Sasquatch

My latest Blog covers the working ground signals and includes another youtube video. While doing that I thought maybe some detailed shots from around the layout. Mr.s Sasquatches green house. 56xx simmering at the station Platform details with scratch built lamps. Red Lion landlords car. Rusting tractor built from a Highway Miniatures kit. What would a post be without a couple of trains.

That's normal! There's a whole box of drain pipes, pub signs, chimney pots, bits of glazing, doors and other junk waiting to get restored here!!

These blogs are few and far between of late, still better late than never. Not the subject of base board legs predicted in my last blog but one which I’m sure you will enjoy. Working ground dolls aren’t a necessity and probably not on most modelers to do lists. However on Dunster everything had to work so I set about making fully functioning ground signals from the ones supplied on the detail sprues in the GWR signal kits. Having used the Ratio signals to great effect, I utilized their signal-remote-control kit available for N scale. The first job is to light the lamp. Model-Power-grain-of-sand 14V bulbs are suitable. The Ratio lamp had its lens removed and was drilled from beneath to accept the bulb with a 1.5mm drill bit mounted in the pin vice. Another hole is drilled just below where the lens was with a 1mm bit. Not as fiddly as it sounds if the part is left attached to the sprue. The bulb is test fitted while lit to ensure it shines through the lens hole. I use somewhere between 6V-9V to power up my lamps. The 12-14V recommended is too bright for my liking, will probably melt the plastic and the lower voltage will prolong the life of the tiny bulbs! Now for the disc, two discs of 10 thou, (0.01”) plastic card were punched with a file hole puncher. A little over size I know but much better than any other method I could come up with. One disc is then scored with a sharp blade where the red chevron is to be painted. This helps keep the paint where it should be. A tiny 0.45mm hole is drilled in the center of the discs through which a Peco track pin is inserted to hold the two discs together while two 1.5mm holes are drilled in the discs to line up with the lamp lens and a small 0.45mm hole opposite in the center of the red chevron as close to the edge of the disc as possible. Red and blue (not green as I have since found out) sweet wrapper is sandwiched between the discs and glued up using cyano (super glue).Glue a length of .45mm wire in the center hole and when set trim off flush with the front. Leave >10mm on the back. Drill out the pivot hole for the disc with a 0.5mm drill bit. A 2mm hole is drilled in the signal base directly below the lamp before the ground doll frame is glued to the signal base supplied in the remote control set. The actuator mount is then glued to the underside. Paint all the parts and allow them to dry before proceeding with assembly. All other parts are then assembled dry leaving the ½” sleeve (which should be a tight fit) free for removal as the operating wire is made using the trial and error method. I introduced a bend in the wire to enable fine adjustment. Unless you're lucky 2 or 3 attempts are normal. The blind on the back should just be a push fit over the pivot wire if the clearance hole is .4mm. Trim off the excess wire with cutters. Poke the lamp up through the 2mm hole in the base and feed it into the lamp. Any method of actuation is possible if you don’t like the Ratio lever. Half inch holes for the lever and assembled signal were bored into the base board and control panel with a 1/2"-forstner-bit . A round file comes in handy if the fit is too tight. View from the rear. This one is at the up end of Dunster's platform. Avon Park my shelf layout terminus which has been abandoned was to be fitted out with LMS style shunt signals. Some of those supplied in the LMS signals kit have been made to work the same way as the ones out lined above. Not happy with these I have set about scratch building them from Plastic card and styrene strip. The last build has been detailed quite considerably. The extra detailed element added to train workings was well worth the effort above all else they are a lot of fun. If only the onlookers at shows noticed. Questions welcome.

That looks pretty much spot on Lee. Well worth the extra effort. Will you be adding any moss colour and stain runs under the sills etc?

Thanks guys! luckily no damage. Today it looks like nothing happened apart from the mini earth works. I must have achieved something as all the ground up hill from the flooded area is still waterlogged . Where as the ground below my levies isn't! Going for a walk with the puppies to see what that strange blue colour is above the clouds!

Am really happy that I saw you layout thread on a post in the lounge Jim. It has been an interesting read. Especially liked the post where your old garage got demolished and that lovely new shed appeared. Great stuff. Your model structures are second to none and must have inspired others on here no end, including myself. Will be watching with interest Regards Shaun.

Huh. It is still afternoon Jaz. Afternoon Dec,12, 2013.................................No that can't be right?

Now back on topic. I have got the stone work looking nice and will scratch build the interior later this evening. The glazing bars are a little thick and I might need to reduce the height of the bog.

Having watched the BBC online news I pity all the poor folks in the West Country who are having to deal with that atrocious weather. Here it's one man against the elements fighting a loosing battle with mother nature. Yesterdays down pour started at about 4PM the water decided to head for the train building. There's no way you can do anything when it rains that hard. This spring I plan to dig a curtain drain and put in two storm drains to take the water away from our buildings.

Lovely work. Did you knock all that up in your shop? The track work looks real nice BTW, something I think which is beyond my abilities. Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles I'm feeling very still And I think my eight F knows which way to go Now I'm gonna have that song in my head for the rest of the weekend. Oh an Irish coffee sounds just the ticket Andy. With squirty cream on top!! Regards Shaun

The long man of Wilmington, Sussex is steeped in mystery. legend has it that if a woman can't conceive she must climb up Windover hill, remove her under garments and sit down on the grass you-know-where. It worked for many couples back in my grand parents day.

The syphon worked very well. I took a 10 quart bucket to the bottom of the garden hose which took 30 seconds to fill up. That's 5 gallons per minute. It ran for 4 hours. I'm guessing not so fast all that time though. So up to about 1000 gallons. There is also another dam which has a large drain pipe taking the water away from the other side where the new train room is. The pond is now just a large puddle. Mrs. S is home safe too. I might even get a little done on that signal box.

Just sent these via Bluetooth from my phone! I love messing bout with water pressure!!

Need to go check the bridge over the creek again. If it gets taken out, my sweetheart won't get home for her valentines dinner!

Western Oregon is very mountainous. So the weather is quite localized. There are lots of water ways down which the water rages. There are lots of dams too. All the water will run off eventually I just don't want it to run under my house. Back in 86 I lived on the very edge of Brighton in Woodingdean. Some local dingbat of a land owner decided to plough up the horse field. On my birthday it rained so hard that the furrows all filled with water and when they gave an avalanche of water tore down the hill taking out the family 5 doors up in the next terrace. the people who own this house before had horses who hung out under the willows at back that's where there is about 2000 gallons of water right now! Scratch that. I just looked out the window and my syphoning seems to have drained it quite a lot! Need to get the glucose level back up before I can do anything else.

Thanks Duncan mate. Just stopped for a cuppa and some sugar intake! While digging I have burst the main water pipe from the pump house to the wash house. Managed to plug the hole by turning off the electric supply and opening it out with a sharp drill and screwing a stop nut in it. It just started a new down pour, I haven't seen rain this hard since Oct 7 1986.

Taken from the same place as Wednesdays video.

It's normally a trickle.

the small pond in the back yard has grown to very worrying proportions and for the last two hours I have had to build two dams and managed to syphon the water away with the garden hose. Problem is every thing is now water logged and the surface water is filling up the pond quicker than I can empty it. Next job is to get into the crawl space under the house as I fear there is water down there too. A sopping wet, knackered Squatch in Oregon

The kitchen has a cupboard which is wet and the sky light in the dining room. there is a small pond in the back yard and the creek now looks angry. It has been tipping it down all night and all morning. I have just got back from clearing a blocked culvert and the little bridge over the creek one door down look bad.

Will be happy to help! Have cut Wills slates for the signal box roof last night but that's as far as I got! On a different note it has rained very hard all night the roof is leaking and the creek looks mad.

This Queensbury plan isn't coming along very far. I was too knackered to get on and paint the signal box last night. As for acquiring these locos, well I missed one sale on eBay due to my alarm on my phone not going off. The chassis for the N1 I purchased three weeks ago hasn't even been posted and the seller has refunded me the money after I enquired as to where it was and why the tracking ref. wasn't working. The listing said Item removed due to item being either lost or broken. The seller made it seem as though it was an inconvenience to him. I've waited in for the posty every day for 2 weeks because he said it was signed for delivery. The creek is so loud it has kept us awake all night. At least it has stopped raining! Hopefully I'll have some modeling time over the weekend. Squatch.

If you are going S&C Bodge is parting with his viaduct. But you'll need a big space for it. I thoroughly recommend a viaduct, it's more relaxing than a koi pond! Nice willow Jaz. You do like a bit of a challenge huh! Squatch.

Great idea Boris! You could charge people to see it too. Display it as a permanent exhibit it in a restored Gresley pigeon van parked up at the end of one of the sidings. Wouldn't that be a dream!

Isn't that thingy a GNR 1897vintage 6 wheeled milk van look out ducket. That would explain the varnished teak ! :jester:..........