4mm Llanfair ....

jonte

Western Thunderer
Progress has switched to track-laying. There is a slight hump in the baseboard, but this barely matters where trains are not belting through at full speed. But my attempts to get the track perfectly straight failed, as I knew they would with this ultra-flexible track. Thirdly, i am not happy with the ballast just now, so i am hoping things can be improved with a spraygun...

View attachment 149060

Sorry to hear you’re not too happy with things presently, Larry. However, to the casual observer it really looks the part.

Looking forward to more.

Jonte
 

Andy P

Western Thunderer
I feel you may be being a little over critical of yourself Larry, as Jonte said above, to the casual observer it really looks the part, in fact I would go so far as to say, most realistic.
 

Muddysblues

Western Thunderer
Good evening Larry, nowt wrong with that track :thumbs:, as others have said, you are maybe being a tad over critical on yourself.

It just needs those lovely buildings back on the boards, and the builder to starting to run some of his lovely stock on it :drool:, and enjoy playing trains ;).

I’ll be calling round soon in the near future Larry, make sure you have some teabags in please ? :thumbs:

Speak soon
Craig
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Hi, Thanks for your comments. Like everything else, track needs weathering and so things are getting there with the spraying. Ballast alone is too bland and unconvincing in my view...
WEB bothy 1.jpg

My own choice would be to have avoided white and filled the cement courses with darkgrey paint...
WEB Bothy 2.jpg

The chimney must have taken a knock before it set last night, but there's probably a prototype for it. It's a neat little building from Intentio and the yard shunters should find it useful at Llanfair...
WEB Bothy 3.jpg
 
Last edited:

LarryG

Western Thunderer
The running lines and cattle siding on the left are finished, but the yard was completely re-laid this morning. The RH siding now avoids a dip (shown by white line) created when the baseboard was widened. The sleeper were sprayed light greyish-tan prior to laying and some spare lengths were sprayed in case any sidings need lengthening.

WEB Tracklay 5.jpg

The ground cover will be filed down before the track is weathered and rail sides painted rust colour...
WEB Tracklay 6.jpg

Close up now the rails have been painted with PPC rail rust. The dark grey patch is where locos stand on arrival at Llanfair Road.
WEB Tracklay 7.jpg
 
Last edited:

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Weathering and rail sides painted. I'm happy with the yard now particularly as the process was quick and simple and can be repeated exactly...

WEB Tracklay 10.jpg

Got it just as I wanted...
WEB Tracklay 10B.jpg

It's unfinished at the mo. After copying Llanfyllin, I did away with the turnout at other end of the goods shed It will make more sense soon. Meantime, I need some nice GWR buffer stops from Lanarkshire Models. The difference between newly laid ballast and ground down ballast in the yard is clearly seen...
WEB Tracklay 10D.jpg
 
Last edited:

LarryG

Western Thunderer
It was time the baseboard connecting the layout with the fiddle yard was built from plywood and 3" X 1" planed timber. A king-size compass was made from scrap wood and LNWR extruded cove roof(!) as shown...
WEB Track curve 1.jpg

The idea of having a curve on the scenic section appealed to me, so I messed around and ended up with 32½" radius where it can be seen married to 24" radius Settrack out of sight...
WEB Track curve 2.jpg

Framework I can lean on haha...
WEB Track curve 3.jpg

1/8" cork glued down. 1/16" cork will be added under the running line and sanded to an angle to provide super-elevation. The double track bed will also carry the headshunt from the goods yard...
WEB Track curve 4.jpg
 
Last edited:

Geoff

Western Thunderer
Finished off the trackwork behind the goods shed. The stub is awaiting a bufferstop. The new ballast shows where the turnout was removed and replaced by plain track. It will play an important roll as the coal siding...
View attachment 149222

Love that view Larry, you have created a lovely open spacious scene there. I can picture plenty of weeds around the proposed bufferstop in my minds eye.

Geoff
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Thanks Geoff. A strip of 1/16" thickness cork has been PVA'd on top of the 1/8" cork trackbed ready to be cambered with an electric sander. The camber was created with electric sander and the track sprayed 'sleeper grime'...
WEB Track curve 8.jpg

Ballasted (still wet)....
WEB Track curve 9.jpg
 
Last edited:

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Thanks Andy. I would have had to plan the baseboard for a overbridge beforehand. But my plan has always been for the line to disappear under a road bridge as it does at Llanfyllin, the difference being that the prototype swung right instead of left.

I seem to remember you had gone back to 4mm/OO. How is the layout coming along?
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Cambered running line beside flat siding. Track awaiting weathering.
WEB Track curve 10C.jpg

Bachmann water tank from Kernow arrived today, so the track to the one-time loco shed could be positioned and laid...
WEB Tracklay 12A.jpg

This completes all the track laying on the scenic board, but it still needs weathering. Some 'ballasting' was done with grass for convenience. Track to the loco shed would have been the usual dirty grey, but grass took over where the shed once stood. Must admit a shed was tempting, but I am wary of destroying the open nature of things...
WEB Tracklay 12B.jpg
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
rack to the loco shed would have been the usual dirty grey, but grass took over where the shed once stood. Must admit a shed was tempting, but I am wary of destroying the open nature of things...

Or add the pit and a footprint outline of the demolished shed with a very low wall as in this example at Westerham which will maintain the openess.

Then cover it with weeds, bushes etc......
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Or add the pit and a footprint outline of the demolished shed with a very low wall as in this example at Westerham which will maintain the openess.

Then cover it with weeds, bushes etc......
Food for thought so thanks. I'll keep it in mind. My thoughts were the shed and cobbled floor had been completely removed and the pit filled in with bricks and topsoil , so grass had grown.
 
Top