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Dad-1

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  1. Dad-1
    Since April we have spent more time at our caravan in Dorset than at home. My wife has decided that she wants to move there
    to be nearer to one of our sons & grandchildren. In principal I quite like the idea and suggested that within a couple of years we
    should do that.
    However things have rolled along so fast I'm now a worried man. Within two days we have sold our house subject to contract. Fine
    only I'm working on Castell Mawr a collaborative layout with me doing nearly all the work & spending most of the money - I like that
    as I'm in complete control. The problem is this layout's booked into our Milton Keynes clubs 2014 show in February, I have trouble
    moving such a big layout the 7 miles to that ..... so what happens to it ?? If I leave here it won't get finished & may get damaged, If
    I take it, I can't get it back, and even that is supposing our new as yet not found home has room for it !!
     
    I have done a little work recently and am currently waiting for more Knightwing spear security fencing. Here is half the sidings that
    I set a stage on this week. Some quality fiddle-yard !!
     

     
    Dad-1
  2. Dad-1
    Never enough time, never enough space ............
    Since moving in December I've not done much on the planned big layout Castell Mawr.
    It's too big to work on more than one board at a time, frequently needing 2 or 3 joined
    together to visualise what I want ..... and work out how to do it !!
    The recent few rain free days have had me getting some work done, before we're away
    to the holiday caravan by the coast.
     
    Firstly 3 boards were put together, interesting that the bungalow is on a steep slope &
    allows high 'helicopter' views.
     

     
    Then as can be seen my cutting is fully grassed by the operating desk.
     

     
    Limited progress, but at least it is progress ....... at this rate it'll take 2 more years ?
    Note the small wild animal paths up the cutting sides, these are all over the countryside
    if you look.
     
    Dad-1
  3. Dad-1
    Today I went to open up the caravan for the 2014 season. The site is closed from the end of October until 16th March. Tucked under the double bed is my Shillingstones Lane diorama that I'm looking forward to working on again as I extend to double the original length.
    Here is the first half, photographed back in June last year. Loads of green fields with bronze age barrow & other
    hidden shapes in a field.
    I have contemplated adding a simple roundy extension behind a high green hill to allow a continious tail chaser, but also the scope to change stock & loco ?
     

     
    The caravan needs some attention, but at least it survived the storms of spring 2014,
     
    Dad-1
  4. Dad-1
    Dug out the Bachmann 3 car 108 DMU, it runs so smoothly I did a nice gentle pull
    out from North Quay terminus, platform 2.
    I have a key-fob video camera, but not enough light in the loft to get acceptable
    videos of cab rides into the tunnel. The result is more simple videos from the small
    digi camera.
     

     
    I don't know if I ever told the story behind the layout being Two Short Planks. I started
    when I knew nothing and in model railway terms was as thick as two short planks. It was also
    going to be somewhat shorter and built on 2 melamine covered shelving 'planks', however when
    I went into that well know DIY place they only had very short ones or 6 foot lengths, so I got
    2 x 6 footers. Never thought I'd one day use it at a few exhibitions where the lengths are
    not easy to carry.
    Still, built 2008-9, my first ever layout with a track plan from my head I enjoy running on it
    and even now within the available space I don't think I could improve on the track plan.
     
    Dad-1
  5. Dad-1
    Why Not indeed !!
    I've been trying over several evenings to produce a video showing some shunting. Although the camera can be stuck on a tripod it involves many changes of points and some carefull use of controllers, particularly when trying to run a DMU into & out of the station at the same time.
    Thanks to small digital camers one can try & try again, interesting hearing the expletives on play back of failed
    'takes'.
     

     
    Dad-1
  6. Dad-1
    Nothing posted since the first week of January.
    In truth not a great deal of railway modelling done since then.
    Getting settled into a new home after some 35 years in the old one takes longer than expected,
    in fact still a long way to go. My new garden shed arrives later this month and I've been struggling
    to demolish the old leaking rotten one that came with the bungalow. Nothing to do with the shed,
    but more the weather, we live just 1 mile from the sea at West Bay & driving rain and severe gale
    force winds are not what you want. I even tried to use the weather by loosening roofing felt in the
    hope that wind would finish ripping it off for me - no such luck !!
     
    The only half decent picture is showing the Railway Modeller February issue free shed with it's
    initial paint work sitting on the end of Two Short Planks my only working track at present.
     

     
    Although this will probably be permanently in the loft it's still portable & could be taken out to a show.
    I am adding some boarding behind to give some depth as well as being a storage space for many of
    my 'spare' buildings.
     
    Now rushing around to find all I need to take to MKMRS Exhibition next Saturday.
     
    Dad-1
  7. Dad-1
    My move to a new home has had it's problems. The broken down removal lorry that split my delivery in two, part 1 arriving next day as
    expected on the 3rd, part 2 coming 2 days later.
    Then when the man came to fit a water meter it indicated a leak. The water company dug a couple of holes and then decided it was
    leaking under the bungalow. We have cut off the old supply pipe & laid in a shorter more direct one and have stopped the water loss.
     
    At the same time I was trying to board out the loft and place supports between trusses to have a layout on one side and extra storage
    on the other. I also had to wait for my Son to come & help lift two 6 foot long boards through the loft hatch. Managed to get it working
    as the old year slipped away.
     

     
    Designed for blue diesels this layout used insulated frog points & a couple of slips. Now trying to run steam locos at slow speeds I
    having regular stalling over frogs. This Bachmann Collett goods is probably the best, I would like virtuall stall speeds to be possible,
    but fear I can't get that. Strange that the 0-6-0 Collett goods are fine, yet a Jubilee 4-6-0 can't get anywhere near as slow before
    it stalls, yet the basic chassis pickup is through the 6 coupled driving wheels .... the same as the Colletts ? Wheels cleaned, track
    deep cleaned, pickup wipers cleaned and contact pressure increased, checked that at maximum deflection all wipers have good
    contact and wheel backs cleaned ????? Is it a weight balance difference ?? Oh & I don't bother with B2B settings as wheel thicknesses
    can vary, I adjusted so the tyre to flange measurement is 16.40 mm (as the Collett goods).
     
    Apart from re-building with live frog points anyone any further ideas ????
     
    Geoff T.
  9. Dad-1
    As this is booked into the MKMRS Exhibition in February & I have no safe way of getting it from Northamptonshire to Dorset it's being left in the care of a friend. Today he came and picked up 2 corner boards and the sidings 'pod'
    now 10 miles from home !!
     
    Decided to make up the other half of the station entrance this afternoon & evening. The ramp is on one board, with the steps on another, I seem to have got acceptable joints.
     
    Put some figures out to see how it looks ....
     

     
    Due to moving I couldn't go the The Telford International Centre for the IPMS(UK) International Exhibition. Had a phone call though one of my aircraft had won bronze in a special Canadian subject competition presented by a large group that had come over from Canada for the show. Also the Special Interest Group I started in 1993 wond a best in show Gold award ..... Oh how I wish I'd been there as planned, before moving was even thought about !!!!
     
    Dad-1
  10. Dad-1

    Never Enough Time .......

    By Dad-1,

    The latest information is that we should be moving around the last week of November. So much to do & so little time, as a result I've started simplifying some areas.
    I've now grassed the small bank behind the goods line and to try & keep the enthusiasm up photographed while still wet with adhesive !
     

     
    I had a small accident back in February when one station board toppled onto it's scenic side destroying the ratio fencing stuck all along the rear platform retaining wall. Now all replaced and always stored in it's 'pod' and away from any similar accidents.
     

     
    Time is running out and all locomotives with the exception of a Lima small prairie in GWR and a Collett Goods in early BR safely packed away into boxes, a sobering thought that the three loco boxes each has a content approaching £1000 in original cost !! I suppose I have 4 boxed Hornby sets still laying around, but Caledonian 123, GWR Royal Soverign, 101 DMU are not quite right although the 14XX with 2 autocoaches could appear on film soon !!
     
    Dad-1
  11. Dad-1
    Although we're still waiting for more details on the planned house move
    I need to press on. Having done as much as I want on the top siding board
    I've now put these away in their storage pod and brought in a station side
    board.
    The station side is viewed from the signal box side and this is the condition it has
    been left in since February this year. I now need to fill in with something !! Currently
    my idea is to fix the Dapol de-mounted fruit 'D' box backing onto the tracks with a gravel
    roadway running down to the signal box. A low grassy bank between the signal box & shed to
    separate vehicle movements from the main line. Then just a few piles of ... junk laying
    along the gravel roadway ......... Anybody any comments ??
     
    My platforms begin about 75 mm south of this board. I don't intend cluttering I want a
    rather open feel where there is enough room for vehicles to turn & move safely. The coal
    yard side only needs a small de-mounted box fixing and some fencing. Other than that the
    far side is O.K by me, although 3 to 4 lorries a few cars and figures bring it to life.
     
    Cuckoo Lane crossing - now in it's box !!

     
    Station side - coal yard board ..... with work to do !!

     
    Dad-1
  12. Dad-1
    As mentioned in my last posting we've sold our house subject to contract and have a 'chain'
    formed up so it looks like we could move well before Christmas !!
    It's also time to shut the holiday caravan down for winter, due to local authority regulations
    the site is closed from the end of October until mid March.
    On our last visit I took some of my Shillingstones Lane diorama back, I'd brought home to try
    and do some work, but didn't get much done. When there I lined all 6 small sections together
    to see what it may look like ....... Well blow me down, the wife liked it and suggested that I build
    another track base that I can link it all together !!
     
    So during next year my thatched cottage piece will be finished & a new base made.
    Meanwhile I still have too much to do on Castell Mawr.
     

     

     
    Sometimes I wonder why I have so many locos, coaches & wagons as I enjoy making up scenes
    more than running trains !!
     
    Dad-1
  13. Dad-1

    Try to be Tidy !

    By Dad-1,

    Oh dear, I'm on here as I can't continue with my conversion build - modelling's better than computers !!
     
    The story is thus :- I bought a Killin Pug conversion kit from Dean Sidings, the build up went easy to start with, but if you've ever used a Hornby 0-4-0 then you'll understand their running tends to be doubtful ! So much time & effort went into sorting the chassis.
    Now I want to continue I can't find the cab floor and firebox ....... looked most places, even moved furniture 'just in case' ..... I can't have looked everywhere, or I should have found it ? It would have taken less time to have kept everything tidy rather than searching the house, garage, shed, car, wardrobe, aircraft model kit boxes ??????
     
    Looks like I'll have to come back later to fix the photo ?
     

     
    Geoff T.
  14. Dad-1
    Never a dull moment ..... apart from looking out of the window.
    This Saturday I'm running the Silverfox DCC Clubs "Thomas at Silverfox Island" About a half & half job as I built
    it and bought about half the components that made it as well as supplying the two Select DCC units used by the
    children who drive on it.
     
    Sunday it's a trip to the Ecclesbourne railway with the Milton Keynes MRC. We donated our working signal to
    them when we were pushed out of Bletchley Park at the end of last year. It'll be good to see the old friend !!
     
    Monday back to Dorset and "Shillingstones Lane", I want to build additional exchangeable sections to change
    the whole atmosphere ...... I even thought about covering the track and turning into a small industrial
    estate, the sort of diorama showing what became of most small branch line infrastructures since the 1960's.
     

     
    The first changes will be going back to before the current farm cottage was built and to do this as quickly as
    possible I intend using the Dapol thatched cottage ..... at under £4.50 it's a snip. So perhaps when I next
    get on line I'll be able to show two different dioramas on the same shallow cutting base section. Still loads
    of painting needed on that thatched cottage ..... just the thing for wet days in Dorset, a sort of insurance
    on the weather, if I have indoors work it'll be fine & sunny !!!!
     
    To see the diorama look at "Shocking Neglect" posting.
    Geoff T.
  15. Dad-1
    In truth I'd forgotten what user name I'd used and had so many failed attempts I though I'd never get back in again. Then one moments inspiration - that's a fib, got in at the 4th attempt !!
    Now having a holiday caravan in Dorset we spend half our time away from home. Not good for the big layout, but gave a chance to play with a diorama based on Dorset landscape.
    So Shillingstones Lane came about, started in May I think, where three scenic sections just sit on a framework that has a short length of railway running in a shallow cutting. The three sections has now expanded to 4 with 100% interchangeability to move from an Iron or bronze age Barrow to pre-historic standing stones.
    The truth is I prefer the scene modelling to just having a railway - what do you think ?
     

     

     
    Hell I may even show some changes on Castell Mawr ...... Been on the go since October 2011 and still miles to go !!!
     
    Geoff T.
  16. Dad-1
    August ....... last time I posted was AUGUST ?
    Yes I suppose it was.
    I'm still fighting my 'big' layout, but did some more ballasting tonight, stuck a loco
    and station building on.
     

     
    Digi cameras pick out all the small detail that's not quite right !! My friend who was
    persuaded to paint the rails missed in a few places
    You can just see the odd figure inside the station, perhaps I should have found
    a few figures for the platform, but they're all outside in the garage.
     
    Geoff T.
  17. Dad-1
    I can make excuses, but a little sunshine gave me a chance to start the final base boards. I needed the space outdoors to arrange the swap around, stripping the two high end boards out and getting the two low end boards
    on legs in place.
    That started with a small garage clear up. Now I have to cut the track-bed board and risers of 140mm on which the track-bed will be fixed.
     

     
    This should enable me to get track wiring in which will not link between these two boards. It would seem that feeding the DCC bus from the other end, having it run roughly 22 feet each side of the feed will be fine, but to join up into a ring may cause signal errors. There are times (a few) when I heed advice !
     
    While it was raining last week I got my plasticard out and made a lane under bridge that will take a road from board edge under the tracks, down a hill to join the main road. So far so good .....
     

     
    I still have to make the main road under bridge and the railways river bridge, but these need to be built to fit the track-bed. Anyway my plasticard is getting low so tonight I re-ordered stock from Slaters.
     
    Geoff T.
  18. Dad-1
    I see I claim to have started on these at the end of May. Outdoor weather has been less summer like than ever, and these are 100% outdoor work. I'm still day dreaming with little ideas, but have started the raised track bed. Also have made rough road under bridge formers out of 3 mm MDF, these will be used as a base for embossed plastic sheeting.
    The supporting uprights will have 9 mm beading attached across the top each side as per the base, onto which the track bed will be screwed and glued.
     

     
    Once I thought the track so high against the river surface it would distort scaling of the bridge. However with the road being 25 mm or so above the river it looks about right to my eye.
     

     
    There are times when work is interupted by our little wild friend "Scruffy" who likes a digestive biscuit both morning and tea time !
     

     
    Dad-1
  19. Dad-1
    Although I want to work on my 'river' end I need to work on that outdoors and today the weather looked iffy.
    In addition I didn't feel too good as my back was playing me up. As a result I started plastering more of the cutting where the boards are up in the garage.
     

     
    Took this with one of my 3 x 14XX locos pulling a short freight. From track level that cutting looks quite deep. Still very wet and glistening .....
     
    Probably slow up now as next week I'm away for a few days, while the current weather forecast is not too good.
     
    Geoff T.
  20. Dad-1

    Something Achieved !

    By Dad-1,

    Posting twice in one week - something of a record .....
    As I can't find a way of extending a thread by additional postings we have a new one !!
     
    After a couple of days 'messing around' I've at last made all the track on station boards 1 - 3 go live !!
    Not a single wiring glitch although two crossovers are not yet attached to their decoders due to being
    on separated boards and I've not bought the connecting plugs & sockets.
     
    I so often hear of difficulties with double slips and being code 100 track my slips are the only insulated
    frog turnouts. So once this went live I had a little play testing by traversing the slip in all directions using a
    selection of locomotives. All went through even at slow speeds, a Dapol 14XX; Hornby Railroad 9F; Bachmann
    Robinson 04; Bachmann Midland 3F.
    To try and get a scale feel I had a 6 coach train of clerestory coaches along what will be platform 1 with a local
    'B' set being pulled by the 14XX at what will be platform 2.
     

     
    Slip testing time, part of the 14XX programme !!
     
    One more station throat to go !! by next weekend - no hope !!
     

     
     
     
    Dad-1
  21. Dad-1
    I have such long 'absent' spells that every time I come back it takes me ages to work out how to drive this darned computer !!
    Not posted anything new since January, ouch, time to show what has been going on.
    Firstly spending money, this layout has loads of points, each requiring motors, switches for frog polarity changing. Then as usual
    buying a few building kits and vehicles just to try and keep the enthusiasm going as well as working out what will go where ?
     
    Work has been done on the 'Station' side track, although not all laid yet. Now I don't know if it's me, but I can't start building the scenery
    until all track is down and working well.
     

     
    This shows the lines running throught the station. Main lines on the right serving platform 1, with the island platform having main line platform 2 with platform 3 and a goods line behind that.
     
    Almost out of sight is one of the station throats, but here is the board parked against my garage wall.
     

     
    All I'm itching to do is start scenery !! Before the fiddleyard/sidings were stripped down I indulged myself. Here seen from the operators side.
     

     
    But that rough 'planning' aside it's just boards & track ..........
     
    Dad-1
  22. Dad-1
    I have this thing about wagons, I don't think there's a locomotive here I wouldn't swap for a clutch of good wagons.
    But wagons have/had a tough old life and the 'as bought' condition tends to turn me off any layout, they just
    spoil the effect. I think it strange so many modellers spend a fortune on re-naming and re-numbering locomotives
    yet put up with basic factory finish stock. Not all thank heavens and we do see some superb weathering.
     
    My latest play is some Dapol 21 ton coal hoppers, I'm a little frustrated by certain inaccuracies within the models
    and regret that life is too short to modify beyond their as bought state, other than weathering and adding an improved
    load. At least this can be done indoors where I can work close to a radiator all warm and comfy.
     
    These were bought a two 5 wagon sets with different running numbers. I am worried about removing the riveted in
    weight for those that will remain empty, something not planned by Dapol. If they prove too light I'll add a little length
    of lead between the two hopper discharge chutes.
     

     
    Flash has also highlighted the plastic body locating clips that I'll have to paint either very dark grey, or black !!
     
    I'd like 15 empty & 15 loaded, but fear life is too short and perhaps pocket not quite deep enough !!
     
    Dad-1
  23. Dad-1
    After I'd completed my diorama Carsons Quay I thought I'd get back to my small roundy-roundy layout, but stupidly I said I'd build a suitable Thomas layout by the Silverfox DCC clubs exhibition tomorrow.
    We wanted something cheap, simple, easy to transport, you know all the impossible combinations !!
    I insisted that it had to be fully scenic, with little direct 'Thomas' influence so it could look good with anything running on it.
    The design was for a fully folding double oval with small operating desks at each front corner allowing children to be allowed to drive. My first innovation was for all power links between the two sides to be carried through the 4 hinges that held the two parts together. Track to be in a slight well to prevent any train from crashing to the floor regardless of too fast a running (remember children driving) or being knocked.
    A lake on one side to allow a hill on the opposite half to mesh together when closed up.
    It seems to have worked quite well and by using a removable two part road the joining hinges and central woodwork is hidden.
    First a picture of it in the folded away state with road bridge resting on top and hill beside. This is compact enough to carry inside the rear foot well and back seat of a Daewoo Matiz !!
     

     
    Here is an overall view from the hill side.
     

     
    From first buying the wood to those final pictures was 3 Months, during which I also had a holiday in the Netherlands as well as a couple visits to two of my sons.
    I notice those last photos were taken just before the road bridge had railings and a little grass edging added.
     
    NOW perhaps I'll get back to my layout ...........
     
    Geoff T.
  24. Dad-1
    Winters more or less ended and I can at last spend a few hours in the garage without freezing !
    Mind you , can't show what I'm doing there because it's still too early in the building stages for
    these hallowed walls !!
     
    What I've enjoyed doing this winter is another diorama. What I like about these is the short span from
    start to finish. The ability to be creative with modelling ideas at minimal cost and little difficulty in finding
    somewhere to keep them.
    So here is an almost finished 'Carsons Quay' just 15" x 9.5" with the backboard about 14" high.
    Representing the end of a small harbour quay which was once used for fish docks, but now in the
    early 1960's finding other uses for workshops. Chose the name Clark in rememberance of the
    great Jim & Roger.
     

     
    The full 'on cost' of making this has been around £7 ....... good value for money !
     
    Geoff T.
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