Les1952 Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 Three weeks off and... the layout got left standing on end in the workshop to allow Mr Simon unhindered access to Gresby. Now the N-gauge Society AGM is over it is time to get the dust sheets off and get ready for three days on show at Upton Hall. Disaster- it had been knocked. No pic but the gateway was hanging on by a small thread and the tram poles and people in front of it poleaxed. The poleaxed poles straightened easily, but the people and gate too a bit more getting into place. Much of the rest of the morning spent getting flowers into window boxes. 23 done so far, with about as many still to do. Also done, two shrub tubs. At the AGM I was able to raid the NGS shop for some more appropriate (and other) steam stock. At last I've found a pair of 3-axle Umbauwagen- why do people always seem to have them on sale as singletons when they ran (like GWR B-sets) as close-coupled pairs? Also joined the NGS Worldwide group. Next post- new engines and MAYBE pics of the window boxes.... Time to do something else, the workshop is now too hot to work in. Les 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 (edited) the other end of the train.. Another purchase from the AGM. It can alternate on the vintage train with the 4-4-0 and the Glaskastern, with the BR86 or the Prussian 4-6-4T as spare engine. Again from the AGM, this one did just under a lap and stopped dead with a nasty smell from inside. I'll strip it down tomorrow. Edited May 28, 2012 by Les1952 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNCF stephen Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Some lovelly engines there. I did not realise there was a continental section of the NGS. I might join. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 Some lovelly engines there. I did not realise there was a continental section of the NGS. I might join. Many thanks for that- it is actually the Worldwide Area Group. Like most NGS Area Groups they charge an extra subscription (basic £5, more if you want the newsletters by post rather than electronically). There is a website at www.ngauge-wwg.org.uk . Happy hunting. I'm going to explore it this evening. Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 (edited) As promised- window boxes. Hello again. Waiting until the light levels in the workshop were uniform enough for the camera to get the idea of what I wanted to take, here they are (or some of them). Now hopefully the lady who saw the layout the other week at Cotgrave and is coming to Upton Hall to see it again (glutton for punishment) will be satisfied. I drew the line at putting them on the factory- mostly because I couldn't decide which were the office buildings. This one won't be staying- it runs nicely but the valve gear fouls the platform so it is off to eBay when my PayPal balance next needs a top-up. The 2-6-0T that I stripped down is totally dead- the motor bearings have siezed beyond the ability of oil to free. I'll keep my eye out for a replacement motor, though I'm not confident. In the meantime the motor is out and it is a free-running double-header. Only four days now before the layout goes to Upton hall. Time to get on... Les Edited June 2, 2012 by Les1952 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 Back from Upton Hall... and time to relay the incline. The problem is that the Combino tram doesn't like the change of gradient at the top, and comes off. A bit like the new Blackpool trams and sand at Fleetwood........ So, having found that I have actually got three short straights that add up to the long one on the incline I've lifted the incline, Messy, isn't it! I've relaid it with the three short pieces replacing the longer ones, packed appropriately. and it only now needs about 3 days worth of re-grassing the slope. I've also loosened the ballast at the end of the station between the back-to-back pair of points and packed one side to remove the worst of the dips. I've had chance to do some historical digging and found that Furtwangen actually had a railway until 1972. More on this later as it changes the "might-have-been" scenario a little. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 Latest addition Direct from Linea8 in Germany comes a genuine German Combino car- 5 section. In Erfurt livery (which is the same colurs as Freiburg's but applied differently). They allso do the 3-section Bambino in the same livery. When the PayPal balance recovers enough I'll add one of those to the fleet also. Slightly out of focus but it show the differences between the Combino and the Hiroshima Green Mover. The latter still needs making a little more European, as does the 2-section 8-wheel car (the white and blue one). All of the Modemo cars have now been fitted with GPS domes at one end- this is to show which way round they run best- the GPS dome is at the downhill end when standing in the fiddle yard. Meanwhile re-grassing the incline continues- pics when done. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNCF stephen Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Those Combinos are lovelly. I looked into getting one a while ago but they are eye wateringly expensive. There is a picture somewhere on the internet that shows the Hiroshima People Mover combined into a giant 15 - 20 points of articulation set! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 The Hiroshima set was secondhand and is a lot less smooth in operation than the Erfurt one, which set me back nearly £170 of my PayPal balance- the Bambino isn't that much less expensive so it will be a few months before I can get one- hopefully in time for the next exhibition outing in October. They don't do a seven-section Freiburg car- yet. A 7-section car will just fit the passing loop and the dead sections in the fiddle yard- anything longer hasn't a chance. I may yet thin out the Modemo cars- the more track-sensitive of the two silver and blue cars can help fund the Bambino. What got cropped out of the lower picture was the rake of part-weathered 21-ton hopper wagons intended for Hawthorn Dene Colliery which are being stored in the station because I keep burying them on the workbench....... All the very best. Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 (edited) Incline almost done Not a lot of modelling done in the last month- exam marking has been a little frenetic this year. However a few chances to escape to the workshop have resulted in the relaid incline being almost grassed, and both Combinos tweaked so they cope with the gradients and tight turns. The bare incline. Note that I've replaced the N-Brass masts with more substantial Sommerfeldt ones. Next job is to get some overhead wires sorted. Erfurt Combino on the new ramp. This is actually a single-ended car, but I'll keep it with the doors towards the viewer - fortunately both ends of a Combino are outwardly idfentical- on the model even to the extent of having a control desk at the back- presumably for shunting. This is the rear of the car.... Edited July 10, 2012 by Les1952 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 (edited) More toys the visit a few weeks ago to the NGS Worldwide Group show at Retford produced a trio of 2-10-0s (partly on the basis of do one up to sell and keep the other pair). The one for doing up was past hope of repair unfortunately. This is the second worst- a suitably grotty Roco class 44. I had one of these several years ago when they first came out but it was sold when I changed scale. A more recent one by Minitrix proved too poor a runner so it was sold cheaply. Of course a Class 44 is far too heavy for the Bregtalbahn so it won't come out to play at exhibitions. It has taken me about 3 days tweaking to get it running as new- a sentimental item to spend much of its life in the showcase. Never mind........ postscript- thinks, that wall behind needs sorting, where it was cut back for clearance really shows up. A touch of weathering needed in the imminent future..... Edited July 11, 2012 by Les1952 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share Posted September 5, 2012 Repairing Damage I noticed recently that a lamp was broken- of course it was the one on the front where it would be the easiest to spot..... Veissmann lamps are nor exactly cheap. However I noticed at the Grantham railshow last weekend some lamps on the Finishing Touches stand that didn't loop to dissimilar- at least the heads are hexagonal and fluted. One of these is now in situ. Next job (not all that urgent) is to see about some dummy overhead wires to go with the new masts- a job maybe for a trip out later in the month. Must get on..... Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 (edited) Another new loco I'd not realsied how good Piko had become- they've gone a long way from the stuff I had donkeys years ago. Anyway I saw this one on the Gaugemaster stand at the N-gauge show in Leamington. I didn't buy it but went onto Ebay.de when I got home and picked one up for about £30 less including postage. It is a MaK G1206BB type (1206Kw or 1600hp). the entire loco stock of the Bregtalbahn in the station and at the loco shed- the blue one is an ex-DB Class 261 0-6-0, the orange one an ex-DR class V36, the small yellow and red one a Henschel DH900C, the yellow and blue one an ex-DR class 110 (DB 204) and the new G1206BB. Plenty to get on with... Les Edited October 6, 2012 by Les1952 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted October 6, 2012 Author Share Posted October 6, 2012 (edited) Thinking about Wirksworth Three weeks and I'm off on the road again. I'm still looking for overhead "wire". This stuff is about the right gauge but too stiff for the job. However a former colleague suggested knitting elastic, which apparently comes in 0.5mm thickness at its thinnest- the shiring elastic I used several years ago with Arnold masts is a little too thick for the job. Loughborogh show last weekend (operating Trevor Webster's Stamford East) yielde some goodies for the layout. First amongst them a pair of VW camper vans, one for the carpark at the brewery and the other for the space by the tram shed. Also found were some sheets of adverts and signs, many of which were HO scale but some small enough to use. The station now has an advert for Kit-e-Kat and the house at the far right has gained these, so far. I've also found a readable overhead wire notice for the top end of the reservation. Perhaps a "no smoking" sign on the engine shed? Edited October 6, 2012 by Les1952 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNCF stephen Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Nice to see some updates Les. Your loco fleet looks interesting. Are you running DCC on the main line? I might get to see you at Warley if I am able to get there. Good luck with Furtwangon Ost at the next show. Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted October 7, 2012 Author Share Posted October 7, 2012 Hello Stephen. Nice to have an update to do.... All analogue- kept simple, though the layout is surprisingly intensive to operate, especially when running it single-handed. The guys who stood in at Upton Hall (when the layout could attend the show but I couldn't) said they were exhaused at the end of the day. The level of concentration needed to avoid mistakes on the tramway is very high. All the very best Les 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 (edited) Pics of the Day I've been doing a few more high-res pics to make up a CD of images. Here's three of the new ones. Looking along the layout with the brewery front (new marker on the projecting wall), Dr Who on the roof, and the town in the distance. Bemo railcar gets a green light to continue to Furtwangen Stadt at the end of the line. Combino tram passes the Marktplatz, showing the effect of the new masts for the tramway. Hopefully the cord for the wire will arrive tomorrow. All the very best Les Edited October 9, 2012 by Les1952 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted October 12, 2012 Author Share Posted October 12, 2012 Springy wiring The 0.5mm knitting elastic arrived yesterday, and I spent this morning getting the first length of tramway wire added. 3 inches scale diameter, and plinks when you catch it - and more importantly will snap before the masts do! Pics will be posted as soon as I finish the job. Next is to find a means of colouring it. All the best Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted October 18, 2012 Author Share Posted October 18, 2012 (edited) What a difference some overhead makes... It may only be 0.5mm thick (scale 3") but it does make a difference. This second one shows I need to lift a mast a little..... It even shows up where the tramway crosses the top road. Still quite a bit to do to before Wirksworth in 8 days time. Les Edited October 18, 2012 by Les1952 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted October 26, 2012 Author Share Posted October 26, 2012 (edited) Off to Wirksworth Just a quick photo to show how it all fits into one car- with room for myself and a spare operator. Operators for this weekend- Trevor Webster and myself on Saturday, with Mr Simon instead of Trevor on Sunday. If you are in Wirksworth please say hello. All the very best Les Thinks- could do with a protective lid for the layout. Must talk nicely to Trevor about it- BMRC have a load of spare ply in the clubroom I can scounge...... Edited October 26, 2012 by Les1952 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted October 29, 2012 Author Share Posted October 29, 2012 Wirksworth Show went well, lots of positive feedback, and a lot of people staying to look for some time. Two more invites to exhibitions, and three enquiries, which when added to the enquiry I had earlier means 2014 might be a busy year.... Downside is that the switch blade on the point in front of the brewery has given up the ghost. There isn't any way I can get power directly to the frog (baseboard too thick for a motor and nowhere for a switch round the back) so it has had to come out and be replaced- a bit of a panic rebuilding this week as the layout is out again on Saturday morning. Pics later (and of another new toy....) All the best Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 (edited) Replacing the point First the latest full length pic- the colour is slightly different as it is under its own warm white LEDs which tend to yellow the colours a little. Taken set up at Wirksworth. Now to the point. The board under the offending point is too thick for a PL10E point motor and the point is too close to the board edge for motors with longer actuators. Next problem is that there is literally no place behind the backscene for a switch and the wire in tube runs under the higher level meaning a switch can't be inserted here either. Hence the dead point has to go. ..... and has. The end of the wire-in-tube can just be made out here- look downwards from the two legs at the top of the pic past the flower in the railings and it is just visible. For the replacement I've decided that electrical integrity is paramount. Accordingly I've gone for an INSULFROG point. This isn't as daft as it seems. With no way of switching the frog of an insulfrog point externally it would rely on blade contact to pass current to the blade and frog. This is the bit that failed on the one that I've removed. An Insulfrog point can be (and has been) bonded with a short wire loop from the blade to the adjacent rail, meaning the blade is always live. Colour difference is because the last pic was taken with flash. By now I've upset a lot of people as it is against received wisdom, BUT the shortest wheelbase loco in the stud (the Glaskastern) has no problems whatever with dead frogs, which are used in the fiddle yard for space reasons. Given the level of traffic on the layout the nylon frog isn't likely to wear significantly in my lifetime, and the simplicity of operation of the railway is maintained. Meanwhile ballast needs laying. Pics of new toys (plural now) to follow..... Les Edited October 30, 2012 by Les1952 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 (edited) New Toys Knowing the Bregtalbahn was an operation of the SWEG up to its closure in 1973 I've been waiting for the Brekina MAN railcar in SWEG colours, which were to all intents and purposes the same as most other minor railways in Germany, it would seem, unlike the rainbow hues of the present day. Courtesy of DM Toys.de here it is, arrived in today's post Designed about 1950 and introduced to the SWEG in 1955 or thereabouts, it could have run on the Bregtalbahn for up to 18 years before closure. There were at least eight of these in the SWEG roster (VT3,6,7,9 and 25 to 28 were still running in the 1990s and some or most into this century- VT9 being photographed as recently as 2006) so the real Furtwangen may well have seen one. Also likely to have run on the Bregtalbahn is this one- My photo, at Endingen on the SWEG Kaiserstuhlbahn on 11th April 1987. I'm still looking for one of these..... Not likely to have reached Furtwangen in reality is this, bought from Mount Tabor Models at the Wirksworth show and now fitted with Dapol couplers to take its turn on the goods. Very much a rule 1 loco this, but the local Eisenbahnfreunde might have acquired one and restored it to vintage SNCF blue... Ballast now laid around the new point and drying for two days. Some wheel cleaning to do and the blue tram needs motor bearing attention before Saturday. Plenty to get on with. Les Edited October 31, 2012 by Les1952 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 Going into hibernation. I'd thought there might just be enough space in the workshop for FO and Hawthorn Dene Colliery both to be worked on. WRONG. I can fit both in lengthways but can't get round. So FO will sit on its end for a month or two while I get HDC's trackwork done. One thing I did finally get done was the point indicators. They'll not get any white as they don't rotate. Adding wires to the point tensioner can wait until spring when FO comes out of hibernation again. All the very best Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNCF stephen Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Those Piko 66000s are lovelly. I have two myself. I do find that with the Dapol Couplers that they snag on the pointwork due to the NEM socket being a bit too low. Let me know how you get on with that loco and shunting as I have yet to give my fleet a proper shunt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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