Wednesday 21 November 2012

November 2012


After a whole summer with no railway, due to my Daughter moving back in with us, I have managed to get the layout down for a while, and ran a few trains to clean the track.Here are a few pictures, including Jubilee class "Drake" which arrived during the summer (a special price from Hattons) and the repainted ex Somerset and Dorset Loco now a BR Jinty. A Wolverhampton Corporation Bus is seen on the bridge near the brewery, and a Ford Anglia 105E is waiting at the level crossing.Layout is staying down until after the weekend just in case I buy anything at the Warley Model Railway Show at the NEC and need to test it, but it will then have to go away so we can have more visitors to stay. I wonder if a bigger house is the answer?

Sunday 8 April 2012

Itching to update the layout

I have the components now to replace the manual points in the sidings with electric ones, so I need to get layout down soon. I just have to wait until after our next lot of visitors. I also need to add more ballast, and clear up the loose ballast that moved last time the layout was folded up.

Monday 5 March 2012

Putting the layout away.

In order to put the layout away, folded up against the wall, anything tall has to be removed. Anything that is low enough to remain on the layout is now glued on so it can be left there when the layout folds away. The pictures below show the layout ready for folding up against the wall.

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Visiting loco

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A friend came to stay last weekend, and as is normal he brought a visiting loco, in this case 46521. It is an analogue loco but can be run on my DCC layout using address zero on the controller.

Here's a link to a short video, which shows I have a few running issues with jerky motion which have yet to be resolved Click here for video

Sunday 29 January 2012

A wall for the brewery yard.

Making a wall for the brewery yard

Take a piece of 4mm foamboard and cut to the length and height required, 24mm = 6ft tall wall.



Buy some Superquick Brick paper, cover both sides of the wall with the paper.



Buy some 4mm plastic rods, cut into lengths of approx. 2.5cm



Usin a 4mm drill in your fingers create holes from the bottom edge of the wall to about half way up, push the plastic rod in to the hole but do not glue at the stage.


Holding the wall in its position on the baseboard, mark the baseboard at the points where the rods are located.



Remove the rods from the wall.




Drill holes through the baseboard with the 4mm drill. Push the rods into the holes, they should be a tight fit.

Fill the holes in the wall with glue, Put the wall back on the rods and push it down til it sits flush with the baseboard.

Using thin Card cut out a 5mm wide coping stone for the wall. Mark it off in 6mm lengths with a pencil, then shade the whole piece of card in grey with the pencil. Smudge the pencil slightly.


Stick the coping on top of the wall and hey presto..the finished wall.

Friday 13 January 2012

I have been running a couple of trains recently, the track really needs a clean after it's been folded up for a while as the trains sometimes stall unecpectedly, I think I need a track cleaning truck, but they are very expensive, unless I can design one of my own. Here is the link to the latest video of the trains in action, the GWR is one I have been trying to repair for my Nephew, but I failed so the motor has been removed allowing it to be pushed round by another engine. Click here for the video

Friday 6 January 2012

2012 - new year new additions

Following Christmas and my birthday on the following day, I found myself with a number on new items to add to the railway. Thanks to all my family for buying these items or providing vouchers so I could select the items myself.

Railway Modeller magazine for December had a model kit attached for a signal box, ideal for use near my new level crossing and my presents included a couple of Amazon vouchers which enabled me to get one or two more additions.

All I need now is time to get the layout down and to start sticking the items in place. Here is a picture of the Christmas and Birthday 2011 collection, clicking on the picture should bring up a larger version:-

and one I forgot when taking picture: