My Latest Aquisition

This is a 'must have', Having a bit of a thing for J94's and growing up and around these little work horses, It only seems reasonable that I should have couple around my layout (3 in fact, and one put away at my local model railway emporium)
            Well take a look at this little beauty, How could I not have this one?

The Original is preserved on The Foxfield Light Railway. So goodie I don't have to weather it....

 Considering that the model was produced in 2007 the attention to detail is pretty good but the couplings have to go...I think I will have to consider some brass lamp irons for the rear...

New base for builders yard

The builders yard is about five years old, and when I made it I put it on a 3mm mdf base and over the years it has warped and distorted. So I carefully retrieved the building and such with no damage...
          Now I cut a piece of 9mm ply and rolled some das air dry clay and scored out concrete bases, and left to dry.
          Next to do is excavate the baseboard, ensuring room to fit snug

 This how it looked (notice the distorted base)

 Excavating Baseboard.

 Checking the fit...Looks good.

 Concrete base and forming landscape...

 Starting to look good.

 Matches up with the road and the Mill...

 I made some more undergrowth and bushes on the banking.

 Sorry about that, a man having trouble with his dogs...

 Ariel view, looks good?

New bins and fencing...

Life on the layout!

 Happy Hour at The Boars Head!

The Local's grow there five a day!

I don't think he should be doing that in the canal?

Permanent Way in action!

One day on my MPD a loco refused to go over a baseboard joint at the slowest speed, a little faster it negotiated the gap,  no problem. Not good enough, all the others went over with no problems so why this one?........I am not having this..I thought, so I endeavored to rectify this problem......I happens on real railways so why not on miniature ones too? See below:-

The offending piece of track...

 

Offending track lifted...

Baseboard excavated and new track laid...

Result...Permanent Way in action!

Layout in the living room!

This layout was started about 5 years ago as a analogue or DC control, ans has been altered and modified over the years.see the links below;

https://picasaweb.google.com/102543464199161825201/MPDLayout#5129766881781092130

https://picasaweb.google.com/102543464199161825201/MPDModifications#5606679229770623682

https://picasaweb.google.com/102543464199161825201/10101202#5786651361591241618

Note that on the last set of photo's all the switches on the panels have been removed....and all the point work have been made DCC Safe...And all the ballast has been blackened as someone pointed out that MPD's of that era would not have had granite ballast and would not have been banked.....so not willing to rip it all up, I settled for blakened ballast Plus at the end of the day it gives me pleasure in my hobby...and that is the name of the game!

             The latest addition is some clear perspex to protect stock near to the edge of the board!

Any shunting uses Spratt & Whinkle couplings, so not much need for the 'hand of god'