I have rather an old photo plank which is well past its best. Here is the start of its replacement, its 50% larger in area with a higher background and rounded inside corner to allow photos without unrealistic corners.
I intend to use a photographic backscene – just checking what’s available at present!
Two very busy days working on the O gauge stabling point board 2. All track ballasted and weathered, plus modifications in the fiddle yard. Extra protection for the stock on the shelves and extra weight on the sector plate – for smoother operation. All track tops cleaned with track rubber and then vacuumed .
I have been working on the so called ‘Stabling Point’, I am just finishing off the secondary ballasting before a final ‘ballast picking’ session to ensure no pieces have got where they should not be. Then weathering to match board one.
Note the fiddle yard is a bit different to my usual type, this means I can have up to three locos behind the scenes ready to go onto the scenic section. I can also keep some small locos or wagons in the shelving above the track. The point will remain manual at present.
I have now done the basic ballasting and weathering on my so called O Gauge Stabling Point. I say Stabling Point, but I hope to make this a multi function layout. It has been made to be used as a ‘Photo Plank’, a ‘Wagon Shunting/Goods Yard’ and an Engineers Yard. I even have a couple of other uses up my sleeve, but they need a bit more research!
I am looking at changeable scenic features to enhance the different uses. Why make four or more layouts when one can be used!
It is wired for DC operation, but it could easily made to be made with a DCC option.
I will ballast the other board first – this includes the fiddle yard – so should not take long.
I have now restarted work on an O Gauge layout that has not seen anything done for nearly six years! The boards, tracklaying and electrics were done, but nothing else. As my layout making days are coming to an end, I really want to make this one as good as possible.
I used N gauge ballast first and then overlaid with fine sand around the track. This I hope shows a well trodden area with amounts of oil, compacted muck and general dirt and dust.
I have used Railmatch Sleeper Grime as a base then added matt black. Further colours will be added at a later date.
Below photos show my experiments so far!
I have today finished weathering six steam Locos for my new OO layout. I have posed them on the layout to show how its all being pulled together. I still have a few items to paint and weather, three more locos and lots of sundry bits like wheelbarrows and shovels, point levers and more people. I have also got to add three link couplings to the wagons so that they can be shunted around the layout. I guess Hornby no longer do dummy screw coupling with their locos, as only one had them in the ‘add on’ pack. I have ordered some ‘Smiths Couplings’ which I will add.
The layout is all but finished, cars have been added along with a few workers and ballast bins. Only a few more people and the point levers have not arrived yet!
Being freezing cold in the garage and work virtually impossible, I put on multiple layers of pullovers and went for a photo session! There are a couple of weathered Locos, but most await a weathering session. The factory weathered D16/3 needs special attention I think!
Well, 99% finished, just three cars, point levers, people and ballast bins to follow. Everything else has arrived and has been planted. I feel the overall blending has gone well, but I will revisit at a later date. On the downside, one of the points seems very unreliable and I may replace it before its first Exhibition.
Well, here we are at update 19. Most buildings, trees, bushes and grasses have arrived and I have added them to the layout. I am now only waiting for a small water tower, oil huts, more yard lights, cycle shed and water cranes, so no 19 update is likely to be the one before the last update and the layout is called ‘finished’ with update 20 !
I spent yesterday using all the trees, bushes and flocks I had spare from other layouts, most of it recovered. I found a couple of new packets of foliage from a box of spares. This has really started to pull the layout together and I am pleased with the results, so much so that I have thrown caution to the wind and ordered nearly £50 worth of items off Ebay that should finish the layout off. Thanks also goes to my friend Peter who has donated a building.
And a posed Loco for – Ian Trainman
