Finally made a start after 40 years.

[Patrick Davey]

Lovely stuff!

[dropshort105]

On 13/11/2025 at 4:53 PM, LNERW1 said:

I like the helix, I am planning on using two myself on my home layout. What radius track have you used, and what is the gradient?

It rises 83cm for each 360 deg of radius 3 curve, whatever gradient that is.

[Broithe]

24 minutes ago, dropshort105 said:

It rises 83cm for each 360 deg of radius 3 curve, whatever gradient that is.

Is it 8.3cm, perhaps?

Or 83mm.

[Ironroad]

Assuming you mean 8.3 cm, the grade is approx 1/38.

[dropshort105]

1 hour ago, Broithe said:

Is it 8.3cm, perhaps?

Or 83mm.

Yup, 83mm, I try not to use my brain on a weekend.

[dropshort105]

A worthwhile couple of hours wireing lights, 

[Flying Snail]

16 minutes ago, dropshort105 said:

A worthwhile couple of hours wireing lights

very atmospheric photos !

[dropshort105]

Thank you, it's coming together I think.

[dropshort105]

On 14/11/2025 at 1:25 AM, jhb171achill said:

I absolutely love that old ruined cottage with the collapsing roof. Tell me more about that - perfect for any rural Irish layout, and something I had in mind myself.

I'm building one of these Scale Model Scenics buildings, it occurred to me that they could be turned into lovely derelicts .

[dropshort105]

A little more work on the scenery, 3d printed ruined cottage and Scale Model Scenery humped back bridge.

[leslie10646]

Well done, @dropshort105 - more and better scenery than I have put on Portadown Junction over a period of fifteen years! 

[dropshort105]

7 minutes ago, leslie10646 said:

Well done, @dropshort105 - more and better scenery than I have put on Portadown Junction over a period of fifteen years! 

Thank you, I'm really enjoying it, I was going to put a little farm in that space but changed my mind because I couldn't figure out how to extend the stream into the backdrop, the bridge was the answer, then I didn't have room for the farm

[dropshort105]

28 minutes ago, leslie10646 said:

Well done, @dropshort105 - more and better scenery than I have put on Portadown Junction over a period of fifteen years! 

Hay, are you Mr. Provincial Wagons ?

[leslie10646]

1 hour ago, dropshort105 said:

Hay, are you Mr. Provincial Wagons ?

That is me, YES!

[dropshort105]

2 minutes ago, leslie10646 said:

That is me, YES!

Wow, I am honoured, I have 10 of your wonderful double beet wagons awaiting construction, can't wait to get stuck in.

[leslie10646]

Good luck with the build of them.

Mind you, they are probably the easiest to build kit we did!

They'll look great behind one of Paddy's B Class!

[dropshort105]

8 hours ago, leslie10646 said:

Good luck with the build of them.

Mind you, they are probably the easiest to build kit we did!

They'll look great behind one of Paddy's B Class!

I have one of those awaiting construction too.

[Tullygrainey]

11 hours ago, dropshort105 said:

A little more work on the scenery, 3d printed ruined cottage and Scale Model Scenery humped back bridge.

Very nice work. You've made a great job of blending the landscaping into the back scene. It's difficult to spot the join.

Alan

[dropshort105]

2 minutes ago, Tullygrainey said:

Very nice work. You've made a great job of blending the landscaping into the back scene. It's difficult to spot the join.

Alan

Thanks, and the top of the main baseboard opens up for access to the sub terrain fiddle yard, the fence and hedge on the track side of the road are hiding a hinge which runs the full length.

[dropshort105]

The illusive hinge

[Tullygrainey]

On 15/1/2026 at 8:05 PM, dropshort105 said:

The illusive hinge

Neat idea. Is there a piano somewhere without a lid?

[dropshort105]

1 minute ago, Tullygrainey said:

Neat idea. Is there a piano somewhere without a lid?

That's not all it's missing 

[dropshort105]

Sub terrain fiddle yard opened up for access.

[derek]

Neat use of a blue nailbar

[dropshort105]

3 hours ago, derek said:

Neat use of a blue nailbar

Ya think that is good, on the left just out of frame it's held up with a 2 ltr coke bottle, hay whatever works, planning a trip to the scrap yard to get a couple of bonnet holdy open bars, can't think of what they are called just now

[derek]

20 hours ago, dropshort105 said:

Ya think that is good, on the left just out of frame it's held up with a 2 ltr coke bottle, hay whatever works, planning a trip to the scrap yard to get a couple of bonnet holdy open bars, can't think of what they are called just now

Ha ha, bonnet holdy up bars works fine for me.

[dropshort105]

Work has commence on the second helix, supports are 6mm threaded rods, B&Q horizontal supports are 2mm ply, I lay the track as I go in order to check running and clearance, the idea is to take trains from the subterrane fiddle yard up to the scenic level, I think I mentioned it somewhere before, so I can run end to end, tail chaser or combination, which ever I feel like doing at the time, more to follow.

[dropshort105]

The problem with a subterrane yard is not having any idea what's going on under there, problem solved. CCTV