Ted-ish

Ah! Well that makes far more sense, thank you.

Example page:

This is another one I bought, in addition to the one your recommended (yet to arrive).

Is there a guide on here (or elsewhere) on how to 'read' working manuals time tables? The first of my many items arrived - working manual (white pages) - and aside from the 'from and to' bit, I'm not entirely sure what I'm looking at! 😳

Grabbed it - thanks for your help with this!

Is that this one? - https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=1902049559

Sorry, I should have said my layout (WIP) is based around Shirebrook maintenance depot in the late 80's. Coal obviously features heavily. However, I wanted offshoots to other areas in the Midlands represented by production facilities, terminals, yards and the like. I'm moving house later this year and will have substantial, dedicated space. Hence fortunate enough to be able to incorporate many areas (in N gauge).

These look excellent! Hopefully I can find one for my area and era. Thank you for sharing images, very interesting and helpful.

Thank you so much, I'll try and hunt it down!

Hi all, I'd really like to understand the nitty gritty of freight operations in 1980s. Sources, destinations, stops in-between and why. How signalling and hump yards functioned and their involvement in the process. How it all came together. In essence, I need a book or three (or video, website reference etc) that explains it so I can port that behaviour to my layout plans. Thanks in advance! ps: I've seen the waybaill and car cards used in the US, not sure if there's a similar system in the UK

I also finally finished my departmental Class 37. It's been worked hard, and as per many of the prototypes - it looks tired!

And behind the chimney stack, plenty of room to run rails:

Progress, the loft is now insulated and boarded. I've 16ft x 12ft to play with, which is good, about a 50ft loop. Velux goes in hopefully within a week, or so, as do full electrics and lighting. Not the greatest of photos, I was using a very poor light.

The station is looking really nice!

I stumbled across your videos at the weekend Michael, I didn't realise you had a thread here. Really enjoyed watching the construction of the bridge bracing, looks great - the layers really work to add realism and interest.

I've been experimenting with pre-colouring ballast. To be honest, I think it looks better than colouring ballast that's already glued down. I would of course weather the rails, and airbrush over the top of this to weather it down. This is just acrylic paint mixed with water, about 80% water in fact. Bottom of the plate is standard Scenics N/fine ballast. In reality, it's a bit 'blue' to the eye. Top of shot is a darkened version, it takes a little blue off. Next is more colours but with bathing sand, far right is Gaugemaster ballast (I don't like it). Obviously it needs sieving but the effect is really good. It looks more natural to me and has a very good mix of fine grains. I need to ballast some actual track to test, but what do you think?

Brace yourselves - another thrilling update! Blocks are all wired for this section, I tried to be neat and label things The twisted bus wire is now gone as I don't need a traditional 2-wire bus All track droppers are wired for the Cobalt point power Just waiting on my accessories bus wire to arrive, to complete the install

Thank you Rob. This was my first loco weathering attempt, the first time I've aimed an airbrush at one too! I have to say I'm very pleased with the result, it makes me excited to do more. Which is good news... I also have a few hundred wagons to weather! It's frustrating (I drop so many small pieces and spend an hour looking for them) but rewarding. I just love the scale and minute detail. You have to be more precise, that's for sure, but you can fit so much in to a layout! I don't want to offend 00 here, but to me personally - they feel toy like in comparison and less like a model. That's not to say I don't appreciate 00 models, because I really do - I'm just keenly biased towards N.

Wiring is slowly taking shape today - thanks to guidance and advice from @WIMorrison! All Cobalt iP's have been installed, tested and aligned.

Looks bloody good to me!

Finally I have finished the laying of this 5ft stretch - the 'Shirebrook approach'. It's take me ages because a) I'm slow b) I start over if it's not perfect and c) there are 22 blocks on this part of the layout alone! Completely OTT perhaps, but I want detailed reporting of where locos are and also the ability to shunt and stack with great accuracy. Next, wiring... And then filling all those gaps with sleepers!

Thanks Ian, aside from the 37 I really do like these little 'rats'. I also did a sound install on this one... pretty much a running theme for me now, must have sound!

Cheers Duncan, it took long enough!

As promised Ian @03060 , here's my finished Class 25 in 'winter' clothing.

I should note, satin vs gloss is a personal preference. I wouldn't use matt personally, but I prefer satin (light sheen) to full on gloss. That said, gloss makes working with oils and weathering fluids a touch easier.