Building Elvenhome, an N Gauge layout

I have been completing various jobs over the last two weeks. The build of the engine shed has been completed, including building the caged ladder kit from Peedie Models. I show me completing the build of that kit in the video. I have also been painting the various items that will go inside the shed, and the figures from Modelu of loco and shed crew and a couple of others, including a child. This may be the only N scale child that I shall ever paint. He is a diddy wee thing. An update on lighting the market stalls and a LMS Jubilee 'Trafalgar' in Crimson Lake completes the fare for this video

 

With the arrival of the set of small LEDs to allow me to choose what to use in the market stalls, I was able to get on with the creation of the market that sits outside Weathertop Station. In the video you will see the whole process of fitting the lights to the stalls, and the stalls its traders and customers to the base board. I almost complete the wiring before fate took a hand both to avoid me blowing half the lights, and to stop me wiring most of them. Trafalgar gets another trip around the layout but this time I turned train cam on.

 

Rather fittingly two project neatly came to a conclusion with the end of the year. The four road engine shed is now installed on the layout and red in for lighting. The various items bought to kit out the interior have worked well, and there is some train cam footage showing a train arriving in the depot. The market stalls have also finally been lit, and provide a nice source of light outside the main station. The power distribution board that I mentioned in my last video also gets a starring role as I talk through how it used.

 

After much prevarication I finally plucked up the nerve to fit sound to a Dapol A4. You can see how I got on in the video. I have also been trying to create a soundscape to provide some background sounds when operating the layout. The results so far as quite pleasing and I ask in the video if there would be interest in me showing how I create the audio file with the sounds on.

 

In the last video I asked if there would be interest in me showing how I went about creating a soundscape for the layout using various sound effects from the BBC sound effect library. There seemed to be sufficient interest so this video shows both the BBC sound effects library and in outline how I went about mixing the various tracks I have used into one audio file.

 

Leaving technology behind it was time to get back to some scenic work. It is such a relaxing thing to transform baseboard into another part of the layout.

 

It has been month since the last update. I had to think how I wanted to change the design for the raised section where High Elven stands, and how that affected what I had intended to do below that section. All of that thinking has caused me to look again at some other completed parts and face up to the need to replace an early scratch build which is showing its age. I also showcase two new N Gauge channels that would be worth viewing. Finally a new locomotive a LNER B1 has joined the fleet.

 

I had so many useful comments in response to the last video it has taken me a while to think about all the useful points people made. In this video I have resolved what changes are needed to the layout plan in one area and even start work on a new curved viaduct. In the manner of London Buses, with a new loco last video, I have two new locomotives to show off in this video.

 

The arrival of a mighty pair of woodworking compasses and some A2 graph paper (yes this is N scale) means the viaduct design can start in earnest. I also can start seeing how the viaduct will relate to other parts of the scenery in articular the canal that I will be adding to the layout. Talking of which I have bought a kit to build a lock that will be used to link the canal with the body of water by which Weathertop was originally designed to sit. Two more n scale channels are featured in Two to Watch, and a LMS Jubilee and the Midland Pullman get to play in the running session.

 

Yet more Jubilee fun as I can finally run both LMS Crimson Lake Jubilees with rakes of LMS maroon coaches having acquired a second rake of coaches. I have started work on designing and building the curved viaduct that is central to the reworking of the design of the bottom section of the layout. Two mock up versions of the part of the viaduct where it will cross the new canal I plan to put in has taught me a lot

 

Back from the many delights of Orkney, it is time to put plans into action and start building the curved viaduct. We shall see if all the measuring and test pieces are worth it...

 

Thanks very much Gormo. Sorry to be slow replying. The viaduct is coming together well I'm pleased to say. The station platform was one of my early builds and I am sure I can do a better job. With several large pacific class locos on pre-order it's only going to be clipped more and more.

Steve

 

Thanks very much Mark. The exterior brickwork is in place and should have more on that by the end of the week. Presently finalising how to fit the undercroft of the arches. That required a bit more head scratching, but a cunning plan is coming together. Steve

 

I have completed the application of the exterior embossed brick card on the carcass of the curved viaduct. The compass cutter that i bought to help me cut the curves of the arches worked well, andI show that and a rotary cutter which provide some useful options for cutting curves in card or plastic brick card. I also decided to try to be clever with the running session - The YouTube gods decided to intervene.

 

I have been working on the viaduct. It now has it exterior walls and I have found a way to fit the Redutex stone grey texture material to the underneath of the arches in a way that will keep their shape. I also have painted the viaduct main body, although a rare weather event in Scotland nearly scuppered my efforts there. After the near disaster of the last running session, a more successful session in this video

 

A couple of weeks later than I was aiming for, the curved viaduct is now complete, apart from the detailing I show at the end of the video, which is going to test my dexterity. I was able to get the arch vaults to sit right and found a way to replicate the arch header. I also turned to model boat building to find the kind of railings that I wanted for the top of the viaduct. To cap it all, I worked out a way to fit capping stones the sit right with the railings.

 

I have discovered over the last two weeks that there is something very therapeutic about taking a hammer to the scenery of a part of the layout. Changes have been made to make room for the new viaduct and the changed track formation. I also made up the downpipes for the viaduct using the Modelu 3d printed hoppers and holderbats. These are very small to work with and presented their own little challenge, but I think the result is a good one.