Progress Report - 03 October 2007


For those that have been watching the 'Latest Updates' page almost 3 years has gone by since the last report, hence this report is lengthy. Little progress was made in the latter half of 2005 and almost NO progress during 2006. 2007 has seen a major step forward on the scenery front.

One of the biggest complaints from the rest of the family early on in 2005 was the total lack of any trains running. It had been my intention to complete the works required for the Level 8 station but I was sidetracked by the family requirement to get some trains running.

We now have about a twenty locos (steam and diesel fitted with DCC decoders) all running with appropriate stock behind them. Slight detour during the decoder fitting was to fit some lights to some of the diesel locos. A Lima Class 50 in LMS Maroon with Gold Striping was the first (Headlights, marker lights and tail lights), followed by a Bachmann Class 25 (Just tail lights for now).

It was at this time we began to hanker after some SOUNDS to add some additional ambience to the layout. South West Digital Limited were programming ESU Loksound Decoders with genuine British Loco Sounds. We now have a Bachmann Class 37 in Regional Railways livery a Bachmann Class 66 in Freightliner livery and a Bachmann Green liveried Class 20 fitted with these sound decoders.

The sounds are very impressive. So impressive we made a video of the Class 66 so that other modellers can get a feel for what they sound like. If we get the time and opportunity we will produce further videos.

Go to the Digital Sound Page

In essence very little got done in the way of layout updates especially as in the latter part of 2005 a lot of time was spent at daughter and son-in-laws new house doing some serious amount of work before they moved in just 3 weeks before Christmas.

Most of 2006 was spent testing new addons for Microsoft Train Simulator and going round various Model Railway Exhibitions. We attended 15 exhibitions that year.

In February 2006 we went to the Brighton Model World Exhibition and Model Rail Scotland. Two excellent shows and another Broadway Limited Imports loco joined the fleet. This time the GE AC6000 in the Australian Blue and White livery of BHP Iron Ore. Looks superb, controls amazingly and sounds brilliant.

February 2007 found us again at Model Rail Scotland with a DCC Workshop stand. Running demos of both 'N' gauge and 'OO' gauge. Whilst at the show we purchased a Bachmann 108 DMU in green with whiskers and fitted a Loksound decoder that had been programmed with the Class 108 sound set by Mr Soundguy of DCC Supplies.

2007 Scenery Work

The major update during 2007 has been on the scenery front. During the latter part of summer 2006 I found some time to install the supports for the Level 12 board that covers the dumbbells at the lower end of the layout. At the tail end of 2006, with the assistance of a neighbour, we manoeuvred the Level 12 sheet of 8 x 4 MDF into position and screwed and glued it into position. Next came the Auhagen backscene we had chosen and that was installed along the back edge and round the corner on the left hand side. That was it for 2006.

Note: The full size images can be displayed by clicking the pictures shown.
In 2007 we started to add the scenery that is Level 12. A complete row of terraced houses and shops along the back and round the left hand corner all fitted with LED lighting (Photo L12-1 shows the left hand corner. Marks on the baseboard show the positions of paving and the Faller track lines.), . Where the right hand back joins the right hand industrial backdrop we have included a village green (Photo L12-2 shows the right hand corner. Marks on the baseboard again show paving and Faller track lines.) with seating, recycle bins and a tree to disguise the scenic break between housing and industry (Photos L12-3 and 4).

Photo L12-1

Photo L12-2

Photo L12-3

Photo L12-4

A Faller roadway has been laid into the road bed around the whole of Level 12 in both directions. Work then commenced on the left hand half of Level 12, to place three country houses at the front. (Photo L12-5 shows the roadway on the left side in place, Faller trackwire already in place and the three houses). A large farmers field behind these houses currently occupied by a funfair. (Photo L12-6 shows the left side almost completed, with gardens around the houses and the funfair in place). Close up views of the funfair (Photo L12 -7) and the gardens (Photo L12 -8).

Photo L12-5

Photo L12-6

Photo L12-7

Photo L12-8

Once that was completed we started on the right hand side of Level 12 with the main part of the farm with farmhouse and outbuildings; a church with graveyard and private cemetery; numerous shops, pub and post office and a couple of additional country houses. (Photo L12 -9 shows the two stock fields, sheep on the left, cattle on the right. The Church is in front of the two fields with its own graveyard. Wedding ceremony completed the bride and groom move down the path with the pageboy and bridesmaid behind. The Old School house is to the right with the private cemetery behind).
(Photo L12-10 shows the right side from the centre roadway with the vicarage nearest, followed by the Church and then the old School house).
(Photo L12-11 shows the row of shops at the front with the Post Office and pub round the corner. Behind the shops you can see the farm oubuildings and the Farmhouse).
(PhotoL12-12 shows the backs of the shops and the pub car park)

Photo L12-9

Photo L12-10

Photo L12-11

Photo L12-12

The last part of the scenery work was on the left side again in the front of the 3 country houses. The front of Level 12 at this point rolls off to three tunnel entrances on Level 4. (Photo L12-13 shows the as yet not identified tunnel entrances on Level 4 below Level 12).After building the Metcalf tunnel entrances and placing them we added a layer of polystyrene to the tops. (Photo L12 -14 shows the tunnel entrances now glued in position and the layer of polystyrene glued in place. Polystyrene was then used to overfill the tunnel entrances up to Level 12. (Photo L12-15 shows this completed). Finally a layer of plaster of paris to seal the polystyrene; a layer of brown flock powder; lots of hedging, dead trees and lichen to complete the picture and some additional track ballast around the tunnel entrances and importantly the two signals (Photo L12-16).
Photo L12-13

Photo L12-14

Photo L12-15

Photo L12-16

There is still a small amount of work to do on Level 12 to finish it completely. The private cemetery gravestones to stick down and place flower vases etc. The very front edge needs finsihing off with a brick wall and a khaki sheet to hide all the works underneath Level 12. Ultimately the Level 4 terminus will be built down the centre and the need for the khaki sheet will disappear.

Final scenery notes.
Flock mats were used extensively for ground cover with cutouts for buildings to sit in. All buildings are illuminated with LED's. The church has a stereo system below it as does the bigtop in the funfair. The stereo systems are fed by MP3 players laid under the layout. The MP3 for the church has the organist practising some recitals and a complete wedding ceremony. The MP3 for the bigtop has numerous gavioli organ pieces and other fairground music.

On to other things

IMPORTANT NOTE for those who like the SOUNDS but don't want to go full DCC
If you are running a conventional DC layout then the new Quantum Engineer box connects between your conventional controller and the track. The Quantum Engineer gives you access to any QARC enabled Sound decoder (QSI, Atlas etc) for the sounds at the touch of a button.
Here it is:

Five more NON UK locos have joined the fleet recently: Two Adtranz Blue Tigers. Originally built for the Indonesian Railways but remained in Germany after being built. One Blue Tiger is fitted with a standard Lenz DCC Decoder for traction control and lights only, the second Blue Tiger is fitted with a Loksound Decoder that is programmed with the Adtranz Blue Tiger soundset. The second one, with sound, can be seen at our DCC Workshop at Model Railway Exhibitions. A Santa Fe SD70M and two Australian Pacific National NR Class Diesel Locos.

Adtranz Blue Tiger

Santa Fe SD70M

The Australian National Railways (Pacific National)
NR28 Indian Pacific loco in the beautiful Blue and
Gold Livery.

The Australian National Railways (Pacific National) NR62 in the Blue and Yellow of Pacific National. This is a loco that never was. This loco NR62 has not and probably will not appear in the PacNat livery of Blue and Yellow; the nameplate 'Kwinana' belongs to NR29.

Eight UK locos to recently join the shed:

City of Edinburgh

Thompson B1 - Impala

Hornby Fairburn in LMS Red.

Bachmann Fairburn in LMS Black

Bachmann DPS Special D9000 / 55022
Royal Scots Grey

Class 44 - D1 Scaffell Pike

46225 Duchess of Gloucester
in the striking BR Blue livery.

Class 47 - 47676
in Intercity Swallow Livery

A fleet of 3 doubledeck STVA Car Carriers also arrived at Christmas 2005 courtesy of son, daughter-in-law and grandson:

I also found the missing components to complete the roof work for the Level 8 station. Perhaps I may get it finished over the winter break ready to install come springtime 2008.

Page last modified: 3rd October 2007 by Onehouse <tfc@onehouse.co.uk>
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