Worklist:
Drapes
Lights
Accessories
Show list
This week started on Tuesday when Stephen and his wife Christine delivered the drapes she'd made for a fitting. The drapes wrap around the whole of the layout front, the sides and 50mm around each back corner. The drapes were held by hand to check length, which was good. However, The trestle legs at the station end stick out slightly which pushed the bottom of the drapes out untidily. Christine's solution was a pleat on the front corner, which would allow extra material at the bottom. However, this would require around 230mm of extra drape that will be added onto the fiddleyard end. Velcro at 500mm centres and pieces on each corner face were confirmed as suitable and marked on the drapes. The height of the Velcro also had to be checked and agreed as the station road dipped below the normal baseboard edge line. The drapes alterations and sewing on the Velcro strips were carried out at home that afternoon, ready for the Wednesday session.
Finally, the pelmet was discussed. Unfortunately, due to work pressures, Stephens brother had been unable to start the pelmet and so an alternative was formulated. Weight being paramount, it was agreed that Stephen would make a name board from laminated foamboard and Geoff would prepare lettering cut from self adhesive vinyl or card.
Wednesday - The drapes were unrolled and checked for fit again - the pleat worked nicely. Stephen pressed-on fixing the Velcro strips on the baseboard and finally putting the drapes up. It all fitted perfectly, including the corner pleat. Everyone agreed it looked great.
Geoff had purchased a packet of very small electrical cable ties to physically securing the LED strings at the ends, to prevent them dropping down. Holes were drilled either side of the three strips on one end, and ties fitted. They were left on over lunch and all were still in place when we returned. We'll fit more ties along the other strips.
Meanwhile, Geoff and Laurence worked their way around the layout and through the numerous boxes that had accumulated on the storage rack to temporarily store 'bit and pieces'. Decisions were made on what would be used on the layout (to be boxed up or glued down) and what would be stored elsewhere. Items were glued in place and the track given a good clean ready for a running session the following week. Geoff had been planning a perspex faced shelf unit to sit on the front of the fiddleyard area and its construction and use was discussed at length.
The layout was then dismantled and a list prepared of every item taken off, the fittings, fixings and the tools required, at the same time as identifying spares required where appropriate. Finally, a run through of the car loading, travelling and then setting up timetable was formulated. A good afternoons work and reassurance that we might actually be able to 'pull it off'.
SWING
Saturday 18th May, 2019
10.00 - 16.30
The Littlehampton Academy
Fitzalan Road
Littlehampton
BN17 6FE
It should be noted that setting up and taking down much of the layout was made much easier by the selection of tools provided by good friend Paul Cannon of Cannons MSA Ltd, a long time follower of the project. Hopefully, he's going to be at the front of the queue when then show opens in three weeks time?
