21Alizard

LSWR No1 goods shed it is not but the closest I could find without resorting to scratch building, but how Wills can get away with calling a box of bits a kit is beyond me. After a search I can not seem to find anyone that has built one of these, maybe everyone looks in the box and slings it in the back of the cupboard. Certainly Wills should get their act together and actually sell these with the parts ready cut to size as in similar fashion to Ratio to give less skilled modellers a fighting chance of building a so called Craftsman's Kit, maybe Wills would even sell more product? Here goes start on the goods shed which will require a bit of hacking about, mainly on the canopies to make a representation of a LSWR goods shed

Collecting rolling stock, I notice some tend to weather the wagons before the layout is complete but the rolling stock will not be done until the layout looks more like a layout. It is amazing how modern stock just does not look right even at the bare boards stage!

The main throat of the station starting to come together, no fancy CAD was used in the making as everything was placed on the baseboard using the stock to work out sizes etc;

Getting serious now, the first point in. The code 75 curved point is second-hand with the electrical contact for the frog already cut underneath, therefore as recommended for DCC a PL-13 switch is added to switch polarity to the frog and electrical continuity is not relied on the point blades to make contact. The little stone LSWR signal box is of course a Kernow Models limited edition.

Home printed signs had faded so needed replacing, the station name boards are just made from plasticard and possibly oversize and painted the nearest colour to Centro green (Revell X-15)

Repairs made to the lighting in the loco shed, all the buildings have a mini plug so they can be detached, these are available from Express Models, other model lighting companies are available!

So things move slowly at Scott Arms, the first lockdown lockdown gave time to repair and refresh some of the layout, the addition of a Bachmann disused signal box, unfortunately the backscene needs replacing, the fuel point was found to be still in working order with no damage whilst in storage.

Fast forward to the second lockdown and the garage has been refurbished and baseboards in situ

The very slow progress of a layout, unfortunately with the state of the garage being a mess as every thing gets dumped in there the layout has been a non starter, however with lockdown finally made a start on the baseboards designed to be portable rather than fixed

It has been a long time, the layout sat in storage after a failed move to Australia, I have only just got the layout out of the garage to assess the damage of 10 years storage! Thankfully not much damage apart from fences and a yard lamp, now in the process of getting the layout working. The station was never finished and now has lights. The layout was never handed handed over to my son, who now wants Overhead wires!

Help needed on who made or supplied plug in yard lights, I brought the lamp around 10 years ago but can't find the manufacture. The plug end is based on a low voltage power plug. Unfortunately the yard lamp is damaged and no longer works.

It will fit, but only just. 46233 'Duchess of Sutherland' being turned at St Blazey in 2016, a few extra hands were needed to turn the locomotive and removal of the fence!

WCRC Driver of 46100 'Royal Scot' at St Blazey

Waiting for a train (Eurostar) at St Pancras

Ballast working to Heathfield with Colas 70804

The scene on the morning of the 15th Jan 2015, looks like the wagons will not be making 6M51

I left 8 wagons for loading at Teigngrace on 6V54 this evening (14th Jan 2015) and 56078 stabled at Newton Abbot

Easter is here and I intended to make a start on the baseboards unfortunately decorating has taken priority, hopefully a start can be made on the woodwork shortly. However I did find some plans of the stations used on the North Cornwall line so Wills CK16 can be made in stone to represent the LSWR station building.

I have added the basic idea of the track plan SP25 from the Peco book '60 Plans For Small Locations' athough not exact this will be the basis for Polzeath. The plan will include an extra siding but no loco servicing facilities and no turntable, the platform will hold just 2 coaches to be able to run round but this was common on this part of the LSWR. Polzeath being smaller than Padstow would be a smaller station!

Thanks for the replies this gives an insight into a branch to Polzeath possibly from Port Issac Road with a station for Rock, there is a caravan park at Polzeath which would be an ideal location for the station, had the railway been built no doubt the village would be bigger!

Time for a new blog and new layout, the idea of going 'Southern' has been mulling around my head for a whilst but with limited free time my Western Region 80's/90's diesel garage layout has gone nowhere so the idea of something smaller and different is appealling more and more. With the large amount of Southern ready to run stock avalible it is the ideal time to model another region rather than the WR plus the LSWR still allows me to use some of my existing WR rolling stock. So here is my brief for a new layout:- Small branch line terminus or BLT in just 6ft plus fiddle yard (9ft) from the Peco 60 plans for small layouts Southern/LSWR region SR style buildings etc: Peco code 75 track DCC So why Polzeath this could be a branch on the opposite side of the Camel estuary, smaller than Padstow as the platform will only handle 2 coaches which would be prototypical for the area, to run steam and diesel including a 'Thumper' unit which never worked in Cornwall. Buildings will include Wills CK16 station in stone (has anyone tacked this kit) Wills CK15, Kernow 'Wadebridge' LSWR type 4 signal box, Roxy Mouldings 4B12 Roader shed. Unfortunatly I wanted Dart Castings L95 LSWR/SR Swan Neck Lamps but these are currently unavalible and the item I can not find is Southern Region concrete station name boards can anone help with this item? More to follow!

Can I ask who makes the pre-cast LSWR/SR nameboards?

Haen't posted for ages the layout is currently sat on end in the garage, which just shows how well everything is glued down, whilst buying odd wagons and trying to get a rake of Auto-Ballasters nothing much has happened, I still haven't found the aggregate bags yet. Problem is I work away, the layout would be ideal to do whilst I am away but I can't carry it on the train!

Still awaiting for Bachmann aggregate bags, just wondering if anyone will do the bagforce transfers? As Bachmann announce new items, I'm still waiting for last years!

Close up of the Peco (ex-Merit) skip, I did my own filling up with bits from my scrap box as I didn't think much of the scaledale ones. Still waiting for the aggregate bags from Bachmann