Derekl

Somebody above mentioned insurance - probably wise, given that if you do end up hurting someone by mistake, it would be better to know that they will be compensated for it.

Note that most household insurance policies (both contents only and buildings and contents) have a public liability element, which covers this risk. Check the policy (and any exclusions).

21 hours ago, Andymsa said:

I always solder every metal rail joiner

Except that, unless i am missing something, this isn't your layout, so the fact that you solder all the joiners doesn't really help the OP with his question. (Unless you are the OP under a changed identity).

On 04/05/2024 at 11:36, RikkiGTR said:

 

May be hard to see but I've marked on the plan where I have feeds for the fiddle yard.

Truth be told it may be an issue with under-gauge wire used for the main bus - I got it from Amazon and it is Chinese, it does feel quite flimsy and is probably not 32/0.2, so I'm going to remove the entire bus and replace it with much heavier wire and see if that sorts out the issue.

It looks to me that you have feeds for each full length of track in the fiddle yard, but not for each track section. You need feeds on each individual piece of track, so that you are not relying on rail joiners for continuity. You should also be feeding point frogs through the motor switch, which isn't apparent from this diagram (but may simply not appear).

Google maps allows you to select "Arrive by" rather than "Leave now" - there is a little marker next to the default "Leave now" which allows you to make the change. I ma not sure if it allows you to opick intermediate destinations, you would have to check.

I have a Lidget Compton concrete shed on a poured concrete base. The shed comes without insulation. I fitted a laminate floor over insulation, used Gyproc Thermalite insulated wallboard and fitted a thin ply ceiling above which I pushed loft insulation. There are three modest windows and an ordinary door. It has been up since early 2020 and the layout installed since around mid 2020. I use an oil filled radiator (2kW, I think) to heat and a fan to cool. The short answer is that unless you maintain the temperature in winter, it will cool down, and similarly it gets warm in summer, the fan being a modest alleviation. The floor insulation seems to have worked as the floor is never particularly cold, but the cost of maintaining temperature in the depths of winter would be high (I just bring projects inside at that time, and don't run many trains). Without aircon, it is impossible to keep it fully cool in summer, but it is more or less similar to house temperatures for most of summer. 

I have  a (roughly) 20' by 9'6" shed with effective3ly and oval with fiddle yard on one long side, through station on the other, (very) loosely inspired by the Midland line from Derby to Manchester through the Pennines. I decided on long trains, 8 or 9 coaches as expresses and the platforms are to length - about 9 feet. I have got as far as track and platforms, no station buildings or similar as yet. I was a little taken aback by how the platforms dominate, as obviously they more or less fill the straight (in fact slightly curved) section between the end curved sections taking the tracks back to the fiddle yard. I decided on 4' and 3' radius curves so these take up a bit of space, but also enable fairly close coupling, which i like.

A 3 coach local with a 4MT or similar on the front does look a bit lost, but then it should.

The point I making (perhaps badly) is that it is worth considering the overall look within the scenic envelope as well as the length of the trains. Had I realised how dominant these platforms would be, I might have worked out another compromise. I am persisting, though, and perhaps ( as noted above) once some furniture is attached to the platforms and some background scenery is in place, it may be different, but I have my doubts.

i should mention this is in 00.

Not exactly unknown - near me, Leylands Road passes under Wivelsfield station platforms, although the building is at the roadside.

I agree hat sounds like a lot of panels - I have 6 with a 4.5 kWh battery - on a dull day produces about enough to charge a toothbrush, but today which was quite bright it has done 4.4 kWh, which covers my consumption. My concern with 11 is that you are going to be making quite a lot to pump into the system at not a great rate of recompense (we, 20p to sell, 31p or so to buy). I paid £8,000 June last year for the set up, so the price quoted seems to be what you would expect.

If you are selling, I am not sure that you would recover the cost of the installation, but it may have an influence on buyers.

38 minutes ago, hayfield said:

we have just started the 23 day of a 28 day month

Err, 29 day month this year.

I get the new state pension (born post April 1951) plus a "protected payment". I have the full 30 years contribution. I was contracted out for a period, but there is no reference to that, unless the "protected payment" is something to do with that. The protected payment increases at the same rate as the basic pension, that is, in accordance with the triple lock. I confess I don't understand it, but seem to be getting much the same or slightly more than others I have spoken to, so haven't worried unduly.

The lever frame looks like the standard DB manual lever frame. There was a video on here a while ago dealing with one of the DB museums which showed it. I can't see it likely that it was used in the UK

17 hours ago, JohnR said:

Surprised the digital subs for RM are so low - you get the 75 year back catalogue!

You get access to the back catalogue on a print only subscription - you don't have to take out a digital sub.

And perhaps someone could confirm whether credit cards will be accepted at the door.

14 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Letraset is still produced and sold.

Seems to be reasonably freely available in a wide range. Mayfair stationers have a wide range of white (alone - many others) at £7.94 a sheet. I have no idea whether that is expensive, since it is a while since I bought any....

There is a "Settings" Menu accessed via a gear shaped wheel in the bottom left corner of my screen. That seems to access all the likely options.

If you can't see it, there should be a tiny right arrow right at the bottom left. Clicking that reveals it. I hope that helps.

The OP refers to a hinged bracket on which the wiring is mounted - I seem to remember this is the method used bty Charlie on Chadwick Model Railway - I am pretty sure it is an episode entitled "Wiring..." or similar

1 hour ago, CWJ said:

I've travelled many miles by Pacer and have rarely found them much worse than other DMUs. Just don't sit facing the gangway between vehicles if you suffer from travel sickness!

I travelled on them on occasion between Manchester Piccadilly and Altrincham. Those were 3+2 seating. I didn't find them particularly uncomfortable, although the ride was interesting, the noise on bends even more so. A little more comfortable than standing squashed in a Metrolink tram.

Ian Walmsley in Modern Railways suggested that they in fact saved no money on them - once all the various alterations to sort out problems were undertaken and paid for, you may as well have had 150s (he said).

22 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

Depends whose report you read.  We are clearly looking at different reports.   The drop in the worst pollutants is less than 3% in one study (range is -2% - O% change.  As ever it's down to lies, damned lies, and statistics. and which politico is sponsoring them.- just like booking office closures

Yes, we are looking at different reports - those numbers are from very early reports prepared shortly after introduction of the scheme, and cogent, prepared by Imperial College, but apparently not representative being from the very early stages of the scheme. Also, incidentally, not lies. The February 2023 report shows NO2 levels down by 46% in Central London and 21% lower in inner London. The re4port is peer reviewed by Imperial College and appears cogent. Probably not lies, and personally I would hesitate to describe any study as "lies" without some cogent evidence to support the slur.

2 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

As for ULEZ it doesn't really matter who started it - the real problem is Khan extending something of no proven medical value

Sorry, this is not correct - in areas of London where ULEZ already applies, motor pollution levels are lower and GPs report fewer complaints of breathing difficulties - okay, that is anecdotal, but is what we have to date. It might be correct to say that there has not yet been an in-depth study of the effects, but what is apparent to date shows a positive effect.

49 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

Putting on my Pedantic Pullman Purist hat for a moment, perhaps I should remind you that much of that train did not belong to a nationalised industry in 1958 !!?!

Pullman was under the tender care of the BTC by 1958 - the British Pullman Car Company was nationalised in 1954. Although the company operated as a separate entity under the direction of the BTC, it was nevertheless part of the nationalised industry.

7 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

On balance - whether they like it or not - it might be best to leave road incident investigation solely in the hands of the police.

There is a high degree of police expertise in the investigation of road accidents - very apparent when dealing with complex or multi-vehicle accidents. I am not sure that this would transfer easily to another body.

6 minutes ago, mswjr said:

So do early mk 1 coaches 1950s period all have the round lion emblem on them,

According to Philip Larkin, some did and some did not. I am not sure that there was any principle as to which as the years wore on, but I think the idea was that those assigned to express or named trains had the emblem, others not, but I can't imagine that the differentiation would have lasted very long as coaches got shuffles around.

7 minutes ago, MJI said:

I moved to Avast a few years ago as AVG got poor.

They are the same company. Avast acquired and merged with AVG in 2017.

I use AVG with little difficulty - I had that pop-up which I simply ignored.

If there is an insulating rail joiner at the frog end of both the points on the outer loop (as there should be) then power will not go beyond the points. You need a separate feed for the part of the loop that is dead.

1 minute ago, durham light infantry said:

Did you explain how to properly and safely use it, did you provide training on its use? If you didn't you are liable in the eyes of the law.

I simply don't think so - a step is not a complicated piece of machinery, the hazard (falling off) is patently obvious. The child is not at work, so the complexities of employment legislation (where training requirements may be found) don't apply. The duty is the common law duty or (possibly) the similar duty in the Occupier's Liability Act. Neither impose the requirement you suggest.