DanielB

I thought loksound had drive hold on them, or is this not what you guys are talking about?

Those are some excellent prices. Very tempted by that Family Lines caboose, but it doesn't fit my era or location.

Mech Models have a really impressive bricks and mortar shop on an industrial estate. I stopped by when I was in the area a long while back, and their selection was vast.

Ellis Clark is pretty good too.

Today I'm making cardboard boxes for use across the layout. I'm using small wooden cubes I picked up from eBay, £2.79 for 50. That should be more than enough. I'm also using brown parcel paper I got a full roll of for £1 from a discount shop, and modge podge to glue them together. Basically I'm sticking the cubes down onto the paper, then will cut the paper in such a way that it will wrap around the cubes. If needed, I'll then use a gel ink pen to draw lines on the top and bottom of the cubes to represent the gap between the box flaps.

Do you have space for a bolt on 'fiddle stick'?

I'm still around, I've just been lured out of the layout room by Xbox, and my other crafty hobbies...

PM me your PayPal address Jason and I'll pay you today. My address has changed since you last sent me stuff! I'll PM you the new one.

Two locomotives 'in steam' could work. One for your 'Class 1' taking the cars from the exchange sidings into the headshunt, then a 'Class 3' shortline loco comes and collects them for switching, freeing up the class 1 to leave? It could work, though it might be a bit messy.

I love that Executive scheme. It's lovely.

I just came back to this thread to see if this did get solved. Happy that it did! Anyone have any ideas now where any suitable replacement motors can be sourced? I've looked around for both the Canon and Maxon motors and there's no where that seems to have any in stock for anything remotely resembling reasonable. I could get another loco from Jason for less than some are charging for these motors.

That helix is huge! Colour me intrigued by this layout.

Having braved a public venue this last weekend - a zoo - I have had my confidence shaken considerably. Despite there being limited entrance via pre-booked time slots, signs up everywhere encouraging social distancing and the indoor sections stating masks were mandatory, this didn't work in practice. The place was absolutely rammed with visitors, some windows into the animal enclosures often had 20 people on average clustered around them. Social distancing was almost non existent, and even indoors large numbers of people were not wearing masks. Venue staff had no chance of enforcing the government guidelines, even if they had wanted to. Considering the similar nature of a model railway exhibition - large crowds, exhibits warranting the close proximity of punters, and with the indoor sections inspiring no confidence that people will social distance and correctly wear masks, there is no way I'm risking my health just to see some model trains. As I mainly attend as an exhibitor, I won't even be able to give people not following guidelines and not wearing masks a wide berth. How can I social distance if the entire concept of exhibiting means people will be actively flocking toward me in crowds? I'm sorry, as I love this hobby and I love to exhibit at shows, but I am not willing to risk myself and others by attending until a vaccine is not only available but widespread. Bottom line - children attend these shows. If even a single child got sick with COVID due to proximity to a carrier when standing at my layout, I'd never forgive myself. Adults have the capacity to understand this pandemic, but children don't.

If you think HO is big, try O scale! If you're thinking of taking it to shows, as well as doing a scenic fiddle yard, might I suggest turning the baseboard 180 degrees and having that nice long spur as the fiddle track? It'll be much easier to "fiddle" with cars that way! Unless your intention is to operate from the front, in which case you would not need to rotate the board!

Random trivia, but Colorado State University featured - though with name changed - in the video game The Last of Us, and will likely feature in the HBO television adaption which is currently in production. Like I said; 'random' trivia.