Breitenfurt - Ost (my first layout)

Dampflok Sep 23, 2010

  1. Dampflok

    Dampflok TrainBoard Member

    17
    0
    8
    Hello again.

    I'm back after a rather long break. I thought my layout might be of interest to some of you. I have kept a diary over the last 3 years starting with how mock-ups, the bare board etc. to today's nearly complete layout. You can find this at http://trains.manvell.org.uk/layouts/z-scale/Breitenfurt/index.htm . Not only is there a lot of self indulgent narrative but there are pictures of the layout as it developed.

    If you are not interested in reading all my waffle then here are a couple of links to pictures I took at my last exhibition. First an overall front view of the stand and then a detail of the down end of the station in the rush hour. Actually, those are the only two views I took!

    From the diary pages here are a couple of recent shots: a night scene and the up end of the station (12th August).

    I will try to remember to keep you up to date if you are interested. This is somewhat different from the bulk of amazing US outline layouts I have seen on this and other forums.

    Thank for reading and best wishes,
    Chris.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 18, 2011
  2. shamoo737

    shamoo737 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

    4,596
    550
    72
    Welcome to Trainboard Chriss. I been following your layout and it looks great.
     
  3. Dampflok

    Dampflok TrainBoard Member

    17
    0
    8
    Hi John.

    Wow! That was a fast response. :eek:)

    Thank you for your kind comment. I'm a bit behind with the updates but am still recovering from the exhibition. It's quite stressful being a lone exhibitor of a layout that should really have two operators (though I did get some help from the next person on the next stand). Happlily, both the layout and the trains behaved pretty well even though they did get rather tired by the end of the second day.

    Best wishes from the west side of the pond,
    Chris.
     
  4. Loadmaster

    Loadmaster TrainBoard Member

    113
    1
    14
    Hi Chris,

    I've also been following on ZCS and M-Users firn.

    Robert
     
  5. Dampflok

    Dampflok TrainBoard Member

    17
    0
    8
    Dear Friends,

    Two days after my last post my computer crashed out with a corrupt registry. As I could find no way to fix it I had a local computer shop re-install XP and I have slowly rebuilt the extensive software etc. Unfotunately I lost the record of my FireFox bookmarks and have only just re-discovered Train Board.

    The layout has progressed further since the Inverness exhibition and you can see it how it is now (well, almost) on the website, both in my diary and in my Elgin exhibition report. See Breitenfurt Z Scale Layout, Diary for 2010. .

    With best wishes,
    Chris.
     
  6. Dampflok

    Dampflok TrainBoard Member

    17
    0
    8
    Hello everyone.

    Since my last exhibition back in March I have occupied my time on other non-layout matters, but I have two more exhibitions coming up so feel that I should start getting on with things. However, there has been quite a lot of progress since I last posted here. Most obvious is the addition of dozens of travellers waiting for trains or plain hoping to have a talk with the rivers of the various locos. On the negative side there are the burnt out turnout motors in the hidden sidings which have prompted a move to simplification of the headshunts.

    Anyway, do have a look at all those people and the various transport at http://tiny.cc/breitenfurt/ . As most of my photos do not include trains, I thought I would take some with fully populated tracks. Actually, these were taken for the benefit of the artist who did the backdrop and cliff faces for me. They are not for general distribution so have their own sub-domain. To see them, go to http://trains.manvell.org.uk/ then replace 'trains' with 'andy'. Note: many of the photos are duplicated, but you can see that when you look at the thumbnails.

    With best wishes,
    Chris.
     
  7. Dampflok

    Dampflok TrainBoard Member

    17
    0
    8
    Hi Guys.

    Well, at last, I've actually done some work on the layout. Mid September it suddenly came to me that I only had a month until the next expo and nothing had changed since the spring. So I purchased twoo og Märklin's footbridge kits and embarked on my first attempt at kitbashing a single bridge to cover my three platforms. The result was pretty good for a first attempt but now I feel that I want to have a second go and do a better job of it. If you have a look at the website you will see why — glue all over the place. Also, I have replaced most of those horrible chunky station lights with smart new correct period ones. Not got them wired yet but they look a lot better. No time to make any other changes as I have to start testing as soon as I can get the layout down stairs and on to a table.

    All the best,
    Chris.
     
  8. Dampflok

    Dampflok TrainBoard Member

    17
    0
    8
    Dear Friends,

    It's been a bit of a struggle over the last few days, what with electrical faults and sundry minor annoyances, but I've managed to post daily updates with a few images now added. Not the world's most interesting except, possibly, for the bird's eye view (less bridge 'cos it would fall off) which is even now a bit out of date. Still, I am progressing at a steady pace and all will be ready for Friday.
    All the best,
    Chris.
     
  9. Dampflok

    Dampflok TrainBoard Member

    17
    0
    8
    Dear Friends,
    Just a short note. The layout is all ready for it trip to the Dundee expo tomorrow. I took a few photos shortly before and after closing it up. Sadly they didn't come out too well; I don't think the auto focus was working properly. Still they do give an idea of where I am at.
    All the best,
    Chris.
     
  10. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

    13,966
    6,905
    183
    Chris, hope you have success and fun at the Dundee Expo. Please consider posting photos of your and others exhibits.
     
  11. Dampflok

    Dampflok TrainBoard Member

    17
    0
    8
    Thanks Hytec. I usually do put up photos, but it is a bit of a chore and I have another expo a month later which need further preparation both on the lighting side of things (they will all be off for Dundee) and some further wiring on the control panel. In the meantime I have rehearsals for two concerts coming up shortly, not to mention a week away visiting the Modellespoor in Utrecht and, of course, all the usual household chores.

    Also, I heard of read, that quite a few individuals and clubs don't like having photos of their layouts being published, though that has not been a problem so far.

    All the best,
    Chris.
     
  12. Dampflok

    Dampflok TrainBoard Member

    17
    0
    8
    Dear Friends,

    Latest exhibition (Elgin Modelfair, last weekend) passed without too many problems!

    However, a while ago I was asked if I had any videos of Bahnhof Breitenfurt – Ost to which I replied 'No' as I didn't have a video camera. However, a friend of mine, Gerry Coogan, came to see the layout at the Elgin MRC exhibition and took a few ad hoc videos which are now on Youtube. Rather than clutter up the forum with a load of links, I have set up a draft webpage with the necessary links on my site. You can see it at http://trains.manvell.org.uk/exhibitions/20111112-Elgin/videos.htm . It's a bit of a mess but I will tidy it up later. Note: currently there are no internal links to this page, only the one above. That will be remedied later.

    All the best,
    Chris.
     
  13. Dampflok

    Dampflok TrainBoard Member

    17
    0
    8
    Dear Friends,

    Just a very short (copy and paste, sorry) message as I have a lot to do before I leave for next weekend's exhibition. I have posted five more photos of my layout, five by moonlight and one after the clouds have covered the moon. I do promise that there will be some daytime photos soon (and, maybe, a couple of videos). Anyway, do have a look at http://tiny.cc/breitenfurt/ .

    With best wishes,
    Chris.
     
  14. Dampflok

    Dampflok TrainBoard Member

    17
    0
    8
    Hello, dear friends.

    Well, the Moray MRG exhibition in Elgin (Scotland, not IL) has been and gone. It all went pretty well though the usual problems of tired locos on the second day afternoon manifested itself. Anyway, I am happy, which is the important thing. The visitors had a lot of positive comments though quite a few just walked past noses in the air. No prizes though.

    Anyway, I have been very busy on the web. I have completed reports for the Dundee MRC and Moray MRG expos. Sadly the former is very patchy as I did something to my camera and most of my photos were unusable. I have only competed the Breitenfurt part of November's Elgin exhibition and the rest will follow over the next week.

    Do have a look and I hope you like what you see. Here are the links.
    Dundee MRC exhibition, October 2011
    Elgin MRC Modelfair, November, 2011
    Moray MRG GNOS* Exhibition, March 2012

    Finally, I have also added 13 extra detail images to my Breitenfurt diary (link in sig).

    With best wishes,
    Chris.

    *GNOS: Great North of Scotland.(exhibition)
     
  15. Dampflok

    Dampflok TrainBoard Member

    17
    0
    8
  16. Dampflok

    Dampflok TrainBoard Member

    17
    0
    8
    Dear Friends,

    I've been really busy this last couple of months (not just on railways) so, just to give you a summary of my recent activity, here are my latest web pages. I only just finished the Inverness one. Please, if you spot any mistakes, do let me know.

    Bahnhof Breitenfurt – Ost — updated 2012/10/26:
    http://tiny.cc/breitenfurt/

    Zedex 2012 (Oxford & District MRC) — The annual convention for Z gauge modellers in the UK, including Z scale (1:220), Nm and 2mm narrow gauge:
    http://trains.manvell.org.uk/exhibitions/2...Zedex/index.htm

    Inverness and District MRC Exhibition (8/9 September) — at 100miles (160km) my nearest model rail exhibition:
    http://trains.manvell.org.uk/exhibitions/2...rness/index.htm

    Do have a look, and enjoy, especially the Zedex page where there are two 1:220 British outline layouts, and one in the making, amongst all the superb models.

    With best wishes,
    Chris.
     
  17. Dampflok

    Dampflok TrainBoard Member

    17
    0
    8

Share This Page