lilchris

Well things are coming along on the layout since I last posted. I have started the wiring of the layout, I am planning on having the minimum electronics on the boards themselves apart from the fiddle yard boards which have two PSX circuit breakers for up and down lines, mounted underneath. On the scenic section the plan is having the two circuit breakers for up and down lines respectively mounted on the centre support frame. I will mount the Z21 and router on the shelf on the support frame, I have sorted out all the wiring. I have made it so I can plug in direct to sections if I want to bypass the circuit breakers for testing. Behind the Z21 will be a 3 way connector which will supply feeds to the right centre board and the fiddle yard boards. The right centre board is the most complicated with three points and motors. The bus wires will then feed either side to the other three scenic boards. I have today completed the right centre board with bus and feed wires and Cobalt motors wired up and frogs checked for polarity through one of the switches on the motor. I have a separate pair of bus wires for the Cobalts, they are not through the circuit breakers, I keep the up and down lines on a different bus. With some luck I will complete the wiring today, I had a slight hiccup one of the unifrog points. One of the switch rails came loose and being a bit hamfisted I broke the tie bar. I thought I was going to have to buy a new point but I have managed to fix it by using another tie bar off a old damaged point, phew. The strange thing is I had not removed the spring from this point for use with the Cobalts, you have to take care with lining up the motors that you do not put side pressure against the tie bar, that can cause the very same problem. I am hoping to be doing some track testing soon. Chris.

I do not have my Powercab now but you could also reset the handset, sorry forgot how, it’s in the manual.Chris.

Here is todays latest pics, all droppers fitted on scenic section, still need to fit point motors and new droppers on the fiddle yard where I extended it. On the right you may see a extension to the right front board this will allow me to have a couple of sidings and perhaps a small goods shed for operational interest. Note how the layout curves in in the centre, this was intentional, I can reach the fiddle yard easily without having to crawl round the back anymore. Chris.

Here I am again, to try and post some pics showing my build so far. The third pic shows a rough outline of the plan for the layout.

This is my new layout which I started building at the end of June,I am using my old fiddle yard with some modifications from my old layout. It is a similar build but I have learned from my mistakes and made the modules more manageable. The layout is 9’ wide but is only 20” deep from the fiddle yard board, the two end scenic boards are “L” shaped so the two centre scenic boards fit between. The two centre scenic boards are not straight though, I have made them with a slight curve and I have made them open frame from 9mm ply. The track bed itself is 9mm ply, the rear track starts at high level on the right side and decreases in height to the left side then connects to the centre of the fiddle yard. The low level track which goes across the front has a sweeping curve across the front then joins the fiddle yard high level across the back. Effectively the layout is a folded over figure eight again like my old layout, you get two runs of the trains before returning to a given place. The idea of this layout is scenes from the book “Scenes from the past:33, East Lancashire Lines, Bury to Heywood & Rawtenstall” by J Wells & E F Bentley. It is a fictional layout but with scenes from the real locations…I hope…lol. Update: I have built all the boards and laid the code 55 track, I have just finished adding the 16/02 dropper wires, I am a believer in a feed wire to every piece of track. With this layout I have changed my control system, I have sold my NCE Powercab system and I have bought a Z21, which I have not had chance to try yet, getting there should be running trains soon. I will post some pictures later when I remember how to do it and I am on my computer not this I pad. Chris

Nice layout, I like your work on the Metcalfe kits, I use water based pencils, usually a brown colour which gives a similar effect. I also like to alter the buildings and customise them with drain pipes, gutters etc. Chris.

I have retired this layout now it is currently up for sale with Heywood model railway group. I made it to big for access to the fiddle yard, because of the shape of the loft room I was having to crawl round the back, then also banging my head. I am starting a new layout using the fiddle yard, the new layout will be called “East Lancashire Lines”, I will make smaller modular sections connected to the fiddle yard which will have castors has before.Chris

I have not posted any updates for a while on the layout. Since I last posted I have removed the large hill on the left and made the corner track visible with a bridge going over the lower track, then both sets go into tunnels before entering the fiddle yard at the back. I have built a meadow in the left corner with a stream and pond, I have also done work on the village behind the church with shops and houses going up the hill, with station road leading to the front of the layout. I have also now used the Metcalfe kits to make the station buildings. I also have working colour light signals in the station, and three Dapol semiphore signals on the layout. Here are a few pics of my progress so far.

Hi there I use a layer of foam under the trackbed which gives a nice shoulder, ie code 55 in my case. I glue the cork down with pva then glue the track to the cork with copydex. For any curves I use small screws between the sleepers, when you ballast the track later you can not see where the screws where. By the way do not put copydex where the screws are located because when you remove them the copydex wraps round them, don't ask how I know that...lol.

Hi there I had the same problem with one I bought, the dealer who supplied had the same problem on his track. He later told me somebody had looked at it and it was a connection issue with the bogie pickups but I was not happy with it and he got me a replacement. He showed me the replacement running on his dcc track but it would not run on my track, it run on my program track ok.On my layout It just sat there making all the noises but would not move, make sure you have not pressed F8 because it says that you have to un latch that or it will not move. I found out that my circuit breakers, which were set to 1.27 amps, were stopping it running, when I bypassed them or reset them to the default 3.68amps it run. Any way I left it running on dc on a Kato track for the afternoon periodically changing it round, and when I put it back on the layout with the circuit breakers re set to 1.27amps it now runs ok. Chris.

Think about buying the Wifitrax board, I think Digitrains sell them, you connect it into your NCE system it then creates its own wifi to log on. You can then use Engine driver or WiThrottle on a android pad or I pad whichever you have. I use Engine driver on a cheap android pad bought on Amazon, it allows easy use of all the functions on the screen which just touch control.

Thanks very much Kris, I got the idea from when I went to the Wigan show in 2018, and saw a layout there, called Monkchester. I imediately wanted a run where the trains went round on a long run, so my trains run round twice before getting back to where they started via the high level. I had to make some compromises with the length of the fiddle yard to fit the high level in without going above 2%.

Sorry to hear you have sent it back, my suggestion would have been to take the back off and make sure the eprom is plugged in. I had a experince with something similar happening to mine, and thats all that was wrong with it, it had come loose.

Here is a video showing my new Midland Pullman bought recently with some Christmas money plus my new sound fitted Class 31. The Class 31 did not come fitted with sound, I bought a Zimo Next 18 and the sound file from Digitrains.

Just thought I would post a nother pic of the layout. The layout is on castors so I can pull it forward from under the eaves. I still have lots to do, a small station will be on the right side along with a couple of sidings. At the front on the left is my programme track which is removable. The layout is 9' from right to left and about 33" deep, the fiddle yard behind is about 18" deep and comprises of 8 tracks. There is a gradient across the back leading to the high level, I have kept the gradients to 2%.

My last post tonight, This pic shows the two levels of track coming round to the fiddle yard board. The high level from the viaduct going down to the centre of the fiddle yard board. The low level track ducking under then going up along the back of the fiddle yard board to the high level. When I thought of this plan I was not sure if it would work, there is not much level track on this layout or straight track for that matter. I wanted trains through the country side but with a small built up area has well.

Here is another pic showing the construction of the fiddle yard tracks. The fiddle yard is made of two boards, has you can see the track joins. I have soldered the track too brass screws, the track is all code 55 with Cobalt digital motors. I had wanted the fiddle yard track to be longer, but I had to lose some length on the left to allow room for the down gradient from the viaduct. I have kept the gradient to under 2%, and all curves to nothing less than 2nd radius. I had some 9" radius on my old layout and it restricted movement. The plan was to use the centre tracks has through lines but they are the longest so I may change my mind.

I have managed to post a pic the correct way round. This pic shows the different levels on my layout, the left pair of tracks is from the viaduct and is decending, it carries on losing height before joining the fiddle yard. the pair of tracks are losing a small amount of height while the duck under the other tracks they then go round and the up to the high level along the back of the level to come round back over the viaduct. You can see the wood shaped on the back board to the outline of the hill which has been buit there. I will post some pics tomorrow now I have solved the pic posting problem. The big hole is for access inside the tunnel under a big hill.

The layout is 9'wide x 4' 5" deep, the scenic area is 33" deep to the back scenic boards. There are three tunnels on the layout, I managed to avoid making it four by building a road and a road bridge upto the high level section over the right high level tunnel. I have made to two bridges based on ones at Burrs in Bury on the East Lancashire railway. I have been building a model of the Monkey bridge for the last couple of weeks, I had one previously on my first layout but decided to re build it more or less from scratch. I am hoping to fit that in position this coming weekend.

Here is another early video where I was testing the track before building any scenery. A train going round does two laps before returning back to the start, basically a figure eight rolled over.

I have tried to post some more pics but I am getting the same result they aways end upside down. So here is a link to a video showing the layout instead. A 4f and and a Jinty going round, hope the signalman notices the 4f has lost its break van....

Not sure how to correct this I have a pic on the computer the right way up and it posted upside down so I dleted that and tried one that was upside down with the same result ? Can anyone advise on what I am doing wrong.

This is the post for my new layout which I started the end of November 2019. It is a modular layout made up of four boards, the two back ones are the fiddle yard and the two front are scenic boards and are split level. I am using my NCE SB5 system through four PSX circuit breakers. Two for the fiddle yard up and down lines and two for the scenic boards up and down lines. I am using Peco Code 55 track throughout the layout with cobalt Digital motors controlled through a Cobalta Alpha unit although a couple of the motorrs on the scenic section arre controlled by switches linked into the system also with Cobalt Mimic. The scenic section on the left board is the viaduct from my old layout which I have incorporated into the layout with the River Irwell going underneath. The right board wil have a small station with a small goods yard for more interest. The track curves round and then goes under a high level line which goes over the viaduct on the left, the track from the station curves round and also crosses the river on a lower level over the Monkey bridge which replicates the one on the line over the river between Radcliffe and Bury. This bridge is still in use today by the Manchester Mertro light tram system. The layout is a figure eight folded over, I got the idea after seeing Monkchester at a railway show last year. I have built the layout this way so it could be dismantled if need be, it is on casters so it can be pulled out from under the eaves in the loft room. I had some fun getting the layout level I found that the floor is not has level as I thought it was. The boards have square locating holes for the supports, the boards are fixed together with dowels and suitcase catches and can be seperated and lifted off the supports. I will post some more pics when I am on the railway room computer where all the pics are stored. I have progressed quite a long way, I have been building a new Monkey bridge, I had one on my first layout, this is the third. This layout has allowed me to make the the new bridge I am building quite a bit wider, not quite has long as the real bridge but it should look good. I would show pics but they all post upside down

I have just connected the up line bus direct to the NCE SB5 and run a loco, the only problem was going through some points, reason for that 1/ I have removed the springs for the Cobalts, 2/ not connected the frogs yet. I tried it the high level track ( no points) with no problems so my wiring is ok. Maybe once I connect power to the circuitbreakers and finish wiring the re set switches all will work ok, the same with the motors. Has I have been wiring the droppers I have been checking the polarity with a meter,If I put the meter on the track rails all checks out too. Trains run so I must have done it right, I run a loco through a wrong point and the system shutdown so that is working. Thanks again for your reply.

Just thought I would update this topic. I decided to scrap this layout and start again. The new layout which I started building in November 2019 will again be modular N-Gauge with 4 boards all joined with Dowels and joined with catches and using the 4x psx circuit breakers. 2x fiddle yard boards and 2x scenic boards. The new layout will be called Irwell Valley Railway, it is 9' wide the scenic section is just under 3' deep but the track is at the front. I have saved my Viaduct module from thoe old layout and this is at the front on the left on the new layout. The layout has two levels basically a figure 8 folded over, so a train will leave the fiddle yard and actually go round twice before returning to where it started. This layout is to watch trains go by with a bridge and a viaduct on the left over the River Irwell Hence "Irwell Valley Railway". I will start a new thread and post some pictures when I get the chance. Thanks to anybody who commentated on East Lancashire lines.