SRman's Current Layout - Newton Broadway

[SRman]

I have recorded more of my Accurascale class 37s. This time all three have the Accurathrash speaker fitted, but all have different variations on the sound files. D6704 has the factory-fitted Accurascale sound for a 37/0, 37 026 has legomanbiffo West Highland 37/0 sound, and 37 602 has legomanbiffo WH 37/4 sound.

There were a few anomalies during the recording, because I hadn't reallocated various functions on all of them to align them as I had done with the earlier three. Somehow I lost the inertia and momentum settings on 37 602, which were easy enough to restore, but a nuisance while I was recording and juggling the phone camera and Power Pro controller. I may possibly have accidentally hit the very annoying NCE 'Momentum' button that reprograms decoder CVs 3 and 4. I know a few NCE users actually put a bit of tape under that button to prevent just such accidents occurring. 🙄

Another irritant was the leading Bachmann nuclear flask FNA-C wagon suddenly decided it had to derail its leading bogie several times as it went around. Fortunately it rerailed itself each time. 

Anyway, I hope the video is satisfactory. As before, I am posting the same link in the Accurascale class 37 topic, and the DCC sound topic.

 

 

[St Enodoc]

7 hours ago, SRman said:

I may possibly have accidentally hit the very annoying NCE 'Momentum' button that reprograms decoder CVs 3 and 4. I know a few NCE users actually put a bit of tape under that button to prevent just such accidents occurring. 🙄

At one of our running sessions, one of the team said "If I press the momentum button, some strange things happen". My reply was "Well, don't effing press it then".

[SRman]

2 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

At one of our running sessions, one of the team said "If I press the momentum button, some strange things happen". My reply was "Well, don't effing press it then".

 

🤣🤣

I have studiously avoided pressing that button for nearly 20 years that I have owned NCE's systems. However, while trying to operated the camera at the sae time as working the Cab, the controller slipped from my grip, so it is quite possible I caught that dreaded button!

It is a pity NCE don't allow reallocating that button's function as they do with the 'Option' button. One of these days I will stick that bit of tape behind the 'Momentum' buttons on all six of my Power Cab/Power Pro controllers. While it isn't high on my priorities, I will make a point of doing it once I have them opened up for any reason (which is pretty rarely, TBH).

[St Enodoc]

Just now, SRman said:

 

🤣🤣

I have studiously avoided pressing that button for nearly 20 years that I have owned NCE's systems. However, while trying to operated the camera at the sae time as working the Cab, the controller slipped from my grip, so it is quite possible I caught that dreaded button!

It is a pity NCE don't allow reallocating that button's function as they do with the 'Option' button. One of these days I will stick that bit of tape behind the 'Momentum' buttons on all six of my Power Cab/Power Pro controllers. While it isn't high on my priorities, I will make a point of doing it once I have them opened up for any reason (which is pretty rarely, TBH).

Me too.

[Southernman46]

By a weird co-coincidence - just finished reading the Thief of Time (again !) 🤣

 

“Some humans would do anything to see if it was possible to do it. If you put a large switch in some cave somewhere, with a sign on it saying 'End-of-the-World Switch. PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH', the paint wouldn't even have time to dry.”

― Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time

[SRman]

4 hours ago, Southernman46 said:

By a weird co-coincidence - just finished reading the Thief of Time (again !) 🤣

 

“Some humans would do anything to see if it was possible to do it. If you put a large switch in some cave somewhere, with a sign on it saying 'End-of-the-World Switch. PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH', the paint wouldn't even have time to dry.”

― Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time

 

I am a Pratchett fan too. 

Doctor Who also plays on that theme from time to time: David Tenant's first episode had a big red button in it, so of course, The Doctor just has to press it. 🤣

[SRman]

I've been productive with the videos lately: here's a demo of my wife's birthday present to me, Rapido Trains UK's The Titfield Thunderbolt, "visiting" Newton Broadway and re-enacting a little of the movie amongst all the modern trains. I did remember to change the signals for once when doing this one! 😄
 

 

[37Oban]

1 hour ago, SRman said:

I've been productive with the videos lately: here's a demo of my wife's birthday present to me, Rapido Trains UK's The Titfield Thunderbolt, "visiting" Newton Broadway and re-enacting a little of the movie amongst all the modern trains. I did remember to change the signals for once when doing this one! 😄
 

Hi, 

after watching this I'm almost tempted to design and build a mid-Victorian era layout!  Need to finish the four being built or planned first!  So many layouts, so little time!

 

Roja
 

 

[SRman]

Another video from me, this time of the ex-SR 'Booster' Co-Co electric. As described earlier, I had to alter the wheel gauge a bit on all axles, taking them down to between 14.2 and 14.3mm, plus I had to tweak the electrical pickups on one bogie to ensure they stayed in contact with the wheels at the extremes of their lateral movement. 

The running continues to improve the more I run it.

For the video I cobbled together a reasonably appropriate train of mostly Bulleid stock in crimson and cream.

 

 

[SRman]

Small tasks:

1. Painting and decorating a C-Rail container. Once everything is dry on the container, I'll varnish it and weather it, and add the locking bars to the doors, and;

 

2. Adding some suitable-looking figures to the Titfield Thunderbolt's coach (Dan's house). Of course these aren't true representations of the people in the movie, but they have the right sort of character, and at present we can hardly see them once the body is back on. At some time in the future I will try to arrange a little lighting inside.

 

 

 

 

 

[John Tomlinson]

10 hours ago, SRman said:

Another video from me, this time of the ex-SR 'Booster' Co-Co electric. As described earlier, I had to alter the wheel gauge a bit on all axles, taking them down to between 14.2 and 14.3mm, plus I had to tweak the electrical pickups on one bogie to ensure they stayed in contact with the wheels at the extremes of their lateral movement. 

The running continues to improve the more I run it.

For the video I cobbled together a reasonably appropriate train of mostly Bulleid stock in crimson and cream.

 

 

 

Mine runs in a very similar way, quiet and smooth, despite in my case all the wheels not touching the track - to be addressed!

 

I do like the two Bulleid catering cars, I'm not sure I've ever seen a Tavern Car in action on someone's layout before. I presume this is a kit that you've made?

 

John.

[SRman]

17 minutes ago, John Tomlinson said:

 

Mine runs in a very similar way, quiet and smooth, despite in my case all the wheels not touching the track - to be addressed!

 

I do like the two Bulleid catering cars, I'm not sure I've ever seen a Tavern Car in action on someone's layout before. I presume this is a kit that you've made?

 

John.

 

These tavern cars came from Mallard60022; we did a swap with my green pair with Comet sides and his Southern Pride pair, which you see here. I tried to do the brickwork on my original set, but gave up and painted them green. The Southern Pride ones get over that with their printed vinyl sides.

p.s. I did check my Booster for the wheels sitting flat on the track and can report no problems with mine.

[Gwiwer]

22 minutes ago, SRman said:

I did check my Booster for the wheels sitting flat on the track and can report no problems with mine.

Excellent news.

 

'01 is fine here and now carries my weathering which improves its look somewhat.  '02 will go back to Camborne on Wednesday for Muz to have a look at.  Beyond then its future remains undetermined.  

 

I did see a WA modeller mulling over what to do with his "derailer" 20002 given the cost to return it.  I hope that gets sorted.  

 

 

[SRman]

I have been decorating a couple of C-Rail containers, bought as undecorated, although I have also built some of the kit versions as well in the past.
 

These two are a 20' early-style ordinary box done as Xtra (shown a few posts ago), and a 30' bulk container being finished in Bulkhaul livery. Both are deliberately patchy in finish, and once I have settled the transfers into the grooves properly (MicroSol), they will be weathered. The Bulkhaul is only an approximation of the blue, working from photos, with a pale blue base coat and a darker blue coat thinly painted over the top.
 

The IBC and UBC containers in the photos were C-Rail kits I built and decorated some time ago.

 

[St Enodoc]

10 minutes ago, SRman said:

I have been decorating a couple of C-Rail containers, bought as undecorated, although I have also built some of the kit versions as well in the past.
 

These two are a 20' early-style ordinary box done as Xtra (shown a few posts ago), and a 30' bulk container being finished in Bulkhaul livery. Both are deliberately patchy in finish, and once I have settled the transfers into the grooves properly (MicroSol), they will be weathered. The Bulkhaul is only an approximation of the blue, working from photos, with a pale blue base coat and a darker blue coat thinly painted over the top.
 

The IBC and UBC containers in the photos were C-Rail kits I built and decorated some time ago.

 

I can't get on with Microset/Microsol. What's the secret?

[SRman]

1 hour ago, St Enodoc said:

I can't get on with Microset/Microsol. What's the secret?

 

 A little at a time, using a soft brush, then leave it for a while, before applying a bit more.

[SRman]

14 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

I can't get on with Microset/Microsol. What's the secret?

 

Additionally to the above, in the Bulkhaul case I want it to look a bit battered so I used a larger brushload of Microsol on it, and a stippling motion, pushing a bit harder in places to actually break through the transfer. This can, with care, give the effect of flaking paint. I've only done this fairly subtly, but I'll try to get a decent photo of it once I have progressed with the weathering a bit more.

[SRman]

And yet more decorating with transfers, this time the class 74, which has been sitting patiently on the turntable for ages. I found the acrylic paint I used took a long time to harden properly. Even before I took the photos, one of the data panels went missing (on the grille side), so I'll have to find a replacement in my stocks of transfers. Welcome to the fleet E6102. The photos show some of the rough bits rather cruelly, I'm afraid, but it looks okay at normal viewing distances.

 

 

[saxokid]

5 hours ago, SRman said:

And yet more decorating with transfers, this time the class 74, which has been sitting patiently on the turntable for ages. I found the acrylic paint I used took a long time to harden properly. Even before I took the photos, one of the data panels went missing (on the grille side), so I'll have to find a replacement in my stocks of transfers. Welcome to the fleet E6102. The photos show some of the rough bits rather cruelly, I'm afraid, but it looks okay at normal viewing distances.

 

 

Very nice SRman

[SRman]

A small update on one of the C Rail containers I have been working on. The 20' Xtra livery has had a coat of satin varnish, followed by some weathering powders brushed on, starting with 'chalky white' to fade the red a bit, then a thin brushing of 'dark rust', followed by an even smaller amount of 'dark earth'.

The Bulkhaul container is awaiting final settling of the transfers before I varnish it.

[SRman]

As posted in the Cavalex class 56 topic, my 56 120 arrived from Rails today, together with some of the new-style Peco loco lifts. 

The 56 was tested and ran fine, so was set up on the rolling road for a running-in turn.  As usual, I left it for over half an hour before reversing it, with sound on so I could hear it screaming away in the distance.

After that, I placed it in front of a passenger train - maybe an excursion or an emergency replacement for a failed train locomotive - where it really didn't look out of place on the NSE and blue and grey liveried coaches.

I posed a Hornby coal sector class 56, 56 127, next to it for effect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, to the loco lifts. I bought two double packs knowing I would need at least three for the purpose I intended them for. I knew that for the loco and train I wanted to store would have difficulties with clearances, mainly in height ... Stephenson's Rocket has a tall, out of gauge chimney. Coupling and uncoupling the coaches is a right royal pain, especially if one has shaky hands. With the old-style loco lift, I could fit Rocket plus only two coaches, whereas with three of these new ones, I can fit Rocket plus four coaches, which is as many as I dare ask it to pull. 

Both styles of lift required modification to clear the chimney. The old one had a narrow slice taken out of the centre of the top support at one end, connected back together with some stout brass wire. The new one has had a chunk milled out at one end. In both cases, this requires me to reverse the loco and train on to be able to drive it straight off later.

 

 

[SRman]

A few more photos.

The Cavalex 56 has had its end details fitted, with only the red air pipe at one end having to be snipped to keep it clear of the tension lock coupling. The coupling links at that end at that end are also lightly glued up a bit to keep it from tangling with the TL coupling as it swivels.

 

 

The Bulkhaul container has had a heavy application of weathering powders. I used the same combination as the Xtra container first (chalky white, dark rust and dark earth), followed by some grey and grimy black (the latter only along the base channel and door grooves). I had to wash a bit of it off again with a damp tissue. I'm not sure if it is still a little overdone, but being powders that haven't been sealed in with varnish (yet), it can still be cleaned up further.

 

 

 

 

[saxokid]

6 hours ago, SRman said:

As posted in the Cavalex class 56 topic, my 56 120 arrived from Rails today, together with some of the new-style Peco loco lifts. 

The 56 was tested and ran fine, so was set up on the rolling road for a running-in turn.  As usual, I left it for over half an hour before reversing it, with sound on so I could hear it screaming away in the distance.

After that, I placed it in front of a passenger train - maybe an excursion or an emergency replacement for a failed train locomotive - where it really didn't look out of place on the NSE and blue and grey liveried coaches.

I posed a Hornby coal sector class 56, 56 127, next to it for effect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, to the loco lifts. I bought two double packs knowing I would need at least three for the purpose I intended them for. I knew that for the loco and train I wanted to store would have difficulties with clearances, mainly in height ... Stephenson's Rocket has a tall, out of gauge chimney. Coupling and uncoupling the coaches is a right royal pain, especially if one has shaky hands. With the old-style loco lift, I could fit Rocket plus only two coaches, whereas with three of these new ones, I can fit Rocket plus four coaches, which is as many as I dare ask it to pull. 

Both styles of lift required modification to clear the chimney. The old one had a narrow slice taken out of the centre of the top support at one end, connected back together with some stout brass wire. The new one has had a chunk milled out at one end. In both cases, this requires me to reverse the loco and train on to be able to drive it straight off later.

 

 

Another good catch up here SRman👌

[SRman]

I have posted a video of the Cavalex 56 running on Newton Broadway.

 

 

[SRman]

The two C-Rail containers I have been decorating and weathering are all but finished now. The weathering has had a coat of matt varnish to seal it and the transfers (which had already had one coat). The varnish has dried slightly glossier than I really want, but it is still a very dull satin sheen that seems to sit well. I'm not sure if the roof hatches on the Bulkhaul container should be a different colour though. maybe a grey rather than the blue?