West Kirby Town: narrow gauge is coming to town.

[pwr]

Good update Rod, look forward to seeing a video -  that's the trouble with being retired, it makes you wonder how you had time to go to work

 

Cheers, Bob.

Yes since going back to work I have had much less modelling time and progress on my two signal boxes is very slow. I keep grabbing a few minutes here and there but the decision to use individual slates was time consuming to say the least!

 

I too am looking forward to this video!

 

Paul R

[Dmudriver]

Hi all.

 

I promised you a video.  Well, you've got 3!!  All of the same sequence, but from different viewpoints, showing a simultaneous arrival and departure.  The first is a (tall) spotter's viewpoint from the platform:

 

 

The second, from the DMU stabling sidings - probably stood on a DMU roof!;

 

 

The third ....let's say from a helicopter in blustery conditions!!  I apologise for the wobbles, but I was holding the camera and the controller for the 31.  I'm afraid the latter is a bit faster approaching the platform than I'd like but it was empty stock so no passengers will have been shaken around!!  I think this one shows best that "heart-in-the-mouth" moment I mentioned a few posts ago!!

 

 

This one does show the importance of getting the track centres right on crossovers.  Hope you like them.  These are 3 but I did a few more, trying to get the timing right!!

 

Enjoy.

 

Rod

 

 

[Softvark]

Great videos, Rod, I thoroughly enjoyed those.

 

Any chance of some more?

 

Julian

[Southernboy]

Same sequence / three viewpoints, that's a neat idea. I enjoyed your videos very much

[Dmudriver]

Great videos, Rod, I thoroughly enjoyed those.

 

Any chance of some more?

 

Julian

Possibly, Julian, now I'm getting the hang of it.  The difficulty is finding different viewpoints, but i'll work on it.

 

Rod.

[bobster]

Nice vids Rod, very enjoyable - That did look as though a collision was about to happen, had me worried for a bit.

 

Cheers, Bob.

[pwr]

Stunning! It just shows how sound can really lift a layout. To me that's the benefit of DCC. I am not really interested in its other functions! Great work Rod. I think your signalman was asleep as he didn't return the starter to on after the DMU left!

 

I see what you mean about the crossovers. I wonder if a MK3 coach could pass without a side swipe! I think any plans to get an HST will need to go on hold pending finalisation of mods from your CCE.

 

Paul R

[81A Oldoak]

Stunning! It just shows how sound can really lift a layout. To me that's the benefit of DCC. I am not really interested in its other functions! Great work Rod. I think your signalman was asleep as he didn't return the starter to on after the DMU left!

 

I see what you mean about the crossovers. I wonder if a MK3 coach could pass without a side swipe! I think any plans to get an HST will need to go on hold pending finalisation of mods from your CCE.

 

Paul R

The diesel sounds are very good. I just wish that we could improve steam sounds, about which which I remain at best agnostic. 

[Dmudriver]

Stunning! It just shows how sound can really lift a layout. To me that's the benefit of DCC. I am not really interested in its other functions! Great work Rod. I think your signalman was asleep as he didn't return the starter to on after the DMU left!

 

I see what you mean about the crossovers. I wonder if a MK3 coach could pass without a side swipe! I think any plans to get an HST will need to go on hold pending finalisation of mods from your CCE.

 

Paul R

Thanks, Paul.  I did think about the signal, but it would have meant me appearing in the video to operate the switch (in the first 2 anyway) which I didn't want.  As for the third one - I only have 2 hands!!  The other thing I like about DCC is the inertia you can build in: it makes shunting so much more realistic - and it takes much longer than using DC.  I'm thinking of doing another video showing a loco-hauled train being reversed but I can only do 15 minutes on my camera!!  I'll see what I can do, though.

 

As for HSTs - no chance, even if they'd go over the crossover - but an interesting point!!  I assume that in real life they were banned from some routes?

 

Rod

[Dmudriver]

The diesel sounds are very good. I just wish that we could improve steam sounds, about which which I remain at best agnostic. 

Being a diesel man, I don't know much about steam sounds, Chris.  However, a couple of people I know who are into such things were telling me recently that there will be improvements due, I believe, to the capabilities the new decoders offer.  But who, when, where, what sounds, I don't know.

 

Paul Chetter does steam sounds, I believe, and he uses Zimo chips.  He has thrash on his diesel sounds so I'm sure his steam ones must do something similar.

 

But perhaps you know this already and are nevertheless agnostic?

 

Rod

[81A Oldoak]

Being a diesel man, I don't know much about steam sounds, Chris.  However, a couple of people I know who are into such things were telling me recently that there will be improvements due, I believe, to the capabilities the new decoders offer.  But who, when, where, what sounds, I don't know.

 

Paul Chetter does steam sounds, I believe, and he uses Zimo chips.  He has thrash on his diesel sounds so I'm sure his steam ones must do something similar.

 

But perhaps you know this already and are nevertheless agnostic?

 

Rod

Rod,

I have steam chips from SWD, Zimo and Howes. They are improving gradually with my later SWD GWR pannier tank chip producing quite realistic clanking when coasting, but there is still some way to go. On the other hand, my sound fitted Heljan Hymek and Western diesel locos take me straight back to my spotting days on the western end of Platform 12 at Bristol Temple Meads in the early 1970s. 

 

Regards,

 

Chris

[steve fay]

SWD new Brit chip is very good, they are getting better all the time.

[two tone green]

Black 5 is very good as well.

[raymw]

Hi Simon,

 

   OT      -   One of the guys who did 'Myth Busters' has a series on U-tube about the stuff he's made for film sets, etc. He uses coffee for weatherin/aging artifacts - i'm thinking tea would be appropiate for the UK.

 

Best wishes,

 

Ray

[Dmudriver]

Hi all.

 

I did like that comment of yours, Simon!  I've found it colours the glue better if you don't put milk in the tea!!

 

A bit more progress on the layout:  I've sprayed with grey primer the bits of the platform surface that I'd filled - the filler being visible in the last videos.  I've also started the painting of the platform, by doing the side walls.  So far only in dark brick - the mortar comes later.  Cue picture:

 

 

The paint has gone onto the baseboard which is no problem as I'll ballast up to the walls once they're painted and weathered.  I've not done the walls on the back platform as, from normal viewing positions, they can't be seen!  While I was at it, I sprayed the station building and I've painted the brick colour on that, too: again, mortar yet to come.  Cue next pic:

 

 

I need brick paper/plasticard for the walls along the walls at right angles to the platform - that'll be Wednesday, all being well.  I don't intend that building to be permanent; I want eventually a representation of the actual building, complete with clock tower, but this will do for the moment.  

 

While I was at the show at Leigh, I spoke to a laser cutting firm (greenwood Model Products) about the platform canopy: they're currently doing plans from various photos and Bing Maps pictures I provided.

 

I've also started a mock up of a scenic break before the fiddle yard.  It will be a road bridge - probably a representation of the one at Meols station.  Cue more pics:

 

 

 

Very much a mock up!!  But I wanted to get the size and shape right, then I'll cut it properly and start doing brickwork, etc.  The road surface needs to come out over the siding, but the inner wall will have to be cut short to avoid stock on the sidings.  Just this side of the bridge (the scenic (eventually) side) will be the 2 Outer signals.  Sighting the Down one might be difficult with the curve - I may have to assume there's a repeater on the other side of the bridge!!

 

I've also tonight had a rehearsal for a video I'm thinking of making, showing a typical set of movements, with sound and nice, slow running.  It took 11.5 minutes!!!  But I think I'll do it - just the one rehearsal will do, though!!  I have changed the stock round to make coupling up a bit easier as, unfortunately, one episode will be on camera.  Hopefully it'll be done in the next day or two.

 

More soon.

 

Rod

[two tone green]

Hi Rod,

 

Great progress you are making.

 

Platform wise we are at a similar stage. I had thought about painting the platform walls that you dont normally see and realised that I need to as I intend doing more cab views and you do see them.

[Dmudriver]

Hi all.

 

To carry on from the last post, I've not done the video yet - I'm doing a bit of self-tutoring on how to include captions, on Youtube.  But I'll do it soon!!  I've made no more progress with the scenic break yet as I've been working on the platform walls.

 

I bought some Slaters brick sheet and cut the lengths for the platform ends.  I then painted them in the same dark brick as the platform sides and when dry, set to to do the mortar.  I tried Simon's trick with the talcum powder but, whilst it left powder in the joints, it also left a lot on the brickwork which I found difficult to remove without also shifting it out of the joints!  I had tried it on the platform sides but found that difficult as I couldn't get the powder on evenly enough, what with the track in front and the platform edge above.  So I moved onto using paint:  I made a mess of a couple of strips of Plasticard but eventually settled on using grey paint thinned 2.5 to 3 parts thinners to 1 part paint.  I did the plasticard edges first and was quite impressed with the way the paint ran through the mortar courses after just dropping a blob of paint onto the brickwork.  However, it did leave some on the brick faces, too, but I decided I could live with the results.  Once dry, I glued these pieces to the platform ends.  Cue pic:

 

 

I then moved onto the platform sides: these were a bit more difficult, being fixed to the baseboard!! I don't know if it's because the sides are resin, as opposed to the ends being plastic, but the paint has covered the brickwork more on the sides.  It's also partly due to the awkwardness of getting a brushful of paint under the platform edge and letting it run down the brickwork: maybe I was impatient and put too much paint on.  Whatever, I can live with the result:  it's not unlike photos I've seen of platform walls which have a whiteish cover on them anyway.  Whether it's dust from ballast, or minerals coming out of the bricks, I don't know, but it's not too unprototypical.  The next is a pic of the wall at the platform end:

 

 

It appears lighter than it actually is - I think the camera struggles a bit in artificial light!  Looking at it again, the shaded bit under the platform edge is a more realistic rendering of the actual colour (as is that in the first photo)..

 

I've ordered some picket fencing from Parkside Dundas for the edges of the concourse area.  They've not arrived yet but they won't be fitted until the trackwork is complete.   I've started filling in with ballast between the track and the platform walls - another pic:

 

 

Not the best pic as the light merges the ballast in with the walls but once the ballast is glued and painted it will look better.  The first pic also shows the infill behind and around the buffer stops.  I've  run out of time to do the glueing as I also fitted a couple of microswitches to the 2 hand-operated points in the stabling area.  I wanted to disguise them and the wiring as much as possible so I've tried to hide them under ballast.  This first meant chipping away some that I'd laid already!!. This is how the points looked when wired up:

 

 

and then, after the ballast had been applied.  

 

 

The odd bits of ballast elsewhere are thin bits where the previous hadn't settled well enough.  Glueing is on the agenda for tomorrow as is ........ I'll decide tomorrow.  I've a couple more microswitches to fit in the fiddle yard if the weather's decent and I've still got my Coal Tank to work on!!

 

So that's it for now, more soon.

 

Rod

 

 

[Dmudriver]

Hi all.

 

Just a bit of forewarning:  I've done a video of a sequence at the station - 2 in fact, total time about 17 minutes but as my camera will only do 8.5 minutes at a time, I've had to do 2!!

 

However, they're taking an age to upload to Youtube so it could be Sunday before they're on here.  But, they're coming!!

 

More soon.

 

Rod

[Dmudriver]

Hi all.

 

I'm pleased to say the videos are done.  Well, it's one long sequence, really, but I had to do it in 2 shots as my camera will only do just over 8 minutes video at a time.  I've put the camera towards the platform end and I've tried to run at scale speeds, just to show what DCC can do, but there are occasions when I think things are a bit too fast.  However, I'll let you be the judges.

 

The captions refer to signal and (some) point numbers, so I'll put a signalling diagram here to check if you want to:

 

 

The links to the 2 parts of the video are:  for Part 1       http://youtu.be/Cku6Z-q8OXU    

 

Part 2 is: 

 

 

Hope you enjoy them.  Let me know what you think.

Edited May 17, 2014 by Dmudriver

[bobster]

Very nice Rod, although I can only get Part 1, can't wait to see part 2.

 

Cheers, Bob.

[pwr]

Stunning - however the 2nd video is tagged private!

 

Paul R

[Dmudriver]

Stunning - however the 2nd video is tagged private!

 

Paul R

Oh dear!!  Leave it with me, I'll see what I can do.

 

Rod

 

Edit:   It should be OK now - Youtube tells me it was successfully published.

Edited May 17, 2014 by Dmudriver

[shanks522]

Superb video's Rod,  nice to see trains obeying the signals!

 

 

Graham.

[bobster]

Great part 2 video Rod - First class operation.

 

Cheers, Bob.

[two tone green]

Very nice. Very envious.