Montgreenan

[bulleidboy]

Great pictures as usual Richard - what make is the coloured light signal at the end of the platform - I assume it works? It had crossed my mind to install something similar at the end of Wykeham's platforms. Barry

[RogerB]

Looks like Train-Tech [now Gaugemaster company]. I have a couple, very good. R-

[Hound Dog]

Great pictures as usual Richard - what make is the coloured light signal at the end of the platform - I assume it works? It had crossed my mind to install something similar at the end of Wykeham's platforms. Barry

Hi Barry - Thanks for the feedback..... the signal is actually from Berko ( B301 2 x Light R/G (square) Platform Starter. I have mine wired to change with the point guarding the platform, but of course this means that it is also green when a train is coming into the platform but that is one of the compromises we have to face with a model railway.......... I posted a video a week or two ago of a DMU departing the platform on my Portencross thread, which shows the changeover etc

Cheers - Richard

[bulleidboy]

Thanks Richard - I have the same problem with the starter signal on the branch line platform - the signal is wired into the Cobalt point motor, and as you say, you have a green to go, but it is still green when the train returns. It is of course an easier operation than throwing a switch for the point and then another for the signal. Barry

[Hound Dog]

Hi,

Some significant progress on the next stage of Montgreenan (Portencross), with the construction of tunnel section designed to hide the branchline and especially the reverse loop backround to the mainline. A wooden framework has been built and removable top surfaces prepared, both of which will have foam tops added to landscape the scenery. Additionally the area covered in tools in the third picture will be infilled with a rising slope made of foam and a road and farm properties added - at least that is the plan at the moment. As always it has been a challenge having to shoe-horn everything in and there was much adjusting of track and sanding of the Tunnel portals to accommodate the overswing of rolling stock on curved sections.

Decided that since the mainline and branch tunnel were relatively close together that I wouldn't try to disguise the fact and instead I would continue the tunnel retaining walls to link both, although I will build some scenery so the entire length of the retaining walls are not visible........still playing around with things to get the best effects, but during the week I painted and weathered both mainline tunnel portals and one piece of retaining wall and whilst this is a lengthy stone by stone process, I am pretty pleased with the results and will continue this on to the others - although I think some further weathering / dirtying is reqd especially on the Tunnel portals.

Weeks / months of work left in this for me to realise the plan that is in my head, but thought I would share where I have got to so far - cheer Richard.

[Walkingthedog]

Thanks HD always like to see the progress on your layout.

[bulleidboy]

Great progress Richard. It's nice when you have something to go back to - even if it is weeks or months of works - slow and steady progress is the best method.
Barry

[Hound Dog]

Hi Folks,

A further update on the ongoing work at Montgreenan on the main and reverse loop tunnels.........been to B&Q and bought a few sheets of insulating foam which I have attached to my two removal panels and I have also started to build up the adjacent hillside. It is probably wasteful but I am going to build up to max height in all areas and the cut and sculpture accordingly......will probably mean a lot of trimming but I am not sure yet exactly how the picture in my head will translate, so it will be step by step

Also made some progress with the tunnel portals and retaining walls and hope to have all of these done by this time next week.......using a selection of Farrow and Ball tester pots to get various grey and stone colours, and will also create a weathering wash from a sandstone mix.........It was really useful taking the pictures a week of so ago, as I wasn't happy with the retaining wall coming off the mainline tunnel at 90 degrees, and so I have now angled this to better effect.

Hope to have this complete by the time the clocks change back (LOL), but seriously just taking my time as this is a big step up for me and without doubt the hardest aspect undertaken on my layout to date.

Cheers - Richard

[Bandit Mick]

Great work HD. It’s nice to be able to take your time. I can spend hours doing very little but there is still a sense of achievement.

[Hound Dog]

Hi,

A little progress report on my hillside and tunneling project..........all the insulating foam is now fixed in place and over the past two nights I have started to sculpture the road and hillside........whilst the foam is a millions times better than polystyrene, it is still very messy work and it gets everywhere.

Lots more sculpturing to be done as the hill side at the front is still too big and a bit dome shaped, whilst I haven't yet started on the area behind the road........the road itself is going to be a pretty steep descent, but I will try to even out the incline as I get further into it - fortunately no trains have to climb the incline, so the slope can steeper than normally allowed on a layout - LOL.

Trying to get the messy part completed before my new Accurascale Deltic arrives, (well two actually one Blue and the other Green), but probably got no more than two before these beasts land on the doorstep.

Cheers - Richard