Teabag

This sailed past Taormina, Sicily yesterday before mooring off of Giardini Naxos just down the coast. I don't know much about ships, but it looked interesting. Teabag

The A340-600 is a very long plane. First time I flew on an A340-600 was with Virgin from LHR to PVG (Shanghai). I had a last row aisle seat. During take off all the dividing curtains between economy and premium economy / upper class were folded back so that you could look right up the aisle almost to the front of the plane. During rotation (after what seemed an age on the runway) I can honestly say that you could see the curvature in the fuselage as the nose wheel lifted - the floor in the aisle slightly sloped away until the main wheels lifted off. Never seen it before or since in a plane.

First time I've been to the DEMU showcase. I enjoyed it - a nice selecction of layouts, good trade stands and not too crowded. Must get round to signing up to the DEMU society. Thanks to all those who contributed to the show. Teabag.

Yes, code 75 streamline. A small amount of transition curve really helps the look with any curved points. Even settrack curved points can look slightly better on a small layout if an ST238 curve is inserted as a transition before the point.

Bredon was the inspiration for my layout - especially the formation leading into the tunnel. I imagine the two lines to be a main and branch and that the passing loop would have originally severed another platform.. Curved points definitely help the look and flow - though I have a bit more space to play with. Teabag

I painted mine in grey primer and then a cheap earth brown water based paint (can't remember where from). I varnished the undersides and edges. My boards are 9mm ply on braced softwood frames and sit in a garge that ranges from -5 to +30 C over the year. So far (> 10 years) no warping. Long after I had started adding track, wiring and point motors I saw a brilliant suggestion on here to paint the underside of the boards white so that you can better see what you are doing - I just wish I had though of that earlier! Teabag.

There is a small goods shed next to Wellingborough's platform 1 that has recently been restored allowing passengers to walk through it, which is rather handy as the platform is quite narrow at that point. Picture before restoration in the link. https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/alanbaxt2-363020/index.cfm

Excellent news - blue 31/4 for me - 31432 will do. Teabag

For me joining Peco code 75 to tinned copper droppers, 60:40 multicore solder (already has flux in it). Tin both the track and the wire and then bring the two together and use the iron to re-melt (per the advice above). Perfect joint everytime.

I have seen pictures of 33s and 24s paired in the early days of the 33s before the SR had electric heated coaching stock - the 24s providing steam heat. Also seen a picture of a 33 and 73 in Blue on a parcels turn - both running, judging by the exhausts. Teabag

I used 2mm which is OK but it might have been better with 3mm (ref. the steps on the MK1). Teabag

That looks really good - the whole atmosphere is great and my favourite era. The texture on the platforms and road surfaces looks especially good - how did you do this? Teabag

I have quite a few of them on my layout between scenic code 75 and fiddle yard code 100 streamline / setrack. No issues at all. There is a slight height difference which a shim of plastikard can be used for or just leave them suspended on the fishplates - they are short, so they only ever take the weight of one axle. Teabag

My pair turned up yesterday. They look great - very pleased. Might have to get some more - might need as serious discussion with finance authority.. Teabag.

Lucas, Prince of automotive darkness.

As Harlequin asked, the arrangement in the garage is a key ppint to consider. I wanted a similar layout - a late 80s /early 90s with continuous run (with off scene staging sidings), reverse loops for storage, a terminus, some shunting etc. in the garage. The garage has a door at one end onto the garden and occasionally things need to be dragged through. In the end I decided that instead of going around the walls with a lift up section, I would put the layout on one side of the garage but add wheels so that it could be pulled out for maintenance. It fits in a similar space to yours (its ~12' x 6' or 3.6m x 1.8m) and leaves a 2 foot access on 3 sides. The basic design in anyrail is below (the through station and its point work is copied from the classic Bredon) - the track is all laid and wired and I'm part way through the scenery (which might change a bit from the original sketch).

That's a Christmas present to me sorted - what a great offer! Teabag

Thoroughly enjoyed this edition - lots of content relevent to my era (1980s - early 1990s). Keep up the good work. Teabag

I've tried endless different types of reverse loops in bored Anyrail moments. I use nested 2nd, 3rd and 4th radius loops as hidden storage sidings on my own 12 x 6 layout. Even a 2nd radius loop is >2m long which is six Mk 2 coaches plus loco. Teabag

On my 12 x 6 I use reverse loops to both turn trains and store stock. The layout is inspired by the classic Bredon. It lives in the garage. which is tapered so I can have a small terminus as a sort of cameo at the rear, otherwise it would just have been storage loops. Numbers are lengths or radii in centimeters and each square is 30 x 30cm. The layout is drawn in Anyrail and set in the late 1980s sectorisation period. Control iss DCC with an NCE Powercab. Teabag

Yep, that was one of them - fantastic detail in the different grades of scrap.

Really enjoyed the show - even more so than last year. A good selection of layouts, great idea to have a kids area and some really great micro layout on balcony 1. All in all, worth the visit. Teabag.

Putting some ballast under the actuating bar is a really great idea that I haven't seen before. Wish I had thought of that! Teabag

Originally I did not bother priming, but found the sleep grime paint would sometimes flake off the sleepers when I was brushing the ballast in place (Peco wooden code 75), so I tried priming which seemed to improve adhesion. Teabag

Good evening all, I have a quick question...do the old chassis Class 150 bodies fit on the new Class 150 chassis? Teabag