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Another quart in a pint pot!

I am now in the process of wiring the layout.  As usual, I like to join each point or length of track to its immediate neighbours with short jumper wires.  The pink wires shown below are connecting the point and adjacent track.  This location is immediately above the support for the fiddle-stick on the underside of the board.  Accordingly, I was unable to just drill holes and run the wires beneath the board as they would foul said support.  The answer was to cut channels in the cork either side of the two rails, and run the wires on top of the baseboard.  The channels and wires will be covered later when the scenery is added.  The red and black wires further up the picture are the electical feed wires.  Again they run away from the rails before disappearing through the baseboard surface to clear the fiddle-stick support beneath.
Click on the thumbnail to enlarge same.

Terry

 

Last edit: 11th April 2023, 6:54 am by col.stephens

Quick update on this small layout.  The wiring has been completed for DC operation.  Tested and all is well.  I required a couple of rocker switches for the isolated sections on two of the sidings. An internet search showed that it is virtually impossible to find any small surface mounting switches other than those intended for panel mounting.  I wanted to fit the switches on the front of the baseboard frame, the layout being operated from the front.  In the end I decided to order some automotive dashboard rocker switches to experiment with.  Surprisingly, it was fairly easy to attach them to the 2 x 1 inch baseboard frame.  I drilled a 20mm diameter hole completely through the frame and then filed a small area at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock to clear the two projecting clips which are supposed to secure the switch to the rear of a thin panel.  The switches are a tight fit which appears to be sufficient to keep them in place.  The two wires from the track were then soldered to the projecting tags at the rear.  I must say that the switches look very neat.  The red ball is a bead, glued to the end of the turnout operating wire. (Click on the thumbnail to enlarge).

Last edit: 20th April 2023, 4:49 pm by col.stephens

Last edit: 13th May 2023, 7:46 pm by col.stephens

Since my last post things have been progressing slowly.  The two fuel storage tanks have been sprayed black and have been mounted on a card base together with the pump room previously shown.  I am still working on this and will show a photo when finished.  However, it is sufficiently completed to try it for size in it's allocated position.  Unfortunately, it didn't fit!  When laying the track I slewed the rear two sidings away from the backscene in an effort to created a bit of space between said sidings and backscene (see earlier photo).  The idea was to fit a low-relief building against the backscene.  However, I failed to take into account the fact that I had planned the layout with tracks parallel to the backscene in order that the storage tanks could be fitted at the front of the layout.  The layout is only 5.5 inches wide so everything is very tight.  The only solution was to partly lift the two rear sidings and glue them down again in the correct alignment.  I have inserted a Peco track pin at the end of each siding just to keep everything in place.

Terry

Last edit: 13th May 2023, 7:42 pm by col.stephens

In other areas beside the plain C&L track I simply painted neat PVA onto the baseboard surface and sprinkled the tea thereon, leaving it overnight to dry.  One dry, the tea was vacuumed off.  I noticed that when applying the tea by this method it remains a light brown colour, as opposed to the darker colour which results when the tea has been soaked with the water spray and then had diluted PVA applied.  My conclusion is that, although the tea applied directly to the neat PVA is firmly fixed, the diluted PVA treatment has to be undertaken to give all of the tea a similar appearance.  Note the differing colours in this photo between the centre of the track and the area in the foreground.


Terry
 

Last edit: 21st June 2023, 7:10 am by col.stephens

The layout is slowly progressing.  I want a change from the eternal summer with blue skies, much beloved of railway modellers.  I am leaning towards painting an overcast sky, with the sound of a distant storm brewing (courtesy of a mini-speaker purchased a few years ago).  I want to create the impression that we have already had a drop of rain and decided that a few puddles on the ground would be just the job.  I am using microscope slide covers measuring 18mm x 18mm.  First, I laid the slide covers on the ground surface and drew around them with a pencil.  I removed the tea leaves and cork to a depth with seemed suitable.  One side of each slide cover was painted with an appropriate shade of enamel paint.  When dry, each was laid in its hole on a bed of pva., painted side downwards.  Ready-mixed plaster was built up around the edges of each slide cover and left to dry. (Sorry about the huge photos.  I have tried to reduce the size to no avail).

Last edit: 30th June 2023, 4:52 pm by col.stephens

Peco buffer stops have been superglued in place at the end of the three sidings.

Last edit: 2nd July 2023, 7:06 pm by col.stephens

The ground cover has been completed.  Time now to add the buildings or possibly the layout lighting.

Last edit: 19th July 2023, 2:49 pm by col.stephens