PeterH's Great Central themed layout.

[PeterH]

Well the interview at the NRM went well. So much so they've invited me back next week to do a full days trial. I am in direct competition with one other person. We'll have to see what happens! I had a tour of the workshop which was fascinating. 4472 was there, the chap said that when they started work on her, her condition was twice as bad as the worst published report - really in quite a state!

[mattmay05]

Nice good luck with Peter, just give it your best and hopefully you will get the position, if not find out who the other guy is tie him up and gag him leave him round the back... lol no competition.
Yes sad about Flying Scotsman...you do wonder what they do when they review it for Overhaul... maybe they just sit in a chair and look at it with a cup of tea... just suprising half these issues were not found the first time round...

[GarrettTheThief]

Looking good so far, and I especially approve of this as I'm in Loughborough and remember when I used to visit the station as a kid.

[PeterH]

The new Hornby B17 2800 'Sandringham' running at the Test Track at my club. Not made any progress with the layout as I am too busy with work at the moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nCRbA5rTuw





















At long last after having it on order for over two years!

[PeterH]

A little update. I've put a hold on the layout until my finances are a little better and until I know where I will be in sixth months time. However despite this I have been doing a few little projects, such as adding a white rim to my teak stock.

I've done this in a few stages. Stage one was adding a base black coat of paint. Stage two I've added the white rims, stage three will be a second layer of white rims, stage four will be painting out any mistakes and finally stage five will be the removal of undesired paint.



That is stage two complete. Stage three tomorrow.

It does take a while having a 10-coach train! And after this set I've got my 6-coach suburbans to do as well. Fortunately I have already completed one of the subs.

I've also been adding one or two figures into some of the coaches. I need to get a few more people in time. I've also been painting up some crews.

[PeterH]

It has been a fair while since I last posted on this thread. Little projects have been my main focus recently (as well as the club and its layout Tedburn). I added white rims to all my LNER coaching stock which took a fair while, I've been adding detailing packs to various locos and adding coal to wagons.

Layout wise, my room is now in a position where if I so desired I could theoretically assemble some sort of track system. If I decided to go along with it, the arrangements would be thin boards which could take two tracks, no more. It would also have to be easily dismantled when not in use. It is not entirely practical and I do have the club test track to run my stock on. I have yet to decide whether it is plausible to continue with it.

I also have a question to which recommendations would be most welcome. Coaling up some wagons today, I found that submersing a wagon in coal dust produced a wonderful weathering effect. My question is what would be the best way of making the effect permanent do you think? Obviously the effect will have to be 'sealed' some way, rather than glue being applied first. Any opinions on the matter?

Regards to all for the New Year.

[flying scotsman123]

I seem to remember being told that this would be bad for the plastic, something to do with acidity of the coal, but just some good old fashioned hairspray or other will probably do the job. I just use black pastels; hold the pastel over the object, then scrape it with a sharp knife - you get a fine powder that floats down, and you can then if you wish move it around with your fingeretc, and if you don't like it, just wipe it off with a damp cloth and have another go! then give it a quick sparay with the hairspray or whatever and job's a good'un.

[PeterH]

The hairspray method worked a treat, and gave my wagons a pleasant strawberry aroma! I did use real coal dust, so I have to be hopeful that the plastic doesn't react.

I'll be running them down the club tonight. GCR 8K with a GCR brake van ought to look a treat! I will take my camera with me as well. I will need to replace the front buffers though - an unfortunate accident shattered the right hand side one.

[PeterH]

A few poses of the 8K and GCR brake van at the club.

[PeterH]

A start has been made to the layout - at long last! Out of the 9 boards I need to complete the circle around my room, 7 have been made. Due to the nature of the boards only 5 of them will need frames, 2 of which I have completed today. 2 of the 8 boards will be permanently attached to the wall with brackets whilst the others will be dismantled when not in use.
Hopefully I'll get a chance to do the frames for the other boards tomorrow, the erecting of the two permanent boards will take place this coming week as well. Track wise I will need to get some flexi-track for the curves and a few points here and there (fortunately due to the limited size of the layout not many points are needed).

Photos of the progress will be posted soon.

[PeterH]

Nearly all of the baseboards have frames. Just the goods yard board for the GCR station left to do now, it is an oddly shaped board so it'll be interesting to make a frame for it!

I will be walking to my brothers tomorrow to borrow his laser level - got to use the most fancy tool possible! I'll then erect the two permanent corner boards. I'll then work on legs and the such for the remaining boards. Once all that has been done, I'll work out the size the remaining two curves will be then make them.

[flying scotsman123]

I will be walking to my brothers tomorrow to borrow his laser level - got to use the most fancy tool possible!

Ooh fancy, I use a pair of spare set driving wheels from a LMS 2P to test my baseboards

[PeterH]

I think you might as well make use of these things if you've got access to them!

Here are a few photos of the baseboards. The two curves you see will be permanently attached to the wall with brackets. The far baseboard will be a GCR station and goods yards, the other set of boards will be another station of some description. I do rather fancy those Art Deco buildings Bachmann do, not entirely sure what I'll go for yet though.

[PeterH]

Here is a basic track plan of the layout. The station at the top hasn't been finalised and the style and configuration will most likely change.

[PeterH]

The two corner pieces are now up.





There are a few holes which need a bit of filler and paint due to failed attempts, but generally not too much damage.