PjKing1
Western Thunderer
Good morning, it’s been a while since I posted and so much has happened, I moved up from EM gauge to 7mm which I loved but after making quite a bit of progress and accumulating quite a few locos I realised the reality that I’d probably never finish the project due to the size and lack of space I had at home. I also managed to join the real railway world so that along with locos just sat in boxes due to the lack of playability led to mojo almost disappearing completely. So this year after about four years modelling 7mm I decided to move back down to 4mm, the decision made easier due to the newly released Bachmann class 47’s and the forthcoming accurascale 31’s and 37’s etc.
To the layout…
My 7mm layout was based on the Edge Hill diesel fuelling/service point built in the 60’s on parts of the old steam shed so I wanted to carry on this idea. Originally it was called North Mersey Diesel, then Edge Hill itself but due to my plans being tweaked I’m sitting on the fence and calling it by its fictitious depot code, I was wanting to build it as a ‘what if’ scenario but as accurate as possible to the surroundings and infrastructure but as with most things you get carried away and you also realise that adding your own bits makes a more interesting layout. The backdrop to the layout is the raised up and down goods lines, these cross over the front of the shed acting as a scenic break, to the back of this there is a line dropping down off the down goods, at Engine shed junction’ which disappears down the back, this is gives access on and off the depot. As the ‘up ‘ goods curves off the viaduct there’s a point leading to two (possibly three) sidings also raised on the embankment. These will be electrified as will the goods and be used as a stabling point for ac locos and the story behind all this will be it’s a change over point from diesel to electric and vice versa for onward journeys either over wired routes or to the docks etc using diesel traction. The depot building itself will be a two through road fuelling/servicing point long enough to accommodate two locos on each road, a stores building will run along one side with a two story office attached to one end.
At the moment the track is almost laid on the first two boards, I’m using C&L’s new bullhead flexi but all points are hand built, board three will be laid last once the embankment is built etc, the first part of this which swings across board 1 is built and the track is down including the hand built junction, I’m currently in the process of soldering the droppers on. Due to the positioning of the points above the depot roads I’m using working point rodding which will be operated by an ip digital cobalt which is in a more easier position to install etc.
The fleet! At the moment it consists of a cl20, a cl40, three 47’s, DP2 and an AL6 all of which are sound fitted, I also have an 08, two AL5’s and a 108 DMU which all still need sound decoders. I also have on order a SLW cl25, two accurascale 37’s and a 31.
Due to work etc progress seems to be in bursts but hopefully all the track will be down and up and running soon.
Cheers
To the layout…
My 7mm layout was based on the Edge Hill diesel fuelling/service point built in the 60’s on parts of the old steam shed so I wanted to carry on this idea. Originally it was called North Mersey Diesel, then Edge Hill itself but due to my plans being tweaked I’m sitting on the fence and calling it by its fictitious depot code, I was wanting to build it as a ‘what if’ scenario but as accurate as possible to the surroundings and infrastructure but as with most things you get carried away and you also realise that adding your own bits makes a more interesting layout. The backdrop to the layout is the raised up and down goods lines, these cross over the front of the shed acting as a scenic break, to the back of this there is a line dropping down off the down goods, at Engine shed junction’ which disappears down the back, this is gives access on and off the depot. As the ‘up ‘ goods curves off the viaduct there’s a point leading to two (possibly three) sidings also raised on the embankment. These will be electrified as will the goods and be used as a stabling point for ac locos and the story behind all this will be it’s a change over point from diesel to electric and vice versa for onward journeys either over wired routes or to the docks etc using diesel traction. The depot building itself will be a two through road fuelling/servicing point long enough to accommodate two locos on each road, a stores building will run along one side with a two story office attached to one end.
At the moment the track is almost laid on the first two boards, I’m using C&L’s new bullhead flexi but all points are hand built, board three will be laid last once the embankment is built etc, the first part of this which swings across board 1 is built and the track is down including the hand built junction, I’m currently in the process of soldering the droppers on. Due to the positioning of the points above the depot roads I’m using working point rodding which will be operated by an ip digital cobalt which is in a more easier position to install etc.
The fleet! At the moment it consists of a cl20, a cl40, three 47’s, DP2 and an AL6 all of which are sound fitted, I also have an 08, two AL5’s and a 108 DMU which all still need sound decoders. I also have on order a SLW cl25, two accurascale 37’s and a 31.
Due to work etc progress seems to be in bursts but hopefully all the track will be down and up and running soon.
Cheers
!
