Fully Enclosed

Himself is concerned - quite why, I can't imagine - that I might think he has been swinging the lead and so sent me a couple of photos with the caption that they prove he has been busy lately.

Quite where he's got this notion from is beyond me, because his output has been prodigious these last few months.

The latest project has been completing the wire fencing along the front of the station.

This is made up of 8 sections of etched brass fencing panels from Wizard Models.

He tells me they're quite fiddly to put together and it takes quite a while to paint them.

(If he describes it as fiddly then you may draw your own conclusions...)

The one thing missing from the station area before we can consider it complete is to make, or obtain, some portaloos.

Oh the glamour!

Next he's talking about getting on with sorting some of the things on the snagging list including some relaying in Goat Tunnel.

The track bed has always had a slight dip in the middle which sometimes causes stock to uncouple.

It's never a good look leaving the back half of your train behind...

Fence Spotting

You know things have gone too far when you start taking a close interest in the finer details of fencing - but that's the stage of advanced obsession that Himself has reached.

He is also rather pleased with his latest effort to represent the boundary along the uphill platform at Beddgelert.

He's done this using etches from Wizard models which I think look really effective.

There's also been a policy decision to take more photographs with trains posed at the work site.

I'm sure that's something we all approve of, yes?

MOTW - Old Water Tower Base

I'm featuring one of the smaller features on the layout this week, but one of the bits of the layout which immediately identify it as Beddgelert.

Known by some people by other less flattering names - such as the 'manky water tower' - this 1920's concrete McAlpine structure is one of the few bits of WHR heritage left at Beddgelert station, especially now the pit next to it has been covered over.

Our model was made from styrene from measurements taken at the site.

The mankiness comes courtesy of some concrete effect paint, which has a sandy texture when applied.

The rusted bits of rails sticking out of it are - well - rails, in this case offcuts of some Peco 009 track.

A Great Leap Forward

This update isn't just an excuse for a cheap, topical pun, there's some serious progress to report.

The scenery front line has marched northwards to the upper end of Beddgelert station.

Himself has completely revamped the board with the River bridge. When the layout was last shown it had some experimental static grass which upon reflection was a little short, a lot too green and very train set-ish.

The old static grass taken off, carpet underlay laid and then new static grass and more scatter materials added on top. (There is still more to go on.)

Some fencing has been done down by the road as well.

Here are some long range views of two of the station boards. The scale length platform loops - which can take a 12 carr train - are spread over three boards.



Here you can see some more of the Artistic Director's handiwork on some more bridge stonework and the water tower which Himself fabricated in brass. There's more on the tower in the Model Of The Week archive which you'll find in the menu at the top right of the page.





The next board up the line towards Rhyd Ddu is still pretty skeletal and has nothing on it apart from the ballasted track, land contours, some walls and bridges. This is what Himself will be tackling next.

Rear View

With just over 50 days to go until Bron Hebog gets presented to the paying public again Himself has been stepping up the grass planting around Beddgelert station.

A couple of weeks ago I showed you pictures of the base layer of dyed carpet underlay being applied to this board.

Now, not only is that complete, Himself has also added a second layer of foliage including a lot of static grass in the field behind the station. (On the right of the picture)



The view you're seeing here is the one the operators get from behind the layout - although eventually there will be another two rows of scenic boards behind this which will show the first of the S bends on the climb towards Rhyd Ddu.

Getting the trackwork right on this section is going to be critical because if a train were to derail in the middle of the layout it will be out of reach from any direction!

Station Views

Himself has been putting a lot of work into the board with the bulk of Beddgelert station on it in the last few weeks and, I hope you'll agree, the results are very impressive.



These shots are taking from the viewing side. My pride 'n joy, the KMX tamper, is posed in the siding to give a little context and scale to the scene.



Here's a view looking south towards the cutting leading to Goat Tunnel. (The Oberon Wood houses I mentioned last week will be in the top left of the picture.)



This view of the whole board and the adjoining one (on the left) gives you a good impression of how this section of Bron Hebog will look when we take the layout to shows at Sparsholt and Railex in the spring.



When the the layout is finally, finally finished there will be another 2 rows of boards, of the same depth, behind the ones in the picture with the first of the S bends circling Cwm Cloch farm.

Yes, it's going to be a biggie!