Thomas At Silver Fox Island - one for kids to drive

[AlanBrady]

Kebab stick? They kinda look like matchstick size. Would kebab sticks be similar. Would gluing them to a piece of paper speed things up. The paper could be hidden under the platform on the inside. Just a thought.

Edit: I now see you posted at 4 o'clock. I may be a tad late with that idea!!

[Dad-1]

Hi AlanBrady,

My choice of kebab sticks was to get a roughly round profile - I do use more than my fair share of matchsticks
Here is the current matchstick use, as there will be no footbridge any passengers crossing between platforms
will have to cross the track over a timber crossing. This is also why the ballast gap was left here.



I did try masking tape but the wooden piles just fell off, I contemplated bandage wetted with PVA to use as
you suggested, but in the end will stick a few at a time. The lower attachment point will have just a little plaster
to give an edge between the piles and lake.

Geoff T.

[AlanBrady]

Excellent idea with the matches. One to store away for later use (hopefully). The grass growing down the middle looks great. I've been keeping an eye on this one. It's looking good. I look forward to the next update.
Alan.

[Dad-1]

Only one very small step today .....
Glued and painted part of the matchstick 'timber' crossing. The unpainted section glued together tonight
will be sanded, glued in place and painted tomorrow.



Of note here is the huge gap between a full length coach and platform that results from putting a platform in a tight
radius not much tighter than second radius. No "Mind the Gap", more like pass the ladder !!
Short 4 wheel coaches are O.K .... ish !!

If you look closely you'll see the gaps are not equal on the outer tracks 'filler' section. This was found to be necessary
to enable tweeked Dapol 6 wheel milk tankers to pass through. I had by this time fixed the inner tracks 'filler' which
means I'll either have to exclude 6 wheel tanks from that track, or trim away the outer edge to increase the flange gap.

Why do Dapol 6 wheel tanks need tweeking ? - Because they will de-rail on most set track points and often fall off on
1st radius curves. By reducing the B2B for the central axle equally & by a small amount they WILL work O.K.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Occupational & platform crossing now fully ballasted.
Poor focus hides the spare pile of ballast in front of the white post
Thomas at rest with coaches in the station.



Now I have just 2 short lengths of track to ballast before I can return to styrene cutting and landscape work.
Although there are still around 30 kebab sticks to cut into 4 before that back wall is completed.
The other task is to thoroughly clean all the rail head ready for being able to run trains !!

I thought my 10 days allowed on 14th May for track & ballasting was generous, but it's run 3 days over, very
much like Rail Track - OOhh very prototypical !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Thoroughly cleaned all the track so time for a 'play'
Here is tonights video :-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVAr5gv4SpI

O.K so Stuart is running very fast - just the way little kids like it ........
But for me, I prefer the GWR Pannier Tank pulling a train of empty Iron Ore wagons
So with ballasting done it's going to be styrene chipping everywhere as the scenics
are developed.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Thomas - Rather like a welsh name, so I felt like running GWR freight.
Not just suitable for Thomas & friends, but here looking like a real
working line for the off scene steel works. Ore in, empties out.

Click on picture to run video.

MVI_2723 Video may be reinstated later Mod 2017

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Back again for another 'bite' as when I tried the Photobucket video it was very slow in loading
with many stalls while buffering up. This was the first video via Photobucket for some time
as I had problems before and then started using Youtube.
So here is a youtube video, same trains, but different area of layout.

I hope this one runs smoothly. I would be interested to see reports back on comparative video quality.
Mind you still the same small digi stills camera !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1O8ryG-R8A

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

First section having it's 'half & half' plaster/saw dust top surface added.
I masked along the edge so we keep a varnished timber surround. I shall now be held up slightly as I've run out of
my styrene ceiling tiles and the only 'local' to me source that I know of is in Northampton and I don't intend on
going there in the next week.



I may get one more small section done as it's already got around 95% of the styrene core laid, but currently I await
the PVA glue setting !

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Yes it's for kid to drive, but being a rural scene once the Thomas & friends rolling stock's been removed
it can look fine with other small locomotives.
Here I have one of my favourite locos, the blue 06 pulling a short mineral wagon train.



You can now see the styrene has been plastered over in places and given a sealing coat of paint from a cheap
'tester' pot. I may start adding greenery before I get my additional styrene tiles to finish embankments to the
central hill.



Lake painting will be one of the last scenic things to do.
Now at least I can work with something running around in circles.


Geoff T.

[413x]

hiya dad-1

im a very much thomas fan as many of us are

i was wondering whether or not you will be putting any thomas people on. the fat controler would be epic.

thanks alex

[Dad-1]

Hi 413X,

As this is a 'club' layout, commissioned to be ready for our exhibition in August I don't know !! They will have to decide to spend some more money on it.
Apart from the basic wood everything else has been supplied from my 'stock', or paid for by me and I don't have any 'Thomas' figures.

Today I managed to get into town and buy a new stock of styrene ceiling tiles, gone up a quid since my last purchase, now £5.99 for 20 x 300 mm sq tiles.



Managed to grab a little time this afternoon and added some more plaster skin. This deep drainage ditch is there to allow the wall behind the outside platform to drop in the slot when the baseboards are folded together.



Yesterday mornings plaster showing a small pathway down to lake edge.



While away this weekend I'll be working out how to make my detachable hill and bridge link together without too much of a visible joint.

Geoff T.

[413x]

good stuff.

what club are you with because i need to join one in london and i need some tips and that.

i am just thinking but is the club going to exhibit a harold on the layout

alex

[Dad-1]

Hi Alex,

I don't know London, but there must be several clubs with perhaps one near enough to you.
This layout is for use by Silverfox DCC which is based in Bletchley, part of greater Milton Keynes.
Most areas have several, perhaps asking at the local library (if you still have one !), either that,
or searching on line for anything in your area. Then sometimes in the back pages of Railway Modeller
there is information on clubs.
Another way is to visit a local exhibition and just ask people there. Exhibitions are again listed in RM,
being the only magazine I buy regularly it's the only one I can comment on.

Anyway having been out I've done little to the layout, that and having run out of sawdust has brought
me to a standstill - except I've painted most of the lake area a thin brownish green wash, this being the
first of what will be several paintings before I'll be happy with the colour.

Geoff T.

[413x]

thanks dad-1
ill take that to heart.

i was wondering what locomotives you have and need cos i have a couple of things you might be able to have.

alex