Grafarman

Hi all; a couple of quick questions if I may: 1. Does each HM6010 accessory unit outlet have the capacity to fire more than one solenoid at a time? Most of my points are thrown in pairs to control loops/crossovers and I need the ability to throw 2 or even 4 points in one go, which my current old-school CDU does admirably! 2. Has anyone tried the HM6000 with O gauge? My Gaugemaster D unit copes fine, as did my old Hornby controller until it packed up, and I was wondering if the new unit carries the same clout! Many thanks David

I sent off to Modelu and the lamps arrived next day, which I think is quite impressive! Painted them up and popped in the lenses, colouring one red with a dvd marker pen. I pushed a tiny bit of blutac into the slots to stop them wobbling on the irons. I think they look the part... David

You'd think some enterprising soul would create some ready-to-fit lamps wouldn't you, rather than having to cut, file or glue solid lumps of metal or plastic...or am I being too naive, and modellers actually relish the extra work...?! David

Modelu it is then! Don't know why I didn't think of them before; I've just finished painting up some of their workmen... Thanks all David

Hi all, just starting out in 7mm, and I've hit a snag; probably minor in the big scheme of things but important in the long run: in trying to fit lamps to locos I've yet to find an example that's pre-drilled/slotted. I've been trying to use Springside metal ones - which I use in OO successfully as you can get away with a bit of filing and tacky wax - but I simply don't have the means to drill/cut the 7mm versions. So far I've broken the handles, split the metal and generally made a right mess! Any suggestions for ready-to-fit WR lamps out there...?! David

Only in as much that quantities of each were consumed in the making of it...

Thanks for your reply; I use something similar to this and am becoming quite adept at it, but the problems I'm having are with the couplings themselves, which often a) aren't long enough to reach the hook without buffer compression, or b) they're too thick to go over their own or the opposing hook or c) the links are too small to be hooked up properly. Dapol seem to be the chief culprits in the sheer variety of couplings on their production models, but maybe their aftersales couplings might be better, along with the Peco ones mentioned earlier. David

Hi all Ok, so I've started dabbling in O gauge, using Dapol and Heljan stock with a couple of Slaters kits to get me started. I have a small BLT layout about 18' long which I'm using as a testbed. Now then: couplings - it seems to me that manufactures use different chain lengths/thicknesses which often don't easily drop onto the opposing hook, making coupling doubly difficult given the obvious need for a steady hand. (I actually have a Dapol wagon 'Atrill' on which the chain is too thick to pivot properly and the link too small to pass over its own hook!) The Heljan coupling (on a 61xx) seems superior as it's thinner and longer which does away with the need for the 'hand of God' pushing the stock together to make the connection, but the Dapol ones seem to be all different lengths and widths. The Slaters kit couplings seem much better and couple up easily, but don't reach past the long buffers of, say, an autocoach. Question: Is there a standard chain link size/length which can be obtained separately, which I can put on all the stock? I have sent off for a set of 5 GLR Maglinks which I intend to experiment with, but I would like to address this problem if possible. By the way, I've looked at the possibility of changing the whole coupling, hook and all, but some are buried in a mass of detail behind the buffer beam, so I'm going for chains first! All input gratefully received! Thank you David

Just sent off for a set of 5 'dual' magnet links for a trial, so be interested to see how they work and if anyone else uses them...! David

Seriously, are you going to install a camera inside so people can see the internal details...? It surely warrants it IMO... David

Prestatyn for me, having been born there, live there, and modelled it in N gauge...! Wonderful branch line to Dyserth up some impressive gradients, and in its heyday had 4 platforms and a queue of trains of all shapes and sizes...much nicer than Rhyl David

Thank you, yes a pdf would be great - DM me please; and I like the bit of history...lots of potential! David

Wow....! Thank you; that looks really good, and yes feel free to use as you like. I need to go and spend some time pondering now...! David

You could do worse than call it 'Rockfield' after the Welsh village near Monmouth with the famous recording studio...!

Ok, so, as it would be a first trial as such, I was thinking late-50's/early 60's BR country station buried somewhere in the Welsh borders - a largely forgotten backwater apart from the staff and locals who value this connection with the outside world...! There's plenty of choice in rtr stock etc, eg Dapol's 14xx, 57xx, 08 and upcoming small prairie, pulling variously an autocoach; a 2-coach B-set from Bristol/Cardiff, or pair of suburban brakes; and a local pick-up goods with 6 wagons and a brake van. It would need a goods shed and coal yard, with an oil tank for local heating oil supply; and a single engine shed with a loco coal/water/diesel facility. The station platform only needs to be about a metre long to accommodate 2 coaches, and sidings long enough for 2 or 3 wagons in each... Peco .124 BH track to start with to get something up and running quickly! Hope that helps...thank you David

Spot-on; looks pretty good...feel free to develop this any way you like, I'm more than happy for the input...! David

Many thanks; this does make a lot of sense, although I agree that the bridge needs to be longer; but the concept is sound enough...

Trying to visualise this but can't get my head around the bridge siting...any chance of a rough plan drawing...?

This does look 'acceptable' especially if the curve is disguised in some way... I realised that 16'4"x7'3" in O gauge is more or less the same as 8x4 in OO or 4x2 in N, both of which I've had in the past; question is: would I be happy going back to those restraints or do I need something different...? Jury's out for the time being...!

Thank you - this looks and sounds exactly the sort of thing I'd be aiming for; I'll go back to Anyrail and play around with the plan...

Someone else suggested this to me earlier today, so it seems that might be the way to go...thank you for your input David

Another vote for a Stanier 8F...followed by a Collett 2884, but only because I've seen 3802 up close and personal...!

No, I paid enough to have the garage converted so I can't justify setting up outside as well...!

Thank you; yes that makes a whole lot more sense, and the station could be low-relief so saving a bit more, and I could use a traverser for the fiddle yard perhaps... It does seem there's a lot more to think about than meets the eye; good job I'm not in a rush...!

Thank you Andy; I'm off to look at your Bala Town thread as I really like the look and feel of the station and yard...