thegreenhowards

Hi Dave and Tony, I’ve just done a similar mod. I wish I’d read your thread before I did it! I initially tried using just the Bachmann speaker but I was shocked how tinny that sounded. An upgrade is definitely worthwhile. I used a Youchoos YLR302815 Bass Box in the tender. I found that was possible without cutting into the coal space, but I did have to remove the weight which I’ve replaced with lead tucked into corners. I drilled holes in the base of the tender chassis to let the sound out - this made a big difference. I decided to retain the Bachmann speaker unlike Hornby mag and your methods, so I soldered the new speaker wires to he spring clips on the Bachmann speaker so the two speakers are in parallel. I thought this might help with treble sounds given I was using a bass box in the tender. The difference in sound is very noticeable with a much better bass now. @trw1089 was asking about a comparison video, so to allow readers to judge, I have two YouTube videos….one before… ….and one after. The second whistle still sounds a bit asthmatic, but otherwise I’m really pleased with the install. Sound file is a Youchoos V2 project on a Zimo 21 pin decoder. I hope this is useful to someone. Regards Andy

They are nice coaches aren’t they. And a bit different. I don’t think I can face another built in this way, but if Isinglass produce a kit as Andy has told me he will, then I could be tempted. I really want a Thompson SLF now.

I’m shocked that it’s over a year since I posted on here! Both Jonathan Weallans at Warley and Gilbert Barnett when I visited him and Peterborough North asked what had happened to Gresley Jn. The truth is that I’ve been concentrating on O gauge projects recently and haven’t really used Gresley Jn for some time and It had become a bit of a dumping ground for stock which I’d taken down to the club. Anyway, last week I tidied it up and ran some trains. And this week I finished my D.227 Gresley SLF which I write up on Coulsdon Works. This called for running the Night Scotsman which is now nearly complete. Here she is. The new SLF is just behind the blood and custard SLSTP. Here’s a better view. The formation as of winter 1958/9 was: BG; 3x Thompson SLSTP/ SLSP; SLF, 2xTwin SLF, 2xSLF, BG. All the SLFs were longer ones with 10 Berths but I don’t know whether they were Gresley or Thompson versions. Anyway, I’ve assumed that they were Gresleys and I now have all the coaches required apart from one twin SLF. They’re all kit built apart from the BGs. Here is another view of the whole train. Andy

I had a chat to Jonathan Weallans at Warley and he asked my about the D.227 Gresley 66’6” SLF which I was building about 18 months ago based on sides prepared by Roy Mears. That reminded me that it was almost finished and just need a coupling of finishing touches - window painting and corridor connectors. So yesterday I finished it off. I did find these sides a help in building this coach but they were quite a bit of work - especially putting the plasticard strip in to form the beading. The rest of the coach is produced from Kirk and MJT parts. I had previously built a couple of D.157 SLFs from cut and shut 61’6” SLF Kirk sides in a similar way to that described on Steve Banks’ website. The only real difference between these diagrams is the spacing of the windows on the berth side. The corridor side is identical. Here is a D.157 done earlier to illustrate the difference. This coach will form part of my Night Scotsman rake which is now nearly complete with just one twin SLF needed to complete it as per the 1958/9 winter diagram. Jonathan (and a couple of others) have recently asked me about Gresley Jn, and I realised that I haven’t posted on there for over a year, so I will put a picture of the whole train on the Gresley Jn thread. Andy

I did derail a few wagons….and I didn’t have a pocket full of buses!

I have finally got round to editing the video I took when I visited Gilbert last Thursday. I’m afraid the colour isn’t great as the weather was very gloomy so we were relying on artificial light. I’ve tried warming it up but it’s still not great. Anyway, I hope it gives a feel for the running on Peterborough North which behaved very well while I was there. Highlights for me are the beautiful Thompson kitchen car on the KX-York/ Hull and the ex streamliner twin RS/SO on the KX - Glasgow. Andy

I was about to say that but you beat me to it. Looks exceptionally natural. Definitely one of Rob’s better 37s!

They are nice wagons, aren’t they! These are O gauge Skog models kits. There must be an OO kit manufacturer?

The D1 has to be top priority for your Billington 6 wheelers. If you knock that up, we might have to subsidise your heating bills for a couple of weeks so you can print them in winter!

On the motor gearbox subject, in O gauge we have fantastic helical gearboxes units available from either ABC or MSC (ex Ron Chaplin). Having tried one, I now never use anything else and I’m gradually retrofitting my fleet. They have the Portescap feature of being able to turn the wheels, but the main advantages are the power and quietness. I’m told the helical gearbox is much more efficient and it certainly shows in much lower current draw. I can easily get away with 00 decoders on locos so fitted which saves a bit. They're not cheap at just over £100, but compared with £50-£75 for a more conventional unit I think they’re good value. I’m surprised nothing similar has been tried in 00. Andy

Fantastic Rob. Roll on the spring!

Are you converting them to TTGs? That’s what I need to do in O gauge for Glenfinnan. But I’ve no idea what work is required… Andy

Thanks for your hospitality Gilbert. A very pleasant day with plenty of chat, quite a few trains run and hopefully some decent video. That will have to wait though as I had a 3.5 hour drive home in the rain and then an evening at my club packing up our exhibition layout for Sunday. Off to bed shortly! Andy

South Pelaw is a layout based on a time and a place which allows one to lose oneself in a piece of history. For me they are often the best layouts. I think that’s why we all like modelling the WHL. The fact that it’s brilliantly executed with exquisite signalling and plenty of action also helps.

I also went on Sunday and agree it was a bit quieter than last year. But there were train strikes on Saturday last year which will have shifted the balance. I heard that the Warley club were pleased that attendance was back to pre ‘Covid’ levels. My favourite was also South Pelaw, although I had seen it before. I also enjoyed Netherwood, Staindrop (1920s LNER O gauge), and Long Melford (transition era east Anglia with an impressive lever frame and TV descriptions of each train.). Andy

I had my chips stolen by a gull last time I was there!

I’ve now finished the LMS 12 wheeler. I found some lovely LMS lamps on eBay by Floyd Kraemer. Here is the finished coach basking in this afternoon’s sun on my viaduct. Andy

I agree with all that for 4mm, although I choose a Zimo decoder and Youchoos sound file as my personal preference. I find it best to standardise so that the functions are all on the same keys on each loco without having to play around reprogramming the chip. For 7mm, I try to fit in either a YLR453520 (dimensions in mm) or YLR603010 from Youchoos, both of which have fantastic base. Andy

Of course it is…. It’s the real thing. But DCC sound is still a huge improvement on no sound at all in my opinion. Especially in O gauge where larger speakers can be deployed. It may not be the whole sound of the railway but at least it’s synchronised with train movements and it’s the most important bit. By all means add some birds tweeting in the background if that floats your boat! Andy

I think you’ve proved that you don’t need to illuminate it. You might need to turn the dominos on when you’re using the loco as it looks a bit strange with the headlight lit and not the dominos.

I rather like the V2 framed by the bridge. Andy

Rob, Were these car type headlights turned on during daylight hours? If not, might you get away with a non working version? If you do want them to work, I’d have thought they were incandescent, so a warm white. And they will be powered off the 12v circuit with a resistor. Try a few different resistors until you’re happy - you can get a box with loads of different ones dirt cheap on eBay. Andy

Many thanks. Black it is. As for the frosting, do you mean that they weren’t white but rather a sort of obscure glass? I’ve achieved this is in the past by sandpapering the inside of the glazing material. Is that the sort of ‘colour’ you would expect? Luckily the white is just paper blue tacked to the inside at present! Regards Andy

Tony, Thanks for your photos of West Highland loco classes. I have a rather paltry selection of steam by comparison as my main focus or my West Highland layout has been on diesels…and I don’t think a Heljan RTR 37 is quite what this thread is about! I do have a rather nice K1 built from a Piercy kit. This came from the same source as the V4 which was a collection which rarely ran. This one by contrast, ran very nicely to start with, but I did have to solder the valve gear back together after a few circuits! Does any second hand kit built loco work perfectly (Excluding those built by you of course)?! I have another K1, which I can’t find a picture of right now one and one other steam loco nearing completion. This is a DJB engineering BR Standard 4 mogul. 76001 was a regular on the line at the end of steam. I bought this with the tender already built but the rest jumbled up in the box and no instructions. I’ve sourced some instructions, but even so, it has been a bit of a jigsaw puzzle working out how to put it together! It was also the first time I’ve had to roll my own boiler which was ‘interesting’. It went away for the Summer while I was building and playing with the garden railway but has just resurfaced as my Autumn project. Andy Regards Andy

…and some 37s I hope!