So we've now had three major purchases for my Ruston project.

As usual the final drive to the axles will be delrin chain and the actual gearbox is being positioned in the same place as the prototype, central between the two axles and driving to one from the left and the other from the right hand side. I need a gear box with enclosed gears (owing the large amount of sand moved around on Fen End Pit) which ruled out my usual options from High Level. I remembered using on enclosed box on my J39 many moons ago so got back in contact with Branchlines to see if they still did them. The lack of a website (just an arcane out of date blog) doesn't make them the easiest folk to track down online, but the effort was well worth it and a catalogue emailed immediately in response to my inquiry.The Northyard box was still available but also there was the option of a combined gearbox, Mashima 14x motor and a flywheel. Also Branchlines stock delrin chain components so I could stock up on these too. The box is 36:1 but there will also be a reduction of 8:10 in the chain drive so a final reduction of 45:1 (if my maths is right). The box went together easily with the axle and gear held on to the shafts with loctite 601.

Then there was an order to DCC supplies for a Lenz Gold and Power-1. Yes I know you can do 'keep alive' for less but the Lenz is in my mind the Rolls-Royce and all of the rest of Fen End Pit's locos have this combination. As ever goods shipped on day of order and delivered two days later.

Finally comes the complex one. I wanted to fit some sound in the Ruston. Using the Lenz chip gives the option of using a 'piggyback' chip connected via the SUSI interface. I'd used one of these before so again contacted Glendale Junction who are the UK agent for Dietz who make these chips. They are used to selling 'Big Stuff' LGB etc but happily will program up the Micro-XS with the desired sound.

Putting all this lot together was MUCH less painful than last time because Lenz now include a socket on the Gold for SUSI so you only have to solder on the wires for the Power-1. I've also hooked up a 8Ohm 40x20mm speaker from DCCSupplies and it all worked first time.

At the back from left to right, the loud speaker, the Lenz Gold decoder and the Mashima motor and gearbox. In the front on the left is the DIETZ sound chip and on the right the Lenz Power-1 keep alive.

On the count of 3

1 - 2 - 3 dugga dugga dugga dugga

David