My Layout and other projects.

[Father Dougal]

All done now. I fitted the sound chip yesterday and the lights were completed last weekend.

for those interested in such things I used; maxi sugar cube speaker BT20, stay alive rectangular 870007 and MX645R  decoder with Sentinel Diesel sound file.

The file is good, perhaps not as recent as some of my other sound files, but does the job.

I had to refit the pickups as they twisted under friction and I also trimmed the Delian chain as it was a bit slack.

Here are a few shots.

[Father Dougal]

I bought a Lima Tanker from Feebay recently for the princely sum of £16.45.

I have begun modifying the body shell and Underframe with various parts from my bits box to depict a slurry tanker or TCA.

This is not based on a specific prototype, more ‘inspired by’.

a few shots...

[Father Dougal]

Slurry tanker done. Just needing a lot of weathering.

[Andrew P]

Excellent job young man, almost a shame to weather it, but it must be done.

[dmeaden]

Very impressed by your Denise build -I thought Brass kits were supposed to take years to finish?!

 

Have you built many loco kits before?

 

And all fitted with lights and sound and weathered (it always seems a shame but it’s got to be done!) - lovely job :-)

Edited December 8, 2019 by dmeaden

[Father Dougal]

20 hours ago, Andrew P said:

Excellent job young man, almost a shame to weather it, but it must be done.

 

Thanks Andy. Very pleased with this build. Only cost £16.45. I had enough odds and ends in my bits box- including wheels.

I have weathered her now in a mucky rusty brown sheen. I will post a photo once I have applied Matt varnish.

Dougal

[Father Dougal]

10 hours ago, dmeaden said:

Very impressed by your Denise build -I thought Brass kits were supposed to take years to finish?!

 

Have you built many loco kits before?

 

And all fitted with lights and sound and weathered (it always seems a shame but it’s got to be done!) - lovely job :-)

 

Thanks,

Denise is my  7th Loco build. This was a Judith edge kit and it was a pleasure to build.The hardest part was making sure the Motor fitted and then shoe horning in a Delrin chain.

Dougal

[Father Dougal]

Merry Christmas! 

I have not done loads of modelling lately as I have been testing my trains or playing.

I managed to remove another link from the Delrin chain from Denise and she now runs incredibly smoothly.

I have purchased a class 05 from Rails of Sheffield as they were selling them at a bargain price and today I managed to bag a sound fitted class 15 from feepay.

cant wait for the 15 to arrive.

Dougal

[Father Dougal]

Having patronised my local model shop for some supplies, I managed to finish off the first PGA. I plan to build the other 4 as different diagrams to add a bit of variety.

I have also numbered my 05. The driver is for the class 15- when it arrives.

Dougal.

[Father Dougal]

Aha! My class 15 turned up today. Lovely  model, looks brand new and hardly used. Sound fitted and still set as default address of 03.

The transfers and etched plates are included. No tail lights, but has various configurations of marker lights and a cab light.

I will spend tomorrow painting the driver and adding the transfers as well as more ‘testing’ (playing).

very impressed with the sound file and running qualities.

I plan to lightly weather. She will probably be set to work on cement workings with my presflo rake.

photos to follow tomorrow.

Dougal.

[Father Dougal]

I spent a few hours today applying transfers and some light weathering and some play time.

 

The class 15 is very powerful and able to pull rakes of my heavy brass kit built wagons without issue. I am still getting used to setting different light configurations when running, even though I have no idea what the different configurations mean. The sound file is pretty awesome.

The decals suck! They were a pig to apply and fell off during handling. I have plenty of alternatives from Fox, so I will apply them. If you ever get a class 15, throw the supplied decals away!

The model comes apart easily with 6 screws removed. Unfortunately the cab appears to be a fixed and self contained unit- I don’t see how I can add a driver. I will save ‘Nigel’ for my Hymek I think.

neither of these minor niggles is a particular issue for me really. She looks great shunting a few coal hoppers around or pulling a rake of  Presflos. Very happy I bought her. Oh, for those interested, D8203 was scrapped along with every other member of the class, except one. Still, she lives on in sunny Cornwall.

Dougal.

[Father Dougal]

A bit more time spent working on the PGA rake.

2 variants kit bashed to add some variety.

I have 2 more to make to finish a rake of 5. The last 2 will probably be basic kit builds. I plan to fit a tail light into one of them and power it via a function only decoder. This one will have to have a removable load.

 

I have also had a bit of fun using my steam shutters for a while.

Dougal

[Father Dougal]

Just finished weathering my rake of PGA wagons. I still need to add removable loads to 4 of them and some couplings- hopefully Dapol will be selling some at the Bristol show tomorrow.

I am really pleased with how these came out.

Dougal

[Father Dougal]

What a nice day for modelling. Today I began building my GP TRAMM kit. I will be motorising the unit, fitting lights and sound.

I have looked at a few images on Doogle and I will be adding a bit more detail to personalise it.

I have taken off a few of the light mouldings as I don’t like them and I plan to make mine look like the images I have seen. Only a few appear to have a central search light.

I will keep the crane, even though some of the TRAMM’s didn’t have one.

I can’t find a sound file, but I have found a few for various departmental stock, so I may just use one of them.

I think the lights will be nano LEDs.

 

Motorising is a challenge as the kit doesn’t allow any provision as such and the motor set up  they suggest is Branchlines, who appear to have ceased trading.

I managed to find a good alternative from Slaters. It arrived today and is really tiny (about the size of a 20p.)

I reckon I might be able to add a Delrin chain as well, but the TRAMM will never need to pull much, so I may not bother.

 I have cut out a hole in the rear of the TRAMM to take the motor. I will cover this with a tarp.

Photos to follow at the weekend.

 

My 05 sound chip, speaker and stay alive arrived too. I will fit this Saturday.

Dougal.

Edited January 29, 2020 by Father Dougal
Stupid Apple auto correct

[Father Dougal]

A bit more progress on the GP TRAMM today. Almost ready to fit the chassis to the underside of the body. Here are a few shots before further painting was done.

Also a shot of my sound fitted 05. The model U driver looks a lot like Master Trump, so the driver is now going to be called Donald.

[Father Dougal]

Time for an update as the sun is out for a change.

The GP TRAMM is done. I fitted the nano LEDs last weekend and today I ordered the sound chip, speaker and stay alive. Hopefully I will fit at the weekend.

I have placed some beefy weights in the rear and left room for the speaker etc. The fetching white tissue will become a Tarpaulin cover at some point.

I also started on a TTB conversion. I have built 5 of these tankers before for fuel traffic, but I thought it would be fun to build a few as PCA’s. The conversion is really easy. I have. A few bits to add yet.

Dougal.

[Father Dougal]

So, I’m stuck at home for a while with a mild dose of the plague. So, to stop myself going stir crazy, I have been doing a few jobs on the layout.

The GP TRAMM is finished- the Tarp looks pretty good.

The PCA tanker is almost done- I just need to order some more couplings from Dapol.

I have started a few terraced house. I didn’t feel the retaining wall looked right before. This one is bigger and looks better. The Houses were a joy to build as they are laser cut and snap together. Hopefully my order from Slaters may come today so I can add the brick covering.

Dougal.

[spenc]

They look good,  I know how you feel I am on day 2 of 14 but i feel like crap we have been told if i feel any worse got to ring 999 wife got to be of work as well, bus driving has it's down falls.

 

[Father Dougal]

I’m on day two too, very mild symptoms but as I work in a hospital with old folk I am banished for a while.

Mrs Doyle’s not happy at being forced to be off and felt I didn’t look ill enough! 

[spenc]

2 minutes ago, Father Dougal said:

I’m on day two too, very mild symptoms but as I work in a hospital with old folk I am banished for a while.

Mrs Doyle’s not happy at being forced to be off and felt I didn’t look ill enough! 

I suffer with my heart getting this has put my family in meltdown so hoping I don't get any worse.

[Father Dougal]

A bit more progress on the houses. Now all clad in Plastikard. I have yet to fit the front piece as this will be done once everything is pained and lights added.

The retaining wall area will be clad in balsa wood and shaped to fit against the rock cutting on the left, then clad in brick Plastikard.

 

next step - paint.

Dougal

[Father Dougal]

Finished the workers houses. I quite like the look of these. I have added lights to 5 of the compartments to suggest some activity. The LEDs are very subtle.

Drain pipes are done. I still need to build a few old style TV aerials.

The lady washing the windows is a favourite of mine- she is actually a waving passenger, but she looks the part.

Dougal.

 

[Father Dougal]

I had some time on my hands today so I did a bit of shopping. I now have a sound decoder, speaker, etc on its way from Digitrains, a couple of packets of Dapol couplings and some wagon buffers. This should help stave off the mind numbing boredom of social distancing for a while.!

Fingers crossed I may get my decoder tomorrow.

Dougal

[D6775]

Those houses are looking good. I have been looking at something similar on ebay, but also looking at some of the Intentio ones.

Edited March 27, 2020 by D6775

[Father Dougal]

Today I have been building the retaining wall and abutments. Luckily I had enough brick card in my bits boxes to complete the job. Tomorrow I will probably paint the wall. I will do the grass bit and bushes, etc next weekend. A few pictures to follow tomorrow.

Dougal.