Longhaireddavid

First off, you have to define each "turnout" in JMRI and ensure that clicking on the buttons actually changes the points. I then list all of my "defined" trains and work out a set of routes. Then I define these routes in JMRI using the turnout numbers applied earlier. Before I run any train, I click on the required route and all the points are set correctly. It works really well.

Before we were married, back before 1967, my wife's aunt lived in Cadmore Lane - at the bottom of Delamare Road. I used to walk around the corner on a quiet Sunday when visiting just to peer through the fencing. Since then, recently, I have been a member of the Clacton IPMS model club and two weeks ago visited the Clacton N Gauge Society where there is a member, Alan Clark, who worked there in those days and has great memories of Colin Chapman et all. Lovely to see the photo and the model. Well done.

What are you putting it into? I had two of these and put them into the new Grafar Ivatt and 4F (coreless motors) and had to change them for Zimo as the Zen didn't like the BEMF situation with these motors. Turning off the BEMF didn't help.

I believe that the Farish 3F coming is like their Ivatt and 4F in having a coreless motor and a 6 pin interface. My experience of this is that with a Zimo decoder this chassis runs like a dream. My 4F starts on 1 on my Digitrax controller and crawls along from there.

I must add that the 3F is a pre-delivery order on kernow and "out of stock" at Hattons.

I have an Ivatt and a 4f but I would have thought that neither would be used for shunting. As I said, I have a Farish 3F on order but when it will arrive is anyone's guess. I might have to go for an 08 but it wouldn't really fit in with my theme. I will have to keep thinking. David Ex-main man on the Sunset & North Eastern Railroad Now the Fat Controller at Pennvale Sands LMR

Hi there. I am new to the British scene having been a US outline modeller for most of my life. I am now building an N Gauge layout based on the Cumbrian coast and am looking for a pilot/shunter suitable for DCC for the main terminus. I currently have an order for a Grafar 3F but it seems that this might be a long time coming. Has anyone any ideas what else I could use that would be reasonable in early BR. Thanks in advance. David Ex-main man on the Sunset & North Eastern Railroad Now the Fat Controller at Pennvale Sands LMR

I use two strips of 10mm copper self adhesive tape as the bus and then solder droppers to those. David

My Safari is saying that it can't find www.dccsupplies.com. Is that the right address?

I haven't put any of the roads in. The top area beyond the level crossing will probably be the town square. There would be access to the goods shed from an entrance off the board to the left. I might add 4" to the end (easy done with foam core) to make that possible on the model(but I am trying to make this portable and stored upright out of the way! I assumed that there would be a crossing keeper's hut at the end of the station and a signal box further down the line towards the fiddle yard (or maybe a ground frame only just beyond the last point. Access might be tight but then I am building on an 4' x 1' board. If I modelled a yard as it was then, I would probably need 12' long and 4' wide. Smile. I remember the size of the coach yards paralleling Abercairn Road in Streatham. They were huge.

Hi there. Been in US outline for many years. Just starting out with a British outline N Gauge layout based on the LMS, somewhere (not got that far yet). I am wondering what signalling there would be on this branch terminus, if any. I guess it might be run just on a token but I would like to put some signalling in. Here is the layout - 4' 3" x 1' My guess (knowing nothing) is probably an outer home beyond the points and a repeater protecting the level crossing. The two X show where I think that they might be. Please let know how close I am - smile.

Thanks for the response. Silly me! I am using Empire express (first time I have used it) and, rather assumed that, as it had a full Peco library then the proportions would come out right! I see your point (ha ha). I am off to my LHS tomorrow and I will pick up some track. It won't take me long to put the baseboard together so I can play around with the points (nearly called them switches) on the actual board. The nice thing about foam core is, if it needs a bit more, some quick cutting and a hot glue gun and you have it! Did you find anything other than the length to be a problem? I have tried to make sure that any goods train came come into the loop without fouling the platform track. If I do have the room, could you suggest one more industry? The fiddle yard will be,as you say, about 18" long but it could go out to 21" or a bit more as the desk it will sit on is 5' 3". A bit of an overhang wouldn't be a problem but I don'twant the main board to be too long as I will have to store it vertically. Thanks again.

Hi there. I am not sure if this is where I post such a request and if I am in the wrong place, I apologise. A bit of background, For the last 62 years I have been a US outline modeller in both HO and N. I have a - progressing - layout based, lightly, in Connecticut and Massachusetts.You can see what I am doing on my blog - Gentle Model Railways. I have had a couple of attempts at OO and 009 in the last few years but have always come back to US modelling. However, I am getting a bit fed up with having to source so much from the States and pay extortionate shipping charges, VAT plus £8.50 to the Royal Mail for just passing it through Customs. I have decided to give UK modelling another go and am proposing to build a little 3' 6" x 12" portable N Scale layout. I would appreciate some guidance on the track plan as I don't normally create something like this. I am hampered in my plans by the fact that, although I was young during the steam era, I lived in South London so only ever saw Southern Electrics. Hence, I am on dodgy ground with small country terminus designs. As the cost of Model Railroader and Railroad Model Craftsman (plus annual NMRA membership) is quite high, I only see the occasional UK magazine. I do have a really good MR shop nearby - Scograil in Ipswich - so, by going this route I will actually be able to give them some business. Anyway, here is my first thought for the layout. Thanks in advance for any thoughts.