Harlequin

Hi Allan, I've just looked out a set from my spares box but I don't have the original packaging and there's no branding on it, other than "pack no 23". It's possible this could come from another manufacturer (and the boards are shorter than 72mm). I really apologise if I've got my wires crossed and incorrectly maligned your product. I will edit my post above.

Free Century font files can be downloaded from here: https://www.wfonts.com/font/century Note: Be very careful to only click the "Download font" buttons, not any of the "Start" or "Start Now" buttons. The later font style is alleged to be the GWR's own version of Gill Sans (Harris). Microsoft offer a free version of Gill Sans here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/p/gill-sans-nova/9pk93bg0z1jj?activetab=pivot%3Aoverviewtab Have a look at the wonderful photo in this thread: This is not quite right but something like this: @rovex Do the GWR Journal articles say what size the Hawksworth boards were? Edit: My estimate is that they were 15ft long.

The closest font I found for the pre-war GWR boards is "Century". Unfortunately there are many sources for fonts of that name and I can't remember where I got my version from. (I might be able to find the site in my browser history later.) The example I showed above has had some typography applied to it: The characters and the spacing between them are compressed slightly (aspect ratio and tracking altered). This is exactly the sort of thing the original signwriters would have done to make the text fit to best advantage and be legible. (Also double-spaces between words.) For comparison here's "The Bristolian", where the characters and spacing have been stretched instead of compressed (same font): I hadn't really got as far as thinking about colour but maybe the best idea would be to print them black on white and then varnish/weather them down? (BTW: The Sankey ones are printed black on white.)

Edit: Allan from Sankey Scenics assures us (below) that his products are the correct 72mm wide. I believe the prototype boards were 18 feet long equating to 72mm in 4mm scale but some I have bought from another supplier are only 69mm long... This is not just an accuracy problem, it also means that they don't quite sit on the mountings that are moulded onto many RTR coach roofs. When I found this problem I started trying to make my own but I'm still experimenting with fonts, printer resolution and the best paper/card stock to use. E.g.

This is how I would do it: Loco release crossover operated from one lever in the 'box, as per Martin. (Both crossovers one lever each, actually.) Ground disc signalling the release crossover route. Ground disc for exit from loop / goods, rather than a signal. Hand point levers as per Zomboid. Signal cable runs shown in orange.

I have some ideas and I almost posted a drawing but that would probably just add to the confusion... To get a definitive answer I think you need to ask @The Stationmaster. Can you remind us of the era, Chris?

Hi Amanda, Are you thinking of modelling the heavy industry (mining?) or just suggesting it off scene somewhere? You say that you imagine the industry would be beyond the bucolic passenger station. If the industry was off-scene then it might be possible to model a through station rather than a terminus - you could just say that there are one or more industrial destinations further up the valley and even possibly more passenger stations. This would allow more variety and frequency of traffic through your station. Following that train of thought (sorry) the layout might be a fiddle-yard to scenic to fiddle-yard arrangement or possibly even a roundy-round through the scenic area and through the fiddle-yard. How much space have you got available for your layout?

Yes, Zimo decoders for example can use either a "virtual sensor" or a real sensor connected to one of the inputs. The virtual sensor doesn't need any extra hardware or wiring - you fiddle around with a couple of CV values to sync the chuffs with the driving wheel speed purely based on timing. The real sensors can be either simple mechanical switches, reed switches, opto-switches or hall-effect transistors. I imagine it's quite fiddly to get these working in 4mm scale, though. and I haven't ever actually seen such a setup...

Coverage of the opening can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p07827r6/heno-wed-15-may-2019 starting at around 39:30. (Available for 29 days from today.) All in Welsh with no subtitles for us heathens! But still, it all looks very lovely and there are some great clips of the old line.

Hi Tom, It's great to be working to scale and using accurate templates but, with respect, you'll only know if the plan fits when the track spacing allows vehicles to pass on adjacent tracks where required and the track is kink-free. P.S. You might like to have a look at my OO design for Wallingford, which is in "Layout & Track Design" a few pages back. It required very little compression to fit in 10ft by 2.5ft. [Edit: Looking back, I see you already know about it.]

Hi Ian, You are correct in everything you're saying but note that the OP is talking about 2mm scale so the track spacings resulting from the track system he uses and the possible "finescale" track spacing will be different.

Chuffs can be synced on the better brands of decoder but not TTS. It would be interesting to give the same type of loco (sans TTS sound) to one of the expert DCC sound installers and then compare the resulting custom installation with the out-of-the box Hornby sound.

Hi Tom, The clearance between some of the track looks very tight, especially the run round loop and the top two sidings. There's a nasty kink in the run round loop that needs to be straightened out. I suggest making the run round loop much longer. You could think about using the diagonals to make the design a bit more dynamic. The position of the loading/cattle dock looks a bit odd - better associated with the goods sidings somehow, if you can.

The Cardi Bach Heritage Collection is now open at Login Station. See https://www.facebook.com/AfternoonTeaAtTheStation/

Hi Scott, looking good! Thinking about the alignment problems you mentioned earlier, did you notice that the bit of track between the main lines connected to the slip is 59mm long and curved in my drawing? I did that to allow the up line to keep curving while the down line passes through the straight section of the slip.

After rolling various combinations around, how about this? Sebden Gate (It has the letters S and EB in it!...) Seems not to be a real place name but is the name of a steel company - very Yorkshire.

Hi Scott, I suspect the misconception about the layout location is going to come up repeatedly because of the name you've chosen. So it might be worth inventing a fictional name for your fictional location.

Iain, You could always generate some activity, if you wanted to, by starting a contentious DCC topic - maybe involving crowdfunding?

For what it's worth, I imagined a retaining wall from A1 to J1 with low relief houses above/behind it cutting the corner somewhat at A1, B1, maybe C1, then blending into painted houses from C1-rightwards as far as you wanted. With a road and pavement immediately behind the wall and in front of the houses and the foot bridge access from the retaining wall down to the platforms connecting to the pavement.

OK, thanks. I guessed that might be the issue. So wanting the emails to work promptly is entirely understandable.

The notifications could be enabled on your non-home devices. So is there a reason why you don't want to do that? (Just trying to understand.)

Remember to leave room for the traverser to move - so that every road can be connected to the feed line! (Obvious but people do forget that...) Are you willing to keep removing and replacing the traverser cover during operation or accept the look of the layout with the cover removed? P.S. Space is at a premium so I would suggest not modelling the canal, just do the basin and the tow path overbridge to disguise the water's junction with the backscene.

Didn't you say that third parties had looked at the computer for you and you didn't know exactly what they had done? A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, as the saying goes, and they could have made things worse. No point discussing this any further, really. Sorry but you need to get it looked at by someone who knows what they are doing.

Hi Iain, Have you tried enabling the desktop notifications? I realise they are not quite the same as the emails but they do a similar job, informing you almost in real-time of events you're interested in by going "bong" and showing a small summary box on screen. And if you were away from the computer at the time, the notifications you missed are signalled by a red blob on the notifications (bell) icon at the top of RMWeb and the events you missed are highlighted in the dropdown list.

What you describe is not normal. There must be something peculiar about your machine. It could be that it's just very slow (thrashing as previously discussed) and that clicking on those apps would eventually work if you just waited long enough. When you say that you make changes and turn the machine off, do you shut it down properly or just hit the power switch? You might consider paying a professional to sort your machine out for you. It might cost a bit but it would save you a lot of time and stress! You shouldn't have to be going through this!