Iron Horse

Apparently the Western was always due to come off at Gloucester and not work throughout

So here's a big question amongst the pictures of what I have been up to, before the move I had always been against doing point motors as I felt it was beyond my capabilities. That said they make the railway look so much better and after a chat with a few people I was convinced to give them a go. Now I would have loved to have gone down the cobalt route but costs and being out of work last year sadly took me down the cheaper route.

Now, here's the question, is it just me having problems with Seep point motors. I seem to have 2 issues.

1. The actual rod that goes through the point isn't at a right angle to the polished bar that runs through the solenoid, as a result the solenoid fires and it becomes hit or miss as to whether the point moves or the rod just rotates within the polished bar

2. I think combined with issue 1. things become even more of an issue with the Seep with switch for electrofrog points...........don't get me started on that one with an additional GM500 to help

Am I doing something fundamentally wrong, if others have had similar issue what have you done or should I be looking at other point motors please? Too many of you out there still seem to be using solenoids so I'm guessing they can be reliable?

Help!!!!!!!!!!! Please...................

So another brief update of random progress! 

As I have previously mentioned, earlier on in the year before all the levelling was done I could turn the layout easily on its side and so I took the opportunity to make sure there was a reasonable bus for accessory lighting and so I thought I would have a quick go and get something in the depot

Not so much as a model railway related post but one that hopefully others could learn from.

Lessons learned.........don't trust anybody!!!!!!

So we moved into our new house in the middle of winter and of course I'm keen to get the shed ordered and the base made for it. Shed was duly ordered from Olympian Garden Buildings (awesome) and a local landscaper booked to build the base. As per Olympian's instructions "make the base flat, no run off". So the base was built, looked fab but of course being winter and cold, wet and dark, did I ever check the level..........of course I didn't!!!!! So Olympian came to erect the shed and the slope was duly found, fortunately it was at least flat. Olympian said they had installed on worse slopes and so the installation went ahead. If I'd have had time and money I would have paused the build but that would have meant paying for another installation day and an argument with a landscaper with no idea how that would end. 

The result is I've had to make the railway level in a sloping shed.............Thank goodness for a Laser Level and my trusted camera tripod last used at Paddington in the 1990's 

Thanks for looking, it's seems to be a hard slog moving forward at the moment but once in a while I think, I'm pleased with that. Yeah I'm pretty chuffed with my fiddle yard.

It's a bit of a weird one as I'm suggesting the lines that terminate on the outside of the shed are at the Exeter end of the layout and those on the inside are near Penzance. I've deliberately left one line running through the middle so I can run loco's continuously for running in/testing purposes.........well that's my logic

Wow, I can feel the tumbleweed blowing across the topic.

I've been busy and slowly getting somewhere, but I think I'll do bite-sized chunks of the progress!

So I thought getting the baseboards built outside during the summer weather would be a good place to start and so here is the development of the new fiddle yard.....

I'll try and update more later, thanks for looking?

This is nothing like in the league of the recent pictures posted but I thought I would share it as you all now have a current reason to run a triple headed 50 in the modern era......that is of course if you have an up-to-date 50044 and maybe don't want to turn 50007 around!!!!! Hope you enjoy

Newton Abbot by any chance?

Can we have more though please?

That's a cracking photo 

I know, to say I'm rather unimpressed is a bit of an understatement. I've noticed the bush is gravitating towards the signal as the summer has gone on as well!!!!!!

Ah, thank you, that makes a little more sense

Thanks for the tones Jim, sorry I missed you in the morning but I hadn't looked on RTT and I'd gone into the shed to lay some track.........you caught me unawares

On 20/08/2021 at 19:29, montyburns56 said:

 50019 Lostwithiel 1986 by David Rostance

 

 

Did NSE and milk tanks really crossover......I'd have never of said that 

Awesome.....as always

I love seeing updates on this topic, one of my favourites

They both look fantastic mate

2 hours ago, brian daniels said:

A couple of 70's about yesterday. 70016 passing Radley and 70815 approaching Kennington Jct.

 

 

Wow......those trees at Radley look a lot bigger than they were when I used to pop over in my lunchtime while I was at Abingdon college in the late 1980's. Lovely pictures though

How on earth have I missed this.........cracking stuff.......I'm going back to the beginning now

What have you used on them Phil?

This is one of my favorite threads on here and the ballasting looks fantastic. As they say "slow and steady"

Hi Ian, I was going to say the video got really good at 1:29 when the 50 turned up but felt that was a bit obvious!!!! It looks like it's all coming on rather well. I seem to just keep moving stuff around in my shed and going backwards!!!!

I know what you mean about an empty room, I'm not a competent modeller by any stretch of the imagination but I even asked questions on my thread and ended up with about 5 likes

I think you have done really well, we moved in Dec 2019 and my shed has really only come together in the last few months, but you are right your head just goes blank!!

Just enjoy your shed

Sorry Jim, I didn't.......I was in the middle of cooking oatcakes for my daughter for lunch 

Light engine going towards Nantwich is a little boring at the moment, I guess going downhill (and is there a temporary speed restriction?) they generally just coast past the house........although this was good the day before

Sorry I missed you this morning, open trains gave me a false sense of security as I wondered around the house!!!!! But this afternoon was much better......

My God this thread is a lifeline........Thank you so much.

Having been out of work more times in the last 12 months than the last 35 years, when deciding to electrically operate my points I went cheapy cheap........what a mistake!!!!!!!

Mainly insulfrog, so the basic SEEP motor was fine to start with. Then Gaugemasters quality control seemed to go a bit awry and the operating wire started to be supplied bent so much so that it would twist around during operation and the point wouldn't fire! Anyway I digress!!!!

I had a couple of electrofrog points so I bought the SEEP with switch, well the bent rod and a floating washer..........well that didn't go well, so I thought how about the basic SEEP and a GM500. I have spent all day fiddling with this arrangement knowing during the testing that it was all so close and yet so far.........Thank you so much Patriot87003 your photo has saved the day.

Of course I have only done one, fingers crossed the solution is universal

Not sure if this has been covered elsewhere but the pink one collected the first TFW 197 from Telford last week