Unicorn1

A nice line up of post war LT types at Brooklands on Sunday

Just a heads up for the Hobby Shop in Faversham, their March Madness sale is now on - bargains on some continental items, plus there's a Dapol Dynamometer car currently at £107 -  the prices drop by 10% per day, so as they say 'when they're gone they're gone'.

Les

On 02/11/2023 at 21:22, Oldddudders said:

Walk up the road opposite Charing Cross station, London, and you see a pub called the Harp. It used to be the Welsh Harp. It's not very big, and a busy city pub, if that's an atmosphere you can stand, but in the evenings, no doubt some afternoons, it has - or at least had - a unique feature. From time to time you will hear a bell ring, whereupon a number of imbibers will rise and leave. They are stage-crew at the London Coliseum, required to make a scene-change etc!

One of my favourite London pubs, and they usually have  proper Perry on sale too.

2 hours ago, woodenhead said:

As Andy says, you might think you have found a group of modellers hereby known as the People’s Front of Average Modelling with a consensus, then one of you will cross another's red lines and the group will split and a second group the Average Modelling People’s Front will form.

 

Forevermore there will be two average modelling groups and neither will want to speak to another even if both sides worship a design clever 58 foot Maunsell rebuilt ex LSWR 48 foot coach.

 

🤣

Reminds me of the Joe Meek appreciation society(s)

Another thought before I get to the painting / cork / track laying - I've already decided on the backscene, but how to mount it?

Previously I've jus 'stuck' it to the walls, but I'd like it to curve around the edges of the layout; I've left room for this, but what to use? Would flexible MDF be too heavy?  There is a gap left around the baseboards for this, but other that this I'm at a loss for what to use.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks 

Les

Progress on Bishopscombe II

The main boards finally in place - stable and dead level! - although recovering from a recent hernia op has slowed things down quite a bit!

All joined with pattern makers dowels , and each of the 'push fit' legs equipped with an adjuster.

Never have so many holes been drilled by so few!

Need to seal the tops next then get some cork down, but Mk2 is getting there.

Cheers

Les

Well I  really don't  need one, but a lined green one is on the way!

Once Bishopscombe  2 is ready it can potter about in the quarry for a while.

I did try and resist before, but the price finally made any attempt futile!

Maybe the O1 announcement also influenced the decision........

Les

I'm in the process of rebuilding my layout. I use DCC for train control, but have always used DC for points, via an old Hornby transformer, a CDU and a bank of peco passing contact levers. Could anyone suggest a way of using MP1's (I've got one to experiment with!) but via DC only?

Three things before I start:

I'm used to two wires (+ -)  this seems to only require one

If I need to use a SPDT switch is it ON/ON or ON/OFF/ON?

I will need about eight or nine motors - how do people connect eight 'power' wires to one power source, and eight 'earth' wires to, err, earth?

Sorry about the basic questions!

Les

After dismantling the layout I now have space to start planning and building Bishopscmbe Mk2.

I have deliberately decided on a very similar plan, but with what I've learned over the past 11 years with Mk1 I think I can make this one better - starting from the ground up.

Building the boards has started, and a track plan is more or less decided upon.

two boards now well underway, and the frames for the others done.

And the track plan - as  it is for now.......

There isn't a bay as such, but an end loading dock from the station forecourt, and maybe the cattle pens could also be on this short siding?

I'm not sure I'll keep the cut-out in the second board - but I thought it might b useful for the controls, I need to think a bit more about that!

Cheers

Les

Thanks Jules

I know the feeling. It took me a while to get round to dismantling the layout, but I've done it now so no turning back!

The basic plan was just really to see how the new baseboards would work.

Cheers 

Les

Well, only just three and a half years since the last post in this thread!

Sadly the original layout had seen better days.  It did sterling service, and I learned a lot with it. 

The layout's baseboards were not very well thought out, and the electrics had become un reliable after after twelve years of 'make do and mend'.

So time for a new plan.

I need to have the four main boards small enough to get into the railway room through a small opening - so they are two boards 48" x 30" and two by 48" x 24", with an additional extension (the board to the lower right). (Sorry, I still think, and see, in old money!)

My old fiddle yard board will be re-used where the plan ends at the bottom of the plan.

This is my first draft of a track plan; it's not unlike the old Bishopscombe, which gave me personally plenty of operational interest.

So basically any observations on the plan would be welcome, especially the baseboard joints; the scenery is planned to be mostly drop in, so could be removed later if need be.

Les

44 minutes ago, Metr0Land said:

Happier times at Wisley 11Apr10:

 

The Bedford (CA ?) behind looked better then too.

On the other side - here's D142 emerging from the museum after much work resplendent in it's new Public livery

Indeed.

2 minutes ago, JDW said:

Looks like it needs a bucket of soapy water...

I agree, that would be a start.

At Brooklands today

Ex BOAC Leyland Atlantian / MCW  LYF307D

As they say in these days - "I'll just leave this here...."

Following on from my last post - the 1/24 bus fleet is still growing.

Another Revell Routemaster, this time dressed in a later livery.  I managed to get the cab on this one to sit better, but the canopy sticks out  as a result!! It's not the kit - it's me. A combination of glue/paint creep.

Looking at the photo the grey is too dark so will need re-doing, I also need to make some correct period mirrors. 

The next project......

This could take some time!

Les

21 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

Progress avec le bus Parisienne:

 

 

This has been a one step forward, two steps back build so far. The steering linkage is very flimsy and I managed to break it while working on another part of the bus, so that needed several attempts at repairing. I was in one mind to glue it all up solid (after all, the bus will only sit on a shelf) but in the end managed to get it working again, however it remains fragile. I also made work for myself with the windows. On the main body, I did a dry run when it was partly assembled and convinced myself that - against the instructions - I could clip the window panes in after most of the assembly and painting was done, but this proved to be far from simple and I needed a lot of trimming and persuasion to get the windows to fit. I also had two mishaps with the cab. After painting the frames, I was cleaning my brushes and I must have splashed a bit of heavy-duty paint cleaner on the plastic, leaving two blobs. Unfortunately, by the time I discovered my mistake the morning after, the cleaner had etched into the plastic. The best I could do was attack the whole side panel with fine sandpaper, followed by T-cut and a gloss coat, to get back to something acceptable. I was in two minds about cutting out and replacing the whole window but I was worried about fracturing the whole panel if I did that. Finally, entirely self-inflicted, I painted cream on the front panel where it should be clear, and then had to strip, T-cut and gloss that as well!

 

 

Looking good. Those front panels can cause trouble - on mine the drivers copy of LeMonde in the cab is hiding some paint bleed from the masking!

You're also right about the flimsy steering - I eventually glued mine straight.

Les

17 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

Following the excellent example by Unicorn1:

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/42805-non-railway-modelling/page/33/

 

I was inspired to build the same Heller 1/24th Renault T6 bus kit. Most of what's left to do is painting

and inserting the seats and glazing. It's quite fun to work on such a big scale.

 

Coming along nicely!

Les

17 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

Nice job, Les. I was impressed enough with your lovely Parisien bus to acquire the same kit, although I haven't started mine yet.

 

Not tempted by the Heller 1/8th Traction Avant?

Thanks Barry

The Traction Avant would be nice,  a 1/8th Hachette Routemaster would be even nicer - have to wait for my premium bonds to come up first!

Anyway, in the meantime - go on - open the box....

Les

The layout has taken a back seat lately, but I've been keeping busy with these

1 /24th Revell Routemaster. 

Lots of plastic, but went together well, although the main roof panel was decidedly warped!

The long home made advert on this side went a bit astray, the decal paper was very sticky!

Offside ad went on bette r, blinds were home made. Still need to make some garage running numbers.

What do people always say - look at the prototype - well there's a colour photo of this very bus when new in K Blacker's 'Routemaster, Vol1', which shows it with what looks to be a white relief band! I assumed it would be Chiswick Cream!

The bus was primed grey, and then sprayed with Halfords Ford Radiant Red, not a bad match for Ayres Red, but maybe would have worked better with white primer,

And a 1/32 Mini Art B type. 

Seen in the company of the old Varney 1/76 version, and the 1/72 Roden plastic kit.

I have another two Routemasters to build, one will certainly be green, and another B type as well!

Les

2 hours ago, gwrrob said:

I bet there's not many members on here that remember the last time Brentford were in the top flight division.

Come on you Bees!!!!!!!!!!!!

My dad and older brother remembered the glory days - and the London Cup win of 1941. 

Dad took me to Griffin Park for the first time in about 1967, and the old boys on the terraces still waxed lyrically about beating the likes of Man Utd  5-0, and of being the only football league club to have won all of their home games in a season. A record to this day.

Let's hope we stay up!

Les

Hi Graham

I believe the code 75 SL110 joiners can be used to connect code 75 to bullhead. I may need a curved point and one Y also, so I'm looking at maybe cutting the webbing and increasing the gap between some of the sleepers. 

Les

Hi Graham

Always good to see a full size plan, it does show just how much space the large radius points take up! 

I have used code 75 before and it looks OK, especially side on, but the sleeper spacing is too small. I am currently planning Bishopscombe's  replacement, and will be using Peco 00 bullhead track which looks much better. The only drawback with this at the moment is that only large radius turnouts are available, although I believe more options are on the way. The bullhead turnouts are more expensive, but I think they're a big improvement on the flat bottom 75 ones.

Looking forward to seeing more progress, and probably stealing the odd idea too!

Regards

Les

On 01/01/2021 at 11:33, Metr0Land said:

I've found my remaining London Country / Southdown PD3's.  Contrary to my initial post I evidently did get a front view at Godstone (pic 1).  Pic 2 is at Forest Row.  The bus hasn't actually reached the terminus but the conductor has changed to blind to show West Croydon already, both pics nov75.  Pic 3 is early '76 inside Godstone garage showing AF, RT, RML and LS types.  All 3 pics are LS3, I never saw the others.  What interesting times they were!

Brilliant, you can almost hear the sparrows tweeting in the roof of Godstone garage. It looks like the AF next to the LS isn't going anywhere soon.

Les