RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted October 14, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 14, 2011 (edited) Santa Barbara loaded and ready for the trip to Bournemouth for the NMRA British Region Convention. This year the Convention / trian show is open to the public on Saturday. All North American outline layouts. RS Tower will also be there along with the Poole N Track the Black Diamonds modular layout plus a number of other layouts. Quite a few traders aswell this year. Ian Edited November 6, 2022 by roundhouse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 I wish I could get there! Not possible for me at this time but I hope everyone who does go, has a great time! Cheers, John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 I'm feeling really p****d off. Was supposed to be operating SB this weekend. Work sucks sometimes. If you get the chance, go and enjoy the Sunday at the convention. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
warbonnetuk Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Attended Fri & Sat this weekend & def one of the better ones I've been to. Majority of layouts & traders in one room, good selection of quality layouts inc SB & RS Tower. Dan Spalding Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted January 20, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 20, 2012 (edited) Just a couple of photos of the layout. Not much done to it lately as working on Banbury at the moment. However did get some nice pre painted resin vehicles off ebay, posted from the USA. Took just over a week to arrive. Will put some photos on here once I put these on the layout. The 2nd photo is of the layout loaded in the car. We get 4 of us in it aswell as the layout. It will be going to Alexandra Palace in March this year and hopefully the Surroundtraxx sound system will be up and running on it. Ian Edited August 25, 2021 by roundhouse 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
long island jack Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Ian Where's the kitchen sink!! Ray from deepest west cumbria Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted January 20, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 20, 2012 Ah... that wasnt loaded at the time!! Actually it doesnt show everything loaded as the remaining legs and folding table (with the tea tray and modelling mat velcro'd underneath) go in last and would have blocked the view. Its tight but we managed to get everything in and our clothes for the 4 nights when we took it up to your neck of the woods to Barrow when the show was still a three day Easter one. Banbury loads just the same as half the boards are the ones you see in this shot - uses the same fiddleyard. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
warbonnetuk Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Plus you manage to fit in all the gear you and the crew buy at shows for the return journey! Dan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted January 20, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 20, 2012 Yes... I do remeber us buying a Bachamnn 4 VEP each plus loads of Triang boxed stuff that a few operators like to buy, at one show and it was a real squeeze!!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 14, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 14, 2012 (edited) Now that Banbury has been put to one side for a couple of weeks after the Wyre Forest show its time to do some more work on Santa Barbara in readiness for Ally Pally in just over a weeks time. Tonight I started adding more of the loco fleet to the Surroundtraxx box (at the moment this system only works with Digitrax command stations). About a dozen locos now set up in it with quite a few more to go. I will be using a few old computer speakers with a sub woofer at the show but one nice thing with this system is that it has a volume knob to easily change the noise to suite the environment, so we can keep all the sound down when the show is quieter and thus hopefully, not annoy nearby exhibitors. Each loco is added to the system via this single knob then the sound such as horn and engine type can then be changes for each loco. I reckon a few more nights and all the locos will all be added. Although the next stage won't be implemented for a little while, this system is designed to work off the transponding of the Digitrax decoders so that when the loco moves between different block sections then the sound moves between the separate speakers relative to the loco. Ian Edited August 25, 2021 by roundhouse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 What is your vehicle, Ian? It looks vaguely familiar to me, i.e. American market? Love Santa Barbara btw! Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 What is your vehicle, Ian? It looks vaguely familiar to me, i.e. American market? Love Santa Barbara btw! Best, Pete. Is it a Chrysler Grand Voyager....? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 15, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 15, 2012 (edited) Yes its a Chrysler Voyager short wheelbase (Town and Country in USA). We get 4 people, layout and overnight bags in it so a great vehicle. They only do the long wheelbase now and the local dealers for servicing have not been good plus there aren't that many dealers about within a sensible distance. So looks like next vehicle will be a Volkswagen Transporter unless we go for a Voyager that is three years old so that we dont have to worry about warranties, and go to our local garage which now services our vehicles. I do like the Voyager as it has been a good workhorse but parts aren't cheap. Ian Edited August 25, 2021 by roundhouse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 19, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 19, 2012 (edited) Now that the weekend is over after exhibting Smrzovka, this weekday evenings will be spent getting the rest of the loco fleet set up i the Surroundtraxx system. Spent soem time working out best way to get the sounds to match the speed settings of each loco. WHilst not yet perfect its now working much better. One good bit learned at the wekend is that once you have a particular type of loco set up for instance an Amtrak P42, you can then copy all the settings and use for another lco being set up in the system. Really looking forward to using this sound system this coming weekend at Ally Pally. The master valume control will make it easy to adjsut the sound level for the surrounding environment, keeping the sound down at quiet times and upping the volume at busy times. Some more scenic work should also be done in time for the weekend, adding more vehciles obtained from the USA on Ebay, more lights on the platform etc. There are also a few newly weathered freight cars to join the fleet. Ian Edited March 19, 2012 by roundhouse 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Yes its a Chrysley Voyager short wheelbase (Town and Country in USA). We get 4 people layout and overnight bags in it so a great vehicle. They only do the long wheelbase now and the local dealers for servicing have not been good plus there aren't that many dealers about within a sensible distance. So looks like next vehicle will be a Volkswagen transporter unless we go for a Voyager that is three years old so we dont have to worry about warranties, and go to our local garage which now services our vehicles. I do like the Voyager as it has been a good workhorse but parts arwnt cheap. Ian I had one as a loan car for a few days when the dealer proved once again they couldn't fix my PT to an acceptable standard (It had to have new clutch cylinders but they forgot to reconnect the speedo sensor and clutch pedal). Unfortunately for them they phoned to say my car was ready 2 minutes after I set off for York to exhibit Deepcar at the NRM, so I had the Voyager for the weekend. I know what you mean about Chrysler dealers, better marques and cars are available... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 19, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 19, 2012 (edited) Need the Voyager MOT and service done shortly but will wait till after Ally Pally rather than just before as the layout wont fit in our other car!! Our local (not a dealer) garage is good but dont want to take the chance that something won't go back together and that we have to take the courtesy car which is a Micra or similar!! Ian Edited August 25, 2021 by roundhouse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
long island jack Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Ian you could allways build a z gauge layout as backup, in case you get a micra!!!! Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1905 Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Just a note on the history of those Amtrak GE hood units. Amtrak was shopping for power, GE made them a deal they couldn't refuse on some hood units that would be reconfigured for passenger service. Amtrak had planned to use them in service in and out of New York until the Engineering department put the brakes on that. The hood units were too wide to clear the platforms in Penn Station and were too tall to safely clear the overhead catenary in the tunnels. So Amtrak had to shift them to service in the west and midwest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 19, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 19, 2012 Ian you could allways build a z gauge layout as backup, in case you get a micra!!!! Ray Ray Thats an idea - some lovely bombardier coaches and F59PHI locos available in Z!! Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 19, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 19, 2012 Spent most of the evening adding more locos and tweeking the acceleration and braking values in many of the locos to match the Surroundtraxx system. Its nearly there but will need a bit more tweeking in future. About half the loco fleet is now in the Surroundtraxx system. WIll shoot some videos with the sound at the weekend. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 21, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 21, 2012 Not had much time in recent days to work on the layout but about two thirds of te locos are now set up in the Surroundtraxx system with the last few EMD types added this morning before leaving to catch the train to London. Just the more modern GE units such as the Gevos etc to be added. The larger speakers and sub woofer have also been tested. The new road vehicles will be stuck in place on Saturday morning at Ally Pally. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supaned Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Can you provide details of where you found the road vehicles? - looking around , that's one thing that does seem to be lacking in modern US N scale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 21, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 21, 2012 I bought them off Ebay.com - link below. They are mainly resin vehicles but very well painted. My favourite ones are the U Haul truck and RV but they do quite a few other types. All done in batches so if you see ones you want then get them there and then. Postage to Uk including shipping time is pretty good. http://myworld.ebay.com/nscaleworld/?_trksid=p4340.l2559 I will post some photos once I have stuck them down at Ally Pally this weekend. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supaned Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Thanks very much for that. Look forward to the pics. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Can you provide details of where you found the road vehicles? - looking around , that's one thing that does seem to be lacking in modern US N scale. Modern cars/vehicles do tend to be a difficulty. From mainstream manufacturers you can find various German ones (Busch etc), plus the Atlas Fairmonts (probably still a fair number around in states that aren't in the rust belt), Ford F150s, Tauruses, and Explorers. Kato do a nice Volvo tractor unit, but there are few 53' trailers to go with them. http://www.katousa.com/Zcart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=65_127 GHQ miniatures do some unpainted white metal vehicles that are reasonably modern, like an older Caravan/Voyageur minivan and an older Taurus. http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n-scale-modern-cars-&-trucking.html Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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