15/10/2015 The pristine Hornby 9F 'Evening Star' gets a bit of weathering. She will look great once she's lit and pulling a dirty rake of heavy oil tankers.
Hi Steve, Welcome onboard. What a great set of photos you've posted. So many things going on there. I love the aircraft hanger. Not often you see that modelled. The interior of the signal box is first class as well. Looks like we're in for some interesting times here. Thanks very much for sharing your layout with us and I'll look forward watching it grow. Cheers Toto
Thanks Toto.When I look back at those bare baseboards 3 years ago I am reasonably happy with the progress. I hope I have a lot more done over the next 3 years.Cheers Steve
Fantastic Steve some great pictures there, I'm just in on a flying visit but I'll come in later to do a proper study Cheers Matt
The last two weeks has been spent wiring up point motors and switches to control the points in the fiddle yard. All 19 of them , plus two on the mainlines to send the trains down underneath the main board. I'm using Hornby point motors that I bought in the UK years ago. They are all surface mounted with a brass push rod to move the point. It works nicely. At the front of the layout are the Modratec brass lever frames which are just beautiful to operate. I am very very glad I decided to go with that system. It's quiet and just feels right. It's all a bit slow going but I'm happy with the result so far. Attached files
mattc6911 wrote: Well it's a pleasure to have you fly in Matt, I'm sure you'll be back for a longer stay real soon.Cheers Steve
Great photos Steve and a really impressive layout! Only 3 years eh! That must seem like a world record to some folk... no names no pack drill! Ian
Some great photos Steve, been going through again and again and keep seeing something new each time, I'll definitely be back for more ! If I could make that much progress in three years I would be A Happy bunny Ian Cheers Matt
Lovely Steve And old school wire in the tube - is this something you aussies are required to do as a right of passage, Gormo, Gary ..... Very impressive Paul
Hi Steve, Just caught more of your photos. I seen the point lever system at one of the exhibitions that I visited. They do look good. The other hanger shots and the planes posed with support vehicles and ground crew look amazing. Thanks again for sharing these images. Terrific. Toto
ianvolvo46 wrote: Thanks for your kind words Ian. I find I go months without getting anything done and then I will get a couple of days where I can get into the train room and achieve a lot.Last year I built a Trumpter 1:24 Mustang and that took up a lot my time. This year I have an Airfix 1:24 Typhoon Mk1B kit to build so I'm going to have to balance it with the layout.
paul_l wrote: I really like the wire in tube system. What I found was that while I was designing the layout of the lever frame it forced me to do a lot of reading on the subject, which in turn improved my knowledge on the subject a little. Whilst not 100% prototypical it's more about the practical operation of the layout for enjoyment than a hard-line approach to running a miniature railway. After all is that not why we do it, for fun? Well I know I do.Cheers Steve Two beautiful locomotives sitting at the York National Railway Museum.The A4 and the Q1. Attached files
Toto wrote: Thanks Toto, I just love having an RAF airfield on the layout. Aeroplanes like trains have a certain aura about them and I think the two go very well together. What I have noticed about the best layouts around the world is that they are made up of lots of dioramas. The trains are secondary. If it looks like it is meant to be then it is believable and the person looking in on the tiny world will be drawn in to it. I find myself asking the question all the time, 'Is this a practical thing? Would this actually work in the real 1:1 world?' If the answer is yes then I will put it on the layout. Those RAF ground crew are from the airfix set. It wasn't until I visited RAF Museum at Hendon that I saw what the little blue cart was actually for. Up until then I had it painted white and was using it as an oxygen cart. There were no colour photos online or in any books I had to make me think it was actually a battery cart. Modelling is a great way of expanding your knowledge. Cheers Steve 21C123 Bulleid West Country Blackmoor Vale sits at Kingscote on the Bluebell Line Attached files
Hi Steve, Great photos of the layout and it brings our friends here upto date with where your at with the layout. Not only have you provided some great layout pics, you have also incuded some lovely loco pis, especially 21C123...! Nothing prettier than a air smoothed Bullied Pacific, she is a beautiful beast ! Cheers, Gary. ps, Ok, ok, the A4s are nice to look at too...
Gary wrote: Nothing prettier than a air smoothed Bullied Pacific, she is a beautiful beast ! Yes they are nice looking engines, but terrible starters, especially in the wet. (The Bullied Spin).