Mick Bonwick

Thanks, Nigel. While I understand what you say, I was completely bemused by the vast array of items that appeared in response to my search string of 'relay module'. I was expecting to see something with two terminals at one end and three at the other. While the idea of buying something you don't understand, and then playing with it to work out how it is used, is appealing, I think I'll follow your and Iain's advice in this instance and call a retailer for help.

You may have noticed from various photographs in this topic that there are a few goods vehicles present for use to, from, and at Easton. When being run in pure Easton mode there will be short trains mostly composed of stone carrying vehicles, but when being run in fantasy mode there will be some longer trains running right through the station area. At the moment all of the goods stock in place has come out of a blue or red box. I do have an accumulation of kits that will need to be built, and I'm sure it won't be long before I make a tentative start on those. I had a visitor from the Churminster and Stowe Magna vicinity yesterday, who brought along some interesting additions to my accumulation. Although they all come in boxes with the same label on them, it is said that they can be made into several variants, so that will be interesting. I expect that there will be some entertainment value in anything that follows their construction.

Yes.

Iain, Many thanks for the information. I will investigate the converter - I'm not keen on buying more decoders. If push comes to shove I'll use a couple of not-quite-working-properly Cobalts rather than buy more 'stuff.' The MP1s (not PM1s as previously stated - they're SEEP solenoids! ) were bought on recommendation, but I didn't ask the right questions before committing to them.

I have recently bought a couple of mtb PM1 point motors to use as potential replacements for Cobalt-SS motors that are not suitable for my purposes. Thinking that I could use an existing DCC Concepts decoder (AD2fx) to drive them, I got everything ready this afternoon. Then I discovered that the PM1 needs three wires from a decoder and the DCC Concepts AD2fx decoder only produces two. I am hoping not to have to buy yet another decoder to try out these point motors, so am asking if anybody knows of a way to turn 3 x mtb wires into 2 x AD2fx wires. This situation also raises the question, "How many more point motors are there that need 3 wires to drive them, other than solenoid types?" I might want to play with evaluate them at some point, too.

That might allow too much movement or 'shock absorbtion'. You could try inserting a couple of screws to fix them in place. Sorry. I've just realised that you said you'd used foamboard as you baseboard. Wally!

I think that house looks splendid.

Relying on SEEP PM1 contacts to power your common crossings or drive LEDs is a bit risky. They are not precision instruments and require very careful positioning when installed. The travel of the solenoid bar must be absolutely in line with the travel of the point tie bar, and the point operating wire must be perfectly perpendicular and not touch the edges of the hole in your baseboard through which it passes. The central position of the solenoid bar/operating wire must be exactly the same as the central position of the point tie bar. If you get all of those right, the travelling distance of the brass washer along the contact strips will be just right for reliable reporting of point blade position to whatever is at the end of your wires. If any of them are not true, you will have a problem at some time or other. This response has no connection with droppers (your topic heading) but you did mention SEEPs.

SEEP point motors require very accurate installation to work perfectly. The movement of the solenoid bar has to be in perfect alignment with the point tie bar in both planes. The point operating wire must be completely clear of the sides of the hole through which it passes. Check that the brass contact (if you are using PM1s) does not stick at either end of its travel. There's a bit more about this problem here: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/151137-easton-isle-of-portland/page/18/&tab=comments#comment-4049210 You could also try adding a tiny drop of lubrication in the slots through the solenoids that take the bar. I have 38 of these in my fiddle yard, and once all the above points (sorry) were addressed I have had no further problems with any of them, mechanically at least.

Interesting observation, Jonathan. Was it the older red material that you found needing a primer, or the current grey? The older red material certainly needed priming before painting and a good dousing in isopropyl alcohol before that. I have not yet found the need to prime the recent grey material, though, but I am painting figures rather than architectural components. Sorry, Al, wandering off topic a bit. . . . . . . . . . . .

Well done with the BRM article, Al. That real background makes for an absolutely splendid rendition of your model.

I think that you have two options for removing what you don't want to be there. Both if them involve an element of risk, because you may take off too much and end up affecting the maroon paint. Much care needs to be exercised. One option is to use isopropyl alcohol and the other is to use T-Cut, and both materials can be applied with soft cloth or cotton swabs/buds. Using very small amounts at a time, work in small areas so that you can better control your progress. Apply your chosen material using a small area of the applicator and work in small circular motions. Work slowly and carefully and you will see the unwanted colour coming away on the applicator. Both methods will result in a shiny surface, but that can be rectified using a matt varnish once you have finished.

The shuffling and joggling required to produce that stock in those positions would have been worth watching!

I had been wondering if anybody would ask why a Great Western coach features in a topic that's about modelling a real Southern location, even though that real location was a joint operation between Western and Southern. Maybe the 'real location' bit has got lost in the story somewhere. It was going to be the introduction to the topic of coaches, but I lost concentration somewhere. Not unusual! My version of Easton, running as a pucker passenger terminus with quarries beyond the station for stone traffic, will have a selection of green coaches and crimson coaches that come from periods between the early 1950s and late 1960s. Hornby and Bachmann have produced some very nice models from those periods, enabling me to prepare some meaningful train formations that aren't beyond the bounds of possibility. I know that there are many more possibilities available when kits are included in the mix, and scratchbuilding (or even kit-bashing) would mean everything that ever ran or might reasonably have run could be represented. I have to take into account how much time is available to do everything, though. I have a choice of trains made up of one or more of the following types: BR Mk1 Bulleid Maunsell Wainwright Birdcage LSWR Gate Stock Purists look away now. I expect that there will be one or more publications somewhere that will reveal just how many of these actually ran to Easton, but until I find them I'll play with the ones I want to.

I suppose it was inevitable that there would be some weathering included in this topic at some time. Here it is! I was asked recently how I would go about just imparting a slightly dusty look to coaching stock sides. Would I use an airbrush and what size nozzle, type of paint, etc? My response gave rise to furrowed brow and questioning look, until I explained further. There are many ways with weathering materials to achieve a specific look or effect, and some are more suited to a particular task than others. I use a lot of pigments (weathering powders) or, rather, I use a very small amount from a large selection of pigments. The type that I use come from the military/aircraft/fantasy modelling fraternity's vast variety of colours from several manufacturers, because they tend to be extremely finely ground. In order to lay down a very thin coat of dust, it is best to use something that can represent that dust, and these pigments achieve that without too much work being involved. Application involves any number of tools, depending upon the nature of the subject, and I normally use a filbert brush and Tamiya cotton swabs. Quantities applied are minimal, to the extent that after each stroke of the brush you can barely see a difference. The receiving surface needs to have a texture or the pigment has nothing to 'grip'. If there is a shine to the surface, it ain't gonna take powder. Matt or satin surfaces are best. This mail coach was painted in a fairly matt colour, and the panelled sides allowed the build up of dust to be represented by the simple expedient of running the barely pigmented brush along the length of the sides several times, until the build up could just be seen. The same principles were applied to the underframe, wheels and bogies, but using a different shade of dirt. The roof was airbrushed. Large plain areas are not really suited to pigment weathering, if a uniform finish is required. The same interrogator asked how I go about masking off a coach side to prevent paint going where it shouldn't, and I told him I don't. More raised eyebrows. Masking the sides of a finished model could result in damage to transfers, raised detail, glazing and so on if care is not taken. My approach to any task such as these is to minimise risk of damage, and to avoid paint going where it's not wanted I create paper or card masks. For a coach roof the mask will consist of a strip of 1mm or 2mm thick card that can be leant against the guttering. You ought to be able to see that there is no roof paint on the edge of the guttering of this coach side.

That figures.

I'm in good company, then.

Way back on Page 13 I reported a problem with some M7s that kept derailing at the same place in the fiddle yard. Nothing else derailed at that point, so I assumed it was the locomotives that were at fault. All were taken apart and a cause sought, to no avail. I eventually ran one of them over the point where they derailed enought times to see that the front end of the locomotive seemed to be higher than the rear just as the leading driving wheel reached the common crossing. I laid a steel rule along the length of the point and immediately created a short circuit. The cause was plain to see. The track and points in the fiddle yard are all pinned down rather than stuck down, to facilitate changes and adjustments in the early stages of construction. The central part of that particular point was not pinned down, creating a very slight hump at the common crossing. Once this was corrected with the help of a thump and some track pins, all three M7s behaved as well over this point as everywhere else on the layout. One problem solved. On to the next.

My immediate reaction to this question was to say, "Old", but that might be regarded as facetious.

I like the thought of feature bloat. Has a nice ring to it, albeit rather rude-sounding. Planning for Easton originally involved a 10' x 6' shed.

Bound to be. It'll be along in a minute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I knew I wasn't imagining things.

An afternoon's work, slotted in around the 'not quite as boring as the rest' British Formula One Grand Prix bits, has resulted in enough microswitch leads to finish the job. Plus one extra because I can't count. The arrow is for my own benefit, so that I can remember for future occasions which of the contacts is the common. For those of you with black and white, it's the one next to the middle one.

I'm not so sure about that. I'm sure I've seen some rainy photograpsh on here. They could have been tampered with, though, I'm not sure.

Not only did I park it, I remembered where it was when I came back!