Neil_S_Wood

That sounds good. Hope it all gets better from now on. Thanks for that mate, I'll get on to that and can maybe get started on platform. Cheers Neil

Sorry to hear about Leanne Peter. I didn't know she had breast cancer. Hope she gets well soon. Layout's looking good mate. That new bit looks great. Cheers Neil

Thanks for hosting the meeting Jeff even though you were having health problems, all went very well. Good to catch up. All coming along nicely on the layout. Cheers Neil

Thanks bgman, I think it was one of the most interesting periods as so many new ideas were happening then. The variation in locos was fascinating. I'm really enjoying it. Good to hear you are too. Cheers Neil

Thanks Doug, I suppose the cash problem is the limiting factor. Fortunately I already have the ballast so nothing to stop me going ahead with that; other than motivation.

Thanks Jeff. It will have to come in stages due to the cost but I need it. I'm loving the old electrics. Some very interesting designs.

This entry has taken me ages to get round to as its been a busy year. The new interest in electric locomotives has necessitated the installation of catenary. I bought a few components at the Sanddown Model Rail show from the Orient Express shop's stand. This enabled me to get started. I had a visit to Adelaide recently with work so was able to pop into the Orient Express shop to buy pretty much all the DRG catenary stock they had. The catenary is fairly easy to install. Fortunately it is also easy to uninstall as you will have to do this often to access track and locomotives underneath on occasion. Here are some shots of how it looks. When I was originally thinking about this I had ideas that I could make finer catenary myself from wire or guitar strings however I have found out a few things since getting this much catenary to try out. On one of the initial pieces I bought there was a slight burr. It was so small you couldn't see it but the loco pant's found it so I had to file it off. The slightest burr on the wire will catch the pantograph on the loco and put strain on the catenary and supports. My idea of soldering finer wire together just wouldn't work as the solder wouldn't leave a smooth surface for the pantograph to run along. The wire does look a bit thick for scale but I don't really see an option that would be sufficiently robust to use instead of this. These shots show the extent that I have installed the catenary so far. This cost me a grand total of $200 Aus. This has given me cause to stop and consider how much this is actually going to cost if I am to install this on the entire layout. I'm thinking this could a grand! I could get a couple of stealth locos or a decent sound one for that and have some change. I may reconsider this and just have it on the main line and a couple of sidings . I have also been looking for suitable platform canopies to go with the station. This one is the best one I have found so far. It's a Faller one and looks the part. I'll buy more of these kits to populate the main platforms with. I have been building more city street buildings for the section to the right of the layout. The idea is to have the trains weaving through conurbation on the way into the station. This way you will get glimpses of the trains between the buildings as they make their way in. This is where I am to so far on this. I have ordered more of these so I can build another set that will be an exact reflection of these to back onto the station. So the next step will be to finish off the town streets to the right hand side and get that all done. I will get the catenary finished on the main lines. I'm thinking I'll be right to start some ballasting now so I'll pick some areas to start on and get going with that. As always plenty to do.

I use these ones 86112 and find them fairly reliable. I hadn't seen the other ones but looking at them am not sure if they would actually drive the motor. Maybe they are a supplementary indicator of the how the point is switched?

Wouldn't we all mate. Nice to see what's been going on.

Thanks Doug, it's more about keeping the kids off the layout. I'll head to Bunnings for some.

Thanks for that Jeff. I'd been looking out for somewhere that stocks that for a while. It would be handy for the front of a layout to keep little fingers off. I'll have to try and get some time off and pop round soon to see it in the flesh. Cheers Neil

Thanks Jeff, that looks very good. Where did you get the acrylic from? Cheers Neil

Looking good there Jeff. That panel for the switches looks good. Did you make that?

Coming along nicely Jeff.

No problem Grahame, its always best to ask as many questions as possible before committing to a purchase. Yes nice to keep the Bavarian railway alive in model. Regards Neil

Hi Grahame, Thanks for that, Glad you're enjoying it. The set up I'm using is putting the Veissmann signals through Lenz LS150 decoders. With the ECoS you can then create routes so that the signal and points can be linked to trigger in sequence. I actually bought the Veissmann decoders recommended for these signals and had no joy at all with them. I'm confident I set them up correctly as I spent ages at it but they just would not respond other than in a way that they should not have been set up. My take on this was that some decoders will be more compatible with some controllers than other. I'm fairly sure that the Veissmann decoders would have worked ok with the Veissmann commander controller. Well that's my expectation anyway. In comparison the Lenz Ls150 has been quite reliable with point motors and signals so I'm happy continuing with those. Regards Neil

I had a few signals to install and have them all in place now and fully wired. They are all DCC controlled through the ECoS. My old ECoS had "issues" which made it unusable so I had to get another one. This one has a colour screen so happy about that. Much of the time recently has been checking wiring had a couple of wiress come loose and needed to bolster connections. Have been doing a bit of weathering as well on some locos. Plenty still need to get done though. Still need to add a few more signals. They will go in this area here. A couple have been installed already but I need three more I think. I did a bit of detailing on the coal crane. Still need to add coal to the bunkers though. Still making the street buildings. Two completed and another two still need building. Will be getting on to them next.

Thanks for posting the how to stuff about the baseboard construction. I picked up some useful tips there. I also need to get some clamps like your as the ones I'm using are rubbish by comparison. cheers Neil

Hi Grahame, The entrance to the station isn't in the museum where the turntables etc are. When you come out of the Anhalter U bahn station walk the opposite direction from the museum and it's by the main road. I was aware it was there and wanted to see it but can't remember now how I knew. If you were going to the Techniks museum and weren't aware of it you'd easily miss it. It's a fair distance from the museum which gives an indication of how large a station it must have been. I loved the HO model of it. I think it's the best transport museum I've been to. Absolutely amazing. Thanks, new controller has now arrived and will be cracking on with some modelling this week. Neil

Hi Peter, no probs I know how it is. I've got started on those wagons already. Also also ordered some transfers from Parkside last night though. Cheers Neil

Thanks for the meeting on Saturday Peter. Nice to see your layout again, always a pleasure. Cheers Neil

Hi Ray, I had looked at the Z21 and it does look very good. I really like the cab view feature. One of my thoughts was that all of the routes and mimic diagram etc are all stored in back up on my computer. My understanding is that I will be able to download this onto the new ECoS and I shouldn't have to spend weeks programming in everything. I know what you're saying about the cost. I'm Scottish too and don't part with cash unless absolutely necessary. cheers Neil

Having now recovered from six weeks away I now feel a bit of an update is on the cards. I spent most of my time in Scotland with a week in Yorkshire and a week in Berlin. Railways were very much the theme of the visit and I managed to take in most transport museums in the areas visited. Glasgow's new transport museum was first up and was quite impressed by the architecture. I was also rather impressed by the large South African locomotive on show. This was the one that was on the Monster Moves television program. Next down to Sheffield to visit the wife's family. We stopped off in York first though and stayed right next to the station. This was handy for train spotting opportunities. It also meant that the Railway Museum was within easy walking distance. I was quite please to see this upon entry. Very nice. Always been one of my favourite British loco's. In Berlin I was quite impressed by the new Hauptbahnhof. Awesome railway station. On the way down the the Deutsche Technicks museum I stopped to have a look at all that was left of the old Anhalter station. It must have been an impressive sight in its day. The Museum still has turntable and sheds in good condition with a good selection of locos. This is a model of the Anhalter station before destruction. Like the National Railway Museum in York, there is also a cut open loco here showing how it all works. This is a KPEV P8 rather than a Merchant Navy though. I wanted to go on a trip on an ICE and went to Braunschwieg. This loco sits out the front of the railway station. Getting back to model railways, having arrived back to our house in Melbourne I was pleased to see a large parcel from Modelbahn Kramm which contained many items needed for the layout. Most of the stock I had was epoch 2 but generally based in the north in Berlin. I had bought a few items which were more appropriate for Bavaria so a Brawa Br 38 steam loco. I also bought a few electrics appropriate for the era. I has initially found these dull and uninteresting but now love them now. Especially the bigger ones. So a Roco E-94; Brawa E 73. and a Brawa e 77 While inputting these locos into the ECoS I had a screen freeze which I have been unable to resolve. It occurred when trying to set long addresses to Railcom locos. The ECoS seemed to do a reset whenever I tried to program them with the long address. After one of these resets the screen froze and set on the track plan diagram and has not responded to any touch since. The loco that was on the prog track when the final reset and freeeze occurred was a loksound v4 so I wouldn't have expected that. I have spent a bit of time trying to resolve the problem but the screen will not move from the track plan mimic diagram screen unless given an external command when linked to a computer. I had managed to get the rescue mode screen and the initial screen after factory reset mode. I also had the screen calibration screen up but none of them will respond when touched. Having faced facts; it's eight years old and has served well in that time, I suppose I will have to get a new colour screen one.This wasn't factored into my budget so other things such as catenary and more signals will have to wait now. Unfortunate but these things happen. I have a load of signals to install which will complete the north side of the layout. The signals will all be digitally controlled so I need to get the new controller before I can set this up so this will all have to wait. I also have some kits to build. I got one of these sets which has four buildings in one kit as they are more economical and I need a few. I can start work on the kits now but will have to wait a bit until I can order a new controller till I start doing the rest of the signals. So plenty to do from here.

Thanks Mike, yep ballasting's going to be painful. I think that's why I'm taking my time getting to it.

Previously I had installed a three way signal on the layout and thought I'd show you how this comes up on the ECoS screen as it's a bit more interesting than the regular two position ones. This is the one to the top right of the screen. When you press it first it opens up to show three signal positions which you can choose from. Installing one of these signals uses two outputs from your point decoder. Once wired up it works quite well though. Here's the signal on the layout on the right of the below picture. Station signs were needed to start outfitting the station platforms. The signs were created using the Tannenberg font. I did a bit of a search on this and this is what the dreischeibe forum seemed to consider was correct for the period. Looks about right but not entirely convinced so if you know better, let me know what is a more appropriate font. This is the making of the signs and instalation. I tidied up the platform underpass entrances with sides and banisters. I made steps as well. The station building got some flower boxes and period railway posters. Still thinking about how to do the station surrounds. Will do a bit more research on this. The local historical society did a re-enactment of the visit by the Bavarian King Ludwig II with his entourage in his royal railway carriage pulled by the legendary S2/6. There was also a nostalgia special to Vienna for enthusiasts pulled by the S3/6. I was looking into point rodding and ducting and had a bit of a learning curve on the mechanisms used in the period for switching points and signals. I bought some of the Auhagen parts to see what they were like. I'll also order some of the Weinert ones to try out too to see cost versus detail and take it from there. I've installed some of it so far so here is how it looks with the rope pull holders and switching lanterns etc. Still looking at rolling stock and need to start building up more of a Bavarian Era 2 fleet. Most of the Era 2 stock I have is Berlin based rather than Bavarian. I'll need to start building up a fleet of Era 2 Bavarian stock so have my eye on a few to get once funds become available. I've ordered a couple of electrics which are appropriate and will start buying catenary to install. Might have to just install the masts initially and fill in the power cables later so I can keep access open. I will also have to figure how I'm going to manage the join between the new Fife layout and this one. I've made the baseboards for the new one and will need to allow clearance for trains to run underneath the new one. This might make the new layout a bit high. Well home beckons and I'm off back to Scotland for the next couple of months with side trips to Yorkshire and Berlin so nothing will be happening on the layout while I'm away. I'll be coming back with loads of goodies to get cracking with on the new layout when I get back though so plenty to look forward to. Just a couple more pictures to finish with.