Lower Thames Yard

[Tallpaul69]

22 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

And some actually relevant even though you didn’t realise.

Please try to be a bit more careful about how you interact with those who are trying to help avoid blowing up expensive bits of kit.  They might just sit back and and watch for the blue smoke next time.

Paul.

Hi Paul

How to tell which of two suggestions is correct and what is thread drift?

If I implement something wrongly, because I don't understand it, but have taken it at face value, that could also lead to blue smoke rising!!

 

Anyway, in my other thread I have thanked everyone for their input and proposed two alternative courses of action. Let's hope I get a clear steer on them, or clarification of what is wrong with them!

I know from reading other of your posts that you know what you are talking about, but some others I can only take at face value.

Cheers

Paul

 

 

[St Enodoc]

7 hours ago, Tallpaul69 said:

Hi Paul

How to tell which of two suggestions is correct and what is thread drift?

If I implement something wrongly, because I don't understand it, but have taken it at face value, that could also lead to blue smoke rising!!

 

Anyway, in my other thread I have thanked everyone for their input and proposed two alternative courses of action. Let's hope I get a clear steer on them, or clarification of what is wrong with them!

I know from reading other of your posts that you know what you are talking about, but some others I can only take at face value.

Cheers

Paul

 

 

One layout, one command station. That's all you need to know. You can play different tunes with everything else but not with that.

[Tallpaul69]

On 01/11/2022 at 02:26, St Enodoc said:

One layout, one command station. That's all you need to know. You can play different tunes with everything else but not with that.

Very true John!

After various inputs on my DCC thread, particularly a number of well stated options from Ron Ron Ron, I am (hopefully) moving forward on plans to join the two layouts: -

So, I am going to source an NCE SB5 to boost power around the combined layout. Ron Ron Ron's other options don't appeal to me, for instance I don't have space for further expansion of the system: -

Any thoughts on best (not necessarily cheapest!) UK sources? I need a source that is willing to provide good online/e mail/phone support!

Many thanks

Paul 

[Tallpaul69]

Good afternoon one and all,

So far, I haven't found any UK stockists with SB5 in stock!

It's not urgent to get one, so if some arrive from the States early in the New Year that will be fine! 

 

Meanwhile, I am debating whether to make the new baseboard that will bridge between Wycombe End and Bradenham a solid board or with a drop section to the front to allow me to construct a scenic feature.

I am also debating having a facia to the board with a socket for the NCE handset.

 

I will post a full update at the weekend,

Cheers for now,

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Hi Folks,

Here is my first update on my project to join my two layouts, Wycombe End and Bradenham.

 

In terms of the whole project this last week has not proceeded as expected. I have yet to start clearing the accumulations from under the layouts to allow me to adjust their levels to a common height.

This is because sorting out the integration of the two layouts' DCC Systems has turned out to be more complicated and therefore more time consuming than I expected. However, I am getting good input from postings to the Thread I started in the DCC Help Section of this site, so things are moving forward.

While some details still need to be sorted out, what is apparent is that there will be more wiring to carry out than I had initially thought. It is beginning to look that as well as joining the track on the new bridging baseboard to the track bus, I need to install a DCC Cab Bus across the whole layout and join together the Accessory Bus on the two layouts.

 

So, I am now planning that this coming week will be devoted to finalising the wiring plan, with sorting under the layouts delayed until the following week.

If this week goes well, then I might get to further consider and perhaps mock up making the new baseboard that will bridge between Wycombe End and Bradenham either a solid board or one with a drop section to the front to allow me to construct a scenic feature.

However, I do think I have decided to have a facia to the board with a socket for the NCE handset.

 

Cheers for now,

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Good day everyone,

I am working on plans for the bridging board between Wycombe End and Bradenham. Initially, I thought it was a choice between a simple flat baseboard and one with a drop section. However, I have now decided that it would be better that this bord helps to form a scenic break between the two areas, so it's a choice between a flat baseboard with embankment and road bridge or a tunnel, and an elevated board except for the tracked areas. It really boils down to the simplest way to form the scenic break, and at present, I am thinking of a simple level baseboard with scenery built up at a later date! 

Next thing to do is to draw up a plan of the board.

So, watch this space!!

 

I have also started compiling a list of the things I need to connect my two layouts from a control point of view. I have to estimate/measure the lengths of the various cables.

I intend as far as possible to avoid soldering by use cholate blocks with new cable and repurposed NCE PCPs as UTPs and pre terminated cables.

Hopefully I can find suitable items in the DCC Concepts range, some of which will be stocked by my local model shop AGR, other they will no doubt order in for me.

A key decision is whether to use the NCE SB5 as the power booster or the DCC Concepts Cobalt Alpha Box. I know the SB5s are not due in from the States until early new year. This is not a problem as I don't foresee doing this work until January/February, and if global warming doesn't send us a warm winter, it could be the Spring! 

 

My next update will be at the weekend. 

 

Cheers for now,

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Good Afternoon All,

I have continued working on plans for the bridging board between Wycombe End and Bradenham. I am going ahead with a simple level baseboard with scenery built up at a later date! 

I have decided that it will be a small snapshot of the hills to the west of the GW&GC, north of High Wycombe. I have started to draw up a plan of the board.

So, keep watch this space!!

 

Have fun with your modelling, and stay safe,

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Hi, One and All,

 

The plan for the bridging board between the two layouts is progressing. I have got to something I am satisfied with but need to draw a final version as my current working document has been altered so many times, I think that only I can make sense of it, and that relies on my memory to correctly fill a few bits where I have drawn lines, rubbed them out, drawn something slightly different, then rubbed that out etc. etc.! 

If I don't draw a proper clear version, by the time I come to build it I will have forgotten which of some of the duplicate lines are the correct ones!!

It was relatively easy to fix the line of the tracks and where the hill ridge would run across this by a cutting to make the scenic break, but the difficult bit turned out to be settling a line for the road to continue that crossing the main line just north of Bradenham Station, and link into another road at the back of Wycombe End's fiddle yard board which will eventually become part of the scenic railway.

 

Highlights of the week included the arrival of my sound fitted Bachmann class 121 in the GWR commemorative livery from the late 1980s which with Marlow and Maidenhead destinations is ideal to visit my 1990 version of Bradenham having travelled up the Wycombe branch from Maidenhead. The 121s did do this, (but by then only as far as High Wycombe) in real life. I had been putting this purchase off for a long while due to the expense, but with a small discount on offer and only 3 left in Kernow's stock, I didn't want to miss out!

  

On Friday I met up with Malcolm in Bedford who had some weathered rolling stock for me, and I handed him another batch, this time some modern engineer's stock for treatment. I haven't yet unpacked the batch I collected, I will keep that for a wet day, of which we are promised several in the near future. I also will need to fit them with Kadees. 

I also found some goodies in the Oxfam Bookshop for my interests in Local History, Maps, and Stamps.

 

Cheers for now,

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Happy Warley to all those visiting yesterday or today!

 

Recession, what Recession??

You wouldn't think so with the flood of new releases!

I must admit to being tempted by the B sets and 44xx/45xx, but that was yesterday. Today, common sense has intervened, and the realisation that my existing B set is perfectly good for my single turn of an Oxford to Princes Risborough extended to High Wycombe, and return. There is no obvious candidate for a second B set. It could be a substitution for an auto coach, but the photographic evidence I have suggests that the usual substitute was a single non corridor coach. Added to this I have two Auto coaches and 4 railcars to cover what in reality were two diagrams. However, two of the railcars are absorbed by my extension of the Marlow to High Wycombe Auto coach working to Bradenham, and my extension of an Oxford to Princes Risborough to High Wycombe!

 

The 45xx might be another story. I have a couple of sound fitted Bachmanns, one being a 45xx, the other a 4575. So, it depends on the details of the spec., and what numbers are offered. The fact that 45xx/4575s were not frequent in the High Wycombe Area has also to be considered.

 

On more modern eras, the news of a new Class 50 is of interest, but I am reserving judgement until I see what the 37s and 31s turn out like.

 

Meanwhile, back on the layout, the drawing up of a plan view of the layout connecting board is complete, but I am cross checking it by drawing a couple of cross sections, one for each side of the board. So I will put all three drawings up on here when they are completed around the middle of this week.

 

Happy modelling to you all,

Cheers,

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Good afternoon, everyone,

 

Writing about B sets and auto coaches in yesterday's posting, lead me to think about introducing the single coach substitute for an auto coach, to give added variety to my local trains. Looking at some photos of these trains, I think the best of the available suburban break coaches for this use would be a Hornby Collett one. The other RTR alternatives are a Bachmann BR Mk1 suburban, which I think is too modern; or a Dapol Toplight suburban, which would be too old, for the early 1960s?

 

Thinking of motive power, most of the relevant photos show 41xx or 51xx 2-6-2Ts, although several of the photos are from 1963/4 when there were probably plenty of these locos spare after their displacement from suburban services, although one caption did say that these locos were not seen often on suburbans, south of High Wycombe. 

Off course, thinking of the new loco announcements, another possible loco might be the 45xx/4575 2-6-2Ts, although I only have photo evidence of them on auto coaches worked in a non-auto fashion as these tanks were not auto fitted.

 

So, if I introduce this train to my rotas, how would I use my fleet of auto coaches, AEC railcars, and 121/2 diesels in an early 1960s scenario?

I think as follows: -

 

1)  2-6-2T + suburban brake                               Aylesbury/Banbury locals

2)  0-6-0T + auto coach                                        Banbury/Aylesbury locals - alternating with 1)

3) 0-4-2T  + auto coach                                        Marlow-Bradenham and return locals

4) Streamline AEC Railcar                                    Oxford -Bradenham and return locals

5) Angular (car/crm) railcar                                 Paddington -Princes Risborough locals (via direct GW&GC route) - fictitious   

6) Angular (green) railcar                                    Princes Risborough -Paddington locals (via direct GW&GC route) - fictitious

7) Bachmann 122 + Lima non motor 117set   Paddington to Thame local and return (In reality a 6 car set!)         

8) Dapol 121/2                                                      Maidenhead to Aylesbury locals (some trips with DMU trailer)

9) Hornby 122                                                       Southall - Bradenham (Driver training) -fictitious!

 

The two fictitious AEC railcar workings run in the some of the real timetable times of Princes Risborough/Aylesbury to Marylebone LMS workings to reduce the amount of siding space required for these trains. The driver training 122 has appropriate southall and depot destinations in its destination boxes!

 

I think my rule 1 trains in the above are reasonable and allow me to run trains I like while reducing the amount of siding space required!

There would be 61xxs + 3/4 coach sets as other as timetable Aylesbury to Maidenhead, etc., and return locals. 

 

Any comments or suggestions on the above welcome?

Cheers

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Greetings One and All,

The time of year is here where the railway has to take back seat for a while in order for us to get to Christmas still sane!

I am still pondering the board to link the two layouts, being a great believer in a "Draw lots, measure lots, and cut once" philosophy.  

 

Meanwhile, it looks like my A5 4-6-2 tank from Sonic (via Rails) is still a way off with the latest Hornby Magazine reporting on decorated samples.

Cheers for now,

Paul  

[rob D2]

The big problem with the Chiltern lines is lack of class 115 i feel for modelling ,

 

Ive been musing  a what if the thame line had stayed open to Oxford .. oxford - aylesbury trains , and a fairly wide set of possibilities in the BR blue era 

[Tallpaul69]

This is true Rob,

I have kept the Oxford line open in my model scenario, although I don't model blue era, keeping to c1960 and more modern eras including NSE. Keeping the Thame line open means some of the Paddington-Oxford trains can take the Chiltern line which compensates for lack of 115s.

Luckily, there were less 115s used north of High Wycombe, where my model is set. I invoke Rule 1 to allow me to use 108s to give some variety with the 117s!

Have you started on a Chiltern line model or are you still planning?

Cheers

Paul 

[Tallpaul69]

Good afternoon everyone,

Our fingers are crossed that the football fans amongst you get the result you want in England's match tonight!

 

I am pleased to report that one of our big jobs pre Christmas is out of the way! This is the composing, printing, and despatch with Christmas cards of our annual letter to family and friends. The next job on the list is the external Christmas lights. They are all laid out in our large spare bedroom and visually checked, next is the power check, and then installation. The way the temperature is at the moment, I think it will be one item installed per day over this week.

 

On railway matters, an extra Collett suburban brake that I had found online to use as the substitute for one Auto coach as I described a few posts ago has arrived.  Also, I am waiting for three Bachmann Thompson coaches that are Kadee fitted, which I got at a good price, although they are the early version not the current one. These will run as a Marylebone to Nottingham via High Wycombe service with  a couple of other similar coaches I already have.

 

Tomorrow is the first of our Festive Season Family events, so I now need to clear away a number of modelling books plus bits and pieces on our dinning table.

I hope all those reading this who are in this country are managing to keep warm in the current cold snap without blowing the budget?

Cheers for now,

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Seasons greetings to everyone,

Where have the last ten days since my last posting gone?

Snow, snow, quick quick, snow (melt!) - I don't think I have been so glad to see rain in a long time, (except, perhaps, at the end of the summer drought!

So we have now  just about got back on schedule with our pre Christmas activities after things were thrown into confusion by the PO suddenly bringing last postings forward, and the snow coming along. 

The only thing behind currently is our outside decorations which I think are going to be scaled back as we don't have anyone staying with us at Christmas.

Enough of this seasonal stuff I hear you say, what about the modelling?

 

Well, the jury is still out on the Bradenham to Wycombe End joining board. The track is ok, but the scenics are still troublesome, and may well be left until the adjacent areas on the Wycombe End fiddleyard board and Bradenham station area board are sorted. I really want to run a road across the north end of the station area, along the front of the joining board and along the fiddleyard board to cross the track that is heading into Wycombe End, to disappear into the far wall, with a turn along the back of the fiddleyard board.

 

I have ideas about this being a supposedly c1960 built dual carriageway that was part of a supposed Princes Risborough bypass, to allow me to exhibit a good number of my large collection of 00 road vehicles. However, this might be too wide to comfortably allow access to the rails behind it, so I think a mock up will be needed.

More of this anon, and possibly some pics in the new year.

 

I am also hoping that there might be some good news from Hornby in January, and that there will be some bargains to be had in sales!

 

Hope everyone has a great time over the next couple of weeks, and that you all manage to meet up with, or if not communicate with, all your family and friends. 

Meanwhile, don't forget Rudolph's carrot and Santa's mince pie, even if there are not any children in the house.

Best wishes to you All,

Paul 

[Nick Gough]

I have to say I enjoyed the cold spell - much more than the gloomy, grim damp spell we had just before it.

 

I don't think you can beat a walk, with the dog, wrapped up warm, on a crisp, sunny winter's day. It helps to have a nice stretch of river (Nene), with footpath alongside, not far from home:

 

 

The local marina was frozen up:

 

And even part of the river, at the lock:

 

Anyway all the best for Christmas to you and yours Paul.

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by Nick Gough

[Tallpaul69]

Thanks Nick,

I don't mind walking in the cold so long as the temperature is a little above freezing!

Unfortunately Dan, a friend of ours, slipped over while walking his dog this week and broke his arm. However, it was at 06.15, before going to work. Hopefully he will get a cast on it today, so he can be a bit more mobile!

Cheers

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Good day All,

Hope everyone had a good Christmas? Ours went well, but was slightly spoilt by Stephen, our younger son having to duck out at the last minute as his wife was unwell!

So now our Christmas period is likely to be extended as they may get down to us on Saturday through Tuesday. Thus a return to modelling matters will be delayed a while. 

Meanwhile, I offer my response to Nick's excellent pre Christmas riverside pics. Unfortunately, there' no dog, but on Friday 23rd our local brook was turned into a river for a few hours after earlier heavy rain. The views are not that great but, at twice its usual width, and thundering over the local weir, it did look, and sound quite good!

 

Here's the downstream view

 

Just taking care my phone doesn't drop in the weir!

 

 

This is the upstream view

 

Here's wishing one and all a Happy New Year,

Cheers,

Paul  

[Tallpaul69]

Happy January everyone, I hope you have made and are keeping your modelling New Year Resolutions?

 

Our visitors have all departed, the Christmas decorations and lights are packed away and back in the loft, and the house is cleaned and made tidy.

There ae just a few outside jobs that need attending to, some as a result of the bad weather, which i need to deal with while it is mild.

 

So I hope to get going on modelling during this week. The first job is to make progress on the mock up for the scenic treatment of the new board to join Bradenham and Wycombe End. There may have to be two versions of the mock up as I have yet to make up my mind about the scenic treatment at the front of Wycombe End's fiddle yard. So the road from Bradenham across the front of the new board could either remain at overbridge height after crossing the tracks at Bradenham station and cross the tracks again at Wycombe end throat, or curve away towards the rear of the new board withslope down towards Wycombe end , orms  

 

[Tallpaul69]

Ooops! pressed the wrong button!

What I was trying to say was...... or curve away towards the rear of the new board with a side road off it sloping down towards Wycombe End ending in a sort of village green in front of the curve of tracks on the Wycombe End fiddle yard.

 

I will try to post a sketch of these options later in the week!

 

Cheers for now,

Paul

[Tallpaul69]

Its January, so its time for the annual moan about Hornby's release plans for the coming year!

 

The interesting items for me, on a first look, are mainly for the more modern eras of my layout rather than the 1960s version.

Like a lot of folks commenting on the thread re the new program, I am pleased to see the new TTA tankers, although I do hope that the models are all new, not the old tank mouldings on one of Hornby's more recent chassis for wagons based on reused TTA chassis!

I also like the new bogie bolsters.

On the loco front the sound fitted class 56s appeal, as does the Network Rail class 960, provided the later is a modified class 101 body not just stickers on the original mouldings!

One item that did appeal for the 1960s although the model released is pre war, is the Gresley full brake, which will hopefully appear in maroon, sometime in the next few years. That is provided it is a new model, not a rerun of an old model.

I have yet to delve into the blue tooth DCC system. If this is a bespoke Hornby system, then it will not be of any use to me, but it could be a good development. 

 

Given the current economic situation, I did not expect much from this year's announcements, so I am not disappointed, but I hope you all found something of interest?

Best regards

Paul   

[Tallpaul69]

Hi everyone, I hope the current freezing UK weather is not causing you too much agro?

Progress on my mock up for the scenic treatment of the bridging board between Wycombe end and Bradenham is slow. Partly this is due to my needing to find some small bits of wood to support the high level roadway, which are somewhere in the garage, but it is too cold out there at present to go and find them.

I have however decided that the idea of the roadway sloping down towards Wycombe End is a non starter as the slope would be unreasonably steep. So I just need to test out the options of the roadway being level or of it dipping slightly in the middle so as to improve access to the area behind it. Hopefully i will be able to find the wood i need over the weekend when I think things will be a bit warmer in the garage. 

Meanwhile, seeing that there is a Legacy Dongle in the new Hornby HM7000 range to enable connection to a conventional DCC control system, I am investigating this further with the hope that I can control my system from an old I phone I have. 

 

Take care everyone, and I will update further after the weekend,

Cheers for now,

Paul

 

[Tallpaul69]

Hi Fellow Modellers,

Apologies for the last two weeks silence, but things have been difficult in that time:-

The continued very cold weather disrupted our daily routines, particularly as my wife is not a fan of temperatures below +5C, so I have had to help her more than usual.

As well, her brother, who lives near Northampton and is 86, has had a few problems which we have spent time helping him with remotely.

Then, just as we were getting straight our printer developed a fault, which after much fiddling with, and internet searching, downloading, reading etc. I gave up on and ordered a new one!

That arrived late yesterday afternoon, so today I have the task of setting that up and testing.

Meanwhile, I have a pile of cut card for my elevated roadway mock up, which , hopefully,  I can get to during this week.

 

I hope everyone is managing to progress their modelling,

Best regards

Paul 

[Graham T]

Sorry to hear about the difficulties Paul.  And wishing you the best of luck with the printer - personally I think they are the devil's work!

 

[Tallpaul69]

5 hours ago, Graham T said:

Sorry to hear about the difficulties Paul.  And wishing you the best of luck with the printer - personally I think they are the devil's work!

 

Thanks Graham,

I am pleased to report that installing the new printer including amending our HP Ink order was done , with no problems(yet!), in just over an hour!

It helped that the new one was just an updated version of the old one. The only problem with the old one was that it suddenly stopped linking to our wireless network, which is necessary for the HP Ink supply system. So it is packed away in the new one's box in case we have any problems in the future.

Cheers all,

Paul