RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted September 28, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 28, 2015 Fort myers performed well at The Rugeley Freemo the weekend just passed. A couple of sticking turnouts but they will be looked at in the near future. It was used as a through module for the first time so the yard did have soem very busy moments but I htink that it entertained those who worked through it. There are a couple of possible shows for the rebuilt layout and in the near future work will commence ot widen the juice factore / fiddleyard boards so that they can be reconnected onto the main part of the layout. As the new fiddle yard for Dobris was built with possible use on Fort Myers, if all the modified boards and this fiddleyard can be made to fit in our vehicle, then the whole set up at shows could be around 30 feet and would a through station. More updates to follow once I have time to work on the layout after we have done our last show this year which is Warley. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisH-UK Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 More updates to follow once I have time to work on the layout after we have done our last show this year which is Warley. The case for going to Warley this year is very much stronger now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted September 28, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 28, 2015 There's RS Tower there too 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 I'm gonna have to go now! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 There's going to be loads of us there this year!Which is nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted September 28, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 28, 2015 I actually have two layouts there this year although Appledore is currently under the care of Phatbob in DC mode. I may well have a few of my Bulleid light pacifics in attendance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted September 28, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 28, 2015 I actually have two layouts there this year although Appledore is currently under the care of Phatbob in DC mode. I may well have a few of my Bulleid light pacifics in attendance.A few? Yep there's a big RMweb contingent in the overseas area though I'll have to make do with Germany rather than another U.S. binge. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 21, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 21, 2016 A few weeks ago Fort Myers was at the Freemo meet in Merstham, Surrey. Not as big a set up as the Amitage one but certainly as enjoyable. This was just a one day meet and another is planned as a two day one in the Summer. However Fort Myers will be out again as a stand alone layout twice this year so I do need to get a move on with the juice factory / fiddleyard board alterations which will include widening the boards ,adding a note her siding or two and adding stationary decoders to the turnouts. The fiddleyard will also end up an extra foot longer. There is also the Exeter Freemo meet in May so a busy year for the layout. The Rapido F40PH arrived Friday and it's a wonderful model with some great sound effects plus some, funnies on the spare function buttons typical of Rapido. Here is a photo of it this morning after weathering the chassis last night. Also currently on the workbench is a CSX Genset. Replacement finer handrails from Atlas arrived about a year ago and I had forgotten where I had put them till I looked in one of the stock boxes. So out came th Genset and the coarse handrails replaced. This was also a handy time to play with the speed settings on the test track connected to JMRI. The ditch lights operation has been adjusted so that they stay on after the flashing function has been used. The Tri Rail cab car is also on the workbench to have the wiring altered as the red marker lights and headlights came on at he same time when in reverse. Just the ditch lights to alter now. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted April 4, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 4, 2016 Over the weekend I managed to finally finish the rewiring of the Tri Rail cab car. it now has working ditch lights and the red marker lights also work properly. I just need to change the on / off function for the ditch lights otherwise they will only come on when the loco bell is enabled. The Tri Rail loco 813 is now on the work bench for the fitting of ditch lights and the set should be ready for use at the Devon Freemo meeting in May. The other big task is to rebuild the juice factory / fiddleyard boards ot the new wider format of the rest of the layout in time for TVNAM in June. Should be fairly quick to do once I decide on the new track plan for the widened sections. I am also planning a waybill card system for operation. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloucester Road Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Ive a picture of a loco in that paint scheme from my travels in FL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted April 4, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 4, 2016 (edited) I was hoping to get some good photos of it last xmas but it sat in the sidings at West Palm Beach for the days we were there. So this was all I could get from the train. The Athearn blue is a little dark but the real loco has also faded in recent years. Edited April 4, 2016 by roundhouse 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kieran Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I have a weird question. Why is modeling Florida big with the Brits? Aren't you guys afraid of bursting into flames once you hit the sunshine while railfanning in Florida? btw Roundhouse. This Ft. Myers Layout is one of my favorite layouts EVER! Keep up the great work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted April 4, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 4, 2016 (edited) Thanks Mike. Yes does get a bit warm there although we have normally visited in the winter but last xmas it was very warm for that time of year. Our interest in Florida RRs came about by getting very cheap holiday packages in November and December. We visited a few stores and couldn't resist buying a few 'souvenirs' after coming across various trains as we travelled about the state. Personally I much prefer the West coast but it was good to be back in Florida after the previous visit back in 1998. Edited April 4, 2016 by roundhouse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robatron86 Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I have a weird question. Why is modeling Florida big with the Brits? Aren't you guys afraid of bursting into flames once you hit the sunshine while railfanning in Florida? btw Roundhouse. This Ft. Myers Layout is one of my favorite layouts EVER! Keep up the great work. I don't cope with heat well Mike. Last June in Orlando it was 40 degrees most days! When I went out railfanning I had 3 litres of water and a towel in my backpack to keep me relatively dry! Looking forward to seeing Fort Myers in June Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted April 4, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 4, 2016 We tend to search out bars when it gets too hot outside!! The first time I went ot Florida it was way too hot and wet so we have stuck to winter since. luckily that first visit we only had a few days there before moving onwards on Amtrak. The current line up for the layout is as follows: May 2016 - Devon Freemo June 2016 TVNAM show at Rugely September 2016 Armitage Freemo October 2016 - Furness show October 2016 - NMRA convention (was going ot be Santa Barbara but they want to do a modular set up) I ma pleased that its going out a bit now as the proposed major alterations into two separate layouts just wasnt inspiring me, so now it has a new lease of life, a few feet longer and 5 inches wider which makes a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kieran Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 (edited) We tend to search out bars when it gets too hot outside!! The first time I went ot Florida it was way too hot and wet so we have stuck to winter since. luckily that first visit we only had a few days there before moving onwards on Amtrak. The current line up for the layout is as follows: May 2016 - Devon Freemo June 2016 TVNAM show at Rugely September 2016 Armitage Freemo October 2016 - Furness show October 2016 - NMRA convention (was going ot be Santa Barbara but they want to do a modular set up) I ma pleased that its going out a bit now as the proposed major alterations into two separate layouts just wasnt inspiring me, so now it has a new lease of life, a few feet longer and 5 inches wider which makes a difference. Isn't that what Nigella said? Edited April 4, 2016 by Mike Kieran 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northpoint Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 The current line up for the layout is as follows: May 2016 - Devon Freemo June 2016 TVNAM show at Rugely September 2016 Armitage Freemo October 2016 - Furness show October 2016 - NMRA convention (was going ot be Santa Barbara but they want to do a modular set up) I am pleased that its going out a bit now as the proposed major alterations into two separate layouts just wasnt inspiring me, so now it has a new lease of life, a few feet longer and 5 inches wider which makes a difference. Re the above Ian - what size is it? I have allocated 15ft for TVNAM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted April 5, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 5, 2016 Nick The stand alone Fort Myers is 24 feet by 20 inches wide. (Freemo version is 18 feet) Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kieran Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 From what I saw of the new addition, do you have more room for switching leads on the ends? Your layout has everything that I love. Yard switching and industrial switching all in a plausible package. I wouldn't have considered passenger traffic, but that's where you have much better vision than me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted April 5, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 5, 2016 Yes the larger Fort Myers has an extra foot at the far end as the track now crosses the creek on a trestle. Coming out of the fiddleyard is much the same but there is an extra foot in the fiddleyard and there will be more switching opportunities in the juice factory area. I used the idea that Amtrak didn't end in 1971 but the Seminole Gulf did also start up its day time excursions with two RDC's hauled by a loco at each end as the generator powered the aircon. I have modelled this service with the Proto 1000 models.These no longer run on the real railroad but their Murder mystery still continues although I have yet to find suitable coaches to do this train. A few of us did travel on the murder Mystery train last Christmas and it was very entertaining. Shame it was dark though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted April 5, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 5, 2016 We have sorted the space out for TVNAM - and no I don't need to chop a bit out of the middle. phew! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
long island jack Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 put you outside has he!!! Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted April 5, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 5, 2016 It will be summer Ray and it doesn't always rain down here unlike Cumbria Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted April 11, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 11, 2016 Tonight I managed ot get the ditch lights working on my TriRail GP49 number 813. It has a Tsunami sound decoder so the setting up of ditch lights as a first for me with these decoders. I now just need to change the bright white LED loco healdight to a warm white LED to match the ditchlights. The Cab control passenger car also has ditchlights but this uses a TCS decoder. So I had a little fun trying out the various CV values so that these now come on with the headlights and not with the rear red marker lights. Both locos and passenger car now work well together and looking forward to running this set at the next Freemo meet. I am hoping ot start the fiddle yard modifiactions this coming weekend as this needs to be ready for TVNAM in June. Photos to come in the next few days. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colinw62 Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Re the Cab Coach lights. Have you fitted these yourself? Are they a kit or have you sourced the parts yourself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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