Post-Exhibtion Update

Well the exhibition is long over and the layout is currently still disassembled in the spare room. I learnt a couple of lessons from it, the most obvious being the need for a bigger or more organised fiddle yard. While having the capacity it's a bit cumbersome to manually transfer engines and stock. I've decided that before the next exhibition (whenever that is) I'll rebuild the fiddleyard with either a sectorplate-type fiddleyard as in C J Freezer's original design or cassettes or a combination of the two, with a sector-plate for the two main lines and a cassette for the loco siding.

I'll be making a full post about the improvements that are going to be happening to Wickersley over the coming months later this week. However any development, purchases, etc. are on hold until after Christmas, giving my wallet and I a chance to catch up on other things. In the meantime here are some pictures of the layout just prior to completion and it's first appearance:

News

New Home
June saw the layout move from the Sheffield MRS clubroom to it's new location in the spare room of my new house. Work then paused for a month or so while I completed my University studies and got settled in at work. However I have now completed most of the scenic work and performed a complete electrical test.

Trackwork
Only thing of note is that the point motor on the central y-point has been replaced, with the MkII version of the ZTC DCC 302 point motor. This version is much easier to wire in than it's predessor, with a simpler layout which includes larger and more accessble soldering-pads. The faulty MkI has been consigned to the electronics box and at some point I'll contact ZTC about a possible replacement.

Ballasting
Ballasting is mostly complete with only the pointwork at the front of the layout requiring attention. The ballast has been weathered using an aerosol spray of Railmatch Frame Dirt, since ballast in the 1950s/60s was not the grey granite ballast used today.

Bridgework
This is scenically completed, including the addition of a blue-sky backscene to mask the fiddleyard beyond.

Platforms, Buildings and Platform Furniture
The footbridge (a modified Ratio kit) has been assembled and painted a in a drab and dirty colourscheme, not unusual to footbridges of this era. Scratchbuilding of the ex-GCR Type 5 signalbox has been postponed until after the October exhibition and instead will be using the Scalescenes Signalbox kit as a placeholder in the meantime. The station buildings have been detailed with period signs and posters. Gaslamps have been placed on the platforms too, though these are unpainted - being the Peco Modelscene type. Passengers have been placed strategically around the platforms and a Morris 1000 convetible (an Oxford Diecast product) is parked at the front of the layout with a workman attempting to look under the bonnet. A Hornby Skaledale Police Telephone Box ("Tardis") and public telephone box have also been placed on the layout.

Rolling Stock
I have recently purchased a second-hand Bachmann Ivatt Class 4MT 2-6-0 (for goods and passenger duties) and will shortly be acquiring a 2-car DMU to provide the main passenger service. This takes the current stable to two diesel locomotives, 2 steam locomotives and a DMU. All of which will in time be renumbered and/or weathered to represent locomotives familiar to the Sheffield area in the early 1960s.

News

Point Control
There are 9 turnouts/points/switches on the scenic section of my layout. Those 4 towards the rear are controlled by wire-in-tube, however the 5 on the far side of the layout to the operator are/will be controlled via ZTC 206 DCC Point Motors. So far only two have been installed as ZTC have run out of stock but hopefully the remaining three will arrive soon.

These motors take their power directly from the track, with control being via the DCC handset. However the controller I am using (Bachmann EZ Command) does not have DCC accessory control capability. Fortunately these point motors allow for a manual overide to be installed, usually a push button, which causes the point blades to change position without the need of the dcc controller. On my layout these manual control takes the form of a Peco Passing Contact Switch, which when moved slowly provides a suitable overide control. This is mounted in the Peco leverframe which is mounted on my "control panel". More on that later.

Bridge Work
The bridge are largely complete now, with only the rear walls and coping stones to be added followed by suitable repaint for some of the plastic areas. The bridge was constructed from the following:

• Wills Single-Track Road-Overbridge (salvaged from previous layout)
• Peco Plate Girder Sides
• Hardboard, with pine pse offcuts for supports
• Scalescenes Bridge Abutments Kit (dark brown brick variant)
• Scrap pieces of brick-card from the Metcalfe plaform kit to make up the walls at the top fo the bridge.

The bridge has a small piece of 9mm track running across the top, representing a disused internal colliery line, which theoretically runs down to a canal for loading barges.

Buildings
There are currently three major structures on my layout. The first is the station building, the MS&LR pattern station as made by Metcalfe Models, which is a close enough representation of smaller stations in the Sheffield area. This was kindly built for me by Kieth, of the Sheffield MRS.

The second structure is the signal box. This is currently a Scalescenes kit, which came free with an early issue of Hornby Magazine. I enjoyed building this kit, of a fairly generic brickbased 'box and this is currently acting as a "placeholder" on the layout. In time I plan to replace this with a scratchbuilt model of a small GCR Type 5 signal box that is more typical of the South Yorkshire Joint Railway. Many thanks to the members of the Great Central Railway Society email group for assisting me with plans for both the signal box and other equipment.

The final structure is a small workshop/store, represented by the Skaledale Gasworks boilerhouse, produced by Hornby. I purchased this secondhand for £4.99 from a local model shop and I think it fits this role perfectly.

The next structure I plan to add is a footbridge. I have determined that the R076 Footbridge produced by Hornby, suitably repainted and modified will be suitable to fulfil both this role, and as an access point to the station from the road level of the retaining wall.

Platforms
These are built from Metcalfe Brickplatform kits. I have just finished building the central platforms and will in time resurface of the platforms with either textured paint or wetdry paper to give a more realistic effect than the printed tarmac effect card provided in the kit.

Ballasting
I have started the process of ballasting on the largest of the two scenery boards (the small end section being complete) but have so far only ballasted between the tracks, but not between the rails. This is so I can still lift the points and track sections if necessary when I fit the three remaining point motors.

Of course not all sections are requiring point motors (as most of the points are wire-in-tube operated) so these will be fully ballasted soon.

I discovered this method of ballasting at http://www.scenicmodelrailways.com/modellingtips.html

Other Scenery
In addition to ballast I have been busy deploying dark brown scatter material to act as a soil base layer, with varying shades of green scatter on top to represent undergrowth. This will be completed once the rest of the ballasting in finished.

Fascia
I have painted the fascia of the fiddleyard and the scenic area of the layout a nice shade of Navy Blue gloss, which is a reasonable approximation in my view to "Easter Region blue". This makes the layout look overall less tatty and more "complete".

I have plenty of pictures of the layout still to upload so be sure to check back soon!

The Thursday Update

Hello. Tonight I've finished building the base-structure of the bridge, made from hardboard and offcuts of softwood and have also completed the fascia of the central board. The main structure of the layout is now largely complete, with only a small patch of hardboard needing to be added to the far left of the layout to complete the fascia.

Next week I plan to use expanded polystyrene offcuts to fill any gaps in the bridge structure and also add the front-edge wire terminals. Since these are relatively minor tasks I plan to spend the rest of the night having a running session. Once everything has been tested, only the rest of the point controls need to be added before the scenic work can begin in earnest. Next Thursday can't come soon enough!

Layout Update - Facia

Since my last update I've done lots of scenic work on board 1 (that's the first two feet of the station area) including finishing the retaining wall (minus mortar - to be done later) , ballasting the track, painting the 'concrete' setts and adding various scatter materials. I also did further work on the platforms. I'm thinking that once the platform structure is in place that I paint the platform tops with textured paint to give a more realistic effect than tarmac card.

This week I added plywood edging to the fiddleyard. This will eventually be painted a glossy Eastern Region-style shade of blue and provide somewhere to display interesting information about the layout to visitors at exhibitions. Talking of which I went to the Syston MRS' exhibition in Sileby last weekend and had a very good time looking at the layouts and trade stands. I purchased a Dapol Insulfish van (I'm going to replace the couplings with less obtrusive Bachmann ones since the dapol ones have been almost cracked in half by careless fitting(!)) and won a 3-plank LMS open wagon kit from the raffle. I'm looking forward to building that this coming week.

Also done this week was the front facia of the layout, consisting of 10mm ply screwed to pine battons. I'm very pleased with how this has turned out and structurally the layout is almost complete. The remaning key tasks are at this point (apart from scenery) are:

• Attach a large piece of hardboard to the end of the layout (either to the fiddleyard or board 2) to provide a backdrop to the overbridge. The bridge itself is going to be a disused rail overbridge home to some rather delapidated colliery wagons.
• Add the remaining facia sections at the ends of the scenic section, made in part by more hardboard.
  
• Install Wire-In-Tube control to the remaining four points - located in the middle and at the front (public side) of the layout.

Now that's an interesting point to bring up. Which side am I controlling the layout from? Originally I'd intended the layout to be a stay-at-home affair, controlled by a controller plugged into the front. Now that I'm intending to bring the layout onto the exhibition circuit I've decided to control the layout from the rear as this looks better in my opinion not least because the current controller (a Bachmann EZ Command type) is rather large. This means I'm going to add control sockets at the front of the layout when at home or in the clubroom as the layout will probably but stuck up against a wall and some at the rear when exhibiting. I've aquired a neat little shelf which I'm going to get some hooks for. This will attach to the rear of the frame and act as a neat rest for my controller and my movement cards too.

I'll post pictures of the layout later this weekend.

New Year, New progress update

Since the last update I've done the following:

• the railsides have been fully weathered (using Railmatch Sleeper Grime aerosol spray),
  
• the trackwork has been fully electrically tested and wire-in-tube point control installed for the rear engine stabling siding, the point controlling access to platforms 1 and 2 from the loco-coach yard, and on the two points at the ends of platforms one and two that control access to the main passenger line. The rods are operated from the rear of the layout but are still operable by hand. Eventually I might build a proper level frame, maybe from the GEM Mercontrol system since this would be more aethetically pleasing for the operator at least!
  
• a bridge has been installed at the end of the layout, built from hardboard and small sections of balsa and pine pse.
• I've constructed both the Scalescenes BR Provender Store and the Signalbox kits for use on the layout. These were quick and easy to build and provided me with something to do in between club sessions.
  

I plan to install further wire-in-tube control for the rest of the pointwork, but this time running under the baseboard to operate the points on the far side of the layout. This saves having to cut up cork or disturb trackwork. For the next couple of weeks however I plan to finish the basic scenic work in the 2ft station extension section:

1. Build the retaining walls from balsa, covered with Wills plastic bricksheets either directly or mounted on card first
2. Install platform sections and secure with PVA.
3. Lightly ballast, using the method detailed at Scenic Model Railways. I think I'll go for a grey ballast, suitably weathered at the bufferstops of platform two to represent standing locomotives.

Hopefully I'll have this section completed by the end of february, with only the platform buildings to be done. This will be quite an acheivement - an extra incentive to complete the layout by Easter perhaps?

Here are some pictures of the layout as it was on completion of the track weathering a week before Christmas. Note the card mockup of the bridge.

From under the bridge, looking 'west' towards the Station.

From the station end, looking towards the bridge (east).

News: Update

Over the past couple of weeks the layout has advanced greatly. The boards have been painted with black poster paint (from the Early Learning Centre in Sheffield) so that when it's balasted no light mdf will show through in cracks. Rail-sides in the station area are painted, with the rest due for similar treatment this week. The station itself is under construction, built from the Brick-style Metcalfe card platform kit. I'm hoping to finish that tomorrow before going to the club to install it. Additionally I have to widen th existing island platform sections because they are around 5mm too narrow - leaving too much of a gap on one side. I plan to remedy this by cutting down the centre and gluing a piece of card underneath to the two halves before filling in the resulting gap with spare offcuts.

I've also made a start on building retaining walls, using the coping stones supplied in the Metcalfe kit. These will be finished once I've completed painting the railsides, installing the rest of the platfor Then I have to build a facia for the front of the layout and then a scenic break. I then envision after a couple of weeks running and testing, adjusting random things, etc. that I might start ballasting. By then we should be into the new year.

Oh, the deadline for completing the layout is August 2008 since it needs to be ready for the Sheffield MRS 2008 exhibition in October.

Update: Wiring & Testing

The last couple of weeks have seen the tracklaying and wiring completed, with the layout being tested on both DC and DCC (Digital Command Control).

This week I plan to:
1. Carve the cork track underlay to provide clearance for the platforms to be installed.
2. Secure the formers for the retaining walls.
3. Start contruction work on the bridge formers.

The week after I hope to start installing the retaining walls and the platforms. That's about all for now. I'll let you know how I get on later this week on Friday

Model Railway Exhibition

Sheffield Model Railway Society

Model Railway Exhibition
Saturday October 13th, 2007
at DAVY UNITED SOCIAL CLUB
10:00AM TO 5:00PM

• Children very welcome-operate the Thomas layout.
• Layouts of different gauges.
• Free Car Parking.
• Refreshments, Bar and Lounge.
• Disabled access via lift, help always available.
• Admission: Adults £2.50, Children £1
• Let us help you with your layout. Advice always on hand.

We look forward to seeing you

Venue situated on Prince of Wales Road between Darnall and Parkway.
(Parkway link to M1 and City) Sheffield Bus Services No7 and No1 from Meadowhall pass the venue.

Sheffield Model Railway Society,
Tel: 01709 555578

Update: Wiring

Tonight I was fortunate enough to complete the wiring for the layout (for now!) I installed two banana plug sockets to the front right corner of the main scenic section, adjacent to the fiddleyard entrance. This would be the operators normal position.

Next week I'm intending to take down my Bachmann E-Z Command controller as well as my Class 37 'test-loco' and give it all a thorough test - after a quick go-over with a multi-meter of course(!).

Over the coming week I'll also start sourcing and building the curtain-wall formers for affixing to the rear and sides of the layout. I don't have anything planned for Tuesday so I'll do that job then - ready to be fitted on Thursday at the club.

That's all the news for now. Bye!

Update: Wiring and DCC Decoder Installation

This week saw the completion of the track wiring for the central scenic board, ready to be tested next week. One of the members of the club, Steve, also picked up an NCE D13SR 4-function Decoder and kindly fitted it to my Lima Class 37, thus rendering it ready for testing the layout next week!

The only remaining jobs that need completing before moving on to the scenic part of the build are:

• Installing a pair of 'banana' plug sockets to the baseboard frame, allowing the DCC controller of choice to be plugged in. I'll be picking up a couple this weekend from the local electronics store;
• Relaying the track for the 0.6m station extension board and reconnecting the wires as they aren't straight enough. Luckily they're only tacked down with double sided tape at the moment.
  
• Thorough test running of course ;)

Once those are complete I'll be fitting 16cm high plywood formers around the ends and rear of the layout and then installing the platforms. I've still to decide on whether these will be constructed from the plastic Peco kits that I've used before or built from cardboard Metcalfe kits.