61656

I don’t really know enough about peco points to confirm seep 1 for sprung and seep 4 for unsprung, but logically it makes sense. When I say I use the switch for the motor and the frog, I mean I use a 3PDT or a 4PDT switch. This isn’t as complicated as it sounds and is nothing to be afraid of! I use a capacitor and diode combination next to my motors to power them, essentially a mini (and very cheap) capacitor discharge unit. 4 diodes and 2 caps will do a single ended point or a crossover (or more if you want). This means I need a DPDT switch to reverse the polarity to the motor to fire it across. The caps mean there’s no chance of burn out, removes the need for less reliable momentary switches and unlike using a capacitor discharge unit, you can throw infinite motors at once. There are circuit diagrams in my pages. The photo shows the wiring for two single ended points. Once you have a DPDT, you just add extra poles for the frogs (one for single ended and two for a crossover). Farnell and RS both sell 3PDT and 4PDT toggle switches fairly cheap and they have nice big lugs for soldering. I’ve added a picture of my part wired panel so you can see the switches. Some of them move 3 point ends at once.

I have fitted over 60 seep motors as a complete beginner and they all work well. With 60 motors required, anything more expensive was immediately ruled out. Because of the handbuilt points I needed a latching motor, so not much choice. I made a little jig for alignment, but my best move was only using blacktack to hold them in position until I was happy with the alignment. Do a few test throws and then screw them firmly in with the longest screw your baseboard allows. Pre drilling will prevent them moving when you screw them in. I wouldn’t use the seeps to switch frog polarity, I use the same switch that I use for the motor to switch the electricals. I suspect the precision required for switching the frogs is where a lot of people find the headache.

I seem to be following 9C85 around the forum this week! Likewise I’ve just found the layout and I’m loving the work. Definitely a few ideas to borrow, not least the way you’ve built the layout to ease photography. Lovely atmosphere around the place too. And who doesn’t love a Sulzer?

Hmmm. Good question. It doesn’t look square enough for a HW, but is possibly too long for a 63. The distinctive ears made me think 63, but quite a few machines have those. I think I should be able to get some archive pictures out from the time period, if I ever get back to the office. For now I’m happy with the impact they have - amazing how a few simple details can improve the look.

This has been a good week for progress. Mainly because an engineering possession of all lines means I spend my time building rather than running. On the layout, the troughing has been painted concrete colour (whatever colour that is) and point machines have been installed. I was going to have electro-pneumatic machines, however I discovered that the Peco dummy motor is a Westinghouse M63 style machine. Those of you that know me will know why I couldn’t resist! I need a last run through painting a few bits and covering a lot of holes, then the civil engineers can get some stone down. Over in the carriage and wagon, the Mk2z has been rubbed down and primed. It can only get harder from here.

Well tonight we are pleased to formally launch “Haven’t got a clue Enterprises” as we embark on the attempt to relivery a mk2 into intercity mainline colours. I say we, because it’s good to get the notion of shared responsibility and blame out early. The donor coach came apart relatively easily, not quickly, but fairly straightforward. Not a job to be rushed. I realised as I took it apart that the internal corridor connection doors and underframe make it a Mk2z (i.e. an original Mk2) rather than a Mk2a. I hadn’t realised that Bachmann even did the 2z! This is good news, as hardly any pressure ventilated Mk2’s made it into intercity livery, probably less than 10 and all BFKs. In my era just one Mk2a was so liveried and that was at Bounds Green, so almost certainly just in their charter set. However 2 former Western region Mk2z’s had been allocated to Carlisle Upperby and were repainted at some point in 1986 (before September if anyone asks). These two are therefore entirely accurate for a West Coast or Cross Country service through a place which doesn’t exist! Stage 1 is done, next job is a light sand and then primer.

I realised that I hadn’t posted any photos of the loco servicing shed, so here’s a couple to show how it looks. Usually the type 4s used for trains reversing or changing traction dominate the two roads on the left, with Christleton sheded type 2s and 3s using the servicing facilities. Looks like celebratory guest is in for some attention on this occasion.

Fitting DCC sound is one of those real daunting until you’ve done it jobs. I’ve fitted quite a few now and don’t think twice about it, but I was terrified on my first one! The speaker nearly always fits between the bogies, but you do have to be brave with the scalpel or cutting disc. This is my Bachmann 25, the sound quality is great and it’s nowhere near full volume. I think the tanks underneath are a clip fit, so you can prise them off with a screwdriver. I’ve only done “DCC ready” so far, but older models shouldn’t be beyond you.

Agreed. More units, more freight, more parcels and about 50 class 47s! I want to spend a bit of time sorting out what I currently have, which means: - Sound units for 31,108, 85 and 87 - Declassifying first to second on two coaches. - converting D211 to D200 - painting some GUVs in blue - painting a BFK in intercity On the layout front it’s point machines and then ballasting. Definitely beginning to feel like a model railway rather than a carpentry and wiring project. Longer term plans include: - plasticard viaducts - overhead wires - signals - tanker train - rake of HAAs - civil engineers train

September 86 is almost a unique month, the first of the transpennine liveried coaches, end of the 33s, class 40 (97) still in use and both 25s and 31s on freight. I imagine it’s the last week of the school holidays with lots of extra relief services both to the North Wales Coast and on the Inter regional services.

Many thanks. The EMUs remain a long term goal and I think somewhere in the last couple of years I realised they’d be 304s. As some serious kit building / bashing is involved they won’t be arriving any time soon!

Thanks! I’ve found quite a few pictures of the service, but only with mk 1s so far. September 86 is the month I use as guidance for what fits and what doesn’t. As far as I can work out the Cardiffs were either a 47 or a 33; I can’t find any photos of anything else, but the 25 and 31 will certainly get the odd turn. And the 37/4 might get upgraded from it’s current allocation to the speedlink roster!

I decided to stop buying more locos until my current fleet is sound fitted. My preferred supplier of sound is definitely Howes, but I’m keen to know if the TTS is any good as it’s a lot cheaper. My only non sound fitted diesel loco at the moment is the 31, which ironically you can’t buy the TTS chip for at the moment. A brass back to back gauge has solved nearly all of my running woes. I thoroughly recommend one before selling a loco on. My Bachmann 40 had a habit of kicking its pony truck off on diamond crossings, the gauge showed the wheels were fractionally out.

And suddenly the updates are coming in like buses... I’ve spent a few hours cutting plasticard into thin strips to represent cable troughing, scoring the tops to look like the lids. I’ve put a few of the lids at different angles, as they are almost never neat and flat for very long. I’m quite happy with how the station throat looks. In the next piece of evidence submitted to the jury to demonstrate the accused’s lack of sanity, I’ve added a short section with the lids off and some cables exposed. The lids aren’t glued down in this section so I can move them out of the way for ballasting. Hopefully the pway chaps will follow practice in real life and not fill the troughing with ballast...

My trackwork probably cost me near to 4 figures, which took some time to decide it was worth it. I just couldn’t get the look I wanted with Peco or Tillig (definitely worth a look). I sort of justified it in my head with the argument that it’s less than 4 sound fitted locos. Luckily I was able to honestly tell Mrs 61656 that I paid silly money for it and she hasn’t yet asked for the small print!

Thanks! Mainly I’m all big ideas and slow progress! Most of the track wasn’t built by me, it came from Marcway. I definitely think it’s worth the money, because if you can lay it straight it does look good. A curved double slip probably wasn’t the obvious choice for my first hand built point, but it has worked out well. I think layouts like yours show it’s worth having a go, you can always get the metaphorical t-cut out! I’ve been inspired by lots of the stuff on RMWeb, usually when someone achieves a great result but in a way which makes you think you could do it too. I’m sure you’ll be on your 4th or 5th layout by the time I get some wires up!

Suitably inspired by your efforts I’m about to embark on my own repainting adventure. I think all over rail blue is a good place to start! Is your steam versus diesel debate concluded on airbrush being worth the outlay and effort?

Wow! Your wiring is looking super neat. I can’t tell you how good it is to finally turn the boards over and run a train! Interesting comment that there’s nothing new these days - I think the converse and wonder if any two layouts are wired the same? It’s like a form of encryption where you need both owner and layout to be able to decode the logic!

A little longer than I thought since my last update then - in my head it was just a couple of weeks back! This does mean that, even with my geological rate of progress, some progress has been made. Probably the biggest step forward is completion of the double junction and curved double slip into the Crewe fiddle yard, which is all motored and wired up. 6 seep point motors for the double slip took some patience! I have also just about completed the edging pavers for the platforms. I took some measurements from photos and came up with a slab size of 3’ x 2’. This is enormous and the kind of thing that would see you off if you tried to move it in the garden, however looking at photos shows platform edgers used to be much bigger than the modern ones. After the first few were glued in place I decided they looked too big; they might be right, but looked wrong. I guess 00 is all about visual illusions after all. So I settled on 2’ x 18” (8mm x 6mm), of which I only needed about 800! Having curved platforms does mean you can’t have too many long strips of them and need individual slabs to fit the curves. They do nicely cover the inconsistent edges of the platform tops and will look even better for a weather. I have spent endless time sorting out small niggles, points not throwing as neatly as I’d like, suspect pick-ups, CV tweaks to acceleration etc. The layout does get a lot of running and I’m really eager to get the regular operators back. I’ve also been doing some research on the next locos and rolling stock. I think I would like another couple of rakes of coaches, another relief set and an InterCity cross country set for South Coast to Scotland service. The scarcity of mk2 second opens has had me researching declassified first class coaches, of which there were hundreds, so a good prototype solution to the problem. I have a couple of FKs on their way for down grading! I have also been looking at my tourist green and cream BSO. I have a matching TSO which is probably worth selling, but the brakes are worth peanuts. One livery never released is the intercity mainline BFK, which luckily in pressure ventilated mk2 form, is the same bodyshell as the BSO, so I am currently eyeing up a respray. With the tricky red and white stripes being available as a transfer I may be brave enough to have a go. Annoyingly I can’t yet locate the intercity executive light grey in aerosol format. I’m also considering the spray option to deal with the scarcity of blue GUVs. I’ll see how that goes before even thinking about blue grey repaints of even rarer BGs, as that's a much trickier livery. Enough waffle, let’s have some photos. I would post more but I am a fairly hopeless cameraman and even Apple can’t fix that! A view over the station, with a 37 having just arrived with the flasks, ready to be shunted on to the afternoon Speedlink trip to Warrington. The 08 will take them and add them to the waiting rake in the yard. The same scene a few minutes later, with a 25 sorting out the consist ready for onward movement. An empty loco fuel TTA and a pair of VAAs have been added from the brewery. Wider pavers (left) compare with slim ones (right). The slim ones look better I think (and are laid better). After the Crewe yard was completed I took a look at sorting out the other yards, for which Peco medium radius (600mm) will be fine. I briefly toyed with the idea of loco plus 7 formations, and here we see a 7 coach transpennine set departing into the distance. 7 is just possible, but there are too many places where it doesn’t look right or is a tight fit in the fiddle yard. Loco plus 6 it is. Which also saves on about 6 TSOs... Platform edging almost complete, just the original fat slabs to sort out. I may yet just straighten them and leave them, hardly any platforms in the 80s were uniform. An 87 at the head of an Irish Mail for Holyhead, with so far, my only Bachmann mk2 aircon. The 87 detaches, crosses over and runs onto the Warringtons, before coming back through platform 1 to the electric stabling. Meanwhile a 47 which was waiting on the Down Holyhead sets back on the train. They often run back in parallel and are seen here passing another 47 on the fuel point. The two station pilots are usually stabled here too.

The temporary signals come out for running sessions and work well. It really helps operators work out where things are. Ballasting can’t be far off, although there are several distractions getting in the way!

I find the chances of me having finished the ballasting by the time you’re next over very remote! Troughing route is on the list of next things to do, along with concrete around the shed. Point motors for the fiddle yard also need to happen pre ballasting as I’ll need to spin the board over. Secretly, I’m quite looking forward to ballasting.

In some places I’ll trim the underlay to where I want the ballast shoulder, in others I’ll spread the ballast wide. In most places the ballast will be quite wide as it’s all station area. I want to put some signalling troughing down before I ballast, so I need to layout the likely cable runs to get it in the right place.

Time for a long overdue update! I have been somewhat distracted by various other activities. That said, there’s actually a little bit of progress to report. The new Crewe end fiddle yard points have been built and endlessly tested. After a couple of false starts I eventually ended up making the crossing noses swing. A bit of a faff but the running is much smoother. It’s temporarily worked by friction on the tie bars, however 8 new point motors are sat waiting to be fitted. The electric stabling roads may need to be shortened, or curved. The double junction is in the foreground and the curved double slip to the rear. I’ve also been busy painting rails, sleepers and generally getting closer to ballasting. The platform structures have been added, although they still need a lot of work doing to them. They make a huge difference to the appearance of the layout. I also bought some of the new superquick retaining arches to see how they will look. I’m quite happy with them, but they are very tedious to make and still require a lot of finishing. The brick colour is more pleasing than the Metcalfe bridge I built for comparison. Food for thought at this stage. The first proper photo sees a Peak arriving from the North East with a trans-pennine set. This rake is close coupled and it definitely improves the look. Following soon after it from the coast is a 47 on a service in the other direction. Suitably inspired by a post on Llanbourne, I swapped the FK for an aircon FO; something fairly common in my time period. Both locos are seen on the blocks at the other end of the station. This will be fully undercover eventually with a road and station building above to hide the fire surround. Meanwhile another 45 has come off shed and is seen from the platform end stood on the holding road waiting to set back onto the service for the North East. The next road to the left is the fuelling point. With the 45 hooked up, new addition ‘generator’ 47 (soon to be 402) is just buffering up to the set for the coast as an 85 pulls in with a Birmingham to Glasgow relief service. A view over the platforms into the area known locally as the quad at Bluebeck depot. I’ve knocked up a light maintenance shed from Wills sheet, based loosely on the fuelling shed at Holbeck. Finally, just before the 85 gets away, a look down the station throat from the junction. I’m pleased with how this is looking now! I want to get the new fiddle yard points motorised and then it’s time to really focus on putting off ballasting! Meanwhile, I think a few trains will be running.

Absolutely love the shot of the peak on the mixed rake! I remember the photo too - it was one of the ones that made me want to model the transpennine services. The intercity air con first looks like it was quite common in one of the Heaton formations in the mid 80’s, I think because they were short of a pressure ventilated first corridor. By the late 80’s the BGs can be seen in all sorts of liveries, but the rest of the coaches seemed to be all blue grey or transpennine. By then the rakes seemed pretty fixed and the inclusion of a mk I was very rare. It’s a great shot which really captures the time for me - makes me want a bottle of Tizer and a KitKat!

So something interesting has arrived in the electronic post, which after a week of trying I have managed to print out. I have forgotten the golden rule of iphones and taken the shot portrait...sorry. Anyway, you should be able to see the lovely lines of a templot curved double junction and a curved double slip. It’s been a while since I made my own track so this should be a gentle entry back into the business! I always suspected I would have to hand build the fiddle yard throats, but hoped to put it off for a few years whilst I got on with the scenic side. The reality is that the settrack points used as a temporary measure just don’t allow enough stock to run on them. I figure I may as well have a go and see what happens, it is after all, just filing and soldering. I told you so vouchers are available in the gift shop! I have also very reluctantly decided that 3 link couplings aren’t the way forward. My pin in the corridor connection is a terrible solution. But that can wait until I have sorted the track. Meanwhile I have a brief little staycation to Cardiff to look forward to, with I believe 3 model shops worth investigating. Hopefully they have something nice to buy, as I am trying to limit my purchases by only buying in actual shops. Unlike Chester though, I think you need a car to get to all of them which does limit the wallet lubrication somewhat.