Today I have been working on the scenic backboard, not an easy job with the rubbish wood I purchased from a large outlet. In the end I managed to get everything level on the backboard and also made a rear safety board to stop any fiddle yard accidents. I did have a few extra bits of track arrive today and they were duly put in place, the bulk of the extra track should arrive tomorrow.
The backboard is not glued down yet and will be painted both sides before fixing in place. Once glued in place I will temporarily take the track up and cork the whole fiddle yard.
My Son John came over to see us today and brought with him lots of his N Gauge stock so that we could test the track and check the fiddle yard capacity with the stock. We had an excellent morning and every rake fitted as we had hoped for and the running was excellent.
I must admit that the Kato track has many good points, but there are a few downsides as well. The fiddle yard area gives us six through tracks and four sidings, two on each circuit. The six main lines will hold up to an eleven car Pendolino and the sidings will hold two, two car DMUs each. So that will give us 10 made up trains, this is way short of what it could have held if we had used Peco N Gauge track. The good point is being well spaced helps with the removal and replacing of stock.
The reason we have used Kato is that we have amassed quite a lot over the last ten years at very modest prices, although I am now purchasing a few bits at full price to complete the layout.
Well there you are – the good and down sides of Kato, no ballasting the track, point motors enclosed and very easy wiring against far less storage in fiddle yard using the same area.
Now working on the backscene between the fiddle yard and the scenic section – watch this space.
Even although the layout is still to be corked, I just could not resist having a play with a potential track layout. This is the first time I have ever used KATO track so getting used to it seemed a good idea.
As the track is based on, but not a copy of the track between Ely Station and the North Junction, the main operational significance is that it is ‘Bi-Directional’ on both lines. There are no crossovers in this length of track giving each track its own fiddle yard in model form.
With the cork arriving next week it is just ‘play’ and things are bound to change. One of the main things I need to do is to get some stock and test the fiddle yard capacity. I also need to purchase a little more tracks to fill in the gaps.
The Baseboards for the N Gauge layout have now been put together in the Garage and on the newly extended trestles. I have decided to cork the whole layout after finding some good quality rolls on Ebay, it should arrive next week. This will be its home until finished.
I felt I would like to photograph some Locos that were already weathered on Mission Road. The most numerous of weathered Locos I have are Industrial ones that used to run on a previous layout.
Here are a few photos of this afternoons quick session.
Here are some photos of Mission Road running some Western Region Stock. I have not had time to do any weathering on most Loco’s, but I hope to put this right as soon as possible when I start spraying again.
I hope I can do some before and after weathering photos within a few weeks.
Well, that’s the second traverser completely finished and tested. I now have a 21′ Layout, 12 foot scenic (2 X 6′) and 9 foot, the two traversers ( 2 x 4′ 6″). I think I have achieved all my aims, a railway running through countryside with no points on the scenic sections. I will do a further post when all the parts are put together and tested overall. I will also do a separate post on the colour light signalling.
I have also changed the name of the layout a little – it is now ‘Osier Fen’.
After a few days of dodging the rain, I have managed to make the second traverser, added an extension similar to the first traverser and corked the surface.
I have managed to squeeze the layout into the garage and attached it to the second scenic board. I will now add the track, do the wiring and finally do the electrical joiners.
Like the first traverser, the second will have seven tracks with the three longest split into two with isolating switches..
This will give me a total of 20 possible made up trains over the two traversers although it will be filled with only 18 trains maximum. In theory a train can be stored on the scenic sections while a space is made in a traverser.
These traversers will be used on other layouts at a later date.
While I was rooting around in my spares box I found a few more bits and pieces to enhance the Farmyard. I hate saying finished about a layout as I seem to return as soon as I see something that will add to the overall scene – guilty as charged!.
Well, I think we are 99% there after a busy day yesterday. The Gorse Bushes turned up and although a bit small and neat, they looked good once planted. I have now added about ten people about the Common area, they certainly help make things more believable.
Board 1 is already finished and the first traverser is also complete. They may need a little bit of blending between the two scenic boards when erected and that’s it.
The next task is to make the second traverser and lay the track.
What an enjoyable project during these sad times, and using up lots of stock items and pre-used bits and pieces really was worthwhile.
I will not test at the moment but wait until the second traverser is finished.
