A little lite running ...

Took the opportunity of the nice weather today to have a nice running session. Some picture below.

Tidy Time

With all the rain we've been having recently the little weeds have been getting rather large - so today I've beeing pulling them all up and putting down weed killer where needed. In the farm area of the layout I left some of the ground cover weeds in place - they look ok with the cows and horses ....

Beamish Town, the weeds had grown in between the floor tiles I use for roads, now they are removed it looks so much better ...

Control Box finished

Having layed all the wires in place and connected up to the track, next was the job of putting in the switches and power connector for the controller. Fiddly but worthwhile; all tested and working OK - nice to have train waiting in the loop and one running by.

Control Box and Wiring up ...

I eventually found a suitable sized control box - a weather proof metal letter box. Nice opening door, the controller I use sits inside quite nicely. Piccies below show it in place and the conduit for the switch and power wire layed out ready, lots of annoying work to take up of paving slabs to keeps the conduit out of sight.

In the station area the conduit will sit under the ballast. The track has to be taken up to attach the switch and power wires, so a bit of work to do - I wish I'd done it when I layed the track orginally.

Crane and Tool Van - revisited

Crane and tool van now completed. I've added lettering and some slight weathering.

New House for Beamish Town

1) The raw materials: a green chopping board (Sainsbury's £3.99), a children's toy play house (local 'car boot' £1).

2) Fix the house to the chopping board with a 1" screw thorugh each corner of the house base. Apply some dark grey enamel paint (I used some Humbrol paint) to the roof. Thats it ready to go outside. Rear view of house ..

3) In position in Beamish Town, next door is one I did last year but didn't paint the roof.

New loco gets a run ..

A nice sunny day and I gave my Aristocraft 0-4-0T a run round outside, here it is paused for short break in the station.