15 weeks to go

Only 15 weeks until Scaleforum… Blimey… and I’ve just replied in the positive to the invitation, so I really do need to pull my finger out. Like possibility many entries in the Challenge, I still have much work to do.

Treatment for a health issue is making me very tired and is therefore reducing the time I have available for Rospeath Lane. This has made me realise I'll not be able to achieve all I was hoping before Scaleforum. So, to reduce stress and achieve a presentable model I've decided to delay building the lifting shed and shed office/bothy. These buildings can be a later addition. Also, realistically, I'll not have all the locomotives available to represent my envisage timetable. But with that said, I'm hopeful it will be worth taking to High Wycombe in September.

All track-work is in place with many heatwave induced issues solved and the turntable being installed and working, has made me feel a major milestone has been achieved. This has enabled me to get back to looking at the buildings. The Coaling Stage and surrounding structures being the first. What had been holding me back painting the buildings is how to depict them in the latter days of the steam era. The water tank had also given me an issue, as it would seem that by the 1950s most had corrugated roofs, whereas the Timber Track model looks to represent sheet metal. This made me wonder, I should I replace the roof with corrugated sections or paint it as supplied? The thought of ripping the roof off the water tower, along with everything else I have to do before Scaleforum, did not seem a great idea. This may be something I come back to after September.

Coaling stage building group being painted

It was very easy painting the brickwork in a pristine condition, but to then distress it took some thought and nerve. I think my decision to leave the water tank as supplied in the kit has worked out quite well. I feel they are starting to look how these buildings might have looked in the late 1950s.

Recently I've read that the track beyond the coaling stage would have been on a slight slope. This was to allow the coaling stage staff to roll the full wagons under gravity into the coaling stage. Hmm...a cunning plan has formed in my grey cells….so a slight slope has been added on top of the brick extension.

Little old me

There are a few minor details to add before installing these buildings on the layout. Primarily, paint myself along with the coal tubs for me to push. This is a cameo I thought would help to add a little life to the coaling stage. A couple of years ago, on a trip down to Wales,  I popped into Modelu on the way home. 

Other remaining details that need adding are a few coal heaps within the coaling stage, install railings along the brick extension, construct the water tank access ladder and add the water tank vents. I may also add some guttering and downpipes to the coaling shelter... All that will then remain to to do is to lay the track, and ballast before embedding the building in position within the layout.

I'll then continue constructing the Running shed.

Turntable - Bench Test

Well, I'm in shock...the MERG turntable kit i've built works first time...it will be installed in postion on the layout during the next couple  days.

Slow progress

Progress has been slow during the last few months. This is because of a number of reasons, one of which has been my poor track building, including chasing my tail with wiring problems. In the past, until testing Rospeath Lane's track, I have enjoyed building track but because of the time constraints for this challenge, I think I didn't take enough care in its construction. It has taken much time to correct all the tight spots through the turnouts and even with some sections of the plain track along with infuriating wiring problems. On more than one occasion, I even considered ripping all the track up and starting again... The phrase "more haste, less speed" comes to mind...

However, eventually I converted two locomotives to DCC with P4 drop-in wheels to test the track. My thinking is if these two locos can navigate the turnouts and plain rack, compensated locos should not have too much of a problem running on the layout.Well, that is my theory.

Coal storage sidings

Coaling stage and ash pit tracks

Running shed tracks

Track running through the coaling stage and onto the extension beyond is still to be installed. The delay here is I have been contemplating installing lighting and thought this would be easier on the bench than when the buildings are in position on the layout.

As far as DCOs are concerned, I've installed one which is working well apart from the LED on the control panel. This small issue needs to be solved before I complete the rest.

The next major hurdle is installing the turntable. I have built the MERG control board and it's passed the first electrical tests. Bench testing needs to be completed with the stepper motor and switches before installing within the turntable well.

Scalefour Jubilee Weekend

On receiving the latest Scalefour News and reading what is on offer over the Jubilee Weekend, and knowing I have much to learn, there are many Learning Skills demonstrations I'll benefit from.

The ones that stand out for me are; 2D CAD, 3D with Fusion360, DCC Chip fitting, Painting figures, Painting & lining, Painting & weathering, Soldering, Making a loco chassis, CSB, Springing wagons, Oh, and possibly making use of the test track to see if how some of my locos perform. That was from just looking at the index so no doubt when I read the article fully there will be others.

Then, of course, there is the "eye candy"... OK, I've seen many of the layouts before, but there is always some element that is worth noting again or even elements not previously seen.

Anyway, as I don't think one day will do the visit justice, I've booked a room at the Conference Centre (Friday - Sunday).

Really looking forward to the weekend.

The start of another year

2025 seemed to pass in no time.

Rospeath Lane is drifting further behind the schedule I've set myself. That said, I'm still making steady progress. Some wise person said "You can't smell the roses from a galloping horse" or something like that. Well, I'm not actually smelling roses, but I am enjoying taking my time constructing this layout with all it's (new to me) technological challenges.

The hope was to have power to the track along with some turnouts operational by the end of 2025. Well I achieved part of this milestone this week and had a loco moving on parts on the layout. At the time I there were no turnouts operational, this is the task I'm currently prioritising.

Underneath the Running Shed board

Underneath the board with the control panel

Starting on the wiring within the control panel. 

Hope to tidy up that mess of wiring a little once all the wiring is installed.

Control panel 

In the last photo, three yard lamps are just visible. I was considering installing these at this stage, especially as the boards are spending much time upside down. I then felt they might be a too fragile to be installed at this stage as they could be damaged especially during track ballasting. The transport end panels have been installed, this is so the boards can be turned upside down on the floor, making it easier to install the wiring.

I've also constructed one of MERG's District Cutout kits It passed the first round of tests, but unfortunately, it didn't cut power to my test track before the NCE Power Cab cut out. The local MERG group suggested a fix, which I've not implemented yet. At this time of the build, I thought progressing with getting all the wiring in place and turnouts working was more important. I've allowed for installing the DCOs at a later date.

MERG's District Cutout board

Someone suggested to me that DCC wiring is not as complex as the wiring required for a DC layout. I must be missing something...

An excess of water

A week ago I awoke to a slow drip of water landing on my pillow. I did wake a couple of time in the night noticing a damp pillow, only to past it off to a bad case of the night time dribbles. On rushing downstairs to grab a set of step ladder to check what was happening in the roof I walked into a small stream in the hallway. This was not coming through the ceiling but the front door...

This was surprising as we are not next to a river or stream. I suppose still being half awake, it was still dark and not thinking through what the consequences might be, I open the front door. A small wall of water greeted me and I very sharply slammed the door shut. The door seals were doing an excellent job of holding most of the water back. On looking out I could see that the water was above floor level of the log cabin that is my Man Cave/Railway room.

The water had drain away by mid-morning but left us mopping up in the house and surveying the damage to the Man Cave. The carpet in the Man Cave was like a sponge, and anything that was on the floor and not in a plastic box was also sodden. During the next couple of days, a neighbour and I emptied the contents of the Man Cave into the neighbour's shed. We removed the sodden carpet. I bought a dehumidifier, set it up, and then left it running all week, emptying plenty of water each day. I'll be keeping it running all winter.

All now seems relatively dry so I've started to move stuff back into the log cabin. On the plus-side I'm taking the chance to sort thought and decide what needs selling or throwing away and luckily, nothing of great value has been damaged. On the downside I have lost valuable time on the Rospeath Lane build. 

Oh well I've still just over nine months to catch up...