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Tallpaul69
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Hi Folks,

My Accurascale Manor, 7810, arrived today. Have yet to unpack it, hope to get to it this weekend.

 

I was pleased to see the Rapido announcements today, and I am tempted by the O1, despite it being used well outside my layouts Buckinghamshire area!

 

Work continues to finalise what might be installed on the "Automation" front. @5BarVThas been doing sterling work on my behalf. Currently I am looking at how the six "automated" trains might be integrated into the "hourly" timetable that I posted a draft of here in August. Siding capacity is testing but I have managed to work into loops a couple of the fiddle yard sidings in the new board that will link the two layouts, and that will help.

The jury is still out on the iTrain/ TrainController decision, but things are perhaps tipping back in iTrain's favour.

 

Next week I need to work out the logistics of getting to Warley mainly by train, and if they suit, to get my ticket booked.

 

More updates soon,

Paul

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good evening everyone,

I finally got to my sound fitted 7810 which arrived 10 days ago!

I delayed opening it until I had a decent period of time available to do it carefully and do some running.

 

The loco looks great and the matt black smokebox is first class!

The only glue spot I have found so far is hidden on the underside.

I am happy with the sound, although I agree it is a little on the quiet side. Fiddling with the CVs may improve the volume.

 

Initially the running seemed odd. I put it on my test track and it didn't move although chuffing heartily! I then realised that the driving wheels were whizzing round, it was slipping mightily.

I put it on the test track in order to change the code. While doing so I realised it had a 4 digit code set in as well as the usual 003 code. So I decided to run it on the layout under the 4 digit code. 

On  the 4 digit code it surprisingly , given the slipping on the test track, seemed very stiff, running best in reverse! It also stalled at places no other 4-6-0 has.

 

After some running it has started to run better, although still has some way to go, but I am persevering with it. 

Should I lubricate it, I wonder? or maybe WD40 on the motion?

 

I have been lucky with my new steamers over the years, this is the first one for a long time that has needed much coaxing!

Others experience in this area would be appreciated?

 

Cheers for now,

Paul

 

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I have bad news but also good news!

The bad news is family things prevent me getting to Warley, the good news is that I can put my ticket and travel money into a new savings pot called "my new  57xx"!!

Let's hope there is more good news this weekend?

Happy modelling everyone,

Cheers

Paul

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Well folks,

it looks like my efforts to find a way to partially automate my layout have come to nothing.

It seems that iTrain cannot at present do what I need for my partial automation without me doing everything for complete automation except for buying some of the track current sensors! Not a good use of my funds I have decided.. 

Train controller can do what is needed but is older technology than iTrain, so long term is probably not a good idea.

 

Never mind, at least I have only committed time to this endeavour, I haven't spent any money on it.

my thanks to @5BarVT for his efforts on my behalf including spending some of his time at Warley discussing it with iTrain experts.

 

Moving on, the next few weeks up to the New Year, are never very productive for me on the modelling front, there is too much Family and Seasonal activity to get through!

My main job will be recasting the Bradenham timetable to take account of shunting activity needing to be broken up into smaller bits than I had been planning, because there will not be the longer periods free for me to shunt while trains circulate automatically.

 

I will also be finalising which of several recent model announcements I will be purchasing.

These include the Dapol "city toplight non corridor coaches.

I am thinking of buying a set of 4 of these, (two brakes, a composite , and an all second), yes, i know they ran in 6s but I don't have room for more than 4. I will use them (under Rule 1) as a workman's train running between Banbury and Wycombe End , stabling during the day at Bradenham. This is a copy of the workman's train that ran between Banbury and Morris Cowley via Oxford, stabling in the day at Oxford, although this did not use a special set of coaches.  

I plan to order an Accurascale 57xx. It will be the 81A allocated BR early loco version. I consider Bradenham as a sub shed of 81A so this is reasonable!

I am considering also a G5, as one or two of these did reside at Aylesbury for a while, but that was in the mid 50s rather than the early 60s.

Other possibilities include the  new Rapido GWR and LNWR wagons and the ex GWR Inspection Saloons, especially the BR chocolate and cream version.

 

More thoughts soon,

Cheers for now,

Paul

 

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Good Afternoon, one and all,

Doing some research after my posting here yesterday, I realised that I had got my LNER tank engines muddled!

It wasn't the ex NER G5s, which were 0-4-4s that were at Aylesbury, it was the ex GCR C13s which were 4-4-2s.

 

Never mind, that's one off my wish list, which makes room for the one I forgot yesterday, which is much more likely on the GW&GC, namely the BR 78xxx 2-6-0s as just introduced by Hornby.

I think there were examples at Cricklewood and Neasden, so one could appear on trains like the 2.38pm parcels from Marylebone to Aylesbury which picked up the empty morning newspaper van from High Wycombe and returned it to Marylebone via Aylesbury and Amersham. 

I also omitted yesterday that the ex GWR inspection saloons are a Dapol product.

 

I have made a start on revamping Bradenham's timetable.

Luckily I have room to manoeuvre as I have the fictitious High Wycombe to Bradenham and Wycombe End to Bradenham and return freights that I can slot in where I like! I also intend to extend some of the workings from Oxford, Aylesbury and Banbury to Princes Risborough and their returns to and from High Wycombe.

 

So, onward and upward!

More musings anon,

Cheers,

Paul

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Good afternoon everyone,

Apologies for the lack of input over the last two weeks but this time of year gets very busy for us and unfortunately, the railway is well down the order of priorities!

Today is a "catch your breath" day, a pause between the getting of presents and sorting of what happens each day over the holiday phase of Preparations and the wrapping, distribution , and food preparation phase.

I have managed to get a 57xx on order, but there is still the "inspection saloon", "toplight suburbans" and 78xxx orders to sort.  

 

In case I don't get to do another posting before Christmas, here's wishing you all a great time, and as someone said to me this morning "I'll see you on the other side"!

Best wishes

Paul 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Welcome to 2024 dear readers, and here's wishing You and Yours an enjoyable, healthy and productive New Year.

Our family have now all departed and this afternoon we have started to return the house to normal!

 

Hopefully later in the week I can get to some modelling activities, if only to give the Railway Room a tidy and hang up this years calendar (A BRM one, of course)!

Cheers for now,

Paul   

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well Folks,

It's been a funny old week so far!

Monday and Tuesday were down days with the sad announcement that Hattons, whom I have had dealings with for many years are closing down, admittedly offset by this being an orderly shutdown , not a business failure. Also, the annual Hornby announcements were not very uplifting, but at least will not put more pressure on my wallet!

The upside for me has been the purchase of my first Rapido wagon, reference 906010, an example of their SECR r plank wagon in departmental black livery. 

I have also , a little reluctantly, decided not to purchase any of Hornby's  78xxx 2-6-0 locos. These were always a bit of a Rule 1 item for my GW&GC layout, but the realisation that there was going to be little change from 400 notes for one fitted with sound and weathered, put them on the back burner. I think the funds so released will be held back for the upcoming exGWR toplight corridor coaches due later in the year.  I will finally make my mind up on these once I have the preordered toplight suburbans in my hands.

 

I also have the Accurascale GUVs and 16Ton minerals to look into further.

The ex GWR GUVs look supurb, but perhaps weathering to 1960s condition would be a waste of such fine models. Maybe I will weather my Limas, which I still think look good, and buy just one Accurascale to run in pristine condition. I have a lot of Bachmann 16Ton minerals, and I have yet to be convinced of the improvements the Accurascale version will give me on a running layout, again most would need to be weathered. 

 

Cheers for now,

Paul

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good Evening All,

Not a lot of modelling done in the 12 days since my lasty post, so just a quick update.

 

I have done some planning towards the future scenic presentation of Bradenham, and a revue of some current/future rolling stock. 

 

The scenic planning has been a bit of a nightmare. I've been through a number of versions, none of which I am happy with, so I will keep the details to myself until I have something I am a bit happier with.

 

On the rolling stock front, firstly, I have looked at the Accurascale 16 Ton Minerals, and decided that I will hold off on the first batch, and see if the second batch includes any weathered versions, or any versions useable on my layout which are not covered by my Bachmann versions. 

Secondly, I have reviewed my  stock of iron ore hoppers as I will need some for my rule 1 chalk train (which in fact never ran south of Ardley). I knew most of my unboxed ones were Mainline ones whose chassis is not up to modern standards as the brake shoes are not in line with the wheels. Luckily  I find I have sufficient Bachmann ones for my needs, so the Mainline ones will be heading for the Bay.

 

Hopefully my next update will be in around a week's time, by which time the scenics plan will be looking better!

 

Cheers for now,

Paul

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Well folks, there is not a lot to report!

I have ordered and received an Accurascale GUV in BR Maroon, and a lovely model it is.

 

Also arrived is my Cavalex class 56 in Loadhaul livery for the early 2000s running of Bradenham. Again a very good looking model but I have yet to get it running on the layout. No problem with it, just lack of time on my part!

 

The scenic planning that I mentioned in my last post is going very slowly.

 

I think it will be another three weeks before I get much done on the modelling front:- This week we have the decorators in and then in two weeks our youngest son and family are visiting.

 

I hope you are all making better progress with your modelling projects?

Lets hope we all get something we have wished for in the Bachmann announcements this week. 

 

Cheers for now,

Paul

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Things are on the up (a little!).

Our decorator finished tonight, a day early, so tomorrow we can get the house back to normal.

 

As a result of today's Bachmann announcements I have lined my wallet up for a substantial hit later in the year with three sound fitted items.

So there are pre-orders for a Bachmann class 31 (Mainline livery), and an Accurascale 31 (Intercity livery).

These are backed up by taking the plunge on a pre-order for 69001. Yes, I know the 69ers didn't arrive until 2021,and my modern rendering of Bradenham is supposed to be 2019, but I decided that the 2019 dateline could be a little elastic as I thought the 69er sharing the 56 bodyshell would make an interesting comparison with my Cavalex 56.

 

I will now take a more leisurely look at the Mk1 releases.

 

Cheers All,

Paul

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  • 2 weeks later...

Afternoon All,

Greetings from a (once again!) wet and soggy south Bedfordshire.

No venturing to the railway room today, which is a pity as it is the first day since they arrived that I have time free to play with set up and test run my first Hornby 7000 fitted diesels.

Also, my BR liveried Toplights arrived today. Have yet to open and inspect them, but am expecting a real treat!

my first Hornby 7000 fitted diesels to

I have committed to a 3D printed 12 ton Rail mounted Diesel crane. It looks splendid, and hopefully my mate Malcolm can do the works on assembly and weathering.

I am also debating upgrading my Bachmann Classes 31 and 69 orders to SFX specification to give the new DCC uncouplers a go. 

Cheers,

Paul

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Folks,

Apologies for the "Radio Silence",

Things have been a bit tricky for us in the last couple of weeks and still will be for a while yet, which is why I have not posted recently!

 

We have been busy supporting my brother in law who although coming up to his 89th birthday, has lived on his own just outside Northampton, with some support from us, his only relatives, and friends local to him.

 

Unfortunately his health has deteriorated and he has been in and out of hospital and his mobility is now poor. So we have been up there sometimes at short notice to support him. We are currently trying to find him home help that he will accept. Up till now he has resisted such a move, and to be fair, a month ago we did not think it necessary.

Hopefully he will improve in the next couple of weeks and we can find someone as a home help that he can get along with.

 

So I think it will be after Easter before we are back to normal, and I will  then update you further, and hopefully be in a position to give railway matters some attention.

 

Best regards

Paul

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