I’ve been busy these last few months moving the layout from a central position in the loft room to the rear. This has involved creating a new control panel at the front and dismantling the entrance curve to the station. After doing this my back is very grateful as I no longer have to continuously duck under. Why did I wait so long to do this? The extra space created in the centre of the room also gives me space to work easier without banging my head! The whole effort has been well worth it but it has taken quite some time.
The layout can now be controlled from the front and the rear should this ever be required. Initially, when I started the layout, I imagined possibly exhibiting but in reality as time has gone on I realise this will never happen and it will remain a home based layout. As such control from the rear is somewhat redundant now and the new control from the front will be the default. Setting up control from the front was for me a complicated exercise in electronics and extreme patience as I’m no electrician. However by taking my time I eventually managed to get everything to work to my satisfaction. I also took the opportunity to add polarity switches to all the points, this giving much better running. The layout is still in sections enabling me to move all the modules should I wish. This is useful I remind myself due to a loft hatch ( one very good reason) and should there be a house move for example, or even the offer of using a spare room ( I wish!) .
The curve entering the station had to be rebuilt as the curve now approaches in the opposite direction. All scenics were removed to be reused and a whole new baseboard was created with detachable legs and, as with the rest of the layout, is a separate module. This new section features a slight embankment based on the approach to Lynton via Larkscleave bridge with the aim to build a replication of this bridge and the woods surrounding . So far the land formation is progressing using the old style chicken wire and plywood formers method . I did consider trying carving polystyrene but vetoed this having read too many reports of snow men being formed. So chicken wire it is with a covering in plaster bandaging (Mod Roc) begun. I’ll share pictures in my next post. Maybe I’m old fashioned in my approach but it works for me. I do hope the pictures capture the work achieved in the last couple of months.
