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A productive few weeks

ChrisG

Entry posted by ChrisG

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Things have been moving on apace at Newport. When I last blogged I think I was still at the "track positioning" stage. Now all the track at Newport is laid permanently, glued down with Copydex, and has been tested digitally (i.e. pushing stock using finger power!).

 

There are four boards of which one is now wired and one is partially wired.

 

I have also finished the Modratec interlocked lever frame. With the change of track plan and complete rebuilding of Newport I needed to commission a new set of locking bars. Harold at Modratec responded very quickly and had airmailed me a new set of bars in time for the Christmas break, during which I spent many hours assembling the frame and filing the notches in the tappets. (Usual disclaimer applies, I am merely a happy customer of Modratec.)

 

The Kernow O2s arrived as birthday presents in early January and I now have an operational DCC fleet of 4 locos. They are superb lookers and superb runners. The small pile of Wills Finecast kits is now looking more likely than ever not to get built.

 

I finally got around to making a Sprat & Winkle coupling mounting gauge which has transformed the reliability of my couplings(!) I can't believe it has taken me so long to see the wisdom of having a single reference point for fitting these couplings.

 

Test running (ok, "playing trains"!) continues on the remaining part of the layout, and a few more gremlins have been erased. The most remarkable feature of the Kernow locos is that in many hours of test running, in all possible permutations of speed, direction and loading, not one has ever suffered a derailment. They are little beauties and they deserve to win the top award for 2015.

 

 

Chris

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trainfan4472

I have just finished reading all your blogs- it will be a great layout, I love the lever frame it put my old wire in tube to shame

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ChrisG

First time I did it I followed the instructions to the letter and found it not hard, but it took a long time and you have to be very methodical. it also resulted in a frame which was a bit too slack - too much play in the locked levers. 

 

Since then I have built two more. Being a bit cocky I hardly read the instructions I actually did things in the wrong order on the second and good in a bit of a mess (which I was able to sort out). By the time of the third it was almost as easy as falling off a proverbial log.

 

I can thoroughly endorse the product and happy to chat by e-mail in more detail if you are interested in pursuing it for your layout and knowing more about what you would be letting yourself in for!

 

 

Chris

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