....and the plumbing too.

This week I've carried on getting the electrics into shape. The first thing to be completed was the 16volt AC side of things. I bought an old Hornby wall wart transformer which gave out the required voltage and when it arrived I attached it to the prepared wiring in the control box. Voila - the water feature burst into life and the point leading to the lighthouse siding finally worked.

Finally I can use this siding

Trains can shunt between the siding and the quarry sidings

The whole empire, lacking a blue sky

'Arkwright' with a run of skips in the quarry

The other bit of wiring I did this week was to extend the battery wires for the flashing LEDs in the UFO nightclub so that the battery box is now under the baseboard and the greenery at the rear could be finished. Party on.

Sparks of life

For once I've done what I set out to this week, it was out with the soldering iron and after a bit of head scratching I sorted out the non working point at the quarry. I found the relevant wires which lead to the motor and cut them, after extending them back to the control panel I attached them to the switch. Nothing. I concluded that the problem was actually the return wire had been cut, unfortunately that meant that I had to find a new place to supply the feed. The simplest answer was to go straight to the output of the CDU hidden in hillside behind the quarry. Voila - working points.

The filthing up of the SR Baldwin continued

I built the second of  the sheep wagons, this time adding vacuum pipes

The trio of dirty Baldwins

Eva in action with both sheep wagons in tow

So, it was time to bite the bullet and attempt to untangle the muddle of temporary wiring under the Rock Beach board. I decided to reuse a plastic enclosure from a previous layout which handily had an indicator lamp already in it. It isn't a complicated control panel with just four switches, lots of wires though.

The first things I connected were the point switch and the section switch, unfortunately the 16V AC supply I bought to run the CDU and the drinking fountain was faulty so for now they remain un-powered. Next came the complexity of the building and street lighting, I soldered all the positives to a length of rail and then made a similar nasty bodge for the negatives. It all worked. The other switch controls the flashing light circuit in the lighthouse. Once the replacement 16volt supply arrives the point and the water feature should also work. Fingers crossed. 

Job done

Spurred on by getting things working, I dug out the trailer unit for 'Lady Susan' the steam tram. I've always had a bit of trouble when propelling the trailer so gave up on it, however with the gentler curves of this layout it appears to be ok... mostly.

Playing trains with a pre war look

Bananas

We have this joke at work about January being the famous quiet time, everyone thinks as there are no trains that we just sit around drinking tea. Nothing could be further from the truth, apart from the tea drinking. As a result I haven't really done much on the layout.

I did get out the weathering powders to try to make the town square look a bit better, well less shiny.

Looks a bit better but I think in the end I'll grasp the nettle and do the DAS clay thing.

AGR Models have added to their growing range of PECO van reliveries with a version of their classic n gauge SR banana van which has always been one of my favourites. I have a small collection of n gauge stock waiting for a layout and this is one of the vans awaiting its railway.

Here it is after I got at it with the trusty weathering powders.

Here it is next to their Arnold Sands open

Apart from that, most of the time I've had in the garage has been devoted to operating (playing trains). I really must get on and finish off the electrics for the Rock Beach end of the layout and sort out the points leading to Town Quarry which stopped working after the excavation work to create Sandy Brook. I suspect that I cut through some wiring that was embedded in the scenery without realising it. Famous last words but it shouldn't be be too difficult to fix...

After Christmas

Before Christmas a few things got done and a few things arrived in the post by way of presents from me to me. First arrival was a couple more kits from the CAD of Tom Bell, this time a pair of sheep wagons, I've only built one so far but with a bit of judicial cleaning up it went together very nicely.

Next to arrive was the last vehicle I needed to complete my little heritage Eggerbahn train, this was the green van. The early Egger models were very nice and made up of numerous separate parts, I've always had a soft spot for the green coaches. So far it has only run with an assortment of IoSR motive power but I'm keeping my eyes open for a Fiery Elias tram loco to complete the set.

I've heavily rusted a Minitrains Brigadelok tender that has been hanging around for ages.

The plates finally arrived for Olwen which have finished it off a treat.

763 will be known as Eva but I've only just ordered the nameplates, I have however added some not very subtle weathering.

While Christmas TV has droned on I've painted the sheep wagon, painted and detailed a PECO green GVT coach which sits nicely in the green and cream set.

Olwen and train seem to be racing the bus

Sheep wagon in action in a pickup goods train

Bearings and Baldwins

I think the water features finished, I put a few streaks of white onto the steep section and then added a coat of resin to make sure it was properly shiny. In the nick of time I remembered where the laser cut Lilly pads were hiding so I added a few of those to the lower section.

Seen here, about to pass over Sandy Brook are my new wagons, two new Tom Bell 1 plank wagons and a flat made from a PECO long brake van chassis and some bits and bobs.

I've always been pleased with the look of my TR coaches but they ran terribly, it was all the lighter locos could do was to drag them along. At Warley I bought a packet of little brass bearings, having dismantled the chassis and inserted the bearings I now have a rake of carriages which glide along.

The long awaited new Baldwins arrived from Bachmann and very pretty they are too. I had one of each along for a photo shoot. All had to go back to work... except 'Sid' who will transition to 'Eva'. I know the livery is silly but it's my train set and I like it.

Moving pictures - not that one

By way of a test, here is a short video of Nancy and her train on the Underhill branch.

Nancy herself is a Varikit bash on a Farish 04 chassis with con rods from an old Minitrix Dock tank and I think some Langley Fairlie cylinders.

     

River shallow, mountain not really

This week has mainly been about continuing work on the new scenery section. As a general rule I've been pretty pleased with the growth of Sandy Brook. 

The flat area of the water in the brook looks fine but the resin had soaked up the banks a bit so I painted it over and added a few more clumps of greenery. I also use weathering powders to blend the colours and add texture. 

A couple of new Bachmann Baldwins came to visit. I had to give them back. I think when 'Sid' the SR livery version arrives I will weaken.

The downhill water needed some body and some movement so I bought some acrlyic stuff which alegedly sets clear, we'll see. So far some has, some hasn't. When it's set I'll touch in some white and brush on some more of the two part water stuff to add shine. 

The brook just starts in a spring on the hillside so I decided to disguise it somewhat with a little footbridge. 

I made it from balsa wood with brass uprights and styrene side rails.

Some bridges.

Paint still wet.