Southernboy

Hello L49, thanks for your comments. You may have seen my layout on NRM (linked in my signature). I clocked the set on Harford Street and was curious as to what it was. It certainly shares similarities with the Crystal Palace stock. Good luck with your conversion. I used the motor from a Farish 107 DMU for my unit. The Lesney E1s certainly do the trick, although I'd like to repaint and detail them further, change the adverts etc. Hello Bernard, Yes, original units varied from 49' to 52' overall length, but were later lengthened on new frames. I see what you mean about the difference in window position / width of compartments between the two types of Farish coach (I'm looking at them right now), thanks for that. There's something about the bowed cab fronts which I find pleasing. From my purely personal point of view the cab fronts of later units are less interesting, until we get to the 4-CORs. Thanks again, Mark

Thanks for comments gents, "The early 3rd rail suburban units are rarely modelled but there's an almost endless variety of different types." That's true. And if you extend the scope to LBSCR overhead units the choice becomes even more interesting. My plans for a future layout include both third rail and overhead lines running alongside.

Frankland Update No. 3 Hello everyone, here is the news. Frankland has finally made the move from the old RMW to the new. (Original thread here) Firstly a quick reminder of where we were: Frankland exists in the inter-war years when clean, white, art-deco architecture heralds a brave new world and aspirational young things buy into the mock-tudor suburbs from which they travel to work by the Southern Railway's expanding network of newly electrified suburban lines. Here is the original plan. It has not changed much ... -------------------------------------------------------------- My last post was in September 2009 - so some catching up to do. Part of the reason for my lack of updates was the publication of these two books, which were top of my 2009 Christmas list. I've always had a fascination with this subject matter - but had little knowledge of it. So I've been reading the books over and over again ... I now feel better informed and more confident about what I'm doing -------------------------------------------------------------- Next a precis of work in recent months. Last time I posted the layout was looking something like this ... It was starting to feel a bit soulless - so I decided to mock up a few buildings. I mounted scale drawings of original buildings onto foam board. The drawings are largely based on pictures in the London Transport Photographic Archive and/or from Google searches (etc). To-date I have: A parade of shops Victorian houses with extended shop-fronts Art Deco flats A cinema (The Astoria in Brixton, with jade tiles on the upper face) A Northern Line tube station It now feels like the layout has some life to it (pictures below with a Photoshop sky). At some future point the buildings will be properly reproduced, and plenty of trees and grass will be added to create a picture postcard 'leafy suburb'. -------------------------------------------------------------- Stock: To test the water my first tentative venture into modifying stock was a basic repaint of a Dapol van Here's the original ... I repainted it and added decals. And had a go at highlighting additional details. I was quite pleased with the result. ------------------------------------------------------- When I was a child I used to pass by a shop in Wimbledon which sold postcards of old forms of electrical transport. They fascinated me. I decided to build one ... so with this in mind, when in York in the Spring I took some pictures. Here are two of them ... This is a later 3-SUB than the one in the postcard (which had panels) - but it's a good guide to the general look and feel of the units. I also have some Mike King drawings. The key characteristic I wanted to capture was the 'torpedo' or 'bullet' front to the units Anyway - I bought these off eBay for £15.00 and did some sketches I filled some windows as appropriate, and used sections of self-adhesive labels from which I cut out areas to leave a 'panelled' effect. Plasticard was used to create running boards, cab fronts and the the domed roof at each end. Likewise Plasticard was used to modify the bogies. Here's the (nearly) finished unit. There are inaccuracies - but for me the exercise was about whether I could even make a unit in the first place - so 'essence of' was acceptable to me. There are still a few things to do, such as coupling chains and additional cab-front cables, but it's 95% finished. ----------------------------------------------------------- Finally: Signalling When I started the layout I intended to simply have a few 2-aspect signals, switched by point movements, as a token gesture to that side of things. Since then I've been persuaded otherwise. Additionally I found a website (see link below) with signalling plans for the SR conversion to colour light signalling around the London termini in the 1920s and 30s, from which I learned quite a lot. This gave me inspiration and more confidence, and with some help I came up with this plan ... It will be some while in the future before I install signalling. But when I do I'm particularly looking forward to making some cluster signals You can see an example of cluster signals at the bottom of this page. They're quite distinctive and should be an interesting detail helping to place my layout in a very definite time and place. -------------------------------------------------------------- And that is the end of the news. Comments most welcome, Mark

I seem to spend ages making sure all the little things not only work and fit together, but fit together easily. The devil is in the detail Missy - but if you get that right - the result is devilishly good: and in that respect you score top marks every time The pelmet looks great. It has high-impact and is nicely proportioned. I honestly dont know what state the layout is going to be in at the Expo in July! I know there's a pride in presentation - but I think most people are just going to be delighted to see your layout in whatever state of development it's reached - and equally happy to just meet the person behind it all. Relax, smile and wave

... the shadow gap gives ... the impression that the layout 'floats over' the fabric. I really like that: A small detail, but fundamental improvement I comment rarely, but read every post. Always inspiring. Mark

That looks good May I ask what the set cost (sorry if I missed it in a previous post).

That's great work considering timescale, especially for first time. You dived into that with quite some confidence! I see you have one of those 'hold and fold' things - do they also assist you in curving the tumblehome? A good investment? I'll be following ...

Tasty I'm modelling the 1930s, but always on the lookout for track / trams / motors that can be adapted.

I like the direction you're taking Grahame and will be interested to see how you get on. I'm just working my way through the 2mm handbook (over 100 pages), and it makes for interesting, and inspiring reading.

I've made a note of that technique for making sacks, thanks The shed really looks great Missy, but I can't help thinking that man looks a little lonely sitting in a big, dimly lit room, with only a small pile of sacks for company

Yikes! Roof beams - you certainly set some standards Missy Top notch work!

At least you didn't give up Missy (full marks for perseverance!) - and the finished result looks good to me

Hello Gordon, Just to say I've been following your progress for some while and am glad to have finally caught up with you on this new incarnation of RMWeb. Keep the updates coming please as I find plenty of inspiration and education from your posts. Mark

That looks so Star Trek Missy (I mean that in a nice way) and so professional - your powers of persuasion seem limitless! (Sometimes I wish I could have your feminine charms )

I agree with SouthernRegionSteam ... I think the top of the viaduct running through the top of the backscene will be quite effective. And rounded corners are preferable to right-angles, including perhaps the one front right where the track enters the fiddle yard.

I also like the burnt-out car. It looks excellent. If you're talking about Masterswitches as in those from the Australian manufacturer DCC Design Concepts, then you don't need panel LEDs because you can use a double throw (on - on) switch (rather than a toggle switch). As long as you wire it the right way round then the way the switch is pointing indicates the direction the points are set on your mimic board. It saves on wiring and the amount of clutter under your control panel

Wow! That's seriously impressive I'm curious to know how you are going to marry that up with a backscene (or perhaps you're not having one)?

Hello Graham, firstly I have to say what a magnificent idea - although you're thinking about this is a little back-to-front, forget about a house with a railway room, what you need is a railway room with a house attached You mention 'This will include relatively early Southern slam door EMUs ... ' so I'm wondering what era is 'early' for you? 'I appreciate that famous structures, vehicles and many other items can ... date layouts ... I intend to avoid the use of any too obvious tell tale paraphernalia and buildings that will specifically date it.' Another approach could be to 'zone' areas: for instance, one end of your layout could be your earliest year, and moving along the layout takes you to your latest year. This may work quite well for photography: you could photograph trains in their appropriate time-zone. Just a thought ... Obviously this will be a layout on a large scale with broad scope - so in for a penny, in for a pound: How about including a section of underground line to complete the scene? Anyway - good luck with this project, I'm going to be glued!

Glad to see you here Pete. Don't know if I ever commented on your previous thread - but I've always been an enthusiastic follower

"I think I will have to get a magnifying lens though. I am starting to struggle a bit with them." Hello Missy - I recently bought a magnifying lamp and it has made the world of difference! I'd definitely recommend one. Mine has a 'daylight bulb', so I can paint at night and be confident colours will still look right in the cold light of the next day

As Pixie says - you seem to be adept at whatever you turn your hand to Missy. Very impressed

Hello Missy, You've already answered your question: " ...I really wanted to do point rodding on Highclere ... " If it's something you really want to do, then do it It's the sort of detail I'd notice and appreciate - equally, others wouldn't. Ultimately it's about what makes you happy in your wonderful world of modelling Mark