New Layout Build - Track adjustments, ballasting curves and scenic details

[@nerdydbf]

There is something so therapeutic about watching these videos. Just before bed, cup of tea in hand, I can feel all the anxieties of the day wash away with only a tranquil sense of peace remaining.

[@MikeyJG]

Finally finish soldering and cutting the lift up section to complete my first circuit and check off "trains running by Easter" and then come in from the shed to a new Everard video! Happy Easter everyone! :)

[@cuebj]

9.48: That was my great-grandfather's job in late 19th century. My grandfather was youngest of 13, survived 4 years of WW1 as a private though three of his brothers didn't. He refused promotion to avoid being sniper target as he was only one left to support his old mother. No doubt, he would have worked the lines if the war hadn't opened up opportunities for those who survived. He became policeman in Liverpool and rose to deputy chief constable before joining up as military policeman in WW2 and one of the team responsible for re-establishing civil order in France immediately after D-Day

[@formidable38]

Its always a show stopper how the camera's compression estentuates any track irregularities!! Its good you included that video of MSP, "measure shovel packing" , we still use it today but it is a dying art. Those numbers on the rail eqaul the number of cans of chippings that are required under each sleeper. So, for example, 5 cans are spread equaly under each packing point (an erea of a shovels width each side of the rail). Each can is 1/16 th of an inch lift or in todays money, 1.5 mm. Those numbers would have been worked out via sighting boards or it can be done with a string line along the rail head and a step gauge. Once the track has been 'run' for a few trains, MSP is very accurate when done properly and gives a good lasting repair. Also interesting that your dip in the track was 1 mm, or, as you pointed out, 76 mm on the real thing. The intervention limit on the real railway is 15 mm for a 'slack' (dip). We call those 'top faults'. 76 mm would certainly be a block the line pronto!!! Keep up the good the work Richard. Cheers, Gary. Network Rail teamleader.

[@marktaylor3564]

That camera footage at the beginning was superb. Like a Railfreight sector update film

[@gregoryhale2202]

Richard, your attention to the little issues is to be congratulated. Cheers Greg

[@crompton33022]

Thank Richard. You continue to give me such inspiration. Thank you.

[@MrMolova]

Over 5 mins of running shots at the end? You spoil is sir. Gets me off to sleep wonderfully. I wish you would do some audio books 🤣❤️

[@unclenolly3207]

A new Everard Junction video on Easter Sunday - better than an Easter Egg! Can’t wait to watch.

[@roystudds1944]

Great video Richard. Your attention to detail and patience is admirable and surely gets great results. Thanks for sharing. Roy.

[@markonmotoring]

Really interesting to see the footage of how this is done in real life as a comparison. I can't wait to see work start on the station area and more on the town scene. I was always amazed by the attention to detail on the old layout and how the scene was brought to life.

[@kawaiisaki3538]

I feel like you were more loose and comfortable with being yourself in this video. Hope it's a sign of life going well!

[@timsully8958]

Hi Richard. In truth I think that was the right decision concerning the single slip. If nothing else, it means that job is done now and I tend to agree that slips are something I think more of in confined spaces than on a main line like that where there is space enough for a simple junction. I know that on our line we have precisely one just outside Pitsea station. In fact, they are so rare I had to explain what I meant when I referred to it as a slip to a couple of driver managers 🤣😂😅 Great to see the new sidings are being put to good use too. Love the contrast in ballasting and the tones you create by simply mixing up the ballast before you even attempt to power up the airbrush! 😜 As for the trimming of the track, I love how you have essentially scaled down the practices of the 1:1 railway complete with plastic tray tamping device! 😄 I think your method of slowly-slowly and layering of ballast is what gives it genuine depth. It doesn’t look right if it’s just piled up and I perhaps it sometimes causes track to warp over time. By doing it your way I suspect it will always be more solid 🤔 The introduction of those Peco girder bridge sections (which are splendid things) has really enhanced the whole scene too as it gives credence to the positioning of the road. The only thing I thought you might have done was make the feed tracks to the sidings appear to be on a separate bridge with a gap incorporating perhaps a track to street level access. But I should have suggested that earlier as there’s no chance now! 🤷🏻‍♂️ And in any case, that might just be overkill 😜 I never get sick of that van train by the way. Always looks great and screams “Teenage Timmy” at me 😄 Great stuff mate, always great to open up KZbin and see there’s a new offing. Looking forward to the next instalment already 😎 Cheers 🍻👍🍀

[@bionicgeekgrrl]

Slips were expensive so were used generally only when essential.

[@Scrimjer]

It's nice to finally watch you slip into madness.

[@jonathanpyle1375]

Brilliant video, and very informative, I'm going to take the plunge on a nice straight stretch of double track, and get ballasting under way, thanks Richard once again, best wishes

[@andrewstevenson5449]

So that's why your track looks perfect: it is perfect! Cameras really are great at pointing out small errors. I find photos particularly useful for spotting buildings and other infrastructure floating a few inches off the ground!

[@StockportJambo]

If buildings are really floating a few inches off the ground, not only is that an impressive trick in itself, but also surprising you needed a photo to recognise it.

[@andrewstevenson5449]

@@StockportJambo Scale inches, clever clogs.

[@StockportJambo]

@@andrewstevenson5449 ;)

[@sharold28]

Hi Rich, nice update and lovely neat ballasting, great to see. Your layout is pulling me towards the late eighties as the main era for my 2fs/N gauge efforts, thanks for the inspiration. Stephen

[@pettergardo3874]

Being what others call perfectionistic, I find our videos extremely relaxing to watch. The extreme level of attention to detail and your ability redo stuff without hesitation makes for fantastic results. Sitting down to watch something being made knowing from the beginning that the result will be amazing is so calming for my mind. Thank you 🙏

[@1BCamden]

Hi Rich, I remember your ballasting episode from over ten years ago, always something to learn. Love too, the push for alignment perfection, the camera never lets you off the hook 😉 Thanks for the running section too

[@captainjackkay3132]

Thank you, it's all about your absolute attention to detail.

[@paulofbramleyjunction4270]

Well that’s 100% better now Richard, great work and great attention to detail too. You’ve made my Easter, putting this video out over this period. 👌🏻

[@oceanfroggie]

Richard. Thank you. Your sharing is the Open University of model railways and layout construction. Concise, to the point, yet highly informative. Thank you. A gold mine of learning and useful information. Seeing what's possible is inspiring and provokes action. Take care and Happy Easter to you and your loved ones.

[@coxsj]

Good decision to fix the dips in the track. Worth the effort. Final superelevated track looks smooth and realistic. Looking forward to seeing weathering applied to the track. Thx for sharing!

[@PaulSmith-pl7fo]

Hi Richard. Fantastic work and some great modelling tips - thank you.

[@striderpaul]

The tracks look fantastic, a lot of effort but you have done a superb job. Great video as always, thank you.

[@mcgherkinstudios]

As a regular watcher of Jayemm’s car reviews that timelapse audio really threw me! Fantastic work. Network Rail could learn a lot from you!

[@nigelbevan8449]

Stunning.... Absolutely brilliant!!!!.... You must have the patience of a Saint to do all of that my friend.... Give yourself a pat on the back bud.....

[@gazclass58]

Evening just got to take a look at your new video. You done a brilliant job in sorting out the little teething problems and the 2 new ballast lines look awesome when the roiling stock is running round the layout witch is all slowly coming together now. Video most definitely worth the watch has usual great choice of freight and passenger rolling stock running session. keep up the great work look forward to the next one kind regards Gary and happy modelling.

[@bear1245]

The further and harder the girder is away and closest to the track is where you put up your best most seen work 😉 🎨

[@daveharriman2756]

Well worth the extra work, looks fantastic, I love the archive footage regarding ballasting and maintenance of the track too, A great video, well put together thanks for the upload!

[@locowerke]

Another superb installment, many thanks for sharing all your hard work, always enjoyable to watch & catch up with your efforts!

[@TheDaf95xf]

Happy Easter 🐣 Richard and thanks for a fantastic update on what’s becoming a really fantastic model railway with a touch of realism 🤩

[@davidcann4329]

Once again, your attention to detail is just outstanding, your section on track ballasting and resolving dipped areas in your track was fascinating. Having worked on a famous narrow gauge railway with ex BR track gangers in the 1990s', a lot of what you showed (including videos of real life techniques) runs true. We did actually do something a bit more technical on certain sections of track where there were "voids" under the sleepers and the cup of "chippings" was used, but we jacked the track up and spread the chippings out using a rail mounted air compressor. This was a highly skilled job as the track gangers firstly walked the track and used a metal bar, which they would drop onto the track and listen to the noise to work out how many cups of chippings were required. We would then go along the track and put in square steel tubes which had a cut-out and angle on the bottom of - then jack the track up a bit - before tipping the chippings into a special funnel attached to the compressor hose which would spread things evenly.

[@stmichaelsjunction]

Hello Richard love you work. And watching your KZbin channel.

[@kraigsickels3918]

You make excellent progress on your track work because it really shows! And it’s a really smart idea to have a scissor junction instead of a single slip 👍!

[@paulturnbull5861]

Excellent video as always Rich, absolutely love how you strive for perfection. The new sidings are also a great addition and not only improve the quality of the running shots but a great way to show of your stock.

[@davetevens5080]

AnOther amazing video Richard. Perfection is the key to success and your certainly a perfectionist. Shame our railway operators can’t take a leaf out of your book. 😎😎

[@jonty172]

Great video Everard, thanks as always! I learned on a video recently that the ballast comes from a nearby supplier for local rocks/ different variations or rock type, due to different areas in Britain having slightly different rock. So Network rail will have a supplier in Devon and another one in Liverpool for example. They load this up on wagons and any left over from a job gets stored by British rail for a future job, after time these wagons get mixed up and borrowed for unforeseen projects and they use whatever they have in stock. They may have a job in Bristol and the nearest supplier they have is from Devon and he only has half of what they need, then they use their own stock or get more from another supplier who may be in Kent for example so now we have 3 different colours layed. Hope that makes sense.

[@NicholassTrainChannel]

Awesome video Richard. Always good to check these things it just makes running trains that bit more enjoyable as things don't derail or run poorly. Look forward to the next one. - Nicholas.

[@umbertoyltp]

Another fine episode of Rail Away (Dutch tv series about trains). Keep up the good work!

[@michaelmiller641]

Wonderful, very impressive!

[@CraigLYoung]

Thanks for sharing 👍 and Happy Easter to you and your family.

[@daviemaclean61]

Egg-celent! ;-) I have two sets of Peco open girder and two sets of the curved girder bridges. After watching this I can finally make my mind up where they're going on my layout!

[@maringarvanovic8011]

"The standard cannister is USED". Brilliant!. Sorry but that was so Chumley Warner. On a serious note. Love your channel and your layout. Always look forward to the next video. Take care.

[@trainmanbob]

Absolutely loved the opening sequence, Richard. Great video. As I pass my 70th birthday, I dread to think how many tons of scale ballast I have laid in 60 years. The principle never seems to change but how the ballast has. I started with budgie grit mixed with wallpaper paste and now use the super new Legacy ballast. How times change. Thanks for another great video. Cheers, Bob

[@KeanesCove]

Great photography and video editing Rich.

[@Gus-jb8cm]

Great video Richard 👌 You must have a steady hand to the graffiti, not surprised there isn't a "Killroy was hear" on the bridge. Haha!! 😂🤣 I also love the way you've used old film stock of railworkers doing the job. Nice touch!! 👍 👍

[@ThePhosphater]

The Ballasting looks really good

[@NQY-flyer]

Great tutorial Richard I’ll be pulling this from the archives in future times 👍

[@spatt1997]

A new video after just 2 weeks? What a great day!

[@1800-REGICIDE]

I happened to catch your appearance on that documentary about Hornby on TV here in Australia the other night. I was quite surprised when I heard a voice that sounded familar and turned out to be you! I was also surprised that you're younger than me! (only by two years) Keep up the great content mate!

[@marksinthehouse1968]

You cant beat smooth flowing track your videos will now look superb no awkward dips or wobbles wel worth it ,Great Deltan is doing the same in N it’s well with it,hopefully one day when I get the room I’ll do the same ,and your right about network rail once on platform 9 at CLJ I had to call the signaller we had a dip form on the country end and I was concerned about platform strike on fast through trains they can put out a temporary restriction and it was levelled that night Happy Easter to you and family Mark 👍🏻😊

[@ricks.4772]

Excellent the way you have the flashing red lamps on the rear of the freight trains and even a passenger train although you probably need a few more. You rarely see these on model railways.

[@NOMADCREATIVESOLUTIONS]

Awesome weathering and detail, really starting to look like the real thing

[@kristofferfalk5339]

Wow... A new vid already 👍 Gonna be a great sunday 👍🙂

[@onnomulder9775]

Great job Richard!!! Well done! Cheers Onno.

[@martinworrall5888]

Perfection is near enough haha, seriously though I can see exactly what you mean about the small imperfections that get bigger every time you see them. Another great vlog 👍

[@mattmaz2]

Brilliant video, a lot of work went into that - both on the layout and making the vid. Thanks 😁👌👍

[@propeltheprototoaster8151]

Was watching a documentary on Hornby and they featured you. Your work is so amazing!

[@davidstrains4910]

Great video Richard some great work there.

[@GoodfordModelRailway]

I would strongly suggest that your track is a lot more perfect and true than that across the whole country on the real thing! Great update and fantastic progress, as always 👍

[@thescrapline4905]

Definitely going to be a cracking scene with those sidings in the background, makes a massive difference.

[@silverfoxracing1124]

Love your work Richard. The channel “Tools abs Track” (car builders) mentioned you in one of their vids! Love the fact two such diverse channels I follow ended up linked 😂

[@bionicgeekgrrl]

The changes look great. I agree with you about the slip, they were not used as often as people think as they are complex and expensive. I'm unsure if they would use a facing point though, especially if it is a high speed line. Typically they would cross over and reverse rather than using a facing point. But I'm not 100% on whether they would do that in such a busy area or not.

[@firecastex]

Hi there! Apologies for mentioning this here but couldn’t find exactly how to direct message. Just seen an episode of Hornby: A Model World on UKTV Play and saw some of your footage in the episode to do with the Intercity 125. Hoping they contacted you to use it and didn’t just pilfer it without permission. Love watching what you get up to even though I’m not a model railway hobbyist. Looking forward to what you get up to next :)

[@chal5723]

Another fantastic video! At the spot where there is still a bit of a dip, maybe you can sprinkle some very light colored ballast to appear like there is pumping, sleepers breaking down forming ash, and a wetbed forming. Possibly some spots of light ballast in some other areas too on the older tracks to pretend maintenance went out and manually tamped small faults

[@hellooohowareudoing]

I didn't expect another video this soon, definitely not complaining though!!

[@mattkirk2482]

This is awesome. Love the graffiti and ballasting. Don't have a train set, so my opinion counts for nowt, but really great job. Well done you

[@danieljohnson1763]

"Harder than the seats on a class 700" 🤣 Amazing video as aways of my favouite model railway.

[@tonylawlor3503]

Wonderful video, great watching, many thanks

[@georgecowley3972]

Really getting into the new layout build now, keep it up :)

[@ewoodrailway]

Yes graffiti is everywhere, something I’ve also added to make it more realistic

[@willnorrismodels]

Looks Amazing

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

Layout looking good thanks lee

[@smallshelflayout]

Another great video 😀 Greetings Rich

[@richardlees778]

Very nice job mate

[@ngaugefouroaksstreetstatio6932]

I like that "the trains go over it fine but it's going to annoy me". Exactly.

[@atlasduff4628]

Hope you got the Robels out after lifting and packing Richard!😁 By the way, Measured Shovel Packing is still done today 😉

[@martynbuzzing3327]

Attention to detail so many don't think about. I'm surprised there isn't a modified carriage that can measure if the track is out of level. Something that could produce a print out of the problem. Great vid as usual.

[@cedarcam]

There is a High Speed Train that can do that It takes readings at up to 125 mph and also uses high definition cameras to take photos of every sleeper. It can also check the overhead power lines for defects. It covers the whole network every few weeks but there are still walking patrolmen inspecting the line and local gangs going out to do repairs in the way shown

[@martynbuzzing3327]

@@cedarcam nice idea, but the model trains I was thinking about don't do 125mph..I was thinking of a miniature set up for the serious modeller.

[@cedarcam]

@@martynbuzzing3327 Ah OK Sorry. There is another comment similar to yours. I think it is a good idea but would be an expensive thing to develop and may not sell well. Could be something a large club would invest in though. There are many tools to assist us now the track setting curves ballast spreaders the packings to make canted track, so maybe someone will look at making a track measuring vehicle.

[@martynbuzzing3327]

@@cedarcam no worries. Your comment was interesting anyways.

[@little_britain]

I kind of like to have narrow open gaps between plate girders as often seen on the prototype (like the bridges at each end of Finsbury Park). It does demand more work because you can glimpse the roadway underneath, but it is an effect I am going to try to model myself.

[@TheAjellisuk]

Great video. I may be wrong, but I think the photo with the class 56 at 32:26 is Ely. If it is, the station looks very different now!

[@meruliouslacrimens5154]

We always knew when we were getting closer to London, as the graffitti got closer together and more dense. On any line, i always wondered sometimes "As to how the hell did they manage to get to that point, without getting killed", and sometimes laughing because they got it upside down. Ever thought of putting in some of the oddities of rolling stock, like the old sandite units, or route learners' observation car?

[@Ozbert]

Not a criticism, just a thought... The bridge girder left without graffiti seems to be the best area for vandals/artists to work safely rather than the dangerous areas trackside where they would need a spotter and have to stop and dash out of the way. ; - )

[@adamc1272]

And Easter Sunday just got a bit better

[@harrygreenfeld4964]

For what it's worth your graffiti detailing looks really good. Making 'bad' look 'good' (if you get me) is pretty difficult so, kudos.

[@thelibrarian46]

I admire your care and dexterity to ensure that the ballasting levels are correct. Is it affected by the temperature, of the track, in the same way as in real life?

[@a11csc]

pure genius at its best rich

[@Mike__B]

While at the beginning of the video you adjusted the dip in the track, when you put that plastic lid with the water in it there definitely looked like there was a good sized slope going perpendicular to the tracks, i.e. one track was 1mm or so higher than the other.

[@wasted-blaster.]

what you are referring too is called MSP (Measured shovel packing) a process we still use today for twist faults, wet bed repairs etc etc.

[@IamRobotMonkey]

We've moved on from using an old bean can for measuring though, I hope? ;)

[@wasted-blaster.]

@@IamRobotMonkey you would of thought so but sometimes the old ways are the best ways :) on the route I work on we still use MSP for plainline and sidings work.

[@cedarcam]

@@IamRobotMonkey LOL The old bean can is a standard issue The numbers chalked on the rail show how many cans are needed to bring the track to the correct level You find that number by using a void meter which you clip on the rail, as a train goes over and dips the track a reading is shown of how many bean cans are needed. Also sighting boards that clip on top of the rail are used to check the track is level.

[@wasted-blaster.]

@@cedarcam we use track gauges now as red zone is a no no pretty must most if not all lift and pack jobs are done at night now using jacks, chippings and track gauge to find the twist or dip and take it out to make a level track.

[@cedarcam]

@@wasted-blaster. OK Thanks for the update. I was S&T and an old workmate told me a lot had changed track access wise in the last few years. A lot seems to be done on nights now in both departments In some ways thats making the job harder to do. In daylight it was easier to look along the rail top to see where the dips were

[@laurentazzopardi4756]

Great tips & many thanks for the invaluable info & solutions ;-)

[@chiefstain]

The freight container marked BELL should definitely be at the end off the train!!

[@joshuaW5621]

Happy Easter 🐣

[@Hanzo.Azmodan]

Just an observation not a criticism, but at 5:51 to 5:57 is the last axle of the rear wagon slightly over gauge as it seems to be riding up on the flange, or it may just be my eyesight!

[@deanburn3400]

Love the videos. Don't have a model railway myself. Also would love to know the intermitten music too between the narrative.

[@clivehale397]

Nice video rich one question are you putting any more signalling in....? G P L s for instance..

[@Plymouthstation1985]

Great update video for a moment it sounded like jayemm on cars good music choice

[@michaelbottomley2520]

I wonder if it’s the Cork underlay it could be Compressed from the manufacturers in the first place

[@JamesPetts]

Easter Everard - excellent!

[@nicholashortonjustice4rebe378]

Happy Easter 🍫🐔🥚

[@Synthematix]

Mate if you switch your camera to NTSC mode it will record at 60fps, ive been up and down the country for the past 3 days on trains and ive noticed the majority of the concrete sleeper track is in fact a sandy/yellow colour, and the sleepers are closer together than i thought, actually code83 track seems ideal.