mudmagnet

Hi Lewis, Thanks for comments. The fencing is Ratio and quite effective. The only tricky bit is cutting the mesh material and keeping it straight and then glueing to the posts. The 'wire' across the top is grey cotton.

Hi A couple of updates - the inspection platform has been completed and now sprayed grey primer, ready for painting. I have also primed the four baskets. These are all etched brass kits supplied by PHDesigns and very good they are too (usual disclaimer - just a very satisfied customer). When final painted, I will add some more photos. Not very clear photos though - will take some better ones when finished painting. I have also glued a few 'redundant' sleepers close to the siding. Just need add some redundant rail and few more weeds etc.

I've used the tile grout for concrete / ground cover, plus for making stonework on my bridge. The grout can be carved once hardened, but needs to be slightly wetted with water to soften sufficiently to be carved. Can also be sanded smooth quite well. Also, can be bought cheaply from the DIY sheds!

Mark, I have used a similar method for painting the brickwork that you use - and have found that this works well for me. I've had similar 'problems' with washing the mortar colour in afterwards. However, not so bad on 7mm brickwork, probably to do with the deeper profile. I will stick with the 'dry-brushing' method for 4mm in future. It also gives a better overall colour finish as various shades can be built up and prevents the 'picked-out-colour' look that you sometimes see - i.e. this method allows variation in colour over the whole wall which seems to be much more realistic. As all ways - work from a few photos. Acrylics or weathering powders can then be used for weathering. Grimley - sorry missed your comment that these were Bachmann jacks - my own set arrived this morning. These look great in the flesh - a well recommended item!

Hi A little more work on the layout today. I have added more scenary along the fence at the end of the layout, so these is getting near being finished - just some more grass to add in a few weeks when I get to 'play' with Darren01's grassmaster. I have also glued the fuel tanks in position (need to add some weeds and grass around the brick walls - note glue still drying around bricks when photo taken) and will then need to add all of the pipe work from the offloading siding and feed pipes, plus valves, pumps etc. Not sure if I get these finished before the layouts first showing (another plug - Barnstaple 31st July!) My Bachmann Scenecraft loco jacks arrived this morning (purchased on Ebay Thursday night - so great service) these will end up inside the shed. Next job is to finish the dummy point levers and I have started painting sleepers so that a pile can be added at the end of the siding as suggested by Marc - thanks Marc! Hopefully will get photos posted tomorrow for these.

Thanks for details on lifting jacks - have just ordered a set. I can see these being a popular item! Keep up the good work.

The shed walls are coming together well. The Evergreen sheets look very good - the quality of all their sheets I have always found to be very good. Getting the colours correct on the brick work takes some practice and useful to have a few photos to work from. Where do the loco jacks come from? I've seen these elsewhere, but can't seem to find who supplies these.

Another quick update. I had a problem with my Dynamis and accessory decoder, but thanks to my local model shop (Shady Lane in Bideford), all seems to be working ok now! Thanks Mac! Hope to get some more work completed on the layout and inspection platform in the next few days and will post photos as things progress.

Hi Darren, Thanks for comments. Looking forward to trying out the Grassmaster - at least with the packing of the layout sorted, it won't be a problem to bring down to yours. I've made a start on assembling one of the PHD mobile inspection platforms. The etching is superb. A little fiddly to put together - plenty of hot fingers! Going together ok though - now need to assemble the steps and what appears to be the most fiddly bits - the castor feet. When assembled, I will add some photos. I have decided that I want a couple more at some point!

With some assistance from my son today, the factory end of the layout is coming together. The basic scenery has been glued around the end wall and fence - with some more to get finished hopefully this week. Getting this done has meant that I can glue the main shed in position and can then be bedded in. The fuel tanks and bund have been largely finished, except getting the pipework finished, but only placed in position for the photos. The gaps between ground covering and brick walls to be filled in when glued in position. The quality of the photos could be better - lack of depth of field - must take the layout outside again and spend some more time taking better photos!

Neil, Thanks for your comments. I still have plenty to do, trying to get ready for its first public showing at the end of July. It will be far from finished, but hoping to get a few more details finished, just to show how the completed layout (if one ever is complete!). I will post some more photos shortly. Pete, Again, thanks for your comments. The layout was designed to fit into the back of my car and yet be easy to transport. I have seen several layouts at exhbitions where packing was not considered and hence damage was incurred. By completely boxing in the layout, the risk of damage is greatly reduced. I will also be adding casters to one of the end boards, so the layout can be tipped onto one end and rolled into the exhibition hall! An idea 'borrowed' from DLT on his Briport Town layout. the whole assembly is still relatively light and can carried by myself and my 12 year old son! I have also designed the legs so that this also fit into the baseboard frames - one less seperate thing to carry. Quite of a lot of time setting up and re-loading at the end of a show is moving the various layout bits and pieces from hall to car / van. At leaste on box with everything (except stock / controllers / power leads / coffee mug etc) in unit saves a considerable amount of time. Richard

I've added some photos showing the boxing of the layout for safe transportation. The first showing complete box, the second showing the front cover removed, the third with one of the end boards un-bolted from the scenic board - note hardboard spacer strip to protect the ends of the track. The fourth and fifth showing the boards erected on their legs, with the front cover bolted to the main pair of legs to provide bracing stiffness. The second board piggy-backs off the main board.

No photos to show much progress at the moment. Attmepted to get the accessory decoder to work - having a few issues, thankfully my local shop owner has offered to come round one evening to have a look (a bit like the DCC doctor making house calls!) With the weather being good, I've been cutting up wood and drilling holes to the make the packing pieces. Both boards are packed face to face, with end boards being bolted to the ends of each board (a trip of hardboard is sandwiched between the end of the baseboard and the bolting end board to protect the ends of the track - photos to follow when the glue has dried will help to explain more clearly). A further plywood board also clips across the open front of the baseboards when bolted together, thus creating a box to fully enclose scenic parts of the layout. This plywood board also is used a brace between the legs. Hopefully if the weather stays good, I will be able to take some photos and post to make things a little more clear.

Dave, Looking really great. Good to see a 'N' gauge layout in a reasonable size and not crammed with track. Looking forward to seeing the scenic development on the new board.

Great layout. Everything blends together well. Like to the 47 and look forward to seeing the Hymek and 03. I guess that the 03 is a kit - which one have you built?

Hi Marc, Thanks for comments. I've been trying to work through things in a 'logical' method and making slow progress. There are few jobs that need be completed in a specific order. There are a few jobs that I would like to get on with, but some the more 'boring' jobs need to be completed first. No photo updates at the moment, hopefully get a few over the weekend. I need to finish wiring the points to the accessory decoder, then can add the dummy point levers and finish painting and weathering the track and ballast. I can then add some redundant rail and old sleepers. The fuel tanks are almost completed and ready to glue in position - just need to add some more pipe work.

Hi these three photos were taken on a wet day on the Welsh Highland Railway in June 2005.

Hi Not much progress on the layout since the weekend, but have been working on the signal. This is now ready for final cleaning and painting. Eventually this will be operational, but unlikely to get sorted for a few weeks. The other soldering project are the PH Design depot baskets. As can be seen in the photos, the etches are very fine and so far have only soldered up one basket. As this is the first one, thus learning the best way to fold and solder. The rest should be easier. Very pleased with the result so far.

I've been following this thread for a while and each time there is something impressive - looking really great!

Hi I've been able to spend some more time in the shed today - a bit to hot to do much else (i.e. decorating / washing the car). The scenery by the bridge has built up - more still to do, but a good a start has been made. The hedges are rubberised horse-hair, covered in Woodland Scenics (dip the pre-cut hedge sections in PVA diluted about 50% in 'wet-water', then into the Woodland Scenics and left to dry). A bit more variation in the colour is needed and then some more scenery added at the bottom of the hedge to blend into the rest of the scenery. I've also added some long grass along the redundant sleepers. A second OCA has been purchased and will be quite heavily weathered and will post photos when finished. Both OCA's will benefit from have some loads making, which will be removable so that they can be changed over. A small retaining wall has been started, which will fit behind the signal and will been carved and painted before gluing in place.

Hi It's been a while since the last update on progress on the layout. I've had chance to get into the shed now that the weather is warmer and lighter to late. I have made a start o the signal and have position approximately as shown, just in front of the bridge. In order to get it to fit, some of the scenary has been cut away (easy with polystyrene and plaster bandage) and a stone retaining wall needs to be added in behind. I've also been filling in the sections between the track and next job is paint these sections and then add some grass etc. The concrete huts have been glued in position and will have some scrap parts added, plus a few weeds and grass growing. As suggested by Marc, I've added a few redundant sleepers beyond the siding. These have been made from plasticard and glued some Peco chairs (carefully sliced off Peco flexi track). Next, will be add some grass and weeds. This is the fun part, adding the scenary and detail parts. Still to add the buildings at the other end, but the low-relief factory will be re-built as I was not entirely happy with it, so needs replacement. Until this is in place, I can't finish the scenary at this end. Hopefully will get chance to get some more completed over the weekend and will update.

No photos so far this weekend and haven't made much progress on the layout. Marc, as suggested, I have laid a few additional sleepers at the end of the siding where this comes through from the bridge - have been painted, but need to be ballasted next. Thanks to Peter Harvey at PHD - a few bits arrived in the post this morning, so will start on the depot baskets and mobile inspection platform. First impressions - extremely fine etching, with quite a few small parts - should be fun. I willl add photos when a start has been made. Also, a signal kit for a SR upper quadrant has also arrived in the post, plus a few smaller bits. Should keep me busy for a while. Now, where's my soldering iron .....

Hi Gary, Looking very good indeed. The coastal scene looks great- also like your rusting 'wreck', something often seen on the tidal rivers, but rarely modelled well. The backscene helps to blend everything together nicely.

Hi, It's been a productive weekend, after mountain biking this morning and watching the Grand Prix (a bit dull), I've highlighted the buffer stops with 'rusty' acrylic (Games Workshop / Citadel paint), and added some grass. This has been achieved the 'old-fashioned way' - i.e. using Woodland Scenics long grass cut to length and glued to small dabs of PVA (which has not dried yet when photos taken). There is still plenty to do around the buffer stops, but I fancied doing a bit of the scenic works - this is one of the areas that I enjoy the most - makes a pleasant changed from the other jobs to be started / completed! Still plenty to do - track ballasting and painting to be completed, plus fitting building at end of board to be completed next.

Hi Chris, Thanks for your comments. That's what RMWeb is all about - the exchange of ideas and assistance where need. Yes, see you Tuesday. Cheers Richard