A New Foreign Layout

[Gavin Sowry]

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Fruits of the day's labours. Found some ballast, sitting on the workbench right in front of me, so the turnout got the treatment. While the matte medium was out, some enhancements were made to some of the scenic items. The quay got some anchor rings (fencing staples, of all things), and I made up some looped ropes to go on the boat to hold it fast (it's been held slow ever since DCR built it). At the moment, I'm trying to finish off all the 'little' things... need to wait until I'm back at work, and can access the Model Shop to get church bits.

[Gavin Sowry]

One of the features I put on the layout when I first got it, were diode controlled safety blocks at the ends of the line to avoid 'high dives' onto the floor.

So, today's job, a bit of wiring. First, take out the diode, and close up the joint, from the end that is now continuing to the next board. This time, there are two end sidings to rig up. Being clever, in my own mind, I decided to apply the gaps on the same sides of each of the tracks. That way, I could take a feed off one line (making sure it was one that was not going to be affected by isolating points). From this feed, I soldered in the diode (dry testing, first, of course.... wasn't born yesterday). Off the other leg of the diode, came two wires, one to each of the isolated dead end sections of track. Worked well, first time. Second time, didn't work well, in fact, didn't work at all. Jump wire testing identified the culprit wire. It was one that I 'forced' through the baseboard... turns out I'd actually broken it. Quickly replaced, and all's good.

Lesson, if it don't fit, don't force it (somewhat contrary to the usually good ol' Kiwi slogan).

[Gavin Sowry]

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It appears that this photo is hiding back on the previous page, and has only had 2 views. Since I particularly like this, and am sure you will too, I've republished it for all to enjoy.

[Gavin Sowry]

A setback in proceedings.... the skyboard, only 6mm thick, and only with one brace, has warped.

New thicker one called for.

[Gavin Sowry]

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First undercoat has gone on. As usual, this finds all the 'spots to fill', and furry bits to sand back.
Let it dry, and that's tomorrow's job.

Played around with the static grass, too. Picked up on another layout by accident, that if you spray the grass with hairspray and very lightly sprinke over some 'scatter' material, you can get realistic seed heads on your foliage.

[DCRFAN 3]

Thats looking real nice.

[Gavin Sowry]

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Just about what the punters will see. Roof will be imitation lead sheet.... add ribs every 3 feet or so, paint lead colour.
The lead/grey trim came about by default. I'd tried painting the window sills, but didn't work out. So I scraped the paint off, exposing the original plastic casting, so grey it is. Fortunately, I'd only tack hot glued the door in the frame, so that came out easily. Double fortunate, I had a spare door, unpainted, in stock.

[Gavin Sowry]

Roof now marked out for the 'lead ribs'. Just the pencil lines give a good impression of the final outcome. Stripwood, or plastic, from the model shop tomorrow, and a 'lead looking' paint from the rattle can place.

And, all this by the way, is only one of 5 layouts that I will be showing.

[Gavin Sowry]

Roof ribbed. Painting tomorrow night.

[Gavin Sowry]

Roof ribbed. Painting tomorrow night.

Tomorrow, been and gone. The church is finished (apart from a small paint touch up).
I'm happy with it.... 48 hours to show set up.
Tried doing the roof with Tamyia Gun Metal. This colour had potential, a nice uneven drying metallicy shine, but it was going to take forever with a brush, and try as damn, couldn't get straightlines even on the edges. Wiped it off, and resprayed white. Ended up using a same brand as the white, but it said red (even though it is a dull copper brown) primer. Photo when the paint finally drys.

[Gavin Sowry]

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Voila!

Paint still wet, and a few blemishes, but, she'll be right on the night.

[Gavin Sowry]

DSC_0114.JPG

Voila!

Paint still wet, and a few blemishes, but, she'll be right on the night.

On the night before the night, she's all right.
Oversprays, and slight paint run all sanded back and touched up.
Anchored to the foundation.

[Gavin Sowry]

Survived transport to Rail-Ex, and met with the necessary oohs and aahs from members of the engineering fraternity. So, I'm happy.
Another layout had some wires disconnect, but that's fixed, and it's all go for the show.

[nu2ng]

Good luck with the show Gavin

[Gavin Sowry]

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No description really necessary.

[chris stockdale]

Looking very smart.

A nice light, bright venue too. All too often it’s somewhere with just electric light, perhaps a litte gloomy, and thus not great for photography here in the UK.

Cheers,

[Gavin Sowry]

Looking very smart.

A nice light, bright venue too. All too often it’s somewhere with just electric light, perhaps a litte gloomy, and thus not great for photography here in the UK.

Cheers,

The 'English' conditions were outside.... it was raining.
For once, the Wellington Garden Railway Group running day was not affected by the weather... that's them on Court 2.

[Gavin Sowry]

Don't it really get to you.

I had all sorts of bother on doing an English roof for the church before settling on the easiest option (well, it had to be finished for the show).
Finally get something acceptable, and go on show.

Walk across the hall to one of the traders...and there in stamped plastic sheet, is every style, and scale, of roofing imaginable, and, only $2.00 more than the styrene strips I had to buy for the church.

[Gavin Sowry]

Bonus, the layout, in one piece, can fit through the awkward doorways into my train shed.

[Gavin Sowry]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Ylni2esRs

Finally, someone has posted the video. Check out around the 22-23 minute mark.

[Gavin Sowry]

Rail-Ex next weekend..... what, already?

Did a backsceen strengthening a while ago, that involved some extra screws that needed plastering over. That's been done, and sanded smooth all ready for painting. Woops, that's right, used the last of that paint last year. As a prep for top coat painting, I rattled on some white paint (left over from painting the church), then thought that it didn't look too bad for clouds (very subtle). So I carried on touching up the blemishes, and now have 'something new, something blue' for Rail-Ex.

[Gavin Sowry]

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Another year, another Rail-Ex. One of the bosses at work let slip that he had a Smallbrook loco. 'No good sitting on the shelf' I said.
So, we gave it a run. Was a bit rough on one of the frogs. DCR told us that that point had always been trouble since he installed it.
Super Sleuth Sowry got to work, and finally dislodged a piece of ballast that was firmly attached to the flangeway.
The rest of the afternoon saw perfect running.