Intercity125 Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 After seeing so many fantastic layouts on RM Web over the past 18 months and seeing some of those layouts at exhibitions (Keyhaven, Catcott Burtle, and Lochnagar), I felt it was time that I built an end to end layout and entered the 2010 competition. My song for Europe is Lovett Upham, a branch line terminus that can be modelled in Western/Southern/London Midland Region guise with the option of multiple eras too in order to accommodate the variety of stock that I have. The buildings and stock will be interchangeable and it will help satisfy my need for change/variety, though there will be many serious modellers who will laugh at this idea. I started work on the layout just over a month ago before I came across details of the 2010 challenge with baseboard construction, track laying and wiring now complete. I will detail the construction completed so far in the next update. The layout measures 6 foot 6 inches in length by 18 inches wide with a small extension of 5 inches or so to the fiddle yard and consists of a single baseboard so fitting it into the back of my car might be a tight squeeze!!! It sits on two trestle legs about 3 foot high for the time being mainly cos I acquired several of them several months ago. I have posted some pictures of the construction so far and hope you enjoy them or it helps to inspire you to enter the competition and build a layout that you have kept promising to do all these years...... Paul aka Intercity 125 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intercity125 Posted December 11, 2009 Author Share Posted December 11, 2009 Overall track plan from the fiddle yard end view from the scenic end point switches and CDU Peco PL11 side mounted point motor Fiddle yard to the left. Brewery sidings to the right Brewery in situ for mock up purposes Brewery shot, different view station platform and building to be situated to the right hand side aerial view Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 009matt Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 They don't like it up'em Captain Mainwaring, they don't like it up'em! Looks and sounds like a great idea - I have chopped and changed in the past, but a layout that stays the same but changes stock and buildings - I like it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Hi Paul, Thats a great idea, nice one! I too, am one for chopping and changing stock, road vehicles etc - so i'll follow your progress with interest! Cheers, John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intercity125 Posted December 14, 2009 Author Share Posted December 14, 2009 Thanks to the two previous posters for their kind comments. I thought I would briefly mention some details concerning its construction so far. The baseboard is made from approximately 4mm ply top measuring 6' 6" x 18" with 3" x 1" softwood framing. The timber was glued and screwed and then using cork flooring tiles from Wickes, I then laid them on the top and glued them using PVA before painting them in grey emulsion to act as a base colour. The track was then laid out using old pieces of flexi and set track to help determine the final plan. Once this was complete the track was temporarilly laid using new pieces of Peco code 100 flexi track and Electrofrog pointwork. Power feeds were soldered to nickel silver fishplates and then fitted to the track. Insulated fishplates were utilised where the points oppose one another and additional power feeds were installed. Once this work was completed and the track tested, I then decided to fit pieces of cork sheet to act as a raised track bed and help create the ballast shoulder. I used PVA again, though my intention was to use copydex. However, the drying time required for Copydex was too great and a decision was made to revert back to PVA. I decided to use the new Peco PL11 side mounted point motors along with a gaugemaster Capacitor Discharge Unit (CDU) to prevent the solenoids from buring out. I strongly recommend the use of a CDU as the Peco point motor got very hot within a few switches of the point blades. It also has the advantage of giving a quick positive throw. The fact that the point motors came pre-wired and could easilly be fixed direct to the point made using them a no brainer for me. I will attempt to disguise them as best as I can with buildings or vegetation. Any tips here would be most welcome. Again everything was tested and the next jobs to do will be to tidy the wiring above baseboard, followed by spray painting the track bed with Railmatch Sleeper Grime, and then moving on to ballasting. I'm so excited, I can't contain myself.......................more details soon............................... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intercity125 Posted January 7, 2010 Author Share Posted January 7, 2010 My last posting on the 14 December promised further progress with spray painting the track bed with Railmatch Sleeper Grime, and then moving on to ballasting......... Well the snow arrived shortly after and with daytime temperatures below freezing, progress has been almost non-existent as the layout is stored in my shed. Attention will have to turn to things like buildings/structures which can be painted/detailed in the comfort of the house so at least something gets done. Maybe I'm not alone in the recent slow pace of development and it would be interesting to hear any thoughts/tips/advice. I've been almost tempted to create a snow scene on the layout, but probably best I don't get distracted from completing my entry for 2010 Challenge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intercity125 Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share Posted January 10, 2010 I really like your layout idea Paul and the track plan is nice and unusual. So is the name! Keep up the good work... Cheers Simon Thanks Simon. After my comments about contemplating a snow scene, I think you're trying to plant the seeds in my mind with that photograph from your profile!!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intercity125 Posted March 9, 2010 Author Share Posted March 9, 2010 I will be posting details of the latest progress on Lovett Upham as the layout has been given permission from the Domestic Authority to be moved from the shed to the back bedroom. This will make working on it much more comfortable and practical, though a sound curfew will be imposed from 8pm onwards when our 5 year old daughter goes to sleep. Fortunately the noisy tasks have been completed and ballasting (next job) should be a quiet affair. Regards, Paul (aka Intercity125) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intercity125 Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 There has been a bit more activity in the last couple of days, with the track now weathered using Railmatch sleeper grime spray paint, except for the points which were painted carefully by hand. The track has now been ballasted using Woodland Scenics Fine Ballast, grey blend. I treated the ballast to a light spray of water and a couple of drops of washing up liquid to break the surface tension, and then applied a 50/50 mix of Copydex/Water plus a couple drops more of washing up liquid and applied using plastic disposable dropper. I tend to use PVA as a rule, but upon hearing someone on RM Web recommending Copydex for its sound deadening qualities, I thought I would try it out. Next stage will be to tidy the wiring near the controller as the rest of the wiring is neat and tidy. Then I will move on to the scenics, before detailing. Watch this space! Regards, Paul (aka Intercity125) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intercity125 Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 Curiosity got the better of me this evening so I decided to plant a couple of buildings on the layout and wheel out a bubblecar and take a few snaps................ I just used my mobile phone camera and used the macro setting so apologies if they're not prefect quality......... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intercity125 Posted March 22, 2010 Author Share Posted March 22, 2010 I've been busy the last couple of days fitting Wills granite sets to the goods yard area, constructing a barrow crossing, adding a hint of grass (more grass seed to be planted lol) and using finely crushed coal (thanks to Rushden Historical Transport Society) for the Brewery/sidings area to represent ashes and cinder ballast. Next time I might raid the fire grate and try that instead. Next jobs to be done this week are to finish ballasting by the point blades (caution required here), some general scenic work, and installing a second road over bridge for the brewery sidings............. Regards, Paul (aka Intercity125) "A modeller's work is never done" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intercity125 Posted March 31, 2010 Author Share Posted March 31, 2010 A little more progress has taken place on Lovett Upham, my opum minimus, for this year's 2010 challenge. Two new additions have included an extended platform section, and extra platform width to accomodate the rear of the station buildings and signal box. I used an old Wills country halt kit to source the extended wooden platform required to fit underneath the scenic break of the stone bridge. I utilised two straights and one down ramp with the supports and then painted it using humbrol natural wood and I am pleased with the overall result. The extra platform width to accomodate the rear of the station buildings was made using 19mm x 44mm planed timber, painted using a black emulsion tester pot, and then silica sand carefully sprinkled on while wet. This produces a much more pleasing result than using wet and dry paper. I used Metcalfe red brick platform edging to finish it off. This layout is all about perfecting/developing new scenic techniques for me and so far I've been pleased by the results. I'm now debating whether to use my tried and tested method of scenery construction - polystyrene sheets, pva glued, and then coated in patching plaster.......................or if I should opt for crumpled newspaper covered in impregnated plaster cloth........ More news soon.......assuming I havent bored the a*se off you. Regards, Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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