More trackbed down and tarting up the bridge supports

I have had a productive week or so slowly getting the railway done with more track down and a start made on the station. The pictures, as always, tell the story.

The station area needs to be started and I have put my buildings, both finished and unfinished, in place to see what it will look like.

I started laying out the station area

There is enough room for all the buildings, I hope to make a start on the engine shed soon.

I track level view. The signal box is down a hole that will be filled when the platform is laid

The station building, toilet and bench. Another bench will be ordered soon.

 The trestle bridge end supports look a bit stark as they are only concrete blocks. I purchased a bag of decorative slate and I am using that to disguise them.

Pieces of slate were chosen and stuck in place using out door water proof mastic.

The slate has now been grouted with cement. Once dry it will get a wire brushing and wash to clean it up.

Whilst on holiday we visited the National Slate Museum in Llanberis and I purchased a slate sheet. I am now cutting it up and splitting it to make paving slabs to line the platform edge and also to create a base for the station waiting room.

The miniature slabs are laid in place to ensure I have enough

simple tools to make the slabs

A small section of trackbed has been laid

The track bed in and waiting for track.

There we go, much better. The slab under the point towards the top of the picture has been removed as it broke when I put weight on it plus it was in the wrong place.

I finish on a oops moment. Both a check rail from one of the points and a buffer stop succumbed to my clumsiness!

A bridge to nowhere

I enjoyed my holiday in Wales and am now rapidly coming to the end of my second week which I have used to get some work done in the garden including cutting the grass, which was really long, and getting the trestle bridge in place.

The completed bridge ready for treating.

 The bridge finally came together in the workshop. The only difference between the final one and the one shown previously is that this is one pier shorter as with the other one I would not have had room for the curve that it will lead onto.

The bridge with two coats of creosote in position on its support bricks

Once given a couple of generous coats of creosote (light brown) the bridge was offered up to its end support block and used to level up the support blocks which were cemented in. They will eventually be covered in gravel.

Installation complete

Once the support blocks had dried the support block for the far end was installed and, once dry, the bridge was fixed to it and the track laid.

No. 1 poses on the bridge with an inspection special

I then had to get a train out just to pose it on the bridge. No 1 'Amy' pulled my two Fendyke coaches around the whole of the current track length with no problems. Looked good on the bridge as well.

Trying out some landscaping

I have tried putting a few rocks around the ends of the bridge. The idea is that the concrete blocks will be covered in miniature bricks to make them look like support piers and the stones will be cemented in place with plants around them and gravel under and behind the bridge.

Thats it for now, hopefully I will be able to get some more concrete blocks and get on with the layout next week.

Progress before my holiday

I am off to Wales soon so this will be the last update for a short while. I have a week in Wales at Porthmadoc then a week at home to get some work done on the railway, I may just complete the circuit depending on the weather.

Blocks laid to complete the curve and allow the two junctions to be installed

The track was soon laid. The points will lead to the treacle factory (top right) and to the rest of the garden and the treacle mine (bottom centre) but that's for the future.

Work on the trestle bridge has come on well, a test fit for height and length with only two piers and one longitudinal beam 

The spacing of the piers was sorted out, I decided I needed two more to make it look right.

This is a big structure and it swamps my modest work bench

with the piers at their final spacing (two more to be built) and an extra beam added its looking good.

Slightly out of focus but as you can see 'Timo' the steeple cab is almost complete, just a bit more touching up and fitting of the buffer blocks and he will be in service.

Big update

I have been busy will several things since I last posted to the site so here goes:

First the railway construction

The next section of foundation is in

Next lot of blocks cemented in and some landscaping begun.

I have also been busy building and painting stock

A couple of Binnie tippers that need painting and distressing.

The railcars are coming along with the remote control module installed in one of them

Lots of wires

Both cars have been fitted with a battery box

The railcars have been connected together and test run which showed the gears are meshed too tightly. I will take a picture of the unit for the next update.

'Titch' is almost complete

I have also made a start on building a trestle bridge for the line.

Support piers being manufactured

The finished items

And, finally, I have got a new loco kit, a Steeple Cab from Houston Gate Locomotive Works

The kits, the top one is the 4 wheel drive chassis and the lower one is the body kit.

The chassis went together quickly and is seen here under test

The body was just as easy

Thats it, more updates will follow as I have been busy.