Owen E

Long delay since my last post, part illness and part lack of time/space to do things. Find attached two pictures: one of the edited layout actually put out on a floor for measurement (with the friend who'll be building the baseboards with me), and one of the current trackplan. It's been slightly lengthened to make it simple to have a break between the two boards, and since the layout photo I've also added an internal point by the Town Station in lieu of a passing loop. That gives somewhere else to hide a loco whilst other stuff is happening on the inner line, without having to run round to the yards. In case you're wondering, as buildings/scenery will be removable, the join won't be blocked by anything on the layout when it needs to be broken down. Next stage, at the start of April: order some ply (12mm seems a good depth?), with the final size equivalent to 5x3.5ft for each board - total being 5x7, or rather just under that. We'll batten it both for support and to give room for wiring for the "join" (that's a slightly faffy thing I'm not entirely looking forward to...). We may edge the whole thing with a safety rail of ply as well, eventually. My intention is to Copydex down the track, though I'm umming and ahhing on whether to "embank" the track with cork too. Advice accepted. We'll also prime the boards grey, which can be a mid-term railbed colour as well as serving as the basis for other painting. After the raw materials are put together and the track laid, painting and buildings will be the main imaginative concerns.

Yep, found that thread too. The pickup engineering seems a little hard for my current level of expertise, though perhaps I could learn to do it (I've learned a lot recently in getting into model trains!). The Bachmann 43xx has square stubs, yes, and yes, the central one did slip as I got it out of the box for the 2nd time. But also easy to requarter, as you say. I should look at the Mainline axles to check there's been no slippage (it might explain Sir Frank Ree - a very slight slip might cause jerking that isn't immediately breaking the rods). Not sure how to account for "Scots Guardsman", though...

I've hunted that one now, thanks. I did remove a lot of grease yesterday - including on the various springs which are a main conductor! I'll look again tonight. It's an overengineered design, though the circuit itself is clear. It just has a lot of awkward/weird parts compared to, say, the older Mainline-style design, or indeed X03/04 and Ringfield stuff from Hornby.

Hello braintrust In building a cheap collection of 2nd-hand trains, I've ended up with plenty of the rejects - notably tender-drive Hornby and split chassis Mainline/Bachmann. When you can get a decent detail engine for a tenner, you're more willing to take a risk on the mechanism! (And the tender-drive Hornbys are nearly all good engines, at least after servicing.) Of my six split chassis engines, 3 have some sort of issue. (The other three - Bachmann A4 Golden Eagle and Lord Nelson Sir Martin Frobisher, and Mainline Hinton Manor, are all pretty good.) Advice/info desired. *Mainline Patriot "Sir Frank Ree" - Ringfield-style motor. Slightly bumpy on the track. I've read of something called "jerky wheel syndrome" affecting split chassis types - could this be that? It otherwise runs...okay. *Mainline Royal Scot "Scots Guardsman" - Ringfield-style motor. When working on it last night, it started by audibly drawing a lot of power but moving incredibly slowly (full power made it crawl). I then opened it up and checked out its magnet (measuring over 1000 on the magnetometer) and making sure its commutator etc were clean (they were from last service, when I gave it new brushes, too). After putting it back together, it didn't move, though there was initially a low electric hum. This stopped after I moved it bit to see if anything was out of place. Is this a sign of failed insulation, or what? *Bachmann 43xx - Cam motor and weird plastic/brass block. This intermittently runs very well and not at all - i.e. runs smoothly and looks great, and then stops and doesn't pick up at all (with no continuity through the wheels). This has, it turns out, a cracked central axle by the gear - would that stop continuity? I would expect it just to cause it to seize up. I have seen one guy who 3D prints these axlesets online so perfectly willing to look into that. (I bought this one for £20 or something, normally they're over £40 second-hand, a tenner on parts isn't inefficient if it works.) Thanks in advance for help/advice (other than "use a hammer to fix it", which is tempting but not on the list of options!)

As I'm still waiting to lay track for the final measurements next week, I've only my engine work to show here. Three of my collection of X03/X04 motored locos. The LMS Jinty (painted by a previous owner from a BR Jinty) is a Triang, possibly from as far back as the late 50s; the J83 and 57xx are 70s-era Hornby Triang. These three are all working very nicely with one or two small jobs to do. These will officially join the railway at launch as the "small engines" for three of the four companies - the SR currently has a China-built Holden 101, though I'll see if I can't surreptitiously get a Terrier on the cheap so it's a historical engine for Helen's railway. All three took some work - the 57xx and J83 had a number of tired wires, the J83 and Jinty were both utterly filthy (the J83 had a staple in an axle bearing!), and the Jinty needed its power wire resoldering at the bottom after light use as the join wasn't very strong. I'm proud of what we've accomplished so far. One thing I like about the older second-hand stuff I've bought is - despite quality issues re previous owners - they've been easy to learn to fix. Open-frame, clear engineering, no funny or overfragile parts - these and the Ringfields, for all their flaws, have been a really positive education. (I have another, hmm, 4 X03/04 engines - the M7 pictured above, which has a half-broken collector array that I think is going to need an effective rebuild, as I can't find the part online. Lots of shorting issues, though it did run briefly, though very badly, tonight. There's a "spare" 57xx and J83, which are currently acting as parts donors - chiefly for motors - and another engine that hasn't officially joined the shed yet.)

The plastic insulation has given out on my one and replacing it seems like the simplest solution. Any help available?

Andy - they've both sparked with old brushes, I did replace the brushes on the Jinty last night as hers were very low, but that didn't increase sparking (it did improve running, though!). The Pannier has a suppressor at the wire join, Jinty doesn't anymore. Pebbles, I'll have a go - that sounds plausible! It would explain why normal cleaning methods have exacerbated an issue.

Perhaps, but I doubt it - I clean the slots, and have done so on both *since* I last lubricated motor bearings on either.

Thanks Roy. Will try that at some point. Follow up question to all: both my Jinty and Pannier with said motors are cleaned up and technically up for anything. However, both now share a worrying habit: sparking/arcing on the commutator face/cylinder as they run. Any thoughts? This has happened in the context of being clean, including commutator slots.

I don't think that's within my power, but might not be a bad idea. This thread was my "initial technical questions" thread - the other is where I planned to put design/construction updates.

4 x 2x3 (or 2x4) would deal with the problem of cutting across curves, as they'd approach at 90 degrees, but would be more problematic for that set of internal sidings, I would have thought. Food for thought.

Ha - as a pre-emptive explanation, I direct people to my layout thread. There is some logic to what's on that plan, and there are "objectives" to fulfil (it's a family play/RPG layout). I would have liked a passing loop for convenience but there's not a great deal of "wiggle room" inside the loop once points are accounted for. The existing crossover as it stands is as advised in that thread - to ensure it's trailing. Suggestions welcome, of course, but it's worth laying out the parameters.

The layout is designed - see picture below (prominent scenics will be detachable). I'm aware there's a good question about where the dividing point comes - my carpenttry-skilled friend and I will be laying everything out in a couple of weeks to decide final measurements etc before we buy wood. 3 x 4x2 *would* work, but puts pointwork at more risk of being at crossovers and involves more points of continuity. That seems suboptimal to me, though I grant the reasoning offered above isn't stupid or anything!

I think going along your lines, Jeff, may be best for our first amateur attempts. The other option would be the miniature plugs/sockets. If there's no underwiring, how necessary would underbattening be?

Plugs and sockets sound good - if anyone has any to recommend, do drop a link. No, we'll be on DC. For a few reasons, mostly relating to finance, this is the better bet. Perhaps DCC for a future layout!

Hi Jeff - The OO track is Hornby setrack. Large scenics would be detachable. The track would be permanently attached - I'm considering ways to do that. Wiring would need to be detachable - which is simple enough for the powertrack, but I'm an amateur when it comes to the idea of wiring the track together for continuity across the baseboards.

Loads of excellent stuff here, thanks guys. The plan is ply. Toggle catches also sound good and are somewhat what I'd imagined. Re surface - our dining table is a slightly odd 7x3.5 or so, so 8x4 is plausible, if even more unwieldy even when broken down (but that's the deal here, right?). What sort of battening should I look for underneath and what guardrails on top? Obviously some preliminary suggestions above, but knowing the costs/benefits of that would be helpful. I suppose a related question to that is the issue of wiring; as one correspondent suggests above, running the wiring underneath seems to be the best solution for continuity. Whilst I've been learning a lot about electricity getting into the hobby, that's certainly another step into the abyss, and I'll need to do some research/ask for help on that.

Photo of some recent additions to the railway: LNER Clerestory Coaches - actually Hornby(ex-Triang) GWR Clerestory coaches repainted and part converted by previous owner. They're really there so my son can run them behind the smaller LNER trains, and I got them for a very small fraction of the standard cost of 1 of the modern Gresley Suburban Coaches. SR Olive Green Brake - waiting for a composite, too; this is R445 - most of the coaches I have from that era are pretty good. These are for Helen's use behind her olive green SR steam engines, particularly the smaller ones/those running the inner line. I'm also looking for an SR 4-Wheel Coach for that (I have a bid in on one) but they're usually much pricier than, say, GWR 4-Wheelers. SR M7 - This is a dedicated fixer-upper, bought BECAUSE it was advertised as a non-runner - Helen had wanted a fixer-upper. It's missing some retaining screws for the body, and the motor windings look shot, but the one test I ran tonight did indicate continuity through the wheels/motor, so it'll be interesting to get it on the test track.

Revised trackplan below with some (very out-sized) scenery thoughts. The pointwork on the yards may change very slightly to improve its use by longer engines, but 2 x extra points are easy enough/cheap enough to source and massively expand the usefulness of that side of the layout - two extra sidings for trucks/engines/coaches. Say one each officially dedicated and modelled for the engine shed, goods yard, and coach storage - is there anything else the fourth could be? Guide to the "scenery": *Hollow box on track: the Hornby engine shed we have. *Grey blocks: different stations - Town Station (bottom near the depot), Suburban Halt (inside inner loop north of town), Country Halt (bridging narrow gauge and standard gauge), and Country Station (on long siding aka "the branch line". *Black blocks: residential and commercial buildings *Purple block: industrial building - probably a slate shed for the Bachmann slate trucks for OO9 *Green: a significant hill *Blue: nominal for now, but I'm thinking of that being the "on-screen" edge of of an "off-screen" lake, which is what the OO9 passenger line runs to - chance for my wife to learn about glazing water! this would just be that North-Eastern edge (This is all for maximised play/RPG experience, of course; though buildings etc will be in scale, and hopefully tastefully done, the whole layout will be very telescoped.) In a couple of weeks I'm planning to buy wood, so need to make "final" decisions on the matter of baseboards etc. The big question re wiring seems to me to be this (for the wiring bods): how simple/stable would it be to run wires off the tracks and underneath, and then connect when in use? And are we talking crocodile clips or what for the latter?

Excellent stuff, guys - thanks so much. Few responses/followups: (1) we have run trains a few times in that most amateurish of ways - unfixed track on clean, flat surfaces. I test trains I'm fixing on ad hoc test track regularly, too. But of course there's no serious running capability at the moment, especially as we don't want to wear the track out. (2) re reversing the points - do you mean by turning the crossover into 2 x left-hand points (rather than the present 2 x right hand points), or do you mean by moving the RHPs to the "top"? (3) I'll have to have a think about that issue of wiring and continuity across the sections - that's good food for thought.

My wife and I are putting together our first layout. It's a whole family project - we're preparing it in time for our eldest son's next birthday (he's train-mad), and my dad is very excited to run trains on it too. I've been buying and renovating a number of locos and rolling stock from an online auction emporium of note, and we have a few new locos (from trainsets) to add to the mix. The layout will be 6x4, or perhaps more like 6'x4'2" to allow for the Stage 2 plan. Find current draft plan picture below. The Stage 1 plan is the main OO portion - a double loop with one external siding and two internal sidings. I think the internal sidings will be an engine shed and a good yards respectively. The external siding will lead to a small station; the large station will be on the inside of the inner loop. For scenery, there'll be a hillside town with a church inside the loop (marked out for now by the green oval and grey building on it). (Stage 2, putative at this stage, would be a OO9 track with a station platform between the narrow and standard gauge lines, and a single siding to an industrial yard. This is roughly represented on the plan; AnyRail's limit on number of pieces means the OO9 track is slightly foreshortened and there's a "fake" station in there marked by the black block.) There are some technical questions facing us - some just to do with learning basic skills (replacing fishplates at the crossover with insulated ones), some strategic (working out permanent wiring choices for controls - hang the wiring through the baseboards?), some pretty structural (if I split it to 2 x 3x4 baseboards, how best to ensure continuity, how best to fix together in use, etc). Of course this is all very "gestural", and not at all intended to be groundscale for the purpose of the stations etc. It's a layout intended for many purposes: portable but extensive enough to be fun, with lots of things to "do" - goods to be moved around, passengers to go between stations, shunting, etc. The era is "General Grouping". Our plan is for each "regular operator" to have a company of trains - my eldest son will take LNER (including his favourites, Mallard and Flying Scotsman), my wife the SR, I'll have the GWR, and my dad the LMS (not that he knows this yet; a surprise waiting for him when he gets a Coronation-class to parallel his childhood Dublo one!). Again, no intent on close realism, but an attempt to capture some of the glory of Grouping. Very happy to hear suggestions on the layout, advice on modelling, etc. EDIT: A few probably-helpful info points to add : *current OO track is all Hornby; we own all displayed below and have laid it out to check everything fits, works, etc. *no fiddle-yard planned (things are either IN or OUT of the world, as it were; obviously the engine shed and the small station side-track can be used for engines to rest

My wife and I are planning our first layout, in time for our eldest son's next birthday in May. (It's a whole family affair - we like trains, our eldest is train-mad, and my dad was a great fan of Dublo and is very excited about running trains on ours...and one of our best friends is considering getting into the hobby, too!) The plan is 6x4 double loop with one external siding and some internal sidings. We may slightly widen the short side as a placeholder for a future OO9 project. The layout needs to be portable. My two questions, then: (1) To make it portable, the best idea seems to be to split to 2 x 3x4 baseboard sections. What is the general wisdom on continuity over section joins? What do people advise for clipping sections together when they're being put out? (2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of a layer of closed cell foam or similar on top of the baseboards? Thanks in advance for the communal wisdom incoming.

Very helpful, all. I'll have a look at the wheels - I certainly have noticed their comparative size/depth/weight, say compared to my 70s and 00s J83s! If I can file them slightly that might help. They're pretty grey wheels, so perhaps mazak? I have done a little of gauging on the wheels (they're a little narrow), though the sheer width of the wheels has made the need less pointed - there's no wobble.

Thought an update might be in order. I got some Neo magnets and fit one, though my magnetometer app did read higher on the old magnet than it had before. I wonder whether really, in the final event, it's just the motor windings that are knackered; the new magnet will give them one last bit of work, though, I guess. (I can always buy a new X03). With the Neo magnet it immediately began driving notably better, but a bit jerkily/noisily, so I checked dry spots and lubricated with Fleischmann. It's now running *MUCH* better. However - the wheels sound noisy on the track, and it's very slightly less happy going forward than back. Either direction, for reliable running, it needs nearly half power to go, and then it's quite quick, but I understand that's normal for the motors. If anyone has any final advice on that slight directional preference/noisy wheels, please do say, Other than that, many thanks, so far it's been a marginally successful repair.

My one of these came with broken front lifeguards (seller was excellent and fully refunded me). The part is rare, and though I can just hang the body on top via the back clip, of course this isn't ideal for a few reasons.