Castell Mawr - A joint GWR/LMS route

[thebritfarmer]

I am enjoying watching the progress you are making. 20x10 eh? That is the size I have to work with as well. When it is done just pop it in the post will you. Shouldn't be that much to ship to Canada

[Dad-1]

Well at last the basic boards could do a horseshoe layout as one end is now working although legs & wiring still to be fully sorted.
Just a shame the garage isn't big enough !



So now I have to start thinking about the other 180 degree bend and HOW I can make it. This has remained an idea with no real
plans or structures thought through. I want this end to have river which will be 146 mm below the other track levels, a road running
alongside rising up over the two joining beams that will be trimmed slightly. The railway will be on an embankment with 4 bridges,
well probably looked on as two as they'll be different construction between the railway over river and railway over road although the
road & river will be almost side by side.
Here the wood is sitting showing the joining hanging beams that join to the remainder of the layout and the smaller beams that join
these boards. There will be additional stiffening beams underneath and the edges will have ply of differing depth to suit the topography.



It's at times like this you wonder Why did I do it !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Wet & cold again ......
Decide to add the first skeleton of scenic construction. Adding angled formers for part of the cutting, these will have
an outer skin of styrene tile to be sealed in with PVA soaked kitchen towel. I may have to add a little plaster in places,
but keeping it as light as possible is important.



This to try and show the depth relative to a train. The small ballast shoulder more than enough for this secondary line.



I'm now getting towards the part I like best and may manage to skin the rest of this board tomorrow. Still loads to do,
particularly rail painting & ballasting.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

I'm taking an age !!
Today did some work on an aircraft kit I started back in 2010, I have divided attention now !!

Also added a few more styrene formers to support cutting sides also all this board now has it's ballast down.
We ran a few trains yesterday just back & forth over 4 boards. It makes you feel like plowing on again, a Castle
pulling 5 coaches !!



Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Sunsine .... honest !
Jamie doing the never ending job of painting track.



Checking out a few wiring changes, making certain both have full power.



A few more days like this and I'll manage to get some plaster over Terriers favourite 'Iceberg' scenery !! Currently some still
pegged down waiting for glue to set.

Geoff T.

[tractor37]

This is what you need to paint the tracks so much more efficiently. I used it last year to paint around 200ft worth in a couple of evenings.. Excellent tool.
http://www.bromsgrovemodels.co.uk/pd-88 ... 0Rust_AND_
Looking good though pal...
Jas...

[Dad-1]

Hi Tractor37,

That looks a neat little tool - we may have progresses so far it's not worth flashing out the cash.
Gonna review that today as Jamie will be down for more painting. I calculated that we have well
over 450 feet of rail side to have painted ..... like 1 x 45 foot circuit on one track has 4 sides
that amounts to 180 feet !!
It has one advantage it keeps Jamie very busy !! If I didn't have help I know what I'd be doing !!!

Geoff T.

[tractor37]

Hi Geoff. When i said 200 feet that was the amount of track, not the sides total. But i know what you mean. Tis a lot of work. But then again if you have your able bodied assistant it suddenly isn't work Haha.
Certainly is a useful bit of kit though and the paint goes a long long way.
Keep up the good work anyway.
Jas....

[Dad-1]

Bleedin Photobucket - changed things and it's taken me hours to sort out.

Right, not that much done, but cleared the (Fat) controllers office desk. Added a two socket panel to supply
DCC track and initially points. A second socket is there for a possible change to build in a Points only bus.
The whole desk area will be painted black. It was a mess, but almost ready for painting.



Where did the mess go ..... a bit further up the boards !!



Busy this weekend at the Birmingham scale modellers exhibition so nothing more will be done before Monday.

Geoff T.

[Lofty]

The desk looks the part.

I always just move my mess on and never put it away as well

[Dad-1]

done a few bits today including the first coat of matt black paint over the 'desk'.
Taken the paper dividers out from laying ballast on these 2 corner boards, must use polythene bag bits
next time as the glossy paper stuck !!
Also fitted the one remaining clasp so I now have full electrical continuity without using little clips to
by-pass the missing component - works fine as expected. Nothing worth photographing though - sorry !!

Yes, lofty the clutter is now worse than ever, never mind the SUN came out today !!!!!!!!

Had a good show on Sunday and the Bomber Command Group won the best club/Group award. Think
they feel I'm a lucky gnome.

Geoff T.

[tractor37]

Tis a nice little control area indeed.. Need to make myself one now.. Think I'm gonna make a mobile one because I'm too lazy to get up and walk to it, shall just drag it around loft!!!
Looking good though Geoff...
Jas...

[Dad-1]

Hi tractor37,

A mobile desk where up to 3 operators will be milling around would be courting disaster methinks !

Young Jamie helps, but as with all teenagers he leaves a mess !!



I will add more, but I'm finding changes by Photobucket are making it almost impossible for me to post pictures, I can't pick
up the code. That last picture came through as a fluke !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

I'm still fighting Photobucket .....

Anyway with luck and some !!
Here should be one corner board with the outer cutting wall fully covered in styrene sheeting and ready for plaster.



The other side had a plaster application a few days ago, but finding how to post from Photobucket prevented it being added earlier !!



One advantage of this material mix is that styrene ceiling tiles do not absorb water and wet plaster only touches the layout boarding
at the very edges and in theory this reduces the amount of dampness in direct contact. What it means is that the plaster has to dry
out through it's surface and this takes several days before it's ready to take paint of any type.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

I was adding this plaster/sawdust skin before 09.30 !!
Placed the Cardiff - Shrewsbury DMU on line to see what it looked like.



I'm happy, shame there is still so much to do. I could enjoy just running trains today.

Geoff T.