Some questions to the audience...

Hi fellow bloggers and enthusiasts,

I would be interested in your opinions on a few subjects:

1.  Lighting; what do you use to light your layout and why?
2.  DCC - which system do you use and why did you choose that one?
3.  Track - did you hand build your track?  Which method did you use?  what did you use for underlay?  Did you use an assembly template?  Have you detailed the pointwork and what parts did you use?

Hope to learn from others experiences and stimulate a bit of discussion!

In fairness, here are my answers so far:
1.  Overhead warm daylight fluoros, though I'm toying with the idea of some spotlights for a warmer light.
2.  I have an NCE system; dipping my toe in the water so far and limiting the expense.  But it's the way I want to go.  Will upgrade this once I'm running and need more cabs and controllers (that's probably a way off - prices and technology will change in the mean time)
3.  Handbuilding and detailing all track.  Code 70 and 55, but not P87 (yet).  It's only a little test module to try out a few techniques before I take on a bigger layout.  Cork underlay.  Using printed templates for pointwork (courtesy Data Sheets #6 point).  Stephen Johnson detailing parts, but when I run out of those, I will be hunting for an alternative.  US and UK parts might be an option, but they are probably either the wrong size or the wrong shape.  Don't know of a good supplier of NSWGR track parts...might need to do this myself.

Cheers
James.

Track detailing

Hi all,

A short post today, but there is some progress to report.

I have been detailing my #6 code 55 turnout from the loop to the goods siding.  I'm using some Stephen Johnson chairs I've had stashed away.  They're very nice and I wish I could get more!  (I really miss the Stephen Johnson range and Steve himself, for that matter).   I was contemplating making some new masters for code 55 rail, and code 70 rail (and for some other bits and pieces which are not available from anyone) when I remembered proto87 stores (Andy Reichart in the US).  I have some I bought years ago (when I was making sole plates for Ian Millard) so I'll give those a go, and if they're any good I can buy more.  Andy also has some very nice bolt and rivet detailing parts.

Photos and another update soon.

On another note, I've purchased the ARHS Bulletins on CD collection.  It's like porn for railway enthusiasts.  Do yourself a favour...

Pendon Museum

Hi all,
Been a while since my last post due to holidays, Easter and then a business trip to Europe.

Last weekend, I did get time to visit Pendon Museum near Didcot/Oxford in England.  This has long been an ambition of mine because I really admire the ability of the Poms to model their landscape and buildings and Pendon seems to be the pinnacle.

The highlight is their layout called "The Vale Scene", a vast layout based on an area known as The Vale of White Horse in the 1930s, on the GWR main-line. 

As expected, I was impressed and inspired.  I stocked up on Wild Swan publications and left with a very warm feeling indeed.

I attach some photos, from which you might get the idea.

Happy modelling

James.

Layout photos

Hi all,

Here are some photos of the layout so far.

This is the entrance to the yard, looking south towards Demondrille

Here is a view towards the station building; a "Workshop 5" ACS is at the "platform". 

Looking in the other direction.  A Stephen Johnson signal box (not quite right for the prototype, but hey) and an Ian Lindsay A4 station building.  Again, not prototypical for Kingsvale (which was a modification of the A4) but it will convey the right impression.  There are three roads in the station precinct; the main on the left, loop and loading bank loop on the right.

As you can see from the previous photo, this is my first attempt at a backscene.  It's painted on a flat piece of primed 3mm ply; there are a few imperfections in the surface I should have repaired after priming.  I'm quite pleased with this first effort, though there are some aspects which are clearly not right and I will try and correct these before starting a new one from scratch.  Too many mountains for this part of the world.   I couldn't get a recent photo of this scene because a number of trees have grown along the Kingsvale Rd boundary obscuring the horizon.



Here is my #6 scratchbuilt point so far.  This is code 55 rail, though I built the main line (at the top of the photo) in code 70.

I hope that gives you some idea of my progress.  The next two tasks (about which I'm procrastinating again) are finishing the detailing of the rails, painting and laying onto sleepers; and fixing the platform in place and completing the platform face.

That's all for now. 

James.







10 followers!

Hi all,
Thanks to the ten of you who felt it worth the while to "follow" my blog.  The pressure is mounting to make it worth your while.

I am holidays this week, and while this has meant no work on the layout, I have had some time to explore the closed north coast branch between Lismore and Mullumbimby, as well as an excursion to Kyogle and Border Loop.

It has been great to explore this picturesque line, but depressing that, despite what must have been a huge effort to build it over 100 years ago, it now lies in ruins.  I can understand the economic arguments, but I still can't see the sense in that.  Maybe there is no sense; perhaps it's just the march of humanity and our bondage to decay, but it does seem a pity.

It's worth exploring the back roads to Booyong and Nashua, as well as St Helena.  It's only seven years since the last train and most of the track and bridges look in reasonable nick, but already there are trees popping up in some areas and being an area of high rainfall, it won't be long before the whole right-of-way looks pretty much like it did before the line was surveyed.

Certainly plenty of modelling prospects for this line, and an opportunity to go wild with the scenery to capture the look of that lush north coast vegetation.

A bit about Kingsvale

Kingsvale had a small yard comprising a main line, adjacent to the platform, a crossing loop and a goods siding.  The railway infrastructure, in the period of interest (circa 1953), consisted of a timber station building (a variation of the A3 1909 design) and a signal box.  A gents lavatory was at the northern end of the platform, and further north, a fettlers shed.  A pitched-roof out-of room was added on the southern end of the platform later, as was a grain shed on the eastern side of the line.

Kingsvale, the layout, is currently only a single module 2.4m long x 0.6m wide.  This depicts approximately half of the station precinct, from the northern points to half-way along the platform.  An adjoining module will complete the station area.  However, my style is usually to be overly ambitious in the planning and overly procrastinatory in the execution.  So I wanted to limit the plan and see it through.
I'm using code 70 rail for the main line and code 55 for the sidings.  It will be DCC operated (NCE) and portable, though I'm not planning to move it far.  If I surprise myself and finish this, I will complete a loop and a fiddle yard to operate the station prototypically.
The current state is this:
The rail has been laid with PCB ties used to maintain the gauge and the 6-foot.  Points have been built, with the exception of the switch-blades.  Platform is under construction, and the station building (from a kit - can't remember whose) and the signal box (SJM) have been painted in the stone scheme.  I've laid cork road bed and the next step is to detail the rail, paint and glue down to the sleepers.  These have been stained with dilute grey raven oil.  A very effective weathered silvery/grey finish results.

More to report soon.

James.

Market forces...

Not much to do with Kingsvale/Demondrille, but I had to share this recent experience...

I'm putting together a set of R cars I had sitting in my incomplete/unstarted kit box (when I get beyong the easy bit of filing, gluing, filling and sanding, I'll post some photos).  It got me thinking about the Stephen Johnson L car models, one of which was beautifully assembed and painted by Andrew Hayne in Branchline Modeller #1.  When they were available, I could never afford one, being a poor student. 

Even though Ian Lindsay still flogs the R cars, which are SJM patterns, Ian Storrie does not sell L cars, nor does he have access to the patterns.

Well, I found some L cars up for sale on EBay.  What luck.  I know how to play EBay and thought I was in with a good chance of at least one of the models up for sale.  I set a limit of about $90, which is exorbitant for 6 bits of plastic and a few bits of wire, but I was prepared to stretch to this for the opportunity to own one of these ugly, but strangely appealing carriages.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I won none of them, and an SJM ACM sold for $153!  Does Stephen Ottaway know what he could be charging if he made a few more?!? 

On reflection, maybe he was the one selling them!

So no L cars for me, for now.

I'll save my cash and get back to those R cars...