Wordsworth - 00 Loft Layout

[Rammy]

Looks great Mike. Clever idea.

[Black-Marlin]

Hi Mike,

Nice to see the cleverness continues with the Dynamis integrated into the layout! Top idea, that man!

As for this:

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.

Here I can help - and, unusully, on the cheap!

Step one: Paint a piece of paper green with poster paints. You're not looking for any particular neatness.
Step two: Once dry, use a hole punch to make lots of tiny green paper circles.
Step three: Cut a narrow v-shaped nick in the circles, from the centre to the edge, to create the lily-leaf shape.
Step four: Glue leaves onto water.
Step five: Add ducks, swans, etc. and admire finished result!

Hope this helps,
Gavin

[sheep21]

I really do like your layout alot, alot to play with and your kit building\scenery are really good.

That hill side and canal scene will look amazing when finished off, proper job

[mikem64]

Unusual for me to actually finish work early for once, and to also get time for this very small update

First thanks to everyone for the kind comments, they do help and just give you that boost that keep you going when things get tough.

I've still been carrying out adding the droppers and connecting them to the main bus, it is quite nice to start to use the full track work without having to move temporary wiring about to make things work. But I thought I'd share with everyone my idea for keeping track of all those wires under your base board.

I used an Avery label sheet and inside MS Word on the computer made many little boxes on each label, each box is then given a number or identity (make sure you make two copies)


This is what you should end up with, the idea is as you run each length of wire you wrap a little label round each end making a note on a piece of paper.


Here you can see what I mean, this way you don't have to worry about what colour your wires are, just follow the numbers, wire "1" at one end means you have wire "1" at the other, just build up as you go.

I thought I'd give the idea from Gavin a try and had a go at making my own water lillies, so don't laugh here is my attempt......


I'm not too sure if my efforts work, and I'm not too sure about the acrylic varnish for water either ?


From a distance the effects not too bad ? Just as you start to get closer the tackyness shows. Maybe building up more scenery depth might help ?


Ended up buying yet another Loco for my collecion, a Dapol N2, must admitt I've had my eye on this model for some time now. It's not very quiet and I have greased and oiled her up which has helped a little. I had to modify the motor pickups as I've not seen this type of motor / pickup arrangement before, but I managed to isolate everything so I could solder in the decoder. She looks stunning in LNER Black.


Here she is collecting her coaches ready for her maiden trip round the layout.

Well time to sign off again, have a read through the other updates on the forum, then bed.

Catch you all later.

Mike.

[PeterH]

I think the pond and waterlilies look grand! As does the layout! Perhaps a few ducks or a fisherman to add a bit of varied interest?

Keep up the good work.

[trainsandco]

Looks like someones been to pound land recently!!
The tripod in the background comes from (or at least you can get them from) poundland

ATM I'm jealous of you in many ways, lots of lurvvvllllllly stock!!!
The N2'S
The V1/3 wow...........


at the begining of this thread you said that you were scared because you didn't think your layout was good enough.
your layout is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay past that, you should be very proud of your layout you've done a good job!

T&C

[mikem64]

There are some eagled eyed people out there, well spotted about the Tripod.... can't remember if it did come for the £1 shop or not.

Really bad day at Wordsworth yesterday, having problems with a Britannia class loco, have asked for help under the hornby section of this forum, doing my tree in this new loco.

On a brighter side two loco's from under the Bench did get decoders fitted without too much hassle and here they are on the layout ready for duty.


First was one of my B17's, Leeds United, only did this one as it was the first I found inside all my boxes I have stored.


Next for the doctors table was a D49 Fitzwilliam, once again in the same box as the B17, so no real reason why this was done before my others. Both models are rather tight to squeeze standard Bachmann 553 decoders into the tenders as not that much room.

Also the D49.... well it's running but not too smoothly at slow speed. I've adjusted some CV settings and it's made it a little better, but I suppose for it's age she's not doing too bad.


Here we see both new girls on the block coupled and ready for duty at North Fangore.


Last photo for this morning, Wordsworth Engine shed, here we see all the loco stabled whilst not on duty.

This is the area I'm going to be working on today, hope to get the rails painted and ballast the full engine shed area, and if I'm really lucky maybe get the Engine shed base frame into position ?

Catch you all later.

Mike.

[mikem64]

Sometimes I wonder why we all make plans, never got chance to work on the layout last Sunday as other things mean't it was not to be....

As for Monday through to Friday....Well the least said about that the better, but basically I slept, went to work & slept, that was my week.

Saturday I was forced into the garden to tidy the place up for the winter, another day without seeing the layout (Apart from dealing with a stupid Britannia class that I'd wished I'd left in it's box). Today I did manage to disappear into the loft but just lost track of what I really should be doing, just lost all focus and found myself doing many things but going no where fast.

Glued my Scalescene engine shed bases to some card, then marked and positioned on the base board.


Checked the clearance with a coal wagon, I know it's a cheat and I should have used filler / modelling clay but my skills are not that good.


Ariel view of the Wordsworth engine shed 3a & b (East & West), basically the idea is 3a was built first and then extended with a new unit 3b staggered to the first build.


Glued the card to the base board & rails with PVA & then started to put the ballast down area the engine shed area. Haven't applied the PVA yet as still trying to get it level and between the sleepers, as can be seen the ballast is a little OTT on the right hand track. I hope I can get this to look better else it will be out with the hoover, suck it all up and start all over again


Whilst doing the engine shed area (which is slow going, plus a little boring) I also started to build Wordsworth Castle for top of the hill, started with the Portcullis gate tower which actually turned out tricker and more fiddly than I thought. Still it now gives me the general over view of what this hill side should look like, it will have the castle positioned centrally on the hill & church with cemetery to the left of the castle, a road will run down the right hand side of the castle with a small car park to the front of the castle for visitors, grass & trees will finish this area off, simple....

Catch everyone later,

Mike.

[trainsandco]

looking good.....

[mikem64]

Well not much done over the weekend as I ended up doing some DIY work for my father Saturday, but then on Sunday I did have some fun and games putting the PVA onto the ballast. Found out that I really should have ballasted the coaling ramp before doing the grass scatter......Reason for doing it that way is you can use the water misting spray to pre wet the ballast so the PVA glue soaks in better, but no I got ahead of myself and did it the opposite way round. So not being able to mist the ballast I had to use my syringe and pre wet the area that way and then apply the PVA, very slow process!

Then once down off the ramp I thought it would go quicker as I could use the sprayer, but I'd stuck down my cardboard Engine shed bases, cardboard and water just don't mix, so time was needed to slowly pre wet this area as well !!!

But we all live and learn, hope I don't make that mistake again.

Built a little bit more of my castle, I think it's the Grand Hall tower that I've just completed, can't remember having to do so much cleaning of the over spill on each piece before fixing together when I was a kid ?


I've ordered some paint as recommended by the maker, should arrive in a few days, lets see what I can do with Plastic kits & paints ?

The next few photos are for people like myself who just love browsing through the forum looking at other peoples pictures.


Ariel view of the ballasted area, loco's parked on sidings.


Looking down through what will be Wordsworth Engine Sheds


Here we are looking from the coaling ramp across the engine shed bases


And the last photo is William Wordsworth taking on coal, this was going to be my pride of the fleet loco, but it's more of a pig in a poke at the moment, thought I'd fixed the jumping rail issue, and the tender lifting off the rails at points etc etc, but no....

That's all I have for now, but hopefully on Wednesday I can do a bit as I have the day off work and no one else is at home.

Mike.

[mikem64]

Hello again, well it's been a funny old day I had wanted to do a little bit more around the pond area but I needed the basics first, the problem is finding them. So under the base board I went looking for my model ducks & fisherman. I've searched through half the boxes but nothing, I did come across others things that I'd been looking for several weeks ago.

I must get sorted and maybe write on the outside of each box as to what it contains, but thats another full days job in it's self. Anyway the ducks..... gave up

I did come across a box of Avery labels that I bought ages ago for £2 or £3, another one of my impulse buys as they were cheap and might be useful for something, I'd read in a model magazine you can use them for lintels above windows on card kits. Anyway it was then I had one of my daft ideas, "Bill board posters", so off I went down stairs to my PC to browse the internet for images. Managed to find quite a few that I liked so with a little bit of manipulation in MS Word I printed a full page of posters and Bill board adverts.

I then went through my bits & bobs draw and got some 2mm card off cuts and some 1mm card pieces. Just a few cuts here & there then a bit of glue and the thing turned out not too bad, then for the first time I painted the card in acrylic brown paint, another idea from a magazine, cut out the posters I wanted and well.....


My finished result, products I know all too well.


Whilst searching the boxes I came across this lovely A Tranquil in BR Blue. OK I haven't fitted the decoder yet but I just hadto have a look at her on my layout, should add a little bit of colour to the fleet.


Then what else did I come across, this Dirty old Diesel, a class 37 in BR Green


Inside the same box I found this Class 31 (Brush 2) once again in BR Green. I loved these Locos as a kid and I used to go and watch the Sandman train bring it's load of sand wagons every evening where I lived.


Also came across another one of my D49's- thisone Berkeley in LNER Green


Another one of my Britannia Class locos, this one is the Flying Dutchman. This model is of the older design unlike my model William Wordsworth so I hope this one will be much better once I chip her. The motor is in the tender and the cab wheels are on the swivel axle fittings


And what's this ? It's my Castle Class loco my wife bought me and it's Warwick Castle, she bought it because it was in BR Green.


The first wall gets placed onto the engine shed base, just this one walls confirms to me that the design will look great once I get them completed

Has anyone seen my ducks ? I've found my Tomb stones & coffins for the Church yard scene, but where are my ducks....

Can't take anymore.... I'll find them or go mad in the process looking for them

Thank you,

Mike.

[bombadillic]

Great layout your got yourself there! I like the variety of locos, makes my "fleet" look very pathetic indeed!

I'm sorry, I haven't see your ducks. I did see some at the lake today but the scale is probably a bit out!

Look forward to more photos!

BomBaDillic

[Stumpy]

Wotcha Mike!

Smashing layout mate! , plenty of operational interest, and i love the bill board idea! Will try that myself at some point i think.
Great job with the loft conversion too! Looks like a nice cosy space to 'play' in, i did mine too, had a Velux installed, boarded the floor out, insulated the rafters, batoned it out then put hardboard up and painted it, re-pointed the brick work then sealed it up and painted one wall but that's as far as i got really, i just had to start building the 2" x 1" framework for the layout! A complete lack of patience at the time! No finishing touches like plastering or anything but it's improved the conditions up there no end! Keep up the good work, looking forward to more.
Oh! By the way....i thought i saw the ducks legging it up towards the coaling stage! . not absolutely sure though! .

[mikem64]

Hi Jimbo,

I know exactly what you mean and that rush to get started, but what you lacked at the time when converting your loft was my missus, the better half, and now that she's just walked into the room I mean my Darling Wife.

I must point out at this stage if it was not for my wife I would not have been this far ahead in comfort as I wanted to just leave the conversion process once I'd got the floor boards down, so a big thanks to my wife for keeping me on the path & the help she has provided as it was a joint effort, I just wish I could get her interested in the layout as her painting skills are super and she is very creative, but she has drawn the line which I can't make her cross.

And as for Tom..... Well he knows what I mean.....one word....DUCKS, check out his thread within this forum "Lodge Valley".

And I'm not falling for they've all flown south for the winter either.

Yep didn't find them and have gone completely insane in the process.

So this insane man is going to browse the forum now looking at pretty pictures and any updates I can find.

Mike.

[bombadillic]

And as for Tom..... Well he knows what I mean.....one word....DUCKS, check out his thread within this forum "Lodge Valley".
Mike.

Well, I did warn you he was a monster. Caught out by CCTV! Hunting dog you see, just couldn't resit those small plastic ducks, hehe.

Made lovely chinese pancakes though.....

Well.....we'll see you in court I guess. Happy modelling.

BomBaDillic