Blogs

Another ebay project - reviving a rather nice O gauge M7

You know how it happens, sometimes things on Ebay are just too tempting. Well they are to me anyhow! This is another item that was listed to end at an odd time and with probably too high a starting bid so I put in the minimum bid on a snipe and here it is. It's a rather nicely built O guage M7. No idea what kit it was built from but it is very solidly made and quite nicely finished. It's had a knock or two and someone has done an awfully crude repair to the cab roof which has resulted in some ra

August 18, 2009

Testing the new track plan

I went along to Dean Hall yesterday evening, for the first time since last month. I took my camera and this time it had a memory card in it so I took a few pictures. I'd better leave Andy or Craig to explain how the big template was produced and printed - I'm afraid the "dark arts" of templot and template production are a bit beyond me at the moment but they were putting it together last night and trying it out for size on the layout. I have to say that I think it looks pretty impressive.

July 22, 2009

Further demolition!

First part of an update from last night's progress. It was decided that as the track spacing and alignment on the right hand curve would be different from the original it would be easier to start with new wood work. The initial thought was to remove the track bed entirely but it was quickly discovered that the base had been glued as well as screwed to the supports and removal would create a lot more work than anticipated. So in the absence of 4mm scale JCBs and dumper trucks etc the track gang s

June 23, 2009

Prototype Track Detail - Ramsbottom

Well, I must admit to having not heard of wiring the check rails before, but taking the belt and braces approach it will only take a little bit of effort to put some wire across. I was a little sceptical of Martin's comments about bolt holes in the end of check rails but having been up to Ramsbottom this afternoon to photograph the rail anchor bolts (exciting eh?) two of the three turnouts that I could see had check rails with bolt holes in them. Firstly an outside view of the anchor bolts

June 21, 2009

First new point

OK, so getting back to the topic here are some photos of the first turnout made this week, its for the end of the loop. Initial Construction - timbers laid out and chairs slid onto some of the rails. Electrical tags have been fitted to some of the rivetted timbers to provide easier and less obvious electrical connections. Overview of the completed turnout. The vee and stock rails have actually been extended to include the closure rail to the up line turnout and the track up

June 19, 2009

Shades of Beeching

Just a couple more images from Monday nights track removal. Shades of Beeching circa 1966ish perhaps! Tony

June 17, 2009

New Trackplan

One of the problems we've had with the trackwork was the realisation just over twelve months ago that the junction should have a trailing crossing in front of it. After deliberating what to do the decision was made to knuckle down and produce it. The problem was that the junction is on the side of the layout, to the right of the bottom of the first picture and therefore the only location that the cross over could go was on the bend, which was already closing in on the minimum that you'd want lar

June 17, 2009

Start of old track removal

(copied from old forum) Slattocks Junction is the 18 x 13ft P4 layout being built by the Manchester Model Railway Society. The layout is being built to provide an antedote to the continual stream of P4 shunting planks. Yes, they are very good and very needed but large P4 layouts are very rare and those running large steam locos at a realistic pace are even rarer. Basically the group was bored with shunting layouts and wanted to prove that large P4 locos can work at speed on a reasonable size

June 16, 2009

ebay clunker - O gauge Jinty kit

Oh no what have I done? Having had great succes in picking up the little 02 kit I placed a bid on another kit on Ebay. All the experienced folks tell you never buy a part built brass kit without inspecting it closely. What did I do? There is certainly no fool like an old fool! So what I bought at a bargain(?) price was potentially a nice kit. It's a Jinty from Connossieur and a kit that was recommended to me and I was thinking of buying new. On receiving it I opened the box and thi

May 9, 2009

ebay gem - O guage 02 diesel kit

As ever I can't help looking for a bargain. Something in me just won't let me buy something at full price. Fortunately I have managed to pick up a little gem of an O gauge kit from Ebay in the last month or so. For some reason hardly anyone placed a bid on it and it went for a song despite retailing for something like ?‚??199! The seller advertised it as a part built kit with one or two items missing and even provided a list of the bits missing. Always up for a challenge I figured I could source

May 9, 2009

Sounding better - improving the Bachmann 66 sound

First up let me say I am a sceptic when it comes to sound fitted models. Having said that I did purchase a Baccy 66 from my main supplier, Ebay, sometime last year. Well at 90 notes it would have been rude to let somebody else buy it! Here she is on the kitchen table which I have been known to refer to as my "workbench". When I first got the thing I found it very interesting though none too spectacular. I had a bunch of issues with the sound resetting and it generally did not sound very