Setforth Junction

Yes, I'm really wanting to get the branch line operational so that we can have small local goods coming down crossing over the main lines into the sidings, dropping off and then pick up goods trains coming through. Traffic between the industrial area and the sidings should promote interest as well.

Rather than wait to get the board for the branch line station done over the fiddle yard I may just fit a small shelf to give a couple of sidings and a run round with some old Peco set track. I've got all the electrical bits to set up a shuttle on the branch so that should give more movement, but the scenery on the tunnel curve is currently taking priority.

Also managed to bag a 5 car Triang Midland Pullman with both power cars motorised off E Bay last week - with my pre existing centre coach I now have a full 6 car set

 

It came fully rewheeled with Bachmann wheels on all non powered bogies, new driving wheels, all wheel pick up on both power power cars and Kadee couplings. One power car seems a bit reluctant to get moving - I may use the dummy power car from my original set instead as it doesn't to be powered on my level main lines, but it will need re wheeling and a Kadee fitting. However I suspect after a bit of running it may improve, so I'll focus on some scenic work instead.

Dave C

 

The past few months have seen a bit of progress on the scenery at the north end of the layout. One foreseen problem was the distance from the front edge of the baseboard caused by the minimum 36” radius curves on the ‘visible’ part of the layout. I had dismissed the problem, relying on a lift out section of scenery – but hadn’t really thought about it in detail.
So in January I had to do some thinking, and decided to go for a foamboard ‘box’ that fitted into the corner, and could be lifted out. Using the branch line curve as the outer edge wouldn’t possibly work due to the need to go away from it for the purposes of installing the water feature, so I built a break point using foam board outboard of the branch line curve.
The box was then fabricated using a hot glue gun to tack, and PVA to bond once the box was made. A hard foam (scrap material from a local fibreglass boat builder) was then used to build up the height and cut away / ground away to produce the terrain, with plaster bandage used to make the final features – then 2 or 3 coats of papier mache and the job was done. Plaster bandage was also used along the edges of the box and the break point on the layout.
All that remained was to paint the base, and then add scenic materials. My thanks to Everard Junction, Kathy Millatt and Matt at Woodland Scenics for their inspiration and various video tutorials.

Hillside being prepared.




The problem corner


Break point built


Box built


Foam installed and shaped. A hand hold was made where the church was to go and a finger hold under the church lych gate so it could be lifted out.


Work in progress - rest of terrain completed


Painted and back scene mocked up


Getting there - backscene, hedge around church yard and gravestones to fit. Note also on the track - been playing with superelevation - appears to work well

 

Last weekend we fitted a temporary fiddle yard for the branch line – its half the width of the board made to fit over the main fiddle yard – that will become the branch line station in due course – at the current rate of progress I estimate about 2019. Let’s see what comes first – Brexit or Bishops End!


This weekend saw a bit more progress on the north curve scenery, with the branch line tunnel being ‘blacked out’ by a a cardboard inset behind the mouth with a black rubbish bin curtain about 10” in to keep it dark for photographic purposes.


The superelevation on the curve hasn’t posed any running problems over the past few weeks, so I’ve gone ahead and ballasted. Weathering still needs to be done, but that will be done when there is a lot more ballasted track around to make it worthwhile getting the airbrush out.

Learning point – when soaking the ballast with the PVA / water mix, use a dustsheet under the layout to prevent diluted PVA running though old screw holes and between baseboard joins dripping over the contents of boxes underneath! Fortunately no permanent damaged to anything – found it whilst still wet.

And then this afternoon we had planning session on the Industrial area. We have used proprietary building kits and Freestone Models Townscene backgrounds. Still not entirely happy with it, so a bit more work to do before anything gets fixed down (the track has been slightly repositioned - again).

 

Cameron - many thanks. Still needs some detailing but we (father in law and I) are both pleased with it. Not made a lot of progress recently, but hope to post an update on the industrial area later this month.

Drc

 

Not had much time on the layout over the past few weeks, but found a couple of hours this afternoon to go and fiddle, and also take some videos which I've put together into a short running session, published on You Tube and then inserted into this post (thanks to Gormo's 'how to' post)

My skills at video editing are in their infancy so please bear with me - I have no pretentions of becoming another Ridley Scott or Stephen Spielberg.

 

Quick update before a well-earned holiday.
We have been working on the industrial area – we have decided where all the back scene outlines are to go, and made a foam board base to put everything on to make it easier then trying to do it leaning over the layout.


Some embossed wallpaper was used for the cobbled yard, and polystyrene packaging to raise the back, and then faced off with some brick paper mounted onto card. We then ballasted the track and added some greenery along the edge of the lift out section that has the church.



Still need to do some final touches and a bit more weathering, but we take that slowly on the basis we can add, but not take away very easily.
Fixing the back scenes into position and finishing off the road into the archway will have to be post-holiday – and when I took the final photo there was still wet PVA to be seen.



I’ve also been a bit disappointed with my efforts at static grass so far. Still got to add some to this scene, but to get a better charge I’ve laid aluminium foil under the ballasting at the side of the tracks and around the roadway where greenery needs extending. Fingers crossed that should help somewhat!

 

Holidays are over, but unfortunately going back to work is also going to be a necessity in the next couple of weeks so we have managed to spend some time on the layout and further progress has been made.
The purchase of some second hand display units has meant we have nearly all of the motive power either on the layout or in the units. Given I’m now aware of how many we have its time to stop buying any more!
The industrial area is ‘finished’ – we just need to add detail, rusty steel, sacks, carts, people etc. The retaining wall along the bay platform has been fixed, and some back scenes temporarily fixed whilst we debate what might look better – small bits of masking tape and blue tack came in very useful.
Next project is the town scene, and running in parallel getting some semaphore signalling in place.









I know 4472 and the class 29 are out of place, but I like them

More ballasting has taken place, but I prefer doing it in small chunks – that way it’s not so back breaking leaning over the layout, and you get some minor variances in appearance rather than it being uniform. At some stage I’ll get the new airbrush out to weather the track – never used a modelling one before so there will need to be some practice sessions.
There are some videos up on You Tube of trains running and cam truck runs which can be found here;
Trains running.




Cam truck runs.
Up line

Down line

Branch line

 

Probably my technical inabilty with You Tube. I'll go and check.
Checked - my fault

Should work now

drc