madmax

Hi Kevin Saw your layout at Romsey - very impressed. Whilst it is clear from this blog that the modelling and loco's are first rate until you see this live and hear the sounds in conjunction with the modelling - it blows you away! Excellent work! And I have been trying to cram DCC sound into my N-gauge loco's every since! Any news on your next outing?

Hi Dave Nae laddie - have plenty of the golden nectar but the reason for the name is that there are certain things that can't be tackled after a drop of the stuff - and DCC-ing N-gauge stock with sound is one of them! However currently I am fitting some DCC point motors and they are proving to be very hard to set-up to stop them shorting on switching the live frogs. Have done about 20 now (2 double slips included) and at least 6 need some more work which in this case means taking them off testing them and refitting in correct places. It is much more time consuming than I could ever have believed! After this I will be ready for a wee dram! Looking forward to seeing some sound fitted deltics when the HST's are finished? Regards Dave 2

Hi Dave WW I have been following your layout for a while and it is an inspiration to watch the development and attention to detail. I have been a "collector" of model railways for many years but now at last I have got the urge to work on a proper layout with proper locomotives and rolling stock that really reflects the prototype. I had previously thought of doing a layout based in Scotland either Waverley or Inverness but gave up the challenge as it took to long to get started and much to long to get anything decent ready to run. Then there is the changing technologies with DCC, computer control and now sound! When you add this to the fact that my chosen scale is the small stuff (N-gauge UK 1:148/2mm) then perhaps I have some excuses for not getting to this point after 30 years! (Can't believe it is 30 years - oh dear!) :-) Thanks to your on-going work I can see that this is the long haul and as a result I have now completed the first part of the layout in the last 6 months and I am at last able to run trains. I have watched how you painstakingly convert improve restore locomotives to real models and have accepted that it is not quantity but quality that counts. As a result, I have now just completed my first two N-gauge DCC Sound locomotives (37 and 47) and I am also now defacing them with weathering. Yes the models have improved, the technology has improved and, the running qualities have improved but, without inspiration from people such as yourself posting on the forum, so people can see what is possible with time and patience (with enjoyment and frustration along the way) many more layouts would stay in the imagination. Keep up the good work and maybe one-day I might find the time to post some shots of "Nae Laphroig" on this forum. Many Thanks Dave 2