Time goes fast

Wow it's been four and half months since I posted anything on here. Actually when I think about it, it's been that long since I have have had the chance to do any modeling. College seems to be taking up most of my time these days but I needed a break and decided that a little kit bashing over Christmas was just what I needed.

Unfortunately I didn't take photos as I went along. I just started building on Wednesday afternoon and kept going. This was a On30, Bachmann Davernport Gas Mechanical.
I made a new cab and added some extra detail for my Gn15 Loco / Layout


and here is some more detailed shots, like the radiator made entirely from styrene, the air compressor tank made from a white metal casting using guitar strings as piping.


and one more of the cab view



I still have some weathering to do and I want to add some more cab detail (perhaps a pepper 7 Gn15 cab kit?) but it is basically finished.

Backdrop up

Progress has been slow but the backdrop is now in place. It still needs some smoothing out and painting but has really stiffened up the layout without adding very much weight at all.

The transfer table is still giving me a great deal of grief as my wood working skills are ... amateurish to say the least. I might do away with that idea completely and put in a couple of points to make a passing loop at the back instead. It may stop a number of headaches in the long run.

Nothing worst than constantly pushing a stalled loco or putting derailed wagons back on the track. Even worst at a show :(

A welcome change

Today was a glorious day in the country the sun was out and the wind had died down and even better I was on my day off. I got stuck into the track laying. I can very easily say that this is my least favorite model train activity.
I should just say Murphy is alive and well. So after the better part of a whole day I still haven't completed a full circle yet. But I did give it a valiant go.


On the Left of this photo you can see the transfer table in place. It even slides in on out. I just have to align and pin down the tracks

The location of the points on the viewing side still needs to be locked in so then I can install the plywood track bed and risers.

Also before too much more work is done the curved backdrop needs fixing in place.

It's cold

With increased shifts at work and the cold weather we've been having lately I haven't been outside much to work on the baseboard.

I've installed the support for the draw runners and screwed them in place ready for the transfer table and on the front of the layout I've screwed, glued and nailed the plywood track bed for about a third of it's run.

Inside and in the warmth of the heater I've been working on some of the buildings.
I have a road side fruit and veggie stall well under construction.

The basic building


The roof complete and more Fruit and Veggies. I'm still making more and there will be boxes and shelves inside the building to complete. Plus scales to weigh the items for sale and signs everywhere.

Testing the points

I finished (almost) the point lever and installed it into the baseboard.





I even made a 15 sec movie of it in use. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to load. I will work on that but I did note that it dose have a nice positive click when operated.

UPDATE It seems that Blogspot can not host an MP4, so I've got a link here to my Photo bucket account if you want to see a 15 sec movie of the lever in operation.
http://s1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd434/tess_gn15/?action=view&current=file.mp4

Point Levers

As the layout will have 2 points out the front and they are Peco Electro-frog point I needed to switch the frogs polarity I decide to make some sort of real ground through. I fiddled around with slide switches and the like but have decided to work on using a mini toggle switch with some extra brass tubing etc. Here is the results so far.



It's still a work in progress, but I like the way it's shaping up.

The PC Board will be below the scenery level. The hole near the bottom of the PCB is where a screw will be used to anchor everything to the baseboard firmly.

More baseboard construction

With the glue now full cured on the curved section I cut and assembled the rest of the base board. The finish layout is now covering an area of 150 x 60cm.
It addresses 2 of my planning criteria

• Light weight (able to be lifted /setup by one person)
• And being a Non-Standard Shape (Not Square)

Next I'll need to add my risers and a top surface of ply for the track and various other scenic items to rest upon.

Baseboard

Last night and this morning I hashed over some key point for my Gn15 layout.

The Baseboard

* Light weight (able to be lifted /setup by one person)
* Non-Standard Shape (Not Square)
* Integrated lighting

The Trackwork

* Gn15 & Gn9 track – Possibly dual gauge in spots.
* Track plan to look end to end but has a continuous run for shows
* Multi-level track
* 2 or 3 track transverse table for whole train length (hidden)

Layout Extras

* Working animation i.e. operating warehouse doors or crane lift.
* Loco’s to have drivers
* DC or DCC operation
* Building lights
* Welding light flasher
* Sounds

So today I started on Base board construction. I've decided that on one end the baseboard will be curved so I have started laminating thin boards together to form a strong curve.

New Beginings

With the TMTEX 2011 over I remembered just how much I do enjoy displaying a layout and really regret not getting my ass into gear and completing / repairing my On30 layout "Traders Junction", although being sick as I still am, it would have severely hampered my ability to be there on the weekend anyway.

Having said that, seeing Geoff's "Splitters Swamp Creek" there, has spurred me on to getting things organized. As a result of all this thought I still have not come to any firm decisions (no surprises there) and as I now have a serious addiction to G Scale. I am planning on building a Gn15/Gnine layout for the 2012 show so in the mean time I will try and sell the On30 Layout. If it dose not sell however I may bring it to the show as well.



So being stuck at home and off work I've had a chance to do some more tinkering with printed paper covered buildings, wooden pallets and 4 wheel wagons.




Oh and I'd like to thank "Rob" for being the first to officially follow my blog

While this photo is not a model , it is a awesome photo of a narrow gauge railway.
Proving that you really don't have to have a lot of room to build a railway, model or full size.