MARSHFIELD WITH ELY BRIDGE: **final update**

[retroman]

Thanks Richard.

I have more-or-less finished the viaduct and its associated corner of the layout.

Before ....



Now, a week later.





This photo shows that some repairs are needed to the section to the left of the fuel tanks. Incidentally, this raised area will shortly be a Territorial Army centre ... I've bought in a selection of Airfix militray vehicles from the 1970s (a Saracen, a Scimitar tank, a couple of Bedford 4 Tonne trucks and several Landrovers). This is a nice little project to keep me going when the attic gets too warm to be comfortable.





37238 rumbles past the new structure on the Down Slow.

[Lysander]

Marvellous as ever but, oh, it's crying out for steam !

Tony

[retroman]

Might get a 9F or TORNADO to run railtours, but otherwise this layout is set firmly in the era which I love and miss ... 1970s and 1980s blue BR.

[Infrontcat]

Hi mate

Looks brilliant that viaduct. And I agree that even though I love my steam engines, only an occasional interloper would look 'right' on it

Atch, it'd be interesting if you could maybe make up a rake of mainline 'preserved' coaches when the time permits. That'd be a great feature

Cheers mate

Tim

[retroman]

Thanks Tim, plenty more Diesel projects I want to do before I even think about kettles. This is NOT a steam layout!

I've done some more work on the trackwork, weathering etc, and the upper freight circuit is now complete.







A behind the scenes look at the up corner, a view that is not possible to see from the opereators viewpoint, but it shows the track layout etc ........

[nickbrad]

Looking brilliant, such atmosphere and not a kettle in sight

[raistlin295]

Hi Retroman

For the first time in ages I've had time to spend trawling through the threads... and this one in particular. What an amazing layout

I do have a question or two though if you'll oblige. The signal gantry appears to be the old Dapol moulding. My problem is this:- On Finsbury Road, the Dapol kit looks grossly inaccurate as though the girders were much thicker than scale in my eyes, so much so that I have enough Dapol kits to make the full gantry I want but haven't gone any further because I thought it would look daft, yet on yours, if it is, indeed, the Dapol, it looks perfectly OK.

So, is it the Dapol gantry please? If so, have you done anything to it to make it look less... bulky?

Thanks

[retroman]

Hello Paul

Yes they are Dapol kits, they do look a lot better when spray painted black (don't even think about handpainting them!!)

Thanks for your kind comments re the layout.

[retroman]

Hello again NRM! Long time no-see

With MARSHFIELD and ELY BRIDGE now in its sixth year, I have spent the last few months working on the depot and Traverser. These photos document progress ....

A blank canvas ...



Fuelling point trackwork ....



Down loco yard ....



Footways added ...




Lighting ....




Traverser weathered ....




Fueller progress ...



As it is at the moment with ballasting complete, weathering statred and extra details such as crash barriers added.

[HARRYMALLARD]

lovely detail on the tmd.

[champion]

And a welcome return to some outstanding updates well worth viewing.
many thks.
richard.

[DrStroganoff]

Great to see an update on this layout retro... The TMD and traverser are outstanding.

[thebritfarmer]

Great updates, looks like you have been very busy. Can I ask who makes the traverse table?

[retroman]

Thanks for the kind comments.

The Traverser / Transfer Table is by HELJAN. I'm not sure if it is still in production. It was rather costly, but not much more than the equivalent point work/motors/switches that would have been needed otherwise. It also takes up rather less space than the complex track work that would otherwise have been required.

I should also mention that it was an absolute pig to install and set up, and still has the odd 'moment'. The rails and sliders must be 100% spotless. However when its working it is great fun and has proved very popular with onlookers!!

Recently I have also tidied up a rather complex junction on the layout, which has caused me various operating problems over the years ....

Before:




... and now:

[thebritfarmer]

Thanks for the info, I knew I had seen it before but couldn't remember who made it.