ruggedpeak

You admit pre-ordering previously, in which case you would know Hornby do not charge you until they have the product in stock ready to ship. So there is no risk to you even if the worst is to happen, which I see no evidence of. You could have just written "there's nothing for me".

It appears to be background sound - seems to be designed to be parked up at a station... "To further enhance this atmosphere, Hornby's engineers have considered how other sounds contribute to 'setting the scene'. Stand on any busy station, or observe the workings of a bustling freight depot and it is soon obvious that there are a whole range of sounds, from the grind and squeal of wagon wheels, the application of brakes, and the 'clank' of couplings, to the movement of passengers, station announcements, a 'hubbub' of conversation and carriage doors closing. The equipping of a wagon with TTS sound means that it can be placed stationary within the layout, to give a richer depth of sound, or can be included anonymously within a rake of wagons, its soundtrack blending with the sounds of other TTS locomotives." https://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/shop/new-for-2018/vent-van-with-sound-era-3-4-5.html Certainly a novel idea. And why not livestock sounds for those wagons? Or ash dust from empty ash wagons.... http://alongwinwicklines.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/

Adb How do the units sound when a shaft is removed? Do they sound less strained. It seems like a good mod given all wheel drive and maximum traction is not required as you say. As a non-engineer I'm wondering where in the drive train the excess strain is coming from and whether it can be alleviated to keep both shafts?

Any updates on timing? Thanks.

Just realised, I asked for a Back to Back gauge for Xmas to fix the various dodgy wheels on my locos and didn't get one!

The revised track plan is below. The siding takes a Class 68 and hopefully a Class 40 (yet to be tested). If the 153 is driven right to the end of the main road the 68 can leave the siding. So I will have to see if a Class 40 and 153 combo can use the siding, but for everything else it should be fine. Overall, at this point, I am pleased with how it has turned out. Not exactly prototypical in terms of track layout but gives plenty of scope for movement. It is also fairly non-descript so can be used with a range of trains that might be found in a major urban area, so suits my Scottish and Welsh stock. In terms of next steps there is plenty of activity to be carried out: weathering of viaducts and walls, thne varnishing painting and ballasting track detailing of the layout - I think interchangeable nameplates for the platform might be good detailing the tops of the viaducts signalling.....

The Xmas break has provided some time to move this forward With the electrics under control if not fully understood (!) I have progressed the scenery, primarily filling the gap between the retaining wall and the viaduct that leads to the fiddle yard, and constructing the platform. The platform was made from another Metcalfe kit - works quite well but due to Hornby points and 153's using the platform it has to be cut quite a way back from the rail edge. All the structure including the platform are removeable and simply placed onto the layout so they can be removed if it needs moving, as none will survive a bash. Fortunately for the retaining wall Metcalfe included some matching wall in the kit as the retaining wall has blue engineering brick at the bottom, and this wall design is not in their Viaduct or Brick sheet kits. Using this I constructed an angled frame using the sprues from the kit to create a wall that would match the rest of the wall in terms of angle and look. This involved constructing several models/jigs to get the correct width for the gap. The wall included the top section with detail and capping so it looked consistent. Although it is not perfect, it does match and sits quite well. It has been firmly attached to the rest of the removable retaining wall. I then decided that having no ability for loco's to pass each other between the roads, I would add an extra siding in Fiddle Road 2 to allow them to pass. Fortunately dragging a piece of card under the track, plus some leverage from a screwdriver, separated the glued down track from the cork with minimal damage. Using a Hornby point and set track the siding has been added. Further electrical work is required to isolate the two sidings so they can be used to pass, but I will do this at a later date as it means drilling and removing the cover under the board that keeps the wiring in place! The core of the layout is now complete - we have the viaducts and walling as the main scenic sections plus the end of the platform. With careful use of the switches I can operate up to 5 separate locos on the layout. Although I said 6 before this means very limited movement as there would only be one space free at any time. With the extra siding wired up properly this will increase to 7, but I think 5 is the optimum. It also assumes light locos/single car DMU's. Once I introduce a Pacer or 150 then we lose the extra space at the isolated end of the platform. Plenty of scope for movement however.

Why would not running them for a few days make them seize up if you'd run them in?

So onwards with the scenery. All substantive scenery needs to be removal to allow the board to be carried without knocking it off. First up is the station end board. A thin piece of ply painted black with cheap acrylics and screwed onto the end of the board for quick removal. It provides the position for the Metcalfe viaduct at that end, and stops expensive locos falling off the end! Then onto the precision engineering. The Metcalfe Retaining Wall needs to be self supporting and removable. After much thinking, buying some brackets and other bits, I have gone with a brass rod solution. A visit to my local model shop started with Evergreen plastruct square section, but following discussions I changed to brass tube - 7/32 and 3/16 tube that slides one inside the other. The thinner rod is cut to length so that it fits inside the abutments of the wall. Each has a supporting piece inside so only about half the height is required. The rod is was packed into place with lots of off cuts and glued with Roket glue. Once dry they are nice and firm, three bits of rod along the wall. Corresponding holes were drilled into the baseboard and short lengths of the thicker tube glued in place with wood adhesive. At the same time the wall, which is 9 separate elements glued together, was reinforced with offcuts. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/image/84130-img-7194/ So now we have some scenery attached, and the brass rods seem to work quite well

I like Hornby. I also like Bachmann, but which one's better? There's only one way to find out...

For info marker and High Intensity headlights are different colours as per prototype

Another learning point - as configured the layout does not offer the opportunity for trains to pass each other. Once they are on the layout there is no way for them to pass each other or swap places. TO be able to pass off scene would enhance operations a bit. The only place they can pass is in either FY2 or Road 2, as only the middle roads have connections to others. The only way to do this at present would be to create isolated sections in FY2 (Road 2 is too short for 2 locos to meet). Due to the size of loco's ranging from Class 33's to 40's, there would need to two isolating points as a 33 and 40 just fit, and the gap between them is in different locations depending upon which way round they are. Will decide if I want to pull the track up. As its the FY its not a major disaster. Isolators as below: A bit of running with scenery propped up:

Yes, Hoping to do a bit of running this weekend and may be a short video. Xmas may get in the way of finishing the scenery as I still have to work out how to fix the viaducts and retaining wall in place but make them removable.

Yes, that was roughly my conclusion. Power is applied only to the FY ends. However none of the points or sections are isolated (except the one on the main platform which is separate) and all are connected via swtiches to ensure power goes to droppers for the route selected. I should have isolated the points as in some settings power is going to both FY 2 and 3 when I route FY3 into Road 3. By turning the switch that transferred power for that point (red dot) from one that sent it to FY 2 or 3, into one that sent power to to Road 3 or is off it has resolved it. There is a simple explanation somewhere, but for some reasons I cannot fathom out even basic electrical matters

Me too! I think it probably is. After spending a good few hours trying to trouble shoot, disconnecting about half the wiring, it wasn't the switches or the wiring as such. I had attached dropper wires to the tabs under switch blades of the Peco Insulfrog points as it was easier than trying to attach to the track. This was causing some of the problem. When I isolated those wires things started to work. I think there were polarity issues or something. I had a switch that switched the power from Fiddle Yard road 2 into either road 2 or 3. However both Fiddle 2 and 3 were being powered regadless of the switch position. Indeed all 3 parts of the DTDP switch were live. I do not fully understand what is happening but this continues, and it is something to do with the point. Anyway, although I have yet to figure out exactyl what is going on, by converting the switch from switching between Road 2 or 3, to just Road 3 or off, it now works as planned. The issue is that when power is sent from Fiddle 2 into Road 3 (solid line above) it also powers Fiddle 3 (dashed line). It is something I've not understood along the way. The logic required for wiring and electrics is something I stuggle with. It now works as planned, however. Operationally this means I can have a loco on every fiddle and road except for one to allow for movement. On Road 1 with its isolating section at the end I can have two locos. This means I can have 6 locos on the layout at once and still have movement. 6 is too many, 4 is a better number. Plenty of scope for movement, unless wagons are introduced, then it gets a bit tight! Next is to have more of a play with the Class 150's and 153's (plus my new 121) which are the key units for the layout, plus see if a 158 2 car will fit. Then carry on with the scenery.

Oh dear. Having replaced the switch I find the problem remains. Exactly the same and having tested the removed "faulty" switch it works as it should. Now stumped. More work with the multimeter.

Electrical fault finding and assumptions..... Having assumed that I had made a mistake with the wiring I spent some time checking switch positions, wiring connections between the 3 roads and points to find the mistake. But all the wires are in the correct place and connected to the right bits. As I kept pulling wires to check their run and try to work out what I didn't understand since I couldn't see any wiring that would power lanes 2 and 3 at the same time. How could 2 lanes separately wired be simultaneously powered with no wired connection and insulfrog points set against the road? It is not possible. Except if there was a failure that I hadn't thought. There was no short, no bridge I could find, but...........if a switch was faulty it could power both lanes A minute or so later the mutlimeter showed that the switch that swaps power between lanes 2 and 3 was showing voltage across all 3 sets of connections. I'm sure switches aren't supposed to work like that......Problem found. I will fix later A detective once told me the "Detective's ABC" (probably others use it to!): A = Assume nothing (Fail, I assumed wrongly I'd messed up the wiring) B = Believe no one (including yourself if you are making assumptions - see A above!) C = Check everything (I was checking wiring, points, switch selections and connections but not the switches themselves). Electrics sorted, have been running with 3 or 4 locos moving around. Need to get back to the scenery, but must find a way to make it detachable and robust.

My Hattons ATW version came with headcodes/destination sheet, which wasn't really required since they have installed them already. Pictures aren't great due to phone in low light.

My ATW 121 arrived today Slightly wonky steps and slightly bent lamp iron on one corner. Apart from that great model, clearly needs running in but despite being stiff has good low speed running. Doesn't like short radius Hornby points. Very pleased. Destinations in bottom of centre windscreen, great underframe detail. good job Dapol & Hattons.

Only about 50% of the images work for me. Those that do are great. Can't work out why the other look as if I've not got the 3D glasses on. No amount of adjustment changes it. Weird.

Do we know why DRS are painting the later 68's in a retro DRS livery instead of the natty Compass one?

So onto the wiring. A word of caution, any competent electricians or those who like wiring done properly, please skip this post...... The plan was to run the layout with a single controller, so only one movement at a time. There are 3 lines in the fiddle yard leading into 3 lines on the scenic area and points linking. Every piece of track has droppers to ensure connectivity. Power enters each of the 3 lines from the fiddle yard end. Using the switches to select which line is powered and divert power in a particular direction through the points, a specific route can be selected and the movement take place without affecting anything else. In keeping with the low cost goals, the switches are cheap ones from Railroom Electronics. The blue and red wires are from the controller. The first 3 switches select DC or DCC (this has yet to be wired up) and which line, the remaining 4 switch the direction of power for each of the 4 points, effectively setting the routes. The red switch to the right is for the isolating section at the end of what will be the platform on line 1 (nearest the camera on the right) Told you the wiring wasn't good...... Having wired up the switches and tested the layout, there is power everywhere. On testing the various route permutations I have found a minor problem. If I have locos in the fiddle yard in lines 2 and 3, and try to run the loco in line 2 into the siding in line 3, both locos move. I am going to have to map all the wires carefully to figure it out. I've already mapped the route/switch configurations and tested for power across the layout so that I know which parts are energised in any given setting, and there are several areas energised at the wrong time. So I'm guessing somewhere wires are joined that should be joined via the switches. It won't be hard for anyone who can do wiring diagrams etc, but I've never got my head around them! A job for another day. However the layout is usable and trains run happily around it.

With the points fixed I decided to try out my Huntley & Palmer Peckett. Despite not yet being run in, it manages the insulfrog points quite happily without even a stutter. Very impressive. Notice it is affected by the check point issue above, but the modification keeps it on track.