Cholsey & Moulsford (Change for Wallingford)

[RJS1977]

A lot depends on exactly what you want to do. If your fiddle yard is a conventional fan of storage loops, I personally would feel it's a lot easier to change a couple of points (which you would have to do anyway with DCC) and possibly a couple of switches,every time you want to change trains, rather than squint at a loco number and type it into a keypad.

 

And if you want to set the loops up so that when a train has entered one loop, the points change and another one sets off, that's probably a lot easier to do in analogue than DCC, especially if you don't mind abrupt starts and stops on the 'non-scenic' part of the layout.

[Neal Ball]

5 hours ago, Harlequin said:

 

Yes. It helps us GWR modellers that our locos already have 4 digit codes fixed on their sides in cast brass. 😁 So when you want Lode Star to run, you enter 4003 - all very sane and rational. (A tiny bit of programming is required to give locos their numbers.)

 

Most (all?) handsets have a way to quickly switch between running locos without entering the full number.

 

As @Neal Ball said, it's also possible to have several "throttles", some of which can be (free) apps on whatever phones or tablets you have available if your DCC controller has a wifi option.

 

There's one further option: If you run JMRI (free again) on a computer you can have 4 "throttle windows" open on the screen. True, there's no physical knob to turn but I find the mouse wheel is very pleasant to use in this context.

 

@checkrail is correct that you only need to go into decoder programming as deep as you want. It's very simple to set up acceleration and deceleration on locos (the same method on all makes of decoder). Locos start away smoothly, Large Prairies get up to speed quickly, express locos might take a bit longer and things like older 4-4-0s slowly gather themselves to get going.

 

Agreed - it’s interesting that the GWR had the foresight to consider us DCC modellers all those years ago 🤣🤣

 

4 hours ago, Nick Gough said:

It's interesting to hear more detail of how to operate with DCC.

Somehow though I don't think my mobile phone would be much use with it:

 

Ah! That might present a problem….. and it won’t work on one of those dial telephones either!

 

Personally I use my old iPhone rather than throw it away.

 

2 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Ooh, a mouse wheel - I haven't worked a 'puter with one of those for longer than I can remember😇

 

Signed Uncle Mac

Lol 🤣🤣

 

23 minutes ago, RJS1977 said:

A lot depends on exactly what you want to do. If your fiddle yard is a conventional fan of storage loops, I personally would feel it's a lot easier to change a couple of points (which you would have to do anyway with DCC) and possibly a couple of switches,every time you want to change trains, rather than squint at a loco number and type it into a keypad.

 

And if you want to set the loops up so that when a train has entered one loop, the points change and another one sets off, that's probably a lot easier to do in analogue than DCC, especially if you don't mind abrupt starts and stops on the 'non-scenic' part of the layout.

It’s “courses for horses” depends on what you prefer. I see huge advantages with DCC and wouldn’t go back. Accepting that it’s not for everyone.

 

The beauty about DCC is it can be as complicated or as easy as you want to make it.

 

But you don’t need individual sections to switch on/off, nor do you need another bank of switches to switch between two different controllers.

 

However, don’t be fooled into thinking it’s only 2 wires…. It’s not. But again that depends how you want to do it. I have wires from every section of track.

[The Stationmaster]

2 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Agreed - it’s interesting that the GWR had the foresight to consider us DCC modellers all those years ago 🤣🤣

 

Quite true (and you obviously don't mode; absorbed locos because I doubt any ever got to Henley),  But don't overlook the very important fact that the GWR invented and was a major user of DC (brake gear that is).  So I'm sure there'll still be some DC somewhere on your layout 😇

[Nick Gough]

7 hours ago, RJS1977 said:

A lot depends on exactly what you want to do. If your fiddle yard is a conventional fan of storage loops, I personally would feel it's a lot easier to change a couple of points (which you would have to do anyway with DCC) and possibly a couple of switches,every time you want to change trains, rather than squint at a loco number and type it into a keypad.

 

And if you want to set the loops up so that when a train has entered one loop, the points change and another one sets off, that's probably a lot easier to do in analogue than DCC, especially if you don't mind abrupt starts and stops on the 'non-scenic' part of the layout.

That's pretty much how I was planning to operate anyway, so I think it would work for me.

[Nick Gough]

7 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Agreed - it’s interesting that the GWR had the foresight to consider us DCC modellers all those years ago 🤣🤣

 

 

Ah! That might present a problem….. and it won’t work on one of those dial telephones either!

 

Personally I use my old iPhone rather than throw it away.

 

Lol 🤣🤣

 

It’s “courses for horses” depends on what you prefer. I see huge advantages with DCC and wouldn’t go back. Accepting that it’s not for everyone.

 

The beauty about DCC is it can be as complicated or as easy as you want to make it.

 

But you don’t need individual sections to switch on/off, nor do you need another bank of switches to switch between two different controllers.

 

However, don’t be fooled into thinking it’s only 2 wires…. It’s not. But again that depends how you want to do it. I have wires from every section of track.

I'm certainly not against DCC and I can understand why it is popular with so many modellers. The ability to operate synchronised sound effects is a definite plus. 

 

I think if I was operating a terminus or shunting layout I would be more keen.

 

 

Also I want to get my money's worth out of my Gaugemaster!

Edited October 2, 2022 by Nick Gough
Wrong word.

[Nick Gough]

5 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Quite true (and you obviously don't mode; absorbed locos because I doubt any ever got to Henley),  But don't overlook the very important fact that the GWR invented and was a major user of DC (brake gear that is).  So I'm sure there'll still be some DC somewhere on your layout 😇

Wot! No Taff Vale 0-6-2Ts on the up stoppers?

[St Enodoc]

On 29/09/2022 at 19:12, checkrail said:

The Wizard site says it's a white metal item, but this one is a lost-wax brass casting. 

You can (or could) get either.

[RJS1977]

More photos from the 1940s event:

 

https://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/23018592.wallingfords-back-forties-event-pictures/?fbclid=IwAR3RQhwzN2euDcIAm5z85NwYeHCbFqcrr8qJ2Lfsj6JIqvGaWSAtX28Wgtg#gallery14

[Nick Gough]

We returned home yesterday from our latest jaunt - a river cruise on the Douro in Portugal

 

Portugal's National railway system operates the 'Linha do Douro', which follows the river for much of the route, very close to the river bank in places:

With numerous tunnels and bridges:

This is also port wine country with one of the port vineyards seen behind the bridge.

 

At weekends, from June to October, a vintage steam train service operates on part of the route - the only operational steam in Portugal I believe. Unfortunately we weren't able to travel, but we did see the train in action at Pinhao - where it paused to cross with a service train:

 

Pinhao station is a gem:

Covered with tiled panels of various local scenes:

 

Shortly after the service train arrived the steam departed with the setting sun:

 

The last 28 kilometres of line used to cross the Spanish border but was closed in the 1980s. Remarkably though the track is still in place, though has clearly seen better days:

 

 

 

Edited October 12, 2022 by Nick Gough

[Nick Gough]

This afternoon I received a package kindly donated by @checkrail:

This will be finding a place in the bay platform on the layout.

[Nick Gough]

After recent distractions I found some time today to return to working on the layout with another couple of turnouts installed in the Up relief line.

 

First for the trailing connection to the branch line:

 

Then the trailing connection to the up refuge/branch exchange sidings:

[Nick Gough]

Back in Portugal, we began and ended our river cruise in the city of Porto.

Just across the road from the point where we moored is a tram line:

 

With some rather nice vintage trams running a regular service along the river embankment towards the sea:

 

So we just had to take a pleasant ride:

 

The main railway station in Porto, Sao Bento, is highly decorated with tiled scenes that shew transport through the ages and major events from Portugal's past:

 

There was a large bronze plaque:

Which, I thought, included a rather familiar looking locomotive:

[Nick Gough]

I have been reminded that this month marks the 70th anniversary of the Harrow and Wealdstone railway accident (8th October).

 

Although before my time my father and much of his family lived in Harrow in 1952 - though dad would have been finishing his National Service.

 

I remember, as a boy, one of my great uncles showing me a photo of female family members working in a temporary WRVS canteen set up to assist.

 

RIP

[TrevorP1]

2 hours ago, Nick Gough said:

I have been reminded that this month marks the 70th anniversary of the Harrow and Wealdstone railway accident (8th October).

 

Although before my time my father and much of his family lived in Harrow in 1952 - though dad would have been finishing his National Service.

 

I remember, as a boy, one of my great uncles showing me a photo of female family members working in a temporary WRVS canteen set up to assist.

 

RIP

I once had a workmate who (as a young apprentice) would have been standing on the platform in the middle of all that had he not overslept.

[Nick Gough]

The next piece of track to be laid is the link between the Up relief line and the branch exchange sidings:

This should include a trap point to protect the Up relief so I loosely followed the method used by @St Enodocon his Mid-Cornwall layout to produce a dummy trap.

 

Before laying I removed six sleepers from this section:

 

When the glue had dried I glued six DCC Concepts sleepers in the gap:

 

Using a special spacing tool:

 

I took a small piece of rail and filed one side of one end to a point:

 

Then soldered this piece into place:

[Nick Gough]

Despite helping my son move house yesterday I managed to fix another turnout in place, next to the 'trap point':

 

This will form part of the crossover between the exchange sidings and the branch line:

 

The branch line will go diagonally across the bottom of the picture as it starts its 90 degree curve away from the main line.

[Nick Gough]

I had several distractions last week, but managed to install two more turnouts:

The left hander (on the left) completes the crossover to the branch line from the exchange sidings.

The right hander (on the right) splits to create the entry to the two exchange/refuge sidings.

[Harlequin]

36 minutes ago, Nick Gough said:

I had several distractions last week, but managed to install two more turnouts:

The left hander (on the left) completes the crossover to the branch line from the exchange sidings.

The right hander (on the right) splits to create the entry to the two exchange/refuge sidings.

Hi Nick,

 

I hate to be the guy who points out problems but it looks like there's a nasty kink in the new crossover - enough to challenge even a small 0-6-0 taking that route.

 

Do you think it's OK?

 

[Nick Gough]

1 hour ago, Harlequin said:

Hi Nick,

 

I hate to be the guy who points out problems but it looks like there's a nasty kink in the new crossover - enough to challenge even a small 0-6-0 taking that route.

 

Do you think it's OK?

 

Unfortunately, I had to put a small piece of curved track between the two turnouts so that the main route would align with the course of the branch line.

 

This is what it looks like from above:

 

I have run a Bachmann 8750, Hornby large prairie and a Hornby Hall through without derailment (so far) so fingers crossed!

 

In reality nothing larger than a 48xx or 850 S/PT would have used this connection, presumably at shunting speed.

[Nick Gough]

Meanwhile, further to the left, I have laid a small area of cork underlay:

 

This is for the FB 'Y' point that will form the branch end of the crossover from the Up relief line:

 

Since, hopefully, this will eventually be replaced by a bullhead version, I thought it would be easier to remove it from cork than my usual foam underlay.

[Harlequin]

58 minutes ago, Nick Gough said:

Unfortunately, I had to put a small piece of curved track between the two turnouts so that the main route would align with the course of the branch line.

 

This is what it looks like from above:

 

I have run a Bachmann 8750, Hornby large prairie and a Hornby Hall through without derailment (so far) so fingers crossed!

 

In reality nothing larger than a 48xx or 850 S/PT would have used this connection, presumably at shunting speed.

Thanks for the photo, Nick. It looks a bit better from above!

 

[Nick Gough]

Having started laying the branch line track in this area:

I realised that the edge of the track base will be too far away from the line.

 

It narrows significantly as it passes over the farm bridge, as mentioned earlier by @RJS1977. The bridge parapet can be seen on the right, in the middle distance, here:

Partly hidden by foliage.

 

This also meant that the inside of the bridge was also too long:

 

I made this during the construction of the baseboard and it passes through holes in the longitudinal supports to the other side of the main line:

 

As it's quite long (approximately 15") the arch was constructed from a section of white plastic drainpipe.

I sliced this in half, longitudinally, with my Dremel, then squashed it top to bottom, to make it more oval than round, in section, and more prototypically correct. 

 

The lower walls were strips of hardboard, of the same thickness as the plastic in the drainpipe. 

 

This was then covered with two different colours of brick paper, representing the original Brunel (double-track) bridge:

 

And the 1890s widened part:

NB. The Brunel side of the bridge has been rebuilt with the original arched deck replaced with steel girders.

 

It would originally have had a similar appearance to this neighbouring one at South Moreton:

 

[Nick Gough]

Before laying any more track I cut a section out of the trackbed to narrow it and trimmed back the interior section, of the bridge, to match:

The roadbed is a plywood strip painted with 'Sandtex' - that gritty DIY paint meant for covering cracks in the ceiling.

 

The face of the bridge is slightly angled - note the extra bits of wood on the right - to match the branch line as it starts to deviate from the main lines. I will cover this with embossed brick plasticard.

 

I don't have any plans or elevations of this side of the bridge so I imported this photo into my Silhouette programme:

 

Then drew over it to produce this:

Which seems to be a reasonable fit and will assist me to construct the model.

[Nick Gough]

This week I have fitted the last two turnouts at the Didcot end of the station.

 

Before I did that I trimmed a little more off the trackbed, following the line of the pink dots (at the bottom of this photo):

 

Firstly the temporary 'Y' at the branch end of the relief line crossover:

Together with a short length of plain track, over the bridge, connecting it to the crossover into the exchange sidings:

 

Next to that the turnout at the end of the bay platform's run round loop (with the trimmed trackbed):

 

And connected this with the isolated length of track previously laid in the bay:

 

In the foreground I have laid a length of plain track where the branch starts to curve away from the main lines:

 

This now gives the branch an end to end length of approximately eight feet, with some interesting curves:

I have done test running over this length and all seems to run smoothly through it.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 12, 2022 by Nick Gough
Additional text

[Nick Gough]

Then I plonked an empty Amazon delivery box in the central space at the end of the room:

 

This is where the branch line will complete its 90 degree curve away from the main lines, and cross to the other side of the room. I wanted to plot out how much room this will take - the box filled the gap nicely.

 

I am planning to build a triangular shaped board to fit here so that I should still be able to reach the window when it is in position.