JaymzHatstand

That's a pretty good idea for a display shed/layout. Will you be having the odd item of rolling stock lurking around the depot too? I dare say a kettle support coach would be present somewhere. The trackplan also looks pretty good, is it based on anywhere in particular? Looking forward to seeing this develop J

That must've taken a fair bit of elbow grease to get the flange off, I wouldn't be looking forward to doing the other! Mind you if you keep the loco facing the same way you may be able to leave it on! This a rather interesting concept, and one which also gets my brain thinking in terms of my 009 layout, they had tight curves on narrow gauge lines too! Keep it up J

Some (more) new rolling stock is in the erecting shops! If I could actually finish some before starting more, it'd be good! Anyhow, here's an update... I decided that the Sandhutton coach I built at the beginning of my layout's creation needed a partner, but that a full length bogie coach would be a bit of an expense for a small railway (in it's earlier days at least!) so I have begun construction of a four-wheeled version to a similar design. It it a full open with bench seating, but with a semi-partition in the middle for strength. It also has the verandah ends as-per the bogie version and will be painted in the same dark brown livery. Those of you who have been following this will also be aware that I had started to build the FR Carriage 22, well this is still ongoing, but has been re-started as I wasn't really satisfied with the windows. I have instead used evergreen strip to form the beading and window frames as demonstrated so very ably by Rob Waller of 'Ddaullt' and 'Bron Hebog' fame (http://bronhebog.blogspot.com/) which has left me with a redundant bodyshell. After spending quite a while watching the brilliant County Gate at MRLive on Saturdayt, and having a nice long chat with JdF, my brain (!) came to the conclusion that the LNER may well have tried out a narrow gauge DMU on the Sandhutton line (well in my version of history they did!) And this redundant carriage body will form the start of it. The window frames will be removed and a new framework built, and a cab built into one end. I will of course have to build another coach for it, to a similar pattern, but with motor compartment and so reduced seating. I have measured and found that a Tomix TM-13 chassis is almost a direct fit, with bogi centres at almost the same as those orignially envisioned for the carriage, lucky or what?! I have roughtly planned out on the bodysides what will go where. Double doors midway down the car and big 'picture' windows. Liverywise, I'm thinking of two tone blue like the LNER's Tyneside electrics and Coronation/West Riding Limited set Hopefully I'll get somewhere with all these ongoing projects and not get too distracted by everything else that is running around in my brain too! J

Nice bit of clag there, looking forward to seeing her come through York on Saturday. When's the G scale on coming?! J

While watching the build up to the Belgian Grand Prix this afternoon, I prepared the new platform surface for Scrayingham. I had scraped all the previous ballast platform surface away earlier (and hoovered it up so I don't get in trouble!). So I set about with a paper template and a sheet of Slaters brick embossed plastic, the same as used in the goods shed area which is supposed to be locally sourced brick, afterall the Sandhutton line did serve the brickworks at Claxton, and that formed a large percentage of the traffic. First off is the paper template with the station bulding (Will's Crossing Kepers Cottage) and shelter (Skaledale) followed by the template in place on the station board, along with an assortment of stock (I fancied a play!). You may also notice Murphy, my assistant enjoying the sunshine! Once I got the template sorted, it was time to transfer it onto the brick sheet and cut it out Test fit the buildings Then check it on the layout Once I get the reast of the scenic bit sorted, I'll be able to fix it down and paint/weather it. The back of the platform will be edged with some sort of fence with the building acting as the entrance as well as the ticket office and shop. I've made a start with the interior of the office, with patition walls and a flase ceiling made from plasticard. I'm contemplating lighting for it just for a bit of added interest. J

That's pretty impressive, the 'dirty old' footage really adds atmospher to the film. Maybe once you're done building, you could put together a full documentary on the layout, and include a bit of 'archive' footage, it'd look awesome! J

Wow! That is one heck of a lot of scribing, and even more to do! I think I'd've given up by now, but I do get easily distracted. Oooo shiny thing! This really is a feascinating thread, and I'm enjoying seeing it develop as it covers a lot of my personal interests, and the idea is intriguing. Keep up the good work and good luck with your scribing! J

Cheers, I was a bit worried that I would end up with a useless blob of whitemetal, but it seems that I got the temperature right (it helps having a controllable iron!) J

I recently bought the GEM kit of Dolgoch, as I just happened to have the Arnold chassis donated to me a year ago and I've been planning to have a go at this little loco, as it's about as close as I think I'll get to a Sandhutton loco, which themselves were well tanks, albeit with outside frames and walshearts valve gear. In 009 that isn't getting scratchbuilt (not by me anyway!). Below are a couple of photos of one of the Sandhutton locos, and Dolgoch so you can see the similarities (and yes, I know they aren't identical!) Anyhow, the GEM kit is very nicely moulded with very little flash and just some faint casting seams to get rid of, and a dry fit of the parts held itself together pretty well! I've been wanting to have a go at whitemetal soldering for some time, and this morning I finally took the plunge and once I got the temperature right on my Weller WHS40, starting low and working upwards, I found a temperature that would melt the Carr's low melt solder and have it flow in the yellow flux, but not wreck the castings. The first couple of joints were not quite hot enough, so they didn't hold, so I cranked up the heat a little and bingo! Below are a couple of shots of my first steps, and I'm quite pleased with them. I'm looking forward to getting it done and painted now (oh, and I could maybe do with getting my layout working again! (http://www.rmweb.co....scrayingham-009) Of course this is going to end up with me needing a couple of Talyllyn coaches to go with Dolgoch, I already have one, so that's a start! Any comments, questions or general advice are as always, most welcome! Thanks for looking! J

Some of those units are rather smart, are they quiet and comfortable too? I'd much rather see those 643s shuttling about on Trans Pennine duties than the nasty 185s we get! J

Well, I've been meaning to alter the fiddle yard arrangement on Scrayingham for over a year, and I've finally got around to starting! Not sure if I've mentioned it in the past, but I'm going for a traverser as opposed to a fan of sidings, this way I don't have to worry about overhangs or long stock not agreeing with reverse curves (i.e. the Sandhutton coach!) I have cut the wood and assembled the frame, but not fitted the top surfaces or drawer runners as yet. I'm waiting for the pattern makers dowels to arrive before I make the connecting end of the board inaccessible for drilling! Below are a couple of photos of the current state of affairs. The track and scenery is still on the original fiddle yard board, and this is soon to be lifted and changed to a scenic section so there is a bit more of a run between fiddle yard and station. The observant amongst you may also notice that the platform shelter is not present in the photos, and a Will's Crossing Keepers Cottage has appeared. The cottage is going to become the ticket office/refreshment room, and the shelter will be moved up the platform (I just forgot to bring it downstairs for the photos!). I also intend to pave the platform as I've never been fully satisfied with the gravelled look I have at present. While watching something no doubt thrilling on telly the other week, I also made a start on a ground frame to represent the control mechanism for the run-round loop points, this is now in need of painting and levers fitting. Also I've built a Parkside DM48 Festiniog 2 Balcony Brake Van, which will be finished as Van 7 as seen here http://www.festipedi...g.uk/wiki/Van_7 and will eventually joined by the single balcony version and an open bogie waggon to make the 'Greasers Express' as seen on the link above. I'm quite pleased with my rendition of the green used on the FR, being a mix of Railmatch 314 Southern Stock Green with a dash of 61 LMS Freight Grey. So that's where Scrayingham is at present, hopefully there'll be a bit more progress over the coming weeks than there has been recently, but I keep getting sidetracked with other projects, must stay focussed! As ever, any comments/suggestions/questions are welcomed! Cheers J

Now that is a good idea, I wish I'd had the space to do something like that at uni! To make building a little easier, how about getting some thin sheets of ply to cover the shelves so you can actually get scenic on it. That way you can take it with you as well, all you need is some frames built separately, that once you're done with uni, you can fit the boards to the frames and hey presto! Will be watching with interest J

I have started construction of Festiniog Cariage 22 in it's current guise with large windows, as opposed to the earlier wooden panelled and smaller windowed body style, for more details, see here http://www.festipedi...iki/Carriage_22 I have the Worsley Works etches for the wooden body version, but, at present the newer body version is not available. Using the etches as a guid for the windows and overall dimensions, I have begun construcion in plasticard. I intend to use Parkside bogies, which I shall order once pay-day arrives! I'm toying with the idea of fitting lighing using small LEDs, but as my layout is only DC controlled keeping them on will be a bit of a challenge! The interior is quite simple, with only bench seating, which with the addition of a few passengers should make it quite a sturdy bit of rolling stock. J

Thanks for the compliments! The slaters figures are a little two-dimensional, but as passengers, they do the job! Cheers J

I've been busying myself painting figures of late to populate my layout. They are, so far, a mix of Slaters and Aiden Campbell figures painted with acrylics from the Tamiya and Games Workshop ranges. A number of seated passengers have been fitted to my carriages, Aiden Campbell whitemetal ones in Festiniog semi-open 'Tourist Car' No.37 to ad weight, and slaters in the Talyllyn 3 compartment, as it has a whitemetal underframe and enough weight. My two 'teak' coaches already have passengers fitted, and just require finishing (windows and roofs mainly) The other figures include three enthusiasts, one with video camera, one with a camera and the other with notebook. They will be positioned around the layout once I have finished my scenic alteraions. The two fighures on the far left of the row are seated diesel drivers, both have been given different high-vis clothing and will be installed in my locos once I have built interiors for them. I'm looking for some figures who I can position leaning out of the windows of a couple of vehicles on my workbench for a bit of variety too. J