what are people doing on their layout right now

[Skyline2uk]

Are they RAF roundalls I see?

Wondering if it's GR9 or its US Marine Core cousin "AV8B"....

Nice landing anyway 

Skyline2uk

[marco neri]

Are they RAF roundalls I see?

Wondering if it's GR9 or its US Marine Core cousin "AV8B"....

Nice landing anyway 

Skyline2uk

....Hi,
It' s the RAF GR9

Marco

[Ngauging]

Got code 55 electrofrog turnouts on the way from hattons and I'm looking to put together my baseboard. The local hardware store has 8 foot lengths of 2x1 timber for just over a fiver. Does that seem unreasonably expensive? Considering the convenience as it's 2 minutes walk from my house.

[daveg]

Got code 55 electrofrog turnouts on the way from hattons and I'm looking to put together my baseboard. The local hardware store has 8 foot lengths of 2x1 timber for just over a fiver. Does that seem unreasonably expensive? Considering the convenience as it's 2 minutes walk from my house.

Great!

Daft to mention perhaps but do check the timber is straight as a bend in the length will be a pain when you cut the cross battens and try to fix them to a (hopefully) flat board!

I have several lengths that are almost useless due to the twist/bend. Down to poor timber drying I believe.

Look forward to seeing your next update.

Dave G

[Newportnobby]

Got code 55 electrofrog turnouts on the way from hattons and I'm looking to put together my baseboard. The local hardware store has 8 foot lengths of 2x1 timber for just over a fiver. Does that seem unreasonably expensive? Considering the convenience as it's 2 minutes walk from my house.

Given the convenience (and the timber being straight) I'd go for it. When building in the cross members don't forget to drill holes for your wiring loom!
Oh, and please try not to re-enact 'the Plank' (small clip here).....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCRANWIHYPY

[Ngauging]

Got code 55 electrofrog turnouts on the way from hattons and I'm looking to put together my baseboard. The local hardware store has 8 foot lengths of 2x1 timber for just over a fiver. Does that seem unreasonably expensive? Considering the convenience as it's 2 minutes walk from my house.

Given the convenience (and the timber being straight) I'd go for it. When building in the cross members don't forget to drill holes for your wiring loom!
Oh, and please try not to re-enact 'the Plank' (small clip here).....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCRANWIHYPY

Just walked through Holmfirth with 5 lengths of 2x1 without knocking anyone unconscious or causing any damage.... as far as I know. I could have left a trail of mayhem behind me without knowing it.

Talking of mayhem, now to use it.

[GeeBee]

Finally allowed back up into the railway room accomplished 20 minutes track cleaning and I am completely banjaxed and now have the onset of chest infection so banned from the room again B***er
 

[Ngauging]

Got code 55 electrofrog turnouts on the way from hattons and I'm looking to put together my baseboard. The local hardware store has 8 foot lengths of 2x1 timber for just over a fiver. Does that seem unreasonably expensive? Considering the convenience as it's 2 minutes walk from my house.

Great!

Daft to mention perhaps but do check the timber is straight as a bend in the length will be a pain when you cut the cross battens and try to fix them to a (hopefully) flat board!

I have several lengths that are almost useless due to the twist/bend. Down to poor timber drying I believe.

Look forward to seeing your next update.

Dave G

They look quite decent quality to my, untrained, eye - straight and no large knots.

[GScaleBruce]

Two related tasks under way, one going better than the other. Ballasting, now I've finally got started on this baseboard I'm on a roll.



The precursor task, dabbing some brown paint around the point mechanisms, hasn't gone so well... I really didn't mean to paint the sky brown as well. To compound matters, I tried to soak the paint off and rubbed a bare patch on the backscene. It looks much worse in reality than in this photo. Any ideas on how best to disguise/repair? I'm thinking a little bit of water colour paint? It's too close to the track to position a large tree in front...

[port perran]

Yes, water colour paint would be ideal. Or use watercolour prncils if you have access to them.

[Bob Tidbury]

How about some cotton wool glued on to give a three D effect for the clouds you could do the same all over your sky ,Just a thought.
Bob

[Ngauging]

Two related tasks under way, one going better than the other. Ballasting, now I've finally got started on this baseboard I'm on a roll.



The precursor task, dabbing some brown paint around the point mechanisms, hasn't gone so well... I really didn't mean to paint the sky brown as well. To compound matters, I tried to soak the paint off and rubbed a bare patch on the backscene. It looks much worse in reality than in this photo. Any ideas on how best to disguise/repair? I'm thinking a little bit of water colour paint? It's too close to the track to position a large tree in front...

I think you be better with a more opaque paint. Acrylic or gouache or model paint if you have any of those.

[paulprice]

Managed to get a little more of the lining done on the two new crimson loco's for the layout. As ever there are plenty of areas to touch up and improve, but at this rate it wont be long before I can apply a little weathering 

[MinZaPint]

Well staggering out of a serious bout of lethargy and as it's raining (cant play golf!) I decided to tackle 3 points on the far side of one of the boards. digging in my bits box I discovered some Peco point motors that I bought over 30 years ago! complete with mountings and switches. They will have to be surface mounted owing to the baseboard bracing being in the way but we have a plan.
First I decided to dig out the wire



That's 4 metres of telephone cable I got my hands on when they were rewiring one of the offices I was working in and as the wires will be fed to the front of the layout via the same route the multi coloured wires will make identification easy when it comes to connecting the appropriate switches.

This is where the points will be



the 2 at the bottom of the pic will be hidden by a rock face and the top one by a barn and having read of problems with the arm jumping off the point I will cut them down and connect with wire. I know it's not much but its a step in the right direction. guess where I'm off to! 

[Newportnobby]

guess where I'm off to! 

Your local pub - aka 'The Barn and Rockface'