Toftwood

I'm fortunate in a way that I think that, with only a few exceptions, I've got enough passenger rolling stock to be going on with - I've been collecting stuff going back 13 years or so.  Some of it is quite old (for example my Bachmann Thomson coaches which are the earlier version and cost I think no more than about £12 or £15 each - the new improved versions are about £45 each - I'll stick with what I've got) and a few kit builds (my rake of Gresley suburbans are Kirk kits which cost about £13 each and run on Bachmann Thomson bogies at about £6 a pair - I keep looking at the Hornby Gresley and Thomson subs and then the price and I think, er no thanks).  I have a similar policy for locos and dmus, I'm quite happy with my Hornby Class 101 metro-cam dmus (which I've detailed a bit) rather than the newer Bachmann version and of course my Hornby RailRoad D49s.  But I couldn't do without the Q6s (although I didn't buy the second one until the discounted price dropped below £100) and the K1 because of what and where I am modelling.  Similarly if a rtr J27 was available I propably would push the boat out irrespective of the price.

 

Regards,

Brian.

Oh for a ready to run J27!! but no they push out more GWR/Southern stock Grrrr!

Excellent advice Scott.  I'll try monitoring the loco on curves, or else return to Bachmann.  I've been looking at rolling roads but have always found them expensive to purchase, especially as they generally need another power source.

 

Regards,

Brian.

I have been looking for a Hornby rolling road on ebay for a while.  I have bid on a few but they have gone for silly prices, over £100 on some.  

That is very good to know.  I too have a dicky B1 with the same problem.  I generally untangle the valve gear and put the two halves of the axle FIRMLY back together and that normally does the trick until the next time it happens.  It's the only reason I've been monitoring Hornby B1 prices on Ebay but I will contact Bachmann as you suggest.  Thanks again.

 

Regards,

Brian.

I have a Hornby B1 as well, its much better. The Bachy B1 was great in its not so distant day and is still a smooth runner but the Hornby one is better and far easier to remove the  body and fit a DCC chip into.  My Bachy one is currently up for sale on Ebay.

Well, despite my oiling of the valve gear etc, the WD failed again today - little or no response to the controller so the WD was removed to the workshop for further examination.

 

Meanwhile, one of them new fangled diesels was forced to deputise.  Seen here arriving...

 

WD fail 1.jpg

 

...and departing.

 

WD fail 2.jpg

 

I have perused the WD's exploded diagram (there is no service info provided by Bachmann in this 2004 version of the loco) which really sheds little light on which screws you have to remove to get the chassis seperated from the body.  All very frustrating.

 

Regards,

Brian.

Send it back to Bachmann, £23 for them to rectify and service!  I recently sent them a B1 where the rear drivers axle had come apart and jammed the motion, and a n A4 where I had inadvertently snapped off the reversing link bracket.  Both returned fixed and serviced for £23 each.

When you are the "Project Manager", "Principal Contractor" and "Client" all rolled into one you can basically do what you like, when you like and in which ever order you want!  This statement is my attempt to explain the erratic nature of my progress and reporting.  Also there are elements of one step forward and two steps back that arise from time to time - today being a case in point.

 

Following a visit to a well known Danish flat pack furniture store, the "Fat Controller" (i.e. me) now has a nice compact swivel chair so I thought I would run a train or two from the new seat to celebrate.  The WD and hoppers needed shunting and turning - the shunting went ok but there was no response from the WD but when the hand of God intervened, some sort of intermitant motion occurred.

 

Said WD was removed from the track and examined.  Removal of the loco body looked intricate possibly involving removal of the front pony truck and all the brake rigging, hmm.  So I decided to oil what I could see, namely the valve gear, connnecting rods, etc.  Out came the trusty Peco lube and the loco was replaced on the track and the normal slow and responsive movement of the loco was achieved - yippee.

 

So off went the train which promply stalled at the single line branch junction point - grrh.  Further investigation revealed that said point was not switching frog polarity reliably.  Out came the trusty electro spray stuff (cant remember its exact name) to spray the offending Seep point motor and all was sorted.

 

So, a loco and a point which were working perfectly yesterday decide to have a sulk.  Anyway, all OK now!  Back to the one step forward status, yeah!

 

Anyway, digressing again, I am looking to wrap the fiddle yard enclosure with a photo backscene.  The fiddle yard tracks are some 3 inches above the single line branch terminus so I wanted a high ground line.  Earlier in the week I visited a location near here where the land rises up from the Thames flood plain and took a series of pics to turn into a panorama.  This was the result.

 

West Tilbury Panorama1 copy.jpg

 

I'll do a trial print on plain paper (A4 sheets glued together) to see how it looks.

 

Regards,

Brian.

Doesn't that really grip you when for example a point which worked perfectly for weeks before, just ups and fails to switch, deny electrical contact, throw said loco/train off the track.  A prod here, a push there, maybe a rub with a track rubber  and away it goes again like new GRRRRR lol

Today I have finished the handrailing on the other side of the single track viaduct, see below.

 

20170413_172901.jpg

 

I now have to figure out a way of inserting some scenery beneath both it and the twin track masonry viaduct behind it.

 

20170413_172949.jpg

 

Meanwhile, I received a delivery from Widnes today in the form of a BRC&W Type 2 diesel loco (Heljan Class 26/0 weathered) - a real snip in this day and age at £65 + postage!  My recent researches revealed that, whilst most of the class (as like the Claytons) are perceived as Scottish engines, D5370 to 78 were delivered new to Thornaby (Teeside) in 1962, being transferred away in 1966 so mine will need renumbering.  I rashly bought a Class 26/1 some years ago on the strength of a very blurred image in one of my railway books so that will have to go.  Anyway, here is the latest acquisition posed on a parcels departure.

 

20170413_173225.jpg

 

A silky smooth runner straight out of the box.  The buffer beam detail is fantastic and fullsome but some might have to be removed to make room for the tension locks.  Nevertheless, a superb model IMHO.

 

Regards,

Brian

Hi Brian, that hand railing on the bridge looks like one of those jobs a; should have done the scenery before fitting the viaduct, b; doing the far side first as the front would not get in the way but has turned out right as they say up north.  

By the way I have just availed myself of the self same loco (BRC&W Type 2 as they were known back then) Hopefully the installation of a DCC chip will be a little easier than with the Clayton. Great work.

heat is already sorted but i may add one of those low power frost prevention type heaters too and leave it running to keep damp at bay

 

had a few hours earlier, didnt get as much done as i hoped as i forgot to buy cork earlier, managed to buy a Dapol 68 put forgot the cork!

 

anyway, secured the top station boards better to stop them flexing and also fixed the new aproach board on the doorway section

 

looking at the station again i do have some nice precut cork strips that ive put in place to see how much room i have, as they are nice and straight i can be sure the platform is also parallel with the trackbed down its whole length

 

im going to run some Bachmann retaining walls along the rear wall and butt the cork up to those

 

and some more of them as originally planned to hold the town in place

 

im going to need to add a small fillet to the high level board for the inner track to run over (the one outside the tunnel)

 

the reason ill run the wall along the rear is to be able to add my Hornby canopy's to the station, i'll add a wills flexi girder across the tunnel mouth this end and continue the platform a short distance into the tunnel to create the illusion of a longer station

 

the outer edge will need some sort of plastistruct girgers adding between the uprights i'll fit, i'll actually do it so the canopy will be removable for cleaning etc, i will mount it lower than in the pics, ive just placed them on top of the wall to get the idea, basically i'll run a plasticard U 'gutter' along the retaining wall at the top of the arches (where the wall goes vertical) for the canopy to sit in, similarly do the same on the outer side between the stone uprights

 

looks quite good with a 5 vehicle train in the platform

 

even better with the basic idea for the canopy placed in position

 

the usual, "view from the door" picture

 

37401 hired in to move the translator vehicles

 

hopefully get some cork tomorrow and get the track fitted over the doorway section towards the station, maybe even roughly lay a complete circuit

Hi, great layout, as an aside and its probably been covered elsewhere so apologies, you will probably find if you look at stations with large overall canopies, they sit on a ledge inside the walls so that the top of the wall stands slightly proud, and under each of your canopy joints it would be good to fit an impression of a pillar/support.  

Lovely work. Never seen corrugated cardboard used for underlay before!  Will follow with interest !

I will say sorry first, as is it just me or as lovely do the Locos look, should there not be a gloss/shine to at least some of them? looking at colour pics from the time certainly do show grot, but underneath is a glossy shine.  I am not in favour of this over all sub satin finnish that is passed off as "ex works" 

I will now hang my head in shame for being heretical. 

Pete

My tongue was very firmly in my cheek - and I worked at Newcastle General!

Yeah I gathered that, I lived in Tynemouth until early 75, schooling at St Cuthberts Grammar up Benton way.  All three rivers were sewers and the quayside, unlike todays 'fun' place to be, was bl**dy dangerous! :-)

Pete

The backscene really is super.  Not sure about the comments about the Tyne though, isn't that the Wear bridge?  The Wear was of course always dirtier than the Tyne, and less desirable.  Those from Sunderland may differ in opinion!!

 

Seriously I really like the dramatic backscene, I am jealous of your artistic skills - I don't have ANY. 

The Tyne was a dead river, if you happened to fall in......and survived you were straight up the RVI for a stomach pump!

Hello Gilbert,

I have been reading on and off your journey to create such an iconic masterpiece in awe.  The article in this months Hornby Mag tops this off. Awesome is a word abused by our colonial cousins across the pond but I have to say it totally suits Peterborough North. 

Long may it continue

Pete

Wow, a lot of progress and looking good. I shall put this on my watch list.

Can I just add to other posters, that I too have followed this layout from its start on the old web. But then it disappeared , and now its back and better than ever!

Well done I love the track plan and that it fits in a 'reasonably' sized room!

Pete

Just add my congrats to those above, to eldavo for his fine layout, to the runners up, and also everone else who started a layout (including myself - Cutthroat Lane). This is a brill forum.

Still having fun

Pete