Dave

A few pics of this weeks progress, just started ballasting.

Fantastic work Bren, the detail and colour is superb

Here's how I do it, lay the track across the joint in this case it's a baseboard joint that comes apart. Screw flat head screws under the track then solder the track to the screws, then cut the track with a fine cutting disc in a dremel. Here's some pics once the sleepers are fitted then painted and ballasted you can't see it.

The lift up section has to line up perfectly though and lock securely otherwise you will get derailments.

What I like about using screws it that they can't move once soldered.

Dave, she's a monster of a job, but the results speak for themselves and I would imagine will do wonders for your marketing!! Just incredibly stunning, a true craftsman at work!

Thanks Bos, it's a labour of love. Gonna be hard to part with it at this stage! I don't run trains on it so I don't get too attached! It has already done a lot for marketing and it will be a main feature of the new website.

Hi Dave

 

Stunning work, the level of detail, the realism, fantastic, I cant wait to see it in the flesh and maybe run a train or two over it- maybe even a DART!!

 

Eoin

The DART would look brilliant running over the viaduct!

Keep up the good work Dave.

Cheers Noel

A couple more showing the curve of the viaduct

Thanks lads, great to hear the feedback it spurs me on. When doing big builds like this it's easy to get lost along the way and lose inspiration, I keep a long to do list in the workshop and set daily goals to keep pushing through.

Thanks lads, still a lot of tidying up to be done but it's getting there. Detailing the TMD now, I'll get some pics up when I get a bit more done.

Wills sheet - you sado masochist!!! Superb work Dave

It's Slaters embossed, but the curved stones and capping stones are done by hand. You need to be a bit sado for this kinda stuff!

Where did you get them from, I have two Lima class 55's that I want to overhaul.

Here's a few close ups of the viaduct, looking at the pics I've got quite a bit of tidying up to do!

Excellent looking layout so far. I especially like the track work. Really goes to show what can be done with Peco track. Is is code 75 or 100 and what ballast and weathering paint did you use?

The track is Peco code 75. Airbrushed with sleeper grime. I paint the track first then ballast, then I lightly weather the ballast. The ballast is Polak TT gauge a product that I sell. I like the TT gauge as I find most OO gauge ballast is over scale.

Thanks lads, Noel the track is now fixed in place. I'll be putting the concrete trunking down next with ground shunt signals yard lighting relay boxes then ballast.

I'll take some close up pics later Bos

A bit more progress, layout is back together. The TMD is next up for scenery and the viaduct is in place almost finished. The concrete area in the TMD is 3mm MDF bonded to 1mm card which brings it up to the height of the rails then scribed painted and weathered. The inserts in the track are plasticard, I'm not a fan of using filler as it is very difficult to get it to look right and as this layout comes apart I would have had to have the join in the filler and that would have been a nightmare!

Lovely work Kieran, they are going to look cracking on Kirley junction

Got the track down yet Joe? Any pics?

Is the decline of hornby not partly due to the absolute rubbish stuff they have been producing lately? I mean some of the train sets/packs are using ancient tooling from triang days and even lima.

 

Even in the train set market is that really good enough?? Personally I am not too fussed on detail because I like to watch train go around, but the market have change dramatically.

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That's one of their biggest issues, old tooling that should have been scrapped. They have been trying in recent years with "super" detailed models but its just not enough. Coupled with rubbish DCC controllers they have become a cheap brand. They made hundreds of thousands of sets for the Olympic games in 2012 and they flopped.

Major brand names never die, sometimes they just change ownership. Hornby, Hornby-Dublo, Triang-Hornby, Hornby Railways, etc.

They said that about Saab and GM shut them down in 2011. Unless a buyer is found they could very well go to the wall.

Hornby are close to bankruptcy, looks like they are looking at losses of up to £6 million over the last year and may not survive. They are writing off a million in stock alone in product that won't sell.

It's a shame to see but they really haven't upped their game with the competition.

Absolutely superb, it's the details that really bring a layout to life. Love it, great work well done

I hope to have a new range of Knightwing plastic kits available for sale at the show, they are due in this week.

They are highly detailed and great for detailing your layout. Kits like, fuelling points, fuel storage tanks, palisade fencing. More info from http://www.knightwing.co.uk

Hi Eoghan, you can use electrofrog points too, they would be better than insulfrog as smaller locos won't stall on them.

Electrofrog points are self isolating so you can use them to switch power into a siding without the need for switching and isolating sections separately.

Were you still thinking along these lines? You might squeeze in a platform at the front for longer stock with shorter stock/trains on the inner passing loop if you move the loco yard siding a shade to the left.

 

However, these curves are basically too tight for MkIII stock and 201s and will look odd as the rolling stock overhang the curves severely. You'd do better with stock no longer than a MK2, with 071 or preferably 141 (or 121 class for release end of this year) or smaller steam

The radius on that curve is slightly smaller than radius 2. Mk 3 coaches will go around them and 201'see will too.

She is indeed The two top sidings allow for just over 4 foot of train between buffers and points, so lots of room for shunting and loco release movements

That will be nice! Get a few pics up when yer done! I have to get a move on with my layout!