5 times longer in coming than Brunel took making the real thing!

Hi Mal,
I'm relatively new here so only just found your thread. I've read through the whole thing and am absolutely in love with "Easwood", I think it was an early photo that kept me interested, although I must say the whole layout is starting to really look good now. I do hope your luck has improved!
All the best,
John.

Thanks for your kind comments John.  Progress is as usual painfully slow but I hope to have the control panel wired & installed next month.  I've been busy installing all the point motors - a lot of work but nothing worth photographing!  I've taken delivery of the Metalsmith GWR turntable for Ottersford & need to get started on that & then that's all the trackwork complete.  My Great Aunt lived to be 97 so if it runs in the family there's a chance Ottersford might get somewhere near finished!  All the best. Mal

well it`s good to have you back on posting at least
:thumbs;-):cool:
Owen

Nice to hear from you Mal.

You're welcome Mal!
Slow progress is better than no progress, that's what I keep telling myself anyway.
I shall certainly look forward to seeing how the TT comes along, they are something of a 'thing' for me!
Cheers,
John.

Congratulations on Pic of the week Mal! Well earned, glad to see you back

Well Mal' although the only sort of luck you have seems to be bad, I reckon you've done exceptionally well. The layout looks really good… much better than mine; I must get the stuff to build a platform because it's at the back of the layout, so no point building things just so I can destroy them while doing the station. Just like your viaduct parapets. ;-) 

Hi Pete good to here from you.  Next Tuesday (9th) is big day as the control panel for Ottersford is to be installed & wired.  Once that's all working OK I can make a serious start on the scenery. Have you looked at Scalescenes for your platforms?  I'm using them because you can tailor them to fit your particular location.  Godd luck anyway.  Mal

Good luck for the 9th, hope it all goes well first time. I don't use scalescenes because the humidity and silver fish get to the paper finish. On my last attempt which I was pleased with, I used 12mm ply for the platform base and cut strips of balsa which I scored with a knife for the edging stones and then black tile grout for the asphalt surface. I sanded it lightly which turned it a nice asphalt colour.

The scoring of the balsa wood drives you nuts, but the finish is good.

Hi Pete.  I used plywood for the 'Easewood' platform but wimped out of scribing paving stones & used fine grade sandpaper for the surface.  Did edge it with stones though!  Would like to see a pic of your platform.  Mal

That particular one is long gone, but I'm going to start another one soon. Meanwhile I'll try and find some pic's of it.

Pete,

For an easy platform solution, cork underlay works great, when painted grey it gives an excellent tarmac surface which I remember on the platforms in my area.

Phil

Thanks Phil, but I've got the tile grout so it might as well be used.

Well some progress at last. Day spent yesterday on the control panel, for which I can accept no credit. It's all down to electrical engineer & railway enthusiast Colin



He's got a file full of track & wiring diagrams & made all the circuit boards himself.



I'm really impressed with the hours of work he must have put in, and this is the result:



So now there is just 25 points with 5 wires each to be connected!!!!!



I seem to remember reading some promotional literature that said "DCC - run your railway with just two wires".

So he's here tomorrow again for another jolly day of wiring!

Then it's the turntable to be sorted & that will be electrics done - oh, apart from signalling, lighting etc. :shock::shock::shock:

Can't imagine how long it would have taken me to do all that - I'd got as far as buying some black Dymo tape to do the track plan!!

Good luck to all.  Pip pip

Mal

you are one lucky man to have that done for you, one hell of a job though,looks brill
:thumbs;-):cool:
Owen

I just love the layout of that control panel.

A bit more organised than mine. :mrgreen: :)

Excellent work, Colin.  :thumbs

I can’t believe it’s 4 years since I posted on the Forum.  Take a peek each day & am agog at the progress of some members  (Headmaster stands out) & appalled at how little I’ve managed to achieve in 10 years.
   
  Anyway, if anyone is interested or maybe time to waste in lock down, here is an update (or down date to be more accurate).
   
  After my last post when Colin had all but completed the wiring I was looking forward to starting what really interests me – the scenery & buildings.  I built the tunnel mouths for where the Easewood branch leaves the main line


 
& then (big demotivator) realised that the crossover was in the wrong place – it should be after (or before – anyway the other side) of where the branch joins the main line.  As it is, a goods train coming on the down line (or up?) would have to pull through the station then reverse into the goods reception siding.  The GWR wasn’t a fan of unnecessary reversing!  I checked the plan (see earlier post) & had followed it correctly so it’s the Clerk of Works who’s at fault (or would it be the architect - who designed station layouts?).  Anyway, heads should roll but these switches are in the most awkward place to re-site & rewire.


   
  I then built the Ottersford platforms - mainly Scalescenes.



(Couldn't get the photo to rotate).  A tip for modellers (otherwise known as stating the obvious) when you’ve got 60 sq. metres of railway room, don’t put your damp rag down on 4 sq. centimetres of newly finished platform!


   
  I then decided to start renovating one of our bathrooms that involved wielding a sledge hammer knocking walls down etc. and putting in new ceiling, new floor, underfloor heating. Not long started when we had another scare with Sandra.  She had fallen on some stone steps a few weeks before & been badly bruised and although X-Rays were clear she was still in pain.  Then suddenly her temperature was though the roof & her elbow swelled up massively - of course it was Friday.  Took her to her G.P. who after blood tests panicked & tried to find an orthopaedic surgeon who hadn't made an early weekend dart.  Eventually found one & she was in theatre 2 hours later.  She had acute septicemia & wouldn't have made it till Monday.  They had to remove her left elbow but wouldn't fit a replacement until they were sure there was no more infection so strapped her arm to a plank & put her on a continuous anti-biotic flush.  She was in isolation & looked like the Bride of Frankenstein.  Apparently there had been a hair line fracture that hadn't been picked up on X-Ray & infection had got in.  She was in hospital for nearly 3 moths & came out just before Christmas.  So that was 2016 finished.

Looking after Sandra meant time on the bathroom was limited so it wasn't finished until just before Christmas 2017.

Turned this:


Into this:

So that was 2017.  2018 saw me in casualty with a stomach virus - nothing serious but debilitating.  Then another big scare with Sandra - sores on her mouth & face that turned out to be skin cancer.  Surgeon reckoned we'd caught it in time but she needs to go for regular check-ups.  Then July I got H1N1 swine 'flu.  Thought it was ordinary 'flu until I collapsed. Dr in casualty said he'd 3 elderly patients die that week with this - was very upset as I hadn't been referred to as 'elderly' before!  Anyway, that knocked me out for 3 months & left me with lung damage & heart arrhythmia.

During this time our financial situation was deteriorating rapidly.  Our medical aid now costs £800 a month & goes up 10% a year.  Sandra, like all ladies born in the mid 50's, had 6 years of her pension stolen from her (because they could) & of course she lost all her disability benefits when we came to S.A..  We looked into returning to the E.U. but then all the Brexit nonsense started & nobody could tell us what was going to happen.  Also costs were eye watering - £10K to ship our belongings, £8K to ship the animals then our fares & complicated logistics.  Our furniture would take 6-8 weeks but if we didn't arrive within 4 days of the animals they would be classed as imports & subject to duty!  So it would be either kennels or renting here or there.  Plus with the parlous state of the Rand we'd be lucky to afford a 2 bed terrace in the middle of nowhere.

So 2019 saw me looking for business opportunities.  I found a local business where the owner was getting divorced & had other interests so it was run down.  I offered asset value & he accepted.  Due diligence?  Well, yes, but didn't account for blatent lies & falsified accounts.  Poured money in & doubled the turnover in the first 3 months but then it stalled.  We were losing R1K a day so after 6 months had to close.  So that was another R350K down the drain.

Then November decided that we should sell the house & downsize - I doubt we use 1/4 of it (if any one is interested you can view at 22 Properties and Homes For Sale in Randburg, Gauteng | Century 21).  Yours for the equivalent of £150K so you can see why we were reluctant to come back to Europe!  Was a tough decision as Ottersford was never intended to be portable & after 50 years of planning I didn't relish the idea of breaking it down!  First viewers made an asking price offer so I started to pack away all the rolling stock & accessories.

Then along came the Corona man!  One of our buyers lost her job, the sale of their house fell through so that was that.  Then we went into 'hard' lockdown - no cigarette or alcohol sales, all shops except those selling essentials closed, no travel except for emergencies or to buy essentials, curfew from 8 pm until 5 am, everyone wear a mask in public.  Obviously no house showing allowed.  They didn't mess about & put the military on the streets to 'support' the police.  If you broke curfew you risked getting shot with rubber bullets (7 killed so far).  One guy was shot dead for shouting insults at a soldier so the military was asked if they would be so kind as not to kill people just for being rude.

Then in April Sandra's right hand locked & swelled up like a melon.  She's had some pain over the years but she said this was the worst.  Was in casualty 3 am & they pumped her full of pain killers & cortisone but didn't help.  Her rheumatologist had closed her rooms because of Covid so I had to find a hand specialist & he took one look at her & said he must operate immediately or her wrist could burst. He operated the next day but it wasn't a success so she had to have a second operation.  So for 5 months she's had no use of her right hand - she's only now being able to use it a little.  We've had no maid or gardener since March so looking after an invalid wife, four dogs, a 300 sq. metre house & 1/2 acre garden doesn't leave much time for modelling!

So now we've decided to stay put & tough it out.  I've cashed in a couple of small savings policies I've had since the 70's & had to sell my lovely 2001 Saab Viggen (one of only 2 in S.A. - Saab only made 250 of them in 2001).



So Ottersford has a reprieve!  So maybe the next post will actually be relevant to a railway forum!  On a sad note, the Corona man got Colin & he has recently passed away so when I get round to the control panel for Easewood the bar has been set pretty high.

If anyone is still awake & hasn't opened a vein thanks for listening.  BTW does any one know what happened to Gormo (Great Chesterford) - used to be a prolific poster?  Also shunter1 (Derek) in Ireland?

Remember a line from Basil in Fawlty Towers?  Whoosh!  What was that?  That was your life mate.  Do I get another?  No, sorry, that was it.

Whinge over.  Hope everyone keeps safe & avoids the Corona man.

Best wishes

Mal






   

Hi Mal,

Thanks for that. No holds barred either. Pity about the Viggen. 

Nigel