Geep7

Thank you, yes, I did wonder if English bond might be the better one to go with. Haven't looked through my plasticard stash yet, but I seem to recall I only have plain and Flemish bond....

So there was no progress with the layout over the Easter weekend as I was away visiting the in-laws in Dorset. However, the weekend before saw some progress, with a start being made on fitting the point motors. The first motor fitted was for the first point coming out of the fiddle yard, controlling access to the goods loop and yard. This was fairly simple to fit. I am using the Gaugemaster solenoid motors with fitted screw terminals. Even though the baseboard surface is fairly thin, it still required the extension pin being used. Once this was fitted, I started looking at the other points, and realised I had 2 or 3 that were being blocked by baseboard crossmembers. Two of these I have had to surface mount against the backscene, and the other (yet to fit) will have to be fitted underneath away from the point with a modified wire in tube method being employed. The two surface mounted point motors are also using the modified wire in tub method, i.e, a wire with no tube. The point motor in the first photo, which operates one switch of the double-slip, will be hidden under an embankment, but I am considering having some house backs over the top, so they can be removed for access. I did consider perhaps a TP hut, but not sure if I would need one on this line. The 2nd point motor pictured will either be hidden under a larger factory building, or perhaps a platelayers hut, but I think it's a bit far back from the tracks for the later. I also managed to lay the siding to the factory. This was glued in place with foam tack glue, and the track soldered to brass screws either side of the baseboard join, and then cut with a razor saw. As you will see, I still need to glue in place the additional sleepers that were removed at the joints. I am also considering making the siding inset into concrete where it is covered. I'm not sure how prototypical this would be, but I think it might have been a possibility.

So i've been doing some digging around on the internet, and it looks like there are factories built out of all types..... so I guess it's down to what brick plasticard I have in stock.

Must admit the Class 37 has me interested. Split headcode in Blue or Large Logo Blue, plus some Blue & Grey Mk1's (come on, where are the SO/SK's?) and a few TTA's and 12-ton vans, and there is a start for a West Highland branch terminus.

Yes, that's the one. Thank you very much.

As per the title, I have one of the laser-cut terraced house kits, and I was wondering which issue it came with, as i'd be interested in re-reading the build-up article that i'm pretty sure was in the same issue. For those that don't remember, this is the kit: Can anyone help please? TIA.

If I may yet again ask for some assistance. The factory I am building, is planned to be brick built, but what bond should it be? I'm imagining that it was built in the 1930's, so not sure if it would be Flemish bond, English bond, or just plain stretcher bond? Any brick experts out there that can help?

Sorry, yes, now I look, that's supposed to be a unifrog diagram, but it looks no different to the diagram for an electrofrog. Apologies for straying from the unifrog discussion, I just thought it might help.

Having laid and wired a few double / single slips now, of both insulfrog and electrofrog variety, it's safe enough to only put insulating rail joiners on the frog rails. It's always wise though to add feed wires as suggested by Peco on the outer 2 rails of the slips. Never rely on the rail joiners to do their job of conducting electricity forever, especially if you spray paint your track. I can honestly say that switching the frogs on slips is pretty much essential, and will avoid ever using an insulfrog variety. It's just one of those items of pointwork that really needs as much juice given to it as possible, if you want to avoid stalling.

The first really big exhibition that I remember would be Imrex 1990. I went along on one of the days as a visitor with my Grandad. My father was there helping operate Twickenham MRC's N gauge Ravens Park layout. The following day, I was allowed back to help operate the layout for the day, my first taste of exhibiting, at the age of 12.... The bug's obviously bitten, as i've had a couple of exhibition layouts myself, although none exhibited recently.

My friend has a 48DS running without the conflat, however, it's converted to EM, but I don't think he's done anything else but turn the wheels down a bit and moved them out on the axles. It runs perfectly fine, and this is all day on an exhibition layout. But unsure how it'll run on OO though. I'm tempted to get one too....

Agreed. I had planned yesterday evening to finish wiring up my new single slip, but ended up looking for a new fridge as the old one went bang yesterday afternoon. And i'll echo the other comments about tackling such a big project...... I've been modelling for a good 30 years or so, and definitely still have lots to learn, and such a big layout project would scare me to death. Whilst we all dream of having such a space, I very much doubt I would want to fill it completely with layout...... It'd be great to have space for a decent sized workbench, airbrush booth, proper storage for all those unbuilt kits (we all have that stash waiting to be built).....

And the single-slip is now in place. Sprayed with Railmatch Sleeper Grime, and the feed and frog wires soldered on. All I need to do is connect the wires up with the bus wires and feeds from the juicers, and it'll all be good to go. It'll have to wait until the layout is next on it's back though. And some more progress done on the factory building. The window apertures have been cut out, and strengtheners for the goods platform roof added. I've also made the structure for the boiler house, and cut down the chimney. It's a little bit lower than the height of the backscene at the moment, but once the plasticard cladding for the roof has been added, it should be just the same height. Hopefully some further progress can be made later this week and at the weekend.

Exactly this. If I had a larger space, i'd probably still build the same terminus station as I had built for my West Sands layout, maybe with a couple more platforms, and a few more goods sidings, and MU stabling sidings, but just include a lot more plain running tracks to see the trains running in the countryside. However, my current layout is only 9ft long (including a 3ft fiddle yard), and i'm just as happy modelling that, as I would be 16ft-18ft layout, even if I can only run 2-car multiple units.

Briefly going back to the Paddington question, there is one model I know of, but the owner only seems to post on Facebook..... It's a great model too, set in the 1970's so plenty of Westerns! I actually think it is used as the frontage to the fiddle yard of the layout. Back to the Op's question, i've never gone out of my way to completely copy another person's layout, but perhaps be inspired by it. I once had the late Colin Park's comment that a photo I had taken of my layout, looked rather similar to a photo taken of his Newhaven Harbour. Whilst I was definitely inspired to build my West Sands / Blackhurst layout after seeing Newhaven Harbour in the Railway Modeller and on here, I had no intention of them looking the same, but I guess if you're going to model the late 60's/early 70's Southern Region, there will be similarities anyway. However, i've been inspired by a few Southern Region layouts over the years, Chessington Chalk Lane, Priors Lane, etc., but also by the real thing, my current layout being inspired in a small way by Waddon Marsh on the Wimbledon to West Croydon line.

And this is why, whilst I would love to build a model of Guildford or Reading stations even if I had the room / money to do so, I wouldn't. Pete Waterman, to build Leamington Spa (and current OO project), obviously has the money, but also a rather large team of friends to build it with.

Thank you all..... single slip ordered!

I made an attempt at shortening the front window by grafting in a window section from a spare shell. Not 100% convinced I did it totally successfully...... As I was modelling a 117, I even tried to square up the headcode panel a bit more as well.

Just looking at the cost of a brand-new code-75 single-slip, if I can get away with the double-slip being there, then i'll gladly do it, but I want to make sure, before I solder the new siding in place across the baseboard joint, as after that, getting the double slip back out could be tricky.... However, the double-slip wouldn't go to waste, as there are other layout projects it can be used on (my HO Spanish layout for one).

The goods train would usually arrive on the goods loop, below the lower platform.

Yes, it is imagined that this is a truncated branch line, although, never say never, I may add a second fiddle yard at the right-hand end, if I can get planning permission, and turn it into a true through station.

I have something that I have been pondering, which i'd like to open up to the collective mind of RMWeb. You'll see from the track-plan and photos, that the siding to the new factory i'm building is currently served via a double-slip. The question I have is, should I really swap this out for a single-slip, so that the factory siding is only accessed from the lower platform road? The station itself is imagined to be on a passing loop, so technically there is no up or down lines, but generally passenger trains would arrive on the upper/rear platform and depart on the lower/front platform. So, should the double-slip stay, or should it go? I will, at this stage, also point out, if I haven't done previously, that the siding has a catch/trap point protecting the passenger lines.

Another here who has no issues with frog juicers and DCC sound. I've used the Tam Valley and NCE PowerCab combo on 3 layouts now, and they've all worked fine.

I'm assuming, that as you're using a CP6, that you have an NCE PowerCab. The EB1 solid state circuit protector has been updated so it's now compatible with the PowerCab, so possibly something to consider?

Not to mention the Class 73, Class 22, Class 121 & 122 DMU railcars and the excellent B4 0-4-0.