chaz Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 (edited) Fabulous photos Chaz,hope to see it one day in the flesh. Thanks very much for the appreciation. Keep your eyes on this topic - I will announce shows where we will be if and when we have firm bookings. Edited March 9, 2014 by chaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 It was nice to finally see the layout in the flesh. I didn't get to see the somersault signal work (save that for next time). One thing I particularly liked is the way that it has gloomy corners under the awnings, this works well with the height of the layout. Oh yes, and the sound is set up properly on the steam locos! (they don't go chuff-chuff until they stop) Well Andy, we agree on the importance of the sound of a steam loco being as realistic as other aspects of its modelling. Sorry you didn't see the somersault "go" - you may see it in action when I post some video which I shot but haven't had time to edit. With the show done and dusted the pressure on my time should ease. Chaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 (edited) .....my Ixion Hudswell Clarke ....... Unfortunately the sound in the loco misbehaved in the afternoon, going rather fuzzy - sounding very like a dud speaker to me. Further investigation this morning revealed that there is nothing wrong with the speaker or the decoder. The problem is caused by the speaker vibrating in the hole in the chassis provided for it - this means that we aren't really listening to the sound from the speaker - what we hear is the sound of the speaker rattling. The cure is to fix the speaker so that it can't vibrate. WTS Chaz Edited March 9, 2014 by chaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redkiterail Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Here some of my pictures: 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redkiterail Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 youtube video: 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 (edited) A few more snaps grabbed at Basingstoke.... "Christine" brings the oil tankers up the gradient from the estate. This loco ran perfectly all weekend with a quick wheel clean on Sunday morning as the only attention it received. Unfortunately the sound went all horrid - caused, I think, by the speaker vibrating in it's nest. It needs fixing securely, a job for Blutack? Having run round the tankers the Hudswell Clarke has propelled them back on to the transfer siding. Two interesting wagons - a GWR Fruit C and an ex-NER 10T brake van. They are a both a little unlikely in the yard at Dock Green, but I like 'em. The fruit van was built from a WEP brass kit and the brake van from a Connoisseur kit. The Sulzer type 2 proved to be very popular at Basingstoke, particularly with the "can we see a diesel?" brigade. I think D5052 must have arrived at Hornsey from Derby in the last week or two judging by the immaculate paintwork. No need for a barrier wagon between loco and tank wagon which contains a heavy oil (rather than petrol) and is therefore black rather than silver. I am particularly fond of the sound this loco makes - it is instantly recognisable as a Sulzer and stirs memories of train-spotting days at St Albans and Watford Junction. Chaz Edited March 11, 2014 by chaz 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 2ManySpams Posted March 10, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 10, 2014 Hi Chaz, how reliable and easy to use do you find the couplings that you've chosen? Did they work ok under exhibition conditions?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DLT Posted March 10, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 10, 2014 Dock Green is looking fabulous Chaz, I hope I can get to see it some time. Do you have a list of exhibition bookings availble? Many thanks, Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Hi Chaz, how reliable and easy to use do you find the couplings that you've chosen? Did they work ok under exhibition conditions?? The couplings are Dinghams (as you may know). We did have a problem with a few of them which we traced to the "dumbells" that are used in the ends of the cassettes to stop stuff falling out of the ends. These are slid in and down - if the coupling hoop on the wagon or loco on the cassette is not clear it can be bent down by the dumbell and doesn't then work as it should. The only other problem that is a regular is that it can be hard to couple up on a curve - but this problem is shared by other automatics. Chaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianwales Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Hi Chaz Do you put Dinghams on the locos or do you just utilise them on the stock because I understand that dinghams will coupleto normal 3 link hooks? Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 (edited) Dock Green is looking fabulous Chaz, I hope I can get to see it some time. Do you have a list of exhibition bookings availble? Many thanks, Dave. Thank you Dave. The only other shows we are attending this year are the GOG one at Telford in early September and the one day O gauge show at Wimborne in October. DG went to Wimborne in 2012 as a work in progress and I can say that it's a very good show, well worth the trip. It's likely that we will be doing several shows next year - I will post details later when the invites have turned into firm bookings. Edited March 10, 2014 by chaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 (edited) Hi Chaz Do you put Dinghams on the locos or do you just utilise them on the stock because I understand that dinghams will coupleto normal 3 link hooks? Ian Everything has them - locos and stock. This can be a problem on some railways as the coupling on one end of a vehicle is different to that at the other, so turning a loco round would not work. This is not a problem on DG as we never turn the locos and anyway there are no big tender engines. I do have a B1 and a V2 which I don't use on DG. These have the loop couplings on both the loco and tender. This works reasonably well although bringing two loop couplings together means that don't always couple as reliable as a loop coupling and a latched hook. Dinghams will couple to 3 links (or rather the other way round!) but it's a little more fiddly as you have to get the coupling chain over the hook but underneath the latch or hoop, which does get in the way a bit. If you are asking my advice I'd say put Dinghams on the locos and the stock - they are very discrete - if blackened they become almost invisible and IMHO don't spoil the look of the locos. Chaz Edited March 10, 2014 by chaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 (edited) It was a pleasure to see Dock Green in the flesh at last, and great to meet and chat with Chas and his team. I spend quite some time today, watching the trains trundle about, and catching new cameos and details. I hope that you were not disappointed on seeing the layout having based your enthusiasm on photos? If you got any photos yourself I'd be pleased to see them posted. Chaz Edited March 11, 2014 by chaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherKay Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I hope that you were not disappointed on seeing the layout having based your enthusiasm on photos? If you got any photos yourself I'd be pleased to see them posted. I had a camera with me, but sadly I didn't think to use it. I usually find I dislike trying to do a layout justice through a lens while being jostled by the crowds. I much prefer to take my time and do it properly. Still, good to see so many did take some excellent images. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 I had a camera with me, but sadly I didn't think to use it. I usually find I dislike trying to do a layout justice through a lens while being jostled by the crowds. I much prefer to take my time and do it properly. Still, good to see so many did take some excellent images. Fair enough. I have been to some events (not RM shows) where I have been too busy taking photos to see what was happening. I hope you weren't too jostled - there was the usual quota of very odd people.... Chaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 I just have to post this photo', which one of my team took. He sent it with a caption that had me hooting. It's under the picture.... "The barriers held the crowds at bay." 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 (edited) Three more snaps grabbed at the Basingstoke show.... The photographer can't believe his luck finding a really clean steam loco to photograph. He is used to BR grime. The open wagon painted red-oxide seen in the last view, just behind the stacks of ceramic pipes, caused a baffling problem on Sunday. We started getting short-circuits which we couldn't see any reason for. Of course on a DCC layout this shuts everything down. After a good deal of point changing and loco prodding I narrowed it down to this wagon. Lifting it from the track ended the problem. Now this wagon (which is the only one I have which is scratchbuilt) has been running for years on my home layout without incident. I assume that the brake shoes on both sides are rubbing - I can't think what else might be happening - causing a short circuit through the brass underframe. Just an example of how putting it all in a van can put things out of adjustment. Chaz Edited March 11, 2014 by chaz 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 2ManySpams Posted March 11, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 11, 2014 I just have to post this photo', which one of my team took. He sent it with a caption that had me hooting. It's under the picture.... "The barriers held the crowds at bay." That rucksac doesn't look very full and there's nothing sticking out of it at eye level... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 (edited) Since I had to withdraw "Susan", my Peckett 0-4-0ST, from service at the start of the Warley show I have missed it, being one of my favourite locos. I tried to get it ready for Basingstoke but failed. At the Basingstoke show Dock Green was in the gym', and opposite us was the Coastal DCC stand. I had a long talk with Kevin (?) and he said that I would have no problem uploading the V3.5 sound project which I had in the Loksound V3.5 currently in the loco. So I decided to bite the bullet and buy a V4 and a keep-alive. Here are the bits I bought.... All very small and neat. On the left is the keep-alive board, next to it is an adapter plate (as ESU call it) which carries a row of pins onto which the decoder plugs. The wires solder to the small circular pads on this plate. On the right is the decoder itself which is no bigger than the V3.5 it will replace. I will be detaching the speaker leads and running these to the adapter plate, which will give me a very neat place to terminate all the wires. I bought the eight pin cable adapter at Kevin's suggestion as the cheapest way of acquiring the very fine coloured leads I will need to complete the install. I will post more pictures when I have it all in the loco. Chaz Edited March 12, 2014 by chaz 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 (edited) A visitor was watching the action on Dock Green at the show and objected to the presence of my J50 class locos, saying that they were wrong for North London. Unfortunately I was off gallivanting and viewing other layouts so couldn't put his mind at rest. For the record - thirty J50s were allocated to Hornsey in 1952 and largely replaced the J52 saddle tanks and N1 0-6-2Ts. The batch that came south included 68891 - "my" J50/1. Some further facts about 68891 while I have my anorak on... It was built at Doncaster in Feb' 1914 as the second of the initial batch of GNR J23 class locos, numbered 158. It was classified J51 by the LNER and renumbered 3158, and was rebuilt in 1935 to J50, which involved the fitting of a bigger boiler. It's big moment came in 1946 when it was painted apple green carrying its Thompson number 8891. Renumbered 68891 by BR the loco survived until 1961 - it was withdrawn still with the small bunker and coal cage that all the J50/1 locos had. Checking my dog-eared copy of the Ian Allan ABC Part 4 (I never had a combined volume as a kid) I see that it was one of the J50s I "spotted" - further confirmation of its presence in London. Does all of this really matter? Of course not! Chaz Edited March 12, 2014 by chaz 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 (edited) The somersault signal in action. On these signals the drive from the balance weight arm worked the spectacle plate, which was in turn connected to the semaphore arm. my signal works in the same way. Chaz Edited March 16, 2014 by chaz 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share Posted March 16, 2014 (edited) Help! I tried to post a video here that I had put on Google/Youtube but have had a problem finding a usable address to make a link here. The Google site is really confusing compared with old Youtube site. I would welcome any advice - someone must know how to get a link address. Chaz PS - I did it a few days ago with the signal video but I can't remember how I did it - pathetic isn't it? Edited March 16, 2014 by chaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redkiterail Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 click share under the video in youtube and copy the url into the topic that is I how I added the above. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 (edited) click share under the video in youtube and copy the url into the topic that is I how I added the above. No "share" under the video - there is a share above the video but when I click that it does something but doesn't give me a URL. And the address in the bar at the top of the page, when posted as a link, leads back to my Youtube page. I think I might be in the wrong part of Google but can't make any sense of what I am offered. Chaz Edited March 17, 2014 by chaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adams442T Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Hi Chaz, If you click on 'like' you should find the URL becomes available and highlighted in blue. Then just copy and paste as usual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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