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.
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.
This is a story that started about 15 years ago. This layout was partially made for a friend, I can not remember why the project was stopped, but it has remained in a state of limbo all that time.
I recently did some weathering for this same friend and it was suggested that I could have the layout back in exchange. It was agreed and it is now back with me.
After being re-united, I decided that there was several things that really needed to change. This includes taking the upper lines back from two to one, allowing more room to lengthen the two kickback sidings on the lower section.
It will remain a Steam Engine Shed and will be called its original name ‘Wyke Street’. I am looking to run 10-12 Engines, mixed about 50-50 Tender and Tanks. I think a couple of wagons could also be useful.
Since moving to O gauge, I have very few Steam Engines in OO, but I think just enough with a couple of purchases.
I have other friends that have also moved from OO to O, but still have a few locos available. I am prepared to make this a ‘group’ layout so that members can run their OO stock at Exhibitions.
ORIGINAL LAYOUT
FIRST AMENDMENTS MADE
WATCH THIS SPACE!
I started this OO layout about 15 years ago for a friend. I can not remember the full reason the project was suspended, but its been sitting in a garage for a long time!
I swapped it for some weathering work, and it is now back with me! It has faired very well in the many years of storage and after a clean, ran very well.
I have several things to decide, whether to change the track plan a little, run as steam or diesel, what era and the time of year it is to be set in!
I have even asked a few mates for input, as it could become a group layout.