Making a New Start

[C&S]

After a long planning, and re-planning, process work has at last started on the Cattewater & Southern layout (mk 2) The picture shows what will eventually be the yard at Cattewater with some temporary track in place to check spur capacity and clearances. These prove to be rather tight in places, but the structures can be trimmed to suit their new sites.

Also in view is "Rusty" the ex-Otto body swap locomotive. Apologies for the black bag in the background, but this a work-in-progress shot.

 

[C&S]

Hi Graham,

Size will be about 15ft by 12ft, U-shaped. Operational plan: fiddle track (timber/mining settlement) - main depot (was previously riverboat landing) - junction - choice of fiddle tracks (farming town or std. gauge intechange)

Theme: common carrier with some timber and mine traffic.

Potted history: The line is supposed to have been built in 1892 as a feeder to the steamboat company operating on the river, but the arrival of standard gauge in the district early in the 20th century has resulted in most traffic now going to and from this new interchange. Period modelled is c.1941.

 

[C&S]

After a break away from home I've managed to get back to work on the layout. The main scenic area baseboards are done and 95% of the track is down, using carpet felt as underlay. This does not seem to stop the points working, but I may put a slip of dark coloured paper below the tiebars, just to make sure they don't get obstucted. With the main baseboard finished there's now space underneath to put away all the household storage, so the room is a lot clearer.

Worst job so far was getting the swinging baseboard that opens for access to a cupboard built, and then laying tracks across the join "on the skew". Needless to say it comes in the middle of the main depot's yard, so the track gaps will need to be good enough to shunt over. I think today I've finally got it working properly. Meanwhile I've been scraping all the rail ends on the pre-used track to ensure good fishplate contact, but still need to test track conductivity with a loco and controller with fly-leads - a job for Sunday, I suspect.

As soon as I've put up the backscene boards to mask off the unused space in the eaves I'll post more pictures - at present things are still not too photogenic.

 

[Bram]

That looks interesting Giles, be good if you have any more piccies

 

[Jisonga]

Another very interesting topic here on GSC.

I have kept hold of some R1 curves and pojnts and keep thing over the idea of a small indoor line to keep me going when its to rough outside to play.

Jason.

 

[Bram]

It's good to have plan B Jason, an indoor layout helps with the testing and the development of ideas

 

[Jisonga]

I am hoping that now i have got a train shed it should free up some room in the garage to allow a small shunting layout to play with when rain stops play outside.

Jason.

 

[C&S]

That looks interesting Giles, be good if you have any more piccies

   

Bram,  I'll take and post some more piccies soon, but at present I've just been track-laying and things don't look very interesting (read messy!).  However, here's a shot of where the line runs through Hogwood, just before it reaches the depot.

As soon as I've got the backboards fitted I'll get the camera out again - hopefully next week-end when I hope to get the fiddle yard baseboards built


One photo deleted as they are both the same - as per request by C&S = by Peter Bunce moderator  

 

[C&S]

After a few weeks of work, here's an update on the layout, starting with a view of the end of Cattewater yard and the buildings grouped round the depot

Next a view across the yard with some backscene images being tested

and a view of the loco shed corner The main line can be seen immediately behind the brick shed.

The line then goes through what will be a rocky cutting and over a trestle bridge

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Coming into Hogwood it passes a mill and the general store, passing over a grade crossing to reach the depot where there is a water tank and small fuel platform.

Two views of Hogwood; the rear siding will be the location of a second mill, the freight house and a stock pen - all low relief models - more background images on test.

Leaving town, the line passes a fuel dealership and reaches the junction where it splits into two staging tracks

 

[C&S]

Layout building has had to take a bit of a back seat the first half of this week. However over the past week-end a start was made on the design and timber cutting for the baseboard flap that will carry the wharf siding at Cattewater (if you look at the first picture in the sequence immediately above you'll see the turnout for this spur opposite the depot building). Hopefully this will all be in place by this time next week, ready for another picture.

 

[marshman]

This is coming together well Giles.Lots of interesting features.By the way got the extending track thank you.Very pleased with it.

 

[steven large]

wow wow...where did u get all these kits from? loves it.....low relief and kits....what lovely layout aslo loves tht usa ww2 willy jeep!!!!........u are doing good job..loves it..........

 

[steven large]

I am hoping that now i have got a train shed it should free up some room in the garage to allow a small shunting layout to play with when rain stops play outside.

Jason.

yes tht is good idea for it...same as me making ho layout in my bedroom doing layout on the wall going around across the wall.............good fun..when it rain or very cold outside......

 

[C&S]

where did u get all these kits from? loves tht usa ww2 willy jeep

I couldn't possibly afford all those buildings if they were kits! Also they'd probably be too big, as the structures came from my small portable layout. I've really cheated with their scale, as apart from two structures built from published plans, most things have been made slightly smaller than they should be.

All the buildings pictured here are scratch-built with foamboard for the basic shape, overlaid with thin balsa or card strips for planking, or commercially produced brick sheets for the walls. Stonework is either a thin layer of plaster carved when dry, or else some old "miniature pebble" effect wallpaper from a roll I hoarded many years ago. Roofs are tiled in thin card or else with sheets of plastic corrugated iron. Doors and windows are mostly plasic ones bought as spare parts, ex-kits. Working indoors has the advantage of being able to build in cheaper materials; for instance the oil tanks are Pringles tubes, while the basis of the loco's water tank was another card cylindrical box that I think had held cheese-biscuits.

At present the general level of detailing is quite basic as all the buildings had to be packed separately when the old layout was moved. Now they can be fixed in place there's going to be some scope for adding details like rainwater guttering and downpipes and improved chimneys

Well spotted on the Willys jeep. Its a 1940s model and was bought in France, dressed up as a fire truck. All the flashing lights, spotlamps, ladder rack and hose reel were stripped off (the ladders were added to a Toytrain LGB caboose) and a coat of green paint added - look closely and you can still see some fire-engine red peeking out between the wheels. Strictly speaking it's 1:18 scale model, so a bit large, but a 1:22.5 driver fits into the driving seat just fine. You can also see a 1941 Ford saloon in one picture of Hogwood, and I have a small flatbed truck, which started life as a Coca-cola delivery lorry, to dress up the team track at Cattewater.

 

[C&S]

Today tried test running the first actual train, as opposed to a single engine, between Cattewater and Hogwood. The result was not quite as good as I'd hoped, as although it arrived OK there was a lot of wheel-spin on the final part of the trip. I hope this is down to the fact that the "trestle" is still unsupported track, and so settled a bit under the train's weight, making the last bit of the journey a bit steeper than it should be. The actual rise is about one and a half inches over about eight feet - call it about 1 in 55 - which would be no problem in one of the smaller scales. The train was an LGB Porter and three shortened bogie cars, and in service I'd hope to have a bobber caboose in the consist as well.

Obviously more testing is needed, once the sections are wired up and the trestle track is properly supported.

On a more positive note, the backscene images has been chosen and given to a friend to manipulate on his computer to blend the various elements from different shots together into a new continuous view. In exchange, I get to build him a boxcab diesel body in 0n30 scale.

 

[C&S]

Having temporarily blocked up the unsupported track with some cassette boxes I tried another train, and - success! Part of the problem before was that the rear bogie on the drover caboose in the train was derailing and causing extra drag on the "hill" section; I was too busy watching the loco slipping to notice, at first. Track join causing the problem now fettled and all is well. I've also bought the timber for the trestle bridge.

Have just heard that the new computerised scenic images are all done. I should be able to pick them up next week-end, so once they're installed that's a definite photo session.

Edit - Back-scenes collected and laid in place temporarily; looking good. Will install properly next week and post pictures asap. Meanwhile wiring work and control panels advancing steadily.

 

[C&S]

At last, after a period of work too dull to photograph, here are some pictures of the new back-scenes. First up is a shot of the grade crossing in Hogwood before...............

.....and after the addition of the back-scene

A view of the outskirts of Hogwood behind the stock-pen. This was assembled from parts of four different images.

Further to the right of the last image - more rural sheds and barns

Finally, Hogwood control panel starting to take shape.

 

[C&S]

The last couple of weeks have been a bit busy with not much model time. However the layout's wiring is all but finished with just the internal connections to make inside the Cattewater panel, and the track feeds have all been tested and proved OK. Also at Cattewater the fold-down wharf board with its two additional car spots has been added. Pictures soon - tomorrow I have to finish some house stuff.

 

[French Chuffed]

[SIZE=3 font="times new roman"]Hi Giles, it is coming together well, at least you can make progress out of the weather in your loft. (The track & points arrived safely btw)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3 font="times new roman"] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3 font="times new roman"]Peter[/SIZE]

 

[trammayo]

Looking really great - the backdrops add a new perspective (no pun intended!).

Mick