Focalplane

I agree that Kadees are very effective and have added them to all my North American models, mostly No.5s but the Kadee range caters to all sorts of anomalies as well. But I have decided to take them off my British stock and go with three link/screw couplers as they really do look genuine even if they are a fiddle to work with. Some stock (from any of the major brands) can be a real pain to convert to 3 link, and most RTR locos don't have the space for the springing behind the buffer bar. The NEM pocket concept actually makes Kadees easier to install this side of the pond. All you have to do is work out the length of the unit versus your track radii. I have no idea how to do this!

A few extras added: The rear screw link coupling, one of the brass ones by Romford. It needs some painting to fit in: And a thin veneer of coal has been added. What a difference: Next we have to tackle the double chimney. This is what it looks like now: Black paint might be enough but I am tempted to drill out and ream the rear chimney before painting. Another project, now waiting on the mail, is to replace the Hornby name plates. So this is a "before" shot: The close up photos really do justice to the model's detailing. My few add ons are really just icing on the already iced cake!

Riding the Yellow Train (le Train Jaune) Here is a typical older style trainset used during the summer months, at Font Romeu. Open wagons are the better option during the summer, however, do take a hat and do take drinks with you: And on the descent from Font Romeu. This area is alpine with a broad flat plain bordered by mountains: Down the line the train enters a deep valley (where the two bridges are located, see the previous post): There are passing places, this one being on a steep section: The passing places have "sprung" switches so there is no need for a lever frame. The sign demands the driver to obtain permission by phone before proceeding. There is no token system. The next post will include a tour around the interchange station (standard to narrow gauge) at Villefranche le Conflet.

Yes, a good comment! Having a gas stove helps! Paul

Update Monday 20th October Over the weekend I tackled the rear screw link coupling upgrade. Not the easiest to do so I compromised by gluing the hook in place. With sprung buffers this should be a workable solution. Along the way I had a good look inside the tender and decided that I won't be adding a speaker there. The plastic coal issue remains a bit of a problem. I wish the structure of the coal 'bin' had been incorporated into the design, even complete with a representative coal pusher mechanism, but it hasn't and there is very little room for a veneer of real coal on top. And, just to really smarten things up I have ordered stainless steel nameplates from Fox. In this respect, some research I conducted a year or so ago when choosing the un-streamlined DJH Kit has come in useful. The maroon gold time span preceded the placement of the coat of arms which the loco carried throughout its BR days and into the Museum of Science and Industry. So no coat of arms!

Several years ago, one of the first locos I bought for this project was a very reasonably priced Bachmann "original" Royal Scot. I feel sure it was cheaper because, as I found out, it was not "DCC compatible". Actually, there is no such thing, "compatible" being a euphemism for "easy". I feel sure there is no OO gauge locomotive that cannot be modified to have DCC. But some might take a lot more modifying than others. The problem with the Bachmann Scot is that it is of the split chassis design. So the left side of the chassis feeds one terminal on the motor and the right side feeds the other: So the first thing to do is insulate the motor and the wires that will eventually feed the motor from the decoder (in this case a somewhat bulky TCS unit): With the chassis put back together, the leads from the pickup and the leads to the motor have been wired up to the harness. Note that if I were to do this again I would use a smaller decoder and hard wire it inside the boiler. Back then the decoder more or less had to be placed in the cab, as you will see: Of course, there are no lights so only four wires are needed. All in all a relatively easy project.

Just acquired a mint Hornby R2205 advertised on RMWeb Classified. Not exactly fit for purpose in a BR era engine shed, but I couldn't resist the streamlined maroon/gold version of my favorite loco. The loco runs well and now has the optional extras added. A few things probably need to be done: 1. That plastic coal! A thin veneer of my real French coal might just do the job - they were always fully coaled when leaving shed, particularly the 5A locos going to Perth. 2. The rear coupling by Hornby has been removed and now needs a screw link coupler added. 3. 6235 was the first Coronation Class to have an ex-works double chimney. These are shown in the photo above but the inside of the rear chimney is solid and painted maroon. The simple solution to this would be to paint the interior of the chimneys black, rather than drill out the casing. 4. Should I add DCC? I more or less have to as my controllers are DCC (I tested the loco with a 9v Duracell battery!). Should I go the whole hog and add sound? The set up is pre-DCC and I have modified a parallel boiler Scot (would you like to see the photos?) by Bachmann. It really isn't that difficult. Now I realize I should get some gold/maroon coaches, not that they would ever enter an engine shed. It looks as though I am going to have to start advertising my Southern Pacific HO stuff (1950s era). PM me if you happen to come across this last comment and want some mint or nearly mint beauties!

If you ever have the chance to visit the Museum in Birmingham's Jewelry Quarter (I apologize for the American spelling) the short tour takes in all the belted machinery at the back of the preserved workshop. An electric motor is switched on and the sounds you are looking for come alive! OK, no steam power but the noise of the belts and wheels would drown a steam engine's noise. Good to see the diorama forging ahead!

So, it's been a while and a quick update is in order. The photo has brought out all the as yet untouched blemishes, etc after meddling with the Hornby shell. But the progress is there to see. Loco brake rodding, smokebox dart, spare lamp brackets and top rear tender lamp bracket. I still have those pesky lamp brackets to fit on the buffer beams and smokebox top. The connecting rods need to be permanently fixed in place but there will be one more teardown of the wheels and motor before final assembly of the crankpin "nuts". The Hornby shells will be given a thin coat of grey primer which should reveal any remaining imperfections after a final cleaning up. Then off to the work's paint shop. I have the decals (oops, I mean transfers!) but not the brass plates as yet. The two black wires have been connected directly to the motor and everything runs nicely with no binding at all. The motor has been fixed in place so as to clear the interior of the boiler without needing the shaft extension to be cut off. The slow progress has been for a reason - I have become a house painter during the past few weeks. Wednesdays at B&Q (10% senior discount) have been the over-riding priority!

Back to Le Train Jaune (by request!) The narrow gauge third rail electric railway (powered by its own hydro-electric system) runs from Villefranche de Conflet up to La Tour de Carol, joining two standard gauge lines. It is possible to use the line for a circular tour including Perpignan, Toulouse and Narbonne but I am not sure if this can be done in one day. The line itself offers some spectacular scenery and two impressive bridges along the way. These are the feature of this entry. The stone viaduct is probably the most photographed as it straddles the highway and there is plenty of space to pull off the busy road. The viaduct has a name "Pont séjourné" and is a classic stone structure that copies building styles going back to Roman times (i.e. Pont du Gard). The time we visited the fence and gate barring entry to the bridge was open, so this allowed for some close up photography on the lower level of the bridge. Surprisingly, you really do not get the same feeling of grandeur when crossing by train, even if sitting in an open truck. Being at one with the structure makes it seem much more imposing. The first photo is from the roadside beneath the viaduct, taken in evening sunlight: Approaching the lower deck from the "open access": The lower deck has portals to allow inspection of the structure: Which we did: The view over the side: For completeness here is a view from an open truck: Further up the valley the line crosses the river valley again, but this time by a very different bridge. In French it is called "un pont suspension" but it is more of a cable stayed bridge in English engineering terminology. Whatever, it is not that easy to see from the road, even in winter with a dusting of snow: When riding the train the view is mainly of the cables:

Yes, that seems to be the alternative, thanks for suggesting the flattened wire approach.

As noted in my previous post the fret of lamp brackets is truly beyond my capabilities. A decent desk light from Maplins helped to prove this as I could actually see that it wasn't going to work out to my satisfaction. The lamp brackets on the Dean Goods require an L shaped piece of brass which is then bent twice, one on each limb, to create the required shape. The fitting is then glued with CA to the front of the buffer beam. Well, this is the theory. In practice I simply could not get it to work. So, sadly, I have given up. Lamp brackets are important add ons, though, so something will have to be done. Maybe, as noted in the last post, I can simply use some 0.7 or 0.5 mm wire. This will require drilling a hole for each bracket into the front of the buffer beam, then adding a simple 90º bent piece of wire. One bend instead of three should be simpler! And the one hole can always be filled in if it doesn't work. Enough for this evening, try again tomorrow!

Variety at Leucate La Franqui This gare serves the community of Leucate which has a population of around 4,000 in the winter and ten times or more in July and August. Sadly most residents and visitors now use road transport though some commuters use the TERs to get to Narbonne or Perpignan. The main line sees a variety of trains, both passenger and freight and now also carries RENFE high speed trainsets as well as the SNCF TGVs. Sadly the Talgos appear to have had their day. One day (not soon) the line will be doubled with the LGV from Perpignan to Nimes but there will be plenty of traffic remaining. The first is a rather dramatic shot of a Duplex from Paris passing in front of Le Canigou, the prominent peak above Perpignan which is sacred to all Catalonians: Next we have a freight train passing through Leucate And finally, a relatively rare previous generation EMU still used in Languedoc despite all the Bombardier sets that now predominate:

The Talgo Shed, Port Bou This is where the Talgo trains (used to) change gauge going to and from Spain. This series was shot of an afternoon northbound Talgo heading for Montpellier. The first photo, taken from the France/Spain border crossing (no longer functioning thanks to Shengen), shows the Talgo entering Port Bou station: The locomotive is detached and a shunter pushes the Talgo coaches toward the gauge changing shed. The track remains Spanish gauge up to the shed but is standard gauge to the north, where a BB7200 waits: The coaches enter the shed and the SNCF loco takes over: The Spanish shunter backs away and the SNCF loco pulls the carriages through the shed. The track the coaches are on crosses a standard gauge track leading to the SNCF platforms at Port Bou station. So this is a multi-gauge diamond: The process takes about 15 minutes but we did not stay until the end. Dinner in Collioure beckoned!

I am in England, but monitoring the situation. My insurance company has been sending me reminders to "get my claim in" as soon as possible, but the agent is in Bėziers, where I used to live, and so far the storms have not affected southern Aude and PO. Herault does seem to get hit by some massive deluges from time to time. It is always interesting to see the annual clearing of drainage ditches and then think of what happened in the Somerset Levels the last two years. I must dig out some more recent photos for this thread.

Link to track diagram of Cerbère and Port Bou: http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/stations_cerbere.php Lots of good stuff on this site. However the link contains some information which is now out of date. The western tunnel is indeed two headshunts.

A quick update. Back in England and some progress has been made. Smokebox dart fitted, a great improvement. But the brass fret of lamp brackets, oh dear, so small and fragile and my eyesight not good enough and my fingers like lamb chops. I need to buy a desk lamp for my workbench before trying again. I finally bought some Isopropyl alcohol at Maplins and have removed the BR lion, lining and number. I have also fitted the Comet PCBs for eventual electrical pickup. Once the lamp brackets are in place (and I can always use some 0.7 wire as an alternative) it will be primer and dirty engine black on the chassis and body. I have also bought a second hand copy of the Great Western Railway Locomotive Allocations for 1934. This has helped me to identify potential numbers for the roster of locomotives: Dean Goods - 2551 (Worcester 85A in 1934 and 1947) Collett 48XX - 4804 (Worcester 85A in 1934) 57XX - 5724 (84E Tyseley in 1934) Dukedog/Earl - 3203 (Tyseley in late 1930s) I am hoping I can get brass plates for all four from 247 Developments.

I recently had a chat with a wine merchant in Nuit St Georges, a long way from Le Boulou. We were talking about produce from the Perpignan area and he was most emphatic - do not buy produce from Spain, it has no taste! I could not agree more. While the Roussillon growers never mention "organic", that is because they really don't have to. Spanish produce, in the other hand, is often tasteless. I despair at the UK supermarkets. The concept of supporting local growers seems to miss them completely. This spring, at the height of the Evesham asparagus season the local supermarkets were importing asparagus from Peru and Mexico. I am happy to say that the French still believe in the seasonal concept of fruits and vegetables. When the cherry season starts (in Ceret, near Le Boulou) the first picking is sent to Paris and the President. When it is over, it's over. Vive la France! Unfortunately I think most produce now travels by road. The large entrepots at Perpignan are more for cross border freight transfer.

Le Boulou, south of Perpignan There is an interesting "green project" here. Le Boulou is strategically located at the northern end of the A9 autoroute crossing into Spain. Container trains run from the main line up a branch (junction at Elne) which used to serve Ceret. The only trains that now run as far as Le Boulou are pulled by double headed electric locomotives such as these: The containers are offloaded and continue over the Perthus Pass by road. The alternative still exists on the coast routew but also requires wheel gauge changing at Cerbere. The snow covered mountain in the background is Le Canigou, the sacred Catalan shrine

Well, the wording in the newsletter did suggest "very soon". At least that is how I read it. With so many announcements that don't go anywhere I may have been a little cautious. And the photos on their website are of incomplete models, focusing on the frame and motion.

I received a newsletter from Brassmasters the other day. They are about to market a rather exciting 4mm scale model of the Princess class pacifics. I never got into the Princess pacifics. Semis (or whatever you want to call them) were what LMS pacifics were all about in my trainspotting days. But the truth is, I don't remember seeing many Prinnys (or is it Prinnies?) either at New Street or at Tamworth and Crewe. I know the last two locations would be more likely as they were mainly used on the Liverpool runs. So Brassmasters is not going to get an order from me for Legge Lane - I already have a 4F kit anyway which I may start in 2017! I am sure the limited edition of 40 kits will sell out soon. You have to admire them, adding a very hard to see inside motion for, as they say, the sado-masochists among us.

Well, the Dean Goods may be in France but some of the key parts are still in England, hence the hiatus. But I have managed to test the motor and gearbox and everything is OK. Except that I need to add those all important extra washers to keep the gear in the correct position above the worm. I also need to add a couple of PECO fiber washers outside the frame to limit the sideways play, but I can't seem to locate them (they must have been left behind), so I am reluctant to start dissembling the drive axle just yet. I have developed what is appearing to be a crazy notion that I can have two workbenches, more or less fully equipped, so that I can simply carry a plastic food container with the actual model in it and carry on as if I hadn't moved. This plan is going to need some refinement. So this really isn't an update rather than an explanation.

I am almost speechless at the recently announced loss to this world of the owner of Comet Models, Geoff Brewin. My condolences go to his family and close friends. I met him once, at Leamington this Spring, and am very glad I did. Comet's service was second to none, that was Geoff's way.

I got to page 11 and gave up. So straight to the point. Please design your models to have easy conversion to real scale couplings, either screw or 3 link as appropriate. For those purists around this is a guaranteed winner. Otherwise we have to take our Dremels out and carve up your beautifully designed models. Which might just be the tipping point!

I have placed my pre-order for the recently announced Dave Jones / Hattons King Henry V, 6019. There is a wide range of choice, so why this model? Well, it was shedded at Wolverhampton Stafford Road in the mid 1930s which coincides with the time period for the Shipston Branch. But 6019 was severely restricted as to route availability, so it won't be showing up at Shipston on a reality basis! My affection for the King 60XX Class goes back to my early days as a train spotter, certainly before I was ten years old. Platform 7 at Snow Hill was the place to be.