railwayrod Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Well I am all ready for the "meet" tomorrow. Howard has completed resurfacing the platform and when he get round to it he will paint and weather it to take away the "clean" look. I gave the BG's sides a third coat of paint but I think that I am going to have to hand paint the brass window surrounds as the brass is still showing through. Here is a picture of part of the layout which does not get photographed very often. Rod 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cklammer Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Hi Rod, That is amazing! Sorry - I pressed "like" first but as there is no super-like button available here I pressed revoked "like" and pressed "Craftmanship/Clever" instead as the picture looks like real despite the layout's edge being visible ... Best Regards, Christian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 (edited) We had a meet this afternoon and despite my best efforts beforehand the running was not as good as I would have liked. Had a problem with one key point at the entrance to the fiddle yard which Howard has managed to sort out plus one or two slight dead spots. These will be attended to next session. Despite this we had a really good afternoon with eats and drinks plus a look through my extensive library which includes virtually every issue of Railway Modeller from issue no 1 (1949). Here are a few pictures of the layout in operation which I hope you will enjoy. Picture 1 shows the arrival of the 4F on a local freight with the EE type 3 ready to depart from platform 2 with a train to Glasgow via Carlisle. Photo 2 shows the 4F at the buffer stops prior to running round and shunting. Photo 3 with the line now clear the type 3 can depart for Glasgow via Carlisle. Rod Edited June 24, 2015 by railwayrod 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Oops. The photos seem to have got reversed during the web process. Photo 1 & 3 need to be transposed. Don't know how to do this but I hope it will not spoil your enjoyment. Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 (edited) Here are a few snatches of video from this afternoon's running session:- https://youtu.be/HvFlZTvikRQ Edited June 24, 2015 by HSB 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 We had a meet this afternoon and despite my best efforts beforehand the running was not as good as I would have liked. Had a problem with one key point at the entrance to the fiddle yard which Howard has managed to sort out plus one or two slight dead spots. These will be attended to next session. Despite this we had a really good afternoon with eats and drinks plus a look through my extensive library which includes virtually every issue of Railway Modeller from issue no 1 (1949). Here are a few pictures of the layout in operation which I hope you will enjoy. Picture 1 shows the arrival of the 4F on a local freight with the EE type 3 ready to depart from platform 2 with a train to Glasgow via Carlisle. Photo 2 shows the 4F at the buffer stops prior to running round and shunting. Photo 3 with the line now clear the type 3 can depart for Glasgow via Carlisle. Rod Hi Rod, Always a pleasure to see photos of Ramchester - wonderful! May I ask how you have wired your points up - is that the root of your problem? Kindest, CME Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Hi CME. Peco points as they come need modification. By cutting the wires underneath and soldering new wires I have made them self isolating. This works very well but the king point in the fiddle yard was the one that played me up yesterday. My Heljan class 37 stalled as it hit the point and we concluded that either no contact was being made or that there was a short. Interestingly enough when we turned the loco end for end this problem disappeared so the conclusion is that the bb on one set of loco wheels is out. This will be checked next session. This afternoon I had a few moments to spare so I gave the BG's sides another coat of paint. This makes 4 coats in all so I am hoping that it will be enough. Tomorrow will tell. Next problem (challenge) will be to line it.This is another task that I have never done before so if anyone reading this has any tips to pass on it would be greatly appreciated. Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 (edited) Hi CME, I think Rod has muddied the waters somewhat as the points are 'self-isolating' as they come but we have rewired them as per the instructions which come in the pack so that the blades are always live and the same polarity as the adjacent stock rail. The frogs are switched using PECO accessory switches which have proved to be very unreliable with several having had to be replaced and on the last one that failed we substituted one of their new microswitches which we hope will prove more reliable. Edited June 25, 2015 by HSB 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jintyman Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Hi CME, I think Rod has muddied the waters somewhat as the points are 'self-isolating' as they come but we have rewired them as per the instructions which come in the pack so that the blades are always live and the same polarity as the adjacent stock rail. The frogs are switched using PECO accessory switches which have proved to be very unreliable with several having had to be replaced and on the last one that failed we substituted one of their new microswitches which we hope will prove more reliable. On the question of point operation, have you thought of trying the slow motion method? Cobalt or Tortoise point motors are very good. I use Cobalt motors that need no extra DCC decoder needed for operation and frog switching built in. As for Tortoise motors, I've heard a lot of positives about them but not tried them myself. Both these motors are somewhat more expensive, but reliable. Jinty 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 I have used Tortoise motors on my H0 layout but it would be extremely hard to change the point motors on Ramchester as they are clipped to the points and difficult to reach from underneath the baseboard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 I shall re-wire to so called 'DCC friendly' (best practice really) and use a mixture of MinxMDs and/or Cobalts as appropriate. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Work continues on Ramchester and on our last session Howard made a start on painting the platform surface which at present looks too much like newly laid tarmac. I worked on the Vanfit and the 13ton open wagons following receipt of the lost castings from these kits courtesy of Slater's. The open wagon just needs painting and the Vanfit needs Bachmann couplings and painting otherwise they are now complete. My photo below shows the two wagons standing side by side in the goods yard. Rod 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Work continues on Ramchester and on our last session Howard made a start on painting the platform surface which at present looks too much like newly laid tarmac. I worked on the Vanfit and the 13ton open wagons following receipt of the lost castings from these kits courtesy of Slater's. The open wagon just needs painting and the Vanfit needs Bachmann couplings and painting otherwise they are now complete. My photo below shows the two wagons standing side by side in the goods yard. Rod Looking very nice Rod, I have 13T Open from ABS to do which should be a nice weighty model. Kindest, CME Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Hello Everyone. I am afraid that no work has been done on Ramchester since my last post as I have been involved in other things. However I have today taken delivery of two more DB wagons and have included below some pictures of same. The "Maggi" van is by Brawa and the Skeleton van is a Lenz product. This latter has two opening doors on each side one above the other and is double decked. Probably used for the conveyance of sheep? Again I feel that these vehicles represent excellent value for money as the quality is very good indeed. Rod 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 Going slightly off-topic but I was tempted to get a Lenz double-deck livestock wagon like the one above but I don't know how they were loaded and unloaded. I have drawings for New Zealand loading ramps for double-deck sheep wagons but I'd like to know what the German equivalent was Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cklammer Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Wie Tiere reisen ... era II Deutsche Reichsbahn ... and here are the rules for that - learn them for your test tomorrow I just hope the online translation tools can handle those links, too. Not-so-much-off-topic: I go and google this and google that and all off a sudden I get an image that is kicking me right old nicely in the teeth ........... Never Forgotten!!!! This has been the other use of Viehwaggon .... Best Regards, Christian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 Thanks, Christian. Now I need a picture of what is supporting those ramps underneath! I imagine the ramps to the upper floor would be too heavy just to be lifted into position. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gismorail Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Couple of my friends have built a German o gauge layout and the Lenz stock is excellent Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cklammer Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) Hello Howard, Rod Edit: Deleted as this post was meant for Brückenheim and not here in Ramchester ... accept my apologies for my confusion Best Regards, Christian Edited July 1, 2015 by cklammer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) Thanks Christian for your links which I am about to explore. I too am curious as to what supports the ramp which allows the upper deck of my DB sheep wagon to be loaded. As Howard indicated above the ramp would be too heavy to be man handled into position so I assume that there must have been some sort of structure to allow livestock to have access to the upper deck. Can you please clarify? Rod Edited July 1, 2015 by railwayrod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 We had another shortish session this afternoon and Howard continued with painting the platform surface. In the meantime I decided to fit Bachmann couplings to my Vanfit. The couplings were bolted onto plastic strips (2mm thick and 6mm wide and then a second layer was added to allow the coupling to sit at the correct height when screwed to the mounting block fitted behind the buffer beam. The assembly was then screwed to the mounting block using self tapping screws. I managed to fit one end so will fit the other end next time. Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cklammer Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) Hello Rod, I am really sorry but I have no idea how they did that. In a way that is actually not too bad as you are at liberty to be creative on your (like having your ducks walk the plank/trough from the back of a truck or agricultural horse-drawn vehicle into the Viehwagen). OTOH, In eras I and early era II there were fourth class coaches for humans and live animals in common! Do it your own way and then one day you will surely have a visitor who has and will point you agitatedly the book from about 1965ish which has been printed in the hundreds having exactly the picture we search now in appendix P or so on the fourth-to-last page. And who will then complain about the accuracy of your scene - just hold him hostage until he hands over said book. Best Regards, Christian Edited July 1, 2015 by cklammer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 I love your comments Christian. I will do as you say. Thanks Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Yet another session this afternoon. Howard has done further work on the platform surface and then spent some time on "topping up" the grass on some of the embankments which were looking a bit thin in places. I have now finished the Vanfit's couplings (Bachmann 00 gauge versions) and added a little weight over the axles. The roof still needs to be fastened on but I will leave this until the painting has been completed. More next time Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted July 8, 2015 Author Share Posted July 8, 2015 We had a running session this afternoon as Rod had invited a member of our walking group round to see the layout. He has recently returned to railway modelling and is presently into 00 but we hope he has now seen the light! Here's a bit of video I shot this afternoon. The slight flickering in some shots is down to the fluorescent lights. https://youtu.be/ROtx26dzb8o 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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