grid56104

have been quiet on here for a while but still beavering away with the layout given its debut at Ayr in 2 months - 'don't panic'!! Some photos from this weekend showing the signal at the end of the double track to allow entry to the single line and the opposite for the trains leaving the single line. Cable ducting etc in place. Other pictures show the first main areas of scenery - awaiting an order in the next couple of days with much more static grass that should allow an even better push on. Off a few days this week so hopefully have another update this time next weekend. Max.

got some work done on boards 5 and 6 today - primarily mod-roc ing again. Also completed the occupational crossing although the 'rail' sides are not fixed in place yet. Photo also shows the cows that will be used at the bridge later!! Due to timescales being a little tight to the Ayr show, buildings (except the loading tower of course) are Metcalfe Models and tried a couple out today - the 2 photo show the farmhouse and barn in different positions but it is likely that the latter shots will be the eventual location for each. The photos do not show the result of an earthquake but the boards were not fully joined to allow the photos to be taken. Board 6 where the track doubles out before entering the fiddle yard still has a bridge to be built to form the scenic break! Lastly I tried out part of the ploughed field on board 3. Its not perfect but once painted earth brown it should suffice. Difficult bit will be matching the rest up! The 2 'abandonded' tracks on board 6 are meant to represent previous lines to other mines in the area. These will of course be 'overgrown' when the layouts finished! Max

Its been a while since any update but I have not been idle. Have completed all baseboard wiring, been undertaking more ballasting, mod-roc ing most boards and have tried a small area of fencing, ground cover and trackside coarse vegetation. Ignore the garish green paint - all I had available. The dark green grass will be toned down somewhat once I get a wide selection of scatters at the Perth Show in a few weeks, along with some more suitable graded ballast, hedging, trees etc. The light grey scatter alongside the double track will become the vehicle service road - there is a part similar arrangement at Renstrie. There is no full coverage of green paint opposite the location of the loading tower as I want to create a ploughed field at that point!!! As I am on holiday for the remainder of this week things should move on further again! Max

I have now been informed that the layout will not be appearing at Falkirk in November. This decision was nothing to do with myself. Its only outing this year is its debut at Ayr in September. Max

gave the ballasting of boards 3, 4 and 5 a go today along with some trial scenery scatter. Had bought some paint yesterday to apply to the paper formers I had set up for the scenic bases but the green was a little too garish hence you may need sunglasses to look at a couple of the photos. In addition, I had not left enough track base wood beyond the track width to safely stick said paper and the result has been the requirement to solidify some area with modroc to prevent subsidence!!. I have also used the modroc at the baseboards joints. real work tomorrow prevents any planned progress. Any RM Webbers at the Kyle show at Stevenston next week say hello. I will be on the DEMU and Scottish Modellers stand working on the loading tower. Max

thanks Wibble - u are so right. Any sleep I do get is interrupted by nightmare thoughts of what will I do next. As I was on holiday today I got boards 3, 4 and 5 up together in th shed and tested the wiring with a pair of 26s. No problems so ballast work next although I have still to do the underwiring for board 6 and thats the main wiring completed. Max

Its well over a month since I posted. Things may look as if they have slowed down but I am still beavering away when time and no real work permits. Last weekend most of the boards were erected in the garden and the tracks were sprayed courtesy of Stephen Cunningham of Ayr MRC which was very much appreciated - watched over by Mike Bartle (also of Ayr)!! This weekend I have been busy with the cork and some plaster infills. Photos show the boards together, the sprayed track and then the second end and actual end boards - the latter showing the proposed road bridge on the entry to the fiddle yard and the cutting either side. The apparent gap on the left had side of the track would have been the location of a former signal box. Debating now about the type of road overbridge - thinking along the lines of a stone or brick arch arrangement. 4 months to its debut at Ayr so got to keep going!!! Off work tomorrow so need to complete the unerboard wiring on the 2 boards on the photos. Max

thanks for the comments. Have the week off work after the easter weekend so will be spending most of that time progressing the layout further. As regards coming south of the border that will be up to others ie exhibition managers to decide after it has been seen at Ayr and hopefully Falkirk this year. Max

some good weather and lack of having to do office work at home today has allowed me to push on with the formation of 'scenery base' on a number of boards. Photos of boards 2, 3, 4 and 5 - hopefully in that order. Max

have now got the cork down and track laid on the 'extra board'. Now gives a better length of run for train running slowly through the landscape. also tried an area of base paper (actually they were scrap drawings!!) to see how the scenery might look - lots of work to be done for this!! Max

Now that Model Rail Scotland has come and gone I managed to make some progress on the Loading Point on Saturday and yesterday - first in a while!!. First up was the painting of the additional board I built and then the point control panel. The panel takes into account the further boards that will be added in the next few years - completion just now only needs the requirement of the 2 sections at the bottom of the panel and the fiddle yard. Next up will be tracklaying and wiring of this additional board. Max

Chris - looks as though you will have yours ready before mine - refer 'The Maxwell Colliery Loading Point'. I see also yours will be electronic. Mine will just be manual! Max

thanks to those who have made comments about the layout. I have just about finished the main woodwork of the additional board. These photos hopefully show what I am trying to achieve in the way of the empty or loaded coal train ambling through the countryside over bridges and through small cuttings! No mor activity this weekend as I have my real work to do tomorrow but after all the woodwork is complete its time to paint the plywood as has been done with the other boards. Max

an update: spend time on the demu stand yesterday at Irvine (Kilmarnock MRC Show) and pushed on with the cladding of the loading tower and its roof. today has seen (on the extra board I have built) the plywood added for the farm (intially these will be the metcalfe kits until I can get time to scrathbuild replacements) and the occupational underbridge which will be where the 'coos' will get under the line!! One side ply face also added. Max

extra board now complete in terms of main framing and half of track supports fixed. The picture showing the reduction in width of track support is where I intend to have an occupation under bridge from a farm. Next stage is remainder of track supports and then the plywood sides. Max

as if I didn't have enough work to do to have the layout ready for the Ayr Show in mid-September I decided to go ahead with another scenic 4 ft board to allow the trains to amble through the countryside more. I have attached some photos of the new board construction. The photo of the hardboard shows the approximate line of the new track (ignore the bit going off to the left - thats just because I used whole lengths!!) in addition to this work, I started the paper covering of board 1 to see what impact the chicken wire or no chicken wire has on the formation of the landscape. Max

board 3 now rewired and as its back to work tomorrow - unfortunately - thats all for now folks! Max

Hopefully the photos wll appear this time and I have added a few from today. Board 3 almost rewired . I need to get it finished by tomorrow as my real work starts again on Wednesday. Max

Sometime off from real work has allowed me to make some progress on my layout. Boards 1 and 2 have been rewired in terms of new droppers and bus wires (photo of one end of board 2 attached) and board 4 wired for the 1st time. Board 3 to be re-wired on Monday/Tuesday. Board 1 has now had some plywood formers and chicken wire added to start the scenics and Board 4 has had a couple of plywood formers installed and the road underbridge started to be incorporated. I have also widened the road end on the outside of board 3 as it was a bit narrow. Hope the attached photos show the progress I have made. Given todays date, can I take this opportunity to wish all RM Webbers all the best for 2012 and hopefully will see some of you at Ayr (where this layout makes its debut in mid September under my own steam - opps sorry that should be diesel!!) and then at Falkirk in November when it represents my club - the Glasgow and West of Scotland MRC. all the best as I am now away out to join the New Year Celebrations at our local hotel. Max Unfortunately the photos have not uploaded. I will add them as soon as the techniissues have been resolved.

Lewis - sorry I didn't notice ur posting until this evening. Thank you for your interest. Progress is slow at present as I have been working at the real job almost every weekend recently. However a week and a half off at Christmas and New Year will help move things forward as the layout will make its debut at the Ayr Model Rail Show in September 2012. I had wired up 3 boards but was not happy with the standard of the droppers and bus wire so I will be redoing these over this period. Board 4 was wired last weekend and tested and the only problems appear to be the fact that the peco point motors with the accessory switch fitted don't throw well (if at all) but hopefully a CDU fitted at the controller end may help - hope so - and my class 60 does not like very slow speed as the sound keeps cutting out and having to restart itself over certain bits of track. roll on Friday afternoon when I finish the real work and the modelling can re-commence. hopefully will have more of an update in 2 weeks time (or less). Max

Mark - u are putting me to shame with all this work on your layout. Its looking brilliant. Need to see it for real. You will easily be ready for Ayr in September so if u r not doing anything over the summer come down to Ayr as there will be lots of work to get The Maxwell Colliery Loading Point complete for the same show as my real work has prohibited any progress at all over the last number of weekends. Told my wife all I want for Christmas is a week in the shed - not much to ask! Keep up the good work. Max

sorry for the shocking typing in the last post. It was meant to read 'I am sure the DCC purists will have a field day with the wiring standard but as long as it eventually works I can live with it' Max

due to all sorts of excuses (including really depressing wet weather) work on the layout had stalled recently but a few weekends ago I managed to get some aspects of the fiddle yard boards carried out - timber blocks to protect point motors from flailing hands and arms and the public side 'frontscene' boards ie stopping them seeing the fiddle yard roads and the weekend just gone saw some more progress albeit of the boring type in respect of wiring board 3 which is the tower board but also the intended location of the controller therefore everything comes back to this board. I have attached 3 shots of this board. Board 2 (the curved one) joins on the left and Board 4 (the one with the road underbridge) to the right. I have included the wiring for the points that will be on the eventual extended version - conventional point control at present I am afraid - hence why there are more wires than just the bus bars which are the blue and brown wires. I am sure the ddc purists ll have a field ay withhe wiring standardbut as long as it eventually works I can live with it. really need to start picking up the pace again at weekends as the layout (the shortened version at present) will be making its debut at the Ayr Model Railway Show in September next year. Sounds a long way off but its coming round in less than 11 months! a brief thanks for all the positive comments to date. It does help to keep you going. I have also added a photo of the wiring on Board 1 - the headshunt. Max

first 2 main boards now wired (Saturday/Sunday 3rd/4th Sept) and 26 and some haa's used to test. Main board wiring connectors need to be purchased at Ayr Show to eliminate temporary wiring between boards. Other work on hold to allow me to check St Ann's Depot next weekend for trip to the Ayr Show in less than 2 weeks time. obligatory 'irn-bru' below boards - keeps one going!!!!!!! Max