What would you like to see on this site?
 let us know |
|
This page has been dedicated to the late Les Edwards.
14 October 1936 - 26 July 2009.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
"I
had a modelling room in the spare room within my house,
but was asked to move it by my wife who wanted the room
so the three grand children could come and stay. The Loft
was identified as the space for my new model railway,
but this led to a few questions about the conversion,
which my local council advised me on. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
My Idea of a model railway
is to have many trains in operation, whist still being
able to operate a turntable and do shunting. I wanted
different level to give a scenic panorama, two main lines
and two lines for local trains with upper and lower stations.
I drew up a rough plan for the proposed layout.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
The boards were built from
brand new packing cases and chipboard for the tops. I
left room along one side for access to the back of the
layout. This meant building a hatch to walk through. For
safety reason push button switches were wired so that
the layout would not work if the hatch was up. Photocopies
of Peco's track were laid on the boards to work out what
was required and how many of each item. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
I then made the elevated sections - using 3 ply and half inch square blocks screwed together - required for the upper station and for a girder bridge that was added, a Hornby Dublo modified to fit. Cork underlay was then stuck on with PVA glue. Peco code 100 track was then laid as planned, but with minor changes. A control panel was made, and was hung off a roof beam for convenience in operation and for repairs. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Wiring was kept basic apart from the double crossover, for which I enlisted the help of my local model railway club's (Solihull Model Railway Circle) electrical technician Alan Rumney. An ‘AMR’ transformer and hand held controls are used to control trains, turntable and to provide power to the Peco point motors used to change the points. The layout was then tested by me and the grand children! |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Next on the list to be fitted was the turntable, but now with boredom beginning to set in I decide to complete the station side of the layout first. I made the platforms from more 3 ply and wooden blocks screwed together. The retaining wall in the station area was made from Wills plasticard sheets and painted using Humbrol paints. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
The embankments I added polystyrene and ‘Polyfilla’, shaping as I went along and paint a base colour and added different flocks. Platforms were top with emery cloth and the white edges were painted with Humbrol matt white no. 130. The Footbridges are Hornby Kits modified to suit and painted with Humbrol. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
With all the above complete I went back to the turn table. I obtained a second hand Peco turntable, which proved to be a disaster - oval shaped, weak motor and power connections. I had to buy a new one in the end! I took measurements from turntable base and cut a hole into the baseboard using a jigsaw. Using track pins I nailed the Peco turntable in place." |
| |
|
|
 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
