I have now cautiously started the ballasting and am finding this to be a very slow but very pleasing process.  Baseboard 9 was the first to be done and for my first attempt it’s obvious that improvements had to be made.  Since then I have had another few attempts and feel that my last effort is at an acceptable standard although it needs some weathering.

Having purchased 3 x TPO coaches (Stevenson etched brass kits), I’m having second thoughts as I’ve never constructed anything like that before.  I came across Bachmann MK1 TPO coaches on the TMC website and have purchased 3 of those and although they are very good models, they’re not the ones that were used on the West Coast Postal during my trainspotting days.  I daresay modellers licence will prevail.

The 6-wheel Stove van has been a non-runner because of the layout’s tight curves, as it’s one of my favourite vehicles I decided to see how it could be modified.  I remove the middle wheels and found it ran fine but didn’t look right, so I’ve fitted smaller diameter wheels and I’m pleased to say it now runs fine.

Work has also been done on the layout lighting with some alterations being made as it progresses.

The next steps are to keep working on the traverser, and ballasting.  Work will resume on the lighting and tenements when time permits.

I have now cautiously started the ballasting and am finding this to be a very slow but very pleasing process.  Baseboard 9 was the first to be done and for my first attempt I feel it’s at an acceptable standard although some areas appear to have been missed when the glue solution was added.  This can be seen in the photo and will be rectified.

Having purchased 3 x TPO coaches (Stevenson kits) I’m having second thoughts as I’ve never constructed anything like that before.  I came across Bachmann MK1 TPO coaches on the TMC website and have purchased 2 of those and although they are very good models they’re not the ones that were used on the west coast postal during my trainspotting days.  I daresay modellers licence will prevail.

The 6 wheel stove has been a non runner because of the tight curves and as it’s one of my favourite vehicles I decided to see how it could be modified.  I decided to remove the middle wheels and found it ran fine but didn’t look right so I’ve fitted smaller diameter wheels and I’m pleased to say it now runs fine.

The initial concept of the layout was to run wrong line light locos but during the few years it has been under construction it has now turned into a tailchaser – the only problem with that is that at 4ft long trains (including the loco) are beginning to feel too short.  The layout is at the maximum size it can go to so I’m contemplating making some trains 4ft excluding the loco. Whether it will be feasable or not remains to be seen.  During a running session I decided to marshal a parcels train of decent length – managed 14 vehicles – far too long for the traverser but very impressive looking.

The next steps are to keep working on the ballasting and also resume working on the tenements.

The track plan shows a loop on the up line but thoughts are tending towards making it a branch line with very short trains. The biggest problem may be getting locos to negotiate the tight curve heading towards the single bore tunnel.  The Jinty will probably be the only loco to run on what will now be a rail connection to an off scene gas works with regular supplies of coal and other essentials for the plant.

Another change which may take place is the position of Jimmy Anderson’s fine signal box which deserves to be seen in a prime position.  It may be moved to the inside of the layout facing out and although not prototypically correct I’ll be using modellers licence. 

Never having weathered  the permanent way I have been wary about attempting it. I have also never used a spray gun and so have decided to apply acrylic paint to the track using a mixture of frame dirt, dark grey and red brown. I am happy with the colour and am fairly optimistic about the final appearance.  This has been applied with a fine brush with satisfactory results.
Joe has been advising me on the ballasting and I am going to start with a small test piece of track – thanks Joe.

Work has also been ongoing with the weed killing train. The modifications to the three tenders are nearing completion and once finished and weathered the train will be good to go.

The 4F that Santa brought me has been fitted with a DCC chip and crew and finds itself at the head of the coal train.

I decided to use the two Megapoint boards I have –  one on the scenic side and the other on the storage area.  Nine channels are being used on the scenic section, and three on the storage area.  The remote set up capability is a very useful feature of the Megapoint system and got me thinking (dangerous) to making my own unit, which could be used without the need to connect to the boards.  I ordered the necessary components and built the unit.  A 3-meter (male to male) 5 pin din cable was ordered and suitably placed sockets on the baseboards which are wired up to the Megapoint boards were installed.   A photo of the unit can be seen below. 

The positioning for the NCE control unit and circuit breaker are located within the framework of the traverser board and photos of this are also below.  Switches for the signals and points on the scenic side of the layout have been placed under the embankments on the same boards as the corresponding signals and points they operate.

The layout has now been re assembled and there have been trains running fairly successfully although a bit of fettling of the track at one of the baseboard joints was required.   A running session with as many locos and trains as possible produced a few derailments on the inner track, so I have decided to relay part of it to cure this.  After this is done, I’ll turn my attention to the scenic side of the layout, starting with the section at the back of the tunnels.

After a recent visit to Motherwell to take some photographs of the footbridge I am hoping to model (as it was in the 1960’s) I noticed that the footprint for the Victorian gents toilet was still visible.  One of my sons commented that that could be modelled – something I hadn’t considered.  I have since ordered and received the Wills kit and this will be built in due course.

I decided to have the tracks emerging into a deep cutting and the tunnel portals at the now demolished Buchanan Street station in Glasgow have been used to base them on.   Various materials have been used in their construction, 5mm plywood forms the frame, whilst thick card has been used for the actual portals.  The “rays” around the tunnel mouths are cut individually from thick card and the tunnel walls from 7mm embossed stone plastic sheet supported where necessary by foamboard.

The actual tunnels are very short and I have decided to build a tunnel extension on the storage board behind them with a hinged lid just in case any derailments occur inside it.  These will be built using 9mm ply for the sides with a 6mm ply top. Wooden brackets will be used to hold it all together and small pieces of velcro cut to hold the top in place with a small door knob suitably located to open when required.

A final running session took place on 27th April and the dismantling of the layout will started for the wiring to commence, which is still on-going. 

A new frame was built using 70mm x 20mm timber taking great care to ensure that it was level and square.  The ends are 50mm x 20mm to allow alignment with the adjacent boards.  The deck is 12mm MDF and is wide enough to accommodate 7 storage lines.  40mm angle aluminium has been cut to length and screwed to the underside of the deck to form channels into which the cross members of the frame fit.  This guarantees virtually no longitudinal movement.  Vero board was originally used at the ends of the tracks but this has been done away with, and replaced with pre-cut sleepers from DCC Concepts.
 
On the 1st of January the first train ran on the inner (down) line and from the 2nd I’ve had trains running on both the inner and outer simultaneously, after a couple of teething problems were sorted out.  

All the layouts trackwork has now been completed, with a total of 15 feeder tracks to the traverser which allows a fair amount of storage.  At our meeting on 17th February we had a successful running session.  This included the dreaded diesels courtesy of Bill, Joe and Michael (thanks guys) and some of Bills’ Caledonian stock. 

The next step is to cut the tracks at the baseboard joints, split the layout up and start on the wiring underneath the boards. This will continue apace until the end of March when the layout will have to be dismantled to allow Milton Street MPD to be built-up in preparation for the Bonnybridge show at the end of April.

The front 4 baseboards are fine but the rest weren’t anywhere near as level as they should be. Bill noticed that 2 of the trestles –  the ones on the side boards weren’t serving any purpose so we’re gong to do away with them and have these boards supported on the adjacent boards.  The 2 baseboards adjacent to the traverser board are going to have 2 trestles each and stabilised with a diagonal brace and will support the traverser board. The baseboards are now sitting level and this should help massively with the problems we’ve had with the traverser.  

We’ve decided on 65mm track centres for the traverser and will lay these tracks and have the feeder tracks aligned to these as per Joe’s suggestion. 

I have made a tentative start on the scenic side constructing the framework for the tenements and back yards. The original idea was to have a retaining wall with an embankment sloping up to the height of the tenement back yards. I have now decided against this and instead having a much taller retaining wall with no embankment. This will increase the length of the back yards by approximately 50mm. 

The signal box was built by the late Jimmy Anderson and as usual with his work the standard is exceptional and as such demands to be included on the layout. It was originally built for an East Kilbride club layout which will never be built and although probably too big for the layout I am planning to have lots of point rodding disappearing under the footbridge on the left hand side of the layout to justify its inclusion.

Track centres on the traverser are 2 1/2″ to allow easier access to the stock.

At last things are very much improved on the health front. I am now attending our meetings (apologies to Bill, Joe and Michael
who have been missing both my sense of humour and many words of wisdom), and working away on both Milton Street and Muir Street.                                    
​
I have now converted the DCC system I was using from the Gaugemaster Prodigy to the NCE Power Cab system which arrived in mid November, which means Bill, Joe and I are all using the same system.  A bracket has been made to mount the PCP panel under the baseboard and the system has been tried successfully on Milton Street MPD.

Joe’s (he who changes layout designs on a regular basis) influence has reared it’s head and whilst the scenic section will
 more or less remain the same, thoughts have turned to making it into a tail chaser measuring 10ft by 6ft which will just fit into
the model railway room. The main lines on the scenic area will be on a gentle curve and a couple of signals will be included. 
There will be two loops in either direction capable of holding 2 short trains and up to 6 locos. 

The number of baseboards will increase from 4 to 8. The main reason for this change is to make the layout a lot less labour 
intensive and therefore easier to operate. I’m hoping that this will be the final design but who knows?

Since my last report some more progress has been made. The steamie/bin sheds have all been completed, some more stock has been bought (which will have to be detailed and suitably weathered) with a view to forming some of the short trains that will eventually run on the layout and these will include 3 local 2 coach passengers, parcels, milk, coal and goods – not all will be used at the same time due to space limitations.  ***Edit by Joe – AND HE’S BOUGHT A DIESEL!!!!  

Attention can now be turned to the daunting task of continuing construction of the tenement. (I have a feeling that this will take
a good few months.)  A full size mock up has been drawn up to determine the position of the track, steamies and also the final length of the tenement.  

The timber is now in the model railway room as is the track and construction of the baseboards will commence when my health
improves and the time is right.  No decisions have been made as to the type of cassettes that will be used and this will be a topic for discussion at future group meetings – which hopefully I shall return to before much longer. 

There are no deadlines to work to thus avoiding any un-necessary pressure.

I have decided that from the start of October I will need to concentrate on Milton Street MPD in preparation for the Preston show on March 2nd/3rd 2019.

More updates will follow.

The group attended Model Rail Scotland recently where purchases were made for the start of the foot bridges and a visit to the
bridge at Motherwell on which these will be based is being planned.  Although the bridge has been modernised photographs and measurements will be taken for reference.  I have a number of photographs of the bridge in the 1960’s and these will also be used to help in the construction of the models.

​Progress reports will appear as and when they happen.