A 1944 themed layout

[heda]

The postman delivered my order of assorted detailing items today so I'm a happy soul.
Included are pallets, oil drums, oil drum cradles, a post box, sun dial, wheelbarrow and various other odds and ends. These were made by a friend of mine who is happy to make one offs on a laser cutter or 3d printer for a small fee as a hobby not a business.
Time for me to get the paint and brushes out.
Attached a picture of some of the items.
Dave

[heda]

More pictures. Painted some of my new detailing items and stuck them in place, the bird bath, wheelbarrow and post box. Awkward to get a decent picture of the wheelbarrow but there is a stack of logs ( toothpicks given a wash of burnt umber) and a bicycle. The last picture is the village overall which is starting to take on some character.

Dave

[Dublo]

Your village is certainly taking shape now Heda.
Your treatment of the humble Airfix kit has certainly raised them above the norm.
Well done.

[heda]

Thank you Dublo, there nowhere near as good as you Linka modellers make but I quite enjoy salvaging scrap and they look acceptable to me when there done.

A small update as I'm off with the family to Devon next week for a long awaited holiday.
Some time spent painting scenic odds and ends, some are still work in progress and other bits I haven't started on yet.

Mountain has kindly sent me some scrap wagons so another project to look forward to in due course,

Dave

[heda]

I've not had much time for any proper modelling for a while for various reasons and any spare modelling time has been planning a small shunting layout, that will probably be started at the end of the year.

Anyway I have had some proper free time this week so got the main layout out of storage, spent some time checking the running of my loco's ready for converting to dcc, all went well except for an 0-4-0 that needs new pick ups but that's a simple job.

Also ran a new arrival, well it arrived a few months ago but I've only just had the chance to run it, a LSWR Terrier, lovely little train runs at a crawl and no hesitation on insulafrog points.

A couple of pictures of the finished coaling stage area where the yard shunter will park and hedge along the main road, which will get some green washes in due course to blend it in with the Terrier in the background.
Dave

[luckymucklebackit]

That is looking really nice. One pedantic point - if the layout is set in 1944 would the window panes not have the distinctive white tape "scrim" on the windows - see here https://www.1900s.org.uk/ww2-window-protection.htm. Although mass bombings by the Luftwaffe had almost stopped there was still the threat of V1 and V2 weapon attacks over Southern England.

Jim

[heda]

Your right Jim in 1944 most windows would have been taped, although I understand a number of householders didn't bother as it made the rooms to dark.

When I started on the layout it was intended to be 1944 with some bomb damaged houses etc, but as the build went on it changed, so it's more 1946 now ! Sometimes when I play trains the yard will be an army depot and other times it will be a general goods yard / warehouse.

However still wanting to have a go at a WW2 theme I'm getting together bits for a small shunting layout that will have the white taped windows, bombed houses etc but construction on that won't start until the end of the year, I've got to get this one finished first.

Dave

[heda]

The hedge by alongside the road finished, it's just had a wash of green acrylic with some pva mixed in. Also enjoyed some time running trains, so much better watching them run in a proper landscape.
Eighteen months on and it's nearing completion, I've got a small platform shelter on order but my next job is to fit decoders to the loco's, not a job I'm looking forward to.
Dave

[joshv8]

This is coming along nicely.
I love your photo at the level crossing, that wire fence looks great and the blending together of different greens on the hedge has worked nicely.

It's great to hear you're getting enjoyment running trains.

Cheers,
Josh

[heda]

Thanks Josh, I hope you like this too.
My first attempt at uploading a video to youtube. The LSWR Terrier on it's trial run.
Dave

https://youtu.be/SdiivzHAVCM

[heda]

While I haven't been working on the actual board I've been tinkering with some other little projects. Earlier in the year Mountain kindly gave me some scrap wagons. This one has had a repaint and a crane added not finished yet.

Dave

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Some nice pics of your layout, getting better all the time.

manna

[joshv8]

What a fun short video!

And I think your crane is looking great.

Cheers,
Josh

[heda]

My order of decoders arrived and I fitted the first one to a little 0-4-0, resprayed Santa Express, rather than connect wire to wire I soldered directly to the pick ups and motor. Unused wires were snipped and insulated leaving some spare in case I decide to fit lights in the future.
Put it on a short test track and to my surprise and delight it worked, the control and slow running was much better than I had imagined.
But, yes another but, I used an old Lenz controller which turned out to be very hit and miss, whatever comes up on the display bears no resemblance to what is in the manual, by pressing enough buttons I get control of the train but it's by accident rather than intentional, whether it's me or the system I don't know but I think it's destined for ebay and I'll buy something newer and hopefully easier to use.
I'm converted to digital but I shan't be fitting any more decoders until I have a working controller so I can check them as I go.
Dave

[Mountain]

While I haven't been working on the actual board I've been tinkering with some other little projects. Earlier in the year Mountain kindly gave me some scrap wagons. This one has had a repaint and a crane added not finished yet.

Dave

That looks interesting. I remember that wagon. (Jouef Playcraft?) The crane looks the part.