Alan Kettlewell

Narrow Gauge Programming Track. While I've been installing the new metre gauge mountain line, the thought occurred (a rare event!) that I'll need a programming track - I can hardly use the programming track on the standard gauge line for my new collection of metre gauge locos. I could quite easily have made one track of the station area into a programming track, as that is the nearest place to the Z21 control unit. However as that's about 5 metres away from the Z21 and I don't fancy running an extra pair of wires all that way, I reckon I need a better idea. So I came up with this small portable version. It's nothing more than a short piece of wood with a bit of 12mm track pinned to it and two crocodile clips attached to one end. For Programmjng the metre gauge locos all I have to do is attach the croc clips to my standard gauge programming track, which can be seen underneath in the pictures. I might also wire in a simple led lamp so I can be sure power is available before using it. Simples ... Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. Cheers ... Alan

Beermats Dave - I know a place where you can get them ...

Hi Dave, Glad to see you've got the layout thread off the ground mate - I'm sure fellow modellers will show lots of interest in what's going on with the layout, the planning and the good stuff you've already done on your workbench. You'll have to get on with it now that you've gone public.. lol. Cheers ... Alan

This is my own version of a Rail Head Treatment Train that operates on my continental layout. I too use the Z21 and form the consist with the Train Controller software, The software does all the CV adjustments and speed matching that's necessary automatically as soon as I assign both locos to the group. Likewise on splitting up a group all settings are returned to each loco as individuals. It's aĺl quite painless, except for the cost of buying the software! But that's a whole other story. I hope you can come up with a good solution. Cheers ... Alan

Ha ha - been there, done that ...

I find it easiest to make a path for bus wires simply by drilling holes in the framework. This layout isn't ever going anywhere so it's not important to me to have the underside looking too neat. There it is now in place running just a few inches under the track bed. To finish off I've fitted a snubber or terminator as some folks call them. For anyone that doesn't know here's what they look like..well, my home made version anyway.. If anyone wants to know why these are fitted or tbe techie details then I'm not the man to ask. I just know that sometimes they help prevent unusual behaviour with some locos. I fit them and sometimes I remove them again! So it's on with the dropper wires next and wiring up the Tortoise motors to the turnouts on this new section. Then fitting reeds and lots of testing. I'll also need to ensure I reserve a section of track for wiring up a programming track for the metre gauge locos. It's all go ... Cheers .. Alan

It occured to me that as the mountain line rises away from the rest of the layout, it also increases the distance from the track to the DCC track bus. The recommendation is to keep dropper wires down to about a maximum of a foot long so I decided to put in a branch off the DCC bus to run just under the maintain track. My preferred wire for the DCC track bus is household mains 3 core or 2 core solid wire, which I strip out of its sheathing. Here's the stuff I use here in the grey coil. I've already stripped out a few metres of it and you can see I've separated out the earth wire and the brown and blue wires are trapped in the jaws of my work bench - ready to be twisted up. Let's twist again ...(sounds like an old song) You might just make out my drill in the foreground and the wire stretching off into the distance.. All twisted up with a few turns of the drill. About 3 twists per foot is enough, any tighter and it's awkward to get it apart to connect the droppers. Next is to make a path for it to run under the track. More to follow..

There's not a lot to report lately as I've been continuing (albeit piecemeal) with developing the new metre gauge line over the hill to Switzerland and the 'top station' area - must think up a name for that. In the process I've found it necessary to move the OBB standard gauge lines that run through the station over a bit so as to make room for an extra metre gauge spur on the other side of the platform, which I'll use to store another metre gauge train or extra stock. In the picture below you can make out the general layout for the station now. The two standard gauge ones on the right are now much straighter than they were- which is a bit of a shame as I like sweeping curves but there just isn't enough room to fit everything in and have nice curves. So it's to be a straight station. The main platform will have faces between the standard gauge and the metre gauge lines. I'll also put a low level tarmac strip between the two standard gauge lines and a lowered ramp from the main platform for passenger access to the outer track. The station buildings will be located at the far end where you can see a Tortoise motor lying around. More to follow... Cheers ... Alan

Couple of pictures from my visit there: Alan

I went to see it earlier this year. It is indeed an awesome layout - a big festure is the moving back-scene all done by videos - moving clouds, a real sunrise and sunset every 20 minutes or so, flying aircraft, a firework display and a magnificent thunder and lightning storm all feature. The layout itself rises up to 5 metres high in places. Well worth a visit if you a ever get a chance. Cheers... Alan

This awesome layout at the Hans Peter Porsche Traumwerk, near Salzburg, is all Marklin track and trains. The video will show how the track looks. I find Marklin stuff to be quite expensive though... Cheers ... Alan

Great sources - also photos showing plenty of other details that I'll be modelling around the layout. Many thanks.. Alan Sounds about right - many thanks. Alan

Hi Paul, Many thanks for the info and link. The buffer stops look very simple. I'm planning to model an older station. Of the two metre gauge tracks, only the one adjacent to the platform will be used for passenger access, the other is for storing another train or stock only - and I may even have that line running into a shed at the end. So I guess I can pick an arbitrary distance between the two tracks. The OBB standard gauge line is actually a double passing loop (I showed just one line for simplicity) but there's a fair gap between these tracks where I'm planning to put a low level strip of tarmac raised up a foot or so, where passengers can access the (OBB) track furthest away from the station. I was thinking about making a 'dropped' section on the main platform so passengers can get across to the other side. I hope this makes sense here and in the real world. There's a bit more info on the amended diagramme attached: Thanks again for the info. Cheers … Alan

A question or two for metre gauge/narrow gauge knowledgeable experts out there. I've just about completed laying the track for the joint station on the Austrian side of my layout. Just to refresh, it's a station in Austria where OBB standard lines run through but there's a branch line on the other side of the platform which is a notional extension of the Swiss RhB metre gauge. Here's a sketch of the station layout: First, what style of buffer stops would be appropriate for the metre gauge tracks? There seems to be loads of different styles, some metal, some just a board attached to rail built uprights, some a block with a single centre buffer, could I do my own freelance design? Any suggestions welcome please. Second, what would the appropriate distance between two parallel tracks be on the metre gauge lines? Example as seen in the station, but there's also a dual passing track further up the mountain. Grateful for any advice available. Many thanks. Cheers … Alan

Superb! And lovely to watch. Thanks for posting it. Cheers ... Alan

Great that. I hope you've got a dropper on every piece of track..lol...

Just had a look through the photos of these two layouts - superb, thanks. What a lot of grass! Cheers ... Alan

I grassed another few small areas on the layout today. This time I 'flocked' more sparsely which showed a slight improvement. I also discovered a couple of other things - first, the grass stands up better (better static) when applied to the wet PVA, but the following layer which is flocked onto the hair spray, didn't stand up at all, so little or no static happening. Second, to get any static happening I have to get so close to the surface that I can't see what I'm doing, that is also too close to the nail and risks the bright blue spark effect, oh and making personal contact makes me throw the grass vigorously about a foot away! Ouch! The upshot then is that it's not really doing it for me so I won't be spending any further time on this. A useful and interesting experiment but I'll definitely be putting a proper one on my Christmas list. I don't think I want to pay the bigger money for the Noch version so at the moment the Green Scene Flockit is coming up favourite at £80. Thanks again for all the info. Cheers ... Alan

Hi Michael, Thanks for sharing your experiences, interesting things to try there which sound very logical. Cheers ... Alan

I don't blame you. We drove down from North Yorkshire so over 3 hours each way plus about 9 hours shuffling around the hall. A tiring day but enjoyable. Cheers … Alan

I guess I could go all 'Christmas Scrooge' - put a woolly jumper on my Christmas list and nick the balloons ...lol.

Hi Paul, Good to meet you too and I suspect you've had a pretty tiring weekend of it. I looked at the Pecoscene versions on Saturday and a WWS model, both of which have similar price (c£100) and positive reviews. I forgot about the Greenscene Flockit so I'll look out for that one too. I guess I'll need to get a decent one and large enough to do biggish areas. Cheers … Alan Edit - I see the Flockit is around £80 ..

Hi John, Many thanks, I covered quite small areas at a time, about 100 square cms. But I suspect you're right and I need more oomph! Cheers … Alan

Static Grass Trials I got some 4mm and 6mm static grass on Saturday to test with my homemade fly-swat applicator as posted earlier. Here's a few pictures showing a small area I covered on the layout. I've used a recommended method I've seen which is as follows: apply PVA to area, attach crocodile clip with conductive screw or nail so it's in the 'wet' area, apply a first layer of small 2mm grass. For a second layer, spray with hair spray and apply longer 4mm grass. For further variation and depth spray again and add longer 6mm grass here and there as required. I used two different shades for effect. Well, I'm not too impressed with it so far. Whilst it's produced nice deep grass, I don't think it's stood up vertically enough - more of a big thick carpet. It's run on 2 x AA batteries so maybe the voltage is not high enough to make it charge and stand up positively. I can possibly improve my technique, perhaps I've put a bit too much grass on, but so far I'd say nope - not the effect I was hoping for or as good as I've seen others produce. I'll do another trial but it could be back to the Christmas list for a proper one. Oh well … Opinions welcome of course and advice from anyone who's done better with a home made applicator would be good. Cheers … Alan

Just to finish off this little project, here's a couple of pictures of the viaduct in its allotted place on the layout. All I have to do now is complete the track work over the viaduct, the landscape around it, built up the rocky face above it, blend it in to the snowy back scene ...not much to do then! Cheers ... Alan