Ulthwaite station building

Whilst I'm still a little undecided whether or not to soldier on with 'Ulthwaite' as it is (or start again using peco track), I figured I might as well keep moving with some of the stock and buildings. I've made a start on altering and repainting a Roco steamer, plus Bob the diesel and a couple more wagon kits, but earlier I decided to take paintbrush to the proposed station building. The photo is cruel and shows me where I need to do a bit more, but I'm quite happy. (Must add a pot to that chimney). This is a pretty unmodified Auhagen kit - an HO scale little german halt. I liked the idea of a wooden building and felt that a paint job and a few details might help to locate it. Bearing in mind that there were a number of German miners around Keswick, I don't mind a slightly continental look to it..

Plankerton Wharf pictures

I 'finished' Plankerton Wharf some time ago..just thought I ought to post some pictures. Overall I'm pleased with the grotty trackwork and ground cover.. a mixture of ash ballast and filler.. and a generous spray of red oxide, black and grey car primers.

Endal Street shoebox gets some attention

As well as fiddling about with the tricky problems presented by the turntable and sector plate.. I took advantage of a new printer to make up some scenic 'flats' to set the scene in this little shoebox layout.

Much more serious work to do really first, like getting the trackwork right.. but I couldn't resist..it helps to give an impression of where I'm going with it.
I also chopped up a big cardboard box to make one for Endal Street.. it may not be an actual shoebox.. but the dimensions are similar.

Ulthwaite - more work

The Lake District layout is now known as 'Ulthwaite'. (There may be a real Ulthwaite.. but it's not this one!) Been fettling the track and testing all my stock to make sure there aren't too many needless derailments. It's actually working a lot better than I thought. but I do keep wondering if I'd be better ripping it up and laying some 'proper' track. Started to mock up some buildings etc to get a feel for how things are going to look. I like the fiddle exit between two cottages , rather than under a bridge (which was my first thought). Also been thinking about operating sequences to plan any further purchases.

Lake District 009 project starts to take shape..

For once, I've actually put a bit of planning into a layout. The setting is somewhere in the northern part of the English Lake District..Borrowdale perhaps. A fictitious narrow gauge light railway built to haul ore/slate from the hills to an interchange at Keswick also makes revenue through general traffic. This little village terminus sees coal, goods and sheep being transported, as well as a few passengers and some tourists/walkers. It also is a place for small engines pulling ore skips from up the valley to run around before continuing off down towards the interchange.. The board is recycled from a previous layout. I laid a layer of camping groundmat down, which proved to be a bit of a nuisance once I started to install the GEM wire-in-tube point control, and may well infuriate me further when scenic work starts. The track is a first for me - all hand-built copper clad soldered construction. I've just started testing and fettling to make sure everything is running properly before I start ballasting or painting (a process which will hide the rough appearance of the track at the moment). I kind of wish I had tried this track building lark out in a larger scale to start with.. but why not jump in at the deep end eh?

Something for the weekend?

A diversion the other weekend.. thinking I'd like a quick project, I spotted a spare little pine shelf about 570mm long. A bit of foam core.. a chopped up cereal packet.. some quickly laid track, a scattering of a few scenic bits and within the next couple of days this little N scale 3-2-2 inglenook layout was born. Good fun!

Endal Street - a dual gauge shoebox layout

One of my favourite designs on Carl's micro site is 'Endal Street'.. an ambitious shoebox plan from Jon Songoygard in Norway.
It features dual gauge track running through cobbled streets and overhead electrics. In a moment of madness I thought I'd give it a go! (Like I haven't got enough started)..
I figured it might be quite nice to try and build it using foamcore and card/paper. The turntable and sector plate might present some difficulties.. but I'll worry about that later.
So far, box built, track built (soldered construction). Next step.. worry about the turntable and sector plate!

I really don't know if I'll pull this off.. but it's worth a try.