EnglishElectricFan

Buffer stop weathered and glued in place with static grass added

Turning the clock back to 1979/80

Some photos of some of the wagon fleet.

Hi Martyn I'm looking forwards to seeing the development of this extension. The hotel looks fab. Regards Simon.

normal service resumed

Not much done today unfortunately. Had planned to static grass the front roadside, but ended up toning the road down with weathering powders . I used Vallejo pigments of varying shades. First time I've done this. Check out the difference of the non weathered at the rear to the weathered road at the front. The interlopers will be used when the layout is run as a south west harbour.

Due to family matters, progress has been slow. However, the freight yard has made good progress with all ballasting done, painted and weathered. A few pics to show the work so far.

Hi Martyn Layout is looking awsome. So full of atmosphere! Have you any other shows booked for this yrear? I presume you will be aquiring the Bachmann 24/1 in Blue, as well as the 29 from Dapol? Simon

A couple more from the Blue period

Just need to weather the ploughs now.

Due to family matters and my workload taking all my time up, Newton Harbours progress is somewhat stagnant to say the least. However, I have been doing the odd renevation job on detailing parts that have become unattached from their respective loco etc, and also in the progress of renumbering and detailing stock . Of which is a class 26 I picked up (pre-owned) 2nd hand ! The loco's previous owner had not fitted the discs to the front of the loco, filling in the lights with clear fill solution as a flush front modified example. Also an Eastfield Westie had been attached to both sides. It looked fine, but very incorrect as the water/fuel tanks remained as a pre modified type. So it was out with the craft knife, re-open the holes for the marker lights etc and remove the Westie from the sides. I have attached discs to the front and now only need to matt varnish the sides to cover the shiny paintwork were the Eastfield hound once graced. Heres a few shots of the loco with a TPO van in the platform. I will be re-wiring the layout in the summer months, then hopefully can get the scenic work started once all is running smoothly.

Just a quick update from Newton Harbour. Not much has been done with the trackwaork of late, as I have been concentrating on the stock front. I have now completed my rake of VEA vans with the last one painted and ready for transfers. I will be attempting more on the electrics and track as I need to get stuck in as I now need some running sessions!!! The weather has slowed me down from August as I needed to utilise the garden for some 'digging' out of the polystyrene under the layout for the point motors. This will now have to be done in the conservatory during autumn (hoover at hand). I have posted a couple of photos of my push pull set, just need bachmanns DBSO niow !

Last weekends final job, was to un-weather the nose front on the class 40 as it was too dark in appearance. With a subtle coat of sleeper grime, it now looks much better in my eyes.Just need a final coat of matt varnish to tone the yellow down and another is ready to be fitted with sound.

Hi Ian I would hardly call your modelling efforts Humble !! Tidworth is a cracking layout. I hope you are saving up for a couple of 4TC sets from Kernow models ! On the plus side about the warehouse, you know where there is a spare should anything happen to yours! (hopefully not). The only niggle I have with it, is the loading platform was built the same height as a normal platform, so any goods vehicles that use the warehouse, the van side doors are below the surface height ! Will you be bringing Tidworh 'Up North' for any future exhibitions? Regards Simon

Just a couple of photo's of the Scotrail set im working on. All the coaches are now transferred, weathered and matt varnished. The 47 needs a sound chip adding, and Bachmanns DBSO...............hurry up Bachmann ! The train will be running as a shortened version as the layout isnt large enough for a full rake version. I think I may get away with 4 coaches, may be able to squeeze 4 mk 3s , DBSO and loco on longest storage siding.

Hi everybody. Oppologise for the lack of updates to those who follow this thread. Due to my workload ,the building of the layout has slowed right down of late. Although I have been doing a few bits of modelling on the rolling stock front. I have modified some Hornby Mk 3s in Inter City livery into Scotrail livery for my push pull set. Photos to follow.

Hi PJ Yes the warehouse was scratch built by a proffesional modeller, I havent the skills to build anything near to what has been produced.. I had seen Tidworth and wanted a warehouse to fit my baseboard width. I didnt expect one so similar, but Im not complaining as its a fabulous piece of modelling. Tidworth really got my appetite back for building my layout as its such a fantastic layout. Thanks Simon

Managed to get one backscene fitted at the weekend. Not sure if it looks right as the buildings are too modern, but I have some new ID backscenes self adhesive 1950s factory sheets to use , so might add a couple to mask the vehicles.

Hi Peter Thanks for the comments. Yes it was an early accuisition, and its on the list of things to do on the rolling stock list of jobs. Thats a great pic of 026 at GQ St? Cheers Simon

A couple of photo's of two of the 26 fleet. This weekend I will hopefully attach the backscene boards to the warehouse board and have a play around with the image (ID backscenes Distribution Depot) as to what looks best , as I need it to join with the Harbour backscene. I may add some low relief warehousing behind the platform to disguise the join of two different scenes.

Managed to airbrush the Warehouse sidings and platform release road at the weekend.

Morning all. Just a quick update on the layout. I have sorted the short circuiting on the troublesome point. I found that if I disconnected the frog wire from DCC concepts point motor, the loco's ran over the point trouble free. This point has a power feed from the toe, and is conected to another point, so they face each other toe to toe. Unsure as to why this worked, but it has and all my loco's with bo-bo wheel arangements now run trouble free. (I am hopeless with electrics!). So now I have 3 of the 4 scenic boards wired up and trains run fine! If the rain holds off today I may spray the track on the warehouse board in readiness for ballasting. (unsure which type of ballast to use at the moment, but it will be very fine grade due to the finished look being a weary run down siding area with overgrowth in areas). So thats it for now, most time has been spent wiring recently,but hopefully I can crack on with some other jobs. Just a few pics taken last night, I have tried to upload a video, but it says the files are too large. So heres a few pics.