Ballast Laying Part 3

 3rd day of laying ballast sees this baseboard ready for gluing.

2nd of the 2 points ballasted

Ballasting this baseboard completed ready for gluing

The final bit up to the buffer stop

Keith

Ballast Laying Part 2

 More ballast laying today.

Pieces of sleeper glued either side of the point tie bar to stop ballast interfering with it, this was repeated for the other point

 

I then put insulating tape over the tie bar's adjoining sleepers to prevent ballast interfering with the tie bar

I did the same for the other point of the pair

Next section of ballast completed

Bit more done, but not easy in and around the points

Keith

Ballast Laying Part 1

 During yesterday I had turned the baseboard I was working on by 90° to make it easier to work on the castle mound as in the 1st photo. The intention was to lay the ballast under the tunnel portal before proceeding with construction of the mound. I did lay the ballast under the mound and out into the open but due to the location of the board it was not possible to access all the track easily to continue with the ballast. On previous layouts I had always laid all the ballast in one go, then applied the glue. I was having a dilemma, do I only ballast this section and join the rest on later, or turn the baseboard 90° with the loose ballast on it, so this morning and very carefully I lifted the board and turned it the required 90°, PHEW!! Ballast all still in location as in the 2nd photo.

Baseboard before lifting and turning

Successfully turned giving easier access to the rest of the track for ballasting

Buffer stop glued on the end of the siding

Piece of card sellotaped to the end of the baseboard to stop ballast dropping off the end

The natural light started to fade so a lamp was called for, and the air ambulance was in case of an emergency!

Tipping a small quantity of ballast on the track with the teaspoon

Using a fine paintbrush to manoeuvre the ballast in to place between the sleepers

As much as I could achieve this afternoon, I did mention it was a long slow process

Keith

Castle Mound Part 6

 This morning I removed the left-hand baseboard so I can construct the castle mound more easily rather than having to stretch across it especially as I wanted to ensure the rear of the mound lined up with the baseboard.

I then had to correct a mistake I had made with the road over the rail line, the supporting wall closest to the track was too close to the track so I had to disassemble the whole thing, not easy as it was glued as well as screwed. Some damage was done, but I managed to keep it to a minimum and replaced the broken piece with a sturdy reinforced piece on the right-hand side of the 1st photo.

Drone view of altered tunnel wall

 I then created 2 internal walls with suitable brick paper glued to card. Once all the glue has dried I will attach further brick paper to the support wall behind the shorter length of card wall.

Tunnel portal and internal walls glued in place, handy weights to ensure all is in place

Longer internal wall as viewed from the front of the layout

Shorter internal wall as viewed from the front of the layout

Longer internal wall as viewed from the rear of the layout

Shorter internal wall as viewed from the rear of the layout

2nd internal tunnel wall completed behind the short piece

Completed tunnel portal

Gluing an additional upright underneath the castle mound

2 sections of castle mound glued together and an additional leg across both

last aditional leg glued to the 4th section of the castle mound

Brick paper glued to the rear of the upright on the castle mound behind the tunnel portal

Worm's eye view of the tunnel

Start of ballasting the track behind and in the tunnel portal

Viewed from the front

Keith

Castle Mound Part 5

 I screwed and glued the road up over the railway to the castle mound. 1st piece of foam cut back to expose the road, just a start, a lot of forming still to go to create the desired castle mound, I don't want to cut away too much to start with, I really don't want to have to glue bits back on.

Road ramp glued and screwed onto the baseboard with tunnel portal in place

Castle mound in place but needs a lot of work still

1st piece of foam cut back to expose the road, just a start, a lot of forming still to go to create the desired castle mound, I don't want to cut away too much to start with, I really don't want to have to glue bits back on. 🏰

Keith

Castle Mound Part 4

 Drilling, gluing and screwing today. I have made the section of road that will go behind the tunnel portal and the ramp up to it, all drilled, glued and screwed together, leaving overnight for the glue to set. All made from spare pieces from the baseboards that I have not used, I think it is called recycling.

Section of road behind the tunnel portal with legs attached underneath

Section of road behind the tunnel portal on its legs

The 2 sections of the ramp joined together

The single leg attached to the ramp

The ramp on its new leg

Both pieces in situ where they will be fixed

Keith

Castle Mound Part 3

Beginnings of creating the road that goes up to the castle mound car park and beyond using leftover pieces from the bracing pieces for the baseboards that I have not used.

Keith

Castle Mound Part 2

 Yesterday evening and this morning I have been playing with the castle ruins recovered from my old layout. I initially thought to copy the original setting I had on the old layout (1st photo) but was not happy with it, it just didn't look right. Eventually today I came up with a setting I was happy with. I know it is all crammed into the right-hand corner, but there is a reason for this as I want to construct a car park on the left-hand side, along with some other small buildings such as toilets, café, picnic area, Bob's Hot Dogs trailer, etc.

Original castle ruins on the old layout

Final option I am satisfied with

Drone view

Corner view

Road access up to the car park etc.

4 upright sections of foam glued to the top surfaces using handy weights!

Keith

End Wall of the Terrace

 Having had a shuffle around of the various half-relief buildings with the hairdressers now adjacent to the Post Office it sits behind the front of the Post Office which has exposed the non-stone wall on the end. I have added new stonework on the end and a new bargeboard.

The exposed end wall

New stonework and bargeboard added

Stonework and bargeboard primered

Stonework and bargeboard painted, downpipe repainted

Keith