TheLaird

September 12, 2022

Andy, thanks for your kind words. Further to Petes comprehensive and informative reply, there is a partly standardised system for decoder functions. As Pete says we still have a lot of legacy decoders going back to ESU v3.5 and so any numbering system has to take account of that. F2 is the dynamic brake, F3 Whistle or Horn, F5 Light Engine mode, F8 Coasting (where available), F9 flange Squeal and F12 inertia On/Off. Because the DMU's have to be consisted to run in multiple, the dynamic brake function cannot be used and so F2 is used for the Horn.

Regards JohnE

January 10, 2022

On 20/12/2021 at 17:18, flockandroll said:

May I ask, what you used to fix down the ballast? I don't think you said. As you went baseboard, carpet adhesive, laminate underlay foam, carpet adhesive, track, I wondered what you used to fix the ballast? And how has this affected running noise?

Best Wishes and stay safe,

Flocky

Flocky, what little ballasting has been done to date, I have used the traditional method of dropping dilute PVA with a wetting agent onto it. Best wetting agent I've found is Fairy liquid!! Ballast is building sand. So far the noise level seems unaffected.

Regards John E.

June 17, 2021

So having got over all the excitement of the video episodes and the remodelling of the LCS throat, it was back to the locomotive works for some more conversions. Three tank loco's for a friends layout, two Scots and a couple of Black uns for Leeds.

"Cameronian" and "The Green Howards" join classmate "Royal Engineer" on the Leeds roster. All fitted with YouChoos sound files on Zimo chips with a large speaker in the tender and a sugar cube in the boiler to move the sound forward.

Some may recognise 44781 as an ex Bradfield loco, fitted with an older zimo Digitrains sound file. 45273 has a Locoman sound on Zimo chip. Both loco's have the same speaker arrangement as the Scots.

May 28, 2021

May 28, 2021

May 21, 2021

For those that would like to see the video, www.emgs.org 1030 tomorrow.

April 22, 2021

All wired up and working, just got to figure out how to control it now!!

April 12, 2021

5 hours ago, Brassey said:

What is the impact of this on the lever frame?

These changes will not affect the lever frame at LCJ, all of the new pointwork is controlled by Leeds West Box. There is a scheme afoot to replicate the NX panel that was installed there in the 1930's.

April 12, 2021

I seem to have caused some confusion with the pics of my trackwork. The double track that leaves the junction and sweeps around towards the rear of the layout, represent the lines to/from the ex-joint station that is referred to for operational purposes as Leeds City South (LCS). Shortly after leaving the junction, these lines cross the canal bridge and at that point reality ends. When I first built the layout, it was intended that the LCS lines would be purely cosmetic, however after the extension and re design I realised that they could become operational. There was not enough room to model LCS, so the lines disappeared through the backscene into the three road storage sidings along the back of the layout. The lines in LCS are at a higher level than those in the ex-Midland side, operationally called Leeds City North (LCN). This was useful as on the model they needed to clear the point servos, although it meant setting them at a higher level than in reality. Last year, I built the low relief LCS train shed and devised the roof to cover the three storage roads. This was when I decided to remove the remainder of the backscene and expose the lines leading into the train shed, although the backscene will be retained to conceal the setback sidings. The existing pointwork for the storage sidings reduced all lines to a single lead which did not look right. Operationally it could not accommodate simultaneous arrivals and departures. So this is what prompted the re-modelling of the junction at LCS. Totally un prototypical but allows connectivity between all roads.

To answer one of Andrews questions, bearing in mind it was originally a storage yard, the pointwork was all copperclad. I wanted to re-use as much of the original as I could so to match it, I stuck to copperclad construction.

Herbert Nigel is partly correct in that it does aim to represent the joint stn but the Farnley Viaduct lines are further around the corner and lead into the South Storage Yard. It is intended to include an amount of traffic to/from LCS, especially that which crosses to the Midland side to gain access to the Leeds Northern and on to Harrogate and beyond. Also the Farnley Viaduct traffic will be included but the main constraint will be storage yard capacity.

The following diagrams may help understanding but if not please feel free to ask further.

Track Plan.

Schematic Diagram.

April 11, 2021

Track all stuck down so hopefully makes it a bit clearer what the scheme is. Next job is to connect operating wires and servo's, then just wire it all up... again! I think it looks a bit more like a station throat now. Low relief Leeds West Box to go in the space on the left.

April 8, 2021

So having finally completed the EMGS video last week, it's back to some modelling. After completing the City South trainshed last year, I decided not to reinstate the backscene and leave the approaches exposed. Because of this and the desire to make operations more workable, the throat really needed re modelling. The current task is to build some pointwork. Wot I hadn't appreciated is that it would require alterations to the groundwork, as the alignment has changed to accommodate this!

March 23, 2021

2 hours ago, pippindoo said:

Just been browsing the British Pathe film library and came across a clip entitled 'The Railway Today 1960' It features a short clip, beginning at 3 mins 10 secs, showing an architect's model of the station's planned reconstruction. May be of interest...

https://www.britishpathe.com/video/the-railway-today/query/the+railway+today

Thanks for posting, interesting stuff.

March 19, 2021

1 hour ago, Andrew Duncan said:

Hello John

What a mammoth undertaking, and now its really beginning to look like a station, very exciting! What is going on down at the front of the layout at the lower level, and what are the rectangles of 2mm MDF(?) with a circle of the same and a screw through the centre, for? Sorry if I've missed the reason before.

Incidentally I'm hoping to start building the odd signal for Yeovil in the nearish future and so start to use your natty bases!

Kind regards

Andrew

Hi Andrew, nice to hear from you and that things are still progressing. The squares and circles are a form of adjustable clip that hold the platform edges in place. The squares have elongated slots in them to allow for adjustment to clear stock. The section you can see is the parcels dock and is awaiting the top surface to be fitted.

Regards John E

March 18, 2021

Lights, Camera, Action!!

Work underway on the EMGS Video.

March 7, 2021

48 minutes ago, wilks said:

Are the conversion to EM by widening the b2b on the Bachmann wheels on their axles? There is obviously clearance behind the slide bars, cross head and crankpin on the leading driver.

Five of the Jubilees have had their wheels pulled, all the remaining locos have had new wheels fitted. The Fairburns do not have sufficient clearance behind the crossheads etc and the Scot has insufficient clearance behind the splashers.

Regards John E.

March 7, 2021

5 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

I wondered what your filming contract might be.......

Until I saw this:

expoEM Spring21_ A5-V1.pdf 1.69 MB · 49 downloads

Spot on Andy!

March 6, 2021

Flushed with the success of the Jubilee's, I decided to continue with the loco conversions and did some of these:-

And whilst I was at it decided to have a go at a Scot that had been in the store cupboard for a few years.

But now it's time to fulfil a filming contract that's been hanging over my head for a while!!

February 10, 2021

No Steve, these:-

https://www.rapidonline.com/truconnect-20-way-turned-pin-sil-socket-22-1750

February 9, 2021

4 minutes ago, wilks said:

Do you secure the wheels in place with a spot of loctite or similar?

I've not had cause to do so to date. They are on splines so no danger of them slipping around the axle but you do have to make sure you leave an equal amount of axle within each wheel or they soon become wobbly!! Truth is that it's a sloppy way of doing things but saves a fair bit of time...and money!!

Regards John E.

February 9, 2021

7 hours ago, Steve Taylor said:

Btw - where do you get the connectors from?

Steve, the connectors are PCB Headers and sockets. They come in strips of 20 or 32, you just snip off how many you want to make the connector you need. Bought from Rapid Online and cost about £2 a strip.

Regards John E.

February 9, 2021

This video clip gives some idea of the sound. Alberta has one of the base reflex speakers in the tender and sugar cube under the chimney.

February 9, 2021

13 hours ago, barrowroad said:

Interesting John. Is the large speaker in the tender the original Bachmann speaker?

Robin.

No Robin, two have a base reflex which is quite large and only just fits in the tender. The rest have a "Big Boomer" by Rail Exclusive, the people who make the sugar cubes. The latter are smaller, only 7mm deep so fit in without having to cut away the coal space, the pics show how I fit them.

February 8, 2021

9 hours ago, barrowroad said:

Hi, What sound system have you adopted for your Jubilees?

Robin

Robin, the first six have Digitrains sound and I tried a YouChoos for the last one as a comparison. All on Zimo decoders with large speaker in the tender and a sugar cube below the chimney to move the sound forward a bit. Jury is still out on the comparison!

Regards John E.

February 7, 2021

So having survived the festive season followed by some unexpected DIY stuff, I decided that it was time to get some more steam loco's on the job.

A batch conversion job to produce these Holbeck Jubilees. All but one have had wheels pulled, all have been fitted with sound systems and of course weathered. Only one has the correct tender.

February 4, 2021

Like this? Many thanks Ian for the reminder, wasn't sure that I still had to upload to UTube first.

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