The Ashbrooke Renewal Project by Whoshotjimmi

[whoshotjimmi]

And here is the track layout for board 2. All of the track here has been salvaged from old Ashbrooke.

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And from the other end

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James

[whoshotjimmi]

Hello everyone and a belated happy new year to you all!

Well, the Ashbrooke renewal project came to a halt over the Christmas period - I have now moved house and priorities lie elsewhere unfortunately. So too does the renewal budget. A cost analysis was performed and it was decided that any further spending on the project had to result from savings elsewhere. So, a great deal of swaps and ebaying has ensued - plus a large amount of pillaging from old Ashbrooke - and we are now in a position to move the project forward.

Firstly, a bit of bad news. The layout is to live in the garage and has laid there in situ since moving in. However, I did not allow for the extreme cold temperatures in there and there has been a little bit of platform warping. I have therefore brought the layout inside for the time being and the situation has improved somewhat, but there still remains a number of repairs required.

In better news, all baseboards for the scenic portion are complete and track laying can begin again. You will notice that it currently sits on the floor - this is because it is easier to move around the house without the legs. Just not so good for my knees, but hey ho.

I can now show you the track layout for board 1 and 2 which will give you a better idea of how the layout will fit together. The plan for board 3 is also complete. There is the possibility for a board 4, which would include a small TMD for a little more operational interest but, until I am able to get it back in the garage, I will not make a decision.

Anyway, less chat, more pics. And I hope to bring you some decent updates shortly.

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The track is yet to be cut to length but the layout is final. The wooden sleeper track will stop short of board 1. You may remember that, in the original vision for the layout, it was imagined that another track ran alongside the platform. This was removed under BR rationalisation and a small stabling point left for the occasional loco movements (which, in 1993, are diminishing but still exist).

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And finally, the latest addition to Ashbrooke. Another Intercity liveried 47 but I could not resist in the end. The Vitrains 47's are of utterly superb quality and, though still blighted by inconsistent running from loco to loco and ultra bright headlights, they do finally appear to be getting the front end colour nailed. The loco itself is just fabulous and I now think that Vitrains have usurped Bachmann and Heljan on the quality front.

Thanks for looking and I shall see you all again soon!

James

[whoshotjimmi]

Hi all,

Two part update today. Work has been painfully slow recently - I am just finding that I haven't much time with the layout. However, some small things have happened. Firstly, there have been a number of new arrivals....

The utterly superb Provincial liveried 150/1

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Bachmann's excellent flush front 37/5 in Metals livery

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Vitrains 37 in Dutch livery

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And finally another Vitrains 47, this time in Petroleum livery

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cont....

[whoshotjimmi]

....Secondly, some minor bits of work have been done; namely track for board two has been cut and laid. The bits of track in the bottom right of the pics depicts what could possibly become a TMD.

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And to finish, a nice closeup of Platforms 3 & 4 with some hardcore Pacer action.

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Thanks for looking,

James

[whoshotjimmi]

Hi all,

Platform edges now added

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[whoshotjimmi]

Hello everyone, just a quick update on progress at Ashbrooke.

Firstly, I added a little ballast and scenery to the new trackwork.

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I then soaked it with the standard water/PVA mix. Once the majority of the water had soaked in, I added the grass and weeds. Whilst it was all drying, I added the backscene (just another piece of whiteboard) and laid the first layer of the platform surface. A tarmac top will be added later.

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Thanks for looking and, of course, feel free to comment!

James

[Craig60]

Coming along very nicely! Love the station and your fleet of DMU's.

[cmeonthemove]

Great work so far. The platforms are really taking shape now and the ballasting & weeds look very authentic.

[whynot]

I do like this - the platforms and immediate surroundings are really very good. Thanks for sharing (even if it does make me feel pretty inadequate!).

[whoshotjimmi]

Thanks for the kind comments. Progress is probably far slower than I imagined when I started the project but I feel like it is now going somewhere. I can't wait to be in a position to run it. Of course, it would help if my local model shop stocked the basics such as turnouts. But still. Plenty more shops in the sea!

[thebritfarmer]

Layout is progressing nicely.

[Rammy]

You've certainly got the hang of the ballasting and weeds haven't you.
Great work! The platforms and backscenes make for some very realistic photos.

Dave

[whoshotjimmi]

The next board and the next step....

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[whoshotjimmi]

Hi all,

Little update. Ashbrooke is now back in situ in the garage and all 3 boards are now back on their legs. A backscene has been added to board 3, the wooden sleeper track has been weathered to tone down the horrible factory finish (seriously, why is it manufactured in glossy black? When has wood ever looked like that?) and I have given 47401 a bit of light weathering - my first attempt at weathering a loco. It then became the first loco to run on The Ashbrooke Renewal Project. One or two pics follow....

First, a couple of overall shots of the layout.

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Then a shot from the bridge of the first train to properly run on Ashbrooke

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And, finally, a shot of 47401 following her weathering job.

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Thanks for looking!

James

[mika]

Hi James,

looking good. In particular I like the long curves and the greenery on the siding. Looks very effective.

Michael