Millwood begins (my layout).

[Too Tall]

My modest little 8ft x 3ft 1in first model railway is underway.

Power taps installed, holes under points for piano wire drilled and a lot of wiring as yet to do !

I will be going DCC, but points will be operated the old fashioned way with switches connected to servo motors mounted underneath via megapoints servo controller.

When I am happy everything is functioning as it should, the scenery learning curve will start blush

Yes maybe a bit boring of a plan, but designed for my goal of being able to run 2 trains on the mainlines, while shunting in the middle.

Scenery was planned at the same time as the layout, so I already know what I want to do, I just hope that my vision does not outweigh my abilities open_mouth

[RB51]

Looks good, TT. I also use the megapoints controller for servo motors, or at least I will when I get round to laying the track and fitting everything together. R-

[Skelton Junction]

TT, seems like you and I are at similar stages.

For my future reference please could you highlight where and what you’ll be doing to make your layout an HM7000 run one?

[Dodge1965]

TT.. Nice one and i must say, doesn't look boring at all.Looks like loads going on from the track layout. I look forward to the updates.. Scenery for me, i think its going to be the hardest part.. I have low abilities with regards to train and modelling, but i'm sure we can learn from this forum and other places..

[OldSeaDog 1707821252]

Looks good, TT. Plenty of opportunities for "operating the model railway" a.k.a. excellent play value there.

I'm nearly up to the same stage as you and SJ, baseboard is complete, track might be going down today. Might. It's basically a simple oval with wiggly bits.

[Chris98]

That looks very good and I am envious. I have ordered my baseboards ( I was not allowed to build myself, this was the comprimise with my wife) Then I can finally start to lay some track and try my beginners hand at all of this.

[ukpooky]

How is the clearance for the platforms? looks a bit tight but might be because the picture is from a distance. Is that using a 6th radius curve to space the tracks for the platform?

[RB51]

Just to be clear R6 will not, by itself, give the correct clearance for a platform. R-

[Rallymatt]

Thats looking like a great operational layout. Lots of things to do.

Looking forward to seeing all these layouts develop, so many great ideas

[Too Tall]

Thanks gents blush

@ Skelton Junction the only thing to change for DCC is install the point clips and wire all the track power points to one feed.

@ukpooky I think so, I placed a coach in to check platform clearances, I wanted it tightish so as to be reasonably realistic. we will find out in the not too distant future ! The coaches will be in a straight line at the point they meet the platform.

If I miscalculated, it just means moving it over a bit, I am still in the iron out wrinkles stage ATM stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye

Not R6 on the platforms, I used flexi track for the in and out curves.

[von Klinkerhoffe]

Hi TT

I’m envious of your 8’ x 3’ 1” layout. My board is a modest 5’ 3” x 3’ 5” (and a bit - I went metric) as this is the largest ‘sensible’ size I could accommodate 😆. At the weekend I will begin its construction. Currently lacking my Easterner train set, but that’s another story.

I look forward to watching your ‘Milwood’ layout as it grows. Oh I nearly forgot - great fun looking layout which is giving me ideas?

[Too Tall]

Its been a bit frustrating, I got all the wiring done, then started sorting the underboard servo's to control the points. I completed all those and the next days plan was to hook them to to the points controller, but it briefly fired up and then died. I couldn't even run the new locos in as the points were left in a non loop position and with the motors unpowered, are locked in place. So that is currently being sorted and should be back with me soon. 

In the meantime I decided to try my hand and the first card building.

As I had a tight area for my engine shed, I decided to try an N gauge one that gave its dimensions as suitable to house the TT Larger loco's (Hornby do one but its not long enough for these locos).

Checking the door sizes and scaling too TT looked like it wasn't too far out, so I built my first Metcalfe card kit.

I do need to raise the height 8-10mm which will be done via scenery or a base extension, or a bit of both.

I still need to paint all the card edges to match the print, but for my first kit, I think it looks OK.

[Rallymatt]

Looking good. The risers you have used don’t look out of proportion at all, you could use additional Metcalfe brick or stone paper to match the rest of the walls or go for a ‘concrete’ look grey acrylic with some weathering and the weeds that always accompany buildings it’s will

look great. Have you traced your power failure yet?

[von Klinkerhoffe]

Interesting to see your N gauge Metcalfe cardboard engine shed, and that you have raised it with balsa(?) strip. Thanks for taking the leap of faith with an N gauge building.

The engine shed looks good, you have done well.

[Too Tall]

Not a power failure, its the points servo controller board that failed.

But it is being fixed and tested, so it should be returned to me soon.

Yes it will be better blended when I get to doing scenic stuff, this was just to keep me from fretting while I await the servo controller nerd_face

I'll need to search YT for a weathering buildings tutorial.

I have some of the Peco TT buildings and a footbridge, which are all laser cut ply/mdf also, Those will likely be my preferred building medium, but we will see.

[Too Tall]

Not a power failure, its the points servo controller board that failed.

But it is being fixed and tested, so it should be returned to me soon.

Yes it will be better blended when I get to doing scenic stuff, this was just to keep me from fretting while I await the servo controller nerd_face

I'll need to search YT for a weathering buildings tutorial.

I have some of the Peco TT buildings and a footbridge, which are all laser cut ply/mdf also, Those will likely be my preferred building medium, but we will see.

[Rallymatt]

Painting and weathering tutorials… Marklin of Sweden, Kathy Millay are really good places to start. They are professional modellers and present really well.

What type of points controller are you using? I’m fully loved up with my DCC Concepts ASX’s ultra reliable, flexible and loads of useful features.

I think you will enjoy laser cut ply, it’s really nice to work with and has a lovely surface texture. Smells great, charred wood!

[Too Tall]

I have gone the underboard servo route, using a Megapoints controller.

[Too Tall]

 So a little update: the Hornby track just sounded like a bag of nails in comparison to the Tillig Flex bits I had, so I swapped it all out for Tillig apart from points and some odd bits in sidings !

As I cant complete the points and therefore full track testing (due to my points controller dying for the second time), I decided to build up a couple of laser cut ply kits.

The footbridge looks a little chunky but it will do until something better comes along. It was a double span, but I only needed a single for my planned platform layout, so I cut'n'shut it !

The Peco station building is made out of two kits, because I wanted a longer one, the Scaldeedale was too deep for my space and at the time I ordered the Peco, there was not a lot about.

The kit detail and precision is very impressive IMO, I look forward to making the Peco signal box kit I have.

Obviously everything needs painting and glazing at some point, but that's for another time  

   

  

[Rallymatt]

Looks good. The footbridge actually looks fine as some of the wooden ones were chunkier compared to iron. Paining changes things quite a bit too. Good to see layouts progressing 😁

[Too Tall]

Touch wood, I think I can move forward, servo powered points and track fully tested with a tiny tittle Gerrman shunter (KOF II, smallest wheels, lowest track clearance, shortest wheelbase). Fast and slow speed crossing points no problems.

   

So this afternoon was spent making my track rust and dirty (well part of it at least).

As it's my first time doing anything like this, I think it turned out OK, once the whole track is done I will attempt ballast and further weathering.

So the shiny stock track:

   

And my initial attempt at making a weather worn and rusty effect:

  

[Dave the Busker]

Looks good! It's something I never even thought to attempt with my first railway as a kid, I'd just assumed you couldn't do anything to the track without affecting how it conducted electricity. Of course now I think about it you only need the top surface contact, everything else you can weather to your hearts content. Must try that on mine one day.

[Rallymatt]

Looking great, It really changes appearance, I found paint brush and acrylic burnt umber most effective and so inexpensive. I found ‘Rusty rail Pen’ was expensive and a waste of time

[Too Tall]

ATM I am in angst !

I have just attempted ballasting of the station area up to my level crossing (points excluded) and with the advice of many "don't touch it once its done" ringing in my ears I am fighting the urge.

Ok there are some places I need to touch in, thats not the issue, happily I'll do them in due course.

What worries me is what a mess it looks right now, I have seen the tutorial vids and they do too, not as much as mine, but thats to be expected I guess on my first attempt. But I keep looking at it and thinking "What have I done !!"

Thats it, I am taking the dog for a walk and will try not too look at it for a while.

[Rallymatt]

First, don’t despair! Let it dry properly, don’t touch it. Walk the dog and come back to it later, it’s all fixable if it needs it which it probably won’t!

It is a tedious job to get right so taking time with it is the only way. If it’s a full on disaster it’s also not as hard to pull up as you would first think so lots of options 😁