DCB

Looking for a bit of confirmation here. Double track main line, Station with short 300 foot platforms and Up goods dead end lay bye requiring train to draw past signal box and into Up platform before setting back. Station has Home and lay bye starter side by side 50 yards North of the Signal Box . Some 400 yards South, Up the line (in advance) is the Up Starter. There is an outer home signal 400 yards North of the Up Home Signal. So Goods has passed the Box. Signalman has seen tail lamp, given train out of section etc to box in the rear and conveyed to driver he should set back into Lay bye. Can Signalman accept express passenger. He has 1/4 mile clear beyond Outer home.? Goods has reversed into lay Bye. Up "Fast" goods has entered station and stopped for water with tail of train 100 yards North of Signal box and within 1/4 mile of the outer home, can signalman accept another train, if so would that be under section clear but station blocked "Warning" arrangements, which I think involves the following train to be checked and crew advised that the station is blocked? Is that right. Are my signals labelled correctly? Just trying to get my head round this. TYPO Should be 440 yards not 400.

It's not clear if the narrowing is flexi track or set track. Both tend to suffer narrowing if the curve radius is reduced, most people don't bend set track but I do. but both get narrower, not much but its exactly what you don't want as gauge widening is fairly common as a way to get trains, full size ones around sharp curves. The narrowing is worse if the ties between sleepers are left as standard, with 3 sleepers tied then a gap, staggered so the gaps alternate between inner and outer rails . I ensure only pairs of sleepers are left connected when fairly sharp curves are involved and I cut all the ties when they get really sharp, and I have gone down to 12" radius in OO streamline on my latest layout. That makes keeping sleepers absolutely at right angles to the rails essential. Any kink will also lead to tight spots . I suppose one could sever the sleepers ease them apart 1mm or so and glue it all back in place but relaying seems the easy option.

Lima 00 stock is unusual in using H0 underframes and axles. Not a huge issue unless you want to re wheel to EM or P4 where the underframe is very marginal for width for wheel clearance and pretty much under scale. Re wheeling for 00 is not too complicated, 00 axles are too long. So pull the wheels off. Chop the surplus length off with your Dads pliers, stick the axle in a power drill and rub it against a flat file until you get a nice pin point. I doesn't have to be exactly right, only to the nearest half mill, then pop the wheels back, set the back to back with a suitable gauge, mine is a Jengo brick and bobs your mother's brother. Unless you have used fineish scale wheels on a 4 wheel CCT and have curves on gradients. Then it will need some flexibility. I did consider fancy etched rocking 3 point suspension but they rocked excessively and jt was difficult to keep live wheels away from the etching. Then Yer eaker. I had a wheelset with no pinpoints and a pin from an old 3 pin 240 volt plug. I drilled the pin using a Dremel in a drill press to take the axle, Sawed it off just below the hole and using the screw which usually holds the wire I screwed it to the chassis. And it works. There is minimal sideplay as the wheel and axle stubs hit the sides of the W irons etc rollability is similar and there is just enough slop to run faultlessly around my inclined curves which they could not cope with as standard. Buffer height is up with larger wheels but matches Hornby now It has since had a blast of rattle can black but I did the photos first for clarity.

Most of these cast kits were made to fit readily available chassis, the usual one was the generic Triang 0-6-0 chassis from the Saddle Tank, Diesel Shunter etc. Known as the Jinty Chassis the chassis is 8ft + 8ft 3" wheelbase ( 32 + 33mm) right for a GWR King and probably nothing else and 19 ish mm or 4ft 9" ish wheels. They come in X04 powered with centre axle drive, X03 powered front axle drive and the small motor centre axle drive, in sprung and non sprung versions. None are any good for an 0-6-0 really, The X04 fills the cab, X03 sits too high, small motor too small. Probably best to work out what wheelbase chassis the body is meant for, (Not the scale wheelbase) and work back from that. Some of these Kits need major surgery to fit a chassis with scale wheelbase like the K's body line kits of 0-6-0 tanks for the H/D chassis . The Wills (?) 2251 is a wonderfully bad example.

P1is very close as regards coupled wheelbase at 6ft -6ft- 6ft 6" 24-24-26mm from from front to rear but its about 8ft pony truck to front coupled 32MM and 9ft rear coupled to Trailing truck 36mm. Could it be H0 or a 0- 16.5 loco.

From what I can see Hornby made points, and Hornby badged other peoples points and Hornby have points made in the far east to a range of specifications and various qualities including using steel and nickle silver rail at different times, Generally the points of similar style are interchangeable. With some exceptions Peco set track has similar geometry but the Hornby points I have used are generally more robust and more suitable for assembling on the kitchen table or lounge floor or Patio for an operating session, they have better over centre springs than Peco, better point blade contacts, better surface mount point motors but don't look as good and cannot easily be operated by under baseboard mounted point motors. I happily mix Peco set track and Peco Streamline points, the improved appearance and closer track spacing makes a big difference and the shallower angles create a lot less derailments, and the smallest Streamline point, the small Y is a lot shorter than any Set Track point while the standard 2nd radius Set track point is 15" radius through the bades and is as long as a 2ft radius streamline point. I wouldn't swap Hornby for Peco set track, I would redesign and use streamline points if you want an upgraade.

I mix Streamline code 100 flexi and points with set track all the time. Often using set track where the track needs to be straight and for sharpish curves to stop them kinking and flexi when a nice smooth curve is needed. You can slide off flexi rail chairs and slide them on to nice rigid set track rails if you pry the fishplate off and remove any residual "Pip" A rail cutter, pliers, hacksaw, cutting disc etc and a file to true the end up will cut the rails to length and you can get the non standard "Set track" bits you need, I also treat set tracklike flexi by cutting the links between sleepers and bending set track curve to sharper or usually larger radius I have even done that to the old steel set track and Hornby system 6. I cut set track points and live frog them and reduce the track spacing. as it makes small layouts look much larger if not overdone so passing trains actually collide. My latest layout actually has 12" radius flexi curves and is only just over 2ft wide by 6ft long inspired by one they used to have at Bekra Model Railways at Newton Abbott. I would like to say it only has small locos but a Triang Princess 4-6-2 can get round

Looking good. BUT you need a hacksaw, cutting Disc or specialist rail cutter to cut some of the set track to length to make it happen. Having done that I would lengthen the top loop (Which would need a long straight trimming to slightly longer than a short one at the top) and maybe take the lower sidings off nearer the left end, left hand point or curved. You could splay the sidings as The Johnster suggests or alternatively squeeze them together as sometimes instead of a cart size gap between two sidings there was access from both sides. The 60mm set track spacing falls between two stools Widest 00 RTR is 40mm so 45mm gap is do able but means sawing points and curves while wide spacing needs a very short straight. Station buildings can look daft on small layouts. I would put the booking office waiting room etc away from the platform with a footbridge and also a barrow crossing for the disabled trolleys etc and a canopy over the platform. Chelenham Malvern Road had this Newton Abbott still has this and Corwen(?) being built by the LLangollen railway is similar

The Individual Loco draw is not relevant its when have too many locos or a short and then the amps do the damage to any poor connections, and particularly the point blade contact tags and blade pivots. Almlost all RTR points were designed for 1 amp max and some of mine have been around for 40 years and haven't had blades cleaned for 25 years plus but always with 1 amp circuit breakers. Others have been ruined by my 5 loco lash ups As I said my 2 X 1 amp power supplies have has fishplates glow red hot as 5 headed freights grind round, that is 2 X 12va power units each with a 1 amp breaker. Not many UK based modellers have done that but it was a big problem in the states before DCC and typically 4 amps. 15 volts is low, the old Hornby and H&M resistance controllers will show over 20 volts off load. The Morley will show a tiny fraction of a volt off load on minimum power

Not sure what 15 volt 2 amp power unit you have but 2 amps too much for most 00 track and locos. 1 amp circuit breakers are usual, Hornby Dublo used 0.9 amp I believe. I have had fishplates glowing red on 2 amps running 5 loco lash ups of Triang Transcontinental locos. As @Kevinlms says T7729 is cheap and may be PWM (pulse width modulation) which provides pulses which appear almost like rectangular blocks on an oscilloscope rather than a rectified AC mains derived DC supply, which shows as a series of curved domes pulsing at Mains frequency or a smoothed DC supply which shows as a straight line. PWM pulses create quite a racket on older locos. On Battery DC even old locos are eerily quiet. Some old controllers have half wave feature which deliberately causes pulses supposedly to improve crawling, it does not, but it does make it possible to run old Triang locos down hill slowly. I personally am a big fan of Morley Controllers, they have a really excellent hand held add on and very good control. If you continue to use the 15volt 2 amp I would recommend a 1 amp breaker between controller and track. Then again I recommend that to DCC users and they take zero notice and wonder why their point blades don't conduct after a while.

Just soak the chipboard In my experience once damp it will disintegrate,I absolutely hate the stuff, heavy weak no water resistance. I replaced the chipb0ard on my garage roof and shed roof with tongue and groove after the chipboard disintegrated. If patience is not your strong suit then a wallpaper scraper 5 for £1 at Poundland with the edge sharpened on the grinder is a pretty useful tool for getting under the sleepers freeing the track, just slide under the track don't try to lift it until it's absolutely loose. When I have done track reclamation, on layouts i bought, I often find broken sleepers in yard lengths when this happens I cut them out and slide the other sleepers up to close the gap, then raid short lengths for spare sleepers and make good. Don't use short lengths, old fishplates and old track means voltage drop so keep joints to a minimum, a feed every 6 joints is my aim on DC probably a feed for each yard plain track and several for each point is preferable for DCC .

My first question would be did it run better before fitting the de coder and if so how much was dismantled for the fitting. I have a std 5 somewhere, its too slow for passenger work and struggles to pull the skin off a milky Latte on freight but it runs smoothly enough. I can't remember if it is split chassis but if it is the split chassis halves can get out of square. The leading or another wheelset may not be symmetrical for crank throws so was it put back as it came out. It does not sound like the crank pin is hitting the connecting rod but that is a common failing if the rod is bent or the spacers are put back wrong. On a wiper pick up non split axle chassis the wiper hitting the wheel balance weight or something else on the wheel back.

I made a bogie tender from a Tri-ang Transcontinental Box car suitably shortened, Davy Crockett body shortened (to 4-6-0) Princess chassis Jinty Driving Wheels ettc.

Ultrasonic fluid is nasty stuff according to my late father in law who was a watchmaker and jeweller. I inherited a Ultrasonic which I am loath to use and which I am told is pretty much worthless. My suggestion would be track down a watchmaker and ask if they would ultrasonic your kits for a modest fee. Father in law also had a number of Cast Kits some incomplete and some running (well) with solid brass chassis, Hamblings wheels and X04 style motors and in later years he had some rebuilt with comet chassis and modern motors. and they became Absolutely useless as train hauling devices. I am re rebuilding them with Solid brass or K's chassis and X04/MW005 or K's or even Airfix 14XX motors. Such shame. If you go the Comet route use the biggest motor which will fit, maybe stick it in the tender and drive the loco wheels a la Dapol N gauge locos ( or leave the motor out and have them as display case models )

I wouldn't try for an integrated scene. I have a line running behind arches with a road above which was a thoroughly bad idea and it looks really odd. I would just have the two levels open myself or add a drop down flap to hide the main line when you are wielding a camera. My Rabbit hutch containing the Ugleigh BLT has hinged drop sides made from tongue and groove cladding which was cheap.light and looks OK. The Liverpool Dockers Umbrella is a good idea but they didn't exactly run expresses under (or over) it.

Same here, I find scratched rail surfaces grip better especially on Steel track. There was a guy in RM or MRC magazine 40 years er probably nearer 55 years ago who found greatly improved traction when he let his steel track rust, he had to use wander leads direct to the motor though. I clean the gauge corner with abrasive pads on the outside branch (Nickle Silver track) and used to clean the gauge corner on curves on my currently inoperable garden battery powered line as stock would derail if the gauge corner became dirty

Good ones are very rare, most sagged in the middle. Final production use the LNER A3 tender I believe

"Some folks have charm but Walt Disney" say it in a Scottish accent. How about this for a work around Next plan pose car in front of enlarged photograph of a country scene I have had so much trouble measuring buildings and translating the measurement into photographs that I have taken to using a known photo as a template that way I can insert the name I want in place of an existing one and get a good fit. See 2nd pic. All done in the best POSSIBLE taste Superquick Bank is about to become a Pub.

Coal to Plymouth would have been by ship from South Wales surely. Ships used Slow burning Steam Coal from the centre of the South Wales Coal field, not locomotive coal which was harder, The Forest of Dean the easternmost end of South Wales Geographically of not politically was House coal and the GW owned collieries were between the Steam coal seams and the Forest. The Forest thrived after WW1 when the South Wales trade collapsed due to the War Ministry taking all the steam coal and South Wales losing its overseas markets which found alternative supplies. They wouldn't have run Jellico specials from South Wales to Scotland if they could have used local coal. The GWR were on better terms with the GC than the Midland, the GW had not long before opened the Honeybourne line from Cheltenham to Stratford on Avon Birmingham etc to bypass the Midland's line , and the GC was trying in the pre WW1 era to boost trade. I can't see any of the Thames valley sheds having GC sourced loco coal when so much coal was moving on the main line. Banbury sound likely Not sure what size Banbury shed was, presumably it took goods south and south east, but a lot of loco workings in later days were Swindon / Oxford to Leicester . I suppose a 4-2-2 could have been working from Oxford. Churchward was apparently fond of them and tried to keep them updated as they were so fast reliable and trouble free but adhesion problems were insurmountable.

Thing is I too understand that the Dean 4-2-2s didn't work beyond NA on the Plymouth line and even then probably worked to Paignton with Plymouth trains changing locos at Exeter. However if one did work through It would be an event well worth photographing... I can't believe the GWR worked loco coal through Banbury to Laira Tyseley(?) perhaps,

Do you know I viewed the above, downloaded the pdf and I am none the wiser. The smart play would be to wire the din to slave wires to establish which Power unit wires are AC ( with Power ON) and to check which controller leads are DC by waggling the controls and watching for changes in ohm meter readings, You should get readings from four of the DIN pins on the controller (Power OFF) so if as per diagram its a 5 PIN that should identify the unused pin or whether the "Shell" is used as a contact. Colour codes are sometimes misleading sometimes the last bodger got them wrong, mirror image.... Like I did last week with a Trailer Socket. If you have a long wander lead it is worth arranging the plugs so they detach without damage when stood on and yanked out, it might mean extra short leads with in line din plugs, or panel mount DIN Sockets but my experience is its well worth while spending a couple of hours leisurely setting up the sockets so you can yank a lead without damage rather than waste half a running session when the wires rip out and leave the connector in place.

See # Nigelcliffe for the basic wiring. Then add switches from each of his four on off on switches to more switches which feed individual sidings or sections of track you may wish to isolate. My main control has 4 switches feeding Up Main, Down Main Up sidings and Down Sidings Each switch can connect its section to any one of 4 controllers. Even my continuous run has six isolatable sections. So I can run Up and Down expresses and shunt Up and Down sidings simultaneously,or could if I was an octopus with four arms . I can also run from Up to Down sidings by setting all4 section switches to the one controller and isolating the other trains on isolated sections. Where I differ is all my controllers are separate 2 have hand held units nd are at the main station,2 others are away from the main board. 4 knob units are great for professional model railways operated from a central control point, but its difficult for two people to use ne simultaneously and for that reason I don't even like twin units, I am always twisting the same knob. DC wiring is a lot less complicated than trying to draw the wiring diagram, just work from basic principles

I have serious doubts about Plymouth 83D having a Dean Goods in BR Days. For many years Exeter's 2251 was the furthest west allocation of an 0-6-0 Tender loco, basically for ballast workings but it spent time on Exeter Paignton locals.

My test is remove the wheels, put them on the track and roll them towards a (2ft radius in my case) point set to the curved road. If it goes round fine, if not the profile is poor and the wheels will hunt from side to side often causing a wobble. Oddly enough I have about 14(!) B set coaches (Don't ask, it was not intentional) and none wobble but they do suffer loose/lost pivot pins and need screwing on with 4BA?) bolts, however my Airfix Stanier 57/60ft coaches are addicted to wobbling, extra weight low down helps and 1960 Hornby Dublo bogies cured one (and looked horrible) but replacement wheels are a problem, well cheap decent replacement wheel sets times 28 for the 7 set is an issue ,same probably applied to the Hornby Ireprofiled some Dapol ones in the lathe but doing 28 ,er 56 Life's too short.

I would use R3 set track but use the end pieces like flexi and cut the webs between sleepers and ease the set track to a progressively larger radius. The rail ends will need trimming as per flexi but it's what I do when radius gets towards 3rd radius , I find at 2ft radius flexi I need to support the rail ends with screws against the fishplate and against the sides of the rails between base and railhead each side of the fishplate. I really tweak the inner rail round before laying so it doesn't straighten out and dog leg as per #Andruec' s photo, and apologies for annotating it. You need to pull the rail clear of the sleepers to tweak it.