tom shaw

Some good ideas there Ian, feel free to tell me more so I can use them myself. Hopefully I'll make it to Newcastle, not sure which day though. Tom

Thanks Brian, The other team I follow is England - oh dear. Tom

Thanks Karl, The plan was drawn in AutoCAD, only because I'm very familiar with it through my work. I hope you post your progress with your layout, I have found the process very helpful and appreciate the encouragement and advice I've received. Tom

It's been a while since I posted last but I've been busy. With my usual inability to finish something before starting something else I’ve been busy on the fiddle yard. I had started work on it for the last layout and some thought went into its design as I wanted the ability to run reasonable length trains (up to 7 coaches) within the constraints of the layout length (4.6m) so I couldn’t afford to have points. It was either some form of moving table or a cassette system and I settled on a turntable. It isn’t intended for the table to turn all the way around but just to give most tracks on the table access to most tracks entering and leaving. The drawings below show the turntable at its two extremes as well as the layout as a whole and its location in the garage. Note the brick pillar which would have hindered a traverser but does not affect the rotating action of the turntable. The table in its central position has an entry and an exit line which line up and provide a continuous run for running in purposes but usual operation will not require continuous running. The trick is that each track coming on to the table initially heads for the pivot point before straightening out, within minimum radius limits. Need to work out some sort of barrier so I don’t drive trains off the end. The following photos show the state of play so far Coal trains will operate as follows: 1. A full train leaves the table on the up main and arrives in the up yard 2. The train engine detaches, runs round and picks up its van. 3. The engine either, picks up an empty train from the down yard, goes on shed or leaves with its van via the down main to its next duty elsewhere. 4. A J72 or 350 diesel then propels the full set to the staiths off layout and back on to the table. 5. The shunter then detaches, leaves the full set on the table and picks up an empty set to bring back into the down yard. 6. An engine and van is attached to the full set on the table and it’s ready to start again. 7. An engine and van are attached to the empty set in the down yard and it’s ready to leave. There is currently enough 21 ton hoppers to have three rakes (two full and one empty) and I see the above cycle continuously worked by one operator with other trains and the shed worked by up to two other operators. Other trains will comprise general goods, fish, oil, steel, etc. and will be worked into the yard from the up main. In the yard trains will be sorted into short trip freights for the various locations with each being worked down the quayside branch with returns coming the other way. I would like to operate goods trains using a wagon card system with pockets for each destination, I believe this works by each wagon having a card with various destinations on it and they are worked through in turn but I need to find out more about it. Can anyone point me at some guidance ? Regards, Tom

Very nice Brian, I like the picture of the station buffers in particular - the church and the backscene look great. Tom

Ian, I've got that book and I have lots of MSE parts so I class that as a start ! By 15 semaphores do you mean on the whole layout (not just on that gantry). Are you hand building the track. Tom

Fabulous signal Ian Tom

This is going to be good, more please Ian Tom

Anybody want to buy a Sunderland season ticket ?

Looking good Brian, I love the view through the viaduct to the houses. Tom

Thanks Alan and Bob for the comments. The crews are mainly from Monty's Models (http://www.dartcastings.co.uk/montys.php) but some Dapol Regards, Tom

I forgot about my Hornby K1. Weathered and crewed but not renumbered, I discovered that 62027 had been shedded at Consett so fitted my plans nicely. Tom

Long time no post but I have been busy. I was inspired by the efforts of RBAGE (Bob) to finish my Tyne Dock 9F, while not up to his standard I'm quite pleased with it. I then got the weathering, renumbering and crewing bug and attacked my nice new Hornby Q6's. Then I thought it would be nice to do a bit to my Dave Alexander Q6. Tom

Alan, I never realised India Pale Ale had such properties, if it takes decals off what does it do to your insides ? Tom

Happy Q6 day Brian Tom

Sorry to hear that Alan, must be screen printed then. If I get some time tomorrow (England playing) I'll have a go. Some people use thinners and a cotton bud but this can affect the paint if overdone. I have used a sharp, curved scalpel blade to very gently scrape away a number using backward pulls, in fact the EE type 3 in the photo you refer to had the number changed this way. Be very gentle though and I will deny any knowledge of this conversation if anything untoward happens ! Just do it and clag everything up with weathering. Yes, the red bottle of microsol is the one to use to remove decals. Tom

I haven't changed the number on that one yet but I mean to, I can give it a go if you want and see if it works. Tom

63371 looks nice but I don't know where I would get the specially painted numberplate, shedplate and buffer lettering, may have to be more nondescript one. As for de-numbering and de-cresting nothing could simpler in this case as the items are decals. I covered the decal in a pool of microsol (used to soften new decals around rivets etc.) for about 15 minutes then stippled the decal with a small but stiff artists paintbrush. A minute or so of this and the decal starts to break up. I worked the decal from the extremities into the middle and rolled it up into a ball for removal. Funnily enough I noticed that the curved numbers (6 and 3) took longer to remove than the staight lines of the 4's. Anyway the microsol has no effect on the paintwork and there is no need to respray, once blotted up with kitchen towel the microsol leaves no trace. Take care to remove all the little bits of decal from the model and from the brush and work from a separate pot of microsol so bits of decal don't get into the bottle for future use. This won't work on screen printed numbering etc. Of course all this and the engine shed have mean't nothing has been done on the layout for a couple of weeks, story of my life. Tom

Two Hornby Q6's came this morning, the late crest version isn't out yet so I bought the early crest. They've been de-crested and de-numbered and await renumbering to suitable examples from Tyne Dock and Sunderland. Prior to this I decided I didn't like the tile paper on the engine shed, the rooflights were too big and the smoke stacks were also too big. Apart from that it was ok. I have replaced the tile paper with embossed plasticard and remade the rooflights a bit smaller. Smoke stacks yet to do.

Very nice, sets off the bridge perfectly Tom

Neil, do you know when the Hornby Q6 is due in stock Tom

sorry, dyslexia strikes again, thought you wanted NCB Tom

Try http://www.railtec-models.com/showitem.php?id=1644 and http://fox-transfers.co.uk/ both have 2mm wagon transfers Tom

I've made a start on the engine shed roof including ventilation stacks and roof lights. Lots more detail to add along with a dose of weathering. The roof itself is Superquick tile paper and is certainly quicker than laying overlapping strips. I think some models have too much relief on the roof but this has none at all so I'll have to see if I can live with it. Tom

Haven't been able to do much on the layout for a few weeks but finally managed to do something so here's an update. Firstly I made a couple of Cambrian Boplate E's I picked up at the Scalefour North show in Wakefield. Need painting, transfers and couplings fitted but they will look good carrying steel sheets. On the layout itself I've gone round the bend. I've laid track on the right hand board and the blocks of wood on the photo below show where a bridge will hide the entry to the off-stage bit and the hidden sidings. A piece of 20 thou plastic card brings the C&L track up to the same height as the peco track I am using in the hidden sidings. The remaining photos are general views with the engine shed in place to give an overall impression of what the layout will look like. Next jobs are to carry on with the right hand curve into the hidden sidings and start the left hand curve from the yard into the hidden sidings at that end. Tom