whart57 Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 I remember reading somewhere that China once had two classes in passenger trains - hard and soft. Was that still the case in your period? I know when I once used the train to Hong Kong from Guangzhou that I was in the superior class but I didn't book it so I don't know what it was called. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted November 9, 2017 Author Share Posted November 9, 2017 I remember reading somewhere that China once had two classes in passenger trains - hard and soft. Was that still the case in your period? I think it's more a case that there are soft and hard class coaches rather than hard class and soft class trains per se, although some trains may not have any soft class coaches at all. Hard class coaches are YZ and soft class are RZ. Likewise soft class sleepers are RW and hard class are YW Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted November 14, 2017 Author Share Posted November 14, 2017 I've been working on the Train Garden C64K gondolas. They're generally quite nice (and cheap) but they have the worst Kadee clone couplers I've ever seen. Not only will they not couple to Kadee - they won't even couple with each other! Here are two as they come ..... with a huge gap between cars .... Here are the same two fitted with Kadee short couplings ..... 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold trw1089 Posted November 16, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 16, 2017 Love the Mao Ze propaganda poster in the background. Those c64 gondolas don’t look too bad once you’ve attended to them, not too much difference from the Bachmann ones. Cheers Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted November 16, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 16, 2017 Love the Mao Ze ###### propaganda poster in the background. Those c64 gondolas don’t look too bad once you’ve attended to them, not too much difference from the Bachmann ones. Cheers Tony Ha ha, so the naughty word police can read hanyu pinyin as well now! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted November 23, 2017 Author Share Posted November 23, 2017 Hello again............... As I've said before, there is more to building an exhibition layout than just modelling. When we go to an exhibition we will need to take stock and that stock needs to be unpacked and re-packed as quickly and as safely as possible. And so I have over the years used file boxes - and each one has to be customised to fit the various size wagons/coaches. And the wagons/coaches have to go in the boxes in the order that they feature in the train. And the boxes have to be numbered because one train usually requires three stock boxes And then exhibition helpers will not know the process as well as I do and so it was requested that I take photos so that they can check that they are packing correctly. As I've had some unexpected time off work I've used the time to do just that - all 51 stock boxes! To give you an idea, here are a couple of typical ones ... 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
whart57 Posted November 23, 2017 Share Posted November 23, 2017 51 boxes! At least you have a manufacturer churning your stuff out. It'll take me a lifetime to fill 5 stock boxes ..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 (edited) Am still off work and so getting some modelling done. Had a recent delivery of the new CMR P64K box car. It has been criticised for its over bright red paint scheme - it should be more like BR mineral red or American box car red. So tried some weathering and am happy with the result ..... Edited November 30, 2017 by TEAMYAKIMA 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted December 18, 2017 Author Share Posted December 18, 2017 Have been working on the layout as much as I can in the last 3 weeks but with very little to show for it. But finally a few things to share.... Have enhanced the 3D printed point motors with stretchers under the rails... Have added crash barriers to the access road ..... 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted December 25, 2017 Author Share Posted December 25, 2017 (edited) Perhaps Christmas Day is an apprpriate time to pay tribute to my band of helpers. Whilst this is very much a personal layout, I could not have achieved what I have (and hope to achieve) without the help and support of a small group of friends. Firstly, Al Turner who has contributed massively in two specific areas - the motorway bridge (yet to be fitted) and the computer controlled roadway system - I have totally sub-contracted these areas to Al and the roadway in particular would simply not have happenned without him. Then there is a small band of advisers/helpers - Bob Perrat (DCC and route selection), Grant Alderson (computer generated graphics) and Steve Waterfield (various electronics) - all members or ex-members of Twickenham MRC. Plus of course those who form the pool of operators I will need when we take the layout on tour - Terry Bray, Alan Arnold, Bill Glew, Gordon Massey and Simon Colbeck. Thanks to one and all - and Merry Xmas! Edited December 25, 2017 by TEAMYAKIMA 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted December 28, 2017 Author Share Posted December 28, 2017 (edited) A lot of work undertaken over the Xmas break - 10.5 hours solid on Boxing Day and even 7 hours on Xmas Day itself! Progress was good - even though in many cases it was dealing with 'problems' I only discovered on our Dec 20th running session - at least we discovered the problems now and not at Bristol in May. So our first show is the Bristol show on Fri/Sat/Sun May 4,5 and 6 - looking forward to meeting a few of you. Edited December 31, 2017 by TEAMYAKIMA 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted January 2, 2018 Author Share Posted January 2, 2018 (edited) Have been working on the foreground area ............... Here are scenic boards 2 & 3 - out of a total of four, so these are the centre two boards. Here is an overview showing the freight shed on the bi-directional line..... the freight shed is on board 2.... The white van is a working model on the Faller roadway, it runs straight through the scene. Beyond the freight shed is a railway access dirt track.....; it splits into two, the van approaches the freight shed area along the straight route and returns by the more curvy route. On board 3 I am assuming that the trucks for the freight shed arrive depart along the slightly wider straight tarmacked road along the baseboard edge, whereas the white van is coming along the dirt track. I must admit that I have not put much thought into what other features will be in this foreground area, for the minute and for Bristol it will just be some rough ground - maybe something more later! Edited January 2, 2018 by TEAMYAKIMA 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al. Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 It's all starting to come together. Should look pretty good by the time we get to Bristol. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted January 7, 2018 Author Share Posted January 7, 2018 Not the first snow of winter in China ................... the lid came off the tub of plaster.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted January 7, 2018 Author Share Posted January 7, 2018 Lots more work on the foreground today. It has to be low so that we don't hide the trains ............... There is a windy narrow dirt road that has mainly fallen out of use as there is a new wider straight tarmac road for traffic to and from the bridge works... And the western railfans have a new VW minibus to transport them to all the best photo spots (thanks to Santa!) 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
whart57 Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Any permanent harm from the plaster spill? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted January 8, 2018 Author Share Posted January 8, 2018 Any permanent harm from the plaster spill? No, it was just dry powder so a quick vacuum did most of it but I will have to repaint the road. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
whart57 Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Not too bad then. Even when dry, plaster can stick to matt surfaces. I suppose that's why weathering powders work. Incidentally, your road surfaces are a good colour, what do you use? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 It's been a while since I posted new photos ............ so here goes .................. I have still been working on the scenery at the front of the layout. This is scenic board # 4 - the last scenic board - and the tarmac road continues towards the bridge under construction which will form the scenic break into the fiddle yard............... There is a point hidden under the road surface that will send the vehicle either straight along the front of the layout or it can turn left and head across the bi-diectional track into the building site itself.................. Here is where we are with the bridge - still plenty of work to do here. It's an eight lane super highway and is 100% the work of Al Turner who has undertaken this sub-project (and the Faller roadway).................Thanks Al ............... 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted January 25, 2018 Author Share Posted January 25, 2018 (edited) No photos today, but work has continued 'behind the scenes'..................... Since our Dec test session .................. 1. Handheld Digitrax throttles are being upgraded to radio so that operators will not get themselves tied up in knots with cables as the walk around the 20ft x 4ft operating area 2. A small fixed panel that controlled the points on the China Rail and bi-directional lines has been removed and those points are now DCC controlled as the fixed panel caused operators to have to walk around (see above!) and get in the way of the operator concentrating on the industrial railway. 3. The five 'working gimmicks' are no longer controlled by the train operators inside the layout - this was mainly going to be the hard-worked industrial operator and now we plan to have a dedicated 'engager' who will sit outside the layout and answer questions and pro-actively engage with visitors pointing out the gimmicks as he activates them. Edited January 25, 2018 by TEAMYAKIMA 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted January 28, 2018 Author Share Posted January 28, 2018 Very frustrating day (again) but nevertheless progress has been made ................ Tenement # 2 has been permanently glued in and the roadway access and parking area has been tarmaced and the concrete fence fixed in ................ Here is the new handheld panel to operate the gimmicks .................. The theme of the layout is steam railway photography in China in 2004 and here is a wetsern railfan photographing steam from an open window ... When the steam train has gone so has he .... Of course many of us took video - in this photo I'm relaxing in the cafe .............. But when the steamer arrives I'm videoing to my heart's content .... No train = no photographers ................ But when a double-headed QJ freight is approaching the photographers come out of hiding................ 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Vecchio Posted January 29, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 29, 2018 I do not see any reason to be frustrated - the gimmicks - I would rather call them special effects - are great - especially if we consider that this is H0 scale... All the best Vecchio Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted January 29, 2018 Author Share Posted January 29, 2018 The frustration comes from how difficult it is to work on the scenic boards ..... As they have become bulkier and heavier they have become very awkward to move around in my shed and even just swapping boards on the work bench requires me to arrange for a work colleague to come over to help. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Vecchio Posted January 29, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 29, 2018 The frustration comes from how difficult it is to work on the scenic boards ..... As they have become bulkier and heavier they have become very awkward to move around in my shed and even just swapping boards on the work bench requires me to arrange for a work colleague to come over to help.... Welcome to the club! Even I have a good size summerhouse I have space problems - the layout is on a rack and it gets more and more difficult to handle. (Not because I am getting older - well may be as well - but the more scenery I add the heavier it gets) I have dry lined my garage to overcome this problem - but at the moment I finished every family member unloaded his c..p into the now nice and shiny garage... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard i Posted January 29, 2018 Share Posted January 29, 2018 The frustration comes from how difficult it is to work on the scenic boards ..... As they have become bulkier and heavier they have become very awkward to move around in my shed and even just swapping boards on the work bench requires me to arrange for a work colleague to come over to help.... Welcome to the club! Even I have a good size summerhouse I have space problems - the layout is on a rack and it gets more and more difficult to handle. (Not because I am getting older - well may be as well - but the more scenery I add the heavier it gets) I have dry lined my garage to overcome this problem - but at the moment I finished every family member unloaded his c..p into the now nice and shiny garage... A garage sale solves that problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now