wireman

Thank you both for your help. ESU Loksound has put me in the right direction. Thanks once again. Brian ( wireman ).

A recently aquired Bachmann CL.47 runs well and sounds great. In an attempt to identify which chip is fitted, I have read CV8 which showed only 15 1 as idetification. Does this indicate to anyone what this chip could be or do I need to take the body off to find out. Many Thanks.

Mainly an operating session this week but there are now steps to gain access to the fuel tanks plus destination boards on the Bournemouth Belle Pullman stock. I'm not sure whats next, although the long awaited new control panel is a possibility. Regards Brian. (wireman )

Ladder for access to fuel tanks being made but in the meantime 08 drawing empty wagon away and a couple of pictures of the Bournemouth Belle. The pullmans have had a light weathering and the rake looks superb running though Coleborne. 35012 needs sound fitting !!!! Regards Brian, ( wireman ).

Although nearly two months since our last post, time has flown by. Christmas, New year etc. plus weathering a rake of pullman coaches plus sound fitting the 9F have all caused delay in sorting the Bund wall problem around the fuel tanks. No hard and fast rules have yet been found re. the period in question but given the limited space available, a plausible, ( I hope ), wall has been fitted. An access lader is still to be built and fitted but hopefully this goes some way to answering the problem. NO, I have not worked out the contained capacity should a disaster happen. Thanks once again to Lez and Oldddudders for interest and advice. Regards Brian . ( wireman ).

Thanks fo reply Lez. The bund wall topic was a new one to us and as we were unable to have our weekly meeting last week we have not had chance to discuss this further. One question I have is to when these regulations came into force. The layout is based in the early 60's , 60 years ago, were these walls a requirement then. Historic pictures of Diesel fuel points are hard to find, the best one I found was of Crewe Diesel fuel point. The main fuel storage tanks here do not seem to have any visible bund walls. However, we appreciate all comments and advice and if these walls are required I'm sure Nick will want the error corrected. Hopefully we will be meeting again this week. Thanks once again for comment. Regards Brian. ( wireman ) .

During this weeks visit we had an enjoyable operating session, although I did manage a little more progress on the fuel depot. I took a couple of my sound fitted loco's, I feel sure we will soon be hearing sounds on some of the Coleborne fleet. The class 47 in this picture is already sound fitted and spent agreat deal of the afternoon ticking over here. Regards Brian ( wireman ).

Thanks for comment Olddduders. I did not know the term bund walls before but will certainly take a look. Cheers Brian.

I've found a couple of better pics of the bolsters and brake van. Regards Brain ( wireman )

An update on the refuelling point. Final fixing and scenic work remain although the idea of a fence between the tracks at the point is still up for debate. ( Nick can't decide. ) The urge to weather all of the 16 ton mineral wagons has morphed into a need to weather and load the bogie bolster wagons. and the Queen mary. Rgards Brian.

Just a couple of pictures to show progress on the refuelling point. The first is just to have some idea of where things will be placed, Then the wall and base for the tanks. The tanks are a Peco/Wills kit. these need painting and weathering before being fixed to the base in order to continue with the pipe work. The refuelling stand is from Bachmann and also needs detailing and weathering before final fixing. The walls are thin foam board and brickpapers. I think there should be some sort of fencing between the tracks at this point as well, although I'm not sure what type or form this should be. The lamp hut in the background will not be there. Regards Brian. ( Wireman )

The finished coal wagons , plus my own Loco. Bideford. Nick weathered this engine for me a few weeks ago but running problems resulted in fitting a new set of driving wheels. These were obtained from Hornby, extremely cheeply and quick service. Hence the need for another visit to the paint shop. I do know that the rear pony truck is fitted backwards, this was corrected at home after wondering why it kept de-railing. This had nothing to do with the superb weathering, it was my excitement in refitting the body and truck. Now.Back to the refuelling point. Regards Brian ( wireman )

In my entry at the end of August, I mentioned that during the track alterations, we had hoped to fit in a spur for a small diesel refuelling point and as I said this proved not practical. Although it was decided to still include a refuelling point which would be accessed from the turntable. Work on this has started but things have been side tracked by a sudden urge to fill and weather a batch of 16 ton mineral wagons. ( And one of my engines ). The first picture is of a larger Loco coal wagon and the second is the first batch of the 19 wagons requiring filling and weathering. They were purchased as factory weathered, all looking very similar, the enhanced weathering gives each an individual look. Graham spent a couple of happy hours fitting packing pieces to the inside of the16 tonners and then filling with crushed coal, fixing by dribbling diluted PVA in a manner similar to that used when ballasting track. All good fun. There were actually only 11 of these at Coleborne, but I have 8 at Brampton Road so it seemed a good idea, well to me at least, to slip these in. To prove work has started on the refuelling point , here is the area being cleared for it. As many times before, this required a paint scrapper and small hammer Regards Brian ( Wireman ).

The holes for the point motors look rather large but under baseboard access here is limited so the motors and Peco switches have been pre -wired, before fitting to the point, with a long enough run of cable to be able to fix the terminating six way connecting block to a suitable cross member where there is better access. The live frog dropper wire will also be extended before fitting. The point motor switch will be for panel lights and the frog dropper wire will go to a Gaugemaster frog juicer. These two views show work in progress, this took quite a time to achieve, plus as the control panel is going to be replaced , tempory switches were added to the existing panel. Using some existing wiring plus additional new wiring was interesting to say the least. And finally. Some scenic odds and ends remain to do, but all fixed and working. In all, this took around 5 afternoon/evening visits over the last 5 weeks. Graham made endless cups of Tea and storekeeping, I spent a good deal of this time under the base boards, Nick drilled holes and laid track and as always superb painting. There were a few problems along the way, but the objective was achieved. Problems? NEW CONTROL PANEL. Regards Brian. ( wireman )

Track clearance and a start on holes for new point motors Regards Brian (wireman)

Its seems a long time ago that I mentioned constructing a new control panel. The pictures taken then have all disappeared from the blog but in the event, although bits were purchased for what was going to be a winter project, little progress was made. It is still going to be a winter project, just a different winter. ( Which winter ? ). Things have progressed though. Going back many years, when built the extention to Wimhill allowed a train to run from the bay, platform 1, to Wimhill. Trains coming down from Wimhill could not gain access to platform 1 if required, but would run into the loop on Platform 2. Shunting back to platform1. As this did not effect either up or down trains to Wimhill from the mainline the situation has remained. An idea was put forward to alter the track by the addition of a single slip allowing trains for Wimhill from platform 1. It was quickly realised that this would mean moving the loco shed entrance point to the slow main line. The place it was when the track was first laid. Hopefully this picture of the Peco templates will make the above ramblings clear. The first point after the one of the main line was looking at the possiblity for a spur to a small diesel fuel point. Without using a small radius Y point this was not possible. Most Locos here are six coupled wheel base plus a couple of eight and one of ten, quite impossible for a small radius Y. Next. Clearing the existing track, I hope the mising pictures can be restored in the future Regards Brian. ( wireman )

Finishing the siding took a little longer than expected, but all finished and operating. Picture shows Q1 3309 reversing towards the turntable, Std 4 75074 about to move off to its train in the station and the 700 30315 heading towards the coaling stage. These three are all sound fitted with Zimo chips and Youchoos sounds, as are most locos now. Leaving an engine here just simmering away whilst trains leave or arrive at the station is really effective. Being a small layout all volumes are kept to a reasonable level and obviously all turned off once the fiddle yard is entered. Regards Brian ( wireman ).

Before work begins on the new control panel, the small work bench has been made and fitted. As mentioned before this will be just for light maintenance / detailing on stock and will slide back under the layout when not in use, keeping the area clear for operating. I am always impressed by Nicks wood working skills, this one keeps up the standard. ( Probably won't stay this tidy for long though.) Regards Brian. ( wireman ).

Connecting to the coal road would look good but space required for a point at that end would limit the storage on the coal road, in fact without extending the coal road, a pacific wheel base loco would be unable to use it. So. Out with the paint scrapper again. The new point lies just in front of the control panel so will be changed by hand although provsion has been made if I change my mind at a later date . The new point will not isolate the siding allowing me to leave a loco parked here with sound switched on. Most of the roads within the loco. shed do isolate when the point is against them, I had no idea of using sound when I laid them, but once I find a way of cutting through metal fishplates without to much disturbance, I will make them all live. The siding as shown will be shortend slightly, painting, buffer stop etc. to follow. It may be noticed that the right hand track, leading to the turntable, has insulated joiners in both rails, this is because it doubles as a programing track. It is important that this is completely isolated before use as such, therefore switching to program also swiches off the rest of the layout. This is not used very often as the Gaugemaster units allow on main programing which covers most situations. Regards Brian ( wireman )

Actually thats what we did at Wimhill, a bit anyway.

Thank you Scott. Your open invitation to Coleborne is under review.

First idea for the new control panel. The new panel will use single pole sprung centre off switches instead of the present push buttons, thus saving space and hopefully make the whole thing more intuitive. The panels shown below have been in use for some years now, so time for change. ( 2010 was when I think I wired them ) First, rough sketch of idea for new panel. As I noted earlier, a winter project, although first, a small work bench which can be pushed under the layout when not in use. Just enough for wheel cleaning, adding a detailing part etc. Regards Brian. ( wireman )

Graham did recover and set to work building shelfs for the various railway books and things which now needed a home after removing all the benches etc. as explained in my previous entry . First, a new shelf had to be fitted for the coffee and tea mugs. I thought it was a piece of UPvc off cut from a window sill but am told that because of the need for a chamfered edge on one side, drilling four holes for screws and cutting a couple of inches off one end, it is in fact a bespoke shelf, made specifically for its purpose. Plus the excellent book shelfs. At this rate, we will very soon be able to find things when required. Regards Brian ( wireman ).

I took the picture below as things had returned to normal on completion of the 3rd rail as far as intended. The up express waiting to leave platform 1 and the two car local electric waiting to follow. But, for a while now I have looked for a way of running another line to the turntable. This really is just not possible without impossibly tight curves or major surgery to the table itself. I have though realised i could at least fit in a short spur to enable an engine waiting to turn to be clear of an engine leaving the table or having been turned, to wait before coming off shed on to its train. It may well be possible to connect this to the coaling road. A bit more measuring is required before digging out the 2 inch paint scraper again. Regards Brian. ( wireman)

Winter timetable has started, our visits have returned to afternoons after our summer evening meetings. This week , normality returns. The N clss shown snaking a goods away from Wimhill has been in the work shop after chewing its main nylon? gears. A replacement set was obtained from Bachmann and duly fitted by Nick. I have been quite keen to rebuild the control panels at Coleborne for some time, the idea mainly falling on deaf ears. However, Nick has now thought it to be an excellent winter project, so dicussions and work has started . First things first. The age old problem of room around the control area has come under discussion and the decision made to completely remove the work bench built in 2018. ( Page 13. December 2018 ) This has been rebuilt in the spray / weathering shed. Dismantling and re-building was completed in one afternoon on Wednesday by Nick and Graham. Graham thinks he will have recovered by next Wednesday, although only for light duties, ie. tea making. Progress reports to follow. Regards Brian.