Sunday, August 25, 2013

Gunnmere Gets More Lights

Having installed lights on the platforms at Gunnmere we thought that we should also install some in the sidings and goods yard.
So, this weekend we added three between the two tracks leading to the engine shed and one in the small goods yard.
This has certainly made Gunnmere look quite spectacular when all of the lights are lit, as indicated in the busy scene above.
Here we see Class 50 'D400' at Platform 3 with a northbound express. It had travelled 'wrong line' from Coneyvale Halt due to Sunday engineering works on the down line.
Standing in the sidings is Class 23 'D5909' with a short rake of oil tankers and Class 20 'D8158' with a rake of coal wagons both ready to depart once the express has cleared.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Light The Good Light

Having made some major improvements to Gunnmere during the past few weeks, we thought that it was high time that the station was fitted with some platform lights.
So, this weekend saw us fit five double lamps to each platform such that, now, two of our three major stations have been enlightened!
We still have to instal some coloured light signals at each end of the platforms, as well as lights inside some of the station buildings. We also plan to put some yard lights between the tracks leading to the engine shed as well as one in the small goods siding. 
So, when all of those are fitted Gunnmere will be, well and truly, lit-up!

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Once More To Davemoor

Following a bit of a summer break, during which time we had a lovely holiday down in sunny (in fact, very sunny) Cornwall, I guess it is about time for an update on our latest progress.
From the photos above you will see that Davemoor is now, more or less, up and running with trains able to arrive and depart.
The aerial view in the first photo shows the station layout with a two-car, Class 108 standing at Platform 1, having just arrived with a train from Anchwood, via Gunnmere. 
At Platform 3 is a Class 24 with a local train, waiting to depart for Gunnmere while, at Platform 4 is a Clayton at the head of a rake of coal wagons.
To the extreme left of this photo can be seen a Class 03 shunter fussing about with some wagons in the factory sidings - the factory and its sidings can be better seen in the fourth photo. The wagons seen here are actually cattle wagons but only because the ones that are going to be used here are away being weathered.
You will see that the Mk 1 coaches behind the Class 24 have all been weathered as, indeed, have most of our coaches now. The coal trucks have also been heavily weathered and filled with real coal which has then been secured by diluted PVA glue. These now look very realistic and are a superb complement to the grey (and similarly weathered) Class 17.
Clearly there is still much landscaping work to be done here but at least trains can start running again.
Finally, in the bottom photo, you can see that we have done some more landscaping at Gunnmere, between the road bridge and the station. This will eventually give the appearance of an extension to the embankment on the other side of the bridge and will certainly look better than a flat, blue wall.