Kensington Hill starting to take shape

This week work continued on the station and platform by including the fencing. I had to do some scratch-building of the fence towards the end of the ramp as the Ratio ramp fence was not long enough. a bit dodgy but beats paying for another set of fences! I am researching the platform lighting options on the Internet at the moment so work will probably slow down a bit on the station. I also have to make the station name boards and the entry stairs from the road side.

I also did some more work on the farm by making some tractor tracks through the new grass growth of Spring. Just for a bit of a laugh I have incorporated a scene between the farmer and farm hand. Old Granny Smith, the farmer's mother, has come along for a drive in the land rover. Yet to do on the farm is the boundary fencing and placement of the sheep.

I have also provided a photo of the previously mentioned EPBs.

The EPBs

Kensington Hill Station 1

Kensington Hill Station 2

Kensington Hill Station 3

Kensington Hill Station 4

Kensington Hill Station 5

Granny Smith goes for a drive

Discussion 1

Discussion 2

Discussion 3

Tracks 1

Tracks 2



Kensington Hill farm taking shape



EPBs installed

Following on from the torrential rain the other week and the corrective measure put into place on the outside of the shed, I started thinking about how best to protect the layouts (Illavearf and Beaver Springs) from future water penetration if an external screw rubber seal perished again. Other than completely sealing the shed's roof which was not on the financial agenda, I came up with my Environmental Protection Barriers (EPBs) solution. This was not overly expensive (all up about $10) and consisted of two 1.8x2.4m poly-tarps strung up between the shed's internal steel work and above the layouts. This way any water would flow away from the layouts (hopefully) and directly onto the shed floor. Also the EPBs have another environmental feature in that they keep wayward leaves, general muck and gecko crap that come into the shed off the layouts (hopefully).
Work progressed on the station platform through the week. I installed a LED into the waiting room area on Friday night and it looks good lit up. I coated the clear LED in Tamiya Clear Orange to give that incandescent bulb look. Once installed and tested, I was satisfied enough to glue the station building to the platform. This week hopefully will see me complete the station (fencing, stairs and signage) and then I few photos will be uploaded. Once this is installed on the layout, I can start the scenicing of the immediate area and Kensington Hill itself.

Torrential rain and the shed

Well the previous weekend and on the Monday the heavens opened up. Out my way we seemed to get quite a deluge. Normally my shed is pretty good with not letting rain in, except for under the tilt doors but the roof is pretty reliable. However the shear amount of rain and the swirling winds found a way in. Monday arvo I checked the shed upon getting home from work and found some leaks. They seemed to have gone through some of the roof sheeting screw bolts' holes, onto the rafters and dripped onto the floor in various locations. Lachlan's layout Beaver Springs copped a few drips towards the edge, but nothing that can't be fixed.


The earliest I could get to fixing these leaks was Saturday arvo just gone. It appears some of the sealing rubbers finally perished in the heat of last Summer and the rain found its way in through these. While on the roof, I checked the rest of the screws and if it looked dodgy silicone was liberally applied. As the long range forecast is for lots more rain over this Summer best to bog these up now when I can actually get on the roof and its not a furnace. Thus it wasn't a big weekend in the shed for modelling.


However through the week just gone, I was able to get out to the shed on Tuesday night (my version of Tuesday Nighters!) and complete the grassing of Kensington Hill. Looking good. I will get a photo or three up when I have done some more scenicing. Also I finished building my station platform and now just adding the Scalescenes paper effects to it. I have also decided to put a light or two into the station building itself so I will have to provision the access and wiring for this. As for the platform lights, I am seeing what I can do with these as well. A few photos of the station progress next time.

New addition to the Shed

This week I didn't get around to doing much. I made a couple of chimney pots for the station but have yet to paint these. My main quandary was the platform for Kensington Hill. I wasn't sure of the ramp angle and if two ramps were required by regulation or whether one would do. I posted a couple of question on the 'britrail' forum and was provided with some excellent answers. Yes I can only have one ramp which is 1 in 8. This seems to be validated by the 6 degree angle of the Ratio ramp fencing I will be using. So with this answered I will move forward with the platform.

I also received during the week the much awaited delivery of 2mm tower LEDs from DCC Concepts. The proto-whites will be installed in the NSWGR 44 class when I get a chance to do this (the workbench is getting very crowded!).

I also forgot to mention that about two weeks ago I received the long forgotten package from Auscision which contained a replacement headlight assembly for the CFCLA EL Class. No rush on getting this installed as I am still waiting for the sound decoder to be returned from MRRC ONCE ESU in the US has sorted out the config problem.

As mentioned in Beaver Springs, it was perfect Shed Weather. Unfortunately I didn't get around to putting more grass on the Hill. Hopefully this might be something to do one evening this week. The inability to spend some time on Illavearf was mostly as a result of doing some TV rearrangements. We received a Sony Trinitron TV from the In Laws as they had upgraded to a flat screen LED model. As the Sony was better than our current TV, this was moved downstairs to the study. The TV that was there was going to go to the shed, but was too big to locate anywhere practicable. However the missus agreed to let me take the small TV that the boys had been using as the relocated one in the study would be used by them.

So now I have a TV in the Shed (albeit only on analogue signal. Yet to install a digital decoder). All I need now is a fridge and I will be set as I have a microwave, kettle and sink!

The new addition with Bathurst on

There's always next year!

Well the SAINTS were slaughtered by the PIES on Saturday arvo! Not a very pleasant sight. I only got two stubbies in before I was convinced that there was no turning back from the Collingwood onslaught. Well I still kept the so called game on as background noise while I turned to some modelling. The baby and the missus were having a kip and it was only Lachlan and me looking for something to do. As it was raining at the time, I thought some modelling was the go. I took delivery from PK down at the club my recent MB Klein (USA) orders which comprised a swag of Bachmann kit buildings. I chose something I thought might be simple for Lachlan to start with, Farm Buildings. These kits are apparently 'easy build' without glue, but I don't know about that! Yes most of the buildings could be snapped together but without some help from a bead of Styrene glue, they would fall apart. However Lachlan enjoyed putting them together and I helped with the glue. You can see these on my link to Beaver Springs.

My week was very productive on the station to be located at Kensington Hill. I think it looks quite good. I now have to do the platform and fencing to have the whole scene. I am in two minds as to whether install lighting into the station building or not.

I also this afternoon spent some time on grassing Kensington Hill with the use of PK's Noch GrasMaster (or whatever it is called). The results are starting to convince me to use it a bit more around the place.


Station front





Station front and side




Station rear




Station rear and side



Hill front



Hill top view of mound and terraces





Hill terrace close up





Hill mound close up

A DRAW!!

Well THE SAINTS drew with THE PIES on Saturday arvo. Did not see that one coming! Well I will have to do it (drink beer, nibblies, etc) again this Saturday arvo (what are the common folk doing!?!)

As for getting in some shedtime, I did get to the shed but the missus had some other thoughts how I was to spend my time yesterday. By the time the chores and 'jobs without notice' had been done, it was to late to do anything.

Oh well, at least I was able to keep going with building the station (Friday and Sunday nights) which is my priority at the moment.

A new blog is born

Since the last blog entry I have been fairly busy but have still had some time to spend both on my layout and my son's layout. Kensington Hill on Illavearf is progressing with the scenery. I am pottering around with a Noch static grass machine to see what it can do. I think I have to do some more practicing as some of the grass isn't great. At nights I have been progressing with the construction of the station building. Still a way off yet. Then it will be the platform before anything else. Have to have somewhere for the trains to stop! If I get a chance this weekend, I will take some updated photos of Illavearf.


Now for the reason behind the blog title. Lachlan's layout is starting to take shape. The mountain/tunnel looks pretty good and it is yet to be sceniced. I have an order from MB Klein coming in from the States with a stack of Bachmann building kits that apparently are click fit, so I am hoping that Lachlan will be able to build these with a little help from Dad so that he gets a sense of satisfaction from building something himself. As such his layout has reached a point that I think I will write about it away from my Musings page which I am keeping for Illavearf and general musings. I came up with some names for the layout; Twin Peaks, Bear Lake, Beaver Lake, Bear Springs and Beaver Springs. Lachlan liked the last one and so the layout has been named. I have made a new blog, beaver-springs.blogspot.com, which has a link off from my 'Links of Interest'. So in due course I will upload some photos of his layout and blog about his layout from this site.


I am a tad peeved with MRRC as no word for two weeks now. I sent another email chasing them up. Then there is DCC Concepts. I am waiting on some LEDs from Richard, but still nothing. A chase up email has been sent without reply.


Well Saturday arvo is the AFL Grand Final, so more then likely I will be planted in front of the TV drinking beer, eating munchies, and barracking for St Kilda. Why the Saints? Well my team the Lions didn't perform well this year and as Collingwood is the other GF team I am in the ABC camp (Anyone But Collingwood!). So maybe Sunday will see some shed time, hopefully on both layouts.


GO THE SAINTS!