St. Blazey's - My first layout - Stage 3 Building

[End2end]

My free wood man came yesterday and although it might take a while, we've done the final measurements for the side and back boards.
21 feet and change.
He will try to get me birch ply, sanded and treated.
I've purchased 2 out of the 3 backscenes I need, only needing around 1 foot + from the 3rd backscene for complete coverage.
The backscenes ae 15 inches high whereas the boards will be 23 inches high. This will leave a gap at the lower 8 inches at the front lower edges of the boards which I will need to hid with a rock face or some such.
The rear boards scenery (and backscene) will sit 8 inches above track level so I can easily deal with trains and track cleaning in the storage tracks.

The 3 cans of grey undercoat I ordered have been delivered so I can move on to under coating more including the Linka platforms and water crane kit amongst others.

I've also ordered a "inthegreenwoodlaser" laser cut small school. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126017462480
Now I need to find a 3d old style stone "SCHOOL" sign to go on the front of it.
I think that's all for now.
Thanks
End2end

[Phred]

End2end wrote:
My free wood man came yesterday

The possibilities are endless...

[End2end]

The possibilities are endless...

Not quite. SWMBO won't let me drill a massive hole in the kitchen wall to extend the layout any further.

In typical St Blazey's fashion my inthegreenlaser School kit turned up today with one of the bigger bits broken.
Message sent hoping for a replacement.
Thanks
End2end

[End2end]

The part for my school kit arrived. In fact they sent 2 but the weather hasn't been conducive for spraying the grey undercoat outside.
This also means I haven't managed to undercoat anything to make a start / move on with ongoing projects.
I'm also suffering from a trapped nerve in my back so I'm not up to par at moment as well as the inclement weather.

I think I've finally worked out how to paint the semi-circular shape on the upright of the water crane as can be seen in this photograph. (In the red box).

I've bought some metal punches to create a semi-circular paint mask using low tack tape. Well that's the plan. I just need to work out which size punch to use.

I received an email from Derails showing the forthcoming Bagnall "Port of Par" steam loco's from Rapido Trains. Looking at layout funds, I was about to put down the £20 deposit when Mrs End2end said I can't.... She's already ordered them for me.
https://derails.co.uk/968002-Rapido-Par ... 0968%20Par

I'll need to work out how to add a stay alive capacitor in them.
Oddly the price AND the deposit amount on the Rapido Trains website is higher.

Mind modelling continues.
Thanks
End2end

[End2end]

Still suffering from a trapped nerve so I can't stand / walk for long at the moment.
Regardless of the pain and also taking the opportunity as and when it arises weather wise, I managed to get a lot of spray undercoating done this week.
Both platforms excluding the end ramps of which I need to cast more of.
The laser cut school kit.
The water crane kit
2 x Shed kits
2 x Wheelbarrows.

It all took over 2 full spray cans.

The next port of call will be to start painting the items I can do immediately then making a start on the kits.
I have been considering whether or not it's worth it to add internal detailing to the school. I think this may be one of the rare occasions that I will not add internal lighting so are internal details important? Probably not.
I may add an external light to the building above the door.
I have also been looking around for a "SCHOOL" sign that would go on the front of the building like the "BOYS" and "GIRLS" signs you see on older schools but have yet to find anything. I may have to commission a 3D print from somewhere once I know the dimensions it needs to be.

I think that's all for now.
Thanks
End2end

[Phred]

I admire your resilience, doing all that with a trapped nerve. I'd be lying down in a miserable heap if it was me.

[End2end]

It's more a case of doing as much as I can before the pain becomes too much Phred.
Then rest for a while.
Then repeat.
Thanks
End2end

[End2end]

Still not much going on a St. Blazey's due to my trapped nerve.
I managed to paint the platforms I've created so far in a black wash to get into all the nooks and crannies but that's all really.
The whole track needs cleaning again as nothing will run properly but that means standing for a long period of time which I just cannot do at the moment.
Although medieval, it feels like I need to be stretched on the rack.

I picked up a copy of one of the model railway magazines over the Christmas period and found a great tip.
By adding copper tape (like the tape used to keep slugs off of growing food) to my Peco re-railer I can make it powered!
Has anyone else tried this already?

Thanks
End2end

[End2end]

Hi everyone. I am back from my hiatus. It turned out to be a pro-lapsed disk in my spine not just a bad back and has taken this long to heal.
Getting an MRI appointment took ages as you can imagine.

Anyhoo, I don't have a camera at the moment to take any photos but there has been quite some movement on the layout build. (Too much to remember)

The station area is almost finished although I need to add platform lighting, figures and detritus.
Hardstanding laid under the engine shed. All lit buffer stops now installed and wired up.
Lit yard lamp and water crane installed at the other engine shed and many other things across the layout added.

I've changed my track cleaning method and it has improved my enjoyment of running trains 100 fold.
Even my tiny 0-4-0 Pecket happily trundles along over my dead frog points. I've never had such slow running! It's amazing the difference it makes.
I'm now using INOX, sprayed onto a felt pad (the type you use to protect floors from furniture scratches) then just rub it along the rails.

Just as a side note I bought a pack which included an array of different sized circular pads plus a large sheet which I cut up to use.
You can buy the pack from poundland.
I did pass a furniture shop last weekend and they wanted £10.95 for a pack !!!

As I cannot add any pictures of the layout at the moment all that is left to say is, it's good to be back, without the pain in my back.
Thanks
End2end

[Dad-1]

Good to hear from you, yes it's been a while !!

Finding problems can take ages, but at least you're here. An old friend of
mine had increasing problems and nobody seemed to be able to identify
what it was, even 'Harley Street'. When he died they at last worked out
it was some form of cancer, hey ho, doesn't always work out, so get on
and do what you can when you can.

No doubt piccies will follow in due time.

Geoff T.

[Phred]

End2end wrote:
it's good to be back, without the pain in my back.

Bad backs - uurgh!
But so good when it finally gets better!

[End2end]

You're right there Phred

This last week (as well as glued to Le Tour) I have had my Hornby R2524 GWR diesel railcar out. Putting it on the track it was making a buzzing noise.
Opening it up, I found I hadn't DCC'd it. Oops.
Whilst I had it open I was going to add lights to it anyway but I thought I'd paint the inside (using screenshots from a video of the persevered railcar at Didcot).
Now that painting is almost finished thoughts have turned to the wiring.
Both bogies pick up power, with the front bogie having 2 wires running the length of the body to the motor / dcc plate.

My idea is to split those 2 front bogie wires and connect them to a small purchased lighting circuit board (with with resistor and capacitor attached)
whilst also connecting the 2 wires to the motor / dcc plate.
All very easy EXCEPT, I'd like to add a cab light at each end but only ON when going in the corresponding direction.

Am I correct in thinking that it is as simple as connecting the cabs LEDs to the front bogies pick up wires. One LED connected as normal and one LED connected with opposite polarity? So only moving forward the front cab LED would light and only going backwards the rear cab LED would light?
Or is there more electrickery involved?
Just to note - There will be a 1KOHm resistor on each one of the cab LED's.
Thanks
End2end

[heda]

Welcome back E2E glad your recovered and back in action, I've suffered with a bad back in the past but your pro-lapsed disc sounds really bad.

I would think your idea with the led's would work as they will only light with current flowing in one direction, sounds almost to easy though !

The INOX sounds interesting, I looked it up and it seems slot car enthusiasts use it, do you have a link for the stockist as it only seems to be on sale in Australia or the US (although I didn't spend to much time searching).

Dave

[heda]

Just had a re think, the led idea won't work on DCC, it's not DC current so the polarity of the rails won't change.
There is a way of doing it as I had an N gauge diesel the lights would switch when it changed direction, I would think it would probably done through a suitable decoder.
Dave

[End2end]

Thanks Heda.
Yes that seems to be the consensus.
Here's the link you requested
https://www.pendleslotracing.co.uk/inox ... 125ml.html
£15.71 including delivery.
Thanks
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