Rain is a good thing

There seems to be a common theme between some blogs in that when it rains, work gets done in layout rooms.

I, not wanting to be out done have ventured into the train room due to it poring outside. Having plenty of jobs started that needed completing I decided that I needed to start the facia.

It has been a long time since undertaking this (on other peoples layouts) and having given it a lot of thought I jumped in.

When first designing "The Branch", a flowing facia following the track was always a requirement. So in this early stage I set about acquiring masonite for when the big day arrived.

Using some strips of 3mm mdf to form the curve

As you can see in the photo above I needed to trim the joists back so the facia could be afixed. The mdf allowed me to map the curve, mark and then cut for the facia to be fixed. That was the easy part.

with the joists cut back and the supports in place

Now is where it starts to get tricky. I wanted the facia to allow for creeks cuttings and hills all in one piece. Hmmm how much masonite do I allow above and below the track to cater for said scenery features. I settled on a mean average of 200mm and it seems pretty good.

facia inplace and ready to be cut to the required contour

Holding the facia in place while you start to fix it to joists is really the tricky part. After fixing it is time to cut the profiles with the trusty jigsaw.

To allow for a scenic break between the backdrop, there is a road overbridge and the facia has to be cut high. In the shot below you can see the bridge loosly in place to mark the cut height.

road bridge indicates the height to cut the facia

Once you get into a pattern of marking the joists, attaching the facia support and then attaching the facia and contouring it, you start to see the end results quicker and this spures you on.

The last photo gives you an indication of how the land forms around the track. All that is left is to fill in the area with coolite foam and shape.

the finished product

The weather has fined up again and it is time to get outside and finish of the horse stable, fencing, clearing ......................

Behind the Scene "Toowoomba 2011"

Yes the event has gone but the smiles are still hanging on. Geoff and I never travel light when it comes to Toowoomba, bringing everything bar the kitchen sink.

We camp at the show venue and this means we set up for just as much fun when the show closes.

Some of the gear that travels with us

Friday evening after the supplied exhibitor meals are over it is time to enjoy some modelling and idea sharing. There is always plenty taken to do but only a small amount gets done.

The smile says it all

When the show closes it gives exhibitors the chance to take some photos. We had some fun with the various locos that graced "Splitters Swamp Creek" over the weekend.

My 32 left Wattle Flat for a spin on Splitters'

We were joined over the weekend by fellow Tuesday Nighter Brendan and some of his nicely detailed rolling stock.

The 19 and CPH are the work of Brendan with my 32

Toowoomba is over for another year with Splitters and Geoff having been exceptionally well received for a first time outing. There were many very inspiring comments and Geoff should be very proud of his acheivements.

Many thanks to Brendan for becoming part of the team, great company with plenty of laughs and to Geoff for the great mate he is. I look forward to our next adventure.