PMP

Typical rivet counters spoiling a good story!

There weren’t many, one of the better know was the Cambridge Buffet express on a Friday evening. That had one of the last Gresley buffet cars in blue grey in the consist. February 78 was the end of through passenger services (at the time) to Cambridge. 31’s were also used on Peterborough commuter trains which were mainly Mk1 stock, until the electrification programme reached there.

Vallejo Resin filler 70400 will work well for that, and Sankey do signage that’s worth considering https://www.sankeyscenics.co.uk/oo-4mm-grouping-railways?lightbox=dataItem-kxc8cjmb

If you’re sticking with 1977, you’re firmly in BR Blue/Grey electric era. Hertford Loop and ECML inner suburban would be 313 units, with 312’s on outer suburban as far north as Hitchin. 312’s were less common on the Hertford Loop line. HST’s were initially used in March 1978, in 77 the core diet were 55’s and 47’s on ECML express work with 31’s on some Cambridge services, and a few 40/45/46’s. In the early 80’s on my daily commute Bounds Green stabled Mk1 and Mk2 coaching stock, and also housed sleeper Mk3’s. By early 1980’s HST’s were prevalent, the last regular loco hauled intercity service was culled in late 82. Winding the clock back DMU operations were well established in the early 1960’s, the 105 being the predominant type. Steam Suburban traffic was L1 and N2 powered with a small amount of N7’s in br days.

When we developed the system we used acrylic gloss floor polish, however gloss enamel or acrylic paint varnish works as well run around the perimeter, and flashed into any gaps for capillary action to work.

Creases are always a risk and you won’t be able to 100% prevent them. If you crease this sort of material it’s likely to be permanently damaged. The only thing you can do is handle it carefully, store it and transport it with the same care. 11 years on, mine is still as good as new.

That’s one reason I always try to have either a full run round loop, or all the core operations fully visible. That obviously means compromise and choosing an appropriate prototype. My Shelfie and Albion Yard layouts are all compromised, however to get happy with those designs I do spend a large amount of time ensuring the design really works by operating them before final track fix.

I used a digitally printed backscene on Albion Yard. It will do pretty much everything you require, subject to finding a suitable image. The biggest issue is finding a Matt material, and a printer that understands that you do not want vibrant hyper colors! https://albionyard.com/2013/11/22/warley-the-digital-backscene/

I can’t see any point in putting a link onto a Dingham. If you want to try it just bend the end of the magnetic wire into the shape of a loop. Far simpler.

As far as I’m aware the Tortoise isn’t being replaced, it’s still a standard Circuitron product. As Jol points out the Smail is DCC ready, but can also be used on DC. The Cobalt point motors have a good reputation in both DC/DCC versions and are smaller. I’ve yet to try one though.

The Scalefour society now sell the 4mm Dinghams, you can get them at shows. It may be possible to buy them directly, as they’re not gauge specific an email to them might be useful. I’ve used Dinghams in OO with a high 90 percentile serviceability. They take a little setting up and aren’t as fragile as AJ’s, see link for my results. https://albionyard.com/2018/12/29/notes-from-the-man-cave-getting-to-grips-with-dinghams/ Videos here of them in use.

As someone who runs DC/DCC on the same layout, (NCE powercab) I’ve never experienced any similar issues. My track power and points aren’t integrated though in that point motors are powered from an entirely separate source. Good to see Howard has stayed in the industry.

Yes is the simple answer to your question regarding the Peco Bullhead. See above for the appearance. It will join with the streamline cd75 if you want to save a bit of money ‘off scene’. It matches exactly the streamline geometry, so any detailed planning you’ve done isn’t affected. It’s robust and reliable, and is fitted with Unifrog V crossings. If building a OO layout using RTL track I wouldn’t use anything else.

In my experience contemporary coreless motors and good contemporary DC controllers rarely have compatibility problems. When the controller is a very basic model like the Hornby trainset types or old like H&M duettes, or feedback types poor running can occur. I use a Gaugemaster W controller and get excellent running with both coreless and regular/can motors. The Gaugemaster HH for example specifically mentions that it’s not to be used with coreless IIRC.

I’ve only ever had chair bounce with driving wheels, the Bachmann Ivatt 2-6-0. My Austerity hasn’t been altered, it’s one of the very earliest and no strikes that I recall.

I saw it twice in the East Midlands, and it appeared I think in RM and possibly HM/MR. It was a BR D&E blue-Blue/grey era theme. The comments as I recall were on the relevant show thread so probably one of Derby/Nottingham/Retford or Lincoln.

Xxx as can’t recall the names, and I think the following is the ‘basic’ history. K&L was I think the initials of Ken xxx from scalefour society and Len xxx the designer/toolmaker. IIRC they developed the system including some architectural bits, and marketed initially through the S4 society. News travelled that it was good stuff and a deal was done where Maygib distributed it to the trade in the early mid 80’s. I think it got too time consuming to look after and the track range was sold and changed it’s name to C&L and they sold direct and distributed direct to the trade from a premises in Bristol. After a good few years the C&L track system was sold to the current owner. Ken York, Len Newman?

The Mucky Duck Ivatt I had was another example, my conversion kit is still on the maturing shelf! With Bachmann there were definitely differences within the range as Tim mentions, eg Panniers, Jinties D&E types no issues. Possibly down to use of different factories in China?

When the exactoscale track components came out, mid 80’s?, I certainly recall mention of Lima, Hornby and Airfix fouling them. At that time Exactoscale IIRC was only available through the S4 Society, and I’m pretty certain at the time the sales pitch so to speak covered the incompatibility. I’ve never used them, so whether the chairs were retooled subsequently and then ‘missed’ I don’t know, or if it were prototype company shape related. I think they did Midland and GWR types?

I was referring to both types in case I’ve not been clear. In the early/mid 80’s when I was at MRM Kings Cross models we sold SMP flex/points kits, and C&L(nee K&L) flex and components. SMP was and is ok for ‘coarse’ flanges, and C&L flex and component built track suffered chair strikes from coarse wheel sets. Interestingly running a Lima 31 on the contemporary Peco CD75 bullhead track I’ve had no issues, but not tried anything with the original style Lima wheels.

Chris was a really nice bloke, I can see the point in perhaps not naming it Boduan, but if someone has come up with a plausible back story why not use it? If the plan is to exhibit it it would give you the opportunity to mention the inspiration he provided. I’m thinking of a early noughties version's of Abersoch in N/FS, as a test piece. I visited there, pic above, last week, partly driven by Chris’ writing and modelling. If I do it any show or published account, would undoubtedly include a significant tip to his inspiration. If a modeller took an Rice or Freezer plan and built it as published any back story is I think, just as important. As mentioned by @Neilsome people haven’t got that back story generator in their skill set, so it’s no issue to be inspired by someone else’s. It is a hobby at the end of the day! 😊

No sense of humour failure at all. If you do photography regularly in ‘public spaces’ as I have done you get some most peculiar imaginary laws and rights being explained to you by assorted members of the public, and in previous threads here. Having recently started flying a drone, the experience is quite similar, to the extent one flyer I’ve heard of takes business cards with him with the pertinent laws printed that he hands out to ‘experts’!

If you’d been told seriously by a clown at an exhibition that ‘You can’t take pictures of my layout, it’s my copyright’, as I have, and similar in other circumstances, the suggestion isn’t that far fetched😊 Thinking about it the exhibition and layout was mentioned on here, it had ‘no photography’ signs displayed on it, probably 5-10 years back. Caused some discussion then!