Derek was wondering if I could make a video of Grayrigg, but I had already started on a complete reconstruction and thought it unlikely I could have it finished and be able to make the video in time for the date he was needing it. Pity as it is a good idea. Maybe sometime in the future.
Yes I had a major disaster last winter. We had a storm which damaged the flat garage roof and quantities of water came in. Grayrigg was quite badly damaged and fortunately Dubbieside, which is on a lower level, survived OK. The roof has been professionally replaced and the interior repaired by myself.
The Grayrigg layout has two levels, the lower has a down and an up storage yard which feed through to an upper level which has Grayrigg modelled and a scene on the climb to Shap at Scout Green, there was planned to be a further scene as yet to be modelled, although the trains run through it coming and going from the lower levels.
When the damage was done I maybe rushed to dry everything out and perhaps should have used a de-humidifier and then gentle heat. Instead I dried what I could and left the heater on all night - in the morning when I walked in it was like a sauna! Further inspection showed that most of the upper boards at one end of the garage had warped quite badly and the lower ones also showed signs of damage. A big sigh and I closed the door and decided that I would make an attempt to recover it at a later date - I was busy building my new exhibition layout at the time and expecting to have to have it ready for Scalefour North earlier this year.
However Covit arrived and turned my year upside down - so I decided to stop work on the new layout as it would not be needed for a while and instead spend maybe six months and completely rebuild Grayrigg. I am about three months into the re-construction and in the process I am lifting all of the track, replacing all of the foam underlay, which I have never been happy with and replacing boards where necessary and relaying on top of a new cork base.
My method of construction allows me to take all the scenery off as well as signals buildings etc. and the top boards unhinge from the lower boards to allow access to the lower track. Everything is held together using bolts or hinges. The up and down storage yards will be finished I hope by Sunday and then I am going on to the upper layer where there has been most damage to see what can be done to the main station scene. I am assuming another two months dealing with that and a final month reworking the rest before the scenery goes back on I will probably test run it with the trains. If all goes well it can be returned to normal running by Easter I hope.
Fortunately I had taken all the trains off before the storm hit and had them in my studio in the house, so no damage there. I am taking pictures as I go along and will put them up somewhere. It is allowing me to include a few improvements as I go along. I will not put them up here John as this is your interesting thread and I do not want my present difficulties to be a distraction from what is a very nice thread indeed.
Allan
