Monday, May 09, 2005
30th August 2004.
That was the last update.
Lot of water under a lot of bridges since then, so to speak. Anyway. Welcome back.
A lot of things have changed, and a lot haven't - on the personal front, I'm still at Royal Mail, just 'celebrated' my third aniversary of starting there. In far better news, I'm now engaged to Laura, with the wedding planned for July 2007 :-)
On the layout front - Lansdowne Sidings is much as it was. Still needs wiring, but other than that, it's progressing as hoped. Slight change - and a recent ebay win - means that it'll be pushed back to Network SouthEast days rather than the present times, but a 33 with 4-REP set will provide the main interest, with the sidings converted to an engineers yard. I've also bought overlays for a Class 205 'Thumper' in NSE colours, so when they arrive I will be able to mix loco hauled and multiple unit stock.
On the 00 layout, a lot HAS changed. Basically I've decided to go totally modern image. I'm resurecting something that never should have changed in the first place - bringing the railway back to Hailsham - I've ignored the building of houses over a lot of the trackbed, and with the aid of Redevelopment grants, 'Southern', Network Rail and the local council have all worked together to bring back the rails (watch out for low flying pigs...).
Passenger stock will mainly be Bachmann Turbostars - with the odd charter - whilst on the freight front I've decided that the local rope industry would want a traffic flow - EWS happy to provide it with Bachmann's not half bad 'Shed' - yes, I've bought my first '66'. - and 3 VGA Vans.
It's not been a totally wasted winter - bought a lot of magazines whilst a lot of the now unneeded items have gone on ebay and are long gone.
The next update shouldn't take so long as this one did...
That was the last update.
Lot of water under a lot of bridges since then, so to speak. Anyway. Welcome back.
A lot of things have changed, and a lot haven't - on the personal front, I'm still at Royal Mail, just 'celebrated' my third aniversary of starting there. In far better news, I'm now engaged to Laura, with the wedding planned for July 2007 :-)
On the layout front - Lansdowne Sidings is much as it was. Still needs wiring, but other than that, it's progressing as hoped. Slight change - and a recent ebay win - means that it'll be pushed back to Network SouthEast days rather than the present times, but a 33 with 4-REP set will provide the main interest, with the sidings converted to an engineers yard. I've also bought overlays for a Class 205 'Thumper' in NSE colours, so when they arrive I will be able to mix loco hauled and multiple unit stock.
On the 00 layout, a lot HAS changed. Basically I've decided to go totally modern image. I'm resurecting something that never should have changed in the first place - bringing the railway back to Hailsham - I've ignored the building of houses over a lot of the trackbed, and with the aid of Redevelopment grants, 'Southern', Network Rail and the local council have all worked together to bring back the rails (watch out for low flying pigs...).
Passenger stock will mainly be Bachmann Turbostars - with the odd charter - whilst on the freight front I've decided that the local rope industry would want a traffic flow - EWS happy to provide it with Bachmann's not half bad 'Shed' - yes, I've bought my first '66'. - and 3 VGA Vans.
It's not been a totally wasted winter - bought a lot of magazines whilst a lot of the now unneeded items have gone on ebay and are long gone.
The next update shouldn't take so long as this one did...
Monday, September 13, 2004
About time for an update I reckon - though I haven't actually made much progress in recent weeks.
However, I have been out and about - Andover and Grantham shows last weekend (Another hammering for the YPRC...) - buying a few bits for both N and OO layouts (Including a Bachmann 25, Graf/Bach 33 and a few other mainly scenic bits).
This week isn't likely to be any different - I'm off next week to Norwich (and a week of photting anywhere and everywhere I can most likely - eyeing up a trip to Doncaster at the moment) - Unfortunatley not the superb layout though! - http://www.freewebs.com/doncaster
It should also be a good month on the Magazine front - a new Rail Express, which is always something to look forward to. Especially now every issue will have a 32-Page Modern Modelling Supplement...
However, I have been out and about - Andover and Grantham shows last weekend (Another hammering for the YPRC...) - buying a few bits for both N and OO layouts (Including a Bachmann 25, Graf/Bach 33 and a few other mainly scenic bits).
This week isn't likely to be any different - I'm off next week to Norwich (and a week of photting anywhere and everywhere I can most likely - eyeing up a trip to Doncaster at the moment) - Unfortunatley not the superb layout though! - http://www.freewebs.com/doncaster
It should also be a good month on the Magazine front - a new Rail Express, which is always something to look forward to. Especially now every issue will have a 32-Page Modern Modelling Supplement...
About time for an update I reckon - though I haven't actually made much progress in recent weeks.
However, I have been out and about - Andover and Grantham shows last weekend (Another hammering for the YPRC...) - buying a few bits for both N and OO layouts (Including a Bachmann 25, Graf/Bach 33 and a few other mainly scenic bits).
This week isn't likely to be any different - I'm off next week to Norwich (and a week of photting anywhere and everywhere I can most likely - eyeing up a trip to Doncaster at the moment) - Unfortunatley not the superb layout though! - http://www.freewebs.com/doncaster
It should also be a good month on the Magazine front - a new Rail Express, which is always something to look forward to. Especially now every issue will have a 32-Page Modern Modelling Supplement...
However, I have been out and about - Andover and Grantham shows last weekend (Another hammering for the YPRC...) - buying a few bits for both N and OO layouts (Including a Bachmann 25, Graf/Bach 33 and a few other mainly scenic bits).
This week isn't likely to be any different - I'm off next week to Norwich (and a week of photting anywhere and everywhere I can most likely - eyeing up a trip to Doncaster at the moment) - Unfortunatley not the superb layout though! - http://www.freewebs.com/doncaster
It should also be a good month on the Magazine front - a new Rail Express, which is always something to look forward to. Especially now every issue will have a 32-Page Modern Modelling Supplement...
About time for an update I reckon - though I haven't actually made much progress in recent weeks.
However, I have been out and about - Andover and Grantham shows last weekend (Another hammering for the YPRC...) - buying a few bits for both N and OO layouts (Including a Bachmann 25, Graf/Bach 33 and a few other mainly scenic bits).
This week isn't likely to be any different - I'm off next week to Norwich (and a week of photting anywhere and everywhere I can most likely - eyeing up a trip to Doncaster at the moment) - Unfortunatley not the superb layout though! - http://www.freewebs.com/doncaster
It should also be a good month on the Magazine front - a new Rail Express, which is always something to look forward to. Especially now every issue will have a 32-Page Modern Modelling Supplement...
However, I have been out and about - Andover and Grantham shows last weekend (Another hammering for the YPRC...) - buying a few bits for both N and OO layouts (Including a Bachmann 25, Graf/Bach 33 and a few other mainly scenic bits).
This week isn't likely to be any different - I'm off next week to Norwich (and a week of photting anywhere and everywhere I can most likely - eyeing up a trip to Doncaster at the moment) - Unfortunatley not the superb layout though! - http://www.freewebs.com/doncaster
It should also be a good month on the Magazine front - a new Rail Express, which is always something to look forward to. Especially now every issue will have a 32-Page Modern Modelling Supplement...
Monday, August 30, 2004
Today I've been continuing with the ballasting - and the bulk is now complete. Still waiting to be able to wire the layout, but scenically, things are looking a lot better than they have done. Not so much bare board now - with some turf material also laid between the platform road and the main siding. No pictures until tomorrow though, when it should all be dry!
Things I can - and will - be getting on with later this evening include a fascia for the fiddle yard - yet more Daler mounting board and pieces of wood. Other than that, there's also an end board that's measured, cut, and just needs to be fitted - and then I'll have to make a final decision on the station building.
Things I can - and will - be getting on with later this evening include a fascia for the fiddle yard - yet more Daler mounting board and pieces of wood. Other than that, there's also an end board that's measured, cut, and just needs to be fitted - and then I'll have to make a final decision on the station building.
Sunday, August 29, 2004
I've begun ballasting on Lansdowne Sidings this evening - never a pleasant job at the best of times.
Though it still needs to be wired, there was an uncontrollable desire to crack on, so I've started to ballast the bits that won't need feeds - the platform road and the main siding first up. It's going reasonably well, using Woodland Scenics Ballast and Scenic Cement (If anybody knows where you can buy eye droppers/pippetts, let me know - I've never been able to find them). The advantage of Scenic Cement is that it can simply be sprayed onto the ballast. Well, it works at the moment...
I've also recovered the last few bits of Instant Roadbed - http://www.ami-roadbed.com - and tried it with the far superior Woodland Scenics ballast, as opposed to the HO stuff bought at Leatherhead. The Instant Roadbed didn't stick that - well, it does N Gauge ballast. So well, in fact, that I'm considering Instant Roadbed for the 'OO' layout, based on the fact that it looks good, it's (very) easy to use and I hate the traditional method of ballasting...
Though it still needs to be wired, there was an uncontrollable desire to crack on, so I've started to ballast the bits that won't need feeds - the platform road and the main siding first up. It's going reasonably well, using Woodland Scenics Ballast and Scenic Cement (If anybody knows where you can buy eye droppers/pippetts, let me know - I've never been able to find them). The advantage of Scenic Cement is that it can simply be sprayed onto the ballast. Well, it works at the moment...
I've also recovered the last few bits of Instant Roadbed - http://www.ami-roadbed.com - and tried it with the far superior Woodland Scenics ballast, as opposed to the HO stuff bought at Leatherhead. The Instant Roadbed didn't stick that - well, it does N Gauge ballast. So well, in fact, that I'm considering Instant Roadbed for the 'OO' layout, based on the fact that it looks good, it's (very) easy to use and I hate the traditional method of ballasting...
I've added a couple of pictures of the hardstanding areas to my Fotopic site. The pictures are a bit cruel - the edge doesen't have what shows up as an enormous gap in reality!
http://stuart8662.fotopic.net/p7116657.html
The 'tarmac' area around the fueling point, seen in the second of the two pictures, is currently represented by paper, as I need access for wiring when the soldering iron turns up.
http://stuart8662.fotopic.net/p7116657.html
The 'tarmac' area around the fueling point, seen in the second of the two pictures, is currently represented by paper, as I need access for wiring when the soldering iron turns up.
Friday, August 27, 2004
Another good day - with a trip to Ford and Gaugemaster.
This time I had some travelling companions with me - owner of car, provider of hot chocolate and holder of camera case ( ;-) ). As well as The Engine Shed, it's Friday - so Top and tailed 31's on the Bristol-Brighton-Cardiff run - some phots here - http://stuart8662.fotopic.net/c270722.html .
Bought at Gaugemaster
Knightwing Extra Large Power Boxes - N Gauge
Faller Road - HO/OO Gauge (For the street scene above the platform on the 'OO' layout
Knightwing Buffer Stops - N Gauge (Excellent little whitemetal castings, looks far better than the chunky Peco sleeper-built ones I was going to use)
Faller Foam walling - HO/OO - I love this stuff! - Unfortunatley, only one packet in stock, so more needed - but it really does look excellent.
Harburn Hamlet Brick Terraced Garden - OO
Unfortunatley, my soldering iron hasn't arrived yet, so no wiring on Lansdowne Sidings has been possible. I have though completed a bit more work on the tarmac/hard standing areas, and as I hoped, it does look excellent. With the Knightwing buffers being that little bit smaller, they should fit perfectly.
This time I had some travelling companions with me - owner of car, provider of hot chocolate and holder of camera case ( ;-) ). As well as The Engine Shed, it's Friday - so Top and tailed 31's on the Bristol-Brighton-Cardiff run - some phots here - http://stuart8662.fotopic.net/c270722.html .
Bought at Gaugemaster
Knightwing Extra Large Power Boxes - N Gauge
Faller Road - HO/OO Gauge (For the street scene above the platform on the 'OO' layout
Knightwing Buffer Stops - N Gauge (Excellent little whitemetal castings, looks far better than the chunky Peco sleeper-built ones I was going to use)
Faller Foam walling - HO/OO - I love this stuff! - Unfortunatley, only one packet in stock, so more needed - but it really does look excellent.
Harburn Hamlet Brick Terraced Garden - OO
Unfortunatley, my soldering iron hasn't arrived yet, so no wiring on Lansdowne Sidings has been possible. I have though completed a bit more work on the tarmac/hard standing areas, and as I hoped, it does look excellent. With the Knightwing buffers being that little bit smaller, they should fit perfectly.
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Over the past couple of days I've been working on both layouts - with the OO Gauge layout now sporting an extra point. Instead of having a loop as a runround, I've decided on the far more sensible idea of a crossover set of points - which means coaches now don't have to be positioned carefully to avoid them being clipped by the loco. The headshunt created by this will also give me potential for a bit more shunting - it should be long enough to take a single coach - so perhaps a buffet that could be marshalled into the train to make it five coaches in length - or maybe just a disused siding with a condemmed van on, slowly rusting away.
Lansdowne Sidings is though still taking priority - and will, hopefully, be wired this week. I've also taken delivery of several items from eBay - a colour light signal, fueling point (excellent), Parkside 'Grampus' kit and Avis street furniture for Lansdowne Sidings, with the 50 mentioned on Sunday for the OO layout. It's a fine model, and hopefully runs as well as she looks.
I'm toying with the idea of covering a large part of Lansdowne Sidings with grey mounting board, to represent tarmac/hard standing. I've experimented with offcuts of the white board used as a backscene, and it looks the part - handily, it's also exactly the right height for rail level - so in theory there's the potential for a decent little cameo scene of a forklift truck waiting to unload palletised supplies for the depot from vans. I'll be playing around with that some more tonight - and I've also been thinking about the station building. Obviously it's not going to be a huge construction - and, most likely, it will be printed onto the board at the 'stops'.
I've gone for the effect of a modern, functional rather than attractive, station building - and the 'glass' front is vaugley based on a prototype, my local station - Polegate. I've not got any N Gauge figures here to check, but it seems accurate enough height-wise. Not the finished article - probably - but the current idea is here - http://stuart8662.fotopic.net/p6991782.html
Lansdowne Sidings is though still taking priority - and will, hopefully, be wired this week. I've also taken delivery of several items from eBay - a colour light signal, fueling point (excellent), Parkside 'Grampus' kit and Avis street furniture for Lansdowne Sidings, with the 50 mentioned on Sunday for the OO layout. It's a fine model, and hopefully runs as well as she looks.
I'm toying with the idea of covering a large part of Lansdowne Sidings with grey mounting board, to represent tarmac/hard standing. I've experimented with offcuts of the white board used as a backscene, and it looks the part - handily, it's also exactly the right height for rail level - so in theory there's the potential for a decent little cameo scene of a forklift truck waiting to unload palletised supplies for the depot from vans. I'll be playing around with that some more tonight - and I've also been thinking about the station building. Obviously it's not going to be a huge construction - and, most likely, it will be printed onto the board at the 'stops'.
I've gone for the effect of a modern, functional rather than attractive, station building - and the 'glass' front is vaugley based on a prototype, my local station - Polegate. I've not got any N Gauge figures here to check, but it seems accurate enough height-wise. Not the finished article - probably - but the current idea is here - http://stuart8662.fotopic.net/p6991782.html
Saturday, August 21, 2004
After last week's activity it's generally been a quiet week - with a few auction wins, but no arrivals as yet. Three of these are for Lansdowne Sidings, whilst one - a brand new Hornby Class 50 - is for the 'OO' gauge layout and, at 50 quid, is an absolute bargain.
