Neils WRX

Here’s 4002 that I purchased last month…

Thanks,

Neil

7 hours ago, roundhouse said:

I do like the 842, spent many hours riding in them.

 

How does it compare with other MTB models?

I have a 842, 852 and 854 all by MTB, I quite like them. My only moan is no thought has been given to how you add sound to them.

It wouldn’t have taken much to leave a space for a speaker as they have done on other models.

Apart from that they run well and can quite happily tow my DMU trailer coaches.

Thanks,

Neil

No progress on the signals, still wondering about trying to obtain some ready built ones. Not quite back to the drawing board.

I’ve managed a tiny bit of modelling, when Roco produced 749257 they missed part of the suspension but included the the sand pipes which need to be removed. Menzels sent the missing bits so I just needed to fix the bits.

Next just a few random photos.

CD Cargo 751176

Roco 810

MTB 842

This one is on the list to get sound in the due course.

Last 751004 departs!!

Thanks,

Neil

More additions…

A second 91 0-4-0 shunter has joined the roster, this one has extended buffer beams, numbered 9136. The only issue is I need to source some very long shaft kadee couplings.

And a video of it moving:

Now for something different, a Vossloh E4000 in Europorte livery, I umm’d and aaarr’d about buying this. The model is by Sudexpress a new manufacturer for me. I have found photographic evidence of this specific example 4002 working in Belgium so that was enough!!

The model came without sound so I fitted a Loksound v5 decoder and used the ESU sound file

Thanks,

Neil

I do quite like this plan.

My next layout will be a Danish Ferry Terminal and the run round will be “off stage” with locomotives propelling out if they are not on push pull sets.

There will be a MT for shunt releases as well.

Thanks,

Neil

2 hours ago, John Tomlinson said:

 

I'm pleased to have found this layout, and enjoyed watching some of the videos.

 

I wish I'd done more in Belgium back in the day. A few of the ADL "Along Different Lines" tours and shed trips, plus a bit of linesiding for photography. The latter focused mainly on Athus - Meuse, and seemed like jolly hard work for not much traffic. This was in the late '90's, and although full freight timetables were available (IIRC in Lok-Report, or maybe Today's Railways), they seemed mainly to be honoured in the breach!

 

Happy days nonetheless, and I shall follow this thread with interest.

 

John.

 

John.

John,

Glad you like the layout.

I must confess to have spent far to long in Belgium in the 1990’s…..

Looks great, if your time period doesn’t have railings I would leave them off.

Do any current RhB structures not have railings? I know from personal experience it’s very difficult to stick within a specific timeframe when a nice new model turns up…..

Thanks,

Neil

On 03/04/2024 at 22:39, Neils WRX said:

Thanks very much.

 

I actually ordered 4 of 29419.1 I’ll have a look what I actually got sent when I get home from holiday. They might have sent a he wrong ones…. I hadn’t even noticed this was a 29420.

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

 

Transpires I got sent 2 of each…. So will be sending an email to get the correct replacements!!

2 hours ago, JBr said:

 

Your station is quite complex, so for placing the signals, you need to decide which tracks are the running ones (where train can arrive and can depart from) and which are just sidings. Do you have a trackplan of your station anywhere that I could draw the signals into?

 

Regarding the signals, I think you will need at least one of those https://1185589887.s1.eshop-rychle.cz/es-pecky/eshop/1-1-Es-Pecky/5-1-Es-HO-navestidla/5/3916-29416-1-Navestidlo-odjezdove-z-c-b-stavebnice and then multiple of those https://1185589887.s1.eshop-rychle.cz/es-pecky/eshop/1-1-Es-Pecky/5-1-Es-HO-navestidla/5/4141-29419-1-Navestidlo-z-c-b-z-odjezdove-stavebnice (this one is available as kit only it seems) for the running tracks. If you also want to have some dedicated shunting signals, then either those https://1185589887.s1.eshop-rychle.cz/es-pecky/eshop/1-1-Es-Pecky/5-1-Es-HO-navestidla/5/3720-29415-1-Navestidlo-serazovaci-b-m-stavebnice or those https://1185589887.s1.eshop-rychle.cz/es-pecky/eshop/1-1-Es-Pecky/5-1-Es-HO-navestidla/5/5251-29423-Trpaslici-navestidlo-b-m-serazovaci-stavebnice (again, both kits).

Thanks very much.

I actually ordered 4 of 29419.1 I’ll have a look what I actually got sent when I get home from holiday. They might have sent a he wrong ones…. I hadn’t even noticed this was a 29420.

Thanks,

Neil

9 hours ago, JBr said:

 

Just be careful about painting them and placing them, the one in your picture is an entry signal. Departure signal in this configuration is not usually used, unless it is a pre-signal for another signal. Do you have more and different types of them or just this one?

 

Edit: I have just noticed that it actually misses the white light, so it wouldn't be used as way/departure signal at all nowadays. Maybe historically somewhere as a group departure signal (just a single signal for all the tracks).

 

Thanks for that, will teach me copying someone else…. (a Czech Modeller).

I was planning to use them as departure signals for the platform roads, assuming there are more signals before the next stations in each direction. Also enabling a shunt to take place within station limits.

More research required….

Ideally I’d like a plug and play solution, I did find one, but he wouldn’t ship to the U.K.

If you can recommend the correct signals I’d be grateful.

https://1185589887.s1.eshop-rychle.cz/es-pecky/eshop/1-1-Es-Pecky/5-2-Es-HO-navestidla

Thanks,

Neil

18 hours ago, JackB95 said:

Brilliant stuff. Was that one of the £135 Goggles with sound on eBay? Spotted them... 

 

Who makes the double decker coaches? Can't find any anywhere online! Cheers. 

Thanks for the positive comments.

It was, Menzels are selling them off for some reason, ironically they had a 751 for a similar price that I paid £300 for before Christmas…. Guess you can’t win them all!!!

Double deckers are Piko ones they normally do a different version each year. I do have a couple from a Czech supplier as well. They do come up on EBay from time to time.

Thanks,

Neil

For a change lots has been happening on the layout.

The remaining lights have been installed but as non working as I couldn’t get them to work reliably so gave up….

A Czech concrete buffer stop has been installed vice the Peco one that was there previously.

Also the grass seems to have been growing in the station loops…

I have also been running trains so here are a few pictures that have been on the FB page the layout shares with the Belgian layout.

One new arrival a Roco Goggle at a bargain price!!

751041 on DMU trailers 

The other Roco Goggle on Piko double deckers.

Finally I have some signals unfortunately they came as kits rather than prebuilt so have to make them up now!!!

Thanks,

Neil

First update for a month or so.

One new addition 2863 by Piko, model came from Lippe and I used some vouchers I got at Christmas.

A few random other pictures from the Facebook Page.

7617 by Piko 

513-10 by ESU

1502 by LS Models

5102 & 5183 by Mehano 

5931 by Van Biervliet 

Thanks,

Neil

Focus ST Estate here (petrol of course) no idea what to replace it with when the time comes… 

Or just accept that I’ll have to hire a van to move the Belgian layout rather than the back of the car.

Thanks,

Neil

That looks excellent!!!!

I remember suggesting simulated signal checks in Glasgow and several pages ago on this thread :-)

A parcel has arrived from the Czech Republic with some bits and bobs.

I have fitted the limit of clearance markers but I’m having issues with the station lamps, they don’t seem to want to work.

i have scratched the wire and soldered a bit of wire to the ends.

So far of the 5 lamps 2 work, not quite sure what I’m doing wrong….

I’m using the 3v supply that runs the street lights.

They do look the part though so might not be illuminated, they do look much more Czech than the EBay cheapo’s.

Thanks,

Neil

12 hours ago, Stefan88 said:

Another package from my German freight forwarder received without any bother from Parcelforce on Monday, posted with DHL and declared as €150.

On another ebay purchase I had it sent directly to me, it was an auction from one of the larger German ebay traders (der.pfiff2010) that regularly puts up new items on auction listings (seems to buy off excess unsold stock from Roco and Liliput on the cheap and puts the items up for 24 hour auctions until they're all gone). With these traders ebay will deduct the German VAT (19%) from the final auction end price if its going to the UK even on auctions and second hand goods as the trader has their VAT set up with ebay. It still puts VAT on to the postage (which will have already had this included, so paying VAT twice on that), and if its below £135 then they will automatically add the UK VAT back on.

So a very nice set I won for €365 became €306.71. Postage was €19. I figured paying the UK VAT and handling fee would be more or less the same as having it sent to the German freight forwarder (€8) and then sent to me from them as part of a shipment - it is quite a large box and probably a good 3kg or so, so would have had a significant impact on postage for the shipment from the forwarders (easily another €10-20 increase). Parcelforce is showing it as awaiting customs clearance so now its the waiting game for the VAT invoice to arrive in the post. I did wonder whether this stood a chance of slipping through, but given that it was all processed through ebay its hardly surprising that the UK VAT is being charged - the exact value and declaration will have been done automatically.

 

A spares order from Roco will be next, they deduct the VAT on their website automatically when you start adding things to your cart. Postage to the UK is €9.50, in the past these were sent with Deutsche Post and delivered by Royal Mail.

If you have the tracking number you can ring up Parcelforce to get the customs number so you can pay that to speed the process up.

Thanks,

Neil

Van Biervliet / B Models including pricelist

http://vanbiervliet.com/boekje-2024-prijzen/prijslijst-boekje-2024-small.pdf

Quick update, went to ModelRail Scotland on Friday as punter rather than an exhibitor (never had an invite).

Enjoyed the exhibition and brought a few odds and ends but no rolling stock.

Thought it was an excellent exhibition and foreign layout wise liked the TT Czech layout (which is starting to give me ideas), as well as the Swiss Twins. Neither of which I’d seen before. 

Was a bit disappointed with Eastfield, very impressive to look at but not much moving (on Friday), Wellpark and Gresty Bridge were excellent as always.

One purchase I did make was a DCConcepts Alpha meter which I can use on both layouts as I’m going to put it in a Tupperware box.

The peak power usage seems to be when I change routes on the Z21 and the point motors activate. Not sure what it tells me, I have seem a peak amps of about 1.2-1.3 amps, although normally this sits around the 0.8 mark which is well within the Z21 capacity.

Here’s a picture to make the post more interesting…

Mehano 2633

5205 by Roco 

5541 by Marklin 

Also earlier this year added sound to my other 44 railcar (forgot to post this so it never happened….)

Thanks,

Neil

Watching with interest!!

I tried something similar a while ago the early stages of my Czech layout were Balkan.

Another option for a 661 is Balkan Models they made about 20-25.

Klein also did the Eas’s

Dom Models also did a ZRS coach

Thanks,

Neil

I must be honest I prefer the previous version of the APP. I use the old version for Belgian MPD and the new App for the Czech layout.

I would like to be able to change the Czech layout to the old APP but I’d have to recreate the loco library of 40+ locos and redo all the point control.

The route setting is great and a major selling point for me. It’s so easy to use and get to work.

Any questions please ask.

Thanks,

Neil

Enjoyed seeing both layouts for the first time in Glasgow today :-)

Looked great.

Thanks,

Neil

I think I commented on a similar thread before, the Belgian layouts last 2 outings have been to Paisley just up the road so I’ve not asked for anything. It was a chance to play trains all weekend…. That layout fits in the family car.

The Croatian now Czech layout needs a van to move. On its last outing I was embarrassed to asked for full costs so just asked for a contribution as I’d had a great time playing trains.

Thanks,

Neil

Graffiti vandals have paid a visit

Thanks,

Neil