Les1952

Some Colliery pics I've been getting the layout ready for the photographer's visit tomorrow, and took the liberty of getting some low angle pics of the colliery. I'm hoping to persuade him to use some similar angles.... Peckett No.1, recovered from it's fit of pique that left it maroorned in the shed at Grantham, sets off for the exchange with a load of fulls. Meanwhile Geisl-fitted WD No.8 shunts the screens (or at least would be if there were any power to that line- on the "to do" list for the next few weeks). The NCB now has a matchbox since I decided the Dapol pannier was finally run-in enough to chip. Looking over the coal drops to No.1 shunting the weighbridge with No.8 at the screens behind. Shows I must take a small brush to that area as the green bits survived a going over with the vacuum cleaner this morning. On the plus side the workshop is tidier than it has been for ages- and I can actually see more than two square inches of workbench. I've also found a few compartmented boxes, and will sort out figures and other small goodies a little before re-starting after the photoshoot. All the very best Les yet more tryping mitsakes to edit.....

Layout back on its legs... I was going to repair Furtwangen's defunct pointwork before doing Hawthorn Dene's, but I've got a visit on Monday from a gent who wants to take some pics of Hawthorn Dene. No more details at the moment but all will be revealed- eventually...... I did promise a picture of the operating mechanism for the signal, so here it is. While Jim and I were re-erecting the layout I took the opportunity of getting a pair of plan views- easier to do with the layout on its side. I've also been asked to draw a trackplan, and this will be easier to do from a pair of plan photos. I can get measurements from the printouts. Now to start drawing. All the very best Les despite preview I've still had to edit for trypos...

Update- HD will get its repairs to the colliery area and a bit more scenic detailing done first. It looks as it the parts for Furtwangen may take longer to arrive than I thought. Les

Slowly altering The layout is still packed up at the moment as I'm trying to decide whether to do Furtwangen Ost's repairs before Hawthorn Dene's. Provided both are done by the end of January there is no hurry. So far I've ordered the bits for Furtwangen and put handles on the end boards of HD. These needed to be done before unpacking the layout so I could position them properly. The arrow shows which way should be down when carrying it- the ledges got a bit bent coming back from Grantham. I'm also wondering whether to fit wheels to one end board, though I'll leave that until after Sileby I think. Must clean the workshop floor...... Les

September- first pics We're still waiting news of a clubhouse move, which might well take place at short notice, so work has resumed on the layout. We've also provisionally offered it to Grantham railshow next year as its debut outing- time to get cracking... Trevor spent part of August building the derelict buildings to go next to Top Valley Market Place. Geoff has produced a pair of semis to go on the slope, but getting them attached isn't going to be easy- a field trip to Burton Joyce may be in order. The wagon turntable has been made by Geoff, here being checked for size before being bedded in. Alf's arches in their glory ready for ground fore-and-aft to be done. Meanwhile Jim and I are finishing the electrics on Thursday evenings rather than interrupt the Tuesday morning scenic bashes...... All the very best Les

A new batch of close-ups.. All these taken at RMWeb Live, some on Saturday, some on Sunday. A disaster going in- I snagged a twin-core wire getting the layout out of the car and snapped it, but not before it had pulled the point motor half-out of the tramway loop point. The failed point, marked with a Farish PW man. Sixty quid spent overnight at Plaza Japan, and repairs will start when the new track parts arrive. Quite a few people liked the brewery fence. I can't remember what make it is (it may be stated several pages back in this thread). I don't think it is N-brass but it may be. Painted with Citadel wargamers' paint that I'd got to make a pair of plastic flintlock pistols look good enough for a Pirate King to wave about on stage, then areas wetted with PVA after fixing in place and scatter thrown at it. The coloured flowery bits were thrown at the fence after odd tiny spots of fresh PVA had been dabbed on the green leafy surface with a cocktail stick. The road mender and his pile of bits has the function of diverting the eye from a rip made the last time I replaced the main front point. Mr Farish PW man was carefully lifted from this scene. The real reason for it always being sunny in Furtwangen. Having ripped off the local residents denizens of the bank get their kit off on the roof and sunbathe. Down in the Marktplatz the residents get on with shopping. The barrels at the back are where the residents of Furtwangen Ost buy their wine. Take a jug and get it filled for a couple of Euros. Good stuff- too good to bottle up and sell to those peasants in the UK who only like plonk with millions of food miles....... At the other end of the layout the family having fun in the garden. The dog is in the sandpit and the kids have broken the swing again. And just to prove he exists, Mr Simon operating the layout. There are more to inflict on you, but not tonight...... All the very best Les

Very many thanks for the kind words- and rather glad I didn't make a complete idiot of myself by failing to remember what SHMD stood for-.... All the very best Les Can't find a home-taken pic of the right municipal bus to show- will this Independent one do? Dennis's of Dukinfield- taken in June 2003.

Back from Coventry... Some damage to the layout again- this time inflicted getting into the hall. I snagged a wire getting the layout out of the car and snapped the control to the main tramway point at the foot of the hill. Inspecting it showed that the wire had pulled sideways out of the motor built into the track a - probably a three day repair once a new point arrives from Japan. I'll rebuild the tram station while the point is up. Also failed one of the tramway section switches- but we got by. Pics to follow. Les

Only problem with this list is there is already a very strong J27 in N...... I'd love a G5 to go with my NER push-pull brake. Les

And the second batch...... Just a couple of notes about the fiddle yard pic in the last post the wibbly-wobbly train in the yard is the sulphate bogies- it never stopped straight, but the wagons always looked the part out front. The coal empties do have a tender-first B1 on the front (a suggestion acted upon) The two trains out front (by process of elimination) are the Deltic plus seven main-line coaches going North (anti-clockwise) and a type 2 with brake tender on the tarpaulin wagons Mr Simon did for me going South (clockwise). Overview of the colliery end- seen in umpteen pics before but now lit by the LEDs on the proscenium- BTW the "lumps" that seem to be on the diagonal support seen in pics above are caused by the wires for the lighting being wrapped round it. The coal drops. We couldn't shunt these as the insulation in the point had given up- every time we set the road to the drops ir shorted out the entire layout. New point now purchased for installation when the layout is erected again. Most reliable loco on the colliery circuit was the Jinty- it was set to the lowest speed it would continue running at and left to its own devices- it stalled on the dead frog in the fiddle yard, so would be left for a while each time so as not to appear too often..... The 2MT on the inspection saloon passes a Southbound express stopped at the signal. We occasionally had two sound-fitted locos out together, but tried to time them so the 2MT didn't coincide with one of the other two coming the other way. On this occasion they met.... Why is the 2MT tender-first? It bounced over the pointwork in the fiddle yard running chimney-first so I tried turning it round- it now runs perfectly. Casualties now sorted. Hal O'The Wynd now has traction tyres so should be able to pull a train and Book Law has gone off to DCC Supplies for a warranty repair. The two A4s have been given their "lost" addresses back- both Bachmann chips and the third time I've had a Bachmann chip lose the plot this way. Lucky there are planty of spare locos in the box. Almost time to feed the cat....... Les edited for Thai pin eras

I'll settle for a B16/1 and C7 to follow the Q6, oh, and an endless supply of different 0-6-0 tanks..... Les

Pictures from Grantham - the first batch. A day late- I had a severe toothache yesterday which involved a visit to the dentist- still have the toothache but now have an appointment for root canal treatment and a crown....... General views of the layout with stock, and the surrounding area. It was very quiet on Sunday....... Operating were Geoff and Jim of the Newark N-Gauge team on both days, with John Catling on Saturday and Tony Forward of Bingham MRC (a new operator for me) on Sunday. Chrish Burch also had a play on Saturday and Jim and John had a play with Herrenscar Harbour. Geoff watches his train start off backscene.. Tony looks at a full fiddle yard. We had 19 trains on the main line plus two on the colliery. More later- off to the pharmacist. Les as always edidet for tryping mistukes

I'm not sure punters will waer that argument- especially those with eyesight good enough to see it. It will be repainted at some point. I'll also let langley know on Saturday or Sunday- I meed more small critters and am at RMWeb Live both days with Furtwangen. Hopefully we'll get further North some time- needs a show big enough to afford two overnighters (I should be able to recruit a pair of locals to fill the team up- the layout isn't very difficult to operate). All the very best Les

Many thanks for the kind words. I did know you're there next year- hoping to be there myself with Rise Park- we're on the scenics now so it should be ready. It has been offered to Grantham Railway Soc for 2015. It will be interesting to see the "full" Grantham- the part at Nottingham this spring was very tantalising. Mrs Les1952 says tell Mrs4479 the fiddly scale keeps the house (almost) clear of trains as they can all get in the shed...... All the very best Les

Grantham Show, the video (he says hopefully) http://youtu.be/MgLGn0UvbZU I don't know why this isn't embedded on the preview- doing something wrong. Only problem with holding the camera yourself is that you rely on someone else driving- the WD is definitely a bit quick off the mark, but at least it shows the signal sequence just about working.... Pics not yet processed. All the best Les ps-it was pointed out the squirrel is the wrong colour- I'll repaint it shortly... (greys hadn't reached County Durham in 1960)

Grantham Day 2 Layout performed impeccably- we seem to have learned how not to short-circuit the whole thing, probably as there were less than half-a-dozen derailments all day. Loco casualties- 60010's chip lost the plot, and 60070 has wheels so mucky it wouldn't run smoothly (or so it seems). Against that the Deltic ran all day out of track 5 in the fiddle yard without problems. One other oddity- A1 "Hal O'The Wynd" hasn't any traction tyres- found out when it couldn't start a train the other A1 had just been taken off. Tomorrow's jobs include looking in the box to see it there is a tyred wheelset.... The layout is back in the shed and Furtwangen Ost is on its stand ready for preparation for RMWeb Live next weekend. After that there is a point to change in the colliery yard and some upgrading of the wiring before HD is erected. Some new photos to follow, and maybe a video if it came out.... Les

I had a chat with Neil of Sherwood Models at Grantham Show this morning and got my pre-orders placed- two J94s with low bunkers. one green Clayton. one green Husdwell Clarke. and one each of 63395 and 63431. That's £600 or so committed. Now all I've got to do is save up........ All the very best Les

Thanks for the kind words, gents. Layout performed well- two loco casualties- 60019's decoder seems to have lost the plot and 60085 has dropped a rod. Both now upside down in the box. D9007 has been shorting out one of the points in the fiddle yard, and is now on a straight path road. Most other problems were self-inflicted, often not looking for tails of trains fouling adjacent roads or knocking a leg with foot or knee. The brace with the unpainted bit is on back-to-front....... Time for bed, said Zebedee.... Les

Set up at Grantham So far so good, just about. Everything works- including the pair of 0-6-0STs Jim has brought to relieve pressure on the colliery. Lessons learned about the ends- the travelling ends need handles and we need to use a shorter bolt facing outwards on two of the holes- and I managed to paint the wrong side of one of the end braces but otherwise few problems so far... Set up and ready? Time to get ready for day one.... Les

Still adding details. ... and proving a layout is never finished... A packet arrived from Langley yesterday morning, so there is a little more wildlife in the green bits... Foxy one is making his way along the hedge in front of the footpath, while foxy 2 is below the colliery workshops. Hidden in this area are three rabbits and a badger..... honest! Hiding in the open at the end of the bridge is a grey squirrel. All trains tested and packed away. Box of fittings has more M6 bolts in it than you would need to build a cruise liner. All electrical bits apart from one wall wart and Cab are now in the electrical box. Name badges for the operators have been done (together with a new pair for Furtwangen ost at RMWeb Live). Panic not yet set in..... Les

As someone who needs a disgustingly filthy Class 25/0 (the only variety in the area I model during the timeframe I'm modelling) would I be better a] ham-fistedly trying to use the Etched Pixels headbox kit on a 24, renumbered and weathered to total grot or b] renumbering and weathering a 25/1? Both are going to be incorrect by some degree. All the very best Les edited to remove that annoying smiley that appears when you follow the letter b with a close-bracket......

I may be looking in all the wrong places (i.e. under Heljan) but has there been ANY news of the 1366 class since December 2013? Les

Quite simply, whichever gets to market first will make the money. One winner, one loser most likely. Just don't ask me to speculate as to which that would be...... All the very best les

I do hope you are going to throw a Q6-sized spanner in the ER works..... Les

Saturday Progress not a lot to photograph but- The curtain has been measured up against the front and the velcro on the layout tacked on- the curtain itself has the other part of the velcro pinned into place and Jane is going to sew that over the next couple of days. As a result of tacking the velcro on I decided the layout wobbles a bit too much. I've found a spare piece of timber that I've screwed into place on the legs as a diagonal brace. This will do for Grantham as a temporary and a more permanent bolt-on solution sorted between then and Sileby. The signal has been painted white and the base bedded in. The white cap has also been added since the pic. I've typed up the packing list for the car, and for the two bags that go with the layout, and for each of the boxes of bits. I'll proofread this tomorrow and revise it. Still making progress. Les