Dad-1

Well almost the end of the line ........ The day my MDF was cut was 13th July, here we are 13th August and apart from some very minor 'touch-up's' the scenic programming track is done. This week the weather has been a little damp, that combined with being out nearly every evening caused some delay. As an example my Fresian cows are now brown although still need some detail painting. The tractor has not been 'worked over' with mud and grime hence all these small side elements not yet added to the photos. But here we are 3 weeks work ..... no, no, not that 4 letter word retired people flinch at, 3 weeks fun, broken by a weeks holiday in Dorset the programming track - Not just any programming track, but a M & S programming track (please don't sue !) but Mine & Scenic. Probably add a few outdoor shots with the much improved lighting when the cows ard tractor are finished. I hope you enjoy and not found my Month's build boring ! Geoff T.

Hi cromptonnut, I didn't realise I'd not said what it was - yes it's '00', nominal 4 mm scale. I did think about leaving sleeper indentations, but decided it would be a messy job as well as most lifted track seemingly leaving little trace. I don't know if there was a programme of removing, cleaning and reusing ballast ? I believe it is done with modern equipment on lines still in use, but that's re-using at the same location. Indentations on 7 mm will probably work well. I would have thought matchsticks would still be useable for fencing on 7 mm scale, on 00 a nominal 2.25 mm matchstick represents a 6.3/4 " fence post so at 7 mm slightly under 4 ". Height and angle of embankment need matching, you'll notice I have much steeper (unrealistically so) at the buffer end, but in my minds eye the land rises here, rather than box the sides in I kept green with steep - pretend it's rocky ground embankment. I don't recall giving my measurements, but I worked on a 250 mm wide base, 100 mm wide embankment top, resting on 50 mm side supports. To try (and it worked) to prevent the 6 mm MDF warping the box section had 9 mm sq beading stuck along all the inside joints. I look forward to your variation on the theme, it should look very good with the increased detail available on '0' models. I again can't recall if I said that the embankment sides are from styrene ceiling tiles. I can still get these locally for just under a fiver for a pack of 20 and find them an ideal if messy base onto which I lay the final ground mix of 50% sawdust (I can get free) and 50% finishing plaster. The mess being the static charged cut off scraps that seem to get everywhere. The cattle creep/culvert was one 'In my stock' from the Wills range, I'd purchased that for another job, but it was too small, here, although I'd not even intended using it when the MDF was cut it worked out to be the perfect size. If you think I can be of any more help just ask, I've always thought that stimulating another modeller to have a crack at something is one of the highest accolades anyone can have. That inspiration can come from very humble models with each build improving on the originals - hence some of the super detail stuff we aspire to, but know I'll never match !! Geoff T

Hi cromptonnut, You can pinch any ideas you fancy. I picked up ideas from websites and perhaps even more important where to get certain materials. I'm out tonight again !! but have done all the embankment vegetation and now just need to add some more reeds in the stream to thicken them up. Depending on weather, because I photograph outdoors, I may be able to add a couple more shots tomorrow evening. Busy old life - At the new DCC club on Monday; Bletchley Park with MKMRS Tuesday; Out to Aylesbury toningt to the aircraft modelling club, then running trains for Bletchley Park tomorrow afternoon !! Being retired is hard work !!! Geoff T.

Hi Liddy, It runs very well although it's been on the bench a few times. Firstly it was stuffed with lead wherever I could add some - but I did try not to add too much to one end as balance is important. Then it's been well run in, err almost worn out ? by running continiously for several hours on several occasions. It's also DCC hard wired and with other things sorted this just makes slow running that much better. I have made certain that all 4 wheel pick-ups are in constant contact even with the axles pushed fully to the side. It can now pull upward of 15 wagons, in fact 10 LWB vans was the 'test' element. It will 'most' times run over insulfrog points and slips at quite slow speeds I have added a small white dot on the throttle settings below which it may sometimes stall - this is slow, but not very slow, but I can run at a scale 3 - 5 mph. Oh, I love these little shunters and have a green one. In fact out of 30 items of motive power I have 10 x 0-6-0's and less, ie 2 x 14XX; 2 x 06; 03; 04; 08; GWR 0-4-0; Caley Pug; 57XX. And thanks for the comment - I don't need to run trains to enjoy the hobby. Geoff T.

Sorry the first picture came up last - I did something wrong and couldn't seem to edit as I wanted. Geoff T.

Although it's only 39" (1 metre) long and just one piece of track I want to develop an authentic feel - but all artistic (I hope) from my imagination. I've added vegetation to both sides of the stream, I'm still not happy with the reeds and will have to add more when all this is securely set. From the scenic side - well there is another 1.5" at the embankment base - the cow needs to become brown, the tractor getting dirty, and those reeds, need a bit more. I've already touched up the paint on the figures. I wanted to take a couple shots from the other side with just the sky and tree tops, but was unable to find a location in the garden where I could do this. My trees are getting too tall !! Apart from additional reeds this side is now finished A thoroughly enjoyable project ........ and it should be finished in the 1 month, from which I was away for one week. Geoff T.

Right, couldn't do much between showers, but decided I had to sort out the vegetation around the deep culvert mouth before I could fix the small hikers footbridge in. The plan is for tallish reeds, dried out at the rear with shorter slightly more greenish in the stream edge. Here it is after the first fix with the very wet PVA showing, the bridge is just resting in place at present. I may try to add some depth behind these, but can't add any more until this session is fully dry. I must be mad ...... all this for a programming track. Still I wouldn't have done well as a racing cyclist if I'd never done any training, and that's what this is 'training' learning what various materials do and how to handle them. Geoff T.

Hi cromptonnut, Space is always the problem, with most of us it's not having enough, however think of those living in bungalows with all that loft space ? Oh yes, that also can be a problem, look how much it'll cost to fill the available space !! My first layout is an end to end jobbie, just under 12 feet of visual track, although the full thing is just over 15 foot. It's simply impossible to have even 4 coach trains operating as the platforms are simply too short. My way around that helped by being BR blue diesel era, is to just use DMU's up to 3 car length. The other dodge was to join the local (11 miles) MRS where the track has seen my railfreight 33 pulling up to 29 x 45 tonne oil tanks !! With an 8 coach train behind a 33 or 47 it looks fine - although even the station there will only accommodate 6-7 coaches. Anyway - the rain has stopped and I'll see if I can get out to finish a little more embankment. Geoff T.

Hi Cromptonnut, You're not alone in trying to put too much track into the 'picture', let's face it we all enjoy running trains, but think of your layout as a 3D picture. It's very much an art form in getting the civil engineering, landscape, people to look right, and remember the digital camera can be very cruel, but if that say's it's O.K. then you've done well !! Anyway to continue with this programming track. The stream under the culvert is resin 'water', sadly my oldest set had gone 'off' with the hardener looking like sugary white crystals. I had bought another small set last November and when found that was fine. As this mixture 'creeps' for almost 24 hours I'm hoping I sealed the tunnel walls with enough PVA when building !! Otherwise it may look like the summer of '76 drought. Back to working up a plasticard foot bridge for when this 'water' is dry ..................... Geoff T.

O.K then Ian, This must mean my last winters diorama was a micro layout ? That has a station - a working (flickering) oil light - and a point - and a working signal, but is shorter. Sorry about the backstand - I'm no artist !! http:// On second thoughts it may not be longer - The original 'plan' for this one was to use a base the size of A4 paper, but earned an extension (part hidden by the barrow crossing) Geoff T.

I'm a fidget, I can't sit watching TV for long without wanting to do something with my hands. Had over 35 years of scale aircraft modelling, but needed a change a couple of years ago. As with many I'd always dreamed of having a model railway, but never had the space, time, or finance. With retirement and the children all having flown the nest that just left finance, with interest rates at such low levels I thought I'd spend some money before it became worthless. This means my knowledge of prototype is more or less nil, I just do my own thing, right or wrong. My current project with a planned scheduled 1 month time scale is simply a DCC programming track, but more than just a programming track ........... Is it a diorama, or is it a micro ?? Just a 1 yard length of Hornby 100 track, on a 1 metre board. The 'plan' was simply an embankment with a culvert where a siding had been left, but the branch line that used to run alongside has been lifted some time ago. This was going to act as a photo plinth as well as programming DCC decoders as they are added to my growing fleet. Railings over the culvert were made from soldering 2 cut up paperclips for each side. Geoff T.

I doubt I'm the first, but my initial "improvement" before any real weathering is added .... Coupling rods brush painted Oily Steel, and I've matt varnished all the stainless wire grab handles to reduce the overly shiny effect. Well at least I think it improves the look .......... and that's all that matters to me !! Dad-1

Don't know if I'm first, but those connecting rods in bright nickel plate are a bit loud - just painted mine in a paint called oily steel ...... The early beginnings of weathering !! Geoff T.

Well Spooky or what ? Fell for pre-grouping locos when I got Caledonian 123 ....... guess what I'm no. 123 ..... Had hoped it would arrive today, but looks like Monday at the earliest now. I also ordered a Flying Dutchman set from The Signal Box who are clearing their last ones out at just ??97.99, also added one extra brake. Dad-1