LNER4479 Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 Wow - great to see such progress. Been wondering how you were getting on... The south end view of the tracks curving under the birdcage bridge is my favourite and looks to have great potential. Empathy with point motor installation! I find I can do a certain number at a time then have to do something else. Into year 8 of my project and I can finally see the end in sight but it's been a long old haul. Look forward to seeing further updates. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold fishytrains Posted April 22, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 22, 2015 Very pleased to see the progress you have made. Looking forward to seeing more soon. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryD1471 Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Tony, concerned you haven't posted for ages. I hope you continue to make progress and that you haven't stalled. Best wishes Terry D (Hest) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Only just spotted this. I too hope to see progress, and hope everything is OK? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 Tony, concerned you haven't posted for ages. I hope you continue to make progress and that you haven't stalled. Best wishes Terry D (Hest) Only just spotted this. I too hope to see progress, and hope everything is OK? Thanks for the nudge Terry & Jeff, still here but I've been slacking. Lots happened in the last year which has taken my focus off the railway, including my other interest cars 1:1 scale and health, now fortunately fix - as they say 'keep taking the pills'. The railway has often seemed like a variation of the old one step forwards and two backwards but in my case it was one forwards, two backwards, trip over and fall in dog poo! I hate wiring, soooo boring but necessary, I had 90% wired the station control panel for 30+ Cobalts when it shorted one of the switches which welded its contacts together, the resulting short cooked half the LEDs. Got back to replacing them and back to where I was in December. All re-wired and it happened again, turns out to be a fault with the PSU2 I was using to power the Cobalts. When measured the PSU2 was outputting 36 volts!!!!!!! Time for a re-think on controlling/powering points. Now seriously thinking of ditching the control panels and going over to PC control - but which one. Railmaster seems the easiest, I like the loco control interface on a tablet but every DDC expert/specialist I talk to takes a sharp intake of breath at the mention of Hornby. So the alternatives; Big Bear software and NCE, Railroad & Co with Digitracks or the ECoS unit. ECoS can now be had with a wireless remote but at a high price. The new remote answers the basic problem I had previously with ECoS, as I will mostly be operating alone I need the walk-around capability. ECoS also does route setting but I am not sure the screen would have enough space to get in some of my routes so that brings us back to the other two options. One thing I don't want is a system which requires multiple button presses to access functions. So this is what is now holding up progress, deciding on which way to jump with the control system, with the exception of Hornby none are cheap solutions. Once this is sorted I can look forwards to ballasting - I jest not, preferable to wiring anyday! I have also cut the basic timber for the platforms, as Rugby is a large island station I am planning to make the entire platform/building a lift off unit so I can take it into the warmth of the house to work on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold john dew Posted February 26, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 26, 2016 Hi Tony We seem to have had similar experiences including blowing the LEDs on what C J Freezer used to call a giant Wurlitzer switchboard! When we moved house and I started the third iteration of Granby I opted, from the outset, for DCC and Computor control. After a lot of research and advice from this forum I chose Lenz and RR&Co. It was undoubtedly the best decision I could have made....it transformed the operating potential for a single operator on a layout somewhat smaller than yours (16' x 10'). This was eight years ago so there are now probably better DCC systems available although I have to say that I have found Lenz to be ultra reliable. RR&Co is probably the most expensive computor control system available but is also considered by many to be the best. If you havent done so already, I would recommend visiting their site......you can download a demo version and the PDF version of the manual which will give you an indication of the potential. (Usual Disclaimer..no connection just a happy and enthusiastic customer). Incidentally there is an add on enabling you to control trains, turnouts and routes using any number of tablets and smart phones. Computor control involves more expenditure than just the software. You will need decoders for the turnouts and an occupancy detection system, neither of which come cheap. I just stopped buying locos for a couple of years while I was laying the track and phased in the equipment expense. Long rambling email I am afraid.....but I sense you have reached the stage where you should probably make some firm decisions about the way in which you want to run the layout. Hopefully this will help a little.....happy to answer any questions Kind Regards John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 Hi John, Thanks, I have already committed to DCC control of the locos so the only additional cost will be the turnout decoders, I think the next batch of Cobalts I buy will be with the built in decoders. At the moment I am testing on DC, I have resisted buying into a DCC system until the last minute as like anything with digital technology it goes out of date very quickly, so though I would wait for the latest. Yes I had gathered RR&Co were considered by many to be one of the best and I need to find time to download the demo. One of my issues is time, since I took early retirement in 2009 (at the invitation of Gordon Brown) I seem to have no spare time at all! Best regards, Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryD1471 Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 Glad to know you haven't stalled. I wish you well with your DCC venture. As a fossil, I'm stuck firmly in the DC camp, so don't even understand half of the language! Besides, fitting chips to all my locos is a financial no-no. Just curious about the signal box at the north end of the platform. Is it a type 5 LNW cabin? It looks just the job to replace the (inaccurate) Bachmann box I presently have. All the best Terry D Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted February 27, 2016 Author Share Posted February 27, 2016 Hi Terry, I had already factored in the cost of chipping the loco fleet, cost permitting I would ultimately like to add sound. For the last couple of years I have rationalised and ebayed my loco collection down to classes that fit WCML Rugby, plus I have sold off a large die cast vehicle collection and a garage full of kit car spares (scale 1:1). DCC is still a frightening cost though. The signal box I found as an on-line free download, I cannot get the link to work this morning but attached is the pdf. I downloaded over 18 months ago. All I did was to print out several copies and do a cut paste over a card shell to produce a place saver on the layout. No4 box at the north end as per photo is not too far short of the original but No1 at the south end is about half the length of the original, there will also be a representation of No5 box on the north side of the goods yard. Its going to be fun building these but I plan to work all three on a modular format and use some standard windows if I can find something near, if not it may be worth getting some custom ones produced. PDF attached, I hope its OK, it does state its a free download. LNWR Signal Box Kit Hartington_SB_4mm.pdf Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Nice layout. Sorry to hear health has slowed progress, but you seem to be making good strides none-the-less. The view is amazing, though I'd imagine being so remote has its disadvantages as well as advantages (the wickes distance being one of them as you mentioned). I live not far from Rugby, but haven't really paid much attention to it whenever I've passed through it and most trains I get from Coventry tend to bypass it these days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted February 28, 2016 Author Share Posted February 28, 2016 Nice layout. Sorry to hear health has slowed progress, but you seem to be making good strides none-the-less. The view is amazing, though I'd imagine being so remote has its disadvantages as well as advantages (the wickes distance being one of them as you mentioned). I live not far from Rugby, but haven't really paid much attention to it whenever I've passed through it and most trains I get from Coventry tend to bypass it these days. Hi Kelly, Yes these days Rugby is best passed straight through. As a small boy I remember Rugby as a quiet small town where not much happened, unfortunately not so now which accounts for the distance we have put between us. My parents lived in Brinklow, half way between Rugby and Coventry. From 1989 to 2009 I travelled from Rugby to Euston on a regular basis for meetings at the companies London office, journey changed quite a bit over that time. I had thought of modelling Coventry station as it was much more compact but being off the WCML it did not offer the named trains I wished to run. Still, Stanier's 'City of Coventry' 46240 will be running through once I have found a suitable late Hornby DCC Duchess to convert. A crime that the original loco was not preserved, I still have the cutting from the Coventry Evening Telegraph saying the loco was to be scrapped because the council would not support the fund to buy it. In my view that would be the evil council tax well spent. The disadvantage of living off grid is the time and cost to get anywhere, last November I was planning to come down to Warley to try out various DCC system but when I worked out the cost of fuel, hotels etc. it was more than half the cost of a system! Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Hi Kelly, Yes these days Rugby is best passed straight through. As a small boy I remember Rugby as a quiet small town where not much happened, unfortunately not so now which accounts for the distance we have put between us. My parents lived in Brinklow, half way between Rugby and Coventry. From 1989 to 2009 I travelled from Rugby to Euston on a regular basis for meetings at the companies London office, journey changed quite a bit over that time. I had thought of modelling Coventry station as it was much more compact but being off the WCML it did not offer the named trains I wished to run. Still, Stanier's 'City of Coventry' 46240 will be running through once I have found a suitable late Hornby DCC Duchess to convert. A crime that the original loco was not preserved, I still have the cutting from the Coventry Evening Telegraph saying the loco was to be scrapped because the council would not support the fund to buy it. In my view that would be the evil council tax well spent. The disadvantage of living off grid is the time and cost to get anywhere, last November I was planning to come down to Warley to try out various DCC system but when I worked out the cost of fuel, hotels etc. it was more than half the cost of a system! Tony I grew up down south just outside Dartford, it wasn't until after University that I moved up to the Midlands when life took a turn for the worse and a friend offered a sofa to crash on rather than letting me go homeless, that was over 15 years ago, and a solid friendship developed because of it. I've grown to like living in Coventry, much preferrable to living in London, though it has its faults as do all cities. But it is easy to get to the NEC from where I am (Tile Hill station 5mins away and 2 stops to International). I'd imagine coming such a distance it'd be more effective to make a long weekend of it and go sight seeing etc as well as the Warley show, though obviously makes it more expensive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryD1471 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Hi Terry, I had already factored in the cost of chipping the loco fleet, cost permitting I would ultimately like to add sound. For the last couple of years I have rationalised and ebayed my loco collection down to classes that fit WCML Rugby, plus I have sold off a large die cast vehicle collection and a garage full of kit car spares (scale 1:1). DCC is still a frightening cost though. The signal box I found as an on-line free download, I cannot get the link to work this morning but attached is the pdf. I downloaded over 18 months ago. All I did was to print out several copies and do a cut paste over a card shell to produce a place saver on the layout. No4 box at the north end as per photo is not too far short of the original but No1 at the south end is about half the length of the original, there will also be a representation of No5 box on the north side of the goods yard. Its going to be fun building these but I plan to work all three on a modular format and use some standard windows if I can find something near, if not it may be worth getting some custom ones produced. PDF attached, I hope its OK, it does state its a free download. Hi Tony Many thanks for the download PDF. It's definitely a LNW box, but not sure which type yet; more research required! Best wishes for improving health and a renewed purpose to your layout building abilities. It's certainly a plan worth sticking with. You surprised me with your comments about a possible preservation scheme for 46240. I hadn't heard of that, even though I was aware of a similar plan by Lichfield city council for 46250 which also came to naught. Not to mention the private scheme to preserve 46243 for which the funds had been raised, but which were ultimately scuppered by BR's demand for a movement fee from Ince's scrapyard of the same as the purchase cost (about £2500) for a trip of a few hundred yards! Talk about dog in the manger! And that's not the only preservation possibility that was fouled up by BR's attitudes. Rant over! Power to your elbow. Terry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 Hi Terry, My recollection is that the local paper, The Coventry Evening Telegraph, started a campaign to raise funds to buy the loco but both the Coventry City Council and the Coventry Museum were not interested in contributing. Without looking at the cutting from the paper, I think BR were only asking about £2300 but only a around £100 was raised from readers. The other disappointment was that 46256 was cut up, should have been saved for the National Collection. I have a donor Hornby Duchess and the full Comet conversion kit stored away to recreate 46256 when there is time after track wiring. Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chimer Posted March 1, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 1, 2016 First time I've spotted this one - love the ambition, and the fact it's West Coast in the right period - Pats, Jubs, Scots and Semis rule OK! Best of luck as you journey onward. Chris P.S. I'm sure you were right to keep it flat! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryD1471 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Tony, re signal cabins, Kits for LNW Type 4 signal cabins are produced by London Road models. Just Google them and you'll be sure to find them, as I am too inept at posting links! They are listed under the section "architectural kits", are made in etched brass and, if I read their ad correctly, cover all the hard part of the building. The easy bit, the base, needs to be built by oneself. Hope this helps. Terry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 Terry, Thanks, I had already spotted LRM, they look a nice kit, unfortunately they only match the Hillmorton box which I may or may not include. It was on the line from the MPD and the 'triangle', I have a photo of the box but do not know its exact location but it is a good match for the LRM's box. The Rugby boxes I am including are No1, No4 and No5 which seem to have had their windows replace at some point, certainly not as many vertical bars as a typical LNWR type 4. This web site www.warwickshirerailways.com is an invaluable source of photographic information. Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doncarlos Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 This is looking great, definitely one to watch. If you're still undecided on a DCC controller I use a Roco Z21 and its fantastic! you get apps for android and apple devices and it can be used in conjunction with several different PC software programs for PC control. You can even get locos with cameras in the cab that stream to the device you're using to control it. Carl Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.