Baseboard Progress - It's Been A While!

Hi all,

It's been nearly four months since I last posted here. Since the last post, I had the layout dismantled and merely sitting on my bedroom floor, with the scenery stuff sitting on my desk. Today I (finally!) decided to start painting the baseboard, as I had been promising myself to do so for several weeks now. Anyway, below are photos of the main baseboard components partly painted and with the first coat done. A second coat will be added hopefully soon and other components will possibly be painted too. Just note that I am not the best at painting though...

 Above: The topboard (which majority of the layout's track and scenery will be) part way through painting.
Below: The same part, albeit with the first coat of paint completed.

Above: The main baseboard part way through painting. 
Below: The main baseboard with the first coat of paint.

1969 NER/ER Cravens 2/3-Car DMU

Hi all,

Not much happening with the layout, but currently I am undertaking my second scratchbuilding project - the Class 112 DMU. I am aware that these rarely worked the NER/ER however I thought this would be more interesting than buying a Bachmann Class 105. I'd like to have a mix of scratchbuilt and RTR trains running on my layout to add more interest.

See more at RMweb: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/132297-1969-nerer-cravens-23-car-dmu/ 

Some Minor Progress...

Hi all,

It feels like it's been forever since my last post (although APPARENTLY my last post was '2 weeks ago'), but since then nothing much has really happened, except I have now erected the platform and have built more of the lower retaining wall. Today I made some tweaks to the blog to improve it's appearance, and by not very much I will say! I hope to back get to more modelling soon, but in the meantime I have been planning the 'hill' which will go behind the station.

Here is what I plan to do: Basically the road inclines and behind it will be terraced houses in the backscene. (Note: This is only a rough drawing of what I MAY do).

Wiring, and more Card Kits!

Since last posting, I've temporarily taken the top off the baseboard in order to help with wiring both the track and the point motors. Wired rail joiners have replaced almost every non insulating joiner I originally used, and each section was tested with a Gaugemaster DC controller stolen off my old 'roundy roundy' layout. Just yesterday I stocked up with more card kits, in order to build the retaining walls, bridge and platform. Along with that I got a couple of switches for the point motors along with some mounting plates to assist with well, mounting! Again prices added up quickly, with all of that costing $128! Here's the full list of stuff I bought yesterday:

- 1 x PO 235 Stone Platform Kit

- 1 x PO 243 Single Track Tunnel Entrance Set (One is being 'Kit Bashed' to become the bridge at the end of the layout)

- 1 x PO 245 Stone Style Retaining Walls (I still need to get another one, though!)

- 1 x M 0057 Cut Stonework M1 Style

- 2 x PL-26 Passing Contact Switch (One Red, one Black)

- 1 x PL 28 Mounting Plates

 Above: One of the retaining wall pieces, unfortunately I ran out of glue!
Below: A Class 108 DMU passes under the nearly completed bridge. I can already see how this will look when the scenery is completed.

Above: A close up of some of the wiring. I have still yet to connect them all to a power source and get a controller.

A Lot Happening Over the Past Week and a Half!

Hi all,

Recently a lot has been happening on the layout, and really I'd normally be making a million posts each day at this rate, but I guess I just didn't get around to it until now. Over the past week and a half I've been fitting the backboards to the wooden baseboard and doing some finishing touches to it prior to painting. Attached below is a before/after of the baseboard work. Note the London Underground car in the first image. Also note the lack of rolling stock and siding in the second picture, plus the bag of nails! 

After a couple of days of baseboard work, I began nailing down the track, to determine how I'll make the platforms and how I'll wire the layout, as I will most likely make it DCC. 

Above: The layout as it is now, with track nailed down and trains on. I think I've become too used to 57ft DMU's, that Hornby Mk1 looks huge in comparison to the Class 108 cars. The other day I also went down to my local hobby shop to get a few more supplies, including:

- One last section of Peco Code 100 Flexitrack, which was cut down for use in the siding and for the lower level track.

- A pair of Peco point motors (surface mounted) for the 3 way turnout. These were expensive mind you!

- A Metcalfe PO400 Platform Underpass card kit (kit supplies materials to make two of these).

- 4 x SL-40 Peco Buffer kits.

And it all added up very quickly! And you guessed it, it was those point motors that really pushed the price up! I've also designed a new header for the blog, which will replace the stupid brick wall and notice board!