I am just starting to pack the layout up ready for the weekend at Basingstoke.
I find it interesting that I now have to take 2 boxes of bits for the layout. The original plan being to take just one box.
The extra box is filled with tools and spare stock. Including the spare shunter, still unfinished.
Since Southampton I have done some work on the layout. This might be helpful for anyone following my steps.
First the trees.
These are sea moss just planted into the baseboard. One of these was starting to come loose and was beginning to break, so I stiffened the base with a cocktail stick and wrapped tape around it. The tree now has a fatter trunk and this has actually improved the look of it.
I have also given them another coat of flock.
For this I dabbed on some PVA and spinkled flock over the glue. I then shook the tree/ baseboard and then sprayed the tree with some hairspray.
Hopefully that will stay on for some time.
The uncoupling magnets.
I found that in practice, that these did not drop far enough away, with the result that the coupling hook would remain dropped.
So I have for an experiment installed a longer arm on the magnet in the back road, so the magnet drops further away.
I also noted that some of the AJ couplings were not behaving when uncoupling. I checked all of the stock and found that this was its worse when coupled to the locomotive. It seems that the short hook highlights the problem that some couplers would not pull down clear.
This turned out to be either, the dropper being too short and too high, or that the hook was pressing hard against the stop.
[It should just rest on the stop]
Finally some of the wagons were too free rolling. I had made the mistake of having a small rise on the rear siding, with the result that free running wagons will roll out.
To reduce the free running, I have put some foam rubber under the chassis that touches the tyre of one of the wheels.
It does not seem to introduce too much drag so that the loco stalls, but hopefully enough to stop runaways.
I have also decided to simplify the puzzle for younger operators as the full 5-3-3 puzzle takes them too long and parents (and I) get bored.
So I shall suggest that they just have to make up the first 3 wagons of the train and run it as either a 3-2-2 puzzle with 2 wagons in the headshunt, or just 3 wagons but allow the full headshunt.
If you at Basingstoke this weekend, please do come by and say hello. It looks to be a good show.