Network Rail - Glasgow Central

Stock Weathering

I've been spending some spare time working on the new stock I have acquired for Widnes road lately. I try not to run anything 'out the box' for too long; so the new Class 25 has now had buffers replaced, detail parts added, and using 1500 grade wet and dry I have taken the shine off the body work.

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon weathering it and this shows the end result. A combination of Carr's weathering powders and a light airbrushing with three tones going from frame dirt and brake dust to smoke black. 

A break from 4mm - some O-gauge wagons

As last weekend was the final outing for Widnes Road for 2009, as illustrated by a new shiny Bachmann 150 Sprinter basking in the sunshine above; and with a nearly 5 month break until the next exhibition, there is a chance to get down to some proper model making.

I have always been someone who tends to hoard kits if I can pick them up for a reasonable price, even if I don't have a current project which they would suit. A case in point is the reasonable selection of 7mm modern image wagon kits I have accumulated from e-bay.

The first one onto the work bench is a resin / white metal SPA / ZDA Sea Urchin. The image above is the result of about 6 hours work filling and sanding as most parts had air bubbles or in the case of the metal parts, fairly large gaps in the castings. After a bit of  work however, I'm fairly convinced I can get a decent model from a really quite cheap purchase.

The next photo shows the rather less 'economical' purchase which has spurred me on to get back to some 7mm modelling. Having been on the look out for some more HEAs to add to the one I completed in the summer, at the Royston show on Saturday I acquired not one but five, and very tidy they are too. With a half-decent speedlink train coming together I now have the impetus to build a few more wagons, as well as getting some track laid in the garden in the Spring.

Layout and stock tweaks

Having spent two days running Widnes Road at Tolworth Showtrain, I used part of a day off to make some minor tweaks to the layout. The most time consuming was lengthening No.3 Road in the yard to enable longer locos to fit with a full rake of dogfish & sharks.

Although it doesn't look as if much has altered it still took the best part of 4 hours work to lay a short length of track, relocate the bufferstop and light, and paint and ballast the track.

A full rake of 9 wagons plus a Class 47 or 45 can now fit in the headshunt.

I purchased one of Bachmann's latest DCC Sound Class 25's from Kent Garden Railways at the show, a pretty decent model straight from the box.

One retrograde step, I think, has been the substitution of the older unsprung metal buffers with sprung plastic ones.  these seem quite crude in comparison, particularly when viewed side-on. It 's a simple step to resolve this as the plastic buffers are easily removed with a pair of pliers. The replacements are turned blackened brass Oleos.

Photos from Tolworth Showtrain

This weekend Malcolm and I spent a very enjoyable two days at the exhibition of the Hampton Court Model Railway Club. About the right size for a show with a nice balance of trade stands and exhibitors; and a decent mix of UK and continental layouts.

I was particularly impressed by a Swiss layout, Rhatia, last years Showtrain Cup winner, which I spent a fair while watching.

I have uploaded a few snaps taken of Widnes Road in action over the weekend as well as a couple of shots of Rhatia.

Hello to all the people who stopped for a chat, it was good to meet so many genuinely interested modelers. For those who were asking about the frog polarity changing power supply device; its called a 'Hex Frog Juicer', available from the people at Tam Valley Depot, and sold online by Fast Tracks (not Making Tracks as I mistakenly told someone).

Invisible progress

After a few gremlins crept into the wiring at the last exhibition I felt it was time to give the layout a re-wire; and at the same time take the opportunity to try out a new gadget from Canada; 'The Hex Frog Juicer'.

Initial trials are more than satisfactory, it does exactly what it claims, "Automatically controls the polarity of DCC power for up to 6 frogs on turnouts or crossings. If a train drives onto a frog and it is the wrong polarity, the circuit will switch to the opposite polarity."

"The Hex Frog Juicer is the ultimate expression of
running your trains and not the track."

Exhibition Dates & Places - Widnes Road

See Widnes Road at the following Exhibition Appearances:

Farnham & District MRC - 10th-11th October 2009;
Aldershot - Connaught Leisure Centre, Tongham Road, GU12 4AS

Hampton Court MRC - Tolworth Showtrain 2009
Tolworth Recreation Centre - 14th-15th November 2009;

Royston & District MRC - Sat 21st November 2009
Meridian School, Garden Walk, Royston, SG8 7JH

Provisional invites; 2010

Hoddesdon, Herts 10th July 2010

Mid Essex MRC - 18th September 2010
Shenfield High School, Oliver Road, Shenfield

Ilford & West Essex MRC - 80th Anniversary Exhibition
2nd & 3rd October 2010

Romford MRC - Sat 13th November 2010

Confirmed Appearances 2011
Warley National Model Railway Exhibition 2011
19th & 20th November 2011, NEC Birmingham

Widnes Road - Stock Update

A week before the exhibition season begins and I have made enough progress on Widnes Road that a) It looks fairly finished; and b) I can have a break from the scenery and get back to what I enjoy most; resprayed and detailing rolling stock.

The results of this have been i) the fitting of a Howes of Oxford Sound decoder in one of the Class 33's. I'm very pleased with it, I reckon its a match for my much loved South-West Digital decoder fitted locos. ii) The partial respray of my last 'out the box' loco, 37 057 "Viking" into Eastfield Machine 37 035.

Whilst not finished, I still need to plate over the nose doors and remove the sealed beam headlight and aerials, with the fitting of Heljan ploughs (from a 47) it looks the part. The respray was needed to remove all traces of the nameplate and Tinsley Rose. I will eventually lightly weather it to match 47 597.

Widnes Road - Exhibition Ready

With two weeks to go to the Sudbury Model Railway Exhibition; I have been adding the finishing touches to the latest section of Widnes Road. This new element, although only adding just over a foot to the scenic section, adds a rear part to the depot scene, as well as allowing more depth to allow a for realistic backscene to be incorporated. The road overbridge has been improved with new supporting pillars which make it look a much more believable structure. A further low-relief depot building has been added to the far right-hand end of the layout, as shown in the close up picture above; I still need to add the far bridge abutment and add much more to the backscene.

Depot Progress (Widnes Road)

Progress lately has focused on improving the appearance of the main depot building, with the fabrication of a new depot floor with recessed tracks, an inspection pit and full length inspection walkway.

Exhibition Time Again

Although it seems only weeks ago that the British summertime finally decided it would happen, far sooner than I ever allow for the autumn Model Railway Exhibition season is rolling into view again.

As with every year I get half way through August and realise that the dozen or so jobs I had determined to do when I unloaded Widnes Road from the last exhibition of last years season remain at best half finished. In fact as with last year; after the last exhibition in the spring, I took a large saw to Widnes Road, to enable an extension to be fitted.

To be fair, I've made pretty good progress, the woodwork was finished very early on, as was the trackwork and wiring, but then; as usual I got distracted by another project, this time the continuous run around the railway room.

So to spur me on here is a list of the tasks still to be completed by the first weekend of October:

1. Rebuild the main depot building from a dead-end to a through 2-road shed (largely complete, just need to make and fit three new roller shutter doors)
2. Lay new hardstanding with inset trackwork throughout the depot building area;
3. Construct low-relief depot building to form backscene to new extended depot area
4. Construct low-relief wagon repair shed for foreground of extended board.
5. Refit all small depot detailing parts;
6. Paint and fit new electric sub-station;
7. Fit OHLE to extended tracks;
8. Re-fit signal and buffer warning light;
9. Make new backscene for scenic board extension;
10. Fully test layout and clean all stock.
    

55 days to go...

The next two upcoming Exhibitions at which Widnes Road is appearing are:

Sudbury MRC - 3rd October 2009
St. Peters, Market Hill, Sudbury

Farnham & District MRC - 10th-11th October 2009;
Aldershot - Connaught Leisure Centre, Tongham Road, GU12 4AS:

Singen Hbf - Signal Box

With the added incentive of new rolling stock to photograph, I managed to get around to painting the signal box for Singen Hbf; as well as finishing off the main station building with the latest DBAG and S-Bahn signage. I'm pretty pleased with the results. The new rolling stock is a Fleischmann OBB Hercules; and a Trix SBB Mak Diesel. Next to be built is the town square, complete with fountain; then finish off the fuelling point.

Here are some photos of the finished signal box:



















And some more photos of the new locos, and the updated main station building:

Singen Hbf - New Arrival

While in Berlin this week I picked up one of the latest Fleischmann driving trailers; so here are a couple of photos showing it being tested on my Singen Hbf layout. It's a huge improvement in detail levels from the old design which is starting to get a bit long in the tooth. It's inbuilt lighting is also DCC friendly, but at 95 Euro is certainly isn't cheap.

Below; I have included photos both taken last week at Koln of the two different prototypes on which the two Fleischmann models are based for reference. In my opinion probably one of the best pieces of contemporary rolling stock available in N-gauge.

European travels and fresh inspiration

I've just got back from two weeks of traveling around Europe, reaching Prague via Belgium and Germany; lots of updates to come over the next week or two.

The light at the end of the tunnel

A major milestone was reached today on the new layout; the structural woodworking has been completed. Now the trackplan can be laid out using the Tillig HO track templates and any minor adjustments made to allow for point motor locations etc.

'Muizen' Progress - The first tracklaying

Another weekend of successful woodworking and I've been able to get the first track down, at least in 'first draft'. It's to give me an idea of whether I can keep to my plan of a minimum radii of 30-36" even on the off-scene parts; and initial tests are hopeful. Although it's not too clear in the picture all track will be laid with prototypical super-elevation or 'cant'.

I've already rebuilt the 'removable' section by the door to ease the track radii from 28" to a generous 36", and to ensure that where the track joins the main baseboard from the 'bridge' it does so perpendicularly to allow for a reliable rail joint.

The second photo shows the main off-scene area; this allows a continuous run to be achieved and also accommodates a 4-road fiddle yard for up to 6/7 coach trains plus locos, this will be laid as far as the wall in the distance. The four tracks to the right of the picture are placed to gauge the depth needed for a useable storage yard; this quarter of the layout will not be modelled.

All track is the HO-Elite system from Tillig, obtained from international models in Wales, who provide an excellent range and great, friendly service. I consider the Tillig track a good compromise for a layout that doesn't leave home. Whilst my exhibition layout Widnes Road has only hand-build turnouts, for something of the size I'm planning for Muizen I felt it really was a bit of a tall order, plus would have slowed progress by 6-12 months. The Tillig track once ballasted and weathered, and fitted with slow action Tortoise or Fulgerex point motors can look nearly as good and has all the excellent slow-running characteristics of live-frog continuous point blade turnouts.

The final shot shows the layout in context in the main basement railway room (Widnes Road has it's own room!) It really is starting to dwarf Singen Hbf, but the design allows for either layout to be operated independantly, and the central layout is easily moveable if extra room is needed at one side of the room for modelling. Next task is to get the windows in the room replaced and then the main baseboards along the longest wall can be built, and a continuous run laid.

Further real-life inspiration: Muizen (Part 1)

I recently spent some time in Belgium researching for my latest HO-scale layout; the permanent one which will take up the larger of the two basement railway rooms I am lucky to be blessed with. Whilst traveling from Antwerp to Leuven I passed through a small station Muizen with a very interesting and extremely active yard; and had to go back and take some pictures. A couple are reproduced here; I will upload some more soon.

The yard which included both hopper and container unloading facilities, was packed with pairs of Series 13 electrics; 77xx diesels and a Class 66; the station itself was a nicely compact twin island platform, with a neat row of houses which formed a ready made backscene.

Obviously the yard would have to be massively reduced in scale, but by judicious use of say, the road overbridge seen in the background (moved slightly east), only the yard throat need be modelled; the station though, could be fairly easily reproduced, at least in width, even if it may need to be slightly shortened to around 6 coaches in length.

I will start on a track plan soon.

Easter Woodworking

The Easter break gave me a few clear days to make progress on my new permanent layout. The main structural frame is taking shape with three sides of the room now having the principal wooden sub-structure in place.

The top deck is only on temporarily until the track plan is finalised at which point the track bed will be cut out allowing the rest of the scenery to be built using the open frame structural system.

The track in the foreground of the top picture is heading across the 'bridge' section which links up the complete loop and can be lifted off to allow large items (like the boards of Singen Hbf seen in the background) to be removed from the room. It is mounted on a series of pattern makers dowels which are set into the ledge on either side baseboard. I have yet to devise the system which will allow the OHLE system to cross the bridge. I'm working on it...

In the rear of the 1st photo you can just make out the structural steel work which has been fitted into the wall to allow the double-track mainline to pass through a retaining block-work wall. This was quite a daunting task but the track plan would have never worked out without it. The steel was supplied by metalsdirectuk and was supplied ready cut and finished, a top drawer service.

A weekend of woodwork.

Inspired by the layout that Nigel Burkin has under construction at: http://nigelburkin.wordpress.com/ I've made a start on the baseboards for my latest layout. Unlike my last two, this one is a 'layout that doesn't leave home'; mainly as it will have extensive OHLE, and frankly to model overhead line equipment convincingly it isn't too compatible with portability IMHO. I've started with the easiest section; the narrow return along the door-side of the room; a run of around 11 feet; with a minimum board width of 15 inches; widening at both ends for the corners. I am planning to use a minimum radii of around 3', but hopefully well disguised by either scenery or completely 'off'scene'.

Excuse the Roco NS 1800; it's simply to give sense of scale. I've gone for a completely wall-mounted construction for the narrow 15" wide 'returns', but the main section; at some 13' x 2'6" will need at least some additonal support.

New HO Project: Hasselt / Kiewit (SNCB); or 'here we go again...'

Anyone who knows me is well aware of the fact that I can never have just one or for that matter two major railway projects on the go at once; in fact I'm never happier than when I'm planning the layout after the one I haven't built yet.

So to that end; I introduce my latest overambitious project; a permanant layout inspired by the Hasselt / Kiewit area of Belgium. This town is home to the Pukkelpop alternative music festival: http://www.pukkelpop.be which I am very fond of and have been to the last few years.

In between bands and on the day either side of the festival I've been known to spend rather too much time in and around the railway; on the weekend of the festival many trains are strengthened and additional loco-hauled services run to both the main station; Hasselt, and the local station next to the campsite, Kiewit, making a highly modelable subject.


Add to the fact the Kiewit station is on a branch line, is a compact site, sees regular freight trains and is at roughly 90 degrees to the main line, some interesting scenic breaks afforded by river crossings, and the fact that the main station has a busy yard and its own locomotive depot and there is some excellent inspiration.

The main station would take a great deal of modelers license to compress; the real thing having 9 platform faces, which can accomodate up to 12 coach trains; the layout I have in mind will accommodate reduced length rakes of between 6 and 8 coaches, but hopefully I may be able to capture some of the essence of the station. It should be possible to model Kiewit fully, as seen below the station building is fairly compact, though it may be necessary to curve the platforms.