Les1952

The couplers will take NEM355 alternatives. Does NEM355 specify a distance from buffers? If so nobody seems to have told Tillig...... If you want your coaches to touch on the straight and stay coupled when running I would suggest you might want to invest in a Hunt coupler starter pack from West Hill Wagon Works and try the different lengths until you find a pairing that does the job. I now have magnetic couplings on all of my TT:120 stock (Hunt on the stuff that doesn't shunt and Dapol Easi-shunts on the stuff that does) and did a 2-day exhibition the other weekend without a single random uncoupling. There is still a little work to do adjusting the Easi-shunts as occasionally they refused to uncouple, but the Kadees on Burch Green have taken three shows to get working properly. No connection with Dapol or WHWW other than being a satisfied customer. Les

And the second video from South Notts Show. All for today. Les

South Notts Show video, number 1 of 2 Number 2 to follow. Les

Pics from the show. The layout as set up on Sunday morning, with the "Plandampf day" board in place. The class 106 shunted the yard both days. The only casualty was the class 280, which shed a traction tyre, though it seems to run quite well without it. looking into the goods shed yard. The only two issues with the layout were firstly that some glue fumes had found their way into the mechanism of one of the semaphores. A little work with the end of a scalpel blade had that working by Sunday morning. The more serious issue was a point wire popping out of the tie bar hole on Sunday morning. Fortunately Neil Stevenson of PLS Layouts/Sherwood Models is more adept at putting these things back than I am, and got it sorted before the show opened. Many thanks, Neil. The class 798 at rest in the platform. The show was opened by no less a person than Sir Topham Hatt. Videos are being processed and will eventually be posted. Les

To be quite honest, given the size of the TXS chips I'm glad they haven't- far too much weight would be needed to be carved out to make room for them. Given that Digitrains have got sound and a stay-alive into an EFE N-gauge J94, why not just get quality sound fitted? Les

Stadtler Eurodual, modern Bo-Bo electric in a number of liveries. Very interesting but out of my period. The prototypes have a wide range, though I'm not sure how far those in the catalogue get. Les

that doesn't mean those details would survive the reduction in scale without being so thin they fall apart as soon as you look at them....

given their military origin, a parade of Austerities?

The cameraman- ie me- didn't when plonking it on the track for a photograph.... Les

I think Hornby are struggling to meet the demand for the miles they've already done- extra miles are a long way off..... Les

My TT:120 train set "Bregstadt" has just completed the first day of its first show (South Notts Show at Cotgrave). The two beer vans in the middle of the picture are Hornby group - Arnold. Another Hornby group product in action on Day 2 will be this beast- bought on the Hornby website and mostly paid for with accumulated Hornby points. It will be joined by the 2-10-0 tender engine class 58, which is sound fitted (proper synchronised sound) and which made a substantial contribution towards generating those Hornby points, both these locos are by Arnold. If only Hornby would look more closely at the work of the designers in the other arms of their own group they would make some very serious improvements to the breed. Both these locos glide effortlessly round the radius 2 curves my A4 and A3 won't even attempt. Les BTW, those ARE Hunt couplings on both locos. 100% reliable on the fixed trains today, and the Easi-shunts in the yard about 80% reliabe, but that is good for a first time out.

Peco almost certainly haven't lost their interest, but their timescales are rather glacial. I suspect there are more wagons in development, but if we get an announcement before Autumn with an introduction a year later I would only be surprised at how quick they've been.... Les

Given that Hornby includes Arnold, and Arnold has an established market share on the Continent AND a reputation for being amongst the best quality out there in TT:120 I suspect that TT:120 is going to be around in Hornby for some time. Looking at the way the "in stock" numbers of the Hornby Pacifics are fluctuating on the Continental retailer websites it seems pretty apparent that Hornby UK has gained a foothold into Europe that OO gauge has just failed to manage in the last umpty twiddly years... The 66 will sell well both here and on the Continent. The time that Hornby have taken to get this up to Arnold standard shows they realise it has to be a flagship product. While there isn't enough UK stuff presently for me to do much more than dabble in UK outline I'm learning new skills with my new TT:120 layout Bregstadt, and after setting up at South Notts show I'm wondering why my three 4 wheel railbuses are consistently running smoothly where my seven B-B diesels are finding every speck of dirt and stalling on Hornby's long dead frogs. If a 4 wheeler runs smoothly through Hornby points why not a heavier 8 wheeled diesel? Les

Not Austria. That country is 15KV, 16 and 2 thirds hz electrics, the same as Germany. They could work into parts of Hungary and Slovakia, though from their base in Bulgaria. Les

I think the missing part sentence was "new to the UK"...

I'm seriously considering whether shoving a 30-page chunk of stuff I fail to find interesting into the middle of BRM makes it worthwhile continuing with my subscription for similar reasons. Les

that is the history of TT:120 on the continent, where the aggressive incumbent is Tillig...... Les

On the positive side it does mean I can put off the UK outline TT layout for at least a year, and spend the intervening time getting the standard of Bregstadt raised. The latter goes off this week to its first show without the 08, which has tangled a pickup in its wheels and broken it off. One piece of Hornby failing to look sideways across the group. I currently have Hornby points in my fiddle yard (because they were shorter than the Peco ones available at the time. Arnold's Kof won't even look at running through them, yet they are both made by the same group. At least someone has looked sideways and seen a container wagon they already make.... Les

First loco to get a little weathering is the class 106. Kept relatively clean as a loco that is a recent arrival and looked after by the Bregtalbahn. I will probably add some more soot to the cab roof, it looks cleaner in the pic than in the plastic. Note the Easi-shunt couplers, this loco is the first call for shunting duties. Next up the 112. This needs a bit more soot and a bit of dirt on the running plate. Then the 212. Probably more cab soot and spread the footplate crud to the end. The steps at the long hood end have taken a bash but I might leave them bent, just adding a touch of glue to make sure they don't fall off altogether. Cruel shot of the exit at the Furtwangen end. Still some refining needed, but not until after the first outing at South Notts Show. All for now Les

Coaxed it back into life This is the pic that the uploader wouldn't accept in the previous post. Start a new post and try again and it goes in first time- the wonders of modern technology. Cruel close-up of the fountain shows the pavement very uneven and needing a bit of pokery to flatten it. The purpose of the fountain is to distract the eye from the grotty pavement underneath it.... Something I learned as far back as Furtwangen Ost is that if stuck with a grotty join in plain sight making a feature of it could help. Workers are repairing the concrete at the side of the goods station. The fence is still a bit too clean. I wonder if I can find a suitable painter figure to be working on it and help explain why it is so shiny. Easier than weathering it... Person and small child on one of the balconies, hiding behind the flower boxes. Layout overviews March 26th Firstly, looking towards the Donaueschingen end. Work for the next week will involve track cleaning, soak testing the locos and trains, and weathering stock. In the background some of the vans in the yard have already been done, Looking the other way towards Furtwangen. The light coloured board hung on the backscene will be posted to explain what a Plandampf is for Sunday running. A few jobs that will be done after the first outing include weathering the fence round the goods shed (or adding a painter), ageing the wall at the back of the yard, and doing something about the roof of the loco shed, which to me is crying out for tiles. Come along to South Notts show and see it working, April 6th and 7th at Cotgrave Welfare Social Club. I might get some pics of weathered stock taken over the next two or three days (he says hopefully). Les

A couple more of the locos. First, the identity pic for the BR95. A beast of a loco but just about OK for a preserved engine on Plandampf days. Arnold, of course, and an excellent runner. Arrived analogue but not that difficult to chip. Arrived yesterday and the last loco before the layout goes out on its first show, this BR112 which the Bregtalbahn will have purchased from the DR around the time of reunification, when the DR were trying to get rid of surplus locos and cash strapped lines were still loooking for anything cheap. Now fitted with a decoder (it takes a next18) and run it, it has been lightly weathered since the picture. Some more detail pics there WOULD BE some detail pics but RMWeb's picture uploader has just gone on strike! Les

Some more details etc. First for those who still don't know them, the Hunt couplings. Seen here fitted to one of the four wheeled ex-DR coaches. The logo on the side is a slightly trimmed Highland Railway crest rotated through 90 degrees. The toy immediately before the BR93 was this BR106 shunter to take over goods yard duties from the 08, which I didn't get a stay-alive inside that worked. More research needed here. The BR798 railbus (by Kres) is next in the queue for a little very light weathering, to be confined to roof dirt and a little on the underframe and around the buffers.. In the trees near the tunnel end is this large nest with a bird of prey of some sort. Like most birds of prey it doesn't like being photographed- third attempt and still not quite in focus. Looking into the canyon in the town end plenty of cars parked to hide the over-height kerb a bit, a guy with suitcase waiting for someone to release the door catch before he stubs his toe trying to kick it open, and foliage on some balconies and a couple enjoying the view of the roof opposite... All for now. Les

Going into some details. I picked these up online- a set of 3D printed crates with green bottles. The whole thing is about 5cm long, all ten parts. The idea is you paint the sides grey or brown, wipe cork colour onto the tops of the bottles, then put the bottles into the crates. How successful was I? There they are on the platform having just been delivered by the Jagermeister van. Someone will need to cart them along to the station buffet. All it needs is someone at a show to say Jagermeister bottles are brown.... Pesky pigeons attempt three- this pair are sitting in varnish, A small amount of matt varnish on the apex of the roof then an attempt to sit the pigeons in the varnish. The further one is straight, I'm not entirely sure about the nearer one, but with the naked eye you can't really even tell it is a pigeon... Queueing for the bus- what is wrong with the train? They'll have a long wait as I don't have a 1:120 scale bus. The pooch is a standard poodle. Slightly out of focus but the signature dog-cat standoff. Also to be found on Croft Spa and NO PLACE. Oddly not to be found on Bregenbach im Schwarzrald. The building sits over the board join so it won't be bedded in. Lastly for now, the building site. I'd got grot on the truck windscreen and was in a bit of a panic before I remembered it is left-hand drive. Perhaps I should have removed the Japanese lettering from the side of the digger. Artic has had its awning dirtied a little. More to follow. Today has been spent fighting the drawer handles I got to fix onto the end boards to make the layout easier to carry. Les

Some new pics part 1 Firstly- round the back The Furtwangen end of the fiddle yard, showing class 86 on heritage passenger, class 280 on freight and class 215 on through passenger from Ulm. Also shows a couple of levers for the points out front. The control panel - all of it, also showing the chocky connectors that are the only power connections between boards. The three pairs of push buttons work the semaphores, and the two pairs of switches below work the colour lights- red-off-green for the main, and off-amber for the subsidiary lights. With a fiddle yard where trains might not return to the same place each time and a variety of locos I decided to have a pair of mimic panels behind the backscene- shows each loco with its address. All you need is to work out which of four centre-can Bo-Bos is which. The big screw with thread is tensioning the elastic threads of the overhead power cables out front. The latest toy- a class 93 by Piko. Fun to get into in order to chip but runs nicely. One mainly for Plandampf days (Show Sundays). Must remember to check it is on the track before photographing.... Les

For the opposite reason I'd like to see the J94 first. The 75 in LNER/BR service were a minority of the class, 309 others never worked for BR. , The J94/WD survived in NCB service into the eighties, and were represented at the 150 year celebrations for both the Stockton and Darlington and the Liverpool and Manchester. As to passenger work, there are 40 of the class preserved (at least three times as many as 57xx) so a goodly number of punters out there are much more likely to have hauled by a WD than a 57xx, or to have seen one working passenger. Les still deciding whether to build Broken Scar in TT:120 or a different scale- and Broken Scar needs multiple J94s to be a viable project.