Robert Shrives

Layout to get an airing at Warley club open day Sunday 20th Feb 2022. Blue era Western region planned. Robert

little update, the locking room window frame inserted into hole and not fitted behind as is operating level frames- sharp blade to slice 0.8 ply but worked ok and totally disguises 1.5 ply thickness of main walls. The lazer label says 4mm but it is a 2mm sheet. As shown second front as a spare so kit is generous in the extreme. Robert

What I should add is I have been unable to find any suitable tartan paint for the seats . Robert

Yes slightly sharp edges to the cab, it is one part of CAD / 3D printing that escapes the "process" - unless much time to hand to fiddle and fiddle again. It does look a little like some early artist impressions but the many pics of the real thing will allow some fun.. Robert

The whole new set of vehicles, bogies and underframes have had a session in a ultrasonic cleaner and now drying. Some new rattle cans from Halfords - mainly black but a very dark grey to try for the exec dark grey. And a "vast" expense some more farish coach wheels ... so hopefully some fairly quick progress Robert

Bernard, Yes the printed glazing strip provides a natty printed grill. I do need to add some 5thou plastic on the roof behind cab for the roof panel to lift out the gen set that was behind the grills. Also to investigate adding lighting, i have a spare Dapol Voyager light board that has light guides fixed to it so the cab end will get some attention. Hope all well otherwise Robert

Lazer N Rogart cabin progress , hats off to Andrew at Pop up having taken up the challenge of reducing a 4mm design to 2mm. 0.8mm thick ply for window frames and 1.5mm for the main shape . Basic shape, I have trimmed the baseplate to minimal size with 2mm off the outside to enable fitting into scenery on the layout. 0.8 ply , sprayed in white primer , showing the fine window frames, the land around them is the glue space to mount inside the core. Having sprayed I wondered if the frame outline would cut so new blade and yes so as a trail I have flush fitted to front. The photo also shows lots of levers these can be assembled to give interior details, HR cabins were often not much more than covered leverframes with token instruments in the station building so having just a frame and chair is fine, bike outside for roving signalman of course! The Rogart mnameboard might be a step too far as the letters have broken but as my roundy has yet to get a name this is not a problem. The cut name on the core shape easily covrered, but does show what the lazer with a good design can create, well beyond my tec skill it has to be said, but a joy to assemble this well thoughtout kit. It is still a development item but Andrew was happy for me to show progress. Robert

Well having been a fan of all things APT since its inception this kit fills a long felt want, after a false start in N gauge a few years ago I had imagined the "feltwant" might be unfullfilled however Stephen Hill has come up trumps due to the 3D world of model making, something I would fail to even get a dunce hat. Thus I am very thankful for everybody who enjoys 3D print designing. As I have said at Warley show when displaying 3D models on N rolling stock - it does not make for cheap modelling but adds variation to the excellent rtr/ rtp produced by the "big boys." So A couple of pics of works so far. Hopefully, and enforcing strict diet,reduced heating and lighting I can create a mix and match APT fleet. I have got or plan to do a 6 car half rake, two power cars and then the twin bogie development coach with a brake first and driver with lifted nose. This can be swapped for a two vehicle half rake with normal nose. The dummy PC can be used with the development train and a 252 power car. Well it seemed a good idea !! hopefully updates will follow over the next few months ( hopefully not years!) so far with the bogie coach, Halford ford ivory can for the light exc. Dummy NDM on left with a trial dark grey. pic of the Driving trailer with raised cone, excuse the wobbly look as bodies just place on rails, in distance another APT "bursts" from the tunnel leaning into the curve. The kits come with bogie frames and printed glazing which is pretty clear hopefully a spray with smokey gloss varnish will make for tinted windows, this sadly hides the printed interiors! Tomtec TM - 18 chassis for around £50 off ebay and runs like the wind but could push 8 Dapol Mk 3s so plenty of power. Some farish 6mm coach wheels dropped in other bogies and these seem free wheeling enough just in the printed bogies. If this floats your boat then check out Bees hill models on face book and website under construction - www.beeshillmodels.co.uk I must add that Adam Warr at Electra grahpics has produced vinyl overlays - I bought one for Sc48204- the bogied coach version and very good it is too. check www.electrarail.co.uk. Being foolish I am going to try to use transfers but I will have to mask and spray the curvy colour bits on the cab ends... Railtec do a set of APT numbers and NDM decals - A set of curvy decals for the front would certainly improve my chances! www.railtec-models.com/showitem.php?id=4661 as link to the transfers. Robert

Spine cars when empty do seem prone, IIRC there are consist instructions on where about in trains they should go. But I exepect in US Style the crawler crane units and crew will be all over it quickly.

Two more pics not quite sharp but hope for better next time. But first one shows Exeter end exit with exit masked with trees overhanging and a bridge. Second one show Dawlish end with foot crossing- in reality a site of frequent trespass and at least once worse. The layout pic shows the cable links to the continuous live scenic section and the 4 core 16VAC supply from twin transformer box to Gaugemaster controllers and point motors. So it is easy to set up and the board connections are cupboard screw connectors. I guess in time an MDF travel box on two wheels will allow a public transport option.

Layout vacc`ed perhaps 70% of grass stuck down so more visits required however turnout installed, siding isolation push button installed and tested ok. Point motor on order. Shift pattern prevents a real visit in opening hours so hopefully postie will deliver in a few days. Ballasting has caused loss of power on loop siding- seeped around a fishplate sufficiently to insulate, a bit of solder to bridge joint will cure but it can wait until point motor arrives and a few hours after work next week perhaps. No rush it is a hobby after all. Work on new signalcabin started after test parts from Pop up arrived last week as well. More on that shortly but first looks at lazer cut sheets are very promising but fiddly in 2mm! 11 hr Sunday shift to mull over next works.. good night.

The overhead shot shows a possible siding on the top edge - the Ben Ando siding as he suggested it. Track cut this morning in possession and peco RH point to install, I will fit a PL11 surface mount and cross wire with three way turnout so no need for extra wires in control panel. Only drawback no PL11 tohand... moving board will allow a clean up of unstuck grass ready for a second sowing. Robert

Hi Well lurking in Wales and now making progress is a circular layout inspired by Powderham near Exeter, bit of seawall and some Metcalfeshire buildings on holiday to Devon. I was hoping the original builder will see this as it was a previously owned purchase from a gent in Wales who had hoped to encourage his son, but I have lost those contact details. It was shown running on a little video but this was just for selling as it was not really wired up. This work has continued slowly but here are a couple of pics. Stock wise I foresee 800, voyager, Castle HST, couple of sprinters and a freight- perhaps a 66 on PW wagons or oil tanks. The fun would be a pair of XC power cars on test or GWR 57 towing an HST PC. - The middle reversible siding can hold 3 short trains. So a sprinter could shuttle on and off with a short train stood in middle section. Track feeds were commoned up and Dapol test HST ( seemed right for the job) was given a trundle round. The 25 way socket will be link to removable panel. This allows both halves to be fixed closely together for transport. The panel will get megapoints route indicator system and being old and grumpy it is a DC layout! GM controller inserted into board as shown. There is a back scene to hide the stock sidings and inevitable tea cup rings ! Hopefully more to show towards end of month with panel in place- if not finished, point motors are fitted but need adjustment to get throw correct.

Update, static grass growing well. 2

Update, static grass growing well. An evenings work with static gizmo sold for making tufts of ebay, great for N, Mix from Model tree shop 4mm dead grass and winter meadow along with wwscenics 1mm scorched grass and 2mm Patchy in varying proportions. quite a bit to vac up tomorrow and review application but does look fairly as I recall trips to the far north ranges of BR.

While nothing on N spares web site worth a call to see if any spare bodies available. Robert

At least the bridge has been painted to fit in instead of a country green colour seen on many such structures. Also you cannot get stuck in a lift/ moving urinal facility as seen at other stations on the network.

I should add I am now expecting Ben and Mike to announce rtr versions in 17 liveries, sound fitted generator and active dcc tipping...!! Robert

https://www.shapeways.com/product/6HBAPU5MH/n-gauge-mra-wagon-set. Way back when , I got a set of these and have at last finished, mounted on N soc bogies and fitted with Dapol close coupler fixed knuckle and normal N couplers at outer ends. The real wagons are now and endangered species due soon to be converted in to fixed box wagons. decals are from MIM , Railtec for NR logos along with a zillion elf and safety flashes from Fox- I soaked half a sheet andjust kept adding until eyes when cross eyed but pics still show more .. just how much warning do you have to give folk. Just a couple pics on Templedean.

I showed the POP to some of the lads at work, it was suggested by one fellow modeler and long term BR servant ( as we were back in the day, seemingly "colleagues" now .. , that a Kit Spackman figure required, obvs leaning over. I will have to look through my cast of figures... Robert

Had a few hours to use so now got the POP into primer. I plan to paint and glaze and then add roof sections and frame. So hopefully pictures before three long - just then need to sort a few decals. Robert

Some, well many years ago I recall a story about looking at creating a bridge so expensive it was cheaper to close the line. A concrete monster was part planned but as it was not possible to give foundations on rock it would sink and fail, the Wooden piles just stick in the mud and deflect when a train passes over but light enough to come back up afterwards. What is interesting is that the timbers for the track used to sit on cross planking, so if these baulks and rail removed a very wide foot path would have resulted, perhaps the original designers were covering all bases if the line failed financially and was removed. Not sure how it worked with the swing section or was it a drawbridge type hole before? At least the work is being done to give it a long life.

Yes, the bus replacement is vehicle rich, with a minibus making an all stops service and a larger vehicle calling main stations and interchange points only. Both still connect into services at Mach . The journey times are such that the buses depart Pwlhelli 40 minutes ahead of the normal train time to connect into the same service from Mach, one big benefit of this working arrangement is all trains now call on the main building side and the steps and lift- as newly provided are fenced off !! Mind you the battered road bridge still looks very battered having been in a score draw with a tipper truck in the autumn. Road vehicle transit times do mean driver break required at each end this does not fit the timetable so quite generous vehicle provision required. Unlike rail based operations spares are sprinkled along the route manned and ready - if only the real railway was resourced to that level!! National rail standards do mean except in emergency rail replacement road services need to start and finish at manned stations to allow assistance to be provided, even if no step locations. So to use Tywyn or Fairbourne then staff need to be provided - but of course no facilities in place, an I guess nobody thought to challenge NR about funding same when route available. From the Operator point of view Tywyn makes a logical turnback as it uses less units to provide the service - It could be a 2 car 158 shuttle operated by Pwlhelli crews that are much idle at this time - unwilling beneficiaries of the current exercise ( other words available). Crews would still suffer large road idle mileage runs but Mach does not have enough staff on the books to do all the work - even allowing for the reduced levels of service and Covid crew safety considerations. Still at the end of the day the route has had more investment in the last few years than the previous 30 so setting it up well for the next 30, which might well be the end of it anyway. I guess one ball not picked up is that Dol could have like Hawick been given a station -served by road vehicles and put back on the network. Robert

The route has seen work on most of its length during the closure with track relaid in several places and necessary modifications to platforms to make the new trains fit .... Hopefully it will be possible to have a train to Tywyn as the road to Mach is a real nasty bit of route, with modern poor standards of driving by 4x4 tanklets the road is a railplacement crash site waiting to happen. A road replacement could then run via Corris to Dol and Y Bermo. Several hundred ( or it seems) years ago I had the honour(?) of being one of the RR power controllers for the Cambrian. When the bridge west of Welshpool was subject to self inflicted flood damage we had two temporary platforms and folk walked across and rejoined the train. Thus sets were trapped at Mach. after one set ran out of miles I got involved with a pair of 153s roaded TS - Porthmadog to keep the service going. Back then milage was the basis of maintenance exams. It seems TfW and Arriva before had gone to a days run plan and with no pit at Pwhelli it is not now so easy as after 14 days sets would have to be transfer roaded out, seemingly Barmouth used to make an easy job harder. Port - Traws- A470 - Bala- A5- M54- M6 - TS was the route Reg Rail , despite police routing experts trying to send a 27m load via Bettws and a hairpin bend to run via Blaenau. Not seen else where but the road replacement drivers were aware contract to be extended into January and option to mid March. Issues reported with not only more rot but wrong wood used and new to be sourced. When done the route will be in a good position for several years until new trains arrive. These arereportdly- seated for suburban use 2 car only despite publicity for "longer trains" from TfC. Amazingly recreating the farce of when RR had mixed fleets of fitted for Cambrian RETB 158s and others not needless to say poorly organised at Shrewsbury set swaps took place , still take place and even with new trains will take place - nothing having been learnt since 1987 when RETB slunk on to the scene... New trains same old service.. ho hum! I have been a regular user since 1979 when I started volunteering on FfR in 1979 and hopefully will again enjoy a bus in early January if allowed of course. Robert

Well thanks for the comments , amazingly I put all the transfers on in just two "sittings" doing all of one side of 15 and then going to work! Just had a big sort out of the storage boxes and scared myself with 4 of the 32 litre folding storage boxes with foam trays filled with part started projects and can add a couple of the lidded boxes with 3D print bodies. Along with to - please Ben two sets of Cartic 4s almost finished. I really need to find an extra year or so to make decent inroads in to this N gauge "Vic berry stack."