A long boring job, but it has to be done. Most of the ballasting is done and slowly drying, using three different grades of N gauge ballast and added sand. I have not done around the point blades yet – I always do them separately and very carefully. After that is done, ballast picking all little bits that have got where they should not be and finally a good vacuum overall.
Spent quite a bit of time on the layout today. Firstly I have put a wash on the viaduct track and ballast, I have included a before and after with the photos – still more to do when I decide whether the line is to be in a used or dis-used condition. I have undercoated the Loco Shed plinth, a wash next and then detail further. I have now put the ballast on the three storage sidings and head -shunt, I will Glue it all down tomorrow. The rest of the day was taken up by grading the ballast into various sizes, smallest for the storage sidings and around the Shed area, the slightly larger ballast will be used on the lines leading to the Storage and Shed areas. Basically the areas with high footfall and greater use get the smallest ballast/sand. Please note, this is a OO layout, but I am using N Gauge Ballast and adding Sand to the mix after grading!
BEFORE
AFTER
Busy day on the layout today – ballasted the line on the viaduct and made the plinth that the Engine Shed stands on. Both will be weathered when glues are dry.
Been doing quite a bit of work on the layout. Viaduct walls weathered and planted, Engine Shed walling weathered and planted, position of Engine shed tested and marked and lastly the Coaling Stage has been painted.
Over the last few days I have been working on the viaduct and associated walling on Wyke St. I have decided to do the brickwork as ‘engineers blue bricks’ for no other reason than, I have never done them before!
There are two bridges at Ely that were built using these blue bricks – I went over yesterday to photograph one of them – when I got there it had been 99% graffitied – sad people.
The back-scene has had the sky painted and a start made on painting the background vegetation. I will touch up the sky and greenery later adding a few highlights etc.
As you see them here, they still need weathering, quite heavily, as the line that runs over the viaduct is unused and overrun by nature!
Nothing is glued down yet, so that the weathering can be done easier!
I spent the afternoon testing all isolating sections and power feeds with Locos with no auto couplings. This was to check that all locos fit where they should and check clearances, all worked fine. During testing I checked one final time if any amendments were worth thinking about – I identified two further isolation sections that may help – we will see!
The extra point duly arrived and has been fitted. This gives the final track plan after the extra siding was added. The next job is to reinstate the isolating sections and wire up the new point. I am now happy after the amendments and glad I carried them out, instead of wondering ‘what if’ at a later date.
The adding of an extra 6″ continues to progress. I have added three of the four extra track lengths in the sidings, I am waiting for another point to arrive to complete the head-shunt and then start the extra siding. After moving some isolating sections the layout will now hold 14 locos and three wagons.
Decision day today. After a lot of thought I decided to lengthen the layout by 6″, making it now 5′ overall. This modification allows another point and siding to be added, and three sidings to be lengthened. It will increase the loco isolations from 6 to 11 on the layout. The reason I did this was because if I had not done it I would have always wondered why not!!! I have also got 15 BR(E) Engines!!!
Spent nearly all day working on the Engine Shed Layout. The inner wall has been added to the now one track upper line, it will be clad with bricks or block plastic sheeting. The extra sections of track have been added to the bottom sidings to increase their length. The two engine shed roads have also been lengthened and stops added. I have started to move the isolating sections after track lengthening, I still have some to do.
