4mm & 7mm Llanfair ....

[LarryG]

After laying the extended loop, it was found to be floating in places. It wasn't the only section....The cheapo PVA had failed. I bought some really thick PVA this morning and finished off the track in a simplified form seeing as I has run out of bullhead trackwork....


With bullhead points costing nearly £40 and no bullhead plain track left, I decided not to throw anymore money at the layout and so used bullhead remnants from the bin....!


Catch point...


Peco streamline flat bottom from here....

 

[LarryG]

Scrap 1/2" plywood etc firmly screwed down to build up the ground level...



Covered with 1/8" cork sheet glued down with neat PVA and weighted. Electric sander formed a smooth surface between levels...


Several thicknesses of cork were glued down in places and left for two days to harden before sanding.....


Buildings plonked in place...


Goods yard level raised to rail level. More room for vehicle manoeuvre than on previous layout .....


Long view from the doorway...

 

[LarryG]

A quickie gluing together bits of cork then sanding them to shape. It'll just be a grassy mound that is strong enough to support a bush or something...


Some railways like the L&Y would have built a stone wall

 

[Gismorail]

Looking superb Larry you really do have an eye for layout building. I think the phrase ‘less is more’ puts it into context

 

[LarryG]

Thanks Gismo. All I've managed today is remove the catch point, which was pretty useless where it was, and made paving around the station building. Made from Slater 4mm and 7mm paving glued to 30 thou plastikard, then weathered...

 

[LarryG]

Neat PVA was evenly brushed on and ballasted with Fine Grey ballast...




When dry, it was filed down as much as possible. The glued down pavement positions the station building...


Sun and fine rain over Llanfair.....

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Peco streamline flat bottom from here....

This would be a good opportunity to have fresher looking rail, ballast and sleepers to appear as if this section of track has been renewed .

 

[LarryG]

This would be a good opportunity to have fresher looking rail, ballast and sleepers to appear as if this section of track has been renewed .

True....

 

[LarryG]

The ground was sanded down further to a smooth surface this morning, then sprayed over with grey, brown and dirty black. It has all turned out much darker than intended....

 

[LarryG]

I may have mentioned before that the light grey ballast is softer than the other colours and more easily files down to dust. I resorted to a half-inch paint brush in the end dry-brushing grey cellulose...


It will probably improve when grassland is added...

 

[Andy P]

Looking very nice Larry, Glad your happy with this now, and seeing good progress. All the best, Andy.

 

[LarryG]

Space is tight at Llanfair and so the goods shed floor space was doubled to accommodate animal feed in addition to general merchandise. Rail loading/unloading is external, the idea coming from Llanfyllin. The extended floor is on breeze block supports....



Hole cut into side wall. The end doors remain functional for additional ventilation in hot weather and could be used for end-loading...


Corrugated canopy supported on angle frame. I ran out of daylight, so the job will continue tomorrow.....


EDIT 2/11/23 :: After placing the shed on the layout, a small platform was added to the loading bay...

 

[LarryG]

The above goods shed didn't work out for me so I built a replacement. Lost count of how many I've done now...


Built with window walls but no roof lights. Not a lot is happening outside on the layout, which is pretty much par for the course at this time of year.

 

[LarryG]

I ordered a lasercut signalbox kit based on Helston to give me something to do indoors. For guttering, a length of Evergreen 080" channel was glued to the edge of a sheet of 60thou Plastikard. When dry, it was cut from the sheet 2.5mm wide as shown....



It was then glued to the signalbox wall just below the roof...


Drainpipes were bent from brass rod and attached with split pins + Loctite instant glue....


'Tother end.....


As usual, I built the roof to be removable. The steps, windows and doors will be sprayed separately for ease of painting...
The chimney breast is not fixed and will be fitted after painting. The chimney came from a scrapped signalbox....

 

[michael mott]

How many signal boxes is it now Larry?
Michael

 

[LarryG]

How many signal boxes is it now Larry?
Michael

At a rough count, probably around fifteen.

 

[simond]

I’ve got one of them

(since backdated to GW colours and fitted with a Jon Fitness frame, and scratch-built block shelf etc)

 

[Pencarrow]

At a rough count, probably around fifteen.

You could probably start an exclusive club Larry, made of of people who have one of the boxes. Probably needs a secret handshake. Sounds like Simon is certainly a member (but has probably broken the membership rules by disclosing he's a member).

 

[LarryG]

No secret handshake required haha. I think it is just that a good few of us saw the entry of Laser cut building kits into the hobby as almost a hobby in itself.

Easy masking when some parts are left as separate items...

Matt black + white primer decamped into spraygun to make a dirty black roof colour...

 

[LarryG]

I have completed the brickwork first so that the whole building could be lightly sprayed over with Halfords matt varnish. Diluited dirty black was also added on top of the plinth brickwork and under drainpipes etc "Western Region brown" (one of many!) will be dead matt enamel...

Matt brown parts painted...