(Go straight to the bottom of this post for a video)

Finally I have completed the major tasks I set myself back in October/November. These were the re-alignment of the hidden section (not a major issue in tracklaying terms but the rewiring was a different matter), and the complete rebuilding of Newport, to be controlled by a Modratec interlocked lever frame. I took the opportunity to add LED displays to the panel controlling the hidden sidings, and whilst these tracks are not yet "hidden" I am extremely glad I now have a visual display showing how the routes are set. I used an extremely simple method, facilitated by DCC, and following instructions from Brian Lambert's excellent wiring pages on the internet, whereby the LEDs are powered by the DCC traction current via the switches which control the polarity of the crossings (frogs) of the turnouts concerned.

At Newport the layout is now much more to my satisfaction. I have a length of straight platform (the idea of building curved canopies had been giving me the heebie-jeebies). I have tested the whole layout exhaustively until it is derailment-free. The one change I have to make to the rolling stock is to remove the Sprat and Winkle hoops and replace them with a wire soldered or glued across the front of the buffers. This ensures there is enough width for the coupling hooks to swing on the tightest curves (c22" radius). I have also been experimenting with Kadees for the fixed coaching rakes and found that pairing medium and long versions gives a decent coupling distance and excellent operation - faultless at high speed running forwards and backwards. Attached to the bogies, which wouldn't have been my first choice had I not had such tight curves.

The interesting thing about Newport is that whilst counter-intuitively it is sited on the width rather than the length of the layout, and is therefore confined to 9'6", it doesn't look cramped and really does conjure up the atmosphere of the real Newport.

Turnouts are now controlled by a mixture of Cobalts and Fulgurexes, Sprat and Winkle electro and permanent magnets fitted in strategic locations, and the whole thing is running faultlessly.

The Kernow O2s have been a partial success. Operation is pretty faultless, but haulage capacity is disappointing. There has been a lively thread elsewhere on RMWeb about these aspects, and I shall be reporting back on experiments in adding lead, having finally (!) it seems, unlocked the secret of getting inside the locos.

In the testing phase I finally gave up on ZTC. My local model shop very kindly lent me their Gaugemaster set for the weekend, which finally demonstrated that the problems I had been experiencing had definitely been down to ZTC. I have now made the switch, but I really miss the ergonomics of the ZTC controllers.

I've uploaded a video to Youtube. Here's the link:-

What's next? I'm building some passenger rolling stock and intending to fit my kitbuilt O2s for DCC. At some stage I will start on the Medina Wharf trackwork. There's never a moment of boredom!

Chris