[platformcollectables]

Big Step (Literally!) – Layout Update

Hey all! Thought I’d give a quick update to keep things ticking along. I’ve been deep into the rewiring stage, and I’ve actually taken up all of the track now. It was a bold move, but it felt like the right one—especially with most of the fishplates completely rusted through. I’m replacing the lot and working through it step by step with a plan in place to get everything running properly again.

I’ve added a couple of photos showing the board before and after—feels a bit mad seeing it all cleared, but exciting too!

Also, even though the main layout’s out of action, I’ve set up a little test track to keep things ticking over. Gave my grandad’s favourite shunter its weekly run—bit of a de-stress after all the wiring work! Video link is below if you fancy a look.

Link to see the Loop-The-Loop

And yes—I’ve just got back from Wales where I went ziplining! That was definitely a shock to the system… Think I’ll stick to layouts and locomotives from now on 😂

More soon, and as always, cheers for following along!

 

[platformcollectables]

Hi Pete I'be only just come across this thread and what a facinating read it has been.
Thats a beautiful layout that your GF designed with huge potential . You've made some excellent progress already and I shall follow your progress with much interest .

Great to hear from you and welcome along the journey!

I've just made a big step in sorting out the wiring, but I hope to be back up and running very soon with it all. Feel free to send over advice on steps I can take, I think my next post will be once everything has been reassembled.

 

[Norman Byrne]

Hi Pete,
Well that was a very Big Step for sure, but no doubt in the long run a very good decision - good luck getting it all up & running again too.
On the wiring front you might at this starting again stage now want to think about using some switches to form sections on the track & also adding some isolated sections on the ends of the sidings, so you can run a train / loco onto a siding, then uncouple it & send another loco onto the other end of the same siding to take the train out; in a DC set up. Might add a lot of operational scope & not too difficult to do now that everything has been taken up too ?
Oh the Welsh zip line, my business partner went on that a few years ago now, over the old quarry saw some video footage - definitely not for the faint hearted !!!!!!
Anyway keep up the great work & think the little test track loop will also assist in a break from the wiring too - that little diesel shunter runs brilliantly
Cheers as always, Norm

 

[platformcollectables]

Hi Pete,
Well that was a very Big Step for sure, but no doubt in the long run a very good decision - good luck getting it all up & running again too.
On the wiring front you might at this starting again stage now want to think about using some switches to form sections on the track & also adding some isolated sections on the ends of the sidings, so you can run a train / loco onto a siding, then uncouple it & send another loco onto the other end of the same siding to take the train out; in a DC set up. Might add a lot of operational scope & not too difficult to do now that everything has been taken up too ?
Oh the Welsh zip line, my business partner went on that a few years ago now, over the old quarry saw some video footage - definitely not for the faint hearted !!!!!!
Anyway keep up the great work & think the little test track loop will also assist in a break from the wiring too - that little diesel shunter runs brilliantly
Cheers as always, Norm

Hi Norm,

Hope all is well with you!

I think it was the right thing to do, but it is strange seeing the clear baseboard. Yes - you're right, this is the best time to do it, do you have any recommendations for switches to use, maybe some you have used in the past?

I am also thinking about flipping the board over to keep my grandads hand writing intact, it then might enable me to paint and do anything to the baseboard, but I am 50/50 on this idea, just looks like a couple of pin nails holding it in place. I want to be able to restore it as it was, but maybe also add in a couple bits of my own.

Yes thats the exact one that I did, right over the quarry, I don't think I realised what I signed up for but glad to be able to say it's done. Won't be in a hurry to do it again!

It's very satisfying to see it running round.

 

[Norman Byrne]

Hi again Pete,
In terms of both the wiring & switches / etc that you might chose to use, you will not go far wrong referring to Brian Lambert's DC Electrical Guide / Website; as this covers all the various elements / aspects involved with what you are now planning to under take.
In terms of flipping the board over to both preserve your Granddad's original work but also give you a "clean slate" to reconstruct the layout from & perhaps add / develop it further with some of your own thoughts, that would seem like a very good idea from here tbh - but obviously your call.
On the zip wire front can remember Tracy saying something very similar - did you get the video of your run down done - that was enough to watch for me
Cheers for now & Good Luck with progressing things further too, Norm

 

[platformcollectables]

Hi again Pete,
In terms of both the wiring & switches / etc that you might chose to use, you will not go far wrong referring to Brian Lambert's DC Electrical Guide / Website; as this covers all the various elements / aspects involved with what you are now planning to under take.
In terms of flipping the board over to both preserve your Granddad's original work but also give you a "clean slate" to reconstruct the layout from & perhaps add / develop it further with some of your own thoughts, that would seem like a very good idea from here tbh - but obviously your call.
On the zip wire front can remember Tracy saying something very similar - did you get the video of your run down done - that was enough to watch for me
Cheers for now & Good Luck with progressing things further too, Norm

Funny enough as I was writing the previous post I was sure you had already mentioned a website before for the wiring, and I did find I had saved it already!

I think I am going to go ahead with the flip, if I don't do it now I think I would be rather stuck later on. I also thought about putting some clear plastic sheets over them while leaving them in place, but I think it might also cause issues with the layout later on. I would really like to use this layout to run the serviced trains on as well so it can all be part of the service and repair experience, similar to OO Bill!

I didn't get the video after, I think I was a bit shell shocked to go through that again! I had a long sit down and a coffee once I was back on reasonably level ground.

Thank you for the well wishes, looking forward to these next steps.

 

[Chris from France]

Hope that helps: brian-lambert.co.uk

 

[platformcollectables]

Quick Question – Baseboard Colours?

Hi all, no big update this time as I’m still working through the prep, but I could do with some opinions before I get too much further.

Before I start putting the track back down, I’m thinking about what colour to paint the baseboard. I still want to keep that industrial theme in the middle where the shunting yard will go (as that’s how my grandad originally had it), but I’m also tempted to go for more of a countryside feel around the outer loops—since they were loosely based on Somerset.

Has anyone done a mix like that before? And what base colours would you recommend for this sort of thing?

Would love to hear your thoughts!

 

[Alan@Formill Valley]

Hi Pete,
depends what your putting on top of the painted areas, if your going to use static grass then brown, black and greens to hide any missed area or industrial parts black but if using clay or grass matts it's sometimes not needed and you can paint afterwards.
I put down all my track and then planned(loosely) what was going where but even that has changed a bit as things develop.

 

[Norman Byrne]

Hi Pete,
Would agree with Alan's suggestions above; or even a dark grey for the industrial areas, as this will also probably act as a base for any roadways too perhaps.
Just on another point to consider is if you are intending to cover the board in cork or use an sort of track underlays, this is generally best fixed to the timber baseboard first, ahead of doing any painting of the baseboard; & the cork / underlay can then be painted in too.
Anyway good luck in making further progress as always, Cheers for now, Norm

 

[platformcollectables]

Hi Pete,
depends what your putting on top of the painted areas, if your going to use static grass then brown, black and greens to hide any missed area or industrial parts black but if using clay or grass matts it's sometimes not needed and you can paint afterwards.
I put down all my track and then planned(loosely) what was going where but even that has changed a bit as things develop.

I think I could have a go at some static grass round the outer loops with a bit of a hill area where it looked like there used to be a tunnel. I think the middle will have an industrial coal yard, and possibly a station in there somewhere if space allows. I seem to have a lot of buildings, maybe I need to do a post with all the buildings!

 

[platformcollectables]

Hi Pete,
Would agree with Alan's suggestions above; or even a dark grey for the industrial areas, as this will also probably act as a base for any roadways too perhaps.
Just on another point to consider is if you are intending to cover the board in cork or use an sort of track underlays, this is generally best fixed to the timber baseboard first, ahead of doing any painting of the baseboard; & the cork / underlay can then be painted in too.
Anyway good luck in making further progress as always, Cheers for now, Norm

Hi Norm,

Good to hear from you.

Yes, thats a good point on the dark grey for roads, I think based on my grandads design there used to be a carpark as well behind a station which was sort of round the back on the station, but next to a coal yard.

My main reason for thinking about paint was to seal the board as one thing I have noticed is this board seems to be quite hairy if thats the technical term.

 

[Norman Byrne]

That's made me laugh out loud here Pete, who needs static grass when you already have a hairy baseboard eh

 

[Norman Byrne]

Hi again Pete,
Having now stemmed the laughter - do you mean the timber surface of what was previously the underside of the baseboard is "rough / hairy"; as if so you would probably easily resolve / improve the surface just by giving it a good sand all over, before doing anything further; also might be best done outside if that's possible ?
So then once sanded & sealed / painted you should have a much better overall baseboard surface to then work on / from
Cheers as always & Happy Modelling, Norm

 

[Bobcat]

I thought Pete might have the same hairy baseboard problem that I have.......cat fur !

 

[platformcollectables]

Hi again Pete,
Having now stemmed the laughter - do you mean the timber surface of what was previously the underside of the baseboard is "rough / hairy"; as if so you would probably easily resolve / improve the surface just by giving it a good sand all over, before doing anything further; also might be best done outside if that's possible ?
So then once sanded & sealed / painted you should have a much better overall baseboard surface to then work on / from
Cheers as always & Happy Modelling, Norm

We do love a good old belly laugh, so glad I have been the source of that!

So the board isn't a timber board by the looks of it and does appear to have a lot of fibers on it, I think actually most people would choose to move to a new board, but that won't be an option for me. I think all I can do is paint it to try and seal it now its been flipped. I thinking starting with black to be my base coat, then I can layer it up with some greys or the industrial part, then maybe some light greens for the outer loop. I guess I can add some texture back into it when I start ballasting, attempting static grass and some coal for the shunting yard.

I need to source some paint now!

 

[Bobcat]

that sounds like you have some soft Fibre Board Pete. They are made from various compressed fibres and are much lighter than other boards but of course a lot weaker. They are most commonly used for insulation and notice boards. The surface degrades quite quickly if roughly handled and you are going to have a helluva job getting paint to stay on it.

 

[platformcollectables]

that sounds like you have some soft Fibre Board Pete. They are made from various compressed fibres and are much lighter than other boards but of course a lot weaker. They are most commonly used for insulation and notice boards. The surface degrades quite quickly if roughly handled and you are going to have a helluva job getting paint to stay on it.
View attachment 35931

Hit the nail on the head there, I think this is what I have but just in grey! Well you all better wish me some luck with getting the paint to stick then, I might need a miracle

I will give it a go, the main thing for me is saving the bottom of it so my grandads hand writing is saved. I guess I could always glue and pin a board of MDF to the top side. I am also trying to do this on a budget and use what I have, I might take a trip to my local B&Q to see if I can source a rather large off cut!

 

[Alan@Formill Valley]

If you buy MDF give it a coat of Zinser
otherwise MDF also goes fluffy with paint

 

[platformcollectables]

The Great Flip – Rebuilding Begins!

It’s been a couple of weekends since my last blog post, but things haven’t been quiet behind the scenes. I’ve officially done The Great Flip – I turned the whole board over, re-pinned it to the frame, and I’ve now started putting some of the track back down.

I’ve set up a basic testing track for now, mainly so I can still run locos for servicing while I work through the rewiring. The track isn’t pinned or finalised yet – I’m still sorting out the electrical side of things – but it feels like a proper step forward.

I decided not to paint the baseboard just yet. I might come back to that later down the line once I’m a bit further along and have a clearer idea of the final layout. For now, it’s all about getting it running properly again.

One small win I’ve got to share – turns out the little nail holder tool you get with flat-pack IKEA furniture is the perfect size for pinning the board down! Made life a lot easier when getting it secured back to the frame.

I’ve also taken some of the buildings out of storage and started playing around with possible placement. Nothing is set in stone yet, but it’s nice to see a few familiar buildings back out and on the board again.

Still a long way to go, but we’re officially into the rebuilding stage now – and that’s what this whole journey is about.

Thanks for sticking with me. I’ll be back with more soon as the work continues!