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Dad-1

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  1. The last time my large layout saw light of day was the end of July last year at my clubs Summer Exhibition. I originally was contemplating it being the last outing. Too big for me to manage by myself and needing to hire a van and driver to get it anywhere, once you're over 75 no van hire insurers will cover you ..... My trouble was it was voted best in show (Stick chest out in pride) and our exhibition manager insisted it came back in 2019 to defend it's position ! Double Groan !! We started having problems last time out with our Peco PL13 frog polarity switches being very intermittent. Plus 3 of the station platform lights going out ? No idea why ? Enter June 2019. One of the 12 boards was taken out of it's storage pod, 2 dead lights and the most iffy PL13. Cleaning track and checking points was fine except that iffy frog switch. My extensive testing showed that it was dead, simply not switching to either side. Luckily I knew where a new spare was and recovered it from the loft. I don't know if anybody else uses cyno (Superglue) to hold switches onto their point motors, but mine often fall off. Not this one, it took great care with a Stanley knife to remove. New switch soldered in fine, all works as it should !! Now to my station lights. LED's just don't burn out, not on 4.5V anyway. What could have gone wrong ? Can you damage resistors overheating them during soldering ? I de-soldered, removed the resistor and put 3V through, the light worked fine !! Put a new 1K resistor in dead ???? I worked on the second failed light and on this one replaced the 1K resistor with a 220R and behold light !! A little too bright compared to others, but again proving the LED's were fine. I went back to the first and changed to a 220R and that one works now. What Was Wrong ??? Now I hate to criticize my workmanship, but wonder if I had dry soldered joints ? I'm still puzzling, but at least it's now ready for exhibition, just another 11 boards to go !! Note that bright central light, 220R not 1K as the others that, thankfully are still working from original fitting. Preparing for an exhibition takes time if you want everything spot on - As you should......... Starting early makes sense. Dad-1
  2. Dad-1

    Time to tidy up

    Thanks for that Guy, I'll have to check it out - I do find Fox difficult to find my way around. I even have a FOX BR sheet where I can't read the decals to know which ones to use, very small, and printed white on white !! Dad-1
  3. Dad-1

    Time to tidy up

    What's a skeleton in a cupboard ? .......... For too many railway modellers it's hidden, half, perhaps in some cases completely forgotten project and, probably half built !! Well a recent one of mine was and still is a Parkside PC86 Z2 gunpowder van. Started towards the end of April, but bypassed by the recent multi build of V12 - 16 vans shown in the last two blog entries. While watching the 'test' train circle slowly my eyes fell on this part finished wagon. Last evening I decided to number and add tare and tonnage stencils. Much to my annoyance I'm still stuck. I require some smallish red decals G P and V, these were mounted on both ends and the left-hand of each side. Probably time to search all my RAF WWII decals to see if Bomber Command used these letter in red, but will I have 4 of each ?? I don't want to do detail painting, or weather until I can find and fix the missing letters. While I can print decals at home the one thing you can't do is match the paint colour of the surrounding area and would you fancy your chances of cutting neatly around small letters ? Sensible suggestions welcomed !! Dad-1
  4. Cleared the decks slightly now time to start listing visiting layouts First I shall make a note that one will probably not be there - even if he say's he's recovered enough. Long time committee member John Edge had a ruptured Aorta a week ago. The odds are that's the end, but John had an emergency operation at Southampton hospital where he still is. All we can do is hope he recovers. If it's your name, or layout, I have spelt incorrectly, blame our exhibition Managers writing. Filisur - Hom Abbey Light Railway 0 - 14 Holm - 00/16.5 Ins & Outs - N Penworth - N Thomas & Friends (Children Drive) - 00 Hirson Bellavue - H09 Exton Quay - 00/16.5 Feltham Road MPD - 00 Castell Mawr - 00 West Bay - 00 Shillingsford - 00 Rosedale - 0 Wykechester - 00 Marsh Wood Road - 00 Axe Valley Mill - 0 I 'Ad That - 00 Hornby dublo 3 rail Fullers Earth 0-16.5 / 7 mm On The Red - 00 Avon Halt - 00 Craig-Yr-Hiss Quarry - 009 Pecos - 0n-30 Bearston - N Bryn Coed - oo9 Ashwood - 00 Marsh Junction - 00 Lower Craggmere - 00 Dorbury North - N Display - Military Train - Berlin Meccano Models Trade - Frome Model Centre Rod Saunders Ray Heard Dick & Gloria One working railway display I can't remember, I'll have to add when I see the exhibition manager. More than enough methinks !! Dad-1
  5. With a real fear of over egging it I shall post pictures of all in the final general build state. Yes I do have detail work that at my speed may take weeks, running into months to finish. First one for the clubs layout, built back in November - I liked it so much I bought 4 more !! V12, Fitted, Louvre shutter vents, laminated spring buffers, early large size GW markings, end number. V12, Unfitted, No tie-bars, Louvre shutter vents, laminated spring buffers, later reduced size GW markings, end number. V14, Fitted, Bonnet end vents, GWR Self Contained Buffers, Smaller GW side markings, No end numbers V16, Unfitted, with Tie-Bars, Bonnet end vents, GWR self Contained Buffers, Post 1937 GW markings and weight revised up to 12 Ton. V14, Fitted, Bonnet End Vents, GWR Self Contained Buffers, BR Bauxite, 12 Ton marking All the same ? I think I'll take a rest !!! Dad-1
  6. One almost ready for weathering. 16307 an unfitted V12 with louvre end vents. I still have to add the wagon numbers to the ends. I also note some of the HMRS decal adhesive showing, particularly around the 'G', as indicated all these markings are from the generic HMRS GWR Wagon sheet. Pressdown decals are fine and easy enough to work with although a very different technique for anyone used to waterslide decals. The dot in the tare weight needs a fine magnifying glass to work with !! Dad-1
  7. Dad-1

    Something Missing ?

    Firstly the Decals. ModelMaster were commissioned to do small decal sheets to include with the NEW Peco packaged Parkside kits. I say NEW because where they have a legacy stock they will still be without decals. In fact I don't know if ModelMaster have completed all the sheets required for the full range yet. This may be a creeping development. In addition another creeping development is the inclusion of the PA34 dove-tail mounting blocks for Bachmann narrow tension-lock couplings. I've used these exclusively on kit and RTR modifications for quite a few years. Ignore the printed information as suitable for the cranked Bachmann couplings, it's always best to use the flat couplings in either short, or long form. All you have to do is build a suitable correct height foundation. As an example cut the two base ridges away and they fit onto the round moulded boss on Dapol kits, and at the perfect height !! I did communicate with Peco and it seems my last 2 kits from a certain Widnes trader did have the parts missing. The small sprue (17) has the early buffer heads and they offered to send on to me. In fact I didn't actually need them as in my 5 unit build only 2 needed early buffers and they came from earlier packaged kits, I even have 1 spare here. My later 3 builds all use the later GWR self contained buffers. Peco are NOT intending changing the kits contents other than adding PA34 mounts and decals, both a great improvement offering a complete kit building content. Dad-1
  8. Hi Mikkel, It's a bit of both. Originally done to show differing colours and size of Woodland Scenic ballast, then to show two differing types of cheap & easy to make fencing. From my early exhibition scenics workshops. Now it's used to set all wagon couplings to the same height, just plonk it on the kitchen work-top. It's also the ideal small photo plinth. Works as a temporary 'store' for unfinished projects of which I have too many for the available space. Never wired to be live, but needs an unsightly blob of BlueTack at each end to stop stuff rolling off when moved with some wagon on it ! An EVER so useful piece !! And thanks forthe comment ess1uk. Dad-1
  9. I do dislike waiting for paint to dry, but it's a basic essential. As of this morning I have 4 wagons, all with some paint too damp and sticky to handle. At least I've made the decision on what the final V16 livery will be. No not BR unfitted grey, but GWR grey. The clubs, and my V12 as well as the GWR V14 will all be liveried as 10 Ton. The BR bauxite V14 and that indecision V16 will be 12 Ton liveries, a result of up-rating. It's at this point where a production line build starts to make sense. Initially all the same strikes as being over the top, but once painted with subtly different shades and later with different livery decals it'll all be fine ! Dad-1
  10. I opened my last 2 Parkside PC84 GWR Mink 'A' kits without paying too much attention. Today while getting on with them I couldn't find the small black sprues on which the laminated buffer heads are located, wagon hooks and a couple of drop door stops (Multi Purpose sprue). These two 'new' kits also had the small ModelMaster decal sheet included, on reading I note that all the markings are for BR period wagons and the sheet is clearly marked "Ex GWR 10T Mink, Mink 'A', V12,V14,V16" Does this mean that they will cease to include the louvre vent ends? I can imagine most sales are for GWR modellers and not BR periods. I could of course be wrong, but think a letter to Peco to find out is called for. It's such a small sprue and the lack of GWR period decals is not difficult, let's face it they never had decals included before, I hope they will keep including the early buffer heads, probably not a deal breaker, but retrograde ? The two on the right fitted with couplings, test run and fine, still working on the other two. My 5th was for the club and not here at present. Dad-1
  11. In light of what happened at Stamford you get nervous, although the risk is thankfully small. Bridport have a July Exhibition each year and after the success of our first event at a new venue The Sir John Colfox Academy we are again preparing the final details for Saturday 27th July. We are looking forward to 30 layouts, 4 traders. I will start listing later as I have a few jobs that must be done today. This is to remind me I have 3 platform lights to replace ........... Dad-1
  12. Dad-1

    A few more wagons.

    Ouch, almost 2 months since I last posted. I've not been exactly sleeping at the wheel. A few more wagons into the fray. I didn't think I had many Lowfit wagons and decided to have a shot at the Parkside kit. Initially I was a little miffed by instructions saying they were all wooden solebars, but that was me forgetting that while BR made steel chassis versions LNER had kept to timber on their version. These are very light and quite simple, I was past the making before I dug my camera out. Belatedly I took a couple of shots where I was fitting lead sheet into the small voids on the floor mouldings underside. Before decalling they were put behind a locomotive and reversed several times around a layout with some 1st radius curves. They were pushing 19 other wagons, these were No.20, & 21 some load ! yet not a single derailment. Now Decalled, both from a ModelMaster sheet included with the latest Peco 'Parkside' release. My other kit was an earlier one without decals. Note the use of Peco 'Parkside' PA34 mounting blocks into which I always use Bachmenn narrow tension-lock couplings. Construction is now moving onto Parkside GWR Mink 'A' wagons. I liked the look of one made for the club back in November and now have two others well on the way, with another two currently not started. So many options louvre end vents, bonnet vents, fitted, unfitted, GWR, or BR liveries. I have a mixture in mind That's enough at present, more later some time. Dad-1
  13. We had a super day playing trains !! Visitors were happy, we were happy. Decision made, back to the same venue 2020 This is no big exhibition, just a quid for adults, children free to share a nice "At Home Day" and meet the club. Dad-1
  14. As the scenics man I hope West Bay works as intended. I have to open up for set-up early Sunday, no sleep-in !! For youngsters between 2 and 90 you can drive 'Thomas' with grumpy me supervising. Railways should be fun for all ages. Dad-1
  15. Spring Bank Holiday by the Dorset Coast ? Come and see us at West Bay Dad-1
  16. A meet the 'local club open day' will be held at The Salthouse, West Bay on Sunday 5th May (early spring bank holiday) 10.00 - 1600 Hrs There will be some layouts, including Shillingsford '00' sound, HS2 a visitors drive shunting puzzle, A Thomas layout for childern to drive, plus others. Also a club photographic competition. At Only £1 entry per person. Light refreshments available. it should be worth a visit if in the general area. Dad-1
  17. Rotten cold, don't dare doing anything, or it'll go wrong. Still, nice to just run a train around, and video it. I have loads of trees to add, but welcome to my small cornish backwater. Dad-1
  18. A couple of shots looking down to the tidal river creek. !0 years to get this far, I wonder how long I can string this out ? Dad-1
  19. I'm running out of jobs to do on recent layouts, have virtually run out of space to anything new. Even difficult to find storage for my last little demonstration and test piece. Not quite desperation, but sitting in my garage after some 10 years is a small roundy-roundy that I call St Oval. The name is simply what the original plan was a Set-track Oval. This has been in constant use since I first had it fully live, simply because being a roundy-roundy I can run-in locomotives, for hours if necessary. It also is a good testing ground for kit-built wagons and harmonizing wagon couplings to allow reversing trains of around 15 wagons length. Well work begins again !! Perhaps a very old picture first to show an essential for most of my layouts, the placing of the track-bed on risers. This allows scenery to go both above and below. In the case of St Oval into a space of just 6' x 3'. With such a compact foot-print it was essential to include some 1st radius set-track curves. My favourite locomotives tend to be small, but you'd be surprised what will go around without de-railing !! Holes in the chip board base are part of a weight reducing programme as once this was to be used at the occasional exhibition. A half decent bridge - I wanted a viaduct, but there are limits with 6'x3'. A passing loop behind the back scene to allow short trains to pass. A village to be behind the viewing line and falling from an over bridge at one side to a creek on the other. The village started taking shape, with half & half scratch built buildings and kits So as not to prolong your agony ...... Now a jump forward until being installed in the garage in Dorset after moving home in 2013 Progressed so now some views that are in my own opinion quite good. A high level station Look even a C*** 0-6-0 locomotive can't spoil the view !! Well I MUST have something to work on, and my thinking is this offers me another few years !!! Started early 2010 to finish ........... ????? Dad-1.
  20. A simple question Luke, When does a layout cease to be a Micro ? I ask because I don't quite know where to post a thread of say a 6 feet by 3 feet scene ? Dad-1
  21. O.K I said I'd be honest - Not everything works out right and here is a failure. A failure in as much as I pushed the ideas beyond my skills and patience. The result is a small square that may yet still have some potential. Back somewhere in this thread someone suggested even smaller dioramas have a possibility. Well this was to be an 8" (200 mm) square. Showing a canal-side tramway, by an abandoned building with a hole in the roof. It was to be in winter with a part submerged barge in a partially frozen canal ........ easy, I wish !! I'd just finished a Roxey Mouldings Tram which wouldn't over-fill the available space. I made the tramway track by filing Peco flat bottomed code 100 rail to fit with a 1.0 mm gap and attached directly to the ply without sleepers. This was later sealed in with hard wall plaster. The abandoned building had to fit onto the back resulting in a very irregular shape Roofing timbers were from various bits of plastic, I had with loads of individual slates cut from thin plasticard arranging so as to leave a gaping hole. At this point I decided I couldn't make a canal barge and just abandoned, small rabbits and all !! How small is an 8" square ? Here with a Fairburn Tank sitting on. I have since found someone (I've forgotten who) that could supply me a partially submerged barge. It's just a little too long, but I can always trim slightly. That leaves me with the problem of filling with a suitable water onto which I could perhaps float some thin acetate to represent ice ? I could always have binned it, although I hate admitting defeat and currently can't find the enthusiasm to do more. A little grass was laid when I thought perhaps I could forget the snow and ice and make it one of the perpetual summer scenes most models are based on. So currently a failure in my books, should I press on, could I finish ? Dad-1
  22. Thanks for the comments guys, Marly51 appreciates the rather random shape, but my first diorama was very simple, however it was made for a purpose. That always begs the question what is a micro layout, and should a diorama have live and perhaps animated elements ? My first try was to produce a DCC programming track, intended to be a donation to a newly formed DCC orientated club. In the end I kept it, and it's still sitting in my loft. Deliberatly 1 metre long to accept one yard length of Peco track. As usual I wanted to 'Try' something, here you have safety railings made from straightened out paper clips. Cheap enough, but I had to make a jig, or I'd have never soldered together, bent to order - the local lads out having fun !! This is the non-viewing side. No I don't like lollipop trees either, but being 'Free' from someone they were used. My first attempt with Deluxe Products where I used their two-mix resin solid water. A small amount of food colouring to give me a greeny effect. Back then I was into blue diesels, here was my first kettle alongside the inevitable Oxford Diecast tractor, weathered to look used. Obviously just the 'cameo' centre, I still like this photo an ideal place to photograph ones favourite locomotive ! It's a long time ago, but I'm certain it cost just a few pounds. A shortge of money shouldn't be seen as an obsticle to creative modelling. To shatter an image of an affluent fussy modeller, that Hornby 06 IS STILL one of my favourite locomotives and I have at least 80 ...... I may add another diorama at some time - It will one of my failures, because we all have failures. Either something went wrong, or just wanting to achieve something beyond ones skill levels !! Dad-1
  23. O.K. Those last postings were from Christmas eve and were historic pieces. I had the urgent need to half make something as I was down to do Scenic Modelling at out Winter exhibition on 12th January. My mind was quite blank, but on the bench was the Railway Modeller freeby van body ....... must be able to do something with it ? A few bits of scrap were joined together to make a suitable base for a farm scene. For personal reasons called Topp's Farm and to include a small pond. Partially made to allow me to lay some grass during the show, in between conversations !! A little sand, matchstick & fishing nylon fencing, with the Aqua Magic pond. We ended up with this with an actual cost of nothing as all done from spare stuff laying around. Having said that the horses and carts were items I'd been making for the clubs "Westbay" Layout. Fun to make and dates on the pictures show how long it took to reach this stage ........... Time well spent ? Note how slack the fishing nylon becomes when stored in a cold damp shed. It will go tight after 24 hours indoors. Dad-1
  24. He, He, Thanks to 47137 for noticing my answer to an ongoing search for quick, easy point changing. I have a growing passion for small, scenic productions. Never shy away from trying crazy ideas which is what Dioramas are there for. Dad-1
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