young37215

The bodyshell is the 'new' bit, the nose ends and chassis were previously part of 37011 (ex Bachmann version 32-781) where the headcode lights worked fine. They still work, whatever my problem it is preventing the bodyshell sitting in its correct position on the chassis with the result the power tabs at one end are not making proper contact with the supply on the chassis. Resolve the problem and I expect the headcode lights will work just fine. By the end of yesterday I had painted the new plaster cloth which should dry overnight. There is still a small gap between the upper and lower boards which would be easy to fill with Sculptamould but I am hesitant about doing so because I had hoped to find a way to keep the boards seperate so that they could be accessed in need. Another item for the 'still pondering' list, I dont have to commit to anything until I start dressing the area. With this work I have completed the landscape in 3 of the 6 sections, hopefully another weeks effort will see the landscape work finished. Insulation board cut to form the landscape Plaster cloth added and then painted Looking north The landscape by section, 50% done feels like progress. The remaining 50% feels like hard work!

I managed to get 37111's bodyshell and chassis seperated but still cannot work out what the issue is. I removed both bulkheads in the expectation that the body should then sit correctly on the chasis but it did'nt! Having spent more time on this than I planned I gave up and will return to the problem another day. I also worked out that the point and semaphore direction shown on the MC2 unit does have a relationship with the position of the accessory. If the accessory is in the opposite position to that indicated on the MC2 the first button push only changes the accessory icon to reflect the correct position, it does not trigger any movement in the actual accessory. A second button push then operates the accessory and changes the accessory icon position to reflect the movement. It is slightly clumsy but at least it shows I should be reasonably safe relying on the MC2 accessory control indcation. That was enough of the 'butterfly' modelling for one day and I cracked on with the planned landscape work. More plaster cloth was added to the lower level below the corner baseboard ( the bottom left section on my diagram above) and by the end of the day the landscape of the section was just about complete. The area needs painting and dressing but I feel happier having completed the heavy lifting. 37043 with ETHEL 1 had a run round as well for testing purposes and was captured in picture at several points around the line.

I think the problem with 37111 is the internal cab bulkheads. I say think because yesterday neither Doug or I could get the bodyshell off of the chassis, it is clearly caught on something and that appears to be the bulkhead. This would make sense, if the bulkhead is not in the correct place it will foul the roof and stop the bodyshell dropping fully on to the chassis. All I need to do is work out how to release the bodyshell and I should be able to reposition the bulkheads. Doug also kindly hand delivered my 4 OAA's which he had collected from Derails. At first glance these look excellent, they will get weathered over the coming days before joining the rolling stock fleet. The corner board has been returned to the layout and the track reconnected. The adjoining landscape on the lower level has been covered in plaster cloth which should be dry enough to work on today. As I have mentioned previously the amount of work to complete the remaining landscape is substantial and to make it feel more manageable, I have split the area into 6 sections and will work on one section at a time. The 3 upper level sections will be completed first because I have to lean across the lower level to access them. It is probably easier explained using a diagram, the corner board is top left in the picture.

My 4 OAA's arrived this morning. First appearances are that we have an excellent model weighing in at a beefy 77g compared with the 54g of a Bachmann OBA, a near 50% more weight which should help minimise derailments. I shall get mine weathered over the next few days and look forward to giving them a good run once the wheels have been cleaned up. Nice work Rapido; thank you.

Thanks for the suggestion but the bodyshell of 37111 is definitely on the correct way round. With glues and paints drying and a layout that is effectively out of use I have been finding other ways to spend my modelling time. I recently decided to try using the accessory function on my ESU Cab Control system for the operation of the servo driven points and semaphores using Megapoints networked servo controllers. Megapoints has worked well for me in the 6 or so years I have been running it on my 14m x 3m layout using a home built control panel. What I increasingly find is I operate from the vicinity of the control panel so as to be able to change points and signals. This was not my original plan where I envisaged moving around the layout to view trains from different angles. The way in which I am operating means that I see the same views day after day creating the risk of familiarity potentially leading to, heaven forbid, boredom. To enable operation from all around the layout I added the Megapoints DCC module to their network which connects to Cab Control. I set up the points and semaphores for 4 stations on the MC 2 wireless hand held controller. The set up is not that user friendly but I eventually worked it out and have got quicker with experience. I now have the ability to operate from all around the layout which has considerably increased the playability. For the modest £34 cost of the Megapoints DCC module I have got a great upgrade albeit with a couple of anomalies that detract from its use. The accessory set up is registered on the MC2 memory wheras the loco register is captured on the Cab Control ICU memory. This means that I will need to set up and maintain accessories on both of the MC2 units I have compared with locos which only need setting up once on either of the MC2's. It is a pain but not a big deal and likely a one off activity because I don't see changes taking place very often. When a button is toggled the point/semaphore icon moves as appropriate for the accessory which is great if the set up matches the direction of the accessory. So far as I can find there is no way of determining or changing this which means a 50/50 chance that the icon shows the correct direction Garelochead set up on the MC2 handset, a press of the button operates the designated accessory.

I have looked for any obvious obstuctions like wiring without success so far, it is iritating. I am sure the issue is a minor one that will get resolved in time. Further progress with the corner baseboard which is now nearing completion. A few areas need tidying up but these can be completed in situ and the board is now ready for a return to the layout. When it does I will need to keep my focus on the current development and not start playing trains again!

Despite my best efforts I cannot get the bodyshell to sit correctly on 37111 which means that I cannot get all of the body retaining screws to tighten. The headcode lights do not work at one end because the missing retaining screws mean that electrical contacts are not aligned. I gave the loco a run partly to see how it looked and partly as a test. It looks and ran fine but something is not quite as it should be. I'll return to this another day once the paint has hardened, probably when I weather the loco. Having got my teeth into the mountain pass landscape I want to move this forward as far as I can. 37111 heads 7D13 into Crianlarich

Not sure of you found your answer so here is my attempt. Go into Edit mode, then select 'add an accessory' which will bring up the list of the existing accessories. Hold down on screen on the relevant accessory for a second or two, this causes a delete dustbin to appear in the top right corner of the MC2 screen.

I need some of these and some of his windscreen wipers for several of my 37's. Looking on the Shawplan website I see DP45-09LW which are described as L shaped lamp brackets; do you recall if these are what you bought? Likewise with windscreen wipers where there is the choice of medium and large sizes; do you know which fits the older style Bachmann 37?

The corner board of the mountain pass (the upper level) is currently getting its landscape and scenery. The curve cuts through a rocky cutting before starting the climb towards the summit. The mountainside is plaster cloth painted with green emulsion on top of polystyrene and insulation board off cuts. Sculptamold fills in the gaps and the landscape will get dressed with scenic materials once it is dry. I could not resist putting the glazing back in 37111 and reinstating the chassis. A minor problem has arisen in that the bodyshell does not fit perfectly on the chassis because the bodyshell lugs are not aligning up as they should making it difficult to replace the screws. This only became clear when running 37111 where the headcode refused to light up at one end. I need to check this over, I know the headcode works, to the best of my knowledge all second generation Bachmann 37's should have interchangeable chassis and bodyshell meaning that is probably something simple I have got wrong.

Watching paint dry can be boring so what else to do but run some trains. 37022 departs Crianlarich with 8D09 heading to Oban. The lights were off at the time of taking the pictures creating a noticeably different environment, very much in line with yesterdays cold, damp and overcast conditions.

Some progress on the renumbering programme yesterday. I got a second coat of blue on 37111 which was sufficiently dry by the evening to allow the transfers to be added. This is always the transformational bit and I was pleased with the outcome even though the paintwork is not perfect. I want 37111 to look like a well used loco, not something ex works which means the paintwork blemishes contribute to the effect I want. All being well I shall add a matt varnish coat today and then leave for a while for it all to harden off. Further detailing, glazing and weathering will have to wait despite my impatience to have the loco in service. Following several hours in the freezer I managed to get the nose ends off of 37011. The glazing all fell out with minimal and in some cases, no effort on my part but the nose ends required a little more effort before I won the battle. By the end of the day I had two bodyshells looking largely as they will going forward although I want to check the SDEG class 37 book because I think that the headcode panels on 37011 need to be yellow, not black and I want to confrm that I have not missed anything else for either loco before finishing them off.

I could live with a few more blue Bo-Bo's but the cost of a class 27 fleet sufficiently large enough to run the WTT is prohibitive. I should make more use of the 20 and 27's that I have and would love to reprise the Deltic hauled adexes that did Edinburgh to Oban in 1981 using a push pull Mk3 rake of rolling stock but until Accurascale do 55021 in the correct livery, I'll have to wait. In amongst the faffing with paint and rock casting I shuffled a few trains around. Repainted with the same Railmatch BR Blue as I am applying to 37111, 37112 had charge of 1636 Glasgow to Mallaig and is seen approaching Gareloched.

The start issue has substantially reduced to the extent I rarely think about it since I extended the number of droppers in the main 13 road fiddle yard to one per road. Originally the fiddle yard was built with only 4 droppers, my assumption is that the original wiring was inadequate for what was being asked of it. The BUS is divided into sub power districts where everything gets powered up at the same time on start up. Most days I start track power on the first or second attempt, occassionally a few more attempts are required but much less than was originally the case. The BUS wire is 24/02 and the droppers 16/02, the link to my layout thread shows what I did in the fiddle yard in more detail and contains a wiring diagram. I bought a DCC Concepts Alpha meter a few months ago which shows that for most of the time power is at 15.5 volts drawing around 1 Amp. The voltage setting is controlled/set by ESU's Cab Control system and which has been on the same setting since I first bought it. The Alpha meter has been useful in it tells me I do not need a booster. I hope this helps with your activity, please let me know if any more questions arise.

The overwhelming opinion is clear, the faded blue is not the colour I want and I don’t feel sufficiently confident to attempt to improve it. Earlier today I sprayed 37111 with a thin first coat of Railmatch BR Blue which is deeper and darker and if dry tomorrow, I’ll add a second coat. I used the same paint when creating 37112 in its first iteration of large logo and know that it looks good once finished with a Matt varnish. My intention is to swap the nose end from 37111 with 37011 whose body shell will get a bit of a freshen up at the same time. I’ll also use 37011’s chassis for 37111 because I’ll need a chassis with buffers for 37011. Thanks to those who have commented and expressed their views.

I asked Rapido at Warley for an update on OAA delivery and was advised that the expectation was they should be in shops before Christmas. I did'nt ask which year but I did get a sneaky preview of some of the demonstration OAA's which were very nice. Rapido also pointed out that a major contributor to the delay was the unacceptable first production samples from China which Rapido chose to have reworked. Here's hoping for a nice Christmas surprise.

I am afraid I have no idea, red ballast was widely seen on the WHL but not exclusively either as the picture below shows. I spent a little time working on the mountain pass baseboard No 1 attempting to get the right profile of mountainside. What felt like several hours of wasted time delivered nothing tangible by way of progress but I think I am clearer in my mind how it should look which involves more rock face so I need to get casting. In an effort to show something for my efforts I got a first coat of blue paint on 37111. Regular readers will be aware of my colour blindness hence I am always reluctant to express an opinion on colours. On this occassion I am far from convinced by the Railmatch faded blue and wonder if it is just the uniformity that looks wrong or if the colour is unrealistic? I will wait until a second coat and weathering has been applied before reaching a final judgement. What I am trying to copy, 37111 Eastfield April 1983.

None of the latest work was totally dry yesterday so I decided to be patient for once and wait. Although the upper level was out of use, I was able to move a few trains around on the lower level. 37027 continued its journey south and is seen arriving at Ardlui with 1T45 where it passed 37022 heading to Oban with 8B05.

Geoscenics N gauge red ballast. It is not perfect but is the best I have found. Railmatch enamels thinned about 50/50. In my opinion airbrushing track is the easiest way to weather it and learn about your airbrush at the same time. The only negative is cleaning the airbrush after use which I hate!

The BR Blue O gauge layout that reminded me of Guide Bridge is Netherwood Sidings, for me my favourite layout in the show.

I lifted the mountain pass upper section corner baseboard again yesterday morning to start the scenic work on it. It is 4 feet in length with the other two that make up the mountaneous upper section 6 feet each. My plan is to divide the work into 3 parts in an effort to make it more manageable and work on 1 baseboard at a time before joining the 3 together. First of all I airbrushed sleeper grime onto the rail to weather it and once this was dryish, I dropped ballast which was glued in place. Hopefully this will all be dry this morning so that I can start building up the mountains that will provide the back drop for the section. Whilst the airbrush was plugged in I applied a coat of primer to the longstanding project of creating 37111. Assuming this dries OK I will add a coat of blue when using the airbrush next.

Warley yesterday which was quieter than I recall previous Sundays but still well worth the trip. Plenty of things to see although I left my reading glasses at home which meant looking at detailed stuff was impossible much to my annoyance. Hopefully the show will have stimulated my motivation to crack on with the mountain pass scenery this week. From the previous days running 37114 has charge of 7D12 seen arriving at Garelochead.

Spot the anomally?, 37027 departs Crianlarich with 1T45 12.45 Malliag to Glasgow. A couple of days ago I reported that 37027 had an electrical problem causing it to fail and was returning to Accurascale for repair. How then can it be running now? The answer is I bought 2 of Accurascale's 37027 with a view to renumbering one to 37022. On the basis that I have done nothing relating to the renumbering yet, it was a simple like for like swap.

I want to fit Commonwealth bogies to a Hornby BSO and convert it to a BSOT. Spare Commonwealth bogies appear similar to hens teeth, despite several months of searching I have not found any. Today I see that Hattons are selling a Hornby (R4974) Commonwealth fitted RB for £11. I dont think the bogies will swap/fit with those on the BSOT but I thought I would check just to be sure.

I have not measured the light in 37039 but fancy it is more 2mm than 3mm whereas the jewel is more like 3mm. Irrespective of their size, the headlamp on 37039 looks superior to me which is one of several reasons I doubt that I will use any more of the jewels. I am taking more time to decide on the mountain pass area than I anticipated because it still does not feel how I want. The answer to the question 'what do you want' is proving a challenge, I can't put my finger on it just yet and am mulling it over before committing to anything. In the meantime I have time available to play trains instead and to take a few pictures. First up is 37049 heading north on departure from Crianlarich with 7D12, the 12.50 from Mossend to Corpach.