Rick_Skateboard

Thanks!

Does anyone have any pictures of inside the cabs of these locos? Cheers, Rick

This is my project so far: When the loco is at half revs, I'd like it to be able to drop down to either Initial Power via Spool Down To Initial, or to Idle via Spool Down, but I can't seem to make it pick one or the other, it always goes to Initial Power and then to Idle if the throttle is moved down to zero. Any advice would be great! Cheers Rick

Hi Simon, Thanks for replying; I fixed the issue I was struggling with, by having a transition looping back into the same state box. The thing I'm currently stuck on is how to make the sound step down to one of two options depending how much you turn the throttle down. I'm sure it must be to do with the conditions of the transitions, I'll take some screen shots and try to explain that better. I've learnt quite a lot just by playing around with the programmer, and by following your guide. I've found some bits of it are quite intuitive and other bits leave me totally lost! Cheers Rick

Hello, I've been following your tutorial, which has been really helpful. I keep getting an error message that says "last transition must be unconditioned", so it wont play sounds or do anything else now, so I've hit a bit of a brick wall with it. Any help appreciated! Rick

Any chance of a video showing the lights? It really is a very impressive model and I hope it does well for them. I also hope they do a 24/1 and with Highland headlights! Rick

Does anyone know if there's a DCC sound project available or in the making? It seems like an obvious one to do as a working prototype exists to go and record and now an RTR model is available. Cheers, Rick.

Thanks for the replies and the picture links. I am aware of the different carriages, there's been several carriages used as observation carrs on the Kyle Line over the years, an exDevon Belle Obs, Caledonian Saloon No.41, GWR Saloon No.9004, the LMS Inspection Saloon and the exClass 101 DMU trailer. There may be more. I've still got it in my head that I've seen a picture of the LMS Inspection Saloon with white stags on it, I just can't find any evidence of it now! Cheers, Rick

Glad these have finally landed, I've just ordered one. I'm sure I've seen photos of the one that was used in passenger trains on the Kyle Line (ADM 45028) with Highland Rail stags on the sides? I can't find one now though! Can anyone confirm this? Cheers, Rick

Thanks for the detailed reply. Time to get the paints out Rick

Hello All, Does anyone have any details of the interiors of Scotrail carriages? Specifically Mk3s and Mk2 Aircons. I'm modelling a push-pull rake and am currently doing a Mk3 CO. I've got the Lima interior and am planning to paint it and add people etc. Any details of colours for floors, sides, tables and seats would be great. I suspect tartan will feature somewhere! I also expect the standard class and first class portions will be different. Any information would be great, photos even better! Cheers Rick

A few more from me. Rick

A frosty morning at Bell End Sidings. The rising sun reflects off the condensation on 08717. Rick

I've finally got round to wiring up my diorama so I can pose locos with the lights on. Here's 08717, which I have just weathered. More to follow. Rick

Another one from me. Sorry it's not weathered, it'll just have to be a shot of an ex works loco. Cheers, Rick

This House Is A Circus - Arctic Monkeys

An attempt from me. 20181 ticks over in the headshunt at Inverbellend. Rick

Kill The Poor - Dead Kennedys

Bank Holiday - Blur

Thanks Howard, and everyone else, it has been a very interesting discussion. With the signalling layout agreed I have now started an interlocking chart. I've been going through my green booklet on the principles of interlocking and I understand some of it, but other sections will take a few more re-reads! It is nowhere near finished yet, only just started, but if anyone wants to give an opinion on it I would be grateful as I'm not sure if I've grasped the theory or not. I've also done a list of lever identification plates. Eventually I'd like to have a properly locked miniature lever frame to operate the layout with. 1. Up Distant 2. Up Home 3. Up Starter 4. Ground Frame Release 5. Spare 6. Up Line to Down Loop 7. Up Loop Calling On 8. FPL on Down End Loop Points 9. Down End Loop Points 10. Down Loop to Down Line Shunt Ahead 11. Up Loop to Down Line Shunt Ahead 12. Up Line to Yard 13. Yard Points 14. Yard Exit 15. Down Loop to Up Line 16. FPL on Up End Loop Points 17. Up End Loop Points 18. Down Line to Up Loop Calling On 19. Spare 20. Down Starter 21. Up Loop Down Starter 22. Down Home 23. Down Home for Up Loop 24. Down Distant All comments welcome, as usual. Rick

Thanks Mike. There are fairly regular moves past No.20 and 21, locos running round trains in the loop and moving forward to the fuel sidings. I'm sure you're right about the discs at No.3, but I quite like the idea of having stacked discs. I was thinking the yard exit shunt signal at No.14 could be a McKenzie & Holland revolving disc like the one pictured here, but not on a post http://www.signalbox.org/gallery/sc/rosestreet.php. Here's the latest draft! Cheers, Rick

Thanks guys, all interesting stuff. In terms of the station being oversignalled, it may well be. I don’t want it to look like a massive mainline with a forest of signals, but I want it to be interesting to operate. I also want it to be realistic, but I’m prepared to do some stretching of reality. Obviously the lines North of Inverness were quite quiet in reality, but that would make for a pretty boring model railway. I’m thinking a few passenger trains in each direction, some of which will split/combine, a fuel train and maybe an engineers or general freight train. My understanding of the acceptance of trains into passing loops with no trap points was as Mike says. Trains both brought to a stand at the Homes and then accepted into the loop one at a time. If the Outer Homes and the Advance Starters are not needed, does my original drawing work for the most part? Ignoring the TCB and signals controlled from another box going East. If the section signals are at the end of the plaforms and the shunt signals can allow movements past them, into the section, is that where the Limit of Shunt boards come in? If the ground frame is released by the signalman from the box, does that mean the token would have to be withdrawn, or can that move still be done inside the Limit of Shunt? Cheers, Rick

Howard, I see what you mean about double track up to the junction, but for my model I do want it to be single track at both ends of the loop. I had Machynlleth in mind as a station on a single track line, where trains split and combine to go to a junction not far away (Dovey Junction). I have re drawn the signalling diagram for Braeintra to have added Advance Starters at both ends, that has also involved a bit of renumbering. I was also thinking of having a road over bridge at one end to provide the scenic break to go into the fiddle yard and I wondered if there would have been a Banner Repeater provided if the bridge obscured the view of the signals? Thanks for your input so far, please give me your opinion of this draft! Cheers, Rick

Howard, Thanks for the reply, Signal 19 was to allow a loco to enter platform 1 when it is occupied, to couple onto a train that has been split. The idea being that a train from Inverness arrives into platform 1 and the loco that has brought it that far continues to Kyle of Lochalsh with half of the train, while another loco that has been stabled waits in platform 2 then moves onto the remaining half of the train in platform 1, before departing for Ullapool. You are right about 8. I just guessed a signal would be needed at both ends of the platform 1 loop to allow entry to that occupied line. I’m hoping to have a loop that will take a 7 coach train and a loco inside the signals, or in the case of a train that will be split, two 3 coach trains and 2 locos. In reality the loop would probably be much longer. I see what you mean about the Advance Starter, I guessed the west end of the diagram would need changing. I wasn’t quite sure of the function of the Limit of Shunt board in these situations and whether 11 could allow you past the section signal up to the Limit of Shunt or not. If there was an Advance Starter, would 11 and 12 both be redundant and shunt moves be made from the main arms? I guess the section signal would be interlocked to the token machine? Does that arrangement mean there needs to be an Outer Home and Advance Starter at both ends of the diagram? The TCB was meant to be just as far as the next box (not far away), which is the junction for Ullapool. That would do away with the need for another, very short, token section. Perhaps it would be easier/more realistic to just have that as another token section. The example I was thinking of was Bewdley, where the section to Kidderminster is TCB and the section to Arley is tokens. As for RETB, I could save myself a lot of work but just putting a couple of stop boards in, but that would be a bit boring! The period I’m planning to model is just before RETB was implemented, with a bit of date stretching… Cheers, Rick

Hello All. I'm getting to the point where I might be able to start building a 'proper' layout in the not too distant future and although I'm not ready to start construction yet, I have a plan in mind and want to develop it. One thing I'm interested in is having proper signalling on the layout. Braeintra isn't necessarily going to be the final name. The station is supposed to be a fictional passing loop on the line between Dingwall and Kyle of Lochalsh, where trains divide or turn back to go down a fictional branch line, possibly to Ullapool. I guess this operation will be similar to what went on at Georgemas Junction. The junction wont be part of the station layout, but will be a short distance back along the line towards Dingwall, operated by another box. I was thinking the short distance between the two boxes could be track circuit block, although the lines heading away from the area will be electric token block, and the Distant signals be slotted on the Home of the other box. The station is signalled for trains to pass through, cross, or for arrivals to be split or combined coming to and from the fictional branch. Any train that will depart eastwards will have to do so from platform 1 because there is no FPL on the points into the goods yard, so that line is signalled for wrong direction arrivals and departures and with sub arms to allow entry to the occupied platform. I know the Highland Railway signalled a lot of its loops with a box at both end, but I wanted everything to be controlled from one frame on the layout. Perhaps this could be some sort of LMS resignalling? There will be a 'new' fuel depot at the west end of the station which will be accessed by a ground frame released from the signal box. I wasn't sure if this should be inside an outer home with a limit of shunt board or if it should be accessed when the token is withdrawn for the section ahead for the duration of the shunt. Apologies for the poor quality photo, It's a camera phone shot of the pencil drawing I did. I must try to get it scanned properly. The track layout is pretty much finalised, but the signals I've drawn are just my first attempt and I suspect there will be many errors. Any feedback would be appreciated. Nothing is set in stone and as I said I'd like to develop the plan. Cheers, Rick