flapland101

Winter wonderland update, or wrong kind of snow for running today. " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Not posted much recently a brief update on the patio line, I now have a four track mainline through the station and right round although one line does go on the inside of the yard a is a little tight for some loco's. When the weather improves will post some more updated photo's. Belated New Year by the way.

Hope we get some snow this year as I would like to play around with a snow plough if I can find a sensibly priced one. Also does anyone know of any battery HO or OO locos I could use with one.

Very nice, especially the trestle viaduct. Any freight as a long rake of wagons would look great.

Ok, I have been busy building a yard and station since my last update. Neither are the finished item with the yard perhaps needing a redesign and the station fences, people, furniture etc but it will be the last major build of 2012. I made good use of the dry weather last Saturday and this weekend. I have made another dodgy video which is below. Need to get a train cam though at some point. NqH11LbarDQ

Thanks Craig, good to know they need no protection. Reykjavik, I bet its been warm and sunny all day unlike the UK.

I too have had washed out engineering works today but this video has cheered me up. Out of interest do you leave your Bachmann Art Deco buildings out and if so have treated them in anyway, reason I ask is have invested in some this week.

The hose couplings do look great and also bring the coaches nice a close. The trouble is I am having trouble with some coaches and the Bachmann sliding couplings, this happens on both the hose ones and also standard ones when coupled to a loco. I suspect its just some of them need some kind of lubrication to stop them sticking. I don't have a covered fiddle yard but can store them in pairs so reconnection its too big a job.

Love the latest video and must say tempted by a green 37 I must admit. As others have said the view through the carriage window was excellent and also shows how well made the glazing is on recent coaches. Out of interest do you run your Bachmann coaches with nornal couplings or the brake hose ones. If the later how do you get on with them as I find them temperamental.

Thats a bit of a bummer, suspect there is a minimum size you go with a hole before its pretty much guaranteed to block itself up with rubbish. New to this game but sure someone has the answer.

Hi traingeekboy, glad you liked the bad video. I have plans for buildings and next year some decent and live plants. Other scenery I don't think will work so well except perhaps some bridges and if I can work out how to do it without too big an incline a loop of track that passes under the main track at one point. Lots of ideas but cash means I have to be careful. For example my fiddle yard idea might get reduced to one through road and 4-5 sidings as I thought how likely am I to fill that amount of space. Also putting that amount of stock out would take ages. No running tonight as the chance of rain is a little too high.

Like the idea of using silicone sealer through a syringe. I will watch yours with interest especially as the Art Deco buildings are under consideration.

Now looking at options to put a 2.5m or so long 8 or more track fiddle yard in during the autumn. Sticking with the recycled plastic approach 18mm ecoboard pre-cut looks my best bet as a base but wondering if to try three points or not. Also not sure if to go for 100% through yard or 40/40 south exit/north exist with one or two through tracks as this would allow for longer trains. Just off to cost it !!

Yes, I am and have been most of the weekend. Chance of a shower though early evening down in London according to the Met so just packed away a lot of stuff as I have to go out for a bit. This of course means it will stay dry.

Time a update on the Patio Line. I have expanded my coaching stock and wagon collection a little and started adding a few buildings in the past few weeks. Coaching stock wise I have taken advantage of the good prices available on Bachmann MK1 BR Maroon stock adding a rake of 7 including a BG all coupled using the special brake hose type coupling. I have also bought from hattons 5 MK1 Pullmans although 3 of these will need renumbering/naming using transfers available, for £21 I couldn't resist. The buldings added are two of the Scenecraft Carriage sheds and some very temporary placed Peco platforms I got cheap off ebay. Also added a few of the new Bachmann ex LNER Fish Vans which are very nicely modelled although do need weathering. Below is my latest and worst video with a 9f and 7f on freight hence SDJR title. cuSOnnhqk20

Oh very very nice, I think fixed. Great camera work and the weather really helped. Also liked the analogue synth sounding music, your or someone else's. Just watching the twinkle off my new Bachmann MK1 Pullmans going round after sunset. Will do a video at the weekend.

I was going to ask if the depot had been varnished and also if anyone knew of a suitable matt aerosol varnish which will offer some kind of protection.I assume the fading was through sunlight and not semi soluble paint. Interesting to hear the Scaledale stuff is OK, perhaps they treat theirs or use paints which don't fade/washout.

Yes, we all find working with bears very helpful. This also helps wash the marmalade sandwiches down. http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTeYrNWiA0JZ0g-ac46G-KXeuNzk0Oltu6YZRcWHga3IZsWooWV

Welcome you have lot of potential with 80 ft to play with. As others have said a short run with perhaps a passing loop (station) a one siding at either end and you have lots potential trips. Do make sure any usable scrap from the fence is kept as it might come in useful as will raiding any local skips. Flexi track can be bought reasonably cheaply especially if you are running modern era and happy with concrete sleepers which appears to be a little cheaper from the big online merchants. Also ebay sometimes has good lots of track although make sure its nickel silver (been there and bought the wrong stuff). Most of enjoy.

Bit of an update on the expanding planks saga. Now temperatures have fallen to August Bank Holiday levels which this year mean 18c at the moment the plastic has shrunken about 1-2mm per m. This has meant is one corner of the track all the joints have tightened and some of the track has buckled. Now this hasn't been too bad has i hadn't gone mad with track pins so there was scope to bend and not pop out of the plastic sleepers. Removing about 1.5mm off two lengths of flex-track has brought everything back in line. Was hopping to get some running in today but have been rained off twice and with more rain promised have written off today. Its going to be interesting to see what winter brings and if the plastic shrinks much more or if I am just into standard track shrinkage, hopefully just the later. Hope to get some Scenecraft carriage sheds next weekend and wonder if anyone else has used these or similar outside, also looking at platform options and thinking about using the corrugated plastic board has anyone else tried this.

Recently got a Bachmann 24 and thats a good little hauler so perhaps a pair of those or 20s which I suspect has a similar chassis might do the job of hauling 8-16 coaches down to Skegness

Looking good, could one way round the narrowness at the bottom be to use the space to create the bottom of a figure of 8 and loop under and backup halfway back up the Garden with the another larger loop at the top end of the garden. The bottom end would of course be quiet tight with perhaps radius 2 maybe 3 curves. Just a mad thought.

Don't you hate it when you think you nearly finished a job and find out you need to re-do it again. At least you didn't have to rebuild Breeze(block) Moor Viaduct

I am also really interested in the side mounted point motors although if your reports are good I might install a couple on the main running line. I have found a 70/30 mix of iso/water and a toothbrush is a pretty good way of keeping point blade and their contact point clean. However I am also interested in peoples experience of bonding the blade to the running rail.

Looking good and jealous of your nice long straights, best I can do is about 1.6m. Are you running DC or DCC.

Love the viaduct and personally think a rake of 16t mineral wagons would make a good engineering test. For the official opening you could use whatever none standard guest loco you fancy brought out of the museum for the occasion. Weather looks good for the weekend so might we see a bridge opening or test?