Peter Crawford

They're 'Off Peak' and 'Anytime' tickets online. That's also ok... A livery design contest, anyone?

I'd probably rather have DC- at least you'd bother to wire in some isolating sections- i.e. you can keep more trains.

Prices tend to be around 150% of VTEC prices and the website is definitely a cut and paste job. They also used to do proper suppers/dinners on the down expresses between 1700 and 1900 but not anymore, just the daytime sandwiches. No more are the cooked breakfasts, in favour of 'bubble and squeak' that is made in a microwave instead of in an onboard kitchen. The best name could be 'VTECheap with Added Fares' or similar. East Coast was a decent outfit, but the new LNER is not working. At the very least you could put 'Azumas' into Garter Blue, 91s in Apple Green and HSTs in 'Silver Link' and name them 'Sir Nigel Gresley' and 'Flying Scotsman', 'West Riding Pullman' etc. It would certainly get the railway enthusiasts to get onboard or buy platform tickets and... trainspot. I did a price enquiry and I'm paying MORE money. What used to happen was that you paid 'X' for the one way fare and the return was nominal, e.g. 1/5x. The total would be 6/5x. Now I'm paying 2x

Don't use the cheap stuff. £170 is probably the minimum I would suggest spending. 18 months ago, I got the DDC01 (From Ford) for £150, while the DDC02 cost £200-ish. About 8/9 months ago, the amount of stock was too much to handle, so now I'm back to DC, annoyingly with most of my points of the Bachmann non-isolating type...

I would just make the locos/dummies that actually couple up and spend the rest of my money doing something better- common parts.

I am currently drawing up my own plan- progress update coming soon...

Jouef do the 'top end' of the market for £400 with DCC Sound or £250 DC, while Mehano are doing more varieties with less detail for less than 100 euros each.

I have just bought 200gsm paper from Rymans (not photo paper) but the ink likes to fall off when I fold it.

Well, at least modellers are not in the habit of suing their fellow hobbyists for IP rights... How long is your scenic section?

Fourgig looks nice, I think I will 'borrow' your ideas.

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone has cheap corridor coaches or easy to make coach kits in plastic.

A heritage railway should fit the bill then... + Motorised Parkside Waggon turned into a passenger railcar (only joking... or am I?)

I will try to get some.

A freelance perhaps...

A terminus is ok.

Hi, is thick photo paper worth the investment for self-build kits?

Move it to wanted?

And the stock?

If with DCC Insulfrog: Just solder a little wire from the tip (the end where there's one track) to the ends (the side where there are multiple tracks). DCC Non-Isolating or Electrofrog: Leave it alone. DC Insulfrog: Leave it alone.

Mehano TGVs wanted, decent running a must in exchange for a French layout little over 1m sq.

Indeed, some improvement is needed, the middle level has several spirals omitted, so it should work. It's probably not the best starter design, just a high-density plan.

Here's the list of needed objects: Peco_OO_100 Item Icon Description amount SL-100 Flex-Peco_OO_100:SL-100 undefined 3 (1.72m (+10%)) SL-102 Flex-Peco_OO_100:SL-102 undefined 1 (0.79m (+10%)) ST-204 -Peco_OO_100:ST-204 undefined 5 ST-201 -Peco_OO_100:ST-201 undefined 11 ST-200 -Peco_OO_100:ST-200 undefined 13 ST-202 -Peco_OO_100:ST-202 undefined 8 ST-203 -Peco_OO_100:ST-203 undefined 6 ST-226 R2 -Peco_OO_100:ST-226 undefined 20 ST-225 R2 -Peco_OO_100:ST-225 undefined 3 ST-227 R2 -Peco_OO_100:ST-227 undefined 1 ST-230 R3 -Peco_OO_100:ST-230 undefined 1 ST-238 -Peco_OO_100:ST-238 undefined 4 SL-84 -Peco_OO_100:SL-84 undefined 1 ST-241 undefined -Peco_OO_100:ST-241 undefined 12 ST-240 undefined -Peco_OO_100:ST-240 undefined 5 SL-90 undefined -Peco_OO_100:SL-90 undefined 1 Hornby_OO Item Icon Description amount R601 STRAIGHT-Hornby_OO:R601 335.0mm 6 R600 STRAIGHT-Hornby_OO:R600 167.5mm 1 R607 CURVE-Hornby_OO:R607 45°/438.0mm 5 R606 CURVE-Hornby_OO:R606 22°/438.0mm 4 R643 CURVE-Hornby_OO:R643 11°/438.0mm 3 R608 CURVE-Hornby_OO:R608 22°/505.0mm 1 R8072 SWITCH-Hornby_OO:R8072 22°/438.0mm 167 1 R8073 SWITCH-Hornby_OO:R8073 22°/438.0mm 167 2 R8074 SWITCH-Hornby_OO:R8074 33°/444.0mm 33°/438.0mm 2 R8075 SWITCH-Hornby_OO:R8075 33°/444.0mm 33°/438.0mm Sorry, just cut and pasted the list from the website.

What I propose is a spiral layout with two decks and helices linking up. You therefore have a fiddle yard leading onto a gradient (PowerBase etc. might help) with a passing loop/halt on the climb to a terminus. The terminus would benefit from a 3/4ft long platform (might be able to stretch it, I will double check this) and a goods yard. Please see enclosed photos of the track plans: The passing loop(s) points are setrack but the station would use streamline. Anything you want for the FY. I suggest 2nd Radius curves if you can accept them. In 1077 trains didn't exist... So, now to the tour of my plan: We start at the top, with your terminus station. You will find 3 platforms, with another siding to access the kickback siding. The two could arguably be freight. The bottom of the plan is characterised by the loco depot and long siding (you could wire up a few isolating sections on the long siding or use it as a carriage siding. Followed by a couple of spirals. Please note that this deck descends anti-clockwise. On the next deck down, you will find a loco shed with an additional storage road and a double slip, linking on to two tracks close to each other. On the long loop, you will find a loco release siding for station to station shuttles. The long siding could be for anything- an industry of choice, P-way etc. This siding is perfect for this as you will find that quite a bit of space has been left there for a sprawling complex. This loop should be enough for the longest of trains, managing a 2+5 HST (Just) As many loops as wanted The fiddle yard features no less than six medium length sidings, 2 long ones and 2 short ones. In total, 10 trains can be stored in the Fiddle Yard, plus a loco in the release siding, up to 5 in the middle MPD, one train on the passing loop, one on the platforms and up to 3/4 in the station/MPD (some trains, some locos). This allows a minimum of 20 locos of which 7/8 are trains on the layout at any one time- who could want more? There is, however, a catch: The gradient layout will require lots of time/money to build and could make it a bit heavier to move, not to mention more fragile. I am not really trying to market this type of plan, but show the extremities of what's possible. Just have fun!

No problems Mike. I will get cracking today, hopefully.

Privatisation period.