Progress (or otherwise) on Jeff's new layout

Looks good, maybe some coping stones at the top of the walls to set it off?

You have made a lovely job with the Westcountry Jeff. I agree those cheap Hornby decoders do tend to throw up many  problems certainly worth changing to the Lenz one.

Brian

[user=753]Phil.c[/user] wrote:

Looks good, maybe some coping stones at the top of the walls to set it off?

Thanks Phil. I have been thinking along those lines, playing with ideas for some wall capping of some sort. 

[user=2137]Briperran[/user] wrote:

You have made a lovely job with the Westcountry Jeff. I agree those cheap Hornby decoders do tend to throw up many  problems certainly worth changing to the Lenz one.

Brian

Thanks Brian. I haven't regretted tha decoder swap at all! :) There are still a couple of shortcomings with the finish on the West Country, but they won't take long to fix, once I get around to it. They aren't too obvious at normal viewing distances, so I am not in a rush.

[user=321]SRman[/user] wrote:

[user=753]Phil.c[/user] wrote:

Looks good, maybe some coping stones at the top of the walls to set it off?

Thanks Phil. I have been thinking along those lines, playing with ideas for some wall capping of some sort. 

Pieces of plastic or card would maybe be easier.

I have long intended to add a small rise or mound leading up to the bridge sides, to get away from the flat baseboard appearance along the front, while not blocking the view of trains. Work commenced yesterday with a block of foam, followed this morning with a coat of hurricane grey paint, and some scenic grasses this afternoon. The glue is still wet in these photos, and there is plenty of loose scatter material to vacuum up once it has dried, but this gives an impression of the final look. The bridge has been shifted slightly to one side to prevent it accidentally being glued down, as it has to remain removable.


P_20190703_161022_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20190703_161042_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Projects for the last couple of days, on and off:  

Ballast the curves at the 'eastern' end of the layout. I am experimenting with powdered glue mixed in with the ballast but am unsure of what proportions I need. Result with the outer track was that it didn't set at all, and I had to do it the old fashioned way of soaking with detergent and water then dripping diluted PVA glue in. The inner track has a lot more of the powdered glue mixed in, but is still wet in the photo, so the jury is still out as to the success or otherwise of this mix. 


  
P_20190706_171610_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr 



   I have also been constructing some Hornby deciduous trees, varying my techniques a bit to improve the appearance. I also bought a job lot of trees from our friend Malcolm's deceased estate, with some being quite usable with a bit of thin wire drilled into the bases of their trunks. I planted four of these plus one of the Hornby ones beside the overbridge where the main lines cross the underground tracks, and a couple more of the Hornby trees next to the steep road hill near the programming track. None are permanent, yet, while I assess in my mind how successful or appropriate they look.  More of the Hornby trees are drying at the moment on the workbench. 

 
P_20190706_171552_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr 


P_20190706_171754_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr



P_20190706_171833_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Aren’t Hornby’s trees all pre-made? I’m missing something :hmm

[user=2057]TeaselBay[/user] wrote:

Aren’t Hornby’s trees all pre-made? I’m missing something :hmm

No, these are from their kits, which have a number of pre-painted tree armatures on a foam block, and some bags of the leaf/fibre matting. Look up R8945 and R8946 in Google images; the ones I have been working on are the R8945 pack of deciduous trees, but I have the sycamores to do as well.

The track ballasting has been successful this time, with the powdered glue setting properly on the inner track.

Here is BR(S) N class 2-6-0 31860 with a ballast train. I think the men working on it must be on their tea break, perhaps hiding somewhere in the village High Street nearby.


P_20190707_104554_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20190707_104639_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

The trees look great Jeff - and I'm sure the workmen will come back from the High Street to finish the ballasting …

A little improvement to the upper level scenic area in the form of some track painting. I really should do this before I ballast the track, but once I put the third rail in, that has to go in after the ballasting anyway, then has to be painted - any other order results in difficulties and bare areas on the rails where they have slid through the 'pots'. I have left the inside areas of the point blades unpainted where they contact the running rails.

The ancient Mainline brake van has Bachmann metal wheelsets fitted, and is being used to test flangeway clearances after ballasting.


P_20190708_223238_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20190708_223335_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


Another major improvement was to wire up the Heljan turntable, which is now fully operational, albeit I am still on a steep learning curve as far as programming it goes. The tracks leading up to it are not yet properly laid and are not yet wired, either. Excuse the clutter around the turntable - this whole area is still very much a work in progress.


P_20190708_223252_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


​​​​​​​P_20190708_223305_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Bulleid 10202 has arrived from Kernow Model Railway Centre at Newton Broadway, and after a suitable running-in spell on DC on the rollers, has had a Zimo MX638D decoder installed. I noted that on analogue DC, it gave a little lurch each time the controller was turned on, before accelerating smoothly from zero again. This occurred in both directions. With the Zimo decoder installed, it behaves perfectly. I programmed my usual settings into CVs 3 and 4 (values of 25 and 18, respectively).

I like the differences on the roofs between 10201 and 10202, with the exhaust ports and roof hatches exhibiting the main ones.


​​​​​​​P_20190711_172027_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

The different roof treatments: 10201 has the four small round ports, 10202 has the strips, and also the hatches between the ports divided along the middle.


P_20190711_194112_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


I have to find that missing buffer from 10201 too.

Experimental printed concrete wall texture from Scalescenes on the Underground branch line, to replace the 'temporary' Hornby Skaledale brick walling. The shape of the top of the wall needs trimming, but I think I like the effect overall. At present, the printed paper walling has been stuck to some card and is just leaning in place - the slightest gust of wind will bring it crashing down on the train!


P_20190713_210550_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20190713_210619_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Southern Electric contrasts:

Late 1960s plain (read 'dull') BR blue adorns 4 CEP unit 7119 as it passes by. It wasn't long before these main line units were painted in BR's blue and grey. This is a Bachmann model, limited edition from TMC, and is fitted with a Lenz Silver+ 21 decoder.


P_20190726_213111_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


Still in the late 1960s, the same 4 CEP passes the same location, this time with an MLV, 68004, trailing, also in plain BR blue. These units also quickly gained blue and grey. The MLV is also a Bachmann model fitted with a Lenz Silver+ 21 decoder.


P_20190726_213521_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr



Zipping forwards in time, a recent colourful livery on a class 73/2 electro-diesel was this Southern green and white applied to 'Thunderbird' 73 202. This is a recent Dapol model, and has been fitted with one of their own Imperium decoders. The lighting works as it should on this model, unlike previous Dapol 73s. F0 turns the directional high-intensity headlights, F1 and F2 are the headcodes at each end, and F3 and F4 are the cab lights at each end. To get this latter working properly on DCC, I had to move the 3-position switch on the PCB to the centre position.


P_20190726_210720_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

More Southern Electrics from me. 

These are all 4 CEP (class 411) units illustrating the transition of liveries from the mid to late 1960s onwards. Green unit 7126 with small yellow warning panels is seen with blue and grey unit 7113.


P_20190727_102015_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

P_20190727_102045_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Later on, 7113 is seen in multiple with plain blue unit 7119 with full yellow ends. 


P_20190727_101534_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20190727_101608_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Other intermediate liveries (not modelled here) included green units with full yellow ends, and plain blue units with small yellow panels. All of these liveries could be seen together in mixed formations of up to 12 cars (3 x 4 CEP, or 2 x 4 CEP and 1 x 4 BEP - the Buffet units have not yet been released by Bachmann but are on the way). They could also have one or two Motor Luggage Vans in green, blue or blue and grey attached. Also around 1968 or so there were some converted standard BG (Full Brakes) in blue and grey as TLVs (Trailer Luggage Vans) that could be sandwiched between an MLV and a CEP or BEP unit; these saved on having all the extra traction motors and current consumption, but made shunting them in and out awkward as they had no driving controls.

Some more Southern Electrics, this time looking at Motor Luggage Vans (MLVs) of class 419. I have six of these in various liveries, representing five out of the 10 members of this class - one unit is represented twice, in early and late liveries. As you can see, for a small class of unit, they have been in many different liveries over their long lives, something ideal for a model manufacturer to take advantage of.


The earliest livery I have is 68006 in Southern Region green with small yellow panels, from the mid-1960s. Originally they would not have had the yellow when they first went into service in 1959.


P_20190727_224613_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


Next is blue and grey 68009, with slightly earlier 68004 in plain blue behind.


P_20190727_224435_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


Then we get to more modern liveries, although the blue and grey lasted for over 20 years: 68008, as unit 9008, is in the fairly short-lived London & South East 'jaffa cake' livery.


P_20190727_223236_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


Another short-lived livery was the Royal Mail red applied to a couple of MLVs, with 68004/9004 (again) showing this livery. It was soon realised that this livery made them attractive targets for thieves, so those so treated were repainted quickly into NSE livery.


P_20190727_223749_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


Which brings us to 68002/9002 in Network South East livery.


P_20190727_224122_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


They were originally used with 4 CEPs and 4 BEPs on London to Dover trains to cope with passenger luggage for the ferry and cruise ships serving Dover. As such, the earlier liveries can be run in model form with Bachmann's 4 CEP units, or even Hornby's 4 VEP units, but as there are no models of refurbished 4 CEPs, the later liveries have to be run on their own or in pairs (which did happen quite regularly in their later years). 

The MLVs were versatile in that they could run for short stretches off the electrified third rail, using on-board batteries. They also had both vacuum and air brakes, and could convert braking systems if sandwiched between stock with the different brake types, as well as being able to multiple with the EMU stock with the standard SR electro-pneumatic brakes.

you must have a HUGE storage area for all of your locos/DMUs ?

Hi Ron.
Not entirely! I have five of the Ikea Alex drawer units which store most of the stock I run, plus the on-layout storage in the fiddle yard. But there are still quite a lot of trains that don't fit anywhere, so there are several of the plastic storage tubs, with lots of bubble wrap between layers of stock, plus a few more items stuck on top of the Ikea units … then there are a few strays in other drawers in the train room … it is a teensy bit out of hand!