Santa Barbara in N scale_ at the NMRABR 2022 convention near Crewe

[roundhouse]

Nice N scale layout of my native state of California. Santa Barbara is a beautiful city on the Pacific Ocean. I love how you change the timeframe using Southern Pacific locomotives versus the Union Pacific locomotives. Keep up the good work, Ian!

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA

Wendell

 

Thanks, its one of our favourite places after our first visit to the USA in 1989 and have been back there many times since. Of course a number of bulding modelled have changed use since doing so.

 

Hoping to be back there this Christmas

Edited August 21, 2018 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

Weathering of the new Scaletrains tier 4 Gevo is now under way. Needs a little tidying up on the walkways but my first weathered N scale using an airbrush. This loco also has a Zimo Next 18 decoder plus a Digitrax Transponding only decoder in the speaker space in the fuel tank to operate the Surroundtraxx system. it will be tested in the next week or so before the Seaboard Southern show in Crawley on 15th September 2018, as  I will be setting up the layout to test the extra staging track (total 11 tracks).

 

My other halfs Ferromex loco that she recently purchased in Kansas City convention has laso had a little weathering.

Edited September 3, 2018 by roundhouse

[Wendell1976]

Weathering of the new Scaletrains tier 4 Gevo is now under way. Needs a little tidying up on the walkways but my first weathered N scale using an airbrush. This loco also has a Zimo Next 18 decoder plus a Digitrax Transponding only decoder in the speaker space in the fuel tank to operate the Surroundtraxx system. it will be tested in the next week or so before the Seaboard Southern show in Crawley on 15th September 2018, as I will be setting up the layout to test the extra staging track (total 11 tracks).

20180902_163002.jpg

 

My other halfs Ferromex loco that she recently purchased in Kansas City convention has laso had a little weathering.

20180902_162929.jpg

Those locomotives would make a good combination. The Union Pacific Railroad owns 26% of Ferromex in real life.

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA

[roundhouse]

A busy few days working on thr layout. The new fiddleyard Road is fully tested and working as is now the first block section sections so further circuits now ordered. These will eventually help with automation of the signalling on Banbury.

[woodenhead]

Nice shot of a Ferromex in a consist today

[roundhouse]

Nice shot of a Ferromex in a consist today

Capture4.PNG

 

 

Our Ferromex is now packed away for use this weekend.

 

Belen NM is a superb live railcam.

[roundhouse]

We had a very good day with the layout. Took a bit longer ot set up as one of our ususal helpers was busy with the NG modules.

 

The new block detection worked fine.

 

 

[shortliner]

We had a very good day with the layout. Took a bit longer ot set up as one of our ususal helpers was busy with the NG modules.

 

The new block detection worked fine.

WOW - Now THAT is a different looking loco! - Very nice! Almost a shame I only do freight!

Edited September 16, 2018 by shortliner

[roundhouse]

Merry Christmas from Santa Barbara.

 

A short video of the Southbound Coast Starlight departing for Los Angeles about an hour late. It was a great sunny warm day but the wind had picked up in the evening hence a bit of wind noise.

 

[Wendell1976]

Nice video clip of the Coast Starlight in my native state of California.

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA

[roundhouse]

Thanks Wendell

 

We love coming to this area. Santa Barbara just gets nicer each time we come. The downside is that hotels get more expensive each visit.

 

This is the first time we have been here since the new development near the station has been complete and has much improved the look along this stretch of State Street . So another change to what is on the layout but I have no plans to update it.

 

However the station is much the same with the usual amazing entertainment form the street people. This time upon arriving in the evening, we had one doing handstands on his weird looking bike. They all seem fairly harmless though. The one area that has seen a backward step is the once nicely maintained lawn in the foreground of this shot.

 

Plenty of new locos on the Surfliners now.

 

And trains were very busy, especially after the earlier train had been cancelled I hope that the recent issues with the new PTC system failing a lot doesnt affect this too much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 10, 2021 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

The layout is still going to shows with its first one this year being the East Surrey N gauge show on 4th April. UPDATE - SHOW NOW CANCELLED

 

 

Edited March 15, 2020 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

I have just received an email from the organisers to say that the East Surrey N gauge show 2020 has now been cancelled but will go ahead in 2021. The layout should be going there in 2021 EDIT - now cancelled.

Edited January 18, 2021 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

Last week I decided to start servicing all of the locos. I have my fingers tightly crossed that the layout will be at a show in September having had communication with an exhibition manager.

 

So far, about 20 locos have had a service and a run on the High Line test circuit.  This has involved handrail paint touch up,  adjustment couplers and even one loco that had a drive shaft missing. Luckily it was in the stock tray but I just don't recall how it could have come out of the loco completely. It's all back together and working fine.

 

Some years ago I purchased a long rake of coal hoppers from a friend but they had not run till now, so the 39 cars are being used as a test load.

 

Currently running on High Line are these two Kato UP locos. The addition of the N scale test circuit is being put to goid use but hopefully the layout will be set up in thr hear future.  The fiddleyard has already been tested recently as it is also used with Banbury.

Edited May 6, 2021 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

Servicing the motive power continues. I am now onto the Southern Pacific locos which I started aquiring back in 1998 for my old layout 'California Coast the Surf Line'.

 

Three of the Kato locos in the photo were purchased from Tex N Rails in Miami in 1998. They only had the occasional service and I don't ever recall cleaning the wheels and they still don't require a clean after all these years. They have had the gears cleaned and lightly lubed. Woodland Scenics and static grass gets everywhere.

 

Since this photo was taken this morning  the weathering had a little upgrade.

 

Still many more locos to service.

Edited May 1, 2021 by roundhouse

[Wendell1976]

Long live the Espee!

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

[roundhouse]

Whilst continuing to go through all the loco fleet I have been scanning my first trip across the pond back in 1989.  This was also my first visit ot Santa Barbara, before the station was refurbished to the state that I have modelled it.

 

Look at all the old locos baggage cars and even a Santa Fe double deck coach - no where as comfy as the Amtrak Superliners but the downstairs loos were very spacious.

 

And a much more recent photo from a new building that was just about completed on our last trip in 2018. A great shot. Must try and see if we can get up there on our next visit.

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/770525/

Edited August 21, 2021 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

It's a warm sunny day here so sitting under the shed canopy cleaning wheels and other general maintenance to the freight cars. A few hundred yet to do but should all be done in time for any future shows.

[roundhouse]

After carrying out more alterations to the shed patio which will provide enough space to set layouts up once the canopy sail arrives, a batch of Railbox cars had graffiti added.

 

Also more decals have been added to a patched Rio Grande Geep.

[roundhouse]

I am currently just over half way through servicing all the rolling stock. There was a month long break whilst other activities took priority but with a phone call regarding a show in September ( more info once its all fully confirmed), I have resumed work on the stock. Currently there are two Intermountain Tunnel motors on the workbench. The SP one had missing horns and roof mounted Bell but luckily with a few detail packs in the N Gauge spares box these are now in place ready for painting. These two locos will also get a weathering upgrade.

 

I also found out why the body rocks on the chassis. The sleeve around the decoder mounted rear LED was pushing the body up. This has now been replaced with much thinner heat shrink and now the loco body sits much better.

 

In the next few weeks the layout will be set up for the first time in many months.

[roundhouse]

Last weekend we visited a show for the first time since February 2020. Took us 3 hours to get there when normally it would have taken 1hr 20, but it was still good to see numerous people at the Benson meet near the Oxford turn off by the M40.

 

One item that I could not resist was an Athearn SD70 mac for £33 as it was labelled as a poor runner. I had to get it as it was a challenge to get it running better.

 

After getting it home and apart I adjusted sone of the wiper pick ups between the chassis and the trucks, gave it a clean then reprogrammed the already installed Digitrax decoder.

 

The loco now runs well so it turned out to be even better value as the decoder itself is now more than £33.

 

The loco has now been weathered and is ready for its first show,  hopefully in September. Just awaiting final confirmation.

 

[Wendell1976]

21 hours ago, roundhouse said:

Last weekend we visited a show for the first time since February 2020. Took us 3 hours to get there when normally it would have taken 1hr 20, but it was still good to see numerous people at the Benson meet near the Oxford turn off by the M40.

 

One item that I could not resist was an Athearn SD70 mac for £33 as it was labelled as a poor runner. I had to get it as it was a challenge to get it running better.

 

After getting it home and apart I adjusted sone of the wiper pick ups between the chassis and the trucks, gave it a clean then reprogrammed the already installed Digitrax decoder.

 

The loco now runs well so it turned out to be even better value as the decoder itself is now more than £33.

 

The loco has now been weathered and is ready for its first show,  hopefully in September. Just awaiting final confirmation.

 

 

Nice Espee locomotive.

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

[roundhouse]

Last weeks the layout was set up for the first time in two years. Apart from track cleaning it wall worked fine including the surroundtraxx sound system. Sometimes we get a block section drop out a sound zone and associated speaker at shows but it wall worked fine the whole time it was in use this time.

 

I am hoping to replace the backscene photos in the next week or so, now that all stock has been serviced.

 

Today the final paperwork arrived for Liverpool show in early September, the only show this year for one of my layouts. Cant wait to get back to shows so really looking forward to this show. it will be the first time for me in this venue as it had moved to a nearby school for a few years.

 

I have just got to remember to pack everything we normally take to shows after the break of over 18 months.

 

Anyway, a few photos of the layout set up on the shed patio last week.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

On 06/08/2021 at 07:27, Wendell1976 said:

 

Nice Espee locomotive.

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

We are hoping to run one day at the show with more modern UP and another day with older SP / UP merger locos. Even have an Amtrak phase 3 rake for the Coast Starlight and for the push Pull San Diegan services.

[roundhouse]

With not long to go before the Liverpool show today was a good time to get on with replacing the backscene with printouts that I produced over three years ago. I suppose its a good test that they haven't faded at all being printed with a colour laser printer on goid quality paper.

 

Also a small area of platform had started to lift so the styrene was cut out and replaced.

 

After 12 years since the layout was built its lasted well, so no surprise that a few small areas have required attention.

 

 

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by roundhouse