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  • SouthernRegionSteam

    Coastguard Creek - 15 months of planning!

    By SouthernRegionSteam

    Hold on to your socks - this is going to be a lengthy one! (In fact it's so long, I've now split it into 2 separate posts - the next will be up soon...)   I think it's fair to say that you are all long overdue an update on Coastguard Creek. Due to other commitments, no real progress has been made since the last post way back in March 2021; almost 15 months ago! If anything, things went backwards for quite a while, as I kept finding more and more inspiring locations that I really wanted
    • 8 comments
    • 3,297 views
The San Miguel Central RR

Part 12: Background and Fascia

I have started to paint some of the clouds now on my backdrop, I sketched up the clouds with a thin white paint and made the shadows with a gray-blue hue: The clouds closest to the horizon have some Ochre in them to give them some warmth.   The clouds are piling up ....: I'm trying to make the clouds with as little planning as possible to make them realistic in shape and form.   Here I have begun to define the clouds with pure white and some Payne's Grey: It's important not to g
M Graff

M Graff

6
Bath Spa in N (was Burwood)

Magnetic position detection experiments

To automate my layout I've been investigating sensors to accurately locate the trains so that I can run realistic operations without user intervention. I will update this post with photos when I get my camera out at the weekend. I've been experimenting with using hall effect sensors for detecting train position on my N gauge layout. In particular I've been trying this sensor:   Honeywell Latching Hall sensor     As I see it these sensors have a number of advantages over other sensor syst
Rabs

Rabs

4
rouse2037's Blog

Neptune Road - Inglenook Adventure

Detailing has been slowly progressing with weeds and weathering to ground cover. Some tatty concrete fence posts were cemented in this morning and metal rails, already rusting and past their best, were added between them. The faded Class 22 has been trundling about on shunting duty and a local hound has decided to take up home on board the old PW wagon. Also been tweaking my Kadee's (oh err Mrs) to ensure trouble free working.   Cheers Roger          
rouse2037

rouse2037

1
Killybegs' Blog

After the Class 5 came the 5A !

This is the Backwoods Miniatures Class 5 kit with the Worsley Works kit to convert it to a 5A. The latter provides new footplate, valances, tanks and bunker which go together reasonably well although some of the tabs don't fit the slots and there is a gap below the front of the tanks. Matching it up with the original kit is more problematic, there is a poor fit between the cab/bunker/tanks, particularly in relation to height but this was overcome relatively easily. The 5A is 1'5" longer than the
Killybegs

Killybegs

2
Lion

Heljan Lion

Took delivery of 'Lion' this week. Ran well on analogue but after fitting a Hornby decoder things started to go wrong! The lights were reluctant to show at first then when they came on the first time the direction was changed, there was a blue flash from the decoder and a smell of burning---dead decoder!! Thinking faulty decoder I tried a Bachmann unit---two dead decoders, It is now going back for exchange at a cost of two decoders to myself! Anyone had same problem? or is it just me?
cjb

cjb

4
Scanman's Upton Dene Blog

A Very British Bulldog - pass the soldering Iron

As usual I start with the tender. This is the 3000 gal variant - and thanks to CraigW on ths site I now have a very nice image of the loco & tender. Coupled with the images & drawing in 'Russell' and kind contributions from other lists (GWRSG & GWR- E-list) I now have quite an amount of information! The one thouht that occurs to me is - when a loco went to Swindon for (say) a heavy overhaul - did she come out with the same tender? seems inconceivable that the tender would sit aro
scanman

scanman

4
backofanenvelope's blog

2FS: Progress - Lack of..

Things haven't gone quite according to plan as I have to move out of current digs and find something else so I'm in the process of having to box everything up and get ready to move.. I am keeping modelling stuff to last as I don't have loads but working is also proving problematic at the mo too so finding it hard to do anything except eat sleep and workso a little of the 2FS sparkle has disappeared.. But I do hope to start Point2 at weekend, so this time hopefully I will get it right.I also need
backofanenvelope

backofanenvelope

4
Making a start in 2mm finescale.

Boxfile diorama, progress so far and a plan.

As predicted the increase in daylight in the evenings has corresponded in a much bigger uptake of my non-model railway hobbies! I'd become a bit stalled as I mentioned last time with the Banff based layout and it is now stored for the summer.   I mentioned a boxfile diorama which I had started and this is now at track laid and scenics started level.   A few record shots here just to show what is going on though to be honest there isn't really anything worth showing yet.   operations
Russ (mines a pint)

Russ (mines a pint)

6
Chris's Blog [ oldtrent ]

Track painting matters

Greetings. Nothing very exciting at the moment I'm afraid!   Seeing as I've been running stuff on Little Midland for a few days now without any power hiccups, I decided to take the plunge tonight and apply some paint to the sleepers and the rails. Out came the airbrush, but then I realised I would have to brush paint because: a) I haven't got a hose to connect my new airbrush to the air cannister ( no compressor as yet); and b)My old airbrush has a bottle which requires to be filled with f
Chrislock

Chrislock

4
Highclere - 2mm Finescale

More Trackwork

Hello.     The trackwork is slowly comming to an end for now. Board two now has all the track back together to a standard that I am much happier with. Next on the list is to wire the new track bits together with the existing old stuff and then test it all out with an engine. So far the wagons seem to have no trouble moving along the track at all.   The picture below didnt really come out (as its difficult to get enough light on the layout where it is) but it has a feeling of moon light t
-missy-

-missy-

8
Etched Pixels Workbench

T scale siphons - you have to be slightly mad..

Think I need to do the roof out of something other than stainless as its a bit of a ... to shape.   After this one I have a giant to follow (although there is something ironic about a T scale giant)   Still having to do a bit of thinking about the floor - I have the trussing fine and a bit of plastic rod will do the tanks, but getting the solebars right is going to need some experimentation. Thank goodness Peco sell large packs of T scale round buffers in packets labelled 'track pins'  
Etched Pixels

Etched Pixels

14
Chris Nevard's Blog

Old Postcard

nevard_110404_brewhouseQ_IMG_9582_BW_postcard, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.   I was shifting through an Ebay purchase of some 10x8 black and white prints recently, and found this shot taken on the real Brewhouse Quay (it's on the Kennet and Avon on the edge Bath by the way). I gather the photo was taken in 1949 by all accounts.   As you can see, it's a very tidy place with little in the way of much going on. Still, 1949 was very much like the present time with everything run dow
Chris Nevard

Chris Nevard

6
Kelly's Workbench & Ramblings Blog

Further planning

Seems I got a little confused previously. The chilmark based layout is to be a joint effort between myself and Natalie. Natalie has taken the rough plan I did and reworked it (see attachment).   Its starting to come together I think now.   Thinking of '39-'45 or early/mid 50s or maybe mid-late 60s as era.   Attached image done by Natalie. Thanks!   Kelly
Kelly

Kelly

7
Fen End Pit's Blog

Frame up! D16/3 continues

The frames have got soldered together and then I put together the coupling rods. These went together very easily, being made of two thicknesses of etch. As someone who doesn't built enough locos to justify a really expensive jig I'm doing this the old fashioned way. Using the coupling rods to position the horn blocks I've now got these soldered in. Each of the bearings has been paired to a horn block and it is important to mark each pair so you can match them together.     At the moment thi
Fen End Pit

Fen End Pit

0
Ullypug's tales from the tinking table

O2.12

Final assembly tonight. I'm quite pleased with this. A few details to add, crew, coal, route discs and a few spots of paint required, then I can call it done. May have to tweak the chassis a bit when I get it out on the layout for a good run in (the crossover on Wheal Elizabeth's always the killer). Something to haul coaches when I get round to converting the Hornby Maunsells.
ullypug

ullypug

3
Freshwater, Isle of Wight, in 2FS

Completion of the tracklaying

1 March 2010: A milestone (or is that a millstone?) has been reached. All the track is now laid, except for the buffer stops which will be the eagerly awaited etched SR kits. I have made a start on installing the dropper wires, and one point mechanism and servo is in place, so I have some way to go before proper testing of the track can start.   As can be seen from the non-painted track, there was a lot of curved track required (half track created in the jig, then the second rail being a
Ian Morgan

Ian Morgan

1
barrowroad's Blog

Bristol Barrow Road - Proxxon Cut Off Saw - Photo request

In response to a request from Tim here are a few photos of the saw. I have just used it to cut the other 5 pairs of 'T' section for the top and bottom of the 46' girders hence the brass 'dust'.   There is a yellow safety cover for use during cutting - photo 2 - but it is removed in photo 1 to facilitate accurate lining up for the saw cut - once lined up the cover is put back in place for the cutting operation. As these 'T' sections are 179mm I was not able to use the stop fence - see photo 3
barrowroad

barrowroad

0
Killybegs' Blog

Further progress on Abergynolwyn

Since the my last post, I have put a 'base coat' down in preparation for future 'planting'. Most of the hillside will be covered by scrub and trees in due course. The access road and platform have also received some initial treatment and the back scene has had a splash of colour added. It's amazing how just a bit of colour starts to bring things to life.   For PcnPete, I'm also attaching a close up of the track as requested.
Killybegs

Killybegs

2
Ouse Viaduct/Balcombe/Lewes project

Little and large

Some more steady progress on both the large and small scales.   We are nearly there with finally fixing the whole centre section together. John has been clamping, adjusting etc and also doing a bit of cladding and preliminary painting of brickwork on the arch sides. The curved brickwork etches have also gone on, with some use of Evergreen strip (there's going to be a lot of this) to represent some of the 'beading' detail.           Next will be the cladding of the underside of
10800

10800

1
A.V.M.'s Blog

Dapol Britannia and associated issues

Have just purchased Dapol Britannia "Oliver Cromwell" having read Dapol's own and others' descriptions of same. Despite some purists' views regarding tight radius points/curves, many of us have to use them to accommodate layouts of sufficient complexity in tight spaces. My layout has over thirty tight radius points as well as half a dozen medium ones. Locos that cannot tackle the former are no use to me. All my Farish stock is excellent in this respect. My two Dapol "Q 1s" are broadly OK, t
A.V.M.

A.V.M.

0
backofanenvelope's blog

2FS: 2mm Point - Part Deux

Ok so I got the frog done before I set off to work this morning and I am counting the hours till hometime now so I can do more trackwork.. really getting into it.. I thought the forg was going to be one of the hards parts but turned out to be really easy. getting it onto the track in the right place without too much solder was hard.     The eagle eyed amongst you will notice my first cock up which is the frog is 2 sleepers to far back from where it should be on the template, but man who nev
backofanenvelope

backofanenvelope

9
Chris Nevard's Blog

The Monday Management Tour

nevard_110404_brewhouseQ_IMG_9560_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.   Brewhouse Quay Project: The brewery management (Foster, Dent, Marriott & Jones Celebrated Ales) are captured there having their bi-monthly tour of inspection in their recently purchased ex-LSWR brake van that was found on the Isle of Wight. Well actually, they're in the brewery tap on the right so that's why they're not in shot.   The real reason for this snap is to show off the new aerial walkway and assoc
Chris Nevard

Chris Nevard

3

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