Sunshine, Palm Trees and a Food Industry...

I managed to get the back scene board fitted tonight using 'Task Master' (brand) of screw in insert nuts and matching 10mm long M6 cap screws, as seen below...

First up I clamped the boards into position and measured up where I wanted to drill 5 holes in each board, of course equally apart. I first drilled a 3mm (1/8") hole through the MDF and base board frame. The hoes in the baseboard frame were then enlarged with a 7.5mm drill bit.
I must remember not to purchase high speed bits, they fly through the timber uncontrolled with very little throttle...

From the back or inside edge I used a allen key to fit the insert nuts. The facing edge of the nut is 6mm in diameter and the end where you insert the allen key is 8mm in diameter. So for a tighter fit I chose the 7.5mm bit...

After getting all 10 insert nuts in and flush with the outer face of the base board frame, I had to open the holes a little more on the MDF back scene boards. I used a 6mm bit for this.

Then it was time to fit it altogether...

The small cap screws work well as they also have a allen key head on them, making for easy insert as the head diameter is 10mm and they are 5mm deep.

So now the next job for tomorrow afternoon/evening is to find the wall paper paste and get the image up onto the boards...

Cheers, Gary.

 

I have now added my photographic back scene to the back board. I used wall paper paste to fix this to the MDF. It took a few attempts to get all the air bubbles out and I'm quite happy with the results.

I don't mind the clouds being low in the sky. It gives the illusion that they are further away and tricks the eye into depth perception.

Cheers, Gary.

 

Thanks Rob.

I have just ordered 2 x CSX locomotives (GP9 and SD60M, both sound fitted - ESU), 2 x detail kits (for the 2 x locomotives), 4 x wagons, a Walthers Industrial Tank kit and a semi tanker (to park up) and a UPS truck.
I still have a chain link fence to install and when the tank kit arrives, a few derelict tanks to add to the scenery.

Cheers, Gary.

 

Operations time...
WARNING : The bell can and will be irritable...



Cheers, Gary.

 

New motive power arrived this morning...

One of the quickest deliveries I have had from Cockeysville, Maryland USA. Two weeks from placing the order to my doorstep, not bad !!

It is one of the cheaper runs from Walthers, which comes under the Mainline' tag, but it is fitted with ESU sound. The loco just lacks some of those finer 'add on' details like grab irons, MU cables and brake lines. Not to worry as I have a detail kit coming in the post real soon. I'll just need to find an air hose kit for the locomotive in time.



Couple of pics...

I the two next pics, you acn see where the grab iron locations are marked on the nose of the short and long hoods. I will need to drill these out and glue in the grab irons then paint accordingly...

Here you can see the locations around and above the 'C' in CSX. One grab iron sits atop of the hood.

...and here on the long hood end, you can see the locations above and below the C on the left hand side of the nose. Just like the opposite end, one grab iron is located on the roof of the hood.

Cheers, Gary.

 

I picked the new motive power and wagons for the layout after a card was left at my front door to retrieve these from the post office...

SD60M locomotive fitted with ESU sound from Walthers Mainline.

With this shipment also came four new wagons, 2 x high cube box cars, one TTX, one Norfolk Southern...

Nice detail around the doors !

and 2 x CSX gondolas...

Nice end details on the gondolas...

The locomotive is sweet, drives nicely and sounds great, even though I had heard mixed reviews on this model. The wagons are excellent, but I have found that they don't traverse the set track points really well, ...so, these points will be replaced with Peco Streamlined SL-91 and SL-92 small points....

This will require some surgery on the layout, but in doing so, it will make for better operations...

Cheers, Gary.

 

The pics above in the previous post are pretty dark, so I'll show them again from a different angle with better light.

What I currently have...

What I'm aiming for...

And work begins with track clearing...

With three of five, (perhaps six) points down, this area only needs the lead to the food industry completed and wired before testing.

I haven't yet decided whether to replace the points on the front of the layout, next to the grey/red building and perhaps use that curved siding sparingly and only smaller box cars can be positioned there...

Time will tell....

Cheers, Gary.

 

I have replaced the other two points and the wiring has been completed underneath. The trains roll through much smoother.

The only difference between the old and the newly replaced points is that it has made my passing loops shorter, meaning I can only run around 3 x sixty foot wagons, as seen in the pics below...

This pic below from a higher view shows the loco on the end of the three wagons, which are located approximately 50mm (2") from the toe of the points.

Oh yes, York Paul mentioned in his thread (Leek Station - the build commences) about watching my video of the process on replacing the old set track points with the Streamlined points, so I better share this too...



Cheers, Gary.

 

Thanks for the kind words Chris.

I still have a bit to do on this layout, mostly the finer details after the track is painted and ballasted again. I also have to plant the food industry buildings and the silos yet, and also make amends with the back scene as some of the print lost its grip (glue) off the back board, resulting in a loose fitting scene...

I have considered building in another drop away extension/fiddle yard on the right hand end... Still thinking about this though.

Cheers, Gary.

 

I got into a painting mode this afternoon, starting with the sleepers and then the rails...

Above and below, both sets of points have had the sleepers painted...

Above, rails have been painted as well as another light wash of grey over the top of the first coat of colour on the sleepers.

Below shows the other sets of points all painted up with the missing sleepers replaced.

I was hoping to get some ballasting done tonight, but I'll wait until tomorrow...

Cheers, Gary.

 

All the points have been ballasted and sanded in. I matched the new ballast and sand to the existing pretty good if I do say so myself !

I also added more trash in the rail corridor...

I have been weathering the new 60' high cube box cars as well, but I think a few dabs of rust is required. Photos soon.

Cheers, Gary.

 

Thought I'd do a little weathering during our first lock down weekend... Weathered up the two 60' high cube box cars then took them outside this morning for a photo shoot !

TTX box car...

Norfolk Southern box car...

Yep, they are subtle compared to what I normally do, after all, these cars are in the more modern era and haven't been trashed like my other pieces of rolling stock !

Cheers, Gary.

 

Short run by video with the newly purchased Walthers SD60M and a bunch of weathered cars...



Cheers, Gary.