Dallam Sidings (Warrington) - N Gauge WCML 2001 Macclesfield Show 20th&21st April 2024

[87023Velocity]

Hi,

 

Apologies for the late replies, its been a manic 2 weeks and forgot to check back.

 

Thanks for posting those pictures Simon, I may look at getting a kit to have a play around with. Are those bogies from the NGS?

 

Thanks for the comments Richard, Dallam should be at TINGS and Wigan next year all being well.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[Richie Kynaston]

Hi Simon,

Just looking through your workbench gallery and found your Class 56 shot.  Can I ask how you made / where the replacement jumpers came from? Also any tips on the respray?  In about to take a Dapol 56 and put it back to Large Logo livery, well hopefully if it works out right!

 

Richard

[MrSimon]

Thanks for posting those pictures Simon, I may look at getting a kit to have a play around with. Are those bogies from the NGS?

 

 

Hi Simon

 

You're welcome! It was good to get them out - I found all my "missing" containers

 

The bogies are just standard farish bogies from a 100t tanker/frieghtliner, the smaller wheels are from N-train.

 

Hope that helps

Simon

[87023Velocity]

Hi Simon,

Just looking through your workbench gallery and found your Class 56 shot.  Can I ask how you made / where the replacement jumpers came from? Also any tips on the respray?  In about to take a Dapol 56 and put it back to Large Logo livery, well hopefully if it works out right!

 

Richard

Hi Richard,

 

I think I used some fine brass wire for the jumper cable and evergreen plastic rod drilled and filed to suit, this was mounted onto a thin piece of plastic. I cannot access loco at minute but hopefully once Wigan show out of way next weekend should be able to get out and look at it.

With regards respray, this loco only had a partial respray, sides and warning panel. However I seem to remember some difficulty removing the cab interior and glazing - not sure if I ended up leaving glazing in and using Maskol. I do have a second 56 that maybe partially stripped so again will look and let you know.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[branchie]

Yes ... my favourite thead is alive again!

[87023Velocity]

Strathmuir has now been boxed and stacked ready for the van next week. Perfect opportunity then to utilise the space and set a board up to photograph Revolutions excellent twin vans.

Here 37710 slows on the approach to Warrington with an Enterprise service for Arpley.

 

For 2001 I think they will need weathering.

Cheers

 

Simon

[GWRPhil]

Strathmuir has now been boxed and stacked ready for the van next week. Perfect opportunity then to utilise the space and set a board up to photograph Revolutions excellent twin vans.

Here 37710 slows on the approach to Warrington with an Enterprise service for Arpley.

IMG_20180930_162822611.jpg

 

For 2001 I think they will need weathering.

Cheers

 

Simon

 

they'll look good weathered

[87023Velocity]

Evening all,

 

Now that Wigan 2018 has been and gone and Strathmuir is safely boxed up, attention can now be focused back onto Dallam and the 'to do' list which was created after the Stafford show. However before the layout is setup I am going to have a good go at tidying the garage and selling stuff that I am not going to use.

Whilst getting Strathmuir ready I was finding items of stock particularly 4mm which I had forgotten about and which had been sitting there for a few years.

In N gauge for example, I have 2 pairs of Dapol Freightliner Spine Wagons which I bought before realising they were built 2003/2004 and Dallam is set in 2001. They have been weathered but I may as well sell on and pump the money back into the layout as they will not be used in any of the formations operating on the layout.

 

All being well, Dallam should be set up within the next week or so and then I can make a start on the signals.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

Edited October 9, 2018 by 87023Velocity

[87023Velocity]

Evening, well I was hoping to have Dallam set up by now. With both layouts dismantled and boxed, along with having a clearout, I decided it was a good idea to make the garage a bit more pleasant to work in. So far the walls have been painted white and a draught excluder fitted to the up and over garage door. Now I am on the lookout for some cheap carpet tiles and probably fit some additional lighting.

Managed to do a bit of modelling tonight. Picked up 2 pairs of Dapol Megafrets second hand. They have been weathered then the paint wiped off data panels, hand brake wheels and handrails. They just need the wheels refitting.

 

 

 

These are the first vehicles for my Freightliner rake, I have some KFAs on order. As mentioned further back, I may look at the Worsley Works Freightliner flats kit or detail some of the older Farish versions.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[87023Velocity]

Evening all, well after a couple of weeks slowly clearing rubbish and sorting/boxing material up and painting the garage walls white, I have finally managed to set up the first 2 boards. Painting the walls white has certainly brightened the garage up and the 4 florescent tubes which must be about 15 years old were replaced aswell and new starters fitted.

 

Here 37216 shunts a cargo twin in the sidings whilst the Freightliner 57 heads South on the Megafrets.

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[DavidMcKenzie]

Hi Simon,

 

Great to see Dallam being set up again. Those cargo wagons fit in perfectly (although they look a little clean for 2001 ).

 

All the best

Dave

[87023Velocity]

Hi Simon,

Great to see Dallam being set up again. Those cargo wagons fit in perfectly (although they look a little clean for 2001 ).

All the best

Dave

Thanks Dave, don't worry the Cargo Twins will be suitably weathered for 2001. Plan on picking some Dapol Cargowaggons up aswell so will probably weather all at same time.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[87023Velocity]

Finally the whole layout has been setup. To keep things tidy looking I have even fitted the drapes.

First train to complete a circuit was 37216 on a rake of Revolutions very smart Cargo Twins.

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[87023Velocity]

Finally got around to looking at the signals for Dallam. I have done 2 shows now and its been bugging me about no signals. So tonight I had a play around with a N Brass 4 track Heavy portal kit, and used some CR signal heads to get a feel for dimensions etc. I have a few ideas of how to tackle this gantry now. It will use CR heads and working route indicators. The call on signals however will probably be dummy versions unless I feel brave!

 

Here is tonights trial using the standard N Brass portal as a gauge along with a bit of blutac!

 

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[87023Velocity]

Made a start on the only standard signal post on the layout. Its a CR 4 aspect signal with a N Brass safety cage added on. Still a bit to do yet but here is the progress so far. All the LEDs have been fitted and wired up in the signal head, this was then tested and all working correctly.

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Simon

Edited November 16, 2018 by 87023Velocity

[roundhouse]

That signal is very nicely done so far. Looks very delicate though.

[87023Velocity]

That signal is very nicely done so far. Looks very delicate though.

Thanks Ian, yes it is very delicate, I do have concerns regards knocking it whilst track cleaning for example.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[87023Velocity]

Although working on signals at the moment, I decided to give the Dapol Megafrets a run on the back of the Farish Intermodals to see how they ran. This gave a train length of 22 wagons and is the longest it can be without fouling other roads in the fiddleyard.

The plan will be to have an EWS Intermodal formed of Farish wagons. A Freightliner rake will be formed using a mixture of Dapol Megafrets, Revolution KFAs, C-Rail pocket wagons and maybe a rake or 2 of the original style Freightliner flats using modified Farish or Worsley Work etches or look at modifying the Farish vehicles into FSA/FTA.

Here is the rake running past Dallam sidings, those Cargowaggons really need weathering!

 

Passing under Bewsey Road

 

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[DavidMcKenzie]

Thanks for the video's, great to see lot's of action on Dallam again after the summer hiatus. The 22 wagon rake looks amazing.

 

All the best

Dave

[njee20]

Your unloaded Megafrets run far better than mine, clearly your track is far better laid! Looks great, you can't beat a decent container train!

[roundhouse]

It took quite a bit of work to get my two Megafrets to stay on the track but they run well now after filing various places on the underside of each wagon.

[njee20]

I find them fine with containers, but just too light without, not helped by the tiny wheels. It’s a shame as there’s so much nice detail it would be good to show it!

[87023Velocity]

I may have been lucky with these 2, I bought them second hand, wether any tweaking has been done by the previous owner, though if they have its not obvious. Although they run ok tagged on the rear, I suspect they would not run very well if positioned in the middle of that rake. As you say they are nice wagons with lots of detail and look good when run with no containers on. I do have some Dapol spine wagons and they again need to be run loaded or if empty, tagged on the rear.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[beast66606]

Thanks Ian, yes it is very delicate, I do have concerns regards knocking it whilst track cleaning for example.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

 

We used to put plastic cups over the Vine Yard signals - doesn't protect them as such but makes them a lot more visible.

[87023Velocity]

We used to put plastic cups over the Vine Yard signals - doesn't protect them as such but makes them a lot more visible.

Thanks Dave, Brilliant idea, never thought of that!

 

Cheers

 

Simon