Railway/In progress

From ChapmanCentral

I started work on the railway layout last year but progress has been slow due to pressure of work and the sheer physical hard work of building the benchwork on two levels round a room 27' x 17' - especially the vexed issue of crossing the doorway, the "trundleduct".

One of the goals was to have a station in which a decent length train could stop without blocking the throat. These pictures show the station benchwork with a temporary track on which is an A3 pacific loco and fourteen coaches; the target is a rake of 13 Gresley teak coaches. I think it is big enough :-)

The double loop was closed and powered on 31 December 2008, you can now run round on both inner and outer double loops; next will be some more sidings and the start of ballasting and scenic work.

A good find: Daler-Rowney Gesso, a black acrylic primer/undercoat, applies direct to plywood and leaves a slightly porous surface which will take paint or PVA for gluing down scenery.

1 April 09
2 March 09
3 Older in-progress pictures

April 09

A valley under construction
		Rail treated with gun blue	Rail treated with gun blue
Rail treated with gun blue	Rail treated with gun blue	Gun blue

March 09

This batch was taken with Michael's camera, the colour balance is not right and it does not focus as well as the usual camera, so I will try to get better pictures. I'd say this corner (the junction where the branch line leaves the main, which also has a goods loading dock) is around half complete at this point. The scenery on the hill to the left is easy but I am debating whether to buy the ready-made meadows I have recently seen or DIY.

Buffers, tunnel mouth, loading dock	Loading dock	Loading dock, car park behind, operators' well	Junction signalbox and Peco PL11 motor
Looking back towards the tunnel	Same, better focus, note ballasting is incomplete	As before but with the other (better) camera	And again.
Operator's well at the junction	The tunnel at the junction.	The hill at the junction, dry stone wall part complete.	Another view of it.

The loading dock

This is a place where I have been testing my skills at brickwork and tarmac. I think it's quite acceptable for a first attempt. The brickwork is cast from Linka moulds, painted mortar colour, then dry-brushed with brick colour and finally given an ink wash of mid brown.

Black covers a multitude of sins

As the fashionistas will tell you, black covers a multitude of sins. Here's an example:

Interior of the junction hill before painting

Interior of the junction hill after painting

Peco PL-11

A new switch machine from Peco! Mounts above the track (easy to use) but slightly obtrusive. An alternative to the traditional "lineside hut" approach. Did I really take 8 photos of this before finding one that was acceptable?

Peco PL-11	Peco PL-11	Peco PL-11	Peco PL-11
Peco PL-11	Peco PL-11	Peco PL-11

Older in-progress pictures

View from trundleduct end of station (trundleduct open)	Ditto	Station	Bridge - this is where the loop crosses over itself
Yards	Yards again	Back straights - one rising, one descending.	The rear straight will be conealed behind an embankment and backscene
This corner has an perating well fomr which a branch will be run	This is the trundleduct	Looking along the trundleduct (points were a necessary evil, a space-saver)	Trundleduct closed
Ditto	Ditto	Yards, this is the hard standing on which the diesel depot will be placed	Sidings, there will be a factory here. Note mesh for embankment
Ditto	Station, better lighting	Station again	And again
Bridge	Bridge again	Sidings	Yards
Tards form the end of the sidings	Tunnel mouth for back straight	Back straights	Tunnel mouth again
Some wiring	Some more wiring	Tunnel mouth again