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Upbech St Mary, Upbech Drove and Pott Row a journey through 00 and then into EM and 009.


mullie
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Finally got round to weathering the goods depot last night. It can't be finally installed with lights connected until I've built the track for the extension at the right hand end of the layout as I plan to use it to cover a base board joint but it should fill a significant gap on the existing board until then. Weathering was done with coloured pencils and charcoal sticks rubbed in with fingers and that which had been turned into a powder by rubbing along fine sand paper, applying with a brush and then sealing with Games Workshop purity seal.

 

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Looks really good Mullie,

Pastel sticks are also rather good for weathering

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I use those as well, acrylic paint, watercolour pencils talcum powder barbecue ash, anything I can lay my hands on really. I really should try some weathering powders which I might do when I start weathering rolling stock again.

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I've got loads done this week not being at work. All track is now laid on the mpd boards and now need to get wiring and fitting the two point motors. Tomorrow I plan to have a wheel cleaning session!

 

First couple of photos show the basic track work. The turntable has been in place for about a year so I suppose it was about time I got on with it!

 

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Couldn't resist staging some shots with some locos in. 75% of the current steam stock is seen here. I do have two J70 bodies on order and a resin 'Claud' body to play around with so that should keep me out of trouble!

 

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I use those as well, acrylic paint, watercolour pencils talcum powder barbecue ash, anything I can lay my hands on really. I really should try some weathering powders which I might do when I start weathering rolling stock again.

 

In my teens, I used to paint (pictures) using PVA paints. The amazing thing with these is that when they are diluted and painted one colour on top of another the colours shine through each other. I've not had an oppportunity to use them on a model railway yet, though I'm sure it won't be too long before I go and buy some to try, maybe for wet areas like the base of water columsn :paint:

 

Love your goods depot, StuartM. Will have to pop back and watch progress.

Edited by southern42
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Been fiddling again! I removed the point work under the goods depot as I wan't completely happy with it. As the intention is to inlay it using Das modelling clay it needs to be right. The 08 was used for the photos but I'm getting rather tired of this loco. I've cleaned the wheels, the contacts and tried it without decoder and with different decoders but running is very erratic and it used to be so reliable. It is from the very first batch of these shunter's when first released so is a few years old. Currently runs with a Lenz gold decoder and I have tried a TCS decoder as well to no avail. Anyone got any suggestions. It could be replaced by the Bachmann one usually seen on Upbech St Mary as this now has a TCS decoder fitted and with green ends is more appropriate to the time frame of the layout.

 

It's not usual to photograph from these angles as the base boards get in the way. First shot through the bridge shows the 08 shunting a van

 

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Second shot taken through the goods depot shows the track construction. I didn't put in all the sleepers because they won't be seen once track is inlaid. The point in this photo is the one that was removed, point blades adjusted (they were sitting a little high) then it was put back in position. Because of its proximity to the back scene it was difficult to work on in situ, much easier on a flat surface. I also removed all the ballast around the point and checked that it was flat. Hopefully this has worked.

 

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Edited by mullie
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Looking good Mr M

Re the poor running, have you checked that all 4 wipers are making contact with the back of the wheels.

I took a loco apart once, put it back together and then spent the next week re-aliened the track because of poor running only to find I hadn't fitted the wipers correctly.

Just a thought

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Looking good Mr M

Re the poor running, have you checked that all 4 wipers are making contact with the back of the wheels.

I took a loco apart once, put it back together and then spent the next week re-aliened the track because of poor running only to find I hadn't fitted the wipers correctly.

Just a thought

 

I think that is a job for one night this week, it will have to come apart otherwise it will go back in its box! The Hornby pick ups are fiddly to work on and I was hoping to avoid doing it again!

 

Thanks for your comments

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Been fiddling again! I removed the point work under the goods depot as I wan't completely happy with it. As the intention is to inlay it using Das modelling clay it needs to be right. The 08 was used for the photos but I'm getting rather tired of this loco. I've cleaned the wheels, the contacts and tried it without decoder and with different decoders but running is very erratic and it used to be so reliable. It is from the very first batch of these shunter's when first released so is a few years old. Currently runs with a Lenz gold decoder and I have tried a TCS decoder as well to no avail. Anyone got any suggestions. It could be replaced by the Bachmann one usually seen on Upbech St Mary as this now has a TCS decoder fitted and with green ends is more appropriate to the time frame of the layout.

 

It's not usual to photograph from these angles as the base boards get in the way. First shot through the bridge shows the 08 shunting a van

 

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Second shot taken through the goods depot shows the track construction. I didn't put in all the sleepers because they won't be seen once track is inlaid. The point in this photo is the one that was removed, point blades adjusted (they were sitting a little high) then it was put back in position. Because of its proximity to the back scene it was difficult to work on in situ, much easier on a flat surface. I also removed all the ballast around the point and checked that it was flat. Hopefully this has worked.

 

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Edited the 08 shot this morning, doesn't look too bad. The same shot as above with two different edits.

 

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The DCC concepts 'stay alive' decoder died on me yesterday (excuse the pun). Late last night I emailed the company in Australia outlining the problem and my attempts to solve it and I thought it worth sharing with RM Web as an example of prompt reaction and good customer service. My email read as follows:

 

 

I hard wired a two function stay alive decoder to a Tenshodo spud and all was working fine for a number of weeks.

 

Yesterday suddenly everything went dead but the decoder could still be read by my NCE Power cab and other locos on the layout work normally. I have tried the following:

 

Successfully reset the decoder ( as it can still be read)

 

Taken the decoder off the spud and the spud works fine.

 

Re soldered the decoder to the spud, the decoder could be read but still the loco would not move.

 

I’ve been working with DCC for about 8 years and have hard wired a number of locos and built a number of layouts and I’ve not come across this before. Any help gratefully received.

 

The reply received today was as follows:

 

 

It sounds like for some reason there is a damaged processor or something similar – It happens occasionally to all brands. Whether because it was weak when initially made or damaged through voltage spikes etc I can’t judge.... however as its readable and will not drive its clearly not communication to the motor drive outputs properly.

 

You have done all the right things to test. Thank you.

 

Problems are very rare and PowerCab is a good stable unit DCC-waveform wise so I am happy to simply accept that there is a problem and replace it for you. Just confirm decoder type, (Example: 2 or 4 function, S Series, TS series etc) give me your address and I will post you a new one.

 

 

So I am now awaiting the delivery of a new decoder, a goof proof warranty really does seem to exist and subject to the arrival of the decoder I'm impressed both by the product and the level of service. I haven't contacted the UK supplier because I thought there might be a resolution to the problem.

 

I'll post again when the replacement decoder arrives.

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Have got a long way with wiring the extension boards this week. Next week I will connect everything up and hopefully get something running although something is bound not to work! Wiring is almost colour coded and neat, a first for me; although the lighting circuit for the building lights will need to be added in the future. Big challenge will be to wire up the turntable and get it working. I'd like to control it via DCC and I'm sure I saw somewhere an article about connecting a loco decoder to the turntable motor so it can be driven from the DCC controller. Anyone have any recommendations about the best way to control a PECO turntable via DCC? I think any sort of indexing is beyond me so it will have to be lined up by eye.

 

Photos below show wiring in progress, The white paint under the boards really helped and the advantage of working in small sections is that it is easy to feel a sense of progress. My work schedule sometimes means I go weeks without doing anything substantial but building a layout in small sections means there can be a sense of progress. I work alone and have taught myself pretty much every thing as I've gone along with the inevitable scratching of head and bad language! I have now made contact with my local club in Weymouth but regular attendance of club nights will be difficult for much of the year, I've been twice in the last four months, still it's a start!

 

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It may seem daft to write front on the base board but remember the board is laid upside down! To cushion the track/turn table it is rested on an old quilt in a black sack while I work on it. Much more convenient than doing everything upside down!

 

The hinge in photo three is part of the alignment process, there are also luggage catches and dowels, I'm taking no chances with my carpentry skills!

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Photos below may look insignificant but represent real progress. The first trains ran on the extension under DCC but I will have to buy some switches for changing the point motors as currently I might just have the most ridiculous electric pencil lead in the world! The 08 is actually a Bachmann one fitted with a basic Lenz decoder but on 128 speed steps it works really well and served as a useful guinea pig

 

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The V3 happened to be parked in the station so just ran the extra distance and shows a matter I must give urgent attention to. The track runs close to the base board edge and it is a fall of about four feet to the garage floor. Don't wish to try that with any stock!

 

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Now I will turn my attention to wiring up the turntable and getting the fiddle yard up and running. Despite some adverse comments elsewhere I intend to use aluminium angle as my carpentry skills aren't really up to anything complicated. The fiddle yard will currently hold a 4-6-0 and two coaches but is narrow so it can be stored when not in use so a cassette system will be easiest at both ends eventually . The idea came from a Iain Rice book on 'Shelf Railroads' published by Kalmbach I read last year. The intention is to have this section of the line fully up and running by the end of August

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Nice day so moved the mpd board outside to get some better photos of the Peco turntable. Began wiring it up today and hope to finish it tomorrow. I'm deliberately taking it slow and trying to check everything is square as having spent so much time on the thing it will drive me nuts if it doesn't work. All the approach roads have been wired successfully and engines run under DCC. Today I wired up the turntable bridge and installed a cross member to screw the motor to.The cross member was fixed with no more nails so I will leave it overnight to dry.

 

First photos show the turntable itself.

 

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Next shot shows the wires to the turn table bridge. Insulation tape covers the join just to make sure as I didn't have insulated sleeving big enough.

 

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Next shot shows the cross member in place, the motor is not attached but being used for reference.

 

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Lastly, in a previous post I detailed how extending the electric pencil lead had proved impractical for the mpd extension and I had decided to fit switches for the points. This is now done and working, photos below give some idea how it was done. I know I should clean up the holes but I put them in to test they worked and haven't gone back since! The screws are for the electric pencil method, they will be removed and the holes filled. Once the front of the layout is painted no-one will know they were there.

 

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Edited by mullie
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Turntable is seen working in the video below, currently under DC

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzfsYraK7i8&feature=youtu.be

 

I did start to wire it up for DCC today as I've read that a loco decoder can be used but I need to finish it,and neaten up the wiring. Maybe get this done tomorrow. I don't want to leave the TCS decoder there permanently as it is a really good decoder but it is spare at the moment.

 

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Managed to successfully turn and stable the steam fleet of the layout tonight. Ok, so it's only currently four locos but that's still an achievement in my book. Turntable operated with DC using the trusty combi. The mk 1 eyeball seems to work fine so long as I remember to take my glasses off! I'm at that annoying age where my eyes are changing and I now need to take my glasses off for close work. It used to be so much easier; in the words of Ronnie Barker I only used to wear glasses for two reasons: "reading and seeing things!"

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The TCS decoder cannot be read by the Powercab in the current wiring set up so the turntable is still on DC and I'm thinking of keeping it that way as I like the separate controller. I can start a loco turning and continue another movement without then having to flick through menus to line up the table at the end so it might stay this way.

 

A useful gadget I've just built is a separate power supply and pcp panel so I can move my Power cab easily between layouts. I found a box I built in woodwork lessons over 35 years ago and adapted that. I've also installed a 5 din lead which corresponds with sockets on those baseboards without a pcp panel of their own. The power supply can be stored at one end of the box if required. This means that baseboards can have their DCC connections checked separately from the rest of the layout and I can easily connect it to any other layouts I build.It was specifically built so I can run Upbech St Mary on DCC but I wanted something more flexible in use as I plan to start a new micro layout next year, possibly as a replacement for Upbech which is now over four years old. Pott Row is an ongoing concern and should keep me busy for years!

 

Hopefully photos below show how it works:

 

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Coaching stock on the layout is quite limited. Being a 'bitsa' station two coaches is the maximum but the way the layout is currently arranged means you can never be sure exactly how long the train actually is. The photos below show the two main coach rakes in use at the moment.

 

First are some Hornby Gresley brake coaches, resprayed maroon, weathered and close coupled. These are the old ones, I do have some more recent ones which will go on the layout eventually. Until the second fiddle yard is built space is quite restricted:

 

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Next is a pair of Bachmann Thompson coaches weathered, close coupled, flush glazed and passengers added:

 

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Close coupling uses Keen system couplings

 

Looking through the forums I've seen a number of references to Bachmann tender problems. I've had similar problems and with the J39 built a Mainly Trains etched chassis as a replacement. With one of the 4mts I've tried something different. I've removed the floor above the centre axle and inserted an MJT suspension unit designed for RTR wagons. To give enough clearance the unit is glued to the bottom of the weights. Initial results seem promising and I'm also thinking of replacing the front pony truck with a Brassmasters unit as they can also be a bit lively.

 

Loco is 43154

 

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These are the suspension units used

 

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Operation of the layout is fairly simple as there is limited space for stock storage. As the new board develops and a fiddle yard is up and running at both ends then things can change. The sequence at the moment is relatively simple and can go as follows:

 

Having come off shed the 4mt runs round its stock using a dedicated loco length cassette in the fiddle yard.

 

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Having moved the cassette the loco is now ready to set back onto its train

 

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Coupled up the loco is ready to depart. From the viewing side of the layout this train could be as long as ten coaches it’s just that you can’t see them. The 4mt behind is on one of the fiddle yard loco roads of which there are up to three including a through road that runs through the goods warehouse

 

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The train now runs onto two cassettes, one to hold the coaches (powered) and the loco cassette which being unpowered brings the train automatically to a stop.

 

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The loco that brought the train in has now gone to the MPD, been turned and is currently being serviced or it would be if I’d built that bit yet! It’s also dark as there is no dedicated lighting either, very much work in progress.

 

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Meanwhile a short freight has arrived behind another 4mt and is about to be released. I think there should be some sort of route indication etc but the line simply ran into another fiddle yard when the signals were installed.

 

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Having been released the 4mt goes for servicing. The wagons will be dealt with by the resident 08 pilot..

 

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Whilst the goods wagons are being shunted ready for return it is also possible to run further passenger services. Eventually I will probably use some sort of card system to dictate goods train make up just to make things more awkward. All moves have to be handled carefully as the station can easily get snarled up. Still, keeps things interesting! In time it might be necessary to have a second pilot to deal with passenger stock. In East Anglia on busy days I seem to remember reading that it was preferable to use tender locos so they didn't block important areas because of the need for more frequent replenishment of the water tanks.

 

I'm also toying with the idea of turning the warehouse into more of a private complex with its own dedicated roster and extending the layout in the other direction (should take about two years). This would enable me to run tank engines outside the supposed time period of the layout (approx 1955-62) as they could have been sold into private ownership or simply retained by BR in the absence of something more suitable. The layout is constantly evolving so who knows!

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Joys of an Ipad! Pointed the thing at the scenic part of the layout and I suppose it shows how busy it can be. 4mt is waiting to depart with a goods train. V3 is behind it on the head shunt that also goes through to the turntable/mpd whilst the J39 is on pilot duty poking out of the goods depot. I wasn't brave enough to try and make things move as well, though judging by the amount of loco crew around must be lunch time.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDx_6nq55mM

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Fiddle yard beyond the MPD is now working but needs some finishing off work. Tried to take some photos and video today but the camera wouldn't focus and the Ipad wouldn't start filming. Don't ya just love technology!!!! Need to finish the fiddle yard off so it is safe to use. It is deliberately narrow, uses cassettes as it needs to be removed at the end of every day so the car can go in the garage and with a four foot drop to a very hard floor I don't want to take any chances!

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Ran the first train successfully onto the fiddle yard tonight, but unfortunately one train is all I managed due to other pressures! A local ran into Pott Row and 4mt 43154 backed out of the MPD onto the train to successfully run onto Melton Constable, its home shed, the first through train to run on the layout in this format with MPD extension. The 4mt had been successfully turned before backing onto the train.The first photo shows the train safely parked on the cassette fiddle yard.

 

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The next two photos show the fiddle yard and its approach to the main layout. This section has to be removed for storage after every session and the garage door does miss the end of the fiddle yard but only just. The two fiddle yard cassettes built so far are three feet long and between sessions can be stored under the other fiddle yard, comfortable for a 4-6-0 with two coaches. Electrical connections are by bulldog clips.

 

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The Gaugemaster Combi seen underneath the MPD board controls the Peco turntable. I'm no engineer but the new extension seems to work. It would be great to try an extended operating session but at the moment I simply don't have the time.

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Below is a short video of more trains running in from the new fIddle yard. The new section isn't well lit but it does give an idea. This is a busy station and cross country trains might well change loco so there is plenty of operating potential. Goods trains will come off the fens and further afield just need to sit down and work it all out. I will have to put together a proper sequence because it will be important not to snarl up the fiddle yards. I do plan to build more cassettes soon.

 

Edited by mullie
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With the layout extension up and running I thought it might be worth posting a revised track plan. It is very rough but gives you an idea of how the plan works. Scenic part of the layout is currently around seven feet, left fiddle yard is three feet and the right one is four although due to the design only a three foot long train can leave. The next phase of development is to replace the right hand fiddle yard with another scenic board to develop the jam factory complex with a fiddle yard arrangement similar to the yard just built. Plan is below:

 

Just realised there was an error in the track plan, the one I posted was rubbish! Corrected one is here:

 

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Points to note:

 

 

Goods loop has the potential to block both access routes to mpd if train is too long.

 

Passenger trains can run largely independently of goods services unless an engine change is needed. To make life more interesting steam headed trains usually change loco and all steam hauled goods locos go for servicing leaving the pilot (currently an 08) to deal with things.

 

Running round can be effected via either fiddle yard and it is important not to block the main line. The cross over in the middle must be kept clear for this to happen.

 

It is obviously possible to run through passenger services with just a short pause at the platform. A water crane should probably be inserted for steam powered services.

 

A bridge currently crosses the left hand baseboard joint and colour light signalling is installed. It is likely that the layout will eventually be semaphore signalled. The current bridge will be removed and I haven’t decided if it will be replaced.

Pott Row track plan and notes corrected.pdf

Edited by mullie
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Been playing around with a J72 body for years. found a description in a very old Great Eastern Society newsletter about how to convert a J72 to look something like a J65. I have had a semi converted body for some time and managed to pick up a new chassis fairly recently. It's really not an accurate representation but with remodelled cab, new handrails, dome, chimney and a respray it looks different to the original J72. Coal rails are too thick so I will remodel those at some point. The model runs well in DC mode and I now need to convert to DCC which I am doing at the moment. As a split chassis model it does need a bit more work but I did successfully convert an 04 some years ago so feel competent to tackle it.

 

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Chassis needs shortening slightly at the front due to modifications to the buffer beam as shown below:

 

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Haven't got a great deal of experience modifying rtr so new experience really

 

Once complete I plan to number it as one of the few that just came into BR ownership so it will still have LNER ownership. I have a fantastic shot of two J65s in North Eastern Steam locomotive Album when they were used in Ipswich docks, one running as a 2-4-0; in another colour album I have there is also fantastic shot of J69 8568 at Stratford in 1954 still in very worn LNER guise. A J65 is seriously out of period for the layout but has been retained for running over lightly laid fenland lines and shunting the jam factory. Next on the production line will be the two Silver Fox J70s.

Edited by mullie
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