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Henley-on-Thames - GWR in the 1930's


Neal Ball
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2 hours ago, Neal Ball said:


 

Although looking at Stoke Courtney, I think I need to add a horse trough as well. I am setting it out as a rural idyll, so a water trough would not be out of place. Where can I get one? Any suggestion welcomed. I have asked @checkrail as he has one outside his Pendon pub. I also fancy adding a footpath and style, so will need a country style footpath sign > Twyford.

 

Photos to follow....

 


Hi Neal

 

I have a couple of horse troughs by the canal locks.

 

I think they came from Langley......if not try Dart Castings or one of their associates

 

Either of the above should have rural sign posts as well

 

Very envious of your “large parcel from Hattons”......what could it contain I wonder?:rolleyes:

 

Best wishes

 

John

 

 

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4 hours ago, john dew said:


Hi Neal

 

I have a couple of horse troughs by the canal locks.

 

I think they came from Langley......if not try Dart Castings or one of their associates

 

Either of the above should have rural sign posts as well

 

Very envious of your “large parcel from Hattons”......what could it contain I wonder?:rolleyes:

 

Best wishes

 

John

 

 


Thanks John, I will try both of them. I guess they will also have a style as well, although I was just going to use a plank!

 

The large parcel.... hmm although it is still not showing as shipped.... I hope it has been. It also contains the signal box interior kit, which has been out of stock for a while. It will be nice to finish that off.

 

Thanks for the information.

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On 29/06/2020 at 17:26, john dew said:


Hi Neal

 

I have a couple of horse troughs by the canal locks.

 

I think they came from Langley......if not try Dart Castings or one of their associates

 

Either of the above should have rural sign posts as well

 

Very envious of your “large parcel from Hattons”......what could it contain I wonder?:rolleyes:

 

Best wishes

 

John

 

 


Hi Neal

 

My apologies.....I mislead you .....my horse troughs are actually cattle troughs on permanent loan from a Ratio Cattle Dock.
 

Congratulations on your new locos. I look forward to your comments

 

Best wishes

 

John

 

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31 minutes ago, john dew said:


Hi Neal

 

My apologies.....I mislead you .....my horse troughs are actually cattle troughs on permanent loan from a Ratio Cattle Dock.
 

Congratulations on your new locos. I look forward to your comments

 

Best wishes

 

John

 


No worries John. I’ve been onto the Langley and Dart sites and will be ordering a few bits.

 

Regards, Neal.

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The Hornby 61xx have now been run in thoroughly on DC:

 

I have also had a few issues..... nothing bent etc.... but in its running qualities, when on the layout.

 

To my mind, it needs to be heavier, the pony truck needs to be better sprung and the pick ups need to be engaged better....I thought I read that all wheels were going to have electrical pick up? Maybe that’s the Dapol one?

 

These are not major issues, just niggles that have affected my overall view - the body work is great.

 

Both locos have had a good run on DC, in both directions. Probably about 15 minutes last night and 1/2 hour each way today. I then took the body apart on the bench. (3 screws, came apart very easily).

 

I then picked up a stock decoder and the cable isn’t long enough. It’s quite a long run from the socket to the decoder housing, so I had to use a 2nd hand small Gaugemaster decoder, but sadly I only had the one. Nothing else would fit. It might therefore be that the running issues are confined to only one loco.

 

5F359F51-73A4-4DAD-8290-F934AEB54B3B.jpeg.c80192579da8d822e24597f0fae6aeae.jpeg

 

I intend to put a sound decoder into both locos and will be talking to John At You Choos sounds.

 

On the track the loco performed - in the station, with issues. Around the outer track it ran very well with 4 carriages with no issues.

 

The station area was clearly the critical bit, where it found every fault in the track. To my mind a heavier loco would have risen over the odd bit of ballast - indeed until today, I didn’t know I had ballast stock to the track.

 

I will check the back to back, just in case.

 

The whistles were at an odd angle on one loco, other than that there were no issues with the bodies.

 

I just need to get them running properly.

 

As has been noted elsewhere

  • The pickups need attention. They are not all engaged.
  • The wheels needed cleaning. The wheels were dirty.

Then my observations are that:

  • It needs to be heavier.
  • The pony truck needs to be better sprung / heavier. It derailed at 2 points, but not consistently.

I will put together a video in the next day or so.

 

Sadly I reckon it’s an 7 or 8 out of 10 on running abilities. 
 

Regards, Neal.

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Apologies at the lack of updates in the last couple of weeks. Things have been progressing, but I am also getting the layout ready for the DCC sound decoders to arrive for the 61xx and needed to finish a few things off!

 

Once the decoders are here, it will be full steam ahead with a 61xx update!

 

The town:

 

I've never pretended that the town is Henley, just somewhere that looks like a typical town. Although the centre piece is my model of the Regal Cinema, which is a copy of the one at Henley. At the other end of the town, I have placed the Bachmann / TMC model of Goathland church, it certainly is a lovely model. (I won it a few weeks back in the RMWeb members day.)

 

The town used to sit at the end of the layout, but i want to utilise the area in that space following building work ages ago. I eventually decided to add it above a new stock holding area. I had been unhappy with that for a while, so went out, bought some new Plywood and changed that and the town at the same time. (The photos show the building s placed, in what is likely to become their final place.)

 

417289408_Townscene1.jpg.25dfd0b3567edf8acc8d087af5405b53.jpg

 

The track on the left was the original track and had already been stuck down. The track on the right is additional space following the rebuild. I've gained about 500mm across the 5 tracks. Each track is spaced in order to get the Peco loco lift in without fouling the neighbouring track.

 

873129600_Townscene2.jpg.36cb5c579b3737dcbef6a5bf152f2ce8.jpg

 

This all sits about the fiddle yard: The two tracks on the far right are the mainline, that goes round the outside of Henley, the next 2 roads are through fiddle yard roads, the final 3 are dead-ends, facing towards the station.

 

1643551130_Townscene3.jpg.c7ccec510f97ada0324383b501ea293d.jpg

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The Pendon Pub

 

This pub, still carries the name "The Wharncliffe Arms" from my last layout, where it sat beneath a viaduct and next to a canal.

 

I decided at the start of July, that I needed to change this area and have been woking on it as and when with the static grass. Which at one point meant an order went into TMC for extra grass as I was in danger of running out!

 

This was the scene at the start of July, looking beyond the 72xx (weathered by TMC a couple of years ago)

 

1156833879_72xxJuly2020r.jpg.ad3cba28c8ba98fd298ba0aa6ac1f881.jpg

 

At the same time, I am taking the opportunity of adding static grass to the area between the goods yard headshunt and the mainline.

 

779121735_StaticGrassJuly2020a.jpg.2945878809069f52069e3bdfd11cb6b1.jpg

 

The grass I have been using is from the Woodland Scenics range, distributed in the UK by Bachmann.

 

Although I have this bulk pack of grass, I'm not a fan. So this is being used as a base, (on top of the grass mat), I have then been adding 2mm & 4mm straw and 2mm and 4mm light green grass. All done in different layers, spread across different days.

 

The fence laying down is to show where the fields end and the pub area starts.....

 

Today I have been working closer to the pub with only 2mm grass. I have also marked out a dirt track with Woodland Scenics earth. I intend to have a footpath running from the pub to the advance road bridge.

 

To which end, before starting with the grass I laid a section of 5mm masking tape and removed it this afternoon and filled the resultant gap with the earth.

 

After several layers, it looked like this earlier today.  The brown / muddy line running from the middle to the right will be the footpath, accessed over a stile and will follow the line of the boundary fence.

 

965735612_StaticGrassJuly2020c.jpg.f7493120e2ca7757f5c44c563c8b4fe4.jpg

 

As I left the railway this evening, it looks different again... I started to make the trees and put them into place.

 

to be continued....

 

 

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Pub corner update:

 

Its coming on nicely and importantly, it looks as if the pub has always been there.

 

There is still a bit more to do....

 

168369708_Pubcorner2.jpg.94367741a3c0591d5b2057b0b00b088d.jpg

 

54156784_Pubcorner1.jpg.bf2d9615979da0401578ebed36ed0edc.jpg

 

To be continued!

Edited by Neal Ball
edit: Left off the photos
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Yesterday!

I wanted to finish off the corner pub scene and was making good progress.

  • The fences have been painted a better shade of Brown (mixing some Humbrol colours together); this includes the stile and pub access gate.
  • I de-branded the Wharncliffe Arms and over lunch did further research about the new name. It will henceforth be known as the Vidler Arms.
    • Vidler was the name of the owners of the Mill in the early 1800's, which was further down Mill Lane on the Thames.
    • Mr Vidler died @1840 and left a small fortune of just over £1 million.
  • I then started to weather the pub and give a more rustic look with a black/grey wash. I didn't want to change the appearance hugely, just give it that quiet country pub look from days gone by. I would also like to change it a bit by adding a porch or something similar to the front. As discussed previously, I will add a horse trough, together with some drinkers sat round a table outside. (Langley models for both).

However, the post room emailed to say my parcel had arrived and with a sense of anticipation I set off to collect the parcel.

 

With apologies to those on RMWeb who don't have such a speedy postal service (it took a week to arrive), the parcel contained my 2 x sound decoders from You Choos.

 

The pub was therefore put to one side and work started on the first of my two Hornby Prairies.

 

to be continued.... 

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I am very pleased with the sound in one of my Prairie tanks - I take back every I said about the new Hornby locos.....

 

This particular loco, I had tried previously with a second hand decoder and it coughed and spluttered all over the place! (But helped me find faults I didn't know I had!)

 

Now, it runs like a dream (even if the camera is shaky!)

 

 

It wasn't a straight forward install, but like anything, once I did the first one, the second was easy!

 

I will do a blow by blow install account over the next couple of days.

 

You Choos recommended the Zimo 648R sound decode; LifeLink stay-alive circuit with a SuperCap 6800uF together with a Rail exclusive baby boomer speaker, which only just fits in.... 

 

In the video above, the loco is hauling 6 carriages, but had just been hauling 10..... on the 2nd circuit, the leading carriage started to play up. I am sure if I replaced it, the loco would easily haul 12 + carriages. Excellent for such a light loco. Oh and the leading Pony truck - not an issue today....

 

(10 carriages was very heavy - mix of Hornby & Bachmann)

 

Regards, Neal.

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1 minute ago, Harlequin said:

Lovely stuff!

 

Maybe check the chuff syncing?

 

 

Yes, its a known issue I think. You can sync at slow or fast speed.... But possibly not both...

 

Need to get loco number 2 working first! that will be 6132 numberplate on order from Fox Transfers. The one above is 6109.

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3 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

 

Yes, its a known issue I think. You can sync at slow or fast speed.... But possibly not both...

 

Need to get loco number 2 working first! that will be 6132 numberplate on order from Fox Transfers. The one above is 6109.

Neal,

 

CV 267 is adjusted according to observed chuffs per rotation at speed steps 10 and 20. The chips from John can be a long way out as it's loco dependent and they come with a default setting for this CV. In one case I had to drop CV 267 from 90 to 51. Yours seems a long way out at present.

 

I've never needed to do the fine tweak for very low speed running.

 

Colin 

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6 hours ago, BWsTrains said:

Neal,

 

CV 267 is adjusted according to observed chuffs per rotation at speed steps 10 and 20. The chips from John can be a long way out as it's loco dependent and they come with a default setting for this CV. In one case I had to drop CV 267 from 90 to 51. Yours seems a long way out at present.

 

I've never needed to do the fine tweak for very low speed running.

 

Colin 


Thanks for that Colin. 
 

I will see how I get on.... would you reduce in increments of say 10 and check again?

 

Thanks, Neal.

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1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:


Thanks for that Colin. 
 

I will see how I get on.... would you reduce in increments of say 10 and check again?

 

Thanks, Neal.

Hi Neal,

 

it's hard to tell from your video because the loco commences deceleration shortly into the segment. Best I can see you've got less than 2 chuffs per wheel turn so you'll need to be well down from your current setting. If that's 90 then first try 70 then smaller increments.

 

Colin

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19 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

 

Yes, its a known issue I think. You can sync at slow or fast speed.... But possibly not both...

 

Need to get loco number 2 working first! that will be 6132 numberplate on order from Fox Transfers. The one above is 6109.

When it ran in there were only two beats to each revolution - there should be four ion a 2 cylinder engine.  And it has got a decent whistle

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On 21/07/2020 at 10:11, Neal Ball said:

With apologies to those on RMWeb who don't have such a speedy postal service (it took a week to arrive), the parcel contained my 2 x sound decoders from You Choos.

 

 

Apology accepted.

Two weeks, Spain, luxury!!

I'm obviously in the wrong bit.

 

Mike.

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3 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Apology accepted.

Two weeks, Spain, luxury!!

I'm obviously in the wrong bit.

 

Mike.

 

Sorry Mike, its back to 1 week now!

 

1 1/2 weeks during lock down...

 

although the first month, we didn't get anything!

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3 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

When it ran in there were only two beats to each revolution - there should be four ion a 2 cylinder engine.  And it has got a decent whistle

 

Thanks Mike,

 

OMG, I have never changed those settings... I can sense much nashing off teeth to get it right. 

 

Someone has already commented in the Prairie page about the high top speed - I need to bring that down as well!

 

It will all keep me off the streets for a while to come eh!

 

Facemarks are now second nature in Spain. We went to the shopping centre today (1hr away), so had masks on from @10:30 to 5pm when we got home. (Sister in law was in the car as well) - the new normal.

 

Adjusting CV settings will be a breeze compared to the hassle of going out!

  • Keys;
  • Wallet:
  • Now in 2020 add:
  • Facemasks
  • Sanitiser
  • Gloves

Welcome to the new normal :-)

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Good evening everyone.

 

I've had success with the chuff rate on 6109 - I will put a video together, to show the before and after.

 

However, I then ran into two new issues with 6109:

  • For no apparent reason, it has gone through a complete sequence of all the sounds; whilst running on the bench. (twice!)
  • Then the coupling rod came adrift and whilst it is back together and working, I don't know it's tight enough. I don't have a small enough spanner, only being able to tighten it with a pair of tweezers.

1914763803_6109Couplingrod1.jpg.9219428e651318aec27fb8c7210f7779.jpg

 

1582985102_6109Couplingrod2.jpg.54c95598dea47154313849d6399b8237.jpg

 

Then 6132......

 

It's been on the bench all day and this afternoon, I stripped the wiring out and replaced it all. Sadly after all that, it still does not work properly.

 

It will run, with sound for about 5 minutes, then switch off the sounds, with the loco still running. After several attempts at trying to identify the issue, it now runs for 5 minutes, with sound and then stops dead. Sometimes with a buzz, other times not. I will video this tomorrow.

 

Any suggestions would be welcome. Whilst running I have touched the cables to see if there was an obvious fault, but nothing untoward happens. 

 

As yet this loco hasn't made it onto the layout, so we can't be talking about track issues. It will also be interesting to see what happens to another sound loco on the layout itself, when this loco starts playing up. Hopefully nothing, but it will be as well to rule that out.

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The video of the chuff rates, plus the errant sounds, I definitely was not pressing any buttons at that stage.

 

Just as soon as it started, it stopped and normal chuffs started! Most odd.

 

 

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Finally, a couple of videos (with shaky camera), of 6109 arriving at Henley on Thames.

 

I need to master running the trains and videoing at the same time - I might need to set up the DSLR and tripod and film it in two sections..... now there's an idea!

 

Anyway, for the time being, enjoy 6109:

 

 

 

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