Track Laying

Having purchased all the pointwork recently, I spent a bit of time yesterday laying out the remaining trackwork.

Keith.

Vinyl Flooring

This morning Jo and I cleared the floor of the railway room and laid the vinyl flooring we bought in Brierley Hill in April.

Keith.

Purchases Whilst Away

Whilst out on our travels I kept an eye on eBay and was successful in purchasing this thatched cottage which completed the canal-side cottages.

I was also successful in purchasing this bakery which completed all the buildings in the village.

I purchased this van in the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester, same price as on the internet, but without the cost of postage.

I found this war memorial in an antiques shop! The gravestones were on eBay and all of them will go in the churchyard. 

Keith.

Time to get Cracking on Hadarford.

Got back to our mooring yesterday, having spent the last 4 months travelling around on our narrowboat.

Parcel arrived this morning, containing the final bits of track, all 14 points, 12 point motors (I already have 2), 
4 accessory switches, a pack of 5 mounting plates and a big bottle of ballast.

Looking forward to cracking on with Hadarford.

FULL STEAM AHEAD!

Station Hotel Chimneys

With it being a rainy day today and nothing much to do boating-wise, I thought I would repaint the Station Hotel chimneys. 

I had originally painted them white, but upon reflection I very much doubt they would have been whitewashed above the gutter-line. 

I have to let the paint dry for 24 hours before adding the mortar detail.

Keith.

Storage Shelf

With a bit of time to spare today, I constructed and installed a small storage shelf over the fiddle-yard.

Keith.

Start of Switch Panel

As it was a miserable day today, I thought I would start to construct the switch panel for the layout.

3 of the switches will operate the points in the station area.

 The other 24 will operate various lights in buildings etc.

I have yet to drill the switch holes but I will leave this until we return to our mooring where I hope to borrow a drill stand and vice to drill them out, to ensure they are more in line.

Keith.

More Bridge Construction

Road base now in place which will need surfacing with sanding belt sand paper.
Also in place the two connecting stone walls which join the two bridges together.

This afternoon I finished off the end of the road and bridge.

I have used Peco 'N' gauge bridges and although the bridge over the canal is okay, the one over the rail track needed raising up about 8mm to clear rolling stock.

The side walls for this bridge also needed raising up too.

I also did this to the tunnel portal I fitted a couple of weeks ago.

I will have to do the same to the tunnel portal at the other end of the tunnel.

Keith.

Start of Bridges Construction

I started constructing the two adjacent road bridges, one crosses the canal, the other crosses the rail track.

This evening I added the internal walls for the canal bridge.

Keith.

Wine Bar Renamed

Jo selected the style and colour for the signs for her tea rooms today.

Now officially "Jo's Tea Rooms".

Keith.

Jo's Tearooms

I have purchased this wine bar on eBay and will be converting it to "Jo's Tearooms".

I wonder where I got that name from?

Keith.

Tunnel Portal Stone Walling

Today I fixed the stone walling either side of the tunnel portal.

Keith.

Even More Track Laid

More track laid today, from the fiddle-yard across the other lift-off bridge around to the start of the station. This is all the track I can lay at this time, I need to purchase all the points, point motors, etc. before I can proceed any further. I hope to be able to do this when we return to our mooring after our Spring/Summer cruise.

Keith.

More Track Laid and Powered

Today I laid more track across the lift-up bridge around to the start of the fiddle-yard.
It is all powered up and working.

This is as far as I can go as I now need to buy the point-work to be able to continue.

Keith.

Electrics

Started wiring up the layout today. From the control panel I have run 4 wires, red & black for the 12v DC for the track, and blue & yellow for the 16v AC, underneath half the length of the fiddle-yard, under the doors from the saloon in some trunking and back up to the layout. I connected the 12v DC wires to the track underneath the tunnel. The 16v AC wires I have run halfway underneath the layout to approximately where it will be required for the point motors, traffic signals, building lights, street lights, etc. I got Jo my wife to video the first test run on the track underneath where the tunnel will be to check it works.

Considering where I was operating the loco from, I was pretty accurate with my stopping before plunging the loco off the layout and onto the floor where the lift-off bridge should be!

Keith.

Canal Walls

This afternoon I started to work on the canal walls.

This is the brick wall under the canal bridge on the towpath side.

This is the brick wall under the bridge, but on the offside, with the stone wall which is between the brick wall and the canal wharf.

A view of the full extent of the stone wall between the bridge and the wharf.

The wharf wall and where it narrows down before the road bridge and lock.

The full canal wharf.

Keith.

Running to Time?

Fixed the sign, that Jo had made for me, and a clock on the bulkhead.

Further scenery planning.

The village hall, vicarage and church.

Village shops and cottages. Post Office and attached pair of cottages, general store, garage and cottage, the butchers then the newsagents. Opposite the Post Office and the cottages is the chemists, the empty space on the corner will be Jo's Tea Rooms but I have to find an appropriate model. I am watching out for one on eBay. Opposite the general store is the lock keepers cottage and canal side store.

Hadarford Manor, large thatched cottage, The Boat Inn and disused hair saloon.

Keith.

Control Panel Finished

This afternoon I finished the control panel by painting it. The 2 units are now connected to the mains supply. Both units are ready for wiring to the track once installed. 

The walkabout unit is plugged into the rear of the main controller. I may add a hook to hang it from.

Keith.