Wordsworth - 00 Loft Layout

[beerandpies]

Lovely pictures!
I like the Heinz Beans wagon, are those easy to get hold of? I wouldn't mind one for my desk at work!

[Merv]

I did do a small video showing trains actually on the go, but I'm not sure on how I post this, and what format the video should be in ? So if anyone can help that would be great.

Hi
The video can be uploaded to youtube or your photobucket account. They tell you what format they accept. Generally the smaller size the better for uploading unless you want to wait ages! If you have Movie Maker you can edit any clips you have with that. It [moviemaker] also then allows you to save in a size and format that Youtube or the Bucket accept [assuing you are a PC user], you can also add captions, credits and a sound track [but be aware youtube is uptight about copyright]
hth
Merv

[mikem64]

Hi Gents, just sneaking a peak at the forum before going into the loft.

Mark not sure how or when I got the Heinz box wagon, but eBay in my second home and I suppose I got it from there.

Merv, yep Photobucket gave me the answer as you suggested, still playing about with the clips at present, long time since I've done video editing.

Had what I call a good day in the loft Saturday, trackwork back down on the Fangore / Wordsworth Baseboard, still haven't got round to the turntable track work, will have to do it at some point as I can't keep avoiding this area.You might be able to tell I'm not looking forward to this bit as it seems quite tricky lining up the track ends onto the turntable.

Did get some more soldering done, I think I'm half way round the board putting droppers in, also did a little more track weathering (Slow going with a small paint brush)

Put the new Coaling Ramp extension board in and have the track just loose laid for visual effect at present, can't do anymore until I get the Coaling Stage Building built as I need the correct height for the ramp. Put a loco on the top with three coal wagons so I can visualize the end result, happy with it so far. I even got enough room at the end of the ramp for a coal drop where the coal mechant can go and load his sacks of coal onto his truck.

Time to move and get busy again, but jus a few pic's, I know there are a few out there like myself who love photo's of layouts.


Here's that picture from the box for my castle, not sure where the original one went that I uploaded the other day.... If anyone finds it within their Photobucket account...well it's mine.


The new and improved sidings go back down, still missing the coaling ramp to the left.


Baseboard extension added & Coaling Ramp laid loosely for visual effect, need the building so correct height of ramp can be planned.


Right at the end is space for my Coal drop, had one of these near the school I went too, loved to see the Class 08 arrive with the coal wagons.


Look I must have a Royal visit planned as the Royal Colours are flying above North Fangore Station,.... Sorry I get these daft ideas that I just need to play out.


See Trains do actually run on Wordsworth, video quality not to great but it's a photo camera not a video camera at heart

I hope you all enjoy & I'll catch everyone later.

Mike.

[Merv]

Good vid, I'm pleased to see you have a steady fixed camera position rather than a shaky, vomit inducing chase round the layout!!


Merv

[mikem64]

Just one little update before the wife drags me off for another long weekend break. Finished building the Metcalfe Coaling Stage and have put it in the place on the base board, I think the whole idea still works for me.

Here are just a few pic's


It was at this point I found out I can't use my Class 08 Shunter for coaling duties as it's too big to fit through the door apature, I've tried a small 0-6-0 steam engine and that fits nicely. Never mind.....


A view looking down the ramp towards the turntable.

I've now got all the measurements for the ramp height and length so I'll be starting that a week on Saturday. I've taken the plunge and decided to lay the trackwork at the Turntable, I just knew this was going to give me a few headaches, and boy was I right. Got the instruction out from the box and got to the section laying track...... Didn't read this far when I bought the turntable last year, it would seem that the track on the turntable is code 83, and I'm using standard code 100, great, the instruction that went on to say you will need to order some Walthers code 100 to 83 transition track. So onto the internet I went to see if I could find some within the UK, I think it's easier finding Rocking Horse Pooh...

So I had to get my brian in gear what was I going too do ? The code 100 track just sat slightly higher that the code 83 on the turntable, so I came up with the solution of filing the bottom of the code 100 track just as it sits onto the turntable ledge..... super and it actually worked. I've tested the joints with wagons and they run on and off very smoothly.


Just one more track piece to lay on the left which runs down the side of the engine shed and then splits to form the servicing coal ramp and the track below.

Just couldn't resist after getting this far so I powered the turntable up and programmed the tracks that I'd laid to date. Got one of the A4's on the board and ran it onto the turntable and then turned the loco 180 degrees, then run it off again, very cool.


The track gang have had enough for one day and head off home. I do hope it's not too far..

Last little photo before I go, I had to have this loco as it fits into the Wordsworth Theme so well.


I do hope you all enjoy my waffling as I'm quite pleased with myself tonight.

I'll catch everyone in a few days.

Mike.

[mikem64]

I'm back, but not much done.... either work has had me working long hours, or the better half dragging me away into the real world, still today I've managed a few hours in the loft working on the layout.

So the test coaling ramp has now been removed and the permanent structure put in it's place, built with a mixture of cardboard, hardboard and small pieces of wooden blocks. I used shredded paper to in fill the ramp sides and then for the first time tried some plaster bandage stuff to form the sub base. It's turned out quite well I believe.


This is the view up the ramp through the coaling stage and you can see the beginning of my coal drop.

You might also see some of the dropper wires I'll been putting in today, a total of 14 pairs so far, still another 10 pairs to go, bad news is 6 pairs go under the tunnel hill box sections, pays for one to stick to one's plan and not rush ahead to more intresting parts.... never mind I'll get there eventually.


This is the view down the coaling ramp to the Turn Table in the distance.

In between letting glue dry and plaster bandages I've made a start on the canal basin board at Helmsbridge.


This is the basic structure formed using normal form board this time (Actually packing material from the sky light windows)

I hope this section will also be long enough for the lock gates I've got planned. Still more work to do here, but I like what I see so far, and it's not a millions miles from the image I have in my head, so something going right.


This is the section that will hold the lock gates, and then the canal will continue along under the bridges.


This image gives a rough idea of how the valley will look with North Fangore perched on the hill top.

I believe I'm getting very close now to actually getting some ballast down and maybe even see the grass starting to grow around the place, still lets see what tomorrow brings as I believe it's time for a beer and a movie tonight.

I hope everyone enjoys the photo's, I've a few more to upload but I'll do that later, one is of a new purchase from eBay, another A1 / 3 in BR Green called "Pretty Polly", just can't believe I got it at the price I did.

Catch ya later.

Mike.

[Merv]

Good stuff Mike

Just make sure there are 2 lock gates!! I've lost count of the number of times I've seem only one set GRRRR

Merv

[mikem64]

Hi Merv,

It will be just a two gate system as I don't have enough space for more than that.

I've not been able to work on the canal basin board today as the plaster still hasn't dried from yesterday yet, expected I suppose as some areas are quite thick.

So with that in mind I carried on working on the coaling Stage & drop area. I had to do some PC bashing using the Scalescene downloads but I managed to get what I wanted, so printed them off and away I went.


Made the retaining wall that runs from the coal Stage down to the point work at the beginning of the ramp.


Then put all the wall work in for the coal drop section


A general overall view of the new Coal Stage & Drop area.


A little 0-6-0 steam shunter puts two wagons onto the coal drop for effect. Still a far bit of work to do in this area but the general idea is solid I believe.


Latest loco to join the fleet takes on coal at the new Coaling Stage before going on duty (Pretty Polly).


And here we she her setting off from North Fangore with the Yorkshire Pullman.

As they say in the business, "That's all Folks" until my next round in the loft which will be ...... Who knows when ?

Mike.

[mikem64]

I bet you all thought I'd left and given up as I've not posted for sometime, well I'm afraid you're all wrong as I'm back, the real issue is I've been very busy at work (Boooo) doing very long hours therefore I've had no spare time to get into my loft.

So with that in mind here is what I've been up too this weekend.


I've painted the new plaster a very pleasing mud brown down the coaling ramp.


View from the new duck pond across North Fangore goods yard. A few reeds have been glued into the pond before filling with water (Acrylic varnish)


Looking in the opposite direction.


Here I'm putting down the grass scatter, I'm using Woodland scenic scatter in four shades, two oppsite colours and two in the middle very similar shades. I think it looks quite good with the brown under paint.


Here we are looking from the duck pond up the coaling ramp


Here we see A3 Royal Lancer heading from the turn table towards the coaling stage.


The same shot but in the opposite direction down the coaling ramp.


I've also been busy in the canal basin section of the layout, here I'm gluing down the cobble stones


Here I've made some lock gates to fit inside the canal section


I've also done a little work on South Fangore tunnel section, I've added some cliff faces using some Wickes ready mixed filler that was left over from converting the loft space. The texture is very good for this as it's very gritty.

I've also done a few more droppers, not many more too go now & then I'll make a start on the main power bus. The only other thing I have too report is another new addition to the fleet, I seen Argos was selling off an A4 Train pack for only £74.99, I just had to buy it.


Here she is, 60025 Falcon, I've tested her on my DC Photo shot board and she runs like a dream, will have to fit her with a decoder before I can get her onto the main board, until then she joins all my other loco's under the bench.

So that's another weekend over so I'd better make a start getting ready for another week of work. I hope everyone enjoys the new photo's within this update, and lets hope it doesn't take as long getting more done.

Thank you

Mike.

[Ciotog]

Can't wait to see that lock filling up with water............................superb work!

[mikem64]

Not had a very productive week end, I just can't seem to get those creative juices to flow, and everytime I tried to do something I ended up putting it into the bin. I suppose everyone goes through these mental blocks, I just hope I don't have many more.

I did complete the cobble stone section around the canal basin,


Section has turned out not too bad, trying to figure out whether I put in a static crane along the baseboard edge section, or put in a rail carried type so it can move up and down the canal bank loading barges ?

I did start to cut out the platform top sections for the remaining two stations but I couldn't finish, nearly cut through my thumb with the knife when I slipped and the knife came over the top of the steel ruler, just not worth pushing one's luck when you have a day like this.


This is the view showing South Fangore Test platforms (Testing height and spacings for the coaches before getting too far ahead)


Looking out of South Fangore across the platforms, small goods shed and view of the Mainline & Branchline tunnel portals


Here we have the smallest station on the layout, "Wordsworth", with the large Bonded warehouse behind


This is the view looking up the platform sections into the tunnel portal at the top. On the right is the Branchline bay terminating platform which started it's journey at South Fangore then via North Fangore Station ending here at Wordsworth, in the centre is the through Mainline tracks and on the left is another terminating platform section that will run behind the cliff & also hold a well equipped Goods Yard.

Well that's it folks, I hope my next update will show more progress than this one, but then that all depends on my creative side returning, & more important better control of the craft knife.

Thank you,

Mike.

[Michael Thornberry]

Hello Mike,
Thumbs are not good things to practice Hara Kiri on . Thumbless beer-drinking is a difficulty you could do without Just calm yourself down and perhaps find a block of wood to hold the rule in position. The Lay-out is coming-along nicely,
Kind Regards,
Michael Thornberry.

[mikem64]

Hi Michael,

Just completed counting my fingers & thumps.....Yep all still intact.

After another long week away from the layout I was very eager to get at it, but like all best laid out plans it was not too be. Still I did manage a few hours working on the layout and I am very happy the way thing have turned out.

I hope no one minds these small updates but I'm trying to built up a picture library that nearly show each stage as the layout grows. I hope People will then be able to see and imagine their own designs and how they plan to tackle their personal layout projects from start to finish.

So what have I been up to since the last post


I've started to build up my water effect in the duck pond, not bad, I'll let you know the full outcome once the acrylic varnish has dried clear.


Finished putting the grass scatter down on the coaling ramp.


Here is what I used to put the grass scatter down, four Asda Bubble Bath Bottle caps, I have found these essential for this job (and they are free once you've used all the bubble bath, just don't do it all in one go, might upset the wife)


I painted the rails my rust brown /black colour & then started to lay the Jarvis medium brown ballast, once the glue has dried I'll remove the screws holding the track down and fill in the gaps.


I'm not a fan of these hanging basket liners everyone is talking about, they just don't sit well for me, so after reading my latest magazine I'm doing a trail of Teddy Bear fur. Not sure if I like this method either, my daughter certainly doesn't, it was her Teddy Bear Only kidding it was some material I bought from ebay, only cost £2.50 for 60" x 24".


Did everyone get their free Scalescene kits this Month ? I did and I just had to build it so here it is sat on the platform at North Fangore.


After messing about for a while I then made my own bushes using lichen sprayed with PVA and then coated in differnt shades of scatter material. I found two ice cream containers very useful for this process, the first one to actually spray the lichen in, and the second you place your scatter material in and then bob in the sprayed lichen pieces, put the lid onto the container and shake. I'm very happy with the results.


Here is the same shot of a GNR 0-6-0 1247 climbing the coaling ramp to collect the empties.

That's as far as I got as I then decided just to play with the layout


Here we see a Class 20 shunting the Yorkshire Pullman into the platform at North Fangore.


An A3 4476 Royal Lancer using the turntable after just leaving the engine shed before it collects the Yorkshire Pullman at North Fangore.

So I hope everyone enjoys this update as it's time to sign off again and take stock of where I am, have a few beers and watch a movie.

Thank you,

Mike.

[Black-Marlin]

So how did the duckpond turn out? And the ballasting, canal basin, etc....

Gavin

[mikem64]

Hello again, live can be cruel sometimes, why is it the things in live you really like doing you either don't get any time to do at all, or when you do time just flies by. But the stuff you really don't want to do or is a bind just takes forever.....!

Still you've just got to get on with it. First I need to answer Gavin's question

Re: Wordsworth Begins
by Black-Marlin on Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:58 pm

So how did the duckpond turn out? And the ballasting, canal basin, etc....

Gavin

The verdict is still out on the duck pond as I'm still building up the water layers, the first layer I put in the varnish was a little bit on the thick side and didn't flow and level out so well, so these last few layer I've watered it down with 50% water and applied using a syringe, this seems to be doing the trick. It's a slow process as you then have to wait for the varnish to totally clear and harden before doing the next layer. I'm also trying to put some scatter in between the layer to simulate pond weed.

On the subject of pond weed I seem to have seen an advert for scale models of water lillies but I can't remember who made them so if anyone has the supplier could you send it my way.

As for the canal, I've made up the varnish with some brown dye mixed in, but I'm not starting that until I see the outcome of this pond, if it fails I'll have to try something else.

If I have too be honest I haven't done anything on the layout since my last post, I'm doing really stupid hours at work, so by the time I get home it's food and bed ready for the next day. Last weekend was another total wipe out as we had to go and close our caravan down for the season, so I was hopeing that this weekend would be all mine, I'm not that lucky.

I did get just a few hours yesterday but it was nothing great or something that need photo's which is unusual for me, it was the temp wiring that was starting to bind me so I ripped everything off and ran the main bus under the board, and started to connect the droppers, it was when I was half way round I realised I haven't given any thought where the Dynamis unit will be going, or control panels for the point work etc etc.

So I stopped the wiring and started to look at the layout and operators well. I came up with this idea for he Dynamis unit.


I thought it would look cool to put the Dynamis right into the model, so I built this storage shed for the unit to sit in the top.


Here I've moved the building to show it's new brick paper outer coat and some of my design details, still to finish the top section in this photo


Same shot but round the back looking down the programming track.


Here it is back where I had designed it to go with the Dynamis unit sat and wiring back up to the layout. all the wires run through the building.

I'm hoping the wife will let me have today, I'll be finding out soon.

Keep modelling everyone, catch you all later.

Mike.