CazRail

KMS Railtech still seem to have decent stock, I've got some flexitrack on its way to me.

So today I decided to install the inside track over one of the joints for the flip-up section. I'm using ModelTech's innovative track aligning pieces, which are very good.

I soldered a 3rd radius curve onto it(excuse my lacklustre soldering skills), then cut the rails with a Dremel.

I used the solder pads in the four-foot to connect between the track, and fed the cable down through the boards below.

Upon testing with my new Dapol 68, I was very happy with how it's turned out...

Before reaching the join:

Straddling the join:

Clear of the join:

Now to seek more track...

This photo just demonstrates how diverse my fleet is!

The Webb Coal Tank is absolutely dwarfed by the 68! 

Both are 'rule 1' purchases, but both will soon have a train to pull. 

My preferred era is, ofcourse, in the title of the thread, but I have models from different eras also. The Webb Coal Tank was bought primarily to run on my Amlwch branch layout with LNWR Hattons Genesis coaches. The 68 was purchased as I have a thing for loco-hauled push-pull sets. I currently have WSMR and ATW Mk3 sets, and have TPE Mk5 and TfW Mk4 sets on order. 

The Meridian looks great!

This is coming on well, like the idea with the OO9.

Well, about 2 weeks have passed since the real progress began, and the majority of the work is done! Alls thats left is to find everything a new home and sort out what can go. 

All the base units are now built and installed, the baseboards are 90% installed, and most of my stock are stored in their new cabinets.

Next steps are to finish screwing down the boards, re-instate the lift-up section, finish sorting everything and start laying some track! (And yes, I've had a cheeky play with the new 68 )

Things are now taking shape. Walls painted and drying, and the new cabinet base units have arrived and have started to be built. 

Two board supports screwed on top, and planning to put in shorter ones in the middle for extra support. Also put most of my collection in their new homes. 

Getting there.

Thanks met much appreciated!

2 days later...

Fitted the laminate today, took a good 5 hours as Ive never done these before, but have to say Im pleased.

My Destroyer order had been processed

Another day, another bit done. Desks are now in the process of being taken out. Hopefully by end of play tonight the carpet will be out, then the demolition will be complete. It all gets better from there!

The paint and laminate floor stuff arrived today, and will hopefully be in by the time the new units arrive on Tuesday!

15 minutes ago, daveahudson said:

They look generally very good.

 

Two improvements i can think of is a removable valance on the DVT with an NEM pocket for a coupling on the front (looks like they are not looking to do this just like their mk3 dvt).

 

And... the windows on the carriage doors look too square to me.

 

Otherwise, looking good (although I'm not an expert on mk4s)!

The same two things I picked up on. Other than that we can look forward to a pretty impressive set of models.

1 hour ago, woodenhead said:

if you are not completely sure what will fit in you've indicated your plan will become more squashed in reality, might I suggest you get some free railway planning software and try your plan out there.   You need to be sure you can achieve what you want and not be disappointed.

 

You've plans for quite a few trains, where will you store them when not running, i.e. no obvious fiddleyard and a Virgin set is going to take up some space.

Thanks, woodenhead,

I don't get on with the software, and I prefer to design by hand, but I've got a fair idea what I can fit in the space as I've used the same area using setrack a few times already (basically I'm re-building the boards to the same size)

On the fiddle yard front, I'm planning to only have a few trains on the layout at a time, with what I'm not using stowed away either in their boxes or in stock boxes in the cupboards underneath the layout. It can be a little annoying having to do that, but as much as I want a fiddle yard, I haven't really got the room to accommodate a decent one. Maybe an idea would be to put the drawers in at the top of the cupboards and put in a sort of open stock box (maybe a bit like a cutlery tray but bigger to accommodate trains).

So Ive now got a first draft of a track plan, which I'm fairly happy with. It includes a 3-coach station(will be measured by the length of mk4 coaches), a loco/DMU stabling point, some freight sidings, and possibly a signal box placed inbetween the 'up' and 'down' lines, similar to what's at Mostyn. 

Of course itll be a bit more 'squashed in' on the actual layout, but hoping itll work. My plan is the buy enough track to lay the mainline, including the crossovers and connections to the yard. The section along the bottom is a scenic section, where I'm yet to decide what to put there. 

Now these look the absolute bizz! I can't wait to have my set racing around my layout. I've also got the imminent 68 on order too, so will be great to have something 'up to the minute' on the layout, despite being a 'Rule 1' purchase!

I've got Destroyer DCC Fitted on order, no email yet. Looking forward for it now.

Following on from the last post, I've made some changes to the plan...

As I've found the carpet isn't in the best of nick, I've decided to lift it and replace it with laminate flooring, as well as re-painting the walls and skirting boards. It's been about 15 years since it was last done, so will give the room a nice little re-fresh. The rest of the room will be done later in the year.

Also, I've decided the radius of the inner track will be 4th radius, the outer track will effectively be 5th radius, laid in flexi-track. I've decided that the majority of the track-work will be set track, with flexible track used in the sidings(for flexibility ) and down one side of the layout, which should cross over a bridge and into a tunnel.  This will save me money on track, and make things fit a little better onto the layout.

'Organized Mess' Status: Not much better.

It's slow progress, but bit by bit Im going through all the useful bits/junk under the layout, some of it I forgot I had. All loco boxes have been moved away and stacked tidy ready for their new home in the new units. 

As you can see, its not even an organised mess! 

I'm hoping by Friday, Ill be ready to remove the track and in turn the boards.

They are bloomin' impressive!

This will be ideal for my daughter who turns 3 in August. Already likes watching things whizzing around my layout, so this will be great for her!

9 hours ago, HKG Steve said:

Hi Caz

I also went down the B&Q kitchen units, the cheapest basic carcases, and haven't bothered with drawers/ doors yet.  Gives plenty of accessible storage and can with a bit of a contortionist act get under the boards to fiddle with wires etc. The adjustable legs also helped 

 

Like you I'm modelling North Wales, based on a what if scenario for the Dyserth branch but in the 1980's to late 1990's, and have recently started a thread on here if you're interested - see Tre-Castell https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/161050-tre-castell-a-dyserth-inspired-layout/ 

Cheers Steve. The storage part was the main motivational to be fair, desperately need space! Tre-Castell looks a very interesting layout!

Started to box up loose stuff and my workbench last night ready to take the current setup apart. I've also decided to name Llanunlle, the Welsh word 'nunlle' tranlslating to 'nowhere'.

To give a lowdown of what I intend to run on the layout, I'm basing it on what would have been seen on the line from 1990 through 2009, so here's a few examples of what I have to choose from:

- Class 37s with Regional Railways mk1/2 rakes.

- Class 101 and 108.

- Class 142

- Sprinters, Class 150, 153, 156 and 158s.

- Intercity/Virgin WC HSTs and Mk2 or Mk3 rakes with DVT. 

- Freight including PAB-A covhops(which Im 3d printing), Cargowagons(Revolution's IWA), Octel tanks, steel trains(Dee Marsh/Mostyn) and stone trains. Hauled by classes 20, 31, 37, 47, 56, 60, 66, 67 and 70.

I'll also utilise rule 1, when it comes to running anything else.

4 hours ago, Rhydgaled said:

Also, there is only one SO with an accessible toilet and one FO with an accessible toilet listed. Two TfW rakes will either need two of one and none of the other, or two of both (I'm not sure whether the TfW sets have a first class accessible toilet or a standard class one, or both).

A selection of photos Ive found on Flickr suggests that one set TfW is made of coaches B,C,H and L. Trouble is, Hornby havent really said which of the SOs are the end one. Is there a certain FO that should be next to the DVT?

On 28/12/2020 at 20:16, Theakerr said:

What Glue did you use to fasten the chairs down?  I am using code 100 and the chairs are made of that slippery plastic that doesn't accept any of the glues i am aware of.

Im not sure but I think I used super glue

Ive got a DB Cargo one, and I havent noticed any difference in noise between it and my others, I had 66152 out to compare. 

Once I'd sorted the pickup issue, I thought it was one of the smoothest 66s I have.