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I’ve made a limited amount of progress with the layout, the super super elevation has been reduced to 1mm. The tracks are currently in the process of being glued into place. With the fiddle yard configurations improved I’ve been spending some time reworking the timetable. Previously I’d got from midnight to around 08.00 before the complexity of the timetable and inflexibility of the storage yards became too big a problem. There are a number of things I’ve done that I think have made it more workable, as well as having the various fiddle yard links: 1. I have allocated specific fiddle yard roads for each movement. This prevents 7 trains being allocated to a 6 siding fiddle yard. 2. The linked yards have massively reduced the volume of stock required. So far I can pretty much cover all the required moves with existing stock (so just one freightliner set, not 4!). The unit requirement is down from 13 to 5 (current fleet is just 2). One of the units could be an EMU. The real timetable has 5 units in the station together, so I can’t go below that realistically. With the Bachmann 117 and Heljan 104 that should make a nice fleet. 3. I hadn’t previously allocated storage space to unused stock. For example the relief rake of mk1s isn’t utilised before 8am, but it still needs to live somewhere. When I ran the previous timetable trains ended up not having space to run to, the new approach looks to have solved this, at least on paper. 4. I’ve had to do some minor alterations to sequence and timings to ensure that fiddle yard roads are freed up for incoming movements. I’ve also had to add an extra parcels service to balance the stock. Hopefully I have enough now to do a running test of the first 8 hours and confirm it works so far. After 8am it doesn’t look to get any more complex and the Up/Down balance looks ok. Watch this space for some photos and maybe even videos as I put the timetable to the test!

With a very successful running session underway I couldn’t resist mocking up the West end bridge and backscene. First an overall view. The carriage sidings and Chester lines disappear under a road bridge, with the road carrying on alongside the curving Warrington lines. I’ve inclined the Warrington lines, and I suspect my cant (steady) is too high. There’s a hint of rollercoaster to the track here (C.187s if you know what they are). It’s currently a 3mm cant, which was a figure I got from somewhere, but maximum cant is usually 6”, so 2mm may be better. A visitor or two are probably required to help judgement.

Minimum visible radius is 900mm - the mainlines on the far right. Minimum hidden radius is 600mm - the track you highlight. I suspect the camera is making is look tighter than it actually is. The two vans are test vehicles, being long wheel-based twin axle trucks with both long buffer shanks and 3 link couplings. Experience shows that less than 600mm results in buffer lock. Set track points with a 450mm radius proved to be too tight. I cut a long piece of hardboard into a curve with 600 on one side and 650 on the other. You can use this to mark up the baseboard and also to form flexitrack against to get a smooth curve. I think the prototype minimum radius is 5 chains, or 1320mm, which shows how much stress we put on our models!

Almost there… time for some trial running, particularly of some of the timetabled freight moves to check the layout has the flexibility that I want. Once I’m happy with it, I have some more backboard to put up behind the Warrington lines to hide the Holyhead sidings, then I can finally get the backscene up. Which is where I started about 3 months ago! The carriage sidings still need extending and I’d like another RH point in the rat run between carriage sidings and the double slip; I should be able to get enough length for a 3 car DMU. At the other end of the Holyhead yard, there’s a new connection to either Warrington or Crewe. The crossover has moved on to the lifting section to allow a longer scenic run on the Warrington’s. The second point on the right needs upgrading to code 75, which will allow an additional road in between the tankers and the peak. There’s also a connection gone in to allow a through road where the 08 is currently ‘stabled’.

I haven’t really started looking at them yet, although I definitely have an eye out for cunning solutions! How accurately do you have to park over neodymium magnets? Some of my stopping points would probably benefit from around 50mm of uncoupling zone.

Yes… unfortunately the track where I’ll need magnets is firmly in place and ballasted. The track being laid and tested is all fiddle yard and a bit of open line. Still, get yourself a beer and enjoy me trying to fit magnets retrospectively! I do at least know where they need to go.

No rush - I still have track to lay and test, then a backscene to put on before I even think about couplings.

Virtually all my stock has NEM pockets, so I’ll be starting with them initially.

One pack each of #16,17,18 and 19 just to play around with…

Some early action of the layout going back together.

I should probably start with an apology for the horror show that is the curve into the fiddle yard in the previous photo. It looked great at a normal view, but you can see in the photo that it isn’t right. This proved to be the case with buffer lock on some of the longer wheel based loose coupled stock. Some realignment is underway. I find a length of peco flexitrack is useful for bending to a set curve to see the flow. The first picture shows how far away from my minimum radius of 600mm the track is. A much improved layout now in place, with the reconnection to the fiddle yard roads still to do. Fortunately there’s plenty of give in their alignment, so not a disaster by any means.

Some tangible progress, not least with the Quality Street. The 6 Holyhead sidings are all reconnected, including the spur round to the Warrington yard, meaning that there’s a continuous run once again. The whole lot is getting wired better this time, albeit not to every rail yet. I have the carriage sidings and rat run to the fiddle yard to lay, then I can relay the Warrington lines.

Great video - lovely to see the 37s working in and out. I hadn’t realised the services were mixed traffic - a really nice touch. Fully agree on the concrete - looks really good. I’ve added a mental note to copy it for my fuel point, which has now made my list of top 1000 priorities.

It can be quite frustrating when you have a fairly decent working model railway and you decide to take it all apart! I have finally got to the stage though where I can see the benefit of taking a few steps backwards. I’d love to be watching the new 20’s trundle through on the tanks, but it’s pleasing to be making progress with improvements. Work seems like an eternity away, coffee is hot, there are still some good colours left in the Quality Street tin and the geometry of Peco points looks like it’s going to work well. “Now what we have here Watson, is a three pipe problem.”

A glimpse of things to come…

Mainly street and building lights. The boards should come apart a bit easier in the future if I need them to.

It’s 6mm hardboard, mostly flat against a wall. I won’t be painting it so in a dry room it should resist the temptation to warp. I let it spend some time standing on its own to check it wasn’t straight just to being at the bottom of a stack. It’s slightly more forgiving than mdf, which is useful as straight is a concept you hang up at the door in an old house. The walls vary a lot over all 3 dimensions, so straight things often look wrong.

So I didn’t quite get the layout back up and running again in time for Christmas, but it shouldn’t be too long now. The main boards are all back in and awaiting their backscene prints, and they all seem to work electrically. Despite through running not quite being available, the two new all purpose unsung heroes of bulk freight did manage a few lengths up and down the front. My word they look and sound good! They are also supporting the layout’s first kadees… Obviously they need to spend New Year’s eve getting very dirty with their tank wagons. Finally, in tribute to a phone that learns your spellings, Merry Christleton one and all.

At least I don’t have to attend a review chaired by me!

I am trying to hold back on the temptation to rush into get trains running again. My aspiration was Christmas so that I can ask Santa for a pair of choppers, but I think there may be an engineering overrun! I can certainly say that taking your time is no bad thing. More planning should be less rework later.

Actually, looking again, I think it’s a mk2a or mk2z, as the end door doesn’t look like a wrap around. I think there were only 2 of these, so there’s a 50:50 chance that it’s the one you can see at Christleton.

An absence of posts does not mean I haven’t been busy putting off some pretty epic hard work! The boards are definitely moveable, not portable. They are certainly not an easy single person lift. With them all finally out I got on with sorting out some dodgy walls - loose plaster, mould, water stains. Bright white walls and the lower shelf being removed will hopefully make quite a difference in the shed corner. With the layout apart, there’s been a good opportunity to have a good head scratch and think about what I want to change, whilst I still have the opportunity. There are a few things I’ve done along the way that aren’t really good enough. One of the boards I made in something of a hurry is at the West end where the Warrington lines curve away. Regular readers will know that I already had intentions to sort out the fiddle yard access and include a rat run from the carriage sidings. Regular visitors will know that the curved mainline was far too close to the edge of the board. In for a penny, in for a pound… The front section of this board will be rebuilt properly. Fortunately none of the baseboard alterations effect the point work and wiring, so the disruption should be short lived. With the carnage by now well out of hand, time to add some 6mm hardwood backscenes, ready for application of a 12m long photo of overcast sky (from scalology, service recommended, end result tbc). With each board on the floor, you get a completely different view! I have tried and failed to rotate the photo. 6mm backscenes were going to be too tight for the already too tight baseboards to fit in place (I needed to invent new swear words to get the alignment dowels apart), the end board has been shortened by about 20mm, which makes no difference to the fiddle yard but a world of improvement overall. I’ve run the backscene along the whole wall into the Holyhead end, but the sky will curve (ask Einstein) along the profile of the Warrington lines. It’s going to have to be a little lower in front of the Holyhead yard. Next I have to refit the south end junction board back in, which involves a new backboard and proper alignment of the curved double junction which I sensibly laid across a baseboard joint. I’m having a brief pause, as during the room neatening I removed the 80’s fire surround, which creates an additional 40mm of potential space. This is right where the platform was too narrow, so whilst it will mean rebuilding my arched retaining wall, it’s probably the right solution.

Amazing that the mk2c was around in i/c livery for so long. I assumed it would have been quickly phased out. And as for progress, see below!

I’m liking your weathering - at least before you started breaking things! I haven’t yet broken anything too valuable, but several bits of rolling stock are no longer original. I have a GUV and Mk1 waiting for me to find the time to have a go at a gangwayed GUV - could you use this pre-modified one that you’ve engineered to have a go at some sort of conversion?

Now here’s a view I can live without seeing too often! Jobs to sort whilst it’s apart: 1. Proper backscene boards 2. curved backscene in the alcove where the shed is. 3. Remove the shelves above the shed to let more light in. 4. Enable lighting and signalling circuits. 5. Paint walls and sort gaps between ceiling beams and ceiling. If anyone has any other bright ideas, don’t feel obliged to wait until it’s all back together before saying something!