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‘Lock-down’ – and ‘Stowey Green’ Awakes..

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.. Due the current ‘Coronavirus Lockdown’ – I have ran out of excuses in not working on the ‘N’ Gauge ‘Stowey Green Layout’. Reading through the planning notes I realised the layout is ‘VERY’ late as I started thinking about this layout in 2008…

Believe it or not I have been so busy working in the layout.. that I have neglected doing any updates here..So far I have finished the track laying and basic wiring for the lower ‘baseboard’ level – and have had some fun actually running trains. I have made the incline and upper ‘Upper Stowey’ station halt sections for the upper loop. The upper section is currently being tested to make sure the little tank engines make it up the hills.

StoweyGreen-200503a

StoweyGreen-200503b

Stowey Green is actually getting built !!

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Due to the current ‘Interesting times’ (Coronavirus!!), along with its associated lockdown.
…. Since I have so much time on my hands I have been quite busy..
Since I had the time and bits, perhaps I should actually get round to working on ‘Stowey Green’ my ‘N gauge’ layout. Especially as Burton Phoenix is effectively complete..

Stowey Greens board had been stored for years.. so was a bit beaten up..
.. So after plenty of TLC I started work..

I have got as far as laying and wiring the lower loop.
… The upper loop, along with it’s inclines, is being tided up.

StoweyGreen-200503a

I am currently ‘tuning the inclines before gluing them down.

There is a lot more information in ‘Work In Progress‘

.. Even MORE light relief..

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I had a play with my Hornby Junior train set,
it was a charity shop bargain buy from last year…

….I had forgotten the simple pleasures of playing with a train set on the carpet….

Junior3 Junior1

2020.. New Year and New Adventures..

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For the first time since moving to North Wales I have ‘proper’ plans and vision for the Burton Crumpnold Layouts for the year…

.. The first stage is to finish off the modifications for Burton Phoenix with the new corner section. So, after a lot of rearranging in the railway room, all of Burton Phoenix is up – even if it is a bit of a squeeze…

Now I can finish off and check the wiring of the complete layout when all sections including the fiddle yard are attached.
For maximum flexibility I have used a flying lead to allow the layout to be electrically split into 2 power control section when the fiddle yard is attached. (If space is tight it can be operated with just the corner unit attached – but just as single control section.)

.. Once testing is complete I can then finish up any scenery work. All being well I am hoping to informally display the layout during the year.. Probably starting at the Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza in May.

.. When the work on Burton Phoenix is complete.. The Next mission is to restart work on the ‘N’ Gauge ‘Stowey Green’ Layout.BP_mini20200302

A Bit of light relief…

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… with a new engine at Burton Phoenix.. If a bit ‘out of scale’.

Taking a break on the layout I put this rather cute wood engine kit together I got as a Christmas present…
.. I don’t think I could call it fine scale…

WoodEngine

Burton Phoenix Complete

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Here are photos of the Curve section fitted for the first time with the complete layout.
BP_mini20200302

I had a few wiring issues to resolve and wanted to run some proper testing as I am intending to informally display the layout during the year. ..For More details see ‘Work In Progress‘

Burton Phoenix – Back Out of the Ashes 2018-2019

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29/01/2018
The new house has needed a LOT of work .. so after 4 long years I have been able to properly unpack some Model Railway(s) that have been living in boxes for the past 4 years. I even have a room ‘Just’ for the model railways. In our last house I had to ‘Borrow’ a lot of the dining room.

I had been spending some time keeping the old website at least a bit up to date… But that is not the same as having a Real layout.

During my ‘setting’ up I realised that I had made a further purchase during the ‘fallow years’ – I took advantage of a special offer to pick up a AC Cars Rail bus to join the Park Royal one.
It was not a random choice – The Park Royal Rail-bus ran on Midland Rails and the AC Cars one ran on Western Region. Midland and Western traffic being a common theme of the Burton layouts.
.AC Railcar

I fear though that everything will need to be packed up Again for phase ‘2’ of the House redevelopment…

11/02/2019
Burton Crumpnold All Packed away again…
As predicted everything is all packed away and buried behind furniture as we work on other rooms in the house… SO I’m, having to contact myself Playing Train Sim and Train Sim World…. With a bit of luck things will improve in the next few months..

27/05/2019
… After a few delays the house redevelopment is now complete.
A major upside is that I been able to ‘negotiate’ a bigger home for the existing and new Burton Crumpnold layouts.

And Burton Phoenix is now out again and ‘Almost’ Up and Running….
.. I am also in the process of extending the layout by adding a corner section to turn the end-to-end into an ‘L’ shaped layout which is easier to demonstrate.

For more details see ‘Work In Progress‘.

13/07/2019
Work Continues on Burton Phoenix.. The new corner board has been wired up and a ‘Test Train’ has been run to ensure all is well before more scenery work is done.

05/09/2019
The Curve section at Burton Phoenix is coming on well.
.. And I have actually have new acquisitions after a visit to a local Model Railway Show.

.. Including the long awaited Hornby Super Sprinter in the rather fetching RAF 100 livery.
RAF-Class156-Sprinter

Plus a true bargain from the model railway show – a Scaledale windmill – This is going to be a great scenic feature on the new ‘Corner’ board.
Skaledale Highfields Windmill - R8548 - 1
As Shown here.. I now need to make the river more realistic…New Corner Board-Scenery

Testing the new ‘Corner’.

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The ‘Basic’ scenery for the new corner board is done.. The track is ballasted and the general shape of the scene, including undulations and a ‘base’ colour is done.

.. It has also been wired into the rest of the boards – to make sure it all works – and the track transitions between the boards are OK.
As the Hornby GWR Parcels Rail-car was easy to get at – it had the honour of being the the first ‘Powered’ locomotive on the new track section.

BP-NewCurveTesting BP-NewCurveFirstTrain

Adding Scenery to the ‘Corner’

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The new ‘Corner’ board is coming on apace.
In keeping with the original ‘Burton Crumpnold/Phoenix – a lot of the material was from the original layout supplies.

.. The track has been positioned and ballasted – and the basic scenery has been set up, and the first coat of paint applied.New Corner Board-Scenery1

Again – in keeping with the original layout – I have used the original ‘J’cloth/PVA glue and polystyrene foam bits construction method.

To add more scenic potential – I am adding a river/canal to the corner of the board.

Burton Phoenix – Adding a Corner…

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To Recap…
Burton Phoenix uses the Old Upper Station and scenery board from the original Burton Crumpnold layout, onto which I added a fiddle yard section to make a simple ‘end to end’ layout.. as can be seen from this diagram below…

Burton Pheonix Control - Power

In order to make the layout more interesting, and easier to use for any exhibitions/shows I am adding a curve to the second board to convert the long end to end into an ‘L shaped’. As Shown below…

Burton Pheonix Board Layout - Revised 2019_S

Here is the framework for the new corner board.
Most of the wood dates back to the original Burton Crumpnold layout. I actually carted it up here years ago when we moved here for this kind of use…..

..Next job is to add an MDF top to the frame – also leftovers from the original layout!!

Burton Pheonix - Corner Board - sml

The track has just been placed to show the sort of thing I am aiming for.
I am planning to ‘re-lay’ the track on both the fiddle yard and scenery board to ease the curve to use more of the new board.

Most of the space on the new board will mostly be filled with ‘scenery’.