Crocodile414

Correct! Although we usually run a steam hauled railtour as well. According to my deputy CME it's the VSOE tomorrow - I've got A4 60009 to go on the front but there could be a Bulleid as well

St Kenvince will be running sectorisation

I'll be there with St Kenvince - we'll do our best to keep you entertained! Cheers, Nick

Evening All, Apologies for the lack of updates lately. Anyway, the latest progress to share with you all..... I've started landscaping with quite a strong foam which I've struggled with cutting and shaping. However, following the purchase of a multi-tool this weekend this has now become a bit easier. I will stress that this is still a work in progress and this will probably have further work prior to having the plaster bandage over the top. I'm concentrating on board 1 first, although you can see that the basic layers are there for board 2. I've also been busy painting the station building which is well on the way. The next jobs after getting the basic foam shapes will be to make the tunnel mouths at either end and blend them in with the other 'earthworks'. The viaduct end will be particularly challenging so this is likely to be the last area to be tackled. Hopefully the next update will come a bit sooner. Cheers, Nick

Hi, I think the minimum radius the stock can cope with is 330mm. My layout is based on 360mm radius curves on the scenic sections. There are many places on the RhB network where the curvature is rather tight, particularly on the Bernina line. If it helps you to visualise the curves, here's a short video of my layout taken about 3 months ago. Good luck with your plans. Nick

Thanks, I shall have a look

Thanks for the reply, I'll try emailing Hornby/Jouef directly and see if they know! Cheers, Nick

Hi All A significant milestone was reached today with the installation of all but 2 of the catenary masts thanks my very good friend coming to assist and check all the measurements. The station building has also been loosely placed near to its final location but will require a notch cutting in the platform for the catenary post to sit. Ballasting is nearly complete - just a few bits around the platforms to finish off. Next job will be to acquire some foam or polystyrene and start carving various bits of the landscape. I plan to start at the Level Crossing end and work my way towards the viaduct which will ultimately be the more difficult part. I'll upload some more pictures as and when there is more to show. Cheers, Nick

Hi, Does anybody know if the Jouef Thalys is compatible with the mehano version? I have the standard 4 car pack from Mehano but have been unable to complete the set with the intermediate trailers. Many thanks, Nick

Evening All, Just a quick update this week. Two projects are on the go at present. The first is ballasting, and secondly I've begun to assemble the station building. This is the Kibri 'Solis' kit. So far I must say it's gone together exceptionally well with very little cleaning up of the parts required. I may do a partial paint of the main sides before completing it. Ballasting is complete on the two ends and station throat point work but I've yet to complete the station tracks until I can finally decide on the platform arrangement. I've cut out some basic surfaces in balsa wood but am wondering whether to use a different technique - I'll let you know! A few pics below to show you what I've been up to. Cheers, Nick

Yes, the linear ones were on display at Warley. I don't think they're on the website yet though - they were expecting them to be available sometime in the new year.

I can't remember precisely but I think the demo board was 400mm wide, but again I'm not 100% sure on that, sorry!

Had a wonderful weekend at the NEC helping my friend operate Lindon Road. The Warley club certainly looked after us well and were all very friendly and helpful, as were the staff of the NEC. We were also very well fed for breakfast and lunch - thank you to all the club for their kind hospitality. Enjoyed the opportunity to look around the trade stands and found several bargains. Some really impressive layouts as well - Northeast Corridor provided plenty of action and first time I've seen a North American layout featuring OHLE. All in all, a very enjoyable weekend.

I was at Warley this weekend and Grainge & Hodder are shortly releasing a traverser in either 900mm or 1200mm length - the prototype was on display and it looked very good. Also, very smooth flowing. If I was starting 12 months later than I had then I would have used one! Thanks for the encouragement, I'll try and keep the updates coming.

Hi All, The catenary has been ordered and the first consignment from Blackwells has arrived. I'm now waiting for a few pieces from Winco, and the last remaining parts from modellbahnlippe. More progress made on the layout today, the rails were all painted on one side and a start was made on some basic island platforms. These are only loosely in position at the moment. Hopefully tomorrow I'll do the other side of the rails and finish off cutting the other pieces for the platform. More news soon (hopefully!) Cheers, Nick

Thanks, we've already discovered the Blackwells sale so hopefully the bulk of it will still be there, fingers crossed!

Hi All, A long time since the last update - various trips away and a busy time in work have been the main reasons. The layout has continued to have some test running sessions and is performing well. I've been busy over the last month or so creating my own stock boxes - these are homemade wooden trays (ply and/or hardboard scraps) which stack as 3 layers inside a 9 litre 'really useful box'. I've made 3 boxes worth so far so I'll see how much of my stock fills them up - it's likely a 4th will be needed. I've included some pictures so you can see what they look like. My very helpful friend visited a few weeks ago and we re-checked our full size plan of the catenary would fit which touch wood it still appears to so an order for this will be going in very shortly and that will no doubt occupy me for a while. I'll try and update the thread a bit more regularly as & when progress dictates. Cheers, Nick

An enjoyable few hours at the show today, fantastic to see Oak Road again - really enjoyed watching the trains go by, especially the HST's.

Thanks Paul - I've got a reasonable mix of stock - it's based on the mid 1990's approximately prior to all the advertising liveries appearing on the Ge 4/4 III locos but of course I always allow modellers licence to run a few years either side!

Evening All, After a week of many evenings spent in the garage and all day Saturday & Sunday morning, I have finally reached the major milestone of a first test run following the completion of the wiring. There is still another signal to install, and lots of tidying up with cable clips and ties etc but this was just too prove everything worked as it should. I've uploaded a short video to YouTube, which hopefully gives you an idea of the layout - here is the link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O78FacH4euI Regretfully there will be no progress for about a month now due to a trip to the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, then the Ffestiniog Railway, and getting my other layout, St Kenvince (British OO Sectorisation - Cornish China Clay & Main line) ready for the Weston Super Mare Show in September. Hope you enjoy the video - any questions/comments gladly received. Cheers, Nick

First class service from little Dan again after I received a faulty gaugemaster Gm500. Replacement sourced and despatched in good time. Excellent service as always, a pleasure to do business with.

Hi John, It's getting very close now, I have everything I need and both boards are wired. I've just got to get everything back to the panel. I'm hoping I might be ready for a test run this weekend if I can make steady progress in the evenings after work. I've no specific target completion but hoping it will be ready for exhibition sometime in 2020. As soon as the trains are running I'll try and record a short video and post it to YouTube. Thanks everyone for all the encouragement. More progress soon! Cheers, Nick

Wiring diagrams have already been recorded and filed. There is a colour code to all the wires as well. I've run out of a few colours so am awaiting delivery at the moment. As soon as I have proved everything works I'll go back underneath with the cable clips and cable ties and secure it all to the framework to stop anything flapping around in transit. A friend of mine drew the control panel and laminated it for me - it's stuck down with double sided tape. I'm just waiting for a few more switches at the moment although I've put a few more lengths of wire inside today. It also needs a bit of edging around the top, just to finish it off. One of my GE 4/4 III locos has also returned to working order following the delivery of a missing crucial cog in the drivetrain inside the bogie, and a new driveshaft. With a bit of luck it won't be long before it can have a decent run. Cheers

Hi All, Nothing spectacular to report - as per my previous post I'm now fully engrossed in wiring. On the viaduct board all of the point motors and track sections are in, as is the wiring for the signal. Unfortunately one of the GM500 relay units isn't working properly but will be replaced ASAP. I've also started routing everything through to the D plug ready to go across the board join. I've made some progress with the panel - most of the switches and LED's are in but there are still a few more to go. The wiring for the handheld controller has also been installed today. Here are a few pictures to show what I've been up to - more updates soon (hopefully!). Cheers, Nick

Hi John, On reflection, 9 would've been too tight, I'm pleased with the spacing on 7 tracks. I've now got 3 motors and their associated relays installed, so need to do the viaduct board next. It might be possible then with a few temporary wires to run a complete circuit, albeit through 1 loop only and with no isolation until the panel is wired in. Cheers, Nick