Revolution Mike B

Code 40 track is poles apart from the Peco stuff I’ve been used to in N Gauge, but it’s rather fiddly! I definitely need to get the assembly jig. I’m not sure about the 500mm lengths though as it’s going to be near on impossible to create the smooth curves that I’m aiming for. I’m also not keen on lots of droppers…..but I may have a plan. Back up in the loft and the fiddle yard frame is finished and painted. The end board lines up perfectly but I forgot that the board connector blocks were mounted to the side of the baseboards meaning I can’t pug the flippin’ things in!! Luckily, I’m replacing them for something simpler so I can mount the new connectors in a different place. Im going to get the fiddle yard boards finished off tomorrow and move the whole layout back so that it’s in the correct position. Then the fun starts……

There’s two limiting factors Phil. Firstly, the shape and size makes it an exhibition managers nightmare, and secondly, it needs to fit in my van! Oak Road is bad enough.

I thought I’d draw up the layout boards to show how the redesigned layout looks. The original layout is depicted by the large rectangle to the left with the newer wider fiddle yard boards running along the back and extending past the original length. The extension is at 90° to the last ‘original’ board and has a senic section of 7’6” before it disappears under a bridge and returns along the back using the old fiddle yard boards. This has been designed so that if I want to, it can be extended by another 4’ when it’s out at an exhibition. There will be some ‘scenic fillers’ to give the layout more depth and to hide the fact that the running lines will be near to the corners in order to get a better track alignment.

Famous last words “It’s very doubtful I’ll start it before Taunton”…….. The last two evenings I’ve been up in the loft moving purlin props and building a frame for the new fiddle yard. The new fiddle yard is actually for the proposed extension and is 18” longer than the main section of the layout. The frame is deliberately too low for the fiddle yard, hence the 2x1 on top of it, as the end boards are lower than the fiddle yard and need to sit on the frame too. I bought some second hand code 80 track for the fiddle yard from Tom Curry and I’m going to reuse the points from the front of the layout (they’ll need packing to raise them up to meet the code 80) as it’s daft to waste them. I’ve got some Finetrax coming tomorrow to have a look at it and if it’s worth the hassle, I’ll order the lot. I’ll reconvene over the weekend and get everything built so that I can have a tidy up.

It’s all a bit hit and miss now that Freightliner own the 59s and they don’t have a depot at Westbury. Quite a few of the stone trains are now using the avoiding line.

It’s very doubtful that I’ll even start it before Taunton Ben useless I can be confident that I can get the electronics sorted in time. The plan is to build the extension but keep the original layout intact until after the show, then remove the existing track and relay it. It also depends on how busy we get…which at the moment seems to be gathering pace!

I’ve had a change of heart with the layout and decided that rather than build a new one (which was going to be good for exhibitions but not so good for home use), I’m going to ‘redevelop’ it. The main difference is the addition of a 90° extension, seen below I’m going to realign the track at the station end so that it’s nearer the front of the layout but angling back towards the original alignment at the junction. This allows me to realign the bay platform and add an additional siding. At the other end, what is currently the single track branch will be removed and the existing double track Mainline will become the line to Chippenham. There’s one other surprise……the whole scenic section will be relaid using Finetrax Code 40, complete with super elevation and co-planed crossovers where needed. I’m not sure if I’ll have the time or the money to have it done for Taunton but the boards are almost built. The biggest stumbling block is the electronics, which account for almost 40% of the cost of the rebuild!!! Anyway, that’s enough for now. I’ll post an update towards the end of the month.

The wagon bodies are different to the PTA wagons and are coded JNA. Although we’re still undecided, It’s unlikely that we would produce these wagons given that they’re limited in numbers and are currently used on just one particular flow, and they’re similarity to the Ealnos wagons we’ve just produced. However, if the situation changes in the future and they become more widespread, it may be something to add to the ideas list. Cheers Mike B

With the Taunton show being a little over six months away, a very nice man at B&Q has made me a new flat pack fiddle yard which I’ll aim to assemble over the Easter weekend. The original fiddle yard boards are only a foot wide, so I’m upsizing them to 18” wide to allow for more storage roads - as you can imagine, HSTs, IETS and Block Trains soon eat up the tracks. I’ve also given myself the option to increase the depth of the layout by either 9” or 18” which will mean I can ease the curves and reduce the drag on the long stone trains. Experience tells me that the show will come around sooner than that so I’m going to spend the rest of the month making sure the fiddle yard works as it should and then I can get back to the scenery.

I've always had N Gauge Eric and only really got back in to 4mm when I started building Oak Road. Space is a huge factor with the layout and until I can build a shed big enough to accommodate it, it'll stay locked in the container for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately not. I was going to take it to Stafford but with work events coming thick and fast around September / October and a busy work schedule, combined with Market Lavington going to Taunton, it was just impossible to do. There’s no other plans for it go go out in the future at present.

Just to follow up on Ben’s post, the sound decoders are already available as a Loksound 5 Nano wired version and have been for some while, however ESU are now supplying them without the wired adapter.

I think what Ben is alluding to here is that many people aren’t aware of any omissions / inaccuracies with the Dapol 59 (I own one myself) and therefore wouldn’t feel the need to replace them, or purchase another one (or several more) because their needs have already been satisfied. It’s a tough call to be honest but I can 100% agree that the feedback we’ve had is that the Dapol one looks like 59 and people are willing to accept it.

It may seem a little strange for someone who works in the industry to pass comment on a rival manufacturer’s thread but credit where credit’s due. I ran one of the EP samples on Oak Road at DEMU last year for the entire weekend, and while it’s no secret that I’m personally not a fan of the real 56’s, it was almost impossible not to like the model. Things have moved on a little since then with the introduction of the decorated samples and there’s a lot of thought and effort here to give the end user something worth owning.

Time flies when you’re having fun….and it’s certainly flying by with work. So much so that I’ve done nothing with the layout except use it as a test track for our models, and run trains in circles when I can brave the cold up in the loft. I’ve decided that I’m going to tidy the layout up and after the Taunton show, move it on to someone else - not because I don’t like it, but I want to build something a little different (along the lines of Oak Road). Talking of Taunton, I’ve been weathering some stock so that I don’t end up leaving it until the last minute so here’s a few pictures of some sheds, JIA China Clays and some of Dapol’s super JHA wagons. As a shameless plug, the Revolution Trains Class 59 has been a mini marvel and I’m (we’re) really looking forward to getting them in to production. The Aggregate Industries one that I’ve tested to destruction is on par with a CJM version in terms of tractive effort with the bonus of having lights and full DCC capability. It’ll be a while before I post anything else because we’ve got an exciting new project on the go and it’s all hands to the pump……..stay safe…and keep on modelling :-)

We would like to think so!

We are delighted to announce a U.K. first for N Gauge modelling. In conjunction with ESU, our Class 59 will feature a completely new decoder for the U.K. market which some of you will know as a Loksound 5 Nano. Previously supplied to the Australian and North American markets due to more functionality but only in ‘wired’ form, ESU have now produced the decoder for the U.K. market with an E24 interface, and this will become known as Next 28. The non sound version - Lokpilot Nano 5 is currently in production and both decoders are expected to arrive in the very near future. If you haven’t seen the loco running on various social media platforms, you can find out why we’re so excited by following this link…. https://revolutiontrains.com/countdown-for-the-59s/

As some of you may or may not have seen on Facebook, one of our deco sample 59/0s was being put through its paces again on my Market Lavington layout with some impressive results. Unfortunately, I can’t post a video link on here but it comfortably managed to haul 9 Dapol JHAs, 15 of our HOAs and 12 of our JNA/Ts. The first two blocks of wagons being fairly hefty in weight individually, let alone all together. This was achieved without traction tyres too! We’ll have an ‘official’ update video within the next couple of weeks to run through the fantastic sound fitted version that was recorded from the real loco at Whatley Quarry. Don’t forget that the order book closes at the end of this month for anyone wishing to secure one of these fine locomotives at a pre order price of £124.95

To be fair, the weight isn’t an issue once you’ve added spacers (or washers as some people have) to the bogies and they run very well. I find the intermediate couplings a bit of a struggle though and whilst I appreciate the good intentions of them, I’ll be replacing them with some custom WHWWs ones in due course.

Just to shed a bit of light on the 313 deco sample video. Due to the Covid situation that was making things difficult in China, this is the first time we’ve been able to run a powered model. There are two working samples, Ben has one and I have the other, which I am thoroughly putting through its paces on my layout. As with any pre production sample, there will always be a few things that need correcting and we are currently working our way through them, which incidentally - credit to the factory who have produced these, are minimal. Cheers

Whilst it may seem like a missed opportunity, a yellow MLA to most people looks very similar to a JNA Falcon, and therefore creates the sense of "I've already got some yellow wagons, I don't need any more of them". I'm by no means saying that some modellers wouldn't welcome them with open arms (me in particular), but from a business perspective, it probably isn't the most viable proposition.

Nice job there Ian

I finally managed to weather the rest of the JIAs over the weekend and also the 57/6 which has been almost pristine since I bought it 4 years ago. These are not perfect but they seem to change appearance on a daily basis so they can stay as they are. I need to add the ploughs but I can’t seem to find the box! I’ve also had confirmation that at the second attempt, the layout will be attending Taunton RailEx in October so I’d best get my finger out and rebuild everything I’ve taken apart!

It seems like absolutely ages since I’ve posted anything on either of my layout threads. Work has taken priority (which certainly isn’t a bad thing) and it’s been very cold in the loft too. As far as layout progress goes, I’ve not really done anything except 3D print some station buildings to see if I can get something workable before I resort to card and plasticard. Although they came out ok, they’ve warped a little so it’s back to the drawing board. I have however been working on some wagons and a class 37 which can be seen below: The little MFAs were quite fiddly, especially the buffer shanks! The HOA with the graffiti on started life as a different livery to the MRL ones and as such has different body sides. After some bodgery I’ve managed to get it looking similar to the MRL version. There’s still a way to go (and another 9 to convert)) but I’m pleased with how it’s progressing. 37025 is going to propel my test train (work in progress) and this one arrived courtesy of Rainbow Railways. I’ve got some etched ploughs to add at some point but for now it can just trundle round the layout as a light engine. I also took the plunge and bought some of the Rails of Sheffield limited edition JJA auto ballasters, and although these come pre weathered, I’ve reworked them to represent the time period of 2016 - 2019 which is more in keeping with the rest of my stock. I’ve got a few more things on order from work, namely some 59s and our Caroline Inspection saloon (also to pair up with 37025). Hopefully when the weather warms up I can go and run some trains again……

Yes Roy, you are correct, and the exhaust too, but for a basic renumber then it would be fine. I need to add the lifting eyes to the front of my 59206 as the model doesn’t have them