AJon30

Just a quick update. Not a lot of work on the layout, finally finished wiring the 37 way connector between the 2 baseboards on Kimbolton Town. Hopefully, depending on the weather, should finish wiring this week and give it a trail run. Busy week-end on exhibitions. We were meant to go to Astolat at Guilford but that was cancelled Friday afternoon. However we then had a call from the Brambleton Club for help with their show at Harpenden, which we were able to take Willowbrook Marsh. On the Sunday it was off to Leamington to help with Penpoll Quay. Great shame that the weather has disrupted so much planning - hat's off to everyone who struggled through the snow to still put on a show.

Hello from snowy Luton Not a lot happening today, too busy with work and getting around in the snow. St Albans show went well, packed and away by 7pm on Sunday which is good. Spent too much as usual!! Photo is my fireless loco, which will be the gas works shunter and a couple of the new Dapol wagons, one acquired at St Albans, thank you Kernow Model Rail, pity they only had a couple (the other was a GW open - no way!!).

Hi. Not a vast amount done today - work keeps getting in the way! Continued with the wiring, added a small logic circuit with some diodes to control the run-round and cattle dock connections. Its the CMRA St Albans show this week-end and I am helping with the set-up tomorrow afternoonand then the strip-down on Sunday evening. Possibly might get along to spend money as well, although have a funeral on Saturday to attend. More next week

Hello again Since Christmas (not sure what year!) I have fitting the wiring to the board for Kimbolton Town. While I always start eager and ready, the volume of wiring seems never ending. I think I am due an award from the British Wire Industry the amount I use! There are 11 colours yet I always seem to get the same colours appearing at connectors but with different functions. Wish they would do some with a white stripe (for example) to increase the options. This is a DC layout with multiple controllers and needs to link in with the existing controllers at Pertenhall so that I have the ability to run a train straight through from the sector plate. While QUESTA was built as DCC from the start my O gauge stock is mainly DC so I am wiring the layout so that can be operated as DC now but DCC in the future, when I can afford the decoders. Here’s the control panel which has come up quite nice. It hides inside the large retort building in the Gas Works at Kimbolton Town. Next thing is the add the micro switches to the H & M point motors (I don’t use the inbuilt contacts) which is always fun working from underneath. Now was that left or right?

Hi. Managed to add photo's by trial & error - enjoy

Hello, my name is Andrew Jones and I am a member of Luton Model Railway Club. This little blog is going to be covering the count down to our forthcoming exhibition in Dunstable on 27th April where I have rashly said I will exhibit my new O gauge layout - The Stodden Hundred Light Railway (SHLR). As was mentioned at the Club last night, that’s only 16 weeks away, and there is a lot of work to do. The background to the SHLR was initially a plan to get a small (9ft x 2ft) O gauge layout with some operating potential. I operate Alistair George’s Swansea Riverside, which is a small South Wales engine shed layout, which is nice but even Alistair will agree, a little light on operating potential. Great if you have a fleet of large loco’s you want to display, but guaranteed to drive the operator round the bend! Alistair’s layout is 8ft and features 2 x 3 way points. I decided to add 1 foot and 1 point and see what happened. Thus Pertenhall & Swineshead was born, and here are photo’s of its early stage, when it was erected for a running session. This was all progressing OK when we decided to hold the Dunstable exhibition and, before engaging brain, I volunteered to extend Pertenhall to the next station Kimbolton Town, making a grand total of 19 feet! Pertenhall was always designed as a through station, with a main board of 5 ft, the brick works / coal siding of 3 ft and a 1 ft station area. By replacing the 1ft with a 2ft long connector board and then adding 2 more 4 ft 6 ins boards, we ended up with 19 ft, and a major headache! Needless to say when I agreed to the extension, nothing existed of the additional board etc! This is a photo of Kimbolton Town with the track laid loosely and some mock up buildings added. So, a lot of work to do and not enough time! Did I also mention that I am still working and also have our club layout QUESTA, an On30 layout going out to Milton Keynes on the 16th February? Mad. yes, certifiable, probably! Anyway welcome to the journey. Just to give a taster of the final layout, here is the completed brick works / coal siding.