mullie

The etches for the six wheelers have arrived and look very nice. They will be a challenging build and a number of parts will need to be sourced. The chassis etch. I did consider the generic six wheelers that are available but having run butchered Ratio 4 and 6 carriages for the best part of a decade didn't seem to represent progress. These will take a considerable time to build I feel, likely to be interrupted by cold weather in the garage across the winter, should really add something to the layout so worth it.

What an interesting journey you had and hardly a loco hauled train in site, how the railways have changed. I was really surprised to find semaphore signals in north Yorkshire. Harrogate has them as does Knaresbrough, must be others, these are the ones we saw. Thanks for posting. Martyn

Another follower, I travelled through London Bridge a lot from 1982- 85. At Uni in New Cross and lived in Brockley, platform 6 for trains to Charing Cross, still etched in my memory. Very different to travelling from Liverpool Street to Brentwood, a line I had known since childhood. Martyn

I go away for a week and look what happens! Internal combustion has even made it to operation KE though the wagon looks very worse for wear.

If you are going Italian I think a trip to the opera in Verona is called for, to gain inspiration. We've done it twice, an amazing experience.

Work continues though was interrupted by a very nice week in Funchal Madeira, well someone's got to do it. This is the first run of the Rye and Camber loco on the layout to test things are working using DC. So far I haven't modified the points other than to install wire in tube with omega loops as the Peco over centre springs seemed incapable of throwing them fully. No lighting on this section of the layout. Next stage is to fit the loco with a decoder, yes I have decided to try DCC with this section too. Looks like hard wiring a decoder is not too difficult in the Kato chassis so will give it a try. If unsuccessful, the decoder can always go in something else. If the points cause a problem with a DCC installation then I will modify them. I'm in no hurry with this section and with the Eveleigh carriage kits arriving soon this is not a priority.

Happy birthday Alex.

A real shame as then we would have had an idea of exactly what colour they were. I only know of one colour image of a J70 taken after withdrawal when it was basically black filth.

Hornby track rubber after working on the layout then graphite for day to day running. I also have a Gaugemaster wheel cleaner, EM gauge wheels fit.... just. IPA on a cotton bud if desperate measures are called for. The Hornby track rubber leaves very little crap in its wake though I will usually hoover after.

The education sector is full of bull£%it, I think they have raised it to an artform! Martyn

My approach too, though in my case 2-3 nights a week, after anything work or family related has been completed so usually later at night. I think it helps keep motivation as even when doing something challenging small amounts of progress can be seen.

First fitting of a Greenwich coupling, this seems to work and this type of coupling will only be fitted at one end, the other will have a hook .

Must feel good to have got this far, looks great. Martyn

As you probably know, the rails are now gone and area gentrified. Even the fish market is now a restaurant. Walked along their yesterday morning. We live on Portland.

Ballasting next or is all the visible track on Peco foam?

Haven't posted an update recently, I've not been idol, just nothing worth photographing. A pair of six wheel brake third carriage kits have been ordered from Eveleigh Creations. That should keep me busy for a while. Operation KE continues, I am currently fitting Greenwich couplings to a loco and a couple of wagons as a test and have already gone off piste from the instructions, typical! The Peco points have been laid as purchased temporarily to see how they work, I'm not optimistic I will be satisfied so they will almost certainly see the mini drill and the soldering iron. In other other news, the locals have found the station signs or something like them that were removed in the war. Although most were put back during the war, this is sleepy Upbech so we've waited a number of years. The signal box sign has also been reinstated, although the box looks very sorry for itself. Still, all the while the painters stay away, the line has a chance of staying open. I did try and find a Great Eastern sign to buy but in the end bodged something from balsa.

This is a 3mm mark 1 adapted for delayed uncoupling simply by soldering a small piece of wire to the coupling, less obtrusive than the one sold. Not my idea, seen at an exhibition. I also use a staple rather than three link, much easier. I had to hunt for a photo that clearly showed a coupling, they tend to disappear against the scenery. This part of the layout doesn't look like this now as it has been exhibited at SWAG.

Sheep in disguise?

That could easily be a photo of a model!

Happy birthday, I can still remember being 50, it's only a number as my 92 year old mother still says!

It's easy, build a layout underneath the one you................. have already! I've always wanted to build a multi level urban layout with LT at the lowest level, though not sure it will ever happen. Martyn

To me, a very interesting proposition. At some point in the future I will need to build one in EM though it is somewhat down the queue. In the future, would definitely be interested. Martyn

Another Spratt and Winkle user here, been doing so for about twenty years. Once set up I find them easy to use and reliable. I use a modified 3mm mk1 adapted for delayed uncoupling, less obtrusive than the ones you can buy. Martyn

Thanks Paul, to be honest this is what I thought might be necessary. The Peco technical Bureau said solder a wire to the frog. I'm not sure this module will be DCC as the locos have very very limited space for a decoder, I do want to keep things simple as modelling in EM is complicated enough. Much to ponder. Thanks everyone.

Can anyone advise on how to wire these points to switch frog polarity please. I haven't bought Peco track for years and 00 gauge code 75 had the wire that dropped down from the frog and it was easy to snip a couple of wires. Are these a newer design? They are electrofrog. Can I solder a wire to the frog, do I need to do anything else? Thanks for any help you can give.