kevo

cheers luke i was tring to get a scrub grass type look i built the layers up use ing different mixes of static grasses and random stick on grass tuffs might even add some more bushes later

My railfreight 20 now has tts sound fitted and is shown here arrive ing with 2 cement tanks . fitting the decoder was a easy job as i had all ready fitted one in the blue 20 i cut of the speaker wires as it was far to large i used a much slimmer speaker i brought on e bay . the railfreight 20 was not a good runner so i have done a chassi swap with the blue 20 the yard is a bit short of space as the box van and flat wagon are block ing the gates which lead to the scap yard beyond . this view shows class 20 ready to depart pair of 20 wait to enter the scrap yard sideings through the gates

no problem steve i doint mind at all i will be checking out some of those micro layouts you and luke have said about its good to see how other people build there's gives me new ideas

Luke . if you were think ing of china clay there is a real good micro layout on here TREVANNA DRIES doint know if you have come across it it shows some different types of stock early hoods and later ECC wagons .

yes luke the amount of different types of freight by rail has got less . fuel oil petroleum still around . thats another one that could be modelled a small depo with tanker unload ing faculties

HI luke i am a bit of a rubber gauge 'r i think . so building some think to run different types of stock from other places around the world works for me . i might run BR blue for a few nmonths then change to USA or irish . the only tip i could give is the build ings and indurstry if tyou can get that right you are winning . the other thing is of course is that i stick to micro layouts that way i only need a small selection of buildings to pull it all off . some of the little things like road signs that can be removeable small out build ings and road vehicles can all be changed

HI steve i did weather the blue 08 my self . the blue class 20 was already weathered when i brought it but i will do some of my own on it soon as i get another air brush as mine has had it . the railfreight class 20 is scott pro weathered loco . i really like his work . THE WEATHERING WORKS . i normally like weathering my own stock but as i am just building up my loco stock again i could not resist one of scotts locos .

thanks luke kind of you to say , its taken me a a bit of time to replace my british stock back up i have mainly only done BR blue but will dabble in some more modern stock as well . class 20's are one of my all time favorite locos . i have two the BR blue & a railfreight one

Hi all . been some time since i last did a post . well this is partly as my old cement layout nearly got sold . but this have ing not happened i decided to give it a bit of a revamp . and its changed back to UK again . as i had been running american locos and stock . any way i did have a bit a of a gap to fill by the pump house , so i brought a Bachmann silo and re jigged it by lower ing and a bit of cladding added it needs a touch of weather ing to blend in a bit

have ing shared my o8 tts disaster try ing to fit a stay a live , i made the best out of it by replace ing with a laisdcc 8 pin none sound decoder as i had all ready installed the stay a live in the o8 cab i didnt fancy pulling it a part so i wired it in even if it didnt work nothing to loose . well the 80 ran nice and smooth and silent great i thought . but later on when it got half way across my one and only point on my micro layout it stalled then jerked forwards and backwards till i picked up the loco of the track not sure what caused that ! some sort of surge may be ?

that is strange to hear . seems hard to understand why they would make a decoder with a function that will not work .

same thought on that richard i was very glad they were not top notch decoders . thanks 4 the reply's to my groans . i checked out your web site early on . i will certainly keep you in mind when i need work carried out from now on

Hi Richard yes you are right there , not one of my better days . and slightly wiser after read ing your reply . i think what i did to day has putt me off DIY decoder stuff . there is far more to it than i can take in . but thank you for the tips on zimo or locksound and best left to people in the know like your self . up to this date that is my 3rd tts sound decoder i have wrecked have ing tried fitting them in to different locos that were none sound .

hope this shows what i have done

Big doom and destruction i had a go at installing the lasdcc stay alive in my tts Hornby o8 and yes it fried it . that a teach me . and Hornby havent released the tts o8 sound for replacement yet . talk about live and learn . any way move ing on i have now replaced the tts 8 pin for a the lasdcc 8 pin with stay alive . i have joined up the the blue and black wires from the decoder to the blue and black on stay alive . loco runs nice and smooth now but the stay alive doint seem to work like were you pick up the loco and wheels still turn . any advice on were i have gone wrong with this . please

Thanks john i took the manual to work with me to day and had a look in my lunch break with a bit of practice i think i will get the hang of it

Cheers izzy that is jus what i was hope ing to find a pic of were the wires go . i was just about to give up on that . i am not very tech with electrics but i can follow a pic . my next step is to learn how to switch off the DC on the decoder before i start . my PIKO controller dus not have the the functions to alter the CV'S but i have just brought a NCE cab controll any luck after a read of the manual i can sort that out

thank you rob i will give that another look

Thanks for the info i did have a look at the Hornby forum but didnt see much only a bit on building your own stay alive i will have another look

Hi just like to ask has any one tried fitting a stay alive in to a tts sound 08 Hornby shunter its a laisdcc, stay a live with 2 wires blue & black do they go to the same blue and black on the decoder ? any advice please . kevin

ok luke ile keep my eye out for that thanks

Hi luke just been going through your post really like it good work did you do a post on your cronton collery micro layout that you show in your vid ? as i tried looking but could not find any think kevin

Well one good thing i have to say is this weather is good for spraying if thats the only thing its been to dam hot for me . so with a weeks leave from work i have at last got to a top coat on my loco . one of the hold ups was what color . it was a choice between a faded light blue or olive green in the end the mrs decided i should do green . i was pleased with the over all rust coat on its own may be i could have left it . but i did want to try a blister ing flake ing paint effect . it still needs some work tone ing the shades etc

Hi Luke its not as hard as it looks really . best way is to have a practise on a old loco or car lorry etc . its know ing when to stop is the problem .there are so many different ways to weather models its just finding what works for you .

after the base coat was dry being left over nite . I could now start on the rust effect . all I use is some artist acylic paints of different rust tones stippled on with old cheap brushes they end up looking like chimmny sweeps brush . when I have covered one section at a time . the next stage is to use artist chalks again tones of brown yellow orange etc are stippled in to the still wet paint the chalks blend it all together till I get the look I am after it can look like I have totally wrecked the loco now but the next stage should bring it back this will be with the salt tech or hair spray and a top coat of my chosen colour .