Robert Shrives

Just to put here as part of a record of the layout. Modern two car dmus with headlamps and second vehicle bogies with pickups bought an interesting operational headache. A set stopped just short of the bufferstops meant the second vehicle wiring connected the always live pointwork to the bufferstop section so it was always running! A joy of DC... However with a bit of thought and thanks to David`s clear wiring work it was possible to move just two wires and cut one fishplate to cure. It is now possible to have a two car unit in the platform and have a freight arrive in the loop or have a railcar/ light engine come in on top of the twin. I have ordered from Rails of Shefield a pair of the Peco vary gauge loco lifts to see if I can make an easy lift out unit to make fiddle yard more flexible. If it works and a third one for quick hand free turning of locos with one end detailed bufferbeams then hopefully even more enjoyable to operate. Robert

I am looking forward to perhaps seeing some spare tenders of CKD models being available in time to allow cut and shut messing to produce other locos. If this is a gradual move into Scottish locos the wish list for HR engines will be a big one I am sure. a Ben, Loch, 0-4-4 tank and one of the 4-4-0 tanks intended for South America - very pretty locos. Some even got LMS "red" so lots to go at. While discussion on coaches has centered so far on generics and LMS transfers in I would think that early wagons and vans could come from many sources but a Highland brake or road van will be on the list. Robert

https://www.hattons.co.uk/newsdetail?id=878 Shows the Green SR generic fleet and I am sure use of a cocktail stick or similar instrument the Southern Railway text could be removed. There are of course some brass origami available for HR coaches. In LMS days a lot of stock was cascaded north when the lack of decent 3rd class stock was spotted. So the black loco options offer good choice . I wonder how quick before Ben Alder gets "British Railways" on the tender of one! Robert

Brilliant news, should kick start even more HR based layouts. Just now need for it to fall under the shrink ray gun.. Robert

Brilliant news - just as I put orange stripes on a 3D print 180 and look to masking windows on tfw 175 - time to take a new hobby --- knitting perhaps. Robert

That is a great line up! Hope to make the Sunday. Thanks to all involved in getting the expo up and running ! Robert

Hi , Well spotted, along with some Rusty Epletts` Cornish railways liveried locos - Black, large yellow ends and lizard BR logo - D600 and D6300 "strategic reserve"- found in a shed in Cornwall and 37207 the layout played host to a large logo 68 - which was very popular! The fun one was the class 49. Rusty was able to follow the Foster Yeoman lead on buying in US locos but with a reduced budget and so when IR were offering 071 class locos, as the 201 was expected to achieve more, he was able to obtain one for trails, well he might have done anyway before the board found out .... It is a Shapeways 071 3D print on a US chassis. Sadly the lines are too much to bear so it is only used on night freights but was waiting a path back on Poldeen and was dumped in the kickback siding. The US chassis from an Atlas RSD5 is silky smooth and the micro trains coupler does just about work with the Dapol easyshunt. I guess a baby 58 if you squint/ look the other way. Robert

Two pics , not of best quality, but showing the rake of 15 behind a 66 - ought to be an EWS one really on Warley club Broadwater junction layout. With med and short Dapol dummy buckeye couplers happily traverse the 15" curves - and for fun propelled round as well. I was asked if they were for sale which I guess is a good start.

Two pics from the open day , at the end of the day with a GW 153 ready to depart

Layout had a day out to Warley Club openday on Sunday Roundly 250 in the door , I could have sold layout several times which says a lot for the design and execution. Before lunch it was banger blue period and after it was 1994 plus with 153s amd 66 and 68s. The N soc hunslet shunter and "leased" 14029 in blue did the docks branch transfers - bullets silver and MOD bullets as trade. DRS 66 on road learning duty. Rusties Cornish Railways 37207 and fantasy black 22 and D600 showed up for an open day along with the large logo 68. Some pics on Warley club FB page. The layout proved to many a good play value possible and you do not need 25 feet of O gauge end to end or 10 X15 foot roundy 00 for a bit of simple fun. Layout and stock conveyed to show thanks to West mids bus services! Robert

FWIW I will take the WIP to the Warley club open day on Sunday 20th Feb . Robert

Hi Thanks for the bump! due to the stall on the glazing not much more done. Re colours I used Halfords Rattle cans with Blue being Ford Midnight Blue - I use this for DRS/ Reg rail and NIR Bumble bee blue. Grey being Ford Polar grey Yellow is Inca yellow , but Mustard equally good. Recently I have used Riolett in Milton Keynes for RAL mixed and have a great rail grey but lots of others out and about who will do mixes. These are all Acylic based paints and with care spray well , mask of course and can be done out of doors on a warm sunny day. _ I keep some large clean plastic boxes as covers - dusted out of first! when paint is covered to protect but the Halfords paints are more than touch dry in minutes. I really ought to carry on and finish these before the IRM rtr ones land .. Robert

A big thank you to all involved a great show and venue was good. Lunch had upstairs and good value given size of portion - filled Yorkhire. Great layouts with the show having a good range Blueball summit was worth a watch even with no trains - well observed sharp modelling and brilliantly presented models when long trains gently trundled past - modelling at its best. I am sure there were others but as an N modeller it was refreshingly well done. As a 3mm modeller It was very good to see two layouts showcasing the scale - 5 or 6 deep on Saturday around Masbury Tor I was told and today quite busy. Traders I spoke too seemed more than happy, The general view was as an early post lockdown show a lot of restocking of widgets and tuits ( round and square) was taking place. Perhaps Donny gained due to news of York, another year will tell I guess. Needless to say late to the show as NR failed the brewery tour test at Birmingham New St with an overun but busy when arriving just before noon, but after 14.30 able to move very easily. XC service home was a double set and well loaded and of course on time ! Phil`s advice above about B2 for shuttle was very good as went directly and a long suffering driver nodded me on and on our way in a few minutes, very smooth transfer, as was lift back to station. Robert

Saltley had two sherpa minibuses- well that was what was bought by the BRM but really rusty, grime crusted vaguely rail yellow death traps . More used to be on any 2 of 4 wheels on the roundabouts from Saltley to BHM , Snow Hill/ Moor st. or TS. IIRC the drivers were naughty boys from other grades and gave less than 20% of an F about anything... but great comrades all the same. Certainly a couple parked near depot buildings with driver nearby having yet another smoke would set the scene. Depot cats get a mention and Saltley no different, "cooking fat" most come label and I sure they had a roster, links and GDPR arrangements, feted by fitters and feared by train crew. One regularly sat on upturned buffer outside the workshop stores, it might have been ginger but depot fitters used to clean their hands and despite all the health risks nobody told the cats that licked it off ready for its next nap in the sun. I never had a problem with them and they were friendly to me but not others and the rat catcher link did a fair job for an inner-city infested BR depot, or perhaps an inter-city infested depot! . The wrecked vans now replaced by a vast taxi bill and vehicles not less than 4 years old or can be declined by drivers.... differing times... Robert

In other news despite double sets etc The volume of sports fans, day trippers etc seen evidence of a lot of cramming on trains today on the XC network today, "Covid is so 2019 darlings !!! " Said in a Patsy /ab fab voice... Robert

https://www.dccsupplies.com/shop/ar88127-rivets-hopper-car/ Was what I had in mind - sorry to hijack thread..

Added to diary but good to know that Cross country network serves Birmingham New st well and it is a short hop on the WMT Cross city service so rail access to the show is a no brainer. Robert

Check out Archer rivet transfers from DCC supplies. Robert

And finish my kits - need to add the chains to the bipart door gear! Robert

In other news I have been building an N gauge double slip which was dispatched by the Boss last week! Great fun and a joy to assemble. I think the 4mm version of the points must just about build themselves. Cheers Wayne for all work and midnight oil expended. Robert

Hi The EGMS points are an 18mm version of the 16.5 bullhead system - well liked and robust. As some furries onTY say "simples!" Waynes kits are pretty well drop together with only droppers to solder on and the build guides are that simple - I have built 8 in N that had the first version with a cast crossing nose for fun and currently have a double slip in the new all rail crossing nose - on a 3D printed base and this while a complex bit of track the kit is close to a drop together . Wayne has closed his shop for 2 weeks to regroup and I suspect a bit of well deserved R&R. When he opens shop again worth getting a kit and having a go. If you have built a metcalfe or Ratio/ airfix kit in times gone by then Wayne`s kits are within your grasp. Robert

Going EM is a good idea EGMS with it`s ready to lay trackage - sourced from peco and Wayne`s Finescale track EM kits you have a brilliant starting point not available just a few years ago. With drop in wheelsets and diy axle work with a back to back makes stock conversion much easier and reversible should the need ever arise. EGMS offers a good networking system as well with plenty of friendly support. Robert

While waiting for Tartan paint details... I have just sprayed the bodyshells and sanded back once and repeated - photos later much smoother. The shells fine as they come for the overlays but wishing to be awakward I will spray the dark grey and use transfers for the IC stripes. The ends may well tax ... with curvy stripes etc. Robert

Brilliant wagon to model and done the deed to order a pack and the last wagon specical. On FB over the weekend it was noted 20% presold which is really good. Hopefully the next wagon will really "beet" all sales records. Robert

Hi Hope all well and good to see the Fort Bill layout going well as well. The only change has been to add a push button to control the fiddle track so it hold a railcar while loco runs round.- Easy job given your excellent wiring ! The layout also got to a show a Leamington a couple of years ago and had been a regular at Dapol open days until Covid saw club cancelled. Fun point on Sunday just gone layout ended up in the office for the day. The advantage of the design of a layout in a box is that it is so easy to take on the bus/train and travel light. Re reading the thread was good as I spotted the PDF for the timetable so will try it out at the Club in a few weeks. Handling the stock is an issue but not a big one for me. I guess some N gauge loco lift type things would help at some point. The Dapol couplings - main reason for taking to the club open days was to how how easy to install and use, really make the layout for hands free fun! The issue of RM No 800 goes with showing the layout. take care and have fun. Robert