The first modules
June 2007. The first modules for Buitenlust have been connected for the first time. It is already an impressive sight. The two bigger modules are intended for the lemonade factory (see layout plan). The small module will not end up in the final layout. It is standard O scale module to connect the factory to other layouts at e.g. exhibitions. I am not quite happy with the legs yet. I will have to come up with something else for that.
Laying track
August 2007. The modules have been moved to the basement. The sides have been filled, sanded and painted in the garden. I have learned in the past not to do that in the hobby room. When I tried that a De Lage Zij it took me weeks to get the dust of all equipment, rolling stock and tracks. Believe me, you do not want to do that.
Right now it is all about laying track. I have decided to give the track from Wenz a try. The track is nicely detailed, but you have to build it yourself nail for nail. But that is one of the great things about O scale and of the reasons to choose this scale.
After a while you get the hang of it and it only takes an afternoon to do one meter of track. Hand laid track looks a lot better than readymade track. Each sleeper is slightly different from the rest and that adds a lot to realism.
Rolling stock
September 2007. Laying track has been side-tracked for a while. Putting together the Wenz points turned out to be a lot more work than I had hoped. The kits have a lot of parts and not all parts fit that well. So it is time to look for an alternative. In the mean time I have been working on some brass kits for goods cars. The first two have been put together and the third one is well underway.
Back on track
September 2007. Wenz is out, Hassler is in. My first hand laid set of points is done. The Hassler’ kits are a little less detailed than the Wenz’ ones, but they offer you the opportunity to get a set of points actually done in one lifetime. The set of points in the photo has an angle of 1:6,6 and it is nearly 50 cm long. Building it was about two evenings of work. Let’s do the rest of the track!
We are getting somewhere
October 2007. Finally things are moving along. All tracks have been laid. The lemonade factory will appear on the empty spot on the right hand side.
The landscape is also roughly done. I used a Proxxon Thermocut to cut the polder from Styrofoam. This method of building creates results fast and it looks very promising. Up next is ballasting the track and putting some effort into the landscape.
2007
