[An adventure in 7mm coarse scale.]

2 hours ago, John R Smith said:

 

Do keep us up to date with your progress!

 

 

 

 

An evening spent in the signalbox with the stove going getting rid of rotten O gauge sleepers. The pins are proving troublesome to get out. The chairs are a bit fragile too. Some progress but I’ve got to find a better way of getting the pins out. 

[An adventure in 7mm coarse scale.]

I’ve always been fascinated by coarse scale 7mm railways I’ve seen on my travels. I used to visit one in Hitchin in the very late 70’s/early 80’s but I have never found any pictures. 
 

My parents bought my a book around that time that featured 7mm course scale and the evidence is still present today which pages were revisited frequently. 
 

The situation wasn’t helped by visiting a railway in Rugby. I’m sure it was here trains were signalled with a mixture of real and homemade block instruments with bells. (this is something I can do methinks)

 

I already model in OO, G in the garden and 12 inch to the foot at work so there was simply no chance of me scratching the coarse scale 7mm itch with the available funds. Then I was given around 150 feet of track. This was followed by other donations and the occasional frivolous eBay purchase. Last week two substantial Bassett Lowke motor bogies found their way to me. Now I have track and the means to make something move. 
 

I’m not rushing ahead yet but I want to plan ahead. Space is allocated for a railway. Things need to be acquired to enable construction to start. The first thing that springs to mind are conductor rail chairs like this one..


 

Does anyone still make these? My initial thought was to use ordinary chairs with a wooden packer beneath but these look far superior. 
 

The dream of a sparky non dcc railway stands a good chance of coming true. 

[Heljan and dirt]

I’ve replaced the pickups on several of my Heljan locos with 0.33 nickel silver wire. This has made a massive improvement. The biggest improvement was with a 26 with the old style wheels. I still need to clean the wheels now n then. 
 

It’s all quite realistic having watched a twelve inch to a foot class 47 disappear on a track circuit the other day. Three months of no traffic and there was enough rust to stop the track circuit being shorted out. Second pass was ok as was all subsequent passes. 

[Deepdale Garden Railway - O gauge Battery RC]

What controls the signalling?

[Hornby 2023 - Bluetooth decoders and control system]

For some reason one of my decoders has decided to change its address. It works fine from the phone but switching to dcc mode it can’t be driven but I can turn on the sounds etc. It is allocated address 1. It drives on address 16 along with another loco. 
 

edit. 
 

Sorted now. The consist address had become 16. I don’t know how because I have only been controlling it via dcc. I haven’t opened the ap on the phone for ages. 

[Conflats as '03' runners]

9 hours ago, russ p said:

 

They must be the last ones in use Richard.  I wonder if they will fit couplers from modern units or if they will be scrapped 

It would be a shame for them to last as long as they have and not get saved. 

[Conflats as '03' runners]

[Conflats as '03' runners]

The picture was taken at Ilford 

[Conflats as '03' runners]

[Conflats as '03' runners]

1 hour ago, russ p said:

 

Cheers Richard,  is that nigels? 

It was at the time. No idea where it is now.

[Conflats as '03' runners]

Been looking for these.. finally found them..

[Last southbound March-Cambridge passenger train]

Didn’t the line reopen in one direction just after closing?

[Conflats as '03' runners]

8 minutes ago, Trestrol said:

TMC did a custom painted 03 runner a few years ago. It was based on an older Bachmann conflat.

I think that is based on something in the NE Region?

[Conflats as '03' runners]

I have made various grade emery boards so that is an option. 

 

[Conflats as '03' runners]

On 18/02/2024 at 19:58, LNERGE said:

I’ve started hacking an Airfix meat van chassis about to produce another..

 

 

The plan is to put an overlay on with the cut out hexagonal holes 

To overcome how thick the deck will look I propose to represent sides similar to a Lowfit. The problem is I can’t find a picture of one like that being used as a runner. I’m sure one of Ian Allen combined volumes had a vague shot of one at Ely but I can’t find the right one yet. 

[Automatic switch-off of track section power on system power-off]

As everything I run has asymmetric brake active I’ve put a control on the signals reading over the lift out section.  I’ve put in slightly larger plug couplers to the lift out section and put a simple loop that controls a relay and that relay is cut into the HR circuit. Plug couplers out means the relay is down. 

[Conflats as '03' runners]

I’ve started hacking an Airfix meat van chassis about to produce another..

 

 

The plan is to put an overlay on with the cut out hexagonal holes 

[Conflats as '03' runners]

Here’s one I made earlier. Parkside chassis with plasticard top and the chain pockets cut off a Triang Conflat L

 

[Conflats as '03' runners]

20 hours ago, russ p said:

 

Unfortunately I'm hopeless at soldering 

Russ I will have to confess to being in same boat. So far my recently acquired kit is going together ok but no one will be invited to look underneath… In a similar vein I won’t be posting any pictures of it until it is near finished and the cc transfers are on. It is certainly a good kit. 

[EFE Rail - Winter 2023 Announcements inc. Southern 'Booster']

I purchased a blue with yellow ends version. No problem fitting a decoder. Straight into service and has run beautifully in both directions with a reasonable load over gradients etc. I'm reasonably impressed so far.

[Hills of the North - The Last Great Project]

9 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

 

 

My thanks in particular to @LNERGE of this parish who first made me aware of its potential availability.

 

There's even a cunning plan to fit new bulbs to it ...

😀

Loads of block occupancy detection required… 

[Cley-on-Sea 1960s Norfolk mainline terminus]

Love the height restriction sign on the bridge. They can still be found…

 

 

 

[Hornby 2023 - Bluetooth decoders and control system]

8 hours ago, RAF96 said:

CV127 is stop distance default 25 so value 0 would be a dead stop.

CV126 is set to 0 and 127 at default 25. The loco stops and restarts after around one second. 

[Hornby 2023 - Bluetooth decoders and control system]

On 21/12/2023 at 16:09, RAF96 said:

2MT sound profile is on the live server and associated sound function sheets will be loaded onto the support site area for all active profiles.

Meanwhile here is the latest status list. Note the version state explanations as amended.

 

It tells me everything is up to date v6.1. I’ve reloaded the sound profile again but cv127 set to 0 produces a very short stop. 

[Hornby 2023 - Bluetooth decoders and control system]

Another new experience last night. The quickest way to escape in an orderly fashion from the railway room is to key a signal back to red on each road. All the trains will eventually stop. Once everything is stopped the power is turned off and the escape can be made. A Bluetooth fitted loco was first to stop at the red signal. Within a couple of minutes everything else has stopped. The layout is powered down. The Bluetooth loco is still alive however and times out on its signal stop and is off on a jolly..

 

luckily it soon ran out of oomph.