mogtrains

Cheers Luke.. It's in limbo at the moment.. will be making it's way to a new home as soon as we can co-ordinate ourselves (buyer lives quite a way from me)

Thanks Stu.. wow, Ulthwaite is going back a bit! It's not in my possession any more, but it was passed on to someone in one piece, so maybe somewhere out there... ;-)

Thanks for a great show Nick, and for inviting me along to build/exhibit something! A good experience and I look forward to next year!

Well..Winkford Green had it's outing on Saturday. Despite some nerves about how it would go, the layout ran fine all day.. the only real issues I had were around the Kadees and the magnets, and they were minor and to be expected as I'd not had the time to really run things and set up the couplings. Nice to meet and chat to people and very nice to get some positive comments and encouragement too. (always interesting to receive some unsolicited 'advice' too!) As to what's next.. I had a couple of invitations.. but as I suspected, I don't think exhibiting is really my thing.. so I either do some work to convert the layout for home use, or more likely, I'm looking to pass it on to someone who might like to take it on (for reasonable recompense of course!) or I'll end up breaking it up and salvaging bits for the next one! If anyone is interested in the layout, drop me a line :-)

Thank you!

It does look like a good line up. (a little daunting as I've built my layout specifically for the show over the last few months, so it's still very much a work in progress :-) )

Mutton looks absolutely cracking, right up my street. I just hope I'm not next door to youas this will really put my little offering to shame!

I only just 'discovered' what a huge difference using different DC controllers can make ( I normally use DCC these days).. testing slow running on my new little layout, I found that the KPC feedback controller was not friendly to some locos.. my trusty old gaugemaster Combi was okay.. but when i plugged in my Kato controller, the difference was really noticeable.. especially with the Oxford Adams Radial.. what I assumed was a noisy motor and reluctant performer just glides now! every day is a school day :-)

Interesting concept.. will be watching with interest :-) Re the DCC.. and sound particularly - I'm a fan. I think it makes a huge difference, not only to 'realism', but I think it actually influences how you operate. I mostly play with US HO stuff, and i think the sound somehow helps you to run slowly and more realistically, rather than banging about. BUT - I cannot understand why people don't turn down the volume! Especially at exhibitions.. I don't think you need to be able to hear locos on a neighbouring layout ? One drawback of 'entry' systems like the Bachmann one, I started with this, but it was only when I got the NCE Powercab that I really started to enjoy DCC more - being able to simply program things like momentum and turn the volume down on sound locos! ;-) I recommend that system without hesitation. Having said all of that - I'm using DC on Winkford Green. I'm not going to be adding sound to these little OO locos and so on a small 'one loco in steam' layout, I didn't much see the point. Horses for Courses.

You may be able to do this using more cardboard (!) - If you use corrugated cardboard and laminate layers with the corrugations running 90 degrees to each other? Only ever made one shoebox layout and I think I cheated as I built a ply box to fit inside the actual shoebox :-)

This reminds me of a micro that Shortliner was a big fan of.. Maldon Market Hill.. we were 'chatting' about it recently as I was planning my little Winkford Green layout; http://www.carendt.com/small-layout-scrapbook/page-59a-march-2007/ ..there are a few ideas for this 'switchback' trackplan scattered over Carl's pages..

Thanks Keith.. the station building was rescued from a OO9 layout I built a few years ago (along with the goods shed and signal cabin).. that layout was called 'Winkford'. I think the building was a Wills kit.. but honestly I can't be sure as I've had it a while.

Toby, surely?

looks great!

Some testing underway today.. making notes of the little fettles that need doing.. (interesting comparing the different running qualities of the locos.. the Hornby Peckett is brilliant, the Terrier is a little more hesitant (need to have a look at the pickups). The coach is an old Triang clerestory picked up cheap on ebay.. stuck Kadees on but that's it so far. Wishing I hadn't designed this to be operated from the rear, but haven't worked out how I can change that yet. (one job this evening has to mackle up a 'blind' to stop me being dazzled by the LED strips on the rear of the fascia! Overall quite pleased but it does feel odd after spending the last weekend playing with US HO stuff..

looking good Ian.. you're hanging on to the 'open space' feeling. How are you planning on 'operating' with tension locks?

Cheers Ray.. be good to see you there. This is only being built because Nick asked me at our last modular meet in January if I'd like to bring something.. stupidly I picked a subject for which I had no layout and no stock! Nothing like a deadline eh? ;-)

Let there be light! I've cut, soldered and added LED strips on the rear of the fascia now.. Not a true finished picture, as it's sitting under the 'Greenville' shelf at the moment and that's casting a shadow.. but gives me a fair indication :-) need to get back to the scenics and some jobs on the stock soon! Thanks for all the positive comments so far :-)

Just trying out the fascia/frame thing..

Hi Jerry - Thanks! nothing clever - it's a Ratio kit. I hadn't used it before and ideally I'd have preferred the platform to bit just a little longer.. but it's in proportion :-)

A bit more progress.. starting to look a bit more acceptable! It hasn't got the light and open look that I pictured, but I'm still working on tones.. been working some ash (saved from a barbecue!) into the static grass.. which wasn't very static as my fly swatter device broke.. some pieces are just propped up at the moment to get the feel.. like the platform fencing. Need to bash some coal up to cover the coal pile (and make wagon loads) and plan to stick a little allotment/garden in the back right hand corner behind the path from the lane to the station. I've tried to curve the lane so that it doesn't hit the back scene, and disguised the fiddle exits on both ends hopefully with trees, as planned. The whole thing will have a 'frame' when it's done, with LED strip lights. (that's the plan anyway!)

Hopefully getting through the Buggerit and Dammit stage.. less inclined to chuck it in a skip! I've cracked on with ballasting and DAS claying.. some attention with an airbrush to the trackworks helped to bed things in together. Backscene has been added and work starting to move apace with the scenics.. rough placement of stuffs to 'get a feel' and after some agonising about trees as my budget was starting to creep (Oxford Radial and new Hornby KESR Terrier have arrived).. I've added a couple of wargames trees and had a go at making some myself. Stockwise - I've weathered and changed couplings to Kadee 18s on the wagons. Could do with a couple of coaches (midway through converting a Hornby 4 wheeler) but overall progress is okay now..

I used something very similar to your trackplan in your first post here..

Well.. every layout I've built has hit a point where it all feels like it's gone t*tsup.. but I've learned that unless there's something fundamentally wrong, persevere.. it'll come right at some point (!) On the plus side.. track lifted and relaid to extend runaround loop and that's working fine. It does narrow the lane on the right hand side considerably but not beyond plausibility. Kadees fitted to all stock and wagons all weathered.. magnets planted in track and all seems to be running just fine. I love the effect that Chris Nevard gets with.. well everything actually.. but the ash trackbed looks great.. so after looking at pictures of the deeply obscured track on the KESR, I sprayed the track earth brown and lightly ballasted with sand, then started to apply DAS clay to a couple of areas. This evening I've just started colouring it.. and trying to colour the sand ballast without making a mess. but it's making a mess! Currently wishing I'd just ballasted it 'normally'.. but rather than get frustrated and go at it like a ham-fisted bodgy thing.. I'm leaving what's done to dry and I'll come back to it tomorrow.. no pictures of the mess it looks now, but a couple of progress in recent days..

Thanks- agreed. the pub distracts from my original 'vision' and I was just giving into the 'use me, I'm in this box' temptation!