MarshLane

All looking good Andy - I note reference to yet another layout ... I feel like I am going backwards, not standing still when I read your threads!!! Great to see your doing what you enjoy and do best ... creating stunning layouts for us to look at. Cant wait to see a video of that 40 - can imagine the noise from here!! Keep going mate .. as for getting bored of the layout pictures - are you serious? If anyone says they are let us know and we'll send the boys round to deal with them - it involves hours of looking at sprinter and multiple unit photographs, after which your glad of anything with a loco hehe!! Off to search out the breadloaf layout, sorry Kingsmill. Rich

Nick, Wow - totally superb and very inspirational. I hope you are very proud of what you have achieved with that loco, if I had the skills I certainly would be! Brilliant. As a matter of interest, is this kit still available, or was it an older / one-off run? Rich

That a really interesting article and some great images of some early workings that we just don't see today. Thanks for flagging it up JR. Great mag too!

Where was the article JR? Cav, I appreciate there is a cannot please all of the people all of the time issue here. But can I ask (not expecting you to give any details away, just food for thought at your end) that you give thought to two areas when it comes to close coupling between the 91 and Mk4s. It isn’t unknown for the 91s to run blunt end first, it a regular sight but does happen occasionally, and it may be something that modellers may wish to replicate, also that in the early days the 91s ran with Mk1 (charter) and Mk2 stock, hence the ability to retain normal couplings may be an issue? The second point is that some people (me included) May look to purchase a couple of different liveried 91s but a lower number of sets and switch around. A friend of mine for example would do the same thing, but his fiddle Yard is automated, therefore the ability to add a form of automatic couplings to allow the loco to be detached and changed comes into play. You cannot account for everyone of course, but my thought being that what every you decide on should (hopefully) keep the door open for those that may wish/need to amend it. Rich

Nice work on the signals Ken! Do you have a thread on the whole layout on here yet? Rich

I have read the post right - that is a scratchbuild ... not a kit? Amazing work, well done. Rich

Totally agree - stunning work, very jealous of what you have achieved there. Doesn't matter how long it look you, you achieved a fantastic result - really do need a Wow button! Rich

Hi Martin, We have to bear in mind that Microsoft is at the route cause of the majority of IT issues for treading their own course, I firmly believe Bill Gates chose Betamax! So I can well believe that Windows deviated from Templot! As a programmer myself, I can understand that things are done different ways for a variety of reasons - no criticism was intended, just a stating an opinion in that its one of the areas, if you know how Windows programmes works, it can make Templot harder to learn. However, I'd rather have it harder than not at all! Without wishing to hijack Duncan's thread(!) Id say I could give you several area's but any change to them would probably cause more difficulties than it would resolve, especially to people that now know how to use it. So please don't worry on my account. However, if you have the ability at anytime to put a thread, video or instructional insight together as to how you created that template, id be fascinated! I can deal with most things, and the recent single/double slip automation makes life far easier in my view, but something like that I wouldn't really know where to start, other than curving a B8 point! I do get a bit lost with pegs, which is another area I really need to read up on. But Duncan, if you are having problems working out how to do something in Templot, you now have the ear of the chap who created it and thereby allowed us all to build both easy and complicated tracklayouts by hand! Ask away would be my advice Rich

Hi Duncan, Love the idea and the background, shall be watching along! I am not a master by any means, advanced idiot is probably more my level, but I can find my way around Templot if you need any help, just let me know. Its not the easiest programme, as you've probably found out, some bits are made harder by the developer just deviating from standard windows practice in some areas for some reason ... however, all that said when you have the 'penny drops' moment and the fog clears, it is a very clever piece of software that allows you to do far more than you could with just Peco track. Big bonus if your hand-building of course. You can also use the FineTrax point work with it as that system works in the standard sizes of course. Rich

There is a deal been done with Digitrains in Lincoln to produce an exclusive limited edition of the King in N of 6000 King George V fully fitted with DCC sound, which has got the project over the line and means that its going to be delivered. Had an interesting bit of a chat with Dave, and it is obvious that he's passionate about what he wants to do - but I think a lot of us (me included) forget the huge sums of money involved in the production of a model these days. While we think the time to deliver is long at times (although Bachmann, Hornby and Dapol are no better to be honest) and purchase price is higher than we'd like sometimes, but try adding three zeros to the cost - that must give an idea of the finance involved in buying a 1000 of them in. I doubt a bank would ever loan a business that kind of money on the off chance a 2mm model sells. Others have told me what Dave has put into this, and whether you support him or not, if its right, it sounds like he's taken some very brave choices to try and make this work. He's not a Bachmann or Dapol where there are numerous people working on things, its a one-man band. With the update on projects that are on the other DJM thread, while I appreciate a lot of people have concerns, but if it reaches fruition like Dave says the Shark and Mermaids will this November, then everyone wins? There's a space in my display cabinet when the King arrives!

Erm - Revolution and Accurascale are working on Mk5s in N and OO ... thats two manufactures both of whom have been announced....

The other thing announced is that the King has got 'over the line' - Digitrains are having an exclusive limited edition of 6000 King George V - £249.95 including fitted DCC sound.

Richie, Just a few thoughts for you, if you are looking at the Taunton / Cogload area, check out the http://www.tauntontrains.co.uk website - in the photo galleries there are loads of old pictures of Taunton 1950s-1990 and more modern that may help you. Also as Joseph says the space available in N gauge can be huge, but there is nothing to say you have to use it all! You could always start small and expand. Steam sounds - Others will disagree with me here, because sound is a very personal opinion topic. Some like it, some don't. However, I've listened both online and in reality to several steam sounds, and I would agree, some are great, some sound awful. Without doubt I think Paul Chetter's (@PaulieBanger on here) are the best out there (just my opinion) and I like the vast majority, but my own personal view is that nobody has really got the GWR pannier right? Paul's project for the Minerva pannier is great and very realistic when its moving (to me that's the point most go wrong, as it sounds to repetitive, but Paul's seems to work!) however, starting off the 'chuffs' seem to end rather abruptly - maybe its me expecting too much from the technology, im not sure. I absolutely love Paul's diesel projects, they are superb and spot on. There is a 9F sound - im not sure whose it is, Finescale Brass had it on their 7mm 9F that was on display at Doncaster GOG event and that was super. I have come to the realisation that steam sounds really need a cam on one of the axles to keep everything in sync, although the Paul tells me the Zimo decoders have a whole host of settings to affect timing of sound events that are very good and just about remove the need for cam's - but that probably isn't an option on 2mm scale however. But of course, you could fit a standard DCC decoder to locos now, and then upgrade them to sound later on? The technology continues to improve and move forward. Rich

Thanks guys, I knew about the sidings at Bounds Green/Alexandra Palace, and of course Hornsey but had forgotten about those at Holloway. Rich

Hi Andy, wow can you slow down a bit ... your making the rest of us look as if we are dithering and doddering and moving at snails pace ... what do you mean well we are! New plan looks good, I am following along in the background - bit up and down at the moment ... but I am destroying a few trees drawing up plans and ideas. Might just adopt your approach and lay some track once of these days. Now need to go update on your progress with SMS. Rich