Last weekend, we started planning out the steam shed area. Here are some pics of prrogress so far. We just need the righht points and some wood.

Hi all, back again.
Not much done recently, but here is a plan for the locaation of the steam sheds etc. It will connected to the top run and may be sightly above it as well. It mmay bbe blocked from view from the mainline by a hill, still enabling thee viaduct

This weekend, the top level 'officialy' oppend. Its now connected to the lower level, and fully wired for DCC. There are still a few minor niggles, but they can be sorte out in time.
Heres a vid of the first train

Both loops have now been completed, and apart from from the odd bit of ballasting, wiring and the conecting line, the top level is done.

Ok some major progress has been made. The station are has more or less been completed, and we are working on getting the top level completed and joined to the lower level. Pics will follow shortly.
And at 18.00 yesterday, the top level was finished. Weyyyyyyyyyy!

The first train on the upper level!!

Heres the Station track so far.

Ok so this afternoon the track in the station is in place. We now have to plan how to fit in the run off to the lower level.

Ok so this weekend has beeen spent working on the station area, here are the boards so far.
The job for the holiday os to strart on the station track plan and get at least one upper loop completed.

Today, have started on the station area track plan. Pics will be on shortly!

Okay, this afternoon has been spent ballasting. Not sure if I've already mentioned this, but we're using gaugemaster ballasted underlay. However, due to the fact this stuff costs £20 a roll, in future we're panning to use Peco plain foam underlay, spray it with glue and stick ballast onto the foam, as its cheaper.

OK some serious work has started. On the far side of the board, thebase for the station area has been put in placewith tempoary supports, enabling trais to still run. On the near side, the first bits of line have been balasted using Gaugemaste underlay.

The second half of the upper level has been completed, and it will be opposit the TMD.

This weekend has been spent starting on the upper level. So far, we have put a bit of wood for the mainline along the far end of the shed, and the start along the near side. The plan is to have a third radius curve on the outside, and second radius inside. Once this tricky bit is sorted, we'll be happy.

Hi all, Does anybody have any ideas about what caused this?
Thanks.

I'll be honest- progress is at a standstill at the minute, reasons being form family illness to there being no time. Plus, I am up to my ears in GCSE course work (or soon will be)!!
So to stop you all getting board to death, I thought it was time for me to post some pictures of life on the SGR.

Ok, so while a not a lots happening on the layout at the minute due to the purchase of a new gadget (a radio controlled helicopter), I thought I'd give you some information on the TMD (Traction Maintenence Depot). It is on 3 levels (Kind of), with two 2-road Peco diesel sheds, 2 fueling points and a general storage siding. At the moment, only 1 of the sheds has lights in it, and the fuelling road have a red LED Above the buffer stop, which can be made to flash or not. I am in the progress of completing a loco hoist, made out of Plaststruct parts, old rails and hornby signal ladders! This is some idea of what it'll look like




The other diesel shed has a inspection pit on one side, and i have plans to install another one in the future. This shed also has the rear half missing, after an accident with some Plastiweld!
Here some pictures of the loco gantry i've been working. Its not quite finished, but its getting there!

Heres an idea i Have for the far end of the board;



The narrow gauge starts off in the quarries, then comes down throgh the moors and finally to the shore. It then joins up with the standard gauge branch line. In practise it is very much like the Ffestiniog Railway in Wales ( sorry its not very clear, i'm not an expert with Windows Paint!)

Well, at last we are slowly getting there. All non essential track has been removed, leaving just 1 running track and one more or less completed TMD. Over the nexts few weeks/months, we are planning to start laying out the 'permanent way' with much weekend possesion!! The plan is to in corperate several ideas (town scene, country branch line, narrow gauge etc) in to one board. Wish us luck. Regular updates will be posted on tis blog, well I say regular...!
Please keep updated with this blog, cheers. by the way,if anyone knows how to make a hoist for a scratch-built loco hoist, please PM me with some ideas, thanks a lot. (Edited 27/05/09; its all right, i've got the picture that i need and i know how i'm going to do it. Cheers!!)

When i was little i used to read 'Thomas the Tank Engine' . All the engines had faces instedad of smokebox doors etc. While of school with an illnes this week, i realised that one of my Bachmann starter loco's had a smoke box door missing. What else better to do then replace it with a face. Who said that railways aren't fun!? I have also made 2 faces for D211 that fix on with bluetac.