Spartan Bridge - ' East Lancashire Shropshire Style'

[marsa69]

Very quick and very overdue update! In between looking for Uncle Gaddaffi, so he can pay his parking fines, looking after the wife and rescuing dennis-rs and his model of Lincoln, I've managed to make some small progress on the station area.

Platform walls installed and bottom layer of platform surface waiting to be laid.



Need to cut some edging stones and some flags and get them laid as well. Initial weathering of track has started to get that dirty, oily and grungy look of a well used line.



Close up of my track weathering efforts so far. Still a long way to go.





As always thoughts and criticisms on a postcard

Mark

 

[lancer1027]

Hi Mark, looking good. What length is the platform?. The oily grunge looks a bit blue , might just be the pic though At least its a bluey colour and not green

Rob :wave:

 

[marsa69]

The platform on show is 4' and will be 6' in total. I'm currently darkening the platform walls as I think they are too bright for a stone built platform. The oily grunge is a tin of Humbrol matt black. This is just a base coat and will have a couple more layers added to it to try and get that oily sheen with the old rainbow coloured film to it. And don't worry, the only green appearing on this layout are the weeds 

 

[iploffy]

Hallelujah, Amen to that!!!!!!!!!! pity you have a bendy bus on it though

 

[marsa69]

I've been having a play at making up some platform edging stones. I used 2mm thick MDF cut and scored then painted with a mixture of Humbrol enamels. I took a couple of photo's to see how they turned out and once they have dried I will look to roughen up and and some colour variety to individual flags.

 

[Ressaldar]

Hi Mark,

all starting to look the business - looking forward to seeing the next episode.

cheers

Mike

 

[marsa69]

After working on Johns Lincoln layout today and making sure he didn't screw things up I tinkered a bit more with my own layout tonight. I back filled the ballast up to the platform walls and shaved off a couple of mil on the curved part of the platform. I wasn't happy about the curvature and it looked as though the platform edging stones when in place would foul the stock. I had thoroughly calculated things on the curved section and can only surmise that the platform has moved whilst the glue was drying I've also found myself singing 'Tie me kangaroo down sport' for some strange reason :scratch: It started whilst I was painting the backscene, saw that the wife with a perplexed look on her face when she saw what I was doing so I asked her if she had 'guessed what it is yet?'

Not long after Curly, Larry and Moe had gone home after their days exertions 20008 turned up on a route learning trip. Here it is sat awaiting departure.

 

[iploffy]

looking good so far Mark have you only got the one base board up at the moment

ian

 

[28ten]

I could laser the edging stones if it is any help

 

[marsa69]

have you only got the one base board up at the moment

Yes mate though I briefly had two bolted together tonight to get another backscene on. Bit of a bugger it was as I've decided to modify the legs on the boards so that they just slot in instead of having to be screwed in. I've now put the station board away while I turn my attention to boards 2 and 3 to finish off the wiring and to crack on with the back scenes and some more of the major civil engineering works.

I could laser the edging stones if it is any help

Thanks for the offer Guv'nor I think I'll take you up on it 

 

[dennis-rs]

Lol dont ask him about the wiring  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D 

 

[marsa69]

As my hamfisted colleague said, don't ask about the wiring 

 

[dennis-rs]

this does beg a question but whos gonna ask it 

 

[iploffy]

Go on then what about the wiring

Ian

 

[iploffy]

Any way what are you 2 doing at 12oclock midnight on the PC together

 

[marsa69]

You're only jealous 

The wiring is fine. I've tweaked a couple of small mistakes I'd made in the yard and around the 3-way. I'm now in the process of figuring out the wiring for the tortoise motors on the 3-way then I'll turn my attention to finishing off the station crossover. Once I'm happy that everything is electrically sound I can crack on with the ballasting and scenery. This would be easier if I knew any decent sparkies! 

 

[Old Buffer]

Spartan Bridge - East Lancashire in 7mm

Just read the thread, it's looking really good, pity about the blue bits though, if you do it as it would have been in the mid 50's you could have green,
Another thing I noticed

When Hell freezes over SWMBO will let me actually bring my models into the house...     :|
You chaps need to put your foot down and show who is boss 

Guv'nor. You must be either a single bloke or very brave. 

 

[dennis-rs]

well said that man looks like we may have a green fringe up and coming 

 

[marsa69]

The 3-way is now electrically sound with the Tortoises settling into their new home thanks to the able assistance of John. For once he left his ham fists at home  Now I can drive a loco from the yard entrance headshunt all the way to the far end of the yard through into each siding. My next step is to actually finish the tie-bars for the turnout on the station approach. While I'm doing this we both decided that I'd be better off replacing the gubbins that ruin the appearance of any Peco turnout with some homemade tie-bars. Not only will it improve the appearance it will also allow me to adjust the distance between the toe of the blades and the stock rails as they look to be fit for ultra-ultra coarse stock  Next will be a phase of spray painting the track and cracking on with everyone's favourite pass time, yup, you guessed it, ballasting. Sooner or later I will need to look towards the construction of my control panel so that I can get the electrics completed. Half a dozen more Tortoises, some switches, wire and bits of wood as well as some plugs and it should be reet  ;D

regards,

Mark

 

[dennis-rs]

5.15 am :scratch: :scratch: :scratch:hey