roundhouse

I gather that it was Bob (in the photo) who you chatted with. Yes a very simple track plan but you need to be concentrating all the time if you don't want to put the 12 or 14 car EMU's on their sides. Luckily this didnt happen over the weekend although we did suffer a few partial derailments. I was quite surprised at the amount of interest in the third rail stock at the show and luckily both Mike and Bob know quite a bit about it when asked. I did have my heavily modified Lima class 33 running over the weekend. Apart from wobbly running caused by a new traction tyre it ran well. Not bad for a very old loco thats sat around for years in an incomplete state till late last year.

It lunch time and we were getting hungry

It's bin day at Star Lane

I have various types of Tam Valley frog juicers on numerous layouts for many years and no failures so far. It could be that these rarely fall hence not much info out there.

I certainly thought that they looked like jaguars but didn't realise that any were still in flying condition

I cant recall. I did intend to take a photo of the info board but forgot.

A few exhibits are kept outside including one of my favourite planes, the PBY catalina which i am just completeing my third kit of one of these, the first two long gone. There were quite a few aircraft way off in the distance in the operational part of the RAF base but does anyone know what is stationed there?

Over Easter we visited the Cosford Air museum for the first time, something that I have been wanting to do for a while since getting back into building aircraft kits now that I have a little bit more space to put them. Its just over a 15 minute walk from the railway station but luckily we missed the heavy rain whilst walking to and from the museum. This is the only place in the world to have all three V wing bombers and they are kept inside the Cold war museum building. It wasnt easy to get a good shot of the Valiant though but there is also a model of one. Well worth the visit and as its free entry we did leave a donation. Does get busy but was quiet for the first half hour at opening time.

I tend to use Soundtraxx decoders in North American locos that have sound but Digitrax in non sound locos especially my N scale American locos as I make use of the transponding functionality with the Surroundtrax sound box. In my British outline N scale I have used numerous manufacturers decoders without issue . However I tend to use Zimo sound and non sound decoders these days. Loksond are also fine but IMHO Zimo have the edge without having to play around with the CV settings for motor control.

Its just another thing to weigh up when planning. I doubt that we will be in DC anyway, more likley to be Texas and then possibly the NW.

We are considering being across the pond over Xmas but one thing putting us off is any potential issues after the election especially if the orange one loses again. This Summers plans to be at the NMRA convention in Long Beach was deterred by he special hotel rate of $210 per night plus taxes , breakfast etc even before looking at flight prices in the middle of UK school holiday time. Been busy ferrying mum to and from hospital. We are less than 3 miles from the hospital but its a 45 mile trip to collect mum and take her home again. One trip yesterday and another Thursday late afternoon . All for various tests although yesterdays was the only one that was not a good outcome which had already been explained a year ago but it only sunk in with Mum yesterday. Younger people they can operate but not at her age and frailty. Brother from HK was at Mums last week took mum for blood test at the hospital so we just had one trip that week but brother has just flown out to his boat in Granada to get his boat ready for a trip through the Panama canal. Thats one trip that I would love to do but he could be waiting a few weeks to go through and we have shows to do. Friday we are helping on a friends layout at the Macclesfield show then a week later helping another friend at the Swiss society do at Kidderminster SVR. Plenty of apres show drinking.

In recent months I have been working on quite a few non railway models. Firstly, these were a commission for a fellow railway modeller using resin kits. A fair amount of filing and filling plus some research to add extra details such as wing mirrors etc. but not quite 100% accurate. There is a book on Rugby Cement vehicles but is not cheap for potentially a one off build. number plates have been added since the photo was taken. Next, a few aircraft for my self. This Airfix FW190 was bought for £1 . The kit decals are showing heir age but once weathered the yellowing should blend in more. The tail decals are no longer supplied in many kits so a whole sheet cost £5 and are a little large but will do till I find some the correct size. It must be around 40 years since I last built a German WW2 kit. And lastly for now, an Academy Kit of a USN F2H-3 also known as a 'Banshee'. A kit that had been on a show traders stand for months and I finally decided that it needed building. I managed to get a bit of overspray under the masking tape on the canopy so I used a bit of IPA to remove it but it fogged the canopy. Not had this issue with other kits but luckily a bit of polishing and Pledge clear varnish sorted this out so be careful with any Academy clear glazing.

Looking forward to seeing the layout at Macclesfield as its some years since I saw it a Wigan. I will be helping on Star Lane.

Yesterday I finally got around to fitting the Tilmanstone wagon onto the disused section of track. At privatisation quite a bit of the old EKR rolling stock was diamantled on this siding but on the layout this one was missed. its held on to the track using wire wrapped around each axle and passed into drilled holes in the ballast and stuck using canopy glue. A small amount has been applied to the track to hold the wheels in place for a bit of extra grip. There isn't a spare slot in the stock boxes for this wagon hence fixing it in place. The photo below whilst a little out of focus gives the presepective of the wagon on the layout from the viewing position.

Superb pub if you like ale and cats