Highbrook Parkway, very slow progress but its getting there.

[Geo6606]

A few of the people who I've been chatting to have been wondering when I'm going to get a layout started. Well the time has finally come where the room I've been scraping wallpaper paste off of has been finished. Only took a few months

Overview
So, the idea for this layout is that it is a preserved line in the South of England, which was once shared by the GWR and the Southern. The plan consists of a station (Highbrook Parkway) which will take up most of the space on the scenic side of the layout. There will be two platforms, which will hold 6 or 7 BR Mk1's, not including the loco. There is space for a bay platform also. In the first drawn plan (which was done on carpet underlay ) I included a cattle dock, but now i wont follow up with that. One end will merge into a double track when leaving the station, the other will be double track all the way to the scenic break, but with a cross-over for possible run rounds. Following the double track will be a road coming underneath the tracks and maybe a canal/ stream too.

Buildings
For the station, I plan to make use of my existing collection of skaledale buildings, although the platform pieces may be sold off at a later time if i do think it necessary to save them for a future project.


after building this (and then finding i did parts of it wrong) I dont want to bin it so I want to see if i can use it as a cafe or a sort of small railway history museum at the side of the layout. Otherwise I shall take it apart and redo certain parts, or rebuild it to my own design

Locomotives
I have managed to build up quite a sizable fleet in 6 years


a 14xx, will be used for autocoach trains to the bay platform or main platforms


a Jinty, small passenger services, 3 cars or so, plus freights


a 108 DMU, speaks for itself really
I hope to get Bachmann's new Cravens 105 DMU when its released so there will be double-heading DMU's so to speak


a Stardard 5MT, for the larger services such as 6 car trains


Green Arrow, may not be used as regularly but will certainly appear from time to time


large Prairie, for medium to large sized trains


A Grange, a 56xx and one of the Bachmann Junior loco


Class 25/3 only arrived a few days ago

I also have the NRM version of Flying Scotsman and two small British outline loco's and a continental outline loco


if anyone has any questions feel free to ask

[DrStroganoff]

I cant see anything wrong with the building ! Looks like a good build to me, just needs a lick of paint !

Really nice collection of locos too !!

Good luck with your project !

[Geo6606]

Thanks DrStroganoff
There are a few areas where there are large gaps in it, but I can easily fill them up

[Geo6606]

Update
A few weeks ago, I managed to finish scraping off that damned old wallpaper paste, meaning that the first stage of my layout room being refurbed is complete. The next stage is for the room to be re-wallpapered, then painted, plus new flooring to be put down. Then i can start building the baseboards

Otherwise, I have a new addition to my fleet, a Hornby HST (old version) thanks to ill-be-in-the-loft. was possibly thinking of repainting it into a ficticious livery, maybe this : http://uk-rail.fotopic.net/p26280016.html

what do people think?

[Geo6606]

Preservations companies on site

One of the things I've planned to include on this layout are some preservation companies. Im not set on how many I shall include, at the moment there are three. They are :

HST Preservation Society
The name kind of says it all, there will be a HST set on the layout (as mentioned in above post). I'm slowly collecting Mk3 coaches for it, I have one at the moment ( in IC Swallow livery), hopefully about to buy another three (in blue grey livery) from RMweb. It will probably go up to six cars, including a buffet for all those hungry passengers.
As also mentioned earlier, I'm looking at repainting the HST PC's, I am first redoing the IC black, as an introduction to masking off areas. All the other colours have been masked off, with just the black visible. Hope it works

GW Mainline Society
This is a society that owns, restores and runs express GWR locomotives. Only got one express GWR loco at the moment , a GW Grange. When it is released (and I can afford it), a Castle class will be added to it. Dont look at this area for repaints

Industrial Tank Society
Another one that speaks for itself. I currently have three Industrial locomotives, an old Hornby Percy, one of the Hornby colliery 0-4-0's (both of these are un-motored) and a continental outline 0-4-0 from Lima. This does run, but I dont like the Lima motor, so this is another project that will be done at some point. Im not sure what I will do for it, I was thinking of getting a Hornby 0-4-0 chassis and doing some bodges to it to fit in the body, at the right height. This may also be repainted

Any questions please ask

[Geo6606]

HST repaint
AFter masking her up with masking tape that seemed to of lost the stickiness to it, I gave her a coat of matt black, and then found out there had been a problem


masked up ready for painting


black coat on


comparison with old "black"

if you have noticed, there was a lot of paint bleed under the masking. But I think most of it went well
opinions?

[Class 66]

Humbrol sell a product called Maskol (I think that's it) which when painted onto the masking tape edges pervents a paint bleed.

[Geo6606]

ill have to look out for that thanks

[Geo6606]

11/4/09 Update time

The layout room is now finally complete, wallpapered and painted. Which means that I should be getting the baseboards for the layout quite soon. PedanticMongrel was very pleased when he heard that bit of news

In the meantime, I've been doing some other bits of modeling. The HST, as included in an earlier post, has been put into a grey undercoat. I am still not decided on the final livery for it, its currently between the NSE livery, or maybe trying out a BR green livery, any opinions please add

HST in undercoat

The other repaint is of a small lima 0-4-0. This has had its motor removed, so the cab is now empty. This in time will be detailed. I dont hold much hope for a remotor for it, so im looking at creating a motor-van or something similar. The loco is now also in undercoat grey, but this will be staying in this colour scheme. The smokebox has been repainted black, and it will have a War Department livery applied

War Department number 92, almost completed

Thanks for looking guys

[sapper_k]

NSE is a very dificult livery to do

have a look at my class 31
http://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/Fo ... 3&start=30

[Geo6606]

IMO thats a very good repaint there