Lunester Lounge: CLOSED

[Jock67B]

Evening all,

Don't know the page/post numbers but anyone considering stone walling should first look at Al (acg_mr)'s method on his Bakewell thread. Looked very realistic and fairly easy to produce!

Kind regards,

Jock.

[trisonic]

Morning Pete.

 

Do you think the layout's just too large or do you think it's not been well designed?

 

5000 square feet wouldn't go amiss with an O gauge layout!

 

Jeff

It’s overwhelming to the senses, Jeff. It was originally designed, planned (and partly built) by Paul Mallery and is based on the post-war prototype east to west across central New Jersey. The most interesting bit about it (to me)  is the varying levels of the infrastructure to allow for maintenance.

 

Still it’s a good advert for Lance Mindheim’s approach....(You may find his blog of interest in case you are unfamiliar with his work: http://lancemindheim.com )

 

Best, Pete.

[HeeleyBridge]

In response to Andy on the other thread, I managed to get down to my local model shop, Marcway. I only got myself a new back to back gauge, but it has allowed me to sort out a wheel problem.

 

Price lists for the pointwork / components for my forthcoming escapade into compact portable layout building. I shall probably buy a few ready built turnouts for loco release and build some others. 

 

All depends on getting baseboards sorted while SWMBO is away in a few weeks. Much depends on successfully getting the boards into their storage position and hoping that they are not noticed, thereby proving my point that there is room. 

 

This may or may not end happily.

[Physicsman]

In response to Andy on the other thread, I managed to get down to my local model shop, Marcway. I only got myself a new back to back gauge, but it has allowed me to sort out a wheel problem.

 

Price lists for the pointwork / components for my forthcoming escapade into compact portable layout building. I shall probably buy a few ready built turnouts for loco release and build some others. 

 

All depends on getting baseboards sorted while SWMBO is away in a few weeks. Much depends on successfully getting the boards into their storage position and hoping that they are not noticed, thereby proving my point that there is room. 

 

This may or may not end happily.

 

So Heeley is near Sheffield, is it? I bought all my SMP and turnouts from Marcway - excellent service (done over the phone, not in person).

 

Reminds me, I need to buy another 4 boxes of (10 yards) SMP.

 

Jeff

[HeeleyBridge]

Heeley Station is across the road from Rails model shop on the Chesterfield road about 3 miles from the city centre, it was a villege until it was swallowed up by Sheffield about 1900. Marcway is at the other end of town on the Rotherham road, I've been shopping there for 40 years!

[Andrew P]

In response to Andy on the other thread, I managed to get down to my local model shop, Marcway. I only got myself a new back to back gauge, but it has allowed me to sort out a wheel problem.

 

Price lists for the pointwork / components for my forthcoming escapade into compact portable layout building. I shall probably buy a few ready built turnouts for loco release and build some others. 

 

All depends on getting baseboards sorted while SWMBO is away in a few weeks. Much depends on successfully getting the boards into their storage position and hoping that they are not noticed, thereby proving my point that there is room. 

 

This may or may not end happily.

I've bought a few bits from Marcway, and Marc has always been very helpful over the phone, bet its a good shop. I've only been into Rails about 7 years ago whilst in Sheffield on  a Finance Conference for a day.

 

Good luck with your cunning plan, I hope it works out for the best.

[Donw]

It’s overwhelming to the senses, Jeff. It was originally designed, planned (and partly built) by Paul Mallery and is based on the post-war prototype east to west across central New Jersey. The most interesting bit about it (to me)  is the varying levels of the infrastructure to allow for maintenance.

 

Still it’s a good advert for Lance Mindheim’s approach....(You may find his blog of interest in case you are unfamiliar with his work: http://lancemindheim.com )

 

Best, Pete.

 

I remember seeing his work in model railroader. Terrific atmosphere.

Don

[HeeleyBridge]

 I bought all my SMP and turnouts from Marcway - excellent service (done over the phone, not in person).

 

Reminds me, I need to buy another 4 boxes of (10 yards) SMP.

 

Jeff

 

Back on my computer this morning, last night I was posting from a 7" tablet with a hair trigger keyboard and no speelchucker on the browser.

 

I knew that you used Marc's pointwork on KL, did you get DCC ready or just the standard ones?  I don't think I'm going DCC but I do like to leave my options open.

 

Edit to add:

 

I just trawled through a few pages of the original thread to answer my own question (p32). I will have to pop down to see Marc on Saturday and have a chat I think.

[Jason T]

I am a bit confused on how PCB points can be either DC or DCC; surely they can only be built in one way. If you have previously used Peco, even Electrofrog turnouts, what you will notice about handbuilt is how much better they work with regards to conductivity. Keep the track, wheels and pickups clean and you would be very unlucky to have a loco, even an 0-4-0, stall on the frog.

[Andrew P]

I am a bit confused on how PCB points can be either DC or DCC; surely they can only be built in one way. If you have previously used Peco, even Electrofrog turnouts, what you will notice about handbuilt is how much better they work with regards to conductivity. Keep the track, wheels and pickups clean and you would be very unlucky to have a loco, even an 0-4-0, stall on the frog.

And they look TEN TIMES BETTER as well.

[Physicsman]

Back on my computer this morning, last night I was posting from a 7" tablet with a hair trigger keyboard and no speelchucker on the browser.

 

I knew that you used Marc's pointwork on KL, did you get DCC ready or just the standard ones?  I don't think I'm going DCC but I do like to leave my options open.

 

Edit to add:

 

I just trawled through a few pages of the original thread to answer my own question (p32). I will have to pop down to see Marc on Saturday and have a chat I think.

 

Thanks for referring to that. It made me go back and have a look. Isolating the closure rails on the turnouts with a cutting disc - October 2012.

 

Is it really that long ago?!!

 

Jeff

[Physicsman]

And they look TEN TIMES BETTER as well.

 

You took the words right out of my mouth, young man!

 

Jeff

[Andrew P]

You took the words right out of my mouth, young man!

 

Jeff

YOUNG MAN?   :no:      Cant think where you got that idea from,   must go and check the bathroom mirror,     hahha 

 

Cheers Jeff, just stopped for a coffee and then out for lunch at The Lakeside later, so not much action today.

 

Are you feeling any better?

 

Hope to see some action in the Bunker soon now, as it looks like the gardening work has almost come to an end.

[Mythocentric]

YOUNG MAN?   :no:      Cant think where you got that idea from,   must go and check the bathroom mirror,     hahha 

 

Cheers Jeff, just stopped for a coffee and then out for lunch at The Lakeside later, so not much action today.

 

Are you feeling any better?

 

Hope to see some action in the Bunker soon now, as it looks like the gardening work has almost come to an end.

 

Quite right Andrew! Given your respective ages, Jeff being a, relatively stripling youth by comparison (albeit a currently knackered one from his recent exertion's) he should at least address you as Honoured Sir, or given your modelling experience, Venerable Sage! Got their priorities right these Chinese you know!

 

Having just said that I nearly clipped a woman around the lughole for telling her son to "move over here and let this old man sit down", on my way back from Arcadia (paradise for modellers!) on the train this morning!

 

Regards

 

Bill

[Physicsman]

I'd have clipped her round the ear - verbally at least!! Cheeky madam.

 

Bill, I know you're not that old - so it must be all those Edwardian suits you've taken to wearing (the epitome of sartorial elegance in Morecambe?)

 

Jeff

[Jason T]

Did you misspell shell suit as Edwardian suit there Jeff?

[HeeleyBridge]

I'm not _that old (hrumph) but I do need to sit down. If that had happened to me I think I would have fainted!

 

Not so long ago, having struggled onto a bus and finally getting sat down in the designated old fogey/decrepit seat, some young woman demanded that I moved and actually snatched my crutches (steady!). Luckily the bus driver was on the ball, stopped the bus, retrieved said walking aids and threw the (now swearing like a trooper) woman off the bus to a round of applause from the other passengers.

[Mythocentric]

Har! I'm going to ignore that cheeky little blighter Jason. He can probable still fit into a pair of cycling shorts! Well! I can too really, it's just that they tend to stick out more around my belly than around the back these days! Interestingly enough I did actually own a genuine black (with purple silk lining!) Victorian frock coat at one time which I found under a stage in an old school hall! I used to cut quite a dash in it at exhibitions and stuff. I eventually gave it to a mate of mine as a gift. Silly move really as it must be worth a bloomin' fortune now!

 

What worries me about the train is that I actually said thank you and sat down! Curses! Confession time! I'm actually 67 on the fifth of June next (Great steaming Scrivens he cries!). Fortunately, like Andrew,  the old headgear is still around 30 years old so I'm not quite ready for the Revered Ancestor tag just yet!

 

All of which is well off-topic so I'll just mention that it was really nice to see a pair of real locos (Class 37's) top-and-tailing the nuclear flask empties today as I got off at Lancaster.

 

Regards

 

Bill

[Donw]

I am a bit confused on how PCB points can be either DC or DCC; surely they can only be built in one way. If you have previously used Peco, even Electrofrog turnouts, what you will notice about handbuilt is how much better they work with regards to conductivity. Keep the track, wheels and pickups clean and you would be very unlucky to have a loco, even an 0-4-0, stall on the frog.

 

There is a lot of confusion about this. Any turnout that will work with DC will work with DCC and vice versa.

However some people have trouble with Peco turnouts where the crossing is fed via blade contact. Occasionally there will be a momentary contact between the back of the wheels and the open blade causing a short with a DC system the short circuit light may briefly flash but the is no problem, with DCC the system may respond very quickly and cause a shutdown which stops everything which can be a pain especially if with some sound chipss that have a start up sequence.

The solution is to have the blades bonded to the stock rails and use a switch operated by the tiebar or point motor to switch the crossing. This is normal for PCB turnouts.

 

The other thing is with DC sometimes the electrical connection from the crossing is extended into th track following ( typically for dead end sidings) this makes the turnout isolating as no power is supplied once the turnout is switched to the other route. With DCC where isolating a loco is not necessary it is preferable to place insulators after the crossing  and feed the track following from the bus bar. This will enable lights or sounds such as tickover to be maintained even when the turnout is switched against the loco.

If the turnouts are isolating it will not cause any problems for DCC other than the lights or sound being switched off. If the turnouts are non isolating on a DC layout you will need a separate isolating switch if you wish the loco to stay still while another moves.

 

I could build a PCB turnout to work by blade contact but it would just be inferior as well as more trouble.

Don

[Donw]

It is when pregnant women give up there seat for you that you know you look really old and about to peg out!

 

Don

[trisonic]

I remember seeing his work in model railroader. Terrific atmosphere.

Don

Don, Yes it’s a thoughtful way of doing things.

 

I was being deeply ironic in my initial reply on The Model Railroad Club’s monster layout. Lance’s contribution to the hobby is, of course the antithesis of that.

 

Cheers, Pete.

[HeeleyBridge]

So here's what I've been playing with for a little while, still needs some fettling.

 

Edited to add: later view of prototype.

 

[Andrew P]

That looks very good Dave, well done.

[Andrew P]

So some pics from DEMU, unfortunately as usual my Camera doesn't like the lighting in the Town Hall and so not many good shots n there from the 342 that I took today.

 

But firstly the Three Amigos.

Left to right, Mike Ray, Clive Mortimer and George T, the good looking one is behind the lens.

 

 

I think we had a really good day out and Clive came back to Swad to see Whittaker St on his way home to Essex.

 

The Brewery's Shires.

 

 

The Museum's N Gauge Scale Model of Burton Town in the 1940's

 

 

 

Some Bass Lorries.

 

 

 

 

And the Routemaster Bus that ferried us between venues.

 

 

And some Layouts,

Diesels in the Dutchy.

 

 

Fencehouses.

 

 

Hazelbank.

 

Penguin Crossing.

 

 

Calcutta Sidings.

 

 

Tonbridge West Yard.

 

 

Wibbenshaw.

 

[Physicsman]

Some lovely pics there, Andy. And some layouts with a bit of grit and character. I really don't like industrial settings with beautifully clean buildings and pristine track!

 

I can now put a face to "Sausage Man" Clive. Looks like you had a lot of fun. Hope the frank discussion about the size of our (vinyl) "things" in the Asylum isn't too shocking for you!!   

 

Jeff