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thegreenhowards

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  1. The other issue when considering pre Mk 1 ECML Pullman trains is the mix of all steel and earlier vehicles. The all steel Pullmans were originally built in 1928 for the QoS, but later spread around a bit. However the train was still formed with a majority of all steel Pullmans with, typically, 2 or 3 earlier ones. They can normally be identified on photos by the prominent underframe trussing which is absent on the all steel cars. For example the first two vehicles in Tony’s photo of 60117 are earlier vehicles. The Anthony Ford series of Pullman car books has some example formations from observation in the back. This is what I used to form up my QoS which has three pre 1928 cars. Hornby do both types of car, but their pre 1928 cars only represent 5 typical cars and there were a lot of variations on window positioning etc. which means some cut and shut to create some of the cars if you want to be pedantic. Andy
  2. I totally agree about the coal shovelling. Of course, with DCC, the operator can decide when to use it. I rarely do, but occasionally give it a burst when the loco is stationary at a station. Andy
  3. All trains on your layout sound good, but the Napier roar would add an extra dimension. In theory DCC sound works on DC, but while it makes some of the right noises they’re often not at the right time and you lose a lot of control. So I wouldn’t recommend it. Andy
  4. It’s competition which brings the price down more than anything. I speak as someone who is mainly buying O gauge at the moment (although I did bag an Accurascale Deltic). Heljan O gauge diesels are getting very pricy and we desperately need the competition that is now very prevalent in OO gauge. Thankfully, the price seems to drop after six months when the ‘small shop cartel’ finishes, so I’m now able to afford a second class 27. Dapol stuff is much more reasonably priced, but they have yet to venture into larger locos. Andy
  5. It sounds fantastic as well! It takes me back to my 10 year old self on the end of FP with the earth trembling. Magnificent! If that’s doesn’t convince you of the benefits of DCC sound, nothing will. Andy
  6. Looking great…although shame about the red woodwork!
  7. Great stuff Rob, I cant wait to see the N7 running!
  8. OK, must be the same occasion then - about 35 years too early for my Regional Railways liveried example!
  9. Indeed, but should I go blue, 1970s style or early ‘60s green with SYE. The latter is the more attractive livery IMHO, but not correct without me adding a tablet catcher recess and sliding cab windows. Andy
  10. I’ve seen a picture of one on the Glenfinnan viaduct but definitely back in the green era - maybe the same one although I don’t remember it being a skinhead.
  11. Hmmm, now I do love Deltics. If one of the new Heljan jobs dropped to a similiar price, I might just be tempted, but as a rule I tend to try to resist such flights of fancy. As nobody makes RTR Mk 3s in O gauge and kit building such a rake would take a long time and be very expensive, I think that any Deltic would have to appear on a service train or maybe the SRPS railtour set if I ever get round to building that. Andy
  12. While browsing Rails’ sale, I also noticed that they had reduced some 31s to £285 which seemed too good to be true for 3kg of lovely loco. So I succumbed to one of these as well which I’ve numbered as 31439 ‘North Yorkshire Moors Railway’.  Now I can’t see any possible justification for one of these at Glenfinnan - I think there were only five and during the early ‘90s - rather later than my time period ending in 1987. But if anyone can find a justification (perhaps a railtour?), you’d make me very happy! Failing that it will be a rule 1 engine for silly days. Andy
  13. A momentous day yesterday as I ran the first train round the complete circuit in the garden. I had to wire up some of the new boards first, but the modular system I developed last year worked quite well and I just had to put the boards together in a different order. No video yet as I need a second pair of hands for that - hopefully later this week. The loco chosen for the honour of the first circuit was a new purchase. Rails reduced the price of several O gauge diesels recently which almost tempted me, but they then gave an extra 5% off a couple of weekends ago, and that tipped the balance. So I have a new green FYE class 27. I notice that as of today, Hattons have dropped the price to £442, so I may invest in another! I’ve numbered this one 5392 based on this photo from Flickr at Fort Bill. I had to choose an ‘English’ one as Heljan have only done these in O gauge and I didn’t fancy cutting the cab side open for a tablet catcher recess. 5392 arrived at ED in 1967. Now I notice that this one has yellow cabside windows whereas mine has white. Can anyone advise me on when the change from white to yellow took place? I’d like to keep mine white, but if I have to paint it yellow, then I’d better do it before I do the weathering. Andy
  14. Personally I found Vol 1 of Banks and Carter a truly inspirational read and it is probably what started me down the road of modelling correct formations rather than just putting a few coaches together to form something that might have been a train. I was blissfully aware of the errors until Tony pointed them out and while they are a shame, for me it doesn't detract too much from the utility of the book. I will be in the queue for Vol 2. Andy
  15. Thanks Tony, I think that you’ve told me about the smoke defectors before - I’ll get round to it eventually I promise! What is the grate lever? Is that the over on the side of the cartezi truck? Andy
  16. Tony, I have a couple of DJH A3s, 60052 and 60108. Both were eBay purchases for just over £100 and, unusually, both worked fairly well on arrival. I think I had to tweak 60108 as it has American pickups and there were some shorting issues but 60052 worked perfectly. There were certainly some issues with 60108 (single chimney with smoke defectors , banjo dome, lamp iron position and the front buffer beam was a mess), but 60052 is as bought. 60052 has a quiet Portescap while 60108 has a DJH GB1. One day, I'll get round to weathering 60052! Andy
  17. I love Diamond Jubilee. Did you have to do a tender swap to get the correct streamlined tender, or have Hornby done one like that? Andy
  18. I took advantage of a quieter day today to try setting the whole layout up in the garden. This is the first tim3 since I built the hills. These three boards are looking rather bare, but at least they have their protective sandtex coat on. They are noticeably heavier than last time I got them out! The other three boards look a bit more finished, but still plenty of work to do. Next steps will be rhodi on the hill behind the platform waiting shelter, a quick ‘flock over’ of the other three boards and getting the circuit round the garden complete. Andy
  19. That’s a lovely idea, but you’ll understand if I get the basics working first!
  20. Tony, I thought you might like to know that Charwelton ‘into the ‘80s’ is at Railex this weekend. It’s the first time I’ve seen it in any guise, and I thought that layout was magnificent (including the working semaphores!). the trains all seemed to have credible formations and the weathering was convincing and homogeneous. I watched for a complete sequence - best part of an hour. Here are some photos. The locos were all DCC sound fitted which I know is not to your taste but I do think it works particularly well with diesels - I could tell what class was approaching before it was visible. The rest of the exhibition was excellent with several standout layouts which would have been worth the admission on their own. Also the traders were mainly specialist cottage industry types who were well worth talking to. No box shifters here! All the best Andy
  21. Jeremy, Many thanks for that description. I think it all makes sense now. I’m hoping that when I buy the kit of the ground signal it will have some prototype notes on how it worked! I wonder whether I’ll need to pack a green flag with the layout exhibition kit to enable truly prototypical operations! Regards Andy
  22. Ok, back to Glenfinnan. Rob, thanks for your photos, I was hoping you might have the answer in your fantastic archives. I had seen and wondered about the little post in your 37 photos, but dismissed it as a milepost is similar as it looked too rectangular. However, the Black 5 picture is just what I needed and @03060’s blow up makes it even more clear that this is the beast I’m after. Thanks to John for the detective work - if only Andrew from Wizard had been there yesterday like he used to be! Looks like I’ll have to put a postal order in as I also need a finial which I seem to have lost from his kits of the lattice home signals. But I do hate paying postage! Thanks also to Rob for the engineering train photo. I allow myself up to RETB introduction, so 1987 is just OK. Are they concrete sleepers in the first two opens? I have bought some Peco individualay ones to allow me to create such a load in my Turbots based on a photo which Al Tait came up with on the MIOG group. Andy
  23. Thanks for all your replies yesterday. Railex was very good. It’s always been a cut above the rest in terms of the quality of layouts and traders, but I think this year was even better than other I remember. The only criticisms were the heat and catering, not directly the fault of the organisers. I lasted until 1630 despite intending to leave earlier to get home for the championship play off final, but I had to admit defeat at that stage from fear of heat exhaustion! Standout layouts for me were: Charwellton into the ‘80s, a what if GC main line roundy roundy with diesels and credible formations all weathered to a uniform high standard. Grindly Brook, A large 0 gauge transition era roundy roundy nicely signalled and scenicised and excellent reliable operations. Again, good weathering, but not as consistent as Charwelton. Hope under Dinmore, pre grouping LNWR/GWR joint with unusual stock well executed. Wendover, 1920s, GCML with interesting rolling stock of varied ages - some X04 type growlers, but again lovely to see mainly kit built locos and stock. And last, but certainly not least, Addison Road. 1920s Kensington Olympia under its old name with cross London trains and wonderful scratch built Oerlikon electric units which actually arc in the third rai! Jeremy you must get yourself to see this masterpiece. It was my third time but I was still transfixed. The LBSCR I3 with lined LNWR coaches on the sunny south express is an absolute joy. The traders were also very good. No box shifters and only one selling overpriced ‘tat’. The majority were cottage industry types selling interesting modelling products and really interesting to talk to. I spent too much as normal. For Glenfinnan, it was mainly more scenic materials including heather clumps from WWS which you’ll be seeing shortly. And some bouncing signal servo mechanisms from Dingo servo mounts for the two lattice signals I built before Dapol brought theirs out. So by the time I got home from that and watched the play off final before I found out the result (I’d taken the precaution of recording it), it was too late to think about this thread so I’ll respond in my next post. Andy
  24. Thanks Jeremy, It’s becoming clearer now. So in photos, I should be looking for a small ground based stop disk on the headshunt near the point controlling access back to the mainline? How would moves onto the headshunt from the down platform have been signalled? As for your photo, a useful reference but it rather spoils the 5,4,3,2,1 elegance! I’m off to Railex now, so won’t post again until this evening. If anyone’s going, let me know. Andy
  25. Jeremy, Many thanks for your comprehensive reply. I’m still trying to get my head around all of the points you make, not being a signalling expert myself. One question for now, if I may. What is a stop signal? I.e. how does it differ from a shunt signal or home signal? I’ve no idea what it would look like and don’t remember seeing it in any of the photos I’ve collected of Glenfinnan. Regards Andy
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