Rhiw woodwork

Today the final bits of the hardwear of Rhiw:the facia and finishing off the fiddle-yard. Lots of muttering about getting the gallows bit of the facia right. Luckily I had the son of a carpenter to assist and work out all the tricky bits.

Rhiw scenics

'Do a little bit every day' is what Brian Cameron said. Good advice in anyone's book. Yesterday saw me use up the entire stock of fencing oddments plus some I'd nicked from Nigel and complete the full 7' length of layout on top of the wall. Mainly Ratio spearpoint but as that ran out a few odd bits of other stuff as well. That done, on to the fluffy stuff.

I'm not a convert to the newer materials like standy-up grass- if you could still get PECO dyed sawdust I'd probably be using it. Hence the bushy stuff (and there's quite a bit to do) uses what we used to call 'lichin'; the green rubberised moss. I bought a huge carrier bag from a florists a few years back and I'm still working through it. By far the cheaper way to buy it. This will, as I work along the layout, be coated with various ground foams with PVA and finished with cheap hairspray.
Once that's done I could almost get away with saying it's finished - though it isn't.

Rhiw - The first offence

Sat listening to a mis-named CD. Credited as Wynton Marsalis, but should be Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers... Wynton sells more units than Blakey.

Yesterday I managed to plug on with the arse-end of Rhiw: the industrial unit finished off with some nice square section plastic drainpipes, a little subtle mid 80s graffiti, and an 8' security fence courtesy of Knightwing, which isn't just plain sections as I'd hoped, but a predetermined set of fence and gate combination, so a bit of surgery was called for. Followed by painting with surprisingly three colours: sea grey, metalic and some of that crappy olive green that I had so much bother with on the Spitfire project.

Today I need to attack the fencing atop the wall. Never before have I used so many commercial items on a layout.

Rhiw running trials

Rhiw was set up in the front parlour at Mrs. F's request in order to measure up for the huge drapes that it needs. The request 'make it go then' prompted a full test with all available motive power. This wasn't entirely successful and did highlight a few problems mainly caused by uncoupling ramps. Also showing how much there is still to do. The expanse of nothingness that is Rhiw.

Garn

Hello suckers, I'm back! (full apologies to the 2nd half opening of Chicago).
Lots of stuff happening - well a little, and now that I'm away from Internet provided by vodaflop and now with BT expensivenet things can only get worse.
More later.

later....

Garn made a hasty appearance at the Sussex Downs Members Day 

The layout had been pencilled for ExpoNG in 2012, but this seems to have been brought forward to this year. And now as of today re-invited to the Porthmadog bash nexy May. This year's event having being cancelled. I had been approched about it, then heard nothing, then got cancelled - to a show that I hadn't been booked for. Maybe I'll keep quiet and PT will just send the petrol money...

So exactly how much usage is 10Gb a month? Anyone know?