My Neodymium magnets arrived today, so I have spent the evening on a crash course in setting and aligning Kadee couplers, having never used them before.
After a lot of trial and even more error I finally found the best position for the magnets in relation to the couplers. I had done some internet research which had got me to the point of buying the rod magnets (3mm x 6mm) I did get to the point of wondering if I should have just bought proper Kadee magnets but as my 25 magnets only cost £2.
Following comments exchanged in the last post, I have reworked a section of the ballast with a lighter / sandier ballast substitute. I did think at the time of doing, the first attempt looked like it could be at home on an British based layout. Comments by James really just confirmed I didn't achieve the correct "look"
Here is attempt number 2, not finished, but the basic colours are there.
This is done with "calcium sand" from pets at home, ideal for your aquarium or pet geko
This evening I have been working on the overpass supports. The timber supports have now been clad with plasticard.
With the 4 of them in position.
Then the top placed back on
The next step was to do some minor filling of the concrete around the outsides of the rails and then a coat of paint so they didnt look quite as much like a kitchen floor !!
John
I believe in US parlance a team track is a shared spur allowing local industries to load and unload rail road boxcars, see I'm even learning new phrases (more info for those interested can be found HERE )
My front 2 lines are planned for just such a purpose, which requires some inlaid track, I've tried various methods, but decided I would go for low mess this time round. Out came the B&Q self adhesive vinyl tiles.
I also spent some more time loco improving
Re
I found the bargain I had been waiting for to make my workbench from. A local DIY shop (3ways in Denton) often has bargains. Today I picked up 2 18mm tall kitchen unit sides for £3.99 each. When put together I get a 36mm worktop
So in typical builder mode I got my days work done and had an early finish. With a bit of timber to make a batten along the back wall and the side the new "worktop" when sawn to length just fell into place.
As 90% of the time I stand to model its a a nice
My last 3 expected Ebay deliveries arrived today. A 50' boxcar with opening doors, a 57' reefer and a truck !
I then had a inspiration moment, why not extend these 2 tracks under the workbench. So now instead of holding 1 1/2 cars both will hold 3.
Workbench shown in transparent grey
I'm not sure if these 2 tracks will enter into a warehouse or perhaps a roadbridge along the front of the of the workbench over all of the tracks
John
I'm sat eating my dinner at a chapel I'm working in... Only 8 mins from Hattons. ;ust wondering if its safe to pop in , safe for my wallet that is truying to convince myself I have enough will power to just window shop/browse ?!?
My last ebay purchased loco arrived yesterday, not sure where route it took to get here, but the posted mark on it proves it was posted on the 5th and it arrived on the 13th ???? Post office must have sent it the long way round. Never mind.
This one is a Bachmann product, brand new, £30 runs VERY well straight out of the box and now has a decoder fitted. I only spent an hour in the shed last night so not much to report. I have started to try and improve the looks of the first loco I go
Cant say its thrilling work but the track needs power so it needs doing, I don't mind soldering and when all said and done I served my time at GEC as an Electrical/ electronic engineer so it should be fun, but its one of those has to be done jobs !!
The layout will be DCC so its pretty much a case of making sure I have power to every spur, now I know my method is not the "done thing" but it works for me, I find no pleasure in sitting under the workbench soldering droppers and bus wires. My o
Ive spent a pleasant evening exploring the contents of the bag of detailing bits that came with my Ebay Athern loco. It would seem having to add the extras (like handrails) is not unusual, this has turned out to be a good buy as looking at the wheels it has never been out of the box
Anyway here is how it looked before
After adding details like, handrails, horn, headlight lenses, number board lenses, bogie details, couplers and hoses.
I've spent time popping in and out of the shed today, tweaking and moving track around to get to a point I'm reasonably happy with.
So here we are, from the dock end
From the other end
A big thank you has to go to "shortliner" whao has exchanged a couple of emails during the morning with yet more links and suggestions !!!
After some more messing, thought and ploughing through Shortliners ideas, I think I'm getting there.
I've made some baseboard mods to create a dock with a barge and connecting float bridge, this will form a non hidden fiddle yard, that's the decided part,
then some playing has come up with this.
Latest Ebay purchase arrived today as well seen here sat dockside
John
After printing out some Peco templates which are now available on their website HERE I had another think and play.
Here is what I came up with
With a pair of points to be added where the green loco is stood to allow it to cross back to line line behind
John
I've got to the bottom of the clean up operation. Everything is packed away, thrown out or stripped. I need to get a piece of worktop for my new workbench that will sit right across the back wall.
The right side ( The 25 and coach will sit on the back of the worktop when its fitted.
I've been playing with what track I have (thoughts ??)
And today the postman brought my first Ebay purchase
John
I have created a basic plan of the shed, to illustrate the space available. Including the new workbench over the now hidden curve section.
Doodles of track plans to follow
John
So thanks to the response to the advert on the forum "for sale" section and the subsequent increase in available Paypal funds, I have on the way
A Bachmann A GP35 In Union Pacific livery
A Bachmann U36B in Union Pacific Livery
and an Athern GP40 in Chessie Livery
I also have bids in on several boxcars.
The layout will be on either side of the shed appropriately 6' by 20" each side, connected by a curve under what will be my new workbench across the back wall.
Each h
Today I have placed an advert on the forum to part with the small amount of N gauge I have. HERE . 1 item has sold already but the 170?4 and container wagons remain if your interested
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMkoe9olxXY
I have also made a secret ebay purchase ..... Watch this space
John
I have concluded that one of my big wants is a larger workbench, so the idea of a full width bench across the back wall is a definite. So the mountain range is coming out. The viaduct track bed will stay but under the workbench. The space under the workbench / around the viaduct will be used for valuable storage space.
The new layout will be on either side of the shed, connected by the viaduct track bed.
I think James made a very true comment on the last post "not much room for G
I think starting with what you do know, is always a good place.. I am undecided about lots of things, but I have decided that N gauge is not for me. So I have started clearing that out. Still no decisions about what will take its place but hopefully seeing some space will help me decide.
I've put the G scale 20 in the space just to get a feel for how big or rather how small the space is.
So I guess that's a 156 and a 66 in N to sell !!!
As the title says "what to do next"
Some modellers spend a lifetime dedicated to one thing, others of us flit from one thing to another and I'm the latter. As the nights start to draw in and the garden becomes less hospitable my thoughts are turning to change.
This is my shed as it is now.
On the main level a folded dogbone of modern image scenic N gauge that crosses over what, for N, is a massive curved viaduct. The work surface in front of the viaduct is removable and the th
Today I gave the 20 its first test run, fortunately it worked perfectly first time. With hindsight I should probably given it a test run during earlier constructions phases, but all is well that ends well..
And the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fskJVZjxjaU
The handrails are now finished and painted, including those either side of the doors. I then gave it a light dusting of sleeper grime to start the weathering process.
John
KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) well that's the theory. So the control for the 20 is more or less the same as the 25, a motor, batteries and a switch. In fact this is a little more complicated in that the switch is DPDT with a centre off position, so this loco can go in reverse !!
A rare few shots of the underside... Note that there are a pair of holes at either end for the bogies to pivot on, for static pictures I use the external pair but this reduces the turning circle due to the front of th
I've been trying to decide on the best (read cheapest) way of making handrails with brackets, and finally settled on plastic rod.
Start with several short and long lengths
Then after filling a notch in the end of the long pieces a short piece is glued across to make a "T"
When dry the cross bar of the "T" is filed to be flush with the leg, at this point it doesn't look like "T" anymore (see the one on its own on the right)
After drilling holes in the body to push the
