Clive Mortimore

Now stop it, you are making me consider what I have done.

Darius, please slow down, I am getting puffed out just keeping up with what you are modelling, let along doing any modelling myself.

That was an early consideration but having a few push along tender powered engines that idea couldn't be fully applied. There is always the best idea, just like no crews in the diesels ................................ignore?

This morning I was cutting up a LNER 4,200 gallon tender to make a 3,500 gallon one and I had a thought. At a model terminus station the arriving loco will have at least a part empty tender or bunker if not a nearly empty one. Once the train it has pulled in disappears and it is free to go to the loco shed. After the raking out the ash it is refilled with water and coal. So a loco departing with a train should have a full tender or bunker. On a model railway the tender is either full or half full all the time. So a loco arriving without burning any coal looks daft. Equally a loco departing with an express with a half empty tender ain't that realistic. Just something to ponder. At least with DMUs you can't see if they have been refueled but the tail lamps either end and a driver in every cab do look a tad silly. Why didn't I model a through station?

I have cured the problem of people leaning on my layouts. Table top height, just right for kids to view without them trying to pull themselves up to see and too low for those who are older to lean on. Plus I get to sit down to operate not stand all day. Sadly at the last show I took a layout to I still had to say "Excuse me" no reaction, "Excuse me" no reaction, "Excuse me" no reaction, "EXCUSE ME" wow he looked my direction..."I have enough problems with children picking things up". With that he put the bus back on the bridge (where all busses should be) but no apology. And that was with this as my side kick to scare bad people. Dagworth considering a new home, a LNER concrete fogman's hut on the site of Five Mile House station. http://disused-stations.org.uk/f/five_mile_house/index.shtml

Well said Mrs 5BarVT. 😉

DEMU Showcase 2024 will be at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall on June 15/16th. Layouts Alderford......................................WCML 1985-1990, 00 Gauge Blueball Summit.........................1970s West Country, N Gauge Deadmans Lane..........................Derby RTC, 00 Gauge Farbine Road W.R.D.....................Wagon Repair Depot West Midlands, 00 Gauge Fenwick TMD...............................TMD and Engineers Yard, 00 Gauge Gordon's Lane...............................Southern Region Main Line, 00 Gauge Knype Bridge................................Parcels depot. 70's early 80's, 0 Gauge Oldshaw..........................................WR Branch,EM Gauge Ravenscroft....................................1988 Steel Distribution Terminal, P4 Gauge Templegate Wagon Works..........Wagon Works, 0 Gauge Trodinnick Dries.............................China Clay Dries. 1960-1970, 00 Gauge Waddon Marsh...........................South London Branch, 00 Gauge Wormhill.....................................Peak Forest 1997, N Gauge Confirmed trade stands Accurascale Bachmann B&H Enterprises Booklaw/Santona Publishing Cambrian Cavalex Coastal DCC. C Rail DC Kits Kernow Model Rail Centre Rainbow Railways RCTS Realtrack Models Replica Railways Revolution Trains Road Transport Images S Kits Shawplan / Extreme Etchings Squires Tools TTC Diecast West Hill Wagon Works Opening Times Saturday 15th June 2024 10.00 - 17.00 Sunday 16th June 2024 10.00 - 16.00 Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, Upper Clifton Rd, Sutton Coldfield, B73 6DA Tickets Adults £12 DEMU members / children (U16) £8 Families (2 adults and unlimited children) £28 Transport The town hall is less than 5 minute walk from Sutton Coldfield Railway Station. Nearest car park is opposite in Anchorage Road. There are others around the station only a few minutes walk.

Me cheat? No matter which system one uses to generate loco moves on a depot layout it must be one that works for the operators and is fun to play with.

Sounds good but when I have used a dice system the public at shows can't see what is happening. Unless the dice falls on the floor. With my card system I simply put the card in a box where the public can see what I am doing. Or they can see the card on the floor. When I miss the box. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4EL_MRnT8o&t=40s For a quick video on how I operate Pig Lane. I suppose with a computer generated random system it could be linked in with the controller so when it chooses a loco, the said loco goes through its start up procedure automatically and is ready to roll when the operator wants to move it.

As Andi suggest a pack of cards. My old large depot Hanging Hill had the following, at a normal show there would be around 40 odd locos, An Ace, any colour, was for a fuel train, swapping the empties with new full tank wagons. A black card turned over meant a loco coming on shed and was refueled, and A or B examination. If it was a picture card the loco that had been on the fuel point the longest was moved off into the shed building for a repair or C, D or E exam. Some black cards had a meaning, 6 was a double headed pair, and 8 was coupled to a brake tender. A red card turned over was a loco off the depot from the loco sidings. A red picture card released a loco form the shed building, repair/exam done so to the loco sidings, with a different loco going off to perform it's next duty. Again 6 was a double headed pair and an 8 the loco had to find a brake tender before leaving. A joker was the stores train, swapping the various stores vans and wagons. For my small stabling point Pig Lane where I only have 12 locos, An ace is the fuel train and a joker the stores train. Each loco has a card number or picture irrespective of suit. If the loco is on shed it trundles away to its next duty. If on the stock table it is placed on the track and makes its way to the fuel point.

Got a theme tune

Look at the surprise on Hugo's boat race.

Gilbert you wouldn't have these problems if you were to use good old fashioned Luddite DC. You would catch me operating a layout with the extra "C"

You wouldn't catch me with the extra "C"

Excellent cover of a brilliant song.

I was a good boy yesterday.

It is worth while, if you are having fun, be it making a new N-gin, painting scenery, laying track or running trains around and around in a circle. It is your hobby and Bow Locks to anyone who says differently.

Point of order Sir. They are toy trains.

It is rather special.

I have been working on some locos. First up is a Hornby Railroad Black Five, 44744 It is still requiring stuff on the boiler and running plate. Next a Hornby Tender Drive Black Five 44687 It too needs bit added to the boiler and the valve gear made. Both are proving to be quite enjoyable to make. More work has been done on 62768 "The Morpeth" Not too bad for left over bits. The two Crap-potties together.

I enjoyed watching the video, well done.

Hi Richard A Richard (30368) is possibly referring to my slightly off the beaten track music I share on the Sheffield Exchange thread. I must say for a "rave" song it wouldn't have been my first choice, especially as I was expecting something sort of in the death metal mode by the record label. Thankfully there is so much good music of varying different taste to make most people happy. To me there are only four types of music. 1, the stuff I like 2, stuff that is listenable 3, stuff other people like 4, Oh (not a RMweb word) 'ell turn the radio off, its that (not another RMweb word) song by (yet one more non RMweb word) Queen.

Oh dear, some blighter has nicked the bridge. Sadly I don't think I can repeat this, the River Nene is the other side of the end wall in the neighbour's bedroom. One of the locks just outside Peterborough has a wonderful name "Dog in Doublet Lock".

Hi Jol Short wheelbase, Peco track plonked on my carpentry wood bodging, not compensated and only falls off when pushed from the side. The biggest problem I find with bumpy track and short wheel base locos is pick up issues, so good wheel to pick up wire contact is needed if only one wheel is in contact with the track. That becomes quite hard when using 14mm driving wheels. It isn't a simple 4 wheeled chassis, it has 3 axles, the third for the flycranks. Built for fun and was fun building it. I must be a pillock or something I still have more scratchbuilt locos than kit ones. Of course far more RTR than I ever need.

You are only jealous.