The Light

[colin penfold]

Thanks Graheme. I did try RTFM and failed. I have sent them an email because their instructions differ from the product in two important respects.

 

1. I cant tell which position is which for the test/run switch.

2. The button they describe for how to set the decoder address on my controller doesn't exist.

[2ManySpams]

Hi Colin, I've not forgotten I need to post you the second ballast bin I made in February. Apologies...

[colin penfold]

Hi Colin, I've not forgotten I need to post you the second ballast bin I made in February. Apologies...

Thanks mate, I was hoping there might be a meet up where we could have a handover ceremony to save you the postage. I'm a fair way from the detailing stage anyway I am looking forward to seeing it though.

[colin penfold]

I am pleased to say the JLRT tie bars are available again

 

https://mm1models.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=108_116&product_id=536

[colin penfold]

A brief progress update. Today the three main boards were temporarily united so that trackwork across the joints could be aligned.

 

This means the two left hand boards are now complete track-wise and fully wired including point motors.

 

I can now proceed with the bigger board which has two more points and a trap to build as well as wiring and point motors to sort. I have put feed droppers in as I have gone along as well as cutting the holes for the point motor actuating rod. Actually, that's quite a bit of progress on the third board really

 

[bgman]

I am pleased to say the JLRT tie bars are available again

 

https://mm1models.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=108_116&product_id=536

 

Thank you Colin excellent news, order placed !

 

Grahame

[bgman]

I am pleased to say the JLRT tie bars are available again

 

https://mm1models.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=108_116&product_id=536

 

 

Thank you Colin excellent news, order placed !

 

Grahame

 

 

Tie bars /stretchers ordered on Saturday afternoon arrive 1st Class Post this morning, excellent service !

 

Thanks again Colin.

 

Grahame

 

p.s. Not so funny now eh Spammers !!!     

[colin penfold]

Some good progress

 

 

Edited July 10, 2018 by colin penfold

[colin penfold]

Today I have completed the transition of the main line and loop from the central board onto the sector plate. I laid the two tracks across brass screws ( 4 pairs per track) then soldered the rails to them before cutting through the baseboard join and the gap for the sliding deck.

 

[colin penfold]

Some xecent progress today. Boards are all now joined together, levelled and all sections tested electrically by the time honoured fashion of playing trains.

 

 

[Captain Kernow]

That's an interesting looking locomotive in the photo, Colin. What's it's name?

[colin penfold]

Its currently called Hunter but is awaiting having plates fitted to become Lady Emmma.

 

It's an Ixion Hudswell-Clarke

[Ian J.]

I've just caught up with this thread. Judging from your first pic in the first post, you might need a Modelu scan of me for a driver as Martello was/is the first and only steam loco I've driven (albeit in Marsh Umber at the time, 2009, and on the Lavender Line, not at Bressingham)

Edited August 19, 2018 by Ian J.

[Mallard60022]

Some xecent progress today. Boards are all now joined together, levelled and all sections tested electrically by the time honoured fashion of playing trains.

 

20180819_193717.jpg

 

20180819_193706.jpg

Blimey, watching the Greens must have inspired you allowed you to relax and doze..................looking good Colin.

Phil

[bgman]

Good progress Colin, good to see you're able to play run your stock, its always a milestone and very satisfactory.

 

G

[Mallard60022]

Blimey, watching the Greens must have inspired you allowed you to relax and doze..................looking good Colin.

Phil

I watched the highlights (30 seconds?) on Quorn or whatever it is these days, and yes we woz robbed.

[daifly]

Its currently called Hunter but is awaiting having plates fitted to become Lady Emmma.

 

I hope your platemaker spells better than you!

Dave

[colin penfold]

With reasonable progress towards a running layout I have divided my attention to put some focus towards increasing the rolling stock fleet. A few purchases and a small stock of kits to build over the winter evenings.

 

Firstly an SECR goods brake built from a Slaters kit I went for the "two for one" approach and lettered each side differently.

 

 

 

 

I bought this attractive kit-built goods van from the Telford show.

 

 

And three opens (Dapol RTR) I prefer to get them unweathered and do my own, but I liked the lettering style on the butler wagon and couldn't get it pristine.

 

[colin penfold]

I have mostly been working on the fiddle yard cassettes today.

 

I glued 4mm brass rod to a sheet of 3mm plasticard cut to size. This ensures they are all identically spaced when seperated into units. Two units per cassette will take care of alignment and electrical connection.

 

 

Three of the units act as bridges between the end of the tracks coming off the layout, and the first cassette. Note the 3mm brass rod on the right hand side of each unit which plugs into the 4mm tube on the next unit

 

 

Heres one of the cassettes. It's cut from 114mm square line PVC guttering. A piece of flexi track is glued between the two end units.

 

 

 

This mock up shows the transtion from layuot to cassette

 

 

Finally Esther, a sneak preview of the next wagon kit in the works, a rectangular tank

 

Edited September 22, 2018 by colin penfold

[sir douglas]

the ripples across the middle detract from what is otherwise a nicely finished brakevan

[Mikkel]

I have mostly been working on the fiddle yard cassettes today.

 

 

Nice work Colin, this looks like a good approach to casettes. Very useful, thanks.

Edited September 23, 2018 by Mikkel

[Guest mydadstoys]

Colin with me being new to the forum I am just catching up on layouts and discussions. I came across your layout build along with your modelling of wagons and workers and it’s all great so I’m looking forward to seeing more as this thread develops.

[colin penfold]

the ripples across the middle detract from what is otherwise a nicely finished brakevan

Sadly I made a bad choice of primer - now replaced for future jobs but couldn't think of a way to undo the issue once it happened. I hope to distract the eye from it when I weather the van.

Edited September 23, 2018 by colin penfold

[colin penfold]

glue having hardened i have finished off three cassettes. Small sliver of solder between the rail and the brass tube gives stability and connectivity.

 

Seen here joined together with end caps in place.

 

 

Close up of the end cap. I removed the supplied rubber gasket which made it too tight to get them on and off. There's still a sprung clip which hols them securely enough.

 

 

I'm not going to make any more for now. I want to test them in action and progress to a fully running layout first. My main concern is the strength of the bond between brass rod and PVC. I have used two part epoxy and had one or two failures during assembly, so I want to be sure they are going to be reliable in service.

[Guest]

the ripples across the middle detract from what is otherwise a nicely finished brakevan

 

Sadly I made a bad choice of primer - now replaced for future jobs but couldn't think of a way to undo the issue once it happened. I hope to distract the eye from it when I weather the van.

 

I actually think you've "accidentally" made it look very realistic. Unless it's modelled "brand new", think of the hastily applied brush coats the original would have had - they're hardly the most loved items of rolling stock. It looks like a very realistic model of a badly-painted prototype.