has been installed at Astley Bridge.
     
    3. Extra lead off the turntable. Needed more space for Steve’s expanding loco collection…
     
    4. Saltney Ferry station has a covered footbridge. Sort of LNW style, fitted with lights and a nice little feature entrance.
     
    5. LNW style coal hole on the loco shed head-shunt. A large cast concrete buffer stop by it is a test piece for Steve’s (pat pending) method of representing a weathered concrete surface.
     
    6. 80% of signals are now servo operated, all new ones fitted will be servo’d.
     
    7. All of Astley Bridge’s track is now ballasted.
     
    8. Major backscene project is now underway up at Upper Mill station and the approaches to it.
     
    9. An ex Talacre signalbox is now on a gantry over the tracks at Upper Mill
     
    10. In build at the moment is an L&Y style canopy and wooden platform buildings for Astley Bridge (no pics yet, sorry).
     
    We’ve also gained a few locos and had lots of visiting ones out to stretch their wheels.
     
     
    I was thinking of stopping the blog and going over to a thread as I found the format very clunky and awkward to use, and a bit weird to view as well. Since the format has been tidied up and is now in a list form, I’ll carry on a bit longer and give it a chance.
  14. Jon Fitness
    Yes, I know I said that the last entry was going to be the last but I couldn’t face starting a thread from scratch…
     
    We reached at that time, what Steve called “the crest of a slumpâ€.
     
    Astley Bridge station was all but complete, and everything else was just ticking over. There were a few bits of the layout that all of us liked and a similar few that most of us didn’t, there was too much stock, not enough operational flexibility and too many other distractions. It seemed we had lost a bit of impetus to work on the layout and we just ended up meeting and drinking tea.
     
    Steve decided that the down-hill incline from Uppermill Station was just too steep and was making the locos run badly.
     
    I was never happy with the ET* between the two junctions as it covered up too much of the main lines. Half of the main lines are already under cover where the storage loops are and it just dominated one end of the layout.
     
    I arrived one day to see several rubbish sacks outside the door, containing said hill and was greeted with an empty space on the layout where it once stood.
     
    Steve had decided to re- arrange the junction up to upper mill, reducing it to single line, removing the down-hill line and to do this entailed removing the hill to lay a crossover. The two mainline junctions then gained a bi-directional link line so that now we can run between the 2 terminii without stopping traffic on the mainlines. The old lead to the downhill line now heads off to 2 long sidings via a double slip, thereby curing 3 problems in one massive re-modelling session.
     
    No more steep gradient, a massive improvement in operational flexibility and that huge ET* removed giving more “viewability†(is that a real word?) to the layout
     
    Steve was in charge of the track alterations and to replace the ET* and retain the physical/scenic break between the 2 junctions, a new stone bridge is being built, both on the slant and on the skew.
     
    Once I’ve built and installed that, quite a bit of re-signalling will be required which will keep me occupied for quite a while.
     
    Meanwhile, mojos duly found and fired up again we’ll bat along with the alterations and see where we go next.
     
     
    *…ET= Elephant T**d…
     
     
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