February 2024 layout update | Loft model railway update #2

[@ModelTrainOutsider]

Missed this one! Looks like the layout is really coming along and nice stock to showcase, as well!

[@DudleyCentral]

@@ModelTrainOutsider thank you very much!

[@medwaypeninsulaMR]

Hi Joe- I alwaysenjoy following the build and you have made good progress and it is good to see the bus station has still got a place too. Keep Safe. Cheers Kev

[@DudleyCentral]

Thanks Kev, yeah couldn't bring myself to throw that one away. Might have a play around with it's position over the next few months.

[@Teesbrough]

Congratulations on achieving your Chartered Civil Engineer status. My neighbour works for Volker Rail on track gangs for the TRU so I’m expecting great things from both of you! Your layout is coming along very nicely.

[@DudleyCentral]

Ahaa thanks! Yep it's certainly keeping us all very busy! Should make a big difference when it's finished! Cheers, Joe

[@MarchWestJunctionTMD]

Hi Joe 👍 looking really good. Look forward to seeing your progress as the plans sound awesome. All the best to you and yours Andy

[@DudleyCentral]

Thanks Andy, much appreciated bud! Joe

[@moorlandmodelrailwayandy]

Hi Joe nice update. The new parts around the tmd fit in perfectly. With the viaduct area you could have hillsides dropping down from both sides into the valley, I think you plan to do that but at the back of the viaduct how about trying using photos in each arch giving the impression that the canal and road go off into the distance. You could then add a bit of hillside at the back just filling the gap, add trees and bushes and a backscene of some sorts again to give the impression of the scene going off into the wider countryside. Just my thoughts. I did it on one of my bridges and it looks quite effective, probably on my last video. Anyway enjoyed the update and yeah you've done loads cheers Andy

[@DudleyCentral]

Thanks Andy, and that's a great shout regarding the photo in the dipped areas. I might just do that to be fair! Joe

[@hillmanhalt]

A great update, the layout looks fantastic and has given me some great ideas. 🙂 And my Accurascale Mk2's are currently on their way to me, hopefully you will get yours soon too!

[@DudleyCentral]

Cheers! Yes just got mine, made up with them!

[@dibsyardshuntinglayout]

The depot area does look very good.

[@DudleyCentral]

Thanks Dibs!

[@sevenoaksOO]

Terrific stuff mate, looking forward to the diesel depot area progressing. It's all coming together really well 👍

[@DudleyCentral]

Thank you very much! Really looking forward to it myself to be honest! ☺️

[@sevenoaksOO]

@@DudleyCentral I know what you mean - that feeling of getting stuck into a new area of the layout, and knowing exactly what you want to achieve! Keep the updates coming :)

[@colwichjunction3366]

Nice update, you have lots of great ideas for the layout. Looking forward to seeing it all develop…. Cheers John b Love the Timelapse bits👍

[@DudleyCentral]

Cheers John, much appreciated! Joe

[@chartwellregis]

Hi Joe, had been on the railways, from 1987 until 2021, during the transition from BR to Privatisation there were different infrastructure maintainance companies (IMC) which were for each region, ie Amec, Balfour Beatty, Jarvis, Serco, all the vehicles were replaced between 1994 to about 1995, these were in the colours of the different IMC companies. I believe thr Region your depicting may have been Jarvis. Love your updates, the layout is coming on a treat, are you going to do a motorway scene. Keep up the excellent work. Happy Modelling. Kindest Regards Dave at Chartwell Regis 👍👍👍

[@DudleyCentral]

​@@chartwellregischeers Dave, I should have thought with Balfour Beatty seeing as they were my former employer! 😅 I'll certainly have a look into Jarvis, they seem to appear a lot on the bridge inspections I work on now from that period so that's also a very good shout! Not came across Amec, did they become nowadays Amey?

[@chartwellregis]

Hi Joe, I worked for Amec Rail until all the IMC were taken in house by becoming Network Rail, AMECs Area was South Central, Balfour Beatty were in Kent and Wessex these were all the IMC in the old Southern Region, Jarvis I believe covered the East Coast Mainline and were implicated with the Potters Bar and Hatfield train crashes. I cannot remember who covered the West Coast Main Line and the Midlands, not sure if it was Balfours. There might be some old photos of these companies vehicles, I know AMEC were orange and then changed to a pail blue, Jarvis were maroon, and Balfour Beatty were white an blue, I hope this helps you, I did enjoy my 35 years on the Railway as I had worked in maintenance BR to AMEC/Network Rail and then in Network Rail Projects as a Construction Manager on the Wessex Route based at London Waterloo. Keep up the excellent work love the layout, and my tip is take loads of photos if you work on the Railway is my tip. Kindest Regards Dave 👍👍👍

[@DudleyCentral]

@@chartwellregis that's really helpful! Thank you very much!

[@bramosborne3078]

Great model railway coming from the West Midlands and living in the Pennines I can relate to the layout particularly the buses as I drove for travel for 14 years the 2 at north Birmingham,,,,,me myself lol I model modern German HO

[@DudleyCentral]

Nice! I've also migrated North up to Leeds now but hold on tight to my Midlands heritage. I find the buses down there unrecognisable now ahaa! Seeing the Tridents disappearing now makes me feel old! 😅 I do have a soft spot for German H0. I've got a short Doppelstock rake with a BR 147 knocking around. May have to get that out! Joe

[@bramosborne3078]

@@DudleyCentral the 147s are nice ocean IClivery on order to do with my Brawa IC twindexx set I’m in Marsden by Standedge , there is nice national express desiro EMU set coming this year from modellbahn union who strange are a major OO stockist in Germany , Germany is going the British route with several shops and smaller manufacturers coming on the scene making their own products

[@DudleyCentral]

@@bramosborne3078 definitely seems as if the manufacturer landscape is changing. Interesting how similar things are happening in Germany too! I only have Piko but I'm very impressed with the quality of it for the price.

[@johnmitchinson9577]

I would suggest putting registration plates on the Land Rover vehicles.

[@DudleyCentral]

Yeah good shout, strangely these ones don't come with plates on the front, so definitely needs adding!

[@dibsyardshuntinglayout]

A supermarket may be good, or keep those industrial buildings with a B@Q, Wicks, or Homebase sign?

[@DudleyCentral]

That's a good shout to be fair with a DIY store and probably more fitting for those units.

[@dibsyardshuntinglayout]

@@DudleyCentral definitely worth mocking up... Even if you reject the idea in the end.

[@DarrenMills-cg4cn]

So glad I've found your videos on KZbin... I've just started building my first ever layout.. and this gives me so many ideas... I'm currently working in an industry site at one end.... what's the textured grey paint you use for the carpark areas

[@DudleyCentral]

@@DarrenMills-cg4cn thank you! I've used town and country textured paint, worn tarmac. What really brings it to life though is AK terrain pigments brushed on it. I use city dirt and asphalt road dirt which totally transforms any of the textured paints

[@mattsdieseltrains1565]

Looks good! What did u use for your hardstanding? I was thinking of using balsa wood but cant think how to make the pattern between the tracks & cut it out from there, any idea’s plz????

[@PeckhamHall]

It's looking really good, I'd have the ramp 2½ times the width of a bus to make it not look over scale. Back in that era, early 90s I'd say alot vehicles would be Leyland DAF vans, like the Royal Mail had back then. Do you remember the Dudley bus garage before they built the Dudley bypass pre 1995ish?, if your under 45 it's probably before your time, mate. You could model the white horse statue next to the line just before Sandwell and Dudley Station if I remember correctly but certainly on the way to New Street Birmingham, then there is the Canal after Dudley Port with a double bridge next to the Station.

[@DudleyCentral]

Thanks! Yes the ramp will be the next area I really go at and that's about the size I was thinking. That sounds good, I'll try and look at getting some Leyland vans, do you reckon yellow or white? I dont personally remember the buss garage in Dudley, just before my time. I've only ever known it in Pensnett. Not came across that statue! 😅 Might have to have a look into that but certainly know about the canal bridge which doubles up at Dudley Port. Cheers, Joe

[@PeckhamHall]

@DudleyCentral That white horse, you got me trying to find it, no luck yet, but it looked exactly like the white horse on the Kent flag and it was made from tin sheet on a couple of black angle iron posts, it was about 8 foot tall, it was on the right hand side some place heading Birmingham way, I remember it from a kid when I used to go to the airport to watch the planes land, so it definitely was between DudleyPort and the Airport but with health and safety now or just 30 years it's probably been taken down. Not use the train for 27 years, but ask around people will remember it.

[@DudleyCentral]

@@PeckhamHall ahaa I'll do some hunting too! Am I right in thinking there's black horse at the end of New Street and Wolverhampton, not sure if they're related somehow? I was thinking of making a Duncan Edwards statue for the town scene

[@PeckhamHall]

@DudleyCentral If it's shape like the one on the Kent flag that must be it, I could have swore it was white and next to the canal after the 2 bridges, but you will learn your memory fade after around 25 years so I could be rung about it. I'm not sure about the colour of the vans either, but I'm sure you can find that out. Good luck, anyway. I was surprised at how much you have done.

[@kenrobertson9048]

Hi Bud, great layout and video. Could i just ask if you dont mind, The stairs down to the platforms are they scratch built or bought they look brill.

[@DudleyCentral]

Apologies in the late reply! They are the faller footbridge kit which I've modified to suit.