An update on Skaleby West

This week has been the school's half term holidays and I had hoped to get cracking with the Skaleby West extension. Sadly one or two family issues have prevented the development of the additional board. But I have managed to make progress elsewhere!

Today I had a free afternoon whilst my wife was visiting her mother, so I turned my attention to the fiddle yard for the layout. This was built in a bit of a rush prior to last year's show and appeared with the facia board only painted in a white undercoat.

After a look around the tester pots in B & Q I found a nice maroon shade and used this to paint the board in something resembling Midland Railway colours. Although Skaleby West's location is vague, I did run the layout with Midland region stock at the show so decided to lean this way for the colour scheme.

Whilst painting the board I took the chance to erect the whole layout in our front room. This is the first time the whole layout has been erected since the Weston show last year. Even at only 8ft in length it certainly filled a good proportion of our front room. I am not so sure what my wife would have made it!

Skaleby West invading our front room today. Note the newly painted fiddle yard.

With the layout up, and a few hours of freedom it would have been rude not to have a little play! I connected up the controller, placed a short train in the fiddle yard - turned the control knob and....nothing! This was a sense of de-ja vu! The same thing happened during the set up at Weston. I fiddled around with a few things, but got no luck. Upon further investigation I soon discovered the reason. The cable from the adaptor was almost completely broken! I am not sure how that happened - but clearly the controller would not be any good without a new adaptor.

I connected up my spare controller. That didn't work either. This was becoming the Weston show all over again.

Now both controllers are former train set models. One of the old black and red type, and one the newer version. Both are fairly lightweight and so I was not too concerned by their failures. They were going to be replaced anyway.

A few months ago I had been gifted a Gaugemaster controller by my father in law. He has been developing his own layout and has a habit of buying things before he has completed his plans. The controller was one of two purchased and became surplus to requirements once he had finalised his plan. I duely received it, and this was always earmarked for use on Skaleby West. I decided to have a go at wiring this up today.

I connected the wires to the controller and then used crocodile clips to make a temporary connection to the track at the tunnel end. I powered up again and the Bachmann "Jinty" 47279 duely moved! Success? Actually no! The engine moved a short distance forward, then the controller cut out and the engine stopped. This was the pattern for the next half an hour or so. When travelling towards the controller the engine would move slightly, then stall as the controller cut out. Yet when travelling in reverse, away from the powerpoint it ran sweet as a nut!

I fiddled around again.

I then;

- switched the connectors over.

- turned the loco around.

- checked the connections on the controller.

- disconnected and re-connected all wiring.

Nothing seemed to work. I was beginning to despair!!

Finally I swapped the loco for my Standard 4 tank 80120. This ran smoothly in both directions both as a light engine and with a short freight! I then tried the Jinty again and it ran perfectly too! I was totally bemused at that point, and still am! What on earth happened there??

At least the layout was running and inbetween my planned job of track cleaning I was able to enjoy half an hour running some trains - my first proper operating session since the show last November. Sadly after the half hour my wife text to say she was on her way home - cue a mad clear up to return the lounge to its proper condition before she arrived home.

I did at least take a few shots during the short operating session. I hope you like them!

Skaleby West station is seen through the tunnel. The troublesome "Jinty" can be seen in the distance.

47279 is posed in the platform at Skaleby West.

Finally working 47279 arrives with a passenger train.

The Jinty passes the signal box as it runs round its train.

Ivatt 4 number 43160 arrives with another passenger train.

The Ivatt runs round its train.

Ready to depart.

And so the layout is safely packed away. I'm not sure when I will get to operate it again. Apart from the obvious need to get on with constructing the extension board, I do need to solder permenant wire connections for the Gaugemaster controller. That should be fun. The last time I used a soldering iron was at secondary school.

As far as the second Weston show is concerned I have not done too much. The main work has been on publicity. I have contacted various publications and another website to try and get adverts in the events diaries. I know it now appears on another prominent website which is good news. Leaflets were out on both days at the Derby show and quite a few appeared to have been picked up. I aim to put some more out at Bakewell next week.

Until next time...