Andy_C

Today's sessin was fiddly bits! Painting track, priming the coping stone (1/2 circle 2.5mm plastruct) for the retaining walls of the coaling stage, and the blue doors for the diesel shed. Oh, and the platform ramp for P1 entrance. Only need one - see above post from last week.

I used this retailer. https://www.everythingairbrush.com/product-category/airbrushes/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhYOR4Nv9gwMVfJ1QBh3rEgJuEAAYASAAEgLHRPD_BwE

Also on Saturday we looked at ensuring the goods platform adjacent to P1 would look as much like the original as we could, bearing in mind the physical constraints in operation. So a little shaving of P1 itself to allow the ramp down. You'll also see the buffer that is part of the ramp. A search is underway for a suitable buffer. Perhaps a repurposed Proses one might suffice. We will see. If any readers have a buffer make suggestion, let me know? We also discussed how vehicular access would get to both sheds. More on that in the future, but a good compromise was achieved. Thanks as always for Duncan's friendship, and sage advice and support. Yesterday I removed the hill, and painted the track with Phoenix Precision Rusty Rails. I got a fair bit done, actually - all the way round to the 1st set of double slips south of the station scene. I aim to paint all the track on the station side next, apart from the main goods yard sidings. They can wait until I decide on the actual size and shape of what was a very large goods shed. I also realised I need access to inside the tunnel to clean the track. That will need some further deliberations.

This weekend saw some measuring and cutting of Revoco Redutex for platform surfaces, plus raising the heights to get the platforms to meet the platform edges. I'll need to order some more Redutex to complete platform 2/3 etc, but as a surface to weather/paint and work with, I like it.

👍I’ve a Rapido 44 with sound on order… a 47 would then be enough…. Unless they retooled a 25… or….🤣

I hope your sources are correct😀 A nice early BR Green one with sound would be very nice. I'm only getting a couple of diesels with sound. I don't have one et. I have the Recently released 2MT and Standard 5 steam with sound, and they are lovely.

Be nice if they release a 47 in Era 5 green with that sound chip fitted.

It's an option. I have spare window frames from the shed itself, plus some other bits, but want to make the building look sufficiently 'added-on' and different. Trying to actually match it to the main shed could prove very problematic? I've acquired some brass etch frames etc from N Brass locos, but since then have also found that York Model Rail do some suitable frames. A topic for discussion...

Down pipes added to the steam shed. I need to add some collars, and then I need to scratch build a storage room/office to the back. That should be interesting…

So I have a quandary… do I do a fuelling point at my diesel shed with visible tanks, or do I model an area where the tanks would be buried underground? I’m looking for photos, but any suggestions much appreciated.

Diesel motive power, today. Last running session before ballasting part II commences. The diesel shed foundation concrete will get a little tidy up and touch up as well. I completed the initial CV inventory for all my motive stock. Three steam loco’s require further attn - all 2nd hand. 2 will probably end up at Bachmann service. I had good results from two standard 5’s I sent to them last year, so am ok with the fee and expectations. Programming the acceleration/decelleration CV’s produced some interesting variables. I’m beginning to realise what I already knew, in that one make of DCC chip isn’t necessarily as good as another. Zimo, Bachmann(Zimo anyway) and a couple of other brands seem good. January’s tasks including carefully ballasting around the Dapol signals on the sidings side, and then painting the station side track.

In your post dated 7th December there are some shed yard lights. Could I ask if you made those yourself, or where you got them from? Also, how do you power all your lights - are they variable voltage etc? I also like how you have done the roads over rails at various points(near the diesel shed, for example). I was struggling to visualise this for my layout, but your images have given me quite a few ideas. Please do keep posting the lovely images as they do help others. Finally, I’ll also be at TINGS in 2024 as I am fortunate to count Duncan as a friend, and get to operate his layout at exhibitions.😃

Bachmann 6pin chip with F2 added to the Black Five. Lovely runner again. The chip comes pre programmed with cv 3 and 4 set at 30. I’ll play with that more once the loco has been run in. The Fowler 4F also has had it’s CV 29 adjusted, so it now runs in the right direction as per my controllers.

Mixed bag of activities this afternoon (clear run as Mrs C poorly 😷). 3 more Dapol signals installed. I thought I’d install them before ballasting this time, now I’ve got more confident and practiced ballasting. Next was researching the new Bachmann DCC 6 pin chip with F2 braking capability, as I need a new chip for my final loco delivery for a while - a lovely Black 5. 2 chips ordered, as I’d like to try one in a diesel 6pin loco as well. Nice that Bachmann make no secret their 6pinDCC chips are Zimo. Good to know. Finally, I interrogated the CV settings that the 2MT came with, and had an experiment with the settings on a 2nd hand Fowler 4MT that I acquired at Barnsley. CV programming is a work in progress.

My wife got me the late crest sound fitted Farish 2MT. It runs very nicely out of the box. The sounds are nice too. I actually read the instructions for this one, and discovered the breaking F2 function (when throttle set back to 0). Doh.

My two sound fitted recent Farish aquisitions. The Standard 5 I’ve had for a couple of weeks. The 2MT was a Christmas present from my wife. Both run lovely out of the box. I’ve just read the instructions (for once) and discovered the F2 breaking feature. Very clever. Means you can let the loco glide to a halt, or bring it to a stop a little sooner - with full sound effects, of course. Merry Xmas to those reading/following this thread, and more updates to follow in due course.

It’s Duncan’s Foray into DCC before he models Nottm Victoria? 🤣

Karst has let me know that update build 68 is out, which addresses the above problem I mentioned before. I'll download the software, and then see how I get on with the 8116 controllers.

I've not thought of that because, as you know, there wasn't a tunnel as such until much further south at Kirkby (Annesley Cutting). Might call the hill Hunnisett Hill? 😉 Love the J94 photo. Very atmospheric, already. I'm minded to do the colour palette as mid-late autumn. Something different, but a way off yet. Much more construction and foundation work to be done. And ballasting... 🥵 here is a photo that nearly got away. This is the goods platform next to platform 1 (northbound) at Mansfield Stn. You can see I've had to compromise as originally the whole stn was straight.

I suggested Westhouses shed, and as an option Nottingham Victoria. Both binned very quickly. 🥵

Finally sussed the points programming in the DigiTrainsPro app. It was simple, once you pressed a couple of buttons! Big thanks as always for Duncan’s help, yesterday. Always better to bounce ideas and problems off another enthusiast. Oh, and he did some right ‘ug’ work (ballast shrapnel removal, plasticard gluing etc).

Overview of station, with various rakes and locos stored whilst I finish the ballasting on the sidings side of the layout. I’ll get chance to do a bit more before the new year, but these photos will serve as a good bench mark for how far I’ve got to this time next year.

1. View towards tunnel, showing mock up of hill behind, and 2. View towards diesel shed and other end of sidings.

Some traction power on shed this afternoon - none of them mine! (Apart from the interloping diesel😉)

Today’s activities included looking again at a scenic break at the tunnel end of the layout. We also looked at the various points and double slips post ballasting, to ensure smoother running. Next was the installation of four Dapol home signals. They sure look cool! The train-tech controllers were so simple to program, too. I’ll be using those again elsewhere on the layout. I can now complete the ballasting of the sidings scene, and move round to painting the track on the station side. Then, more ballasting…! Programming via the Yamorc 7001 and DigiTrainsPro was investigated further. It would have helped if I’d have saved the stuff I had programmed. But at least I now know how to program locos, points and signals using the app, via iPad. We then ran some trains. Photos to follow shortly.