G.M.R.

Have been making some progress over the past few weeks. Too cold in the garage so working on the removable boards indoors. Starting to get the shed area into shape:- The workshop is still at the primer stage. Next is to start to match the brickwork with the shed. The water tower is from Skytrex and has been a new experience for me. I received a set of parts, but the assembly is largely left to the builder working from photos of the real thing. The coal stage is from Ten Commandments and is next for the paint shop. Still plenty to do, but I think it’s going to work despite the limited space.

Thanks Ray. Yes the levers are connected to the locking bars as you might see here… There are micros witches behind the levers which operate when they are pulled. These switches are detected by an arduino program which then sends the Dcc codes to the layout on the accessory bus.

Hi Ray, The levers and frame are built from two MSE 7 lever kits. An additional lever is a dummy spare and simplifies the joining of the two units. Here are a couple of views under the top. .. nearest lever reversed nearest lever returned to normal and now locked. If you look carefully you can see in the first of those last three that the fourth lever from the left (an FPL) is back locked and in the last photo it is back in normal and unlocked. Being there has caused the first lever (Home signal) to lock.

A few photos from this morning …… Recently finished the pub, oak tree and bus stop. Everything has to be built in lift off modules and stored away from the fold up board. My first O Gauge signal and the Peco signal box. Small arm cleared for the tank to enter the loco service line. My latest project. A fully interlocked lever frame. Locking is performed with servo motors and the levers interface to the layout through DCC, driving the accessory bus.

Another photo from the same end showing partial construction of the goods shed. I spent a good number of weeks constructing a couple of card based buildings. Both are half relief and intended for the back scene. They are based on Scalescenes downloads but scaled up with a lot of patience. I don’t have an A3 printer! Here they are in place… The church tower helps to hide the discontinuity in the garage wall

A view from the other end with the fold up board ballasted. I have allowed for a Small Prairie tank in the headshunt and have one in order. Still delayed from an expected availability of last April. I’ve continued to work with laser cut kits for some of the buildings. The almost complete Station building is shown roughly in place.

Well having explained that I had started an interest in my post “Catching the O Gauge bug!”, I thought it was time I started a post to describe my efforts towards constructing a small layout in the garage. Here is a view from one end, giving an idea of the plan. Single platform face. Run around loop. Small yard to the right. Engine service siding near left. Two boards. The furthest hinges up against the wall. The nearest stores in a rack behind the camera. The track will continue onto three of the boards I made for the garden so that short trains can be run out and back around the inside of the garage. I started this during the summer and will go on to post some photos of how it’s developed so far.

Have you sorted it yet? I have just fitted sound to mine and had the same problem until I securely clicked the body onto the chassis at the non exhaust end. Everything fine after it was all screwed back together.

Hi John, Great pictures as ever. Must be years now since we began sharing layout progress. Granby Junction has developed superbly. Something you might find interesting is that I've just received a J27 ordered over 2yrs ago and made by Oxford Rail. I bought one already equipped with the DCC chip and Sound. It has an unusual but very useful function, F15. It performs the "Kadee Shuffle". So with the coupling over the magnet, a press of F15, and the loco creeps backward a little, pauses, then steps forward complete with a chuff. I hope we see this replicated in other chips in the future. Regards Geoff

Very sad news. Will keep great memories of playing trains and golf. Rip Gordon.

Set the garden layout up again today. Third time, but today was almost ten degree warmer than previous times. Also strong midday sunshine. Was still surprised by the amount of rail expansion. Had to trim back several sections to remove the buckling that started to occur. Guess that's a problem all the permanent garden layout folk are used to and presumably solve by having frequent rail gaps?

Probably posted in the wrong thread John, but saw you replied in both. Taking inspiration from your photo, I removed the gangway assembly, refitted the end door inside the coach, and now the hook is exposed making coupling the screwlink from the loco possible. Thanks

You got me thinking with your helpful photo there John. I had already had to repair the gangway assembly so knew how that came apart. I removed it and then fixed one of the supplied end doors inside the coach using blacktack. Now the hook of the coupling is visible and similar to the non corridor coaches I have so I can get the screwlink from the loco over it. Thanks for triggering the thought process A spot of black paint over the two magnets that are showing on the buffer beam and it will look fine for me. In hindsight, I would have been better off with a non-corridor tender, but there you go.

Actually the coaches are already fitted with them to keep the gangways together within the rake in addition to the buckeyes. I could try fitting some to the loco tender, but I think the weight of the coaches would likely be too much pull for the magnets to hold. but appreciate the idea

Guessed that might be suggested. I am used to NEM sockets in 4mm stock. Looking at fitting Kadees or similar to these is worrying at first. Not that there isn't space, but the thought of starting to hack around some very expensive items is of concern. If anyone has photos of how it's done, I would appreciate seeing them.