Dixie Dean

Fantastic. I wonder if all our previous threads have influenced things at all? Got to have a couple of these.

If anyone sees a side or roof view can you please post it on the thread so I can compare them with the 88s

It has been said, possibly in this thread somewhere, that DRS own the rights to the design of the 68/88, so maybe ROG has had to do something different. Regardless, whilst there are many similarities between a 68 and a 88, there are probably as many difference between both of them and the 93 that will mean the only common parts will be the motor block and wheels, i.e. each of the 88 and 93 would require slightly different bodies and underframe equipment.

Great, something I neither need nor want. Must still have over a £1,000's worth of other stuff that I'm waiting for from Accurascale though!

Thanks njee20. I'll have a bit of an experiment in the morning. Any thoughts on the railings I should use. The ones in the eBay link a bright yellow as you often see at the end of platforms. Would they be appropriate or would a different colour be better? One thing I should point out is that the layout's plan has changed significantly, and is now a main station and freight area on each side of the bottom level of the layout (either side of my garage) with a single track main line climbing around the walls of the garage up to a higher level at eye height with another station and freight area. There is also a mountain pass which is the sections you can see in the photos above. There a couple of passing loops with stations as the line progresses upwards. I'm afraid I'm not particularly bothered about representing a specific line or place, I just want an interesting layout on which to run my modern image stock. I do have a detailed Anyrail plan but as it is multi level it's quite difficult to present it on screen. It's sort of based somewhere in Scotland with high mountains-ish! Regardless I do hope you find it interesting enough to pop back from time to time as it progresses.

Thanks duff man, It is definitely a British layout, but I do like the look of an almost Alpine location! I must admit I'm not finding it easy to decide which way to do this. It is quite a gradient, although my locos can handled it with the max length I can go to with 10 bogie wagons. If I step it it would have quite a few steps. Unfortunately the uprights on most of the model railings I can find will be quite out of vertical if I just run the top of the wall parallel to the gradient. I might therefore try a section with steps and see how it goes.

I could really do with some assistance as per the previous entry

My layout is proceeding apace now. However I keep having to make sort of "major decisions" which are really quite minor, but tend to hold me up for a day or two each time" I could do with some assistance to decide how to finish the top of the retaining wall below. Should I cut the wall to the same angle as the incline, or say 1 or 2 scale feet above and finish it with a single or double handrail, or should it be stepped horizontally up the incline? Anyone know of any suitable model handrails? I've found these on eBay - would they be suitable and what would be better, sloping or stepped? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223695225016?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=223695225016&targetid=1000147647540&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9075129&poi=&campaignid=10195651343&mkgroupid=103308028793&rlsatarget=pla-1000147647540&abcId=1145985&merchantid=6995734&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5vb-BRCRARIsAJBKc6LBfY8ovw0i0mZE4qnQuU3CF0hsk16Xouy8wKB0ZYg-1yV_NKv2v7caAiolEALw_wcB Just to put it all in perspective, in front of it is the track bed for the line which circles the layout. The track on the incline is the single rack main line climbing around the layout which eventually ends up on the higher boards. Behind that are the scenery carriers over the hidden loops/sidings which also circle the layout under removable sections of scenery. Also, what could I do with the scenery here other than the side of a mountain and pine and fir trees etc?

Please tell me more James. I'm currently just using an NCE, but when sufficient of my layout is built will move to a laptop and JMRI. RR & Co is a Windows program?

One thing I've been pondering is the fact that my trains can go into hidden sidings which represent going off somewhere else on BR. In both directions this effectively means entering a tunnel and being stabled in one of 3 sidings before coming back on to the layout later. Can anyone think of a way I could automate the sound fading out after it enters the tunnel and fading in when coming back onto the layout?

Having watched the video of the new model, I do hope that Accurascale manage to address the pantograph head staying horizontal to the catenary at all times. The way it currently tips to one side isn't great. The Bachmann class 85 has a similar issue with the pan head incapable of being horizontal until it is quite high. The way in real life that the BWHS pantograph actually works is a great piece of British engineering.

I had a search but couldn't find one, sadly. The totalometer is up to 66 now though. Bit short of what we would need :-(

Thanks I'll take a look

it certainly works for me. I have yet to start a layout thread as I haven't got enough actually finished, but around Christmas I should have reached a point of having enough to start one. What about you?

I have presumed that the pantograph, although able to rise and fall, will be sprung and will run along the OHLE OK. The Bachmann pantograph on the Class 90 just runs on or below my catenary as some of it is higher than the amount of rise in the pantograph, which by real values isn't that high. The real ones will actually go quite high.

M N Brass portals, self built portals, self built stanchions (poles), self built hangers and PECO wires

I must admit have been wondering whether the pantograph will track along my OHLE OK?

Actually, now you say that I'm surprised there isn't anyone in the cab!

Wow! The DCC operated windscreen wipers are amazing! Those pantographs are pretty stunning as well.

Sorry, I meant the number of locos which would be purchased Sadly, I think there's little to no chance of me ever running an 88 unless I built it myself. But there's so many changes you'd have to make to a 68 body and chassis it wouldn't be a quick job. I did follow a thread by someone else who'd started the trip, but it just went quiet and I suspect he has given up :-(

Cheers adb968008, glad you know what you're doing! I've voted now and see that takes the total to 43 from 55 who have voted. Pity the running total isn't shown automatically though.

I don't know how to do a poll, but if someone wants to set one up (showing how many each person would buy), I'll gladly contribute my wishes.

Pity we can't do a poll on here and see how many people on here would purchase.

I quite like the idea of reaching the end of the catenary and being able to start the diesel engine and do some shunting or head off somewhere. Would need a MK 5 chip but changing modes would quite appeal to me.

Hi gents, I have got to the point where I am about to seriously lay track and could do with pointing to the definitive ways of wiring both Peco code 75 points and Roco code 83 points (the ones with trackbed) for DCC. Many thanks