Time to get serious - New Layout Build - As of yet no name and no plan!

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, sulzer71 said:

Well , had a very productive weekend for a change , trackbed rebuilt and most of the track laid on the main boards and a single length laid on the traverser , all wired , point motors installed with just the track feeds for juicing the frog to be fitted , even got a loco running last night

 

 

Shame about the gauge!

 

Mike.

[sulzer71]

19 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Shame about the gauge!

 

Mike.

@Enterprisingwestern I know Mike but this has been done for ease and to keep costs down , I had the majority of the code 75 bullhead just lying around and the plan for an EM layout is still waiting in the wings when this one is finished/moved from the room where the main layout will go , it's also a testbed for learning how to do scenery etc for when the main layout gets built

[sulzer71]

Well , I've been tinkering away a little most evenings this week and the traverser is now fully populated , just need to add/solder the droppers tonight , I even installed a separate programming track and a piece of track for the rolling road

[sulzer71]

Not posted here for a week or so but progress has been made , ended up ripping up the track bed at the opposite end of the layout also as there were a couple of high spots in the board which I couldn't unsee!

 

This weekend has been a busy one , the track bed was completely re-laid and the track laid , wired and point motor fitted , I've also given the track a coat of Railmatch sleeper grime

 

You may see in the pics I have removed the closing board at the end of the module , this is because I've decided to order another module to extend it which is having to be custom made so is a couple of weeks or so from delivery , this will add just shy of 2 and a half feet to the overall length which is as far as I can go with it 

 

I've also been giving the legs of my first Accurascale product a stretching now I have over 8ft of track to play with , I must say I'm impressed with the loco and have a second due soon , the only issues I've had have been with the body rattling with the sound on which I cured with black tack , also when giving it a run this weekend it decided it wanted to rattle the rail chairs with one of the sand pipes which is now cured 

 

Although not on par with my Suttons 24s the sound is really impressive and the 'driving' experience is fun

[sulzer71]

Still awaiting the extra board being delivered so no progress currently although last night I noticed a slight issue with the trackwork at the board end where it meets the traverser so a little PW work is being undertaken

 

Had these delivered yesterday , whether I use them or not is a different matter as I'm still undecided what the layout is going to represent

 

 

[mallaig1983]

2 hours ago, sulzer71 said:

Still awaiting the extra board being delivered so no progress currently although last night I noticed a slight issue with the trackwork at the board end where it meets the traverser so a little PW work is being undertaken

 

Had these delivered yesterday , whether I use them or not is a different matter as I'm still undecided what the layout is going to represent

 

 

My parcel arrived on Wednesday and looked exactly the same 😀

I got them early for the next phase of my project. I’ve opened the boxes and had a look and the do look very nice kits.

[sulzer71]

24 minutes ago, mallaig1983 said:

My parcel arrived on Wednesday and looked exactly the same 😀

I got them early for the next phase of my project. I’ve opened the boxes and had a look and the do look very nice kits.

I previously bought the other Peco box the one based on Helmsdale , my problem at the minute is coming up with a viable fictitious location for a branch line terminus somewhere in the locale where these buildings could be seen , somewhere I can run short passenger trains that would need a shunt release if I can't incorporate a run round loop as I already have the siding for a station pilot , I would also like to imagine the station is served by services from Glasgow , Edinburgh and Inverness

 

[mallaig1983]

1 hour ago, sulzer71 said:

I previously bought the other Peco box the one based on Helmsdale , my problem at the minute is coming up with a viable fictitious location for a branch line terminus somewhere in the locale where these buildings could be seen , somewhere I can run short passenger trains that would need a shunt release if I can't incorporate a run round loop as I already have the siding for a station pilot , I would also like to imagine the station is served by services from Glasgow , Edinburgh and Inverness

 

I’ve day dreamed about a layout set at Lochaline in the past. Alternative ferry port for mull and something of a backwater. Don’t know how well you know your Scotland so perhaps Google maps can help. Just throwing that idea on the mix. Depends how busy/grand a station you want.

[37Oban]

21 minutes ago, mallaig1983 said:

I’ve day dreamed about a layout set at Lochaline in the past. Alternative ferry port for mull and something of a backwater. Don’t know how well you know your Scotland so perhaps Google maps can help. Just throwing that idea on the mix. Depends how busy/grand a station you want.

Hi,

 

the Highland Railway proposed branches to Ullapool and Lovhinver, but nothing came of them.  A line to Poolewe would have been useful during WW2.  Lochaline would be a bit of a non-starter, being a circuitous route from Fort William and offering no time advantage for ferries sailing from Oban, and, if it had existed, would probably been built by the North British Railway.  A silica sand mine, the sand used for making high quality optical glass, was opened there in 1940, but it was always transported by ship.

 

One reason Lochaline is noted isis that when St Kilda was evacuated in 1930 a lot of the people chose to settle in Lochaline, the rest headed to Oban before moving on to Portree, stromeferry and Inverness.

 

Roja

[mallaig1983]

1 hour ago, 37Oban said:

Hi,

 

the Highland Railway proposed branches to Ullapool and Lovhinver, but nothing came of them.  A line to Poolewe would have been useful during WW2.  Lochaline would be a bit of a non-starter, being a circuitous route from Fort William and offering no time advantage for ferries sailing from Oban, and, if it had existed, would probably been built by the North British Railway.  A silica sand mine, the sand used for making high quality optical glass, was opened there in 1940, but it was always transported by ship.

 

One reason Lochaline is noted isis that when St Kilda was evacuated in 1930 a lot of the people chose to settle in Lochaline, the rest headed to Oban before moving on to Portree, stromeferry and Inverness.

 

Roja

That’s interesting re the St Kilden’s. I just assumed they headed to Glasgow before dispersing. As Sulzer said about services from Inverness I assumed the Fort Augustus line had been completed and reopened. Lochinver, now that would be a lovely location if a station was on the waterfront which surely it would have been. 

[mallaig1983]

Lochinver it is then….

Over to you sulzer71

[sulzer71]

Thanks for the suggestions guys , it's certainly food for thought

[sulzer71]

Very little progress recently unfortunately as I've been awaiting delivery of the extra baseboard which we be here this morning , finally!

 

In the meantime I've been doing a little work on my stock and constructing some laser cut buildings

 

I purchased the Peco Signal Box/Station based on Arisaig

 

The Signal Box is almost complete with the exception of the glazing and fixtures/fittings which are en route this week hopefully , I have also fitted some subtle lighting to it

 

The station is currently on my workbench and may be a while before it's complete as I've made a couple of modifications to it and also paying a bit of attention to the final finish by filling the joins between the sections etc

 

Here's a picture of the signal box in it's current state , the colour scheme is not based on a particular building but after all the layout is fictitious 

[sulzer71]

The new extension board arrived finally last week , despite getting it almost ready to fit at the weekend it remains unfitted and I decided to get a bit destructive on the previous board , I may make amendments to the first board too , I'm struggling to come up with a solid plan at the moment and my mojo is waning yet again

[sulzer71]

Well , we are back to square one

[sulzer71]

Just thought I'd post to let everyone know I'm still alive lol , layout build has been on hold for a while now due to lack of enthusiasm and getting back into another hobby of mine I haven't done for a couple of years (carp fishing) , will be back to working on the layout soon though

 

Dave

[Barclay]

On 30/05/2023 at 16:39, sulzer71 said:

So , this weekend I did a thing (or two!) , got the raised trackbed down and put in the first layer of the landform , unfortunately after sticking the foam board down I found I had a dip in the trackbed right where the set of points will sit , luckily it was easy to lift the foam back up as it was only stuck down with copydex , I found the dip was caused due to some of the wooden blocks being slightly shorter somehow even they were all cut from the same size timber! , unfortunately the timbers are glued and screwed to the baseboards so I shimmed the surface with plasticard and I'm now just awaiting some more foam board , hopefully it will now be a lot more level than it was 

 

The traverser has received a topping of cork sheet the same thickness as the foam board so that lines up nicely

 

Looks like I'll be going with code 75 bullhead for this layout as also this weekend I attempted to 'EM' a new tooling Bachmann class 20 unsuccessfully and the short siding is being built for the purpose of a 20 being parked there as a pilot loco  

I know you went 00 but there's now a post on the EMGS Forum about converting a new-style Bachmann class 20.

[sulzer71]

1 hour ago, Barclay said:

I know you went 00 but there's now a post on the EMGS Forum about converting a new-style Bachmann class 20.

Thanks , I'm no longer a member of the EMGS so can't check the article out but 20's don't fit my current plans now 

[sulzer71]

Happy New Year All

 

I'm still here but for the time being layout building is on hold as what started off as giving the room a lick of paint has turned into a bit of a renovation , good thing is though the floor is getting levelled up so will be better for the layout

[sulzer71]

Ok , I know I said layout would be on hold until decorating has been completed but due to lack of funds for materials (floor levelling compound) I decided I would set the baseboards back up (less the traverser) and have a tinker

 

First job was replace the lighting as I was having issues with the previous arrangement (turned out it was due to my own stupidity!) , the lighting has different warm/cold white options 

 

Secondly I decided where the 'pilot loco' siding was originally to turn it into another 'branch' to add more running options/interest , I also managed to get the foam board back down on top of this redone section so bar laying some cork and track the first board is prepped , just need to come up with a track plan for the rest of the layout now

[sulzer71]

A little more progress over the weekend , as well as the traverser getting a layer of foam board followed by a layer of cork the first scenic board has it's cork track bed  

 

I've also managed to get the bus wire and low voltage bus installed on the other 2 scenic boards (not pictured)

That's probably going to be it now for a few weeks or so as I'll be getting back on with the railway room renovation at the weekend

[sulzer71]

Well , a little more progress has been made , It's turning out to be a bit more elaborate than I had planned originally but chatting to friends this has happened to create more operational interest should it end up going to exhibitions , the plan now consists of 2 platforms , well , one is a bay , a run around loop and 2 sidings + the head shunt 

[sulzer71]

Well , I've gone from being constructive to destructive once again

 

I was not happy with the way things were going with all the track on the layout as the original intention with this build was the 'less is more' approach

 

After damaging the double slip trying to remove the springs after installing it I decided to rip it all up again

 

I also decided the 'branch off the branch' didn't work and wouldn't really be prototypical so I ripped up all the raised track bed and blanked the exit hole on the end board 

 

So this is how it sits at the moment , I'm unsure when there will be any further progress again as I'm currently giving consideration to going down the EM/P4 path! , this all depends on the likely hood of certain locomotives/stock to be converted

Edited February 12 by sulzer71