A new layout.

Part 2, the canopy, using Rob Pulhams method, I've used paper spectacle cleaning cloth's to represent tar paper, painted with Tamiya hot steel acrylic. The front and sides are clad with cut down coffee stirrers, I've only just done them and the glue isn't quite set, once it is I will trim them and weather them.








Thats it for now, once the glues dried I will try and finish the canopy.

Cheers, Pete.

 

After a session in my shed this afternoon, I've got my roof tiles on and painted and added barge boards. I have also made up some guttering for it, still waiting for the glue to dry before I can tidy the ends up and paint it before fitting. Once that's done I can glue the canopy in place, Anyway, a couple of photos of where I am now.

Sorry for the next blurry photo, it is the canopy with weathered wood work.


I don't think I will get much done tomorrow as we are off to the O gauge Doncaster trade fair, there are 3 or 4 layouts too, hopefully I should get a few photos to share.

Cheers for now, Pete.

 

Thanks Gormo, praise indeed from a master!!!

Pete.

 

No photos at this point but I have moved ahead with the warehouse and have glued on the canopy and made and fitted the guttering, I don't have the down pipe fitted as I've run out of my plastic tube, however I have some on order and should be here soon.
The other decision I have made is to remove the wire in tube switches and replace them with servos. I am struggling with my back and cannot stand for very long so I have decided to convert the layout to front operation so I can sit down to operate it. With that in mind, I am going to convert all my stock to automatic coupling, the specific type I haven't yet decided, it will be either Spratt and Winkle or Alex Jackson, the S&W uses permanent magnets, the A J electro magnets the latter look more unobtrusive but have to be made from scratch, the S&W, I have enough frets to make enough pairs for a dozen or so already, plus I have a couple of wagons already made (Mind you it took me about 2 hours to make and fit them, though I think that will speed up when I get into the rythym).

Cheers, Pete.

 

Not done anything lately as it's our rally season and we've had 3 in a row, I was hoping to get some more done on the rain water down pipes but despite them being supposedly delivered last Thursday nothing has arrived! I now have to start chasing them via the Royal Mail sorting office, they are supposed to confirm delivery to the customer. We will see. Not till next week as we are off in the morning to Southall Racecourse near Newark/Mansfield in Nottinghamshire if any one in the area fancy's a day out, come and say hello!

Pete.

 

It's a kind of thick tissue impregnated with a mild cleaning solvent, when it dries out it has the appearance of tar paper. It really needs ironing to get rid of the creases where it's been folded. I didn't bother and to my eyes it looks ok, especially once painted.

Cheers, Pete.

 

Been a while since the last post and in the meantime, because of back problems, I have decided to change to operating from the front so I can sit and play trains. That said I have binned the wire in tube with a slide switch at the rear and have gone for wire in tube with servos. I saw them on Heathcote electronics youtube channel where he extolled the benefits of above board servo operating. He demonstrated them with peco 00 points which looked great, however his method doesn't work with my points as the throw on the tiebar is quite short, the points are built from Waverley O gauge kits now long out of production as the manufacturer passed away years ago. If I had known when I built them I would have binned the tiebar and substituted my own from copper clad, but it's too late now, however, I have used the omega loops from the original switches which seem to work. Time will tell.
Forgot to mention, I intended using micro switches for polarity changing but because of the very short tiebar throw I have gone for TamValley individual frog juicers, more on those later as they use witchcraft to work!
Anyway, some pic's.


The other board I have managed to use the servo underneath with a micro switch.



Since taking the photo I have wired the servo into the jumper cable to the other board.

Cheers, Pete.

 

I may have mentioned earlier that I had been asked to exhibit the layout at the Sheffield MRS show on 1st October. This gave me the boot up the rear to crack on and get it finished. Unfortunately it didn't happen as I struggled to get it working so I had to pull it from the exhibition. They were not happy as mine was one of two O gauge layouts that were invited and both had cancelled .

More to come, just got to put our evening meal on, back soon.

Pete.

 

Right, I have finally got the servos to work and they appear to be throwing as they should. However all is not right, I mentioned earlier that I have used an old Waverely double slip kit and it has very tight clearances, as I had tried shunting the layout it became very clear that all was not right. The switch blades, though throwing, were not going all the way to the running rails, so after some deliberation I decided to do some exploratory surgery which meant tearing up some of the track infill, luckily most came off intact so just some smaller pieces to re make. I had to re solder one blade to give a better throw and clean up the sleeper tops so the blades moved a little smoother, anyway after cleaning up a little I tried my 08 through the points, it was a little hesitant in places but that may be down to the rail head being a bit dirty.

A couple of photos of the layout as it is at the moment.



A couple or three photos of where I have swopped and changed the wiring. A big shock when I turned the power on and it all worked!








Thats it for now. Thanks for looking, Pete.

 

After a long absence I have made a fresh start on the layout. The hard standing at the front has been extended and widened. I've given it 3 coats of paint and when it's dried I will give it some weathering washes to match the existing.

This is the best part of building a layout, setting the scene.

I've fitted the wharfs bumpers, made from used firework sticks, want not, waste not. They were panted with a grey wash then the base of the wall painted green and green flock glued on top.
The next job was to glue in some fencing along the rear after spraying it black and dry brushing it with pale grey to represent aged wood.

At the moment I have some bushes drying after spraying them with carpet glue and sprinkling them with green scatter.

Hopefully I will be able to peel them off the polystyrene.........

More to come later.

Cheers, Pete.