David41283

Thank you. To be honest, I'm not convinced about DCC sound in N gauge. There's just something unconvincing about the relative size of noise and train which detracts from the effect. In O gauge for example you get a real sense of weight which I think makes the sound feel that much more authentic. I also personally prefer the old analogue feel of operating with the control knob and switches. I built a DCC layout and didn't enjoy the endless button pushing. I (and everyone is different) found the whole experience more akin to using a scientific calculator than playing with a model train. Each to their own! It would be boring if we all liked the same aspects of the hobby. David

47643 at Invernevis after arriving with a parcels service. 6th June 1987.

Yes - they do. I used Kadees in 00 and they work in exactly the same way. I understood there was some relaxing of the patents or a loophole which allowed Dapol to develop their own version, although this could be rubbish! However I have never successfully managed to get the "delayed action" which is so super-reliable with Kadees working with the Dapol couplers. I just don't think they can open wide enough over the magnets between 9mm rails for the jaws to mesh open to allow you to push an uncoupled wagon. Hope that helps. David

Hi everyone, I've been adding some details this week, there seem to be a few BRUTES around in some of the photos of FW I've seen. These are etched pixels kits, after experimenting with the first one, I decided to leave the folded and soldered castors and couplings. I just soldered up the body, then made some crude wheels from lengths of plastic rod - these look absolutely fine with the naked eye! Some extremely cruel ngauge close ups! There are also now around 25 of these little guys all over the sea front. Again some of the pictures from the 1970's prior to demolition feature more seagulls than people. I'm planning to focus on some unfinished stock projects now, hopefully 47463 will finally get finished off! Cheers David

I'm not sure you could honestly claim a brand-new Hornby Pacer was a "good runner". Mine was a nightmare in the early 90's until we wired the two cars together.

Just as a post script... I was chatting to the chap in Chris' Crafts and Model Railways in Plymouth earlier this week, who said that there is a "sister" layout to this one, built and finished by the same chap whose embryonic project I bought. It is apparently a bit bigger and is owned by the North Cornwall and Devon Club. Does anyone have any knowledge of this? David

Hi everyone, The Layout has sold already! I am flattered. Thanks for all the support and interest over the last 2 1/2 years with this project. Onwards with Invernevis and other projects.... David

Thanks for the comment. I've never made it to FW ironically. Especially not to the old station which was demolished not long before I was born. The prototypical shunting of trains by diesel locos was definitely one of the key reasons for picking this prototype, especially with the waterside location and atmospheric buildings. It's great to hear that people who've been there can see the resemblance. Thanks David

Hi everyone, After much interest I have decide to offer Poldeen for sale. I have added a classified add on the N Gauge Forum (awaiting approval). I am keen to avoid ebay at all costs - I would much rather sell via a modelling forum. I am looking to achieve as near as possible to £500, looking at the prices on ebay this doesn't seem an unreasonable hope. Please feel free to PM me with an offer if you're interested. Any buyer must be able to collect from me in Plymouth or meet within a reasonable distance. I don't want to risk a courier. All the details are in this thread, included in the sale is the controller and AC adapter so it is a complete package, just no stock. The road vehicles are fixed down, so will be included. I have stuck an "as seen in Railway Modeller" badge and a couple of exhibition logos in the lid. Thanks for all the interest - it's been a great journey! David

Hi everyone, My younger son asked what had happened to the "train set with the sheep" earlier today - so Poldeen come out of the cupboard for a play this afternoon. I was aiming for Devon/Cornwall 1980ish, but I've only really got one loco which fits the bill, so 25238 is in all of these! I need to obtain a blue/grey DMU and maybe a 31 to portray this period better. Cheers David

Thanks Pete, when designing the layout I was keen that the iconic frontage of the station wasn't blocked by the end of the board. That said, it's a trade off as it does pose a challenge with what to do with the backscene and when taking photos towards that end! Cheers

Thanks - it is a great prototype, and gives plenty of operational interest with only 4 sidings. I like the Dapol couplers, they look much better than the rapidos and allow you to fit more of the buffer beam details. They couple up nicely, without needing too much of a bump too. They uncouple reliably over the magnets, but for all the adjustments in the world I have never managed to get the delayed action working adequately. I just don't think they can open wide enough in n gauge. On this layout I have only fitted one magnet, as with all the splitting and joining of trains, if I fitted magnets everywhere I needed them I'd be constantly leaving coaches behind! As an aside, I use the fixed knuckles between my coaches, with just a working coupler at the ends of the rakes. The photo above of coaches with the corridor connections touching is not staged, using one short and one long coupler they are this close, but the clever coupling mount on the farish mk1 expands to allow them to negotiate short code 55 points. Cheers David

Thanks Rob. Having done three exhibitions with Poldeen in the last couple of years, this one was certainly designed to be suitable for both home and exhibition use. However, not being a member of a club, the "circuit" can be somewhat hard to break into. I was planning to e-mail my few exhibition contacts once everything is ready to see if they'll have me back with a new layout. Cheers

Really good article on the cl 50 upgrade. Been interested in having a go at this project for a while now. Great job Grahame.

I hope everyone likes the photos. I am really pleased with how they've come out. Once everything was set up and the layout lighting switched on, I stepped back and felt really satisfied (and relieved!) with how the layout looked overall. There are still a few bits more to do, details to add, areas to touch up etc.. but overall this is nearing completion. It is easy to forget the overall picture when you spend ages focused on small areas, so playing trains for the first time this evening was really enjoyable. I need to make some legs - given the viewing "window" format the best viewing height is quite high. Certainly table height is too low. I also need to tidy up some of the electrics. The most pressing thing now is to perfect manual uncoupling, the tools I've made so far proved better at removing stock from the track than uncoupling! Cheers David

Finally some closer-in shots...

Some more photos of this evenings playing/testing...

Evening everyone, I managed to get everything set up this evening to run the layout for the first time in 6 months or so. This was the first time the built-in lighting has been on since I've done most of the scenic work, what a difference it makes! In the first of three sets of pictures (I also charged up a reasonable compact camera, instead of relying on my phone) here are some overall shots. I lost a bit of time this evening trying to work out why the fiddle yard points weren't working. Turns out I'd terminated all the common returns by soldering them to a bit of copper clad sleeper. Too much flux seems to have eaten the thin layer of copper breaking the return. Everything worked well once I'd swapped this for a couple of choc-blocks instead.

Hi everyone, I've been working on the scenery this week, and it all feels like it's starting to come together. Starting at the far end (fiddle yard end), the rocky cutting is now bedded in behind the signal box, in the foreground the path/track and fence have been blended in with some greenery. This area then hopefully blends into a row of cottages, the continuation of the trees should join the two scenes together. Next is the garage - roughly in the same place as the real garage at FW. Then the station area and low-relief townscape behind. I have been working on the harbour wall too. Finally the station forecourt at the far end of the layout. A few days ago the early morning light was streaming into the study and gave far better photographic conditions that 11pm at night! Here is a class 26 waiting it's next turn of duty in the loading dock. I've just cleaned the track, and hoovered the layout, so tomorrow I plan to connect up the fiddle yard, and the power and run some trains for the first time in a few months. Thanks David

Love the photo of the buffet at Carlisle. If any picture just screams "1980's" that's the one! Does anyone else remember the microwaved bacon baps with slices of tomato which were hotter than the sun? Great pictures as ever, this thread is an essential daily visit.

In 1979, 27005 sits on the quayside at Invernevis after arriving from Glasgow.

While waiting for the glue to dry this evening I got a couple of locos out to see how things are looking. 27005 by the station building. This is pretty much the image I have been working towards! The shunter figure marks the location of the uncoupling magnet! Trying to recreate one of the iconic shots. Just need to photoshop in a loch, rather than my study as the background. Trying to recreate a shot which has recently appeared on the web https://www.flickr.com/photos/96859208@N07/9877581936 The other end of the layout, newly installed fencing. Cheers David

Hello, Poldeen is my layout, and there is a thread on RMWeb showing the development from scratch, including an Anyrail track plan. (There is a link in my signature below) You are right. The points concerned are nose-to-nose code 55 short radius points, not a double slip. Cheers David

Thank you. I am delighted with the photos and have dropped RM a line to say thanks. They sent me a single sample shot, but receiving the magazine was the first time I'd seen any of the finished photos.

Hi everyone, After the distractions of "BloodBowl" work has resumed in earnest on Invernevis. Here are some quick photos of where we've got to, taken on my phone earlier this evening. I was in two minds whether to post these or not, as they look a bit rough and show some work which clearly needs a bit more finesse. View down the layout showing the spread of the townscape and the development of loch front. Station Square with extra buildings and a condensed representation of the small patch of park/garden behind the station. I was planning to continue the buildings up to the end of the board, but couldn't the composition right to hide the backscene and fiddle yard entrance. In the end I have gone with a Kyle/Mallaig style rocky cutting and bridge which works much better. Still lots of blending together to do, but this is better than the trains appearing from a hole in the sky! Two views of the loch front, still lots of work to do, but getting there. Thanks for all the continued interest. Cheers David