Fluo66

Hi, I followed this and your previous thread with interest since it was started. When I look on the latest version of your track plan I found some problems and you could easily simplify the the point work on the large station. The station approach looks impressive but are all the points and tracks really necessary? The Settrack points look odd on the mainline in my eyes. The track spacing between the 2 parallel lines is too small for running trains simultaneously on both tracks. Is all the pointwork between the platforms and the shed really necessary? It has no advantages for operation. The track spacing on the most upper tracks is too small. I would avoid the 3-way point. The souble slips and 3-way points are not easy to operate in my eyes. The spacing between the headshunt and the mainline (left curve) looks also very small (not marked in the plan). There could be not enough clearance between a train that runs on the mainline and a train or loco on the headshunt. And finallaly: If you have no transition between the right curve (R3) and the straight track your outer platform would look simething like this: I stumbled over this problem when I have build my platform. To solve all this a have drawn an alternative simplified version of the station on your original plan: As you can see, the track lengths are identical. Now there is just one double slip. Most of the track is still Settrack. There a just a few sections of flex track (red). I added also a transition on the right curve to solve the problem with the platform shape. As the removable section is not scenic there is no need to center the tracks on this board. Alternatively there are 2 other variants of for the station approch. Version 1 with Settrack points and version 2 with a double slip and a medium point instead. But there are all more or less identical in length.

The Peco layering spray is made by WWS and it is the same glue. Martyn from WWS made also the tutorial videos on Peco’s YouTube channel. I agree with the pumping bottle head. After a few pumps the head is blocked and you have to clean it completely. Not so with the spray bottle. It is much much better.

Fran, I seriously understand the challenges for a packaging for such a fragile product. But there are some substitute materials available today with similar characteristics (like clear and durable) like plastics but sustainable and partly compostable. Recycled plastics are also an alternative. You are trying to deliver the best models on the market (and I am sure you will). Take the challenge and be the first model railway company with an eco friendly packaging and a green label on the product... Cheers. Guido

Fran, thanks for the detailed update. I never wanted a class 92 because my layout has no catenery. But it is very hard for me to resist a model with working pantographs and all the other features you have described. Now I think that I will buy at least one. It is worth the wait for a perfect model like this.

I am sorry. I have missed that this was posted and discussed before.

Maybe this diagram from Hattons is useful for ordering the correct coaches:

Thanks for the tip Andy! I was happy to find the Scotrail BSO in your shop. It seems that it is sold out everywhere else.

Harlequin is right. Let them halp you to redesign the track plan. Otherwise it may happen that you are not happy with your layout later. I was also a beginner I have completely rebuilt my layout 3 times since 2013 for the same reason and wasted a lot of time and money (but learned a lot ). Less is more is also right. I did not want to hear that either. But that’s right. Less points end up in less wiring and complexity. And you have mor space for scenery.

Congratulations Gareth! This is your first wishlist thread.

Fran, is it possible the get a cheaper delivery method for overseas customers? If I want to buy two pairs of buffer stops (value £11.90) I have to pay £15 for shipping. That‘s a lot and stops me from buying them. Thanks in advance Guido

The DCC fitted TPE „Brutus“ is now available at Rails: https://railsofsheffield.com/products/38175/Dapol-4d-022-014d-oo-gauge-class-68-019-brutus-transpennine-express-diesel-locomotive-dcc-fitted Order placed...

These are a lot of wishes for a small layout even in N gauge. Maybe something like that may fullfil your needs: https://www.thegoodsyard.co.uk/twinlevel.html (just for inspiration). It measures 28x72 inches. With a few extra inches you could add a dock scene at the front that is served by the branch line.

Thanks guys for developing this fantastic coach pack at this price! I paid the deposit for TPE pack 1.

Looks very good so far. I am building a layout that has a similar plan but much smaller and located in Scotland. I am very curious about the station building. Do you have something in mind for this?

You are probably right. After all the trouble with correct working halo lights and sound fitting I thought it was a bit difficult. But I have watched Richard‘s (New Junction) video on YouTube and it seems really quite easy. Now where the TPE version is nearly sold out I wait for the DCC fitted one. On the other hand it‘s most likely that Dapol will release another TPE loco with the next batch...

Is there any sign of the DCC fitted „Brutus“ (4D-022-014D) as announced by Rails or is this cancelled by Dapol?

Good plan as always. Personally I like your version much more. I would also remove the 2 extra sidings on the left nearby the crane. Both were not in the original plan. Without them it doesn’t look so overcrowded.

Hi Calvin, Thank you very much for all those pictures and descriptions. It‘s absolutely impressive what you have scratch built so far. Can‘t say what my favourites are. The platform canopies look amazing as well as the terraced house or the lighthouse. Guido

Hi Calvin, I really like the look of that coastal scene. Are the tunnel mouths, retaining walls and buildings 3d printed? Don‘t hesitate to post some more pictures... Guido

Yesterday I wanted to order one of the 2 remaining Dapol‘s class 68 in Dcotrsil livery from Hattons. I need this DCC fitted because I am unable to do this by myself. But the DCC fitting options were not available for this loco. So I conzacted Hattons for DCC fitting. Today I got an answer from a stuff member that the DCC fitting service is suspended due to focussing on sale. I should buy the loco and when the service is back than I can send my loco to Hattons for the DCC fitting. I answered that this would cost me a lot because I had to pay the expensive shipping costs from Germany and then back to me. Sorry to say this, but this is not my understanding of an excellent customer service. This time they have not just missed the chance to sale a loco. I had already 5 of the new new MK2F from Hornby in my cart for pre-order. Now I buy the loco and the coaches anywhere else. That’s focussing on sale? Surely not but that‘s my consequence.

Thank you all very much for your kind comments. Today I resprayed the platform edges. I masked off the whole area and sprayed the tops wgain with white colour: After the paint was dry I masked the white edges and spryed the rest of the edges with Tamiya AS-16 USAF light grey. This is the nearest colour I have found that looks like concrete: Job done: Then I sprayed the prepared Wills cable trunking with the same colour: And here are the cable trunkings loosely laid in place:

Station platforms The platforms must be built before ballasting. I started with the Peco concrete edges and sprayed the tops with a white paint. In my opinion the grey spray paint was too dark. So I decided to mix my own light grey colour and apply this with a brush. The platform edges were then glued with PVA onto the baseboard. The platforms were then filled with stripes of 1mm cardboard to support the surface. The platforms go 30-40cm inside the tunnel under the station area to give the illusion that the station continues there. The platforms follow the radius there and the distance between platform and track must increase. Probably you can't see much of this when it's dark inside the tunnel. I found that the colour of the edges doesn't represent the correct concrete colour and is painted too uneven. Therefore I will respray the edges with spray paint (paint ordered yesterday). To make it perfect I have to repaint some of the white edges also again. For the platform surface I will use 1mm grey cardboard painted with a dark asphalt grey. I want to add real looking coping stones like here (taken 2015 in Waverley): But these are in working progress. Therefore it can take 2 weeks or more until I can finish the platforms. Bits and bobs I added Peco's dummy point motors to the points and catch pits from Scale Model Scenery between the tracks in the station. Wills cable trunking is on it's way. That's it for the beginning and today. The next job is ballasting.

Track weathering The tracks were weathered with brown acrylic colour. In the past I used enamel colour but this is much harder to remove – liquid or dry. I applied the colour with a fine brush and cleaned the rail tops and the sleepers with a piece of 2mm cardboard immediately. Like the extension of the sleeper spacing it is a very boring and time consuming job. But also here the result is worth it. Maybe I have to rework the weathering here and there when I would recognise on a photo that this would be necessary.

The viaduct The viaduct is my first scenic element on the layout. It is necessary to build this at the beginning to complete the track laying. I wanted to replace the Metcalfe card viaduct with something more realistic. There are not many really good products available. Most plastic kits look too small and generic (including the Wills viaduct). Then I decided to use this product from the German manufacturer Vampisol because it has prototypical dimensions: http://vampisol.de/Viadukt-ueber-die-Lenne-Grundset-mit-zwei-Boegen-weisses-Material The prototype is located in Germany but some similar bridges can be found around Europe including Scotland and England. IMHO other generic kits are at least also wrong in place... The viaduct comes as kit made from dental plaster. It is a very hard material. The recommended skill level for building this kit is 4 (of 5). Therefore I was a bit nervous. But there are some good videos on Youtube that explain the construction of a similar viaduct from the same company including painting and weathering. I bought the basic kit and one extension. For the building I needed 6 hours without painting. I had a few problems fitting the arcs in the middle section. The gaps were filled with liquid dental plaster (included in the kit) and cleaned with a short brush. This was much easier than expected. In the end the result is simply stunning: On the next day I painted the viaduct with a very thin mixture of sand/ivory acrylic paint. I wanted to have it in a light sandstone but in the end I was not happy with the result and painted it again in grey. After my first real weathering job I am more than happy with the result. First I applied white colour and wiped this away with a paper towel so that this colour remains only in the gaps. Then I used 2 mixtures for weathering: black/green and black/brown. Both were applied with a brush and wiped off with paper towels. And this is the final result. It looks quite good to me. (The picture does not show exactly the real colour due to the bad lighting conditions) I will add Scale Model Scenery railings later. It was fun to build a structure from plaster and painting/weathering it. Vampisol offers also tunnel parts. So I will create the tunnel portal that is needed for the scenic section with those and paint it in the same way.

Point work / Electrical installation All points are driven by servos. My intention is to use the Megapoints controllers components and build a control panel with these. The servos are HobbyKing HK-15178 as recommended by Dave Fenton from Megapoints. I followed his very useful instructions on Youtube and used .9mm piano wire for moving the tiebars. For the start I bought a servo controller which can operate 12 points – exactly the amount of points I have on the layout at the moment. The electrofrogs were wired as recommended by Peco. I added microswitches next to the servos to switch the frog polarity. A few points were slightly bent to make a Y-point or a curved point. But there was one thing that I did not have in mind: If you bend a point the closure rails may get in contact with the frog and this ends up in a short when the frog has the wrong polarity. Locating this short took me a complete hour! I fixed the problem by cutting a small piece of the inner closure rail. An other issue is the vertical throw of the piano wire. I fitted this in the most inner hole of the servo lever. But the vertical distance between the top and bottom position can be 2-3 mm. If it is too long some rolling stock can run against it. If it is too short it may disappear under the tiebar. Maybe I will change the installed servos from vertical to horizontal rotation where necessary. All wires are connected to splicing connectors made by Wago. The installation is much easier than with conventional terminal blocks. Just clip the cables in and it's done. Another advantage is that the connectors work as junction available with 2, 3 and 5 inputs/outputs. The connectors are glued with superglue under the baseboards. Until the layout is finished and a final control panel is installed I have built a simple temporary control panel with toggle switches for all the points: The Hornby Select is still my first DCC controller and can hopefully be replaced in the near future with a SignaTrak or Lenz controller.