Geep7

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.

The body shape etc. were close enough that plenty of people have done a 117 to 116 conversion. The only really obvious difference is the headcode panels. 117 having the large 4-character headcode box on the roof, and the 116 having a small destination box on the roof, and a 2-character headcode box on the front of the cab between the marker lights. Also, it's worth mentioning that some Class 116 units were built with an all second centre vehicle without toilets, basically the same as the Driving Motor Second, but without a cab. It's probably worth studying drawings and pictures..... There are plenty of books out there on 1st Generation DMU's, but https://railcar.co.uk/ is a great source of diagrams and pictures.

I have watched that, and a nice little diorama it is too.... I think they had it at the Basingstoke show at the weekend too..... But I don't think it mentions when the EWS and ECC one's were meant to be arriving.....

So i've noticed that the DB Schenker version of the CDA Hopper wagon has finally reached the shops, however, I would prefer the EWS livered version for my era. Are these due back in stock as well, or have I missed the (china clay) boat from Fowey with these and the ECC examples?

So last weekend, I made a start on mocking up the factory in the far right-hand corner. Initially I was going to have the main building right into the corner, but then had a flash of inspiration, and thought a boiler house and chimney in the corner would add a bit more interest, and more importantly, the chimney itself would hide the corner of the backscene. Here is a picture of the second mock-up. The first was made out of cereal packets, just to check spacings, this version, is made from artist board, and will form the skeleton of the building. It will be clad in brick plasticard sheet, and plain plasticard for any concrete lintels. The shed covering the tracks will probably remain plain brickwork, but the main building will have windows. Rather than make the windows myself, I have lazily gone the laser cut route, and sourced these from Scale Model Scenery. These arrived yesterday, so I the evening spacing them out. I originally thought I might have two rows (floors) of windows, but when measuring, it looked a little silly, so there will just be a single row of industrial windows. The plan is also to give this factory a flat roof, so above the windows will all be rendered concrete. Hopefully this should give it a nice 1930's look. I'm still unsure as to what produce the factory makes..... maybe it's a Smarties (other chocolate based sweets are available) factory? I'm sure I recall a layout having a Jelly Bean factory once, Ditchling Green I think? Hopefully I might be able to get the main structure together this weekend, and start cladding it with brick..... There are two methods I have used for this, either using superglue or rocket card glue, to stick the plasticard to the artist board. I'm not 100% sure which i'll use this time. Once the boiler (retort?) house building is made, i'll then measure up, and cut down the chimney so the top is just the height of the back-scene. I could leave it higher, but then I would need to remove the chimney everytime I put the layout away.... plus the top is rather nicely moulded. However, this weekend will probably mostly be taken up with N gauge modelling (more soldering using a magnifier!), and Mother's Day on Sunday (so no modelling that day). So more progress will probably be slow. Until next time, happy modelling everyone.

Agreed. Good modelling is good modelling in my book, no matter what the subject matter is.

The MJT cast buffer also includes the buffer shank and mounting point, which are black along with the underframe.... The actual buffer head, whilst being a silver finish when first outshopped, would soon weather down to a dullish brown/black colour from all the grease....

You'll be wanting to use these: https://www.dartcastings.co.uk/mjt/2934.php ex-MJT BR retracted coach buffers. I used them on my Lima Mk1 coaches back in the day. Snip off and file back the original buffer to the buffer beam, then drill out a hole big enough for the locating stub at the back, and superglue in place. Then obviously they need painting black. Technically you should have un-retracted buffers at the ends of a rake (which I think you can get from Wizard Models), but unless you're going to be running fixed rakes, i'd just stick with the retracted type.

Had a fantastic day yesterday at the exhibition. Very rare for me to spend almost the whole day at a show these days, except as an exhibitor. Tbh, if the quality is repeated next year, I think there could be scope for offering a 2-day ticket. As has been said, the quality of layouts this year was exceptionally high, and whilst I have my favourites, I won't single any of them out, as they were all outstanding, even if some weren't to my own particular taste / scale. A very well done to the organisers for a great first time 2-day show at a new venue. Very brave, and i'm sure lessons will be learnt.

Sadly Bachmann haven't done the BR Hap in plain blue yet. I suspect that they will announce a run of them the minute I paint my DC Kits BR Hap in blue.... For the SR Hap, I don't think there are any current kits, but I know No Nonsense Kits (now owned by Precision Paints) do the ends (ex-MTK I believe), and etched window frames, but i'm not sure if they do any sides.

As a cheaper alternative for the legs, if you're up to a lot of cutting, you could use some Plastruct I beam section.