Keith Addenbrooke

1 hour ago, MichaelE said:

I find that five 303mm coaches is about the limit on my layout. The longest leg is about 9' between curves, with two more stretches at 8' and 7'. Five wagons look good on my size layout. Any more and it starts to look toy-like, and although shorter trains also work, most of mine are five wagons. Some are four as well.

 

Having spent a lot of time happily watching the YouTube videos of this layout, I’d agree the train length fits the space well.  The layout has developed quite a bit since this plan was drawn too - worth noting as it shows the design offers good possibilities for later expansion (always worth bearing in mind), Keith.

Oh dear!  Some loco detailing just clips back in, but if it needs gluing one option is Deluxe Materials Glue ‘n’ Glaze.  It was recommended to me for attaching details to rolling stock - as a polymer it dries clear and doesn’t melt the materials it touches (I think that’s how it works - I’ve had no problems). I haven’t done many rolling stock repairs, but the ones that have been most successfully have been those where I’ve used far less glue than I would expect to and applied it very carefully.  Good luck, Keith.  
 

Thank you @rekoboy, @Bernard Lamb, @doctor quinn, @Metr0Land and @Gordonwis for your replies - all helpful and informative.  My apologies for the labelling error with two C’s and no F - my fault (oversight and poor proof reading, sorry).

Just one point of clarification on C1 (low relief warehouse).  I’ve not yet unsealed the box, but my understanding is it’s a modular kit so the doors can be relocated if needed - as doctor quinn notes, they are set up in the photo for 50’ box cars.

From a modelling point of view, the main weakness in my eclectic collection is kits have not been bought following research into a single project - they’re from different ideas, so it was worth seeing how usable they may still be:

A and B (which is actually sold as a Commissary building) were for a Union Station diorama a few years ago, but the bookcase I planned for displays and micro-layouts went mouldy in our cellar while in storage!

C1 and C2 were for an American switching layout which has been the casualty of our impending house move.

D and E were opportune bargain purchases for an American HOn30 layout idea, but I stayed with a smaller design.

G was very cheap and I liked it, so bought it for the fun of building it with no real layout idea in mind.

The other kits in my stash are German designs from Noch or Faller.  Thanks again for your help, as always.  Keith.

It’s also available fitted to a Bath and Hammondsport Box Car, catalogue code 14910, I think.  Not a grain hopper, and not cheap, but might be of interest.  Keith.

2 hours ago, Bigskybirds said:

It is a shame the retailer did not check and service the model before sale. 

Hi there.  On many occasions that’d be a very fair point, but in this case it’s a retailer I regularly do business with, and I know it was tested: trouble is the smell has been getting worse as I’ve run it more, hence their offer to take a further look at it even though I didn’t immediately return it when I got it and first ran it, so no complaints from me.

On one occasion in the past the same retailer ran an older loco I was interested in while I listened on the phone, so we could discuss how well it ran before I bought it.  I’ll update the thread to complete the story when the loco returns, Keith.

Happy Christmas!

Can I just wish all @stan williams other readers a peaceful and, I hope, a Happy Christmas before I get too busy in the coming days.  Hope to see folk in January, Keith.

As I’ve mentioned in a post just now in the “Welcome to TT:120” thread, my progress this past year have been sadly minimal.  I’ve just had far less time than I expected for modelling, and with my other projects in HO and Narrow Gauge to take care of as well, I’m afraid I’ve become more of a bystander in terms of TT:120.  What I’m seeing here and elsewhere is impressive of course.

We’re due to move house in the new year to a more suitable property, but one where I’ll have far less storage space for multiple interests.  Moving itself - whenever it happens - will be a big enough project for 2024 on its own.  So it makes sense for me to pause this thread here, to say “thank you” for all the support and encouragement, and to wish everyone well from the sidelines for the foreseeable future.  Thanks, Keith.

Happy Christmas!  

Maybe it’s a little early, but I wanted to wish everyone on the TT:120 Forum a Happy Christmas before getting too busy with festive duties and celebrations this coming week.  A year on since our first Christmas, and we now have the first Peco wagons in the shops - I saw them on at least one retailer’s “best seller” lists when they arrived. Hornby of course continue to lead the way in terms of r-t-r: a year ago the first two train sets were just starting to arrive - now we’re looking forwards to HSTs and Class 50s.

3D printing is unsurprisingly playing a big part in the scratchbuilt domain, fitting for a new venture to be using the latest technology from the start.  In terms of layout progress, Facebook seems to be a good place to find a lot of fresh starts.

We’re still just eighteen months in, but my personal view is that there’s a lot of good things happening in TT:120.

I have to confess that life and other projects (HO and Narrow Gauge) have conspired to limit my own progress in TT:120 to the completion of my Moorbach Station building, and with an impending house move I’m afraid I’ll be watching with interest from the sidelines for the foreseeable future.  But I remain really encouraged by what we’re seeing in TT:120, and long may that remain the case.  Enjoy!  Keith.

8 hours ago, brigo said:

AW was assigned to Württemberg-Baden from 1948 - 1956

 

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_deutschen_Kfz-Kennzeichen_(historisch)#Deutschland_1945–1956

 

Brian

Thanks Brian - we have a winner!  

As the L 319 was introduced in 1955, this presumably makes it an early production model, but helpfully that widens the scope for use for anything from the mid ‘50s onwards (most of Epoche III).  Much appreciated, Keith.

I’m not very good at re-imagining things for a different context, so was wondering if I could ask for some advice here.

I have a number of fairly generic building kits modelled on American prototypes, and was wondering if they might pass as German.  Apologies if this sounds obvious, but I figured the best way to test the idea was to ask.  Of course, with Germany being a large and geographically diverse Federal State, buildings won’t be uniform (why would they?), so any pointers as to any regional examples will be welcome.  Hope that’s OK - nothing too serious*

A.  This large station always strikes me as being a bit like a condensed version of St George’s Hall across from here in Liverpool - to me it could pass as any imposing civic structure in almost any Western country?  Personally, I could see this as a German city structure?

B.  This low relief brick warehouse with loading dock also looks fairly generic 20th Century to me?  Northern Germany perhaps?

C.  A more modern low relief structure - 1970s perhaps?  Do the doorways look too American though?

C.  An oil tank and a tin shed are an oil tank and a tin shed - or are they?

D.  An older style wooden warehouse - could it pass as an older railside Goods Transfer Shed?

E.  A General Store - again mainly wooden.  Do the shutters give it enough of a European look?

G.  The final question is a trick question: this is a German Faller model, but I’ve read on a translation of a Stummiforum post (that I can’t now find) the suggestion that it could also pass as French (perhaps Alsace, which if built 1871 to 1920 would be German historically)?  The question here is can it pass as other than German I suppose?  At a stretch, if whitewashed, I could almost see it on the Swiss Furka-Oberalp?

Any thoughts welcome - I like structure kits and will be keeping them all anyway, so I’ve nothing to lose.  Hope that’s OK, Keith.

* I’ve explained elsewhere I’m having a bit of a clear out before a possible house move, so am going through all my stuff at the moment.

When I was looking at UK GWR Branch Line Modelling in OO a while back, I settled on a ‘four train’ model inspired by @Danemouth and his terminus - fiddle yard layout.  I felt it could give a suitably interesting basic operating pattern - even if reality might only see a variety of half that:

1.  Branch Shuttle

2.  Branch Passenger

3.  Through Coaches

4.  Local goods

Would that translate into German for a KPEV branch around 1920, I wonder? (That’s my next question):

Just wondered?  (My T16.1 has been posted off for a Service today, so I’m currently a bit light on motive power and filling my spare time pondering!).  I’m not layout planning - I simply realised I’ve accidentally got the same mix in my 15 pieces of rolling stock.

I am needing to review my project list (again!) as it looks like we may be moving house in the new year (as noted in my other thread on Track Code).  I do find I keep being drawn back towards Continental modelling - despite my own feeble efforts to resist.  This photo of a pair of pre-owned coaches that only cost me £17 each and have been plonked on the track as they came probably says it all as to why…

Have a good weekend, Keith.

32 minutes ago, John Besley said:

Still pondering DCC ... any thoughts anyone.... give me something to puzzle over in the next few days ...

 

Gaugmaster? Progeny DCC02 but it's just shy of 500 notes and then there's the other parts I'd need for locos, speakers, stay alive etc..

 

What's the best way to go?

DCC is popular on small American outline Switching layouts, where the sound and light functions add prototypical complexity to each operating step, thereby increasing the mileage (so to speak) achieved when operating a small layout, usually when there is only one locomotive in use at any one time.

I don’t have DCC (due to the cost), but I thought this worth mentioning as DCC is not only good for large loco fleets on big layouts, or multiple units working as a consist.  Just a thought, Keith.

Just to close off this topic and say a proper thank you for the responses, I’m now holding fire for the time being as it looks increasingly likely we’ll move house in the new year (things have moved forwards since I posed this question last month).  

As I already have quite a bit of Peco H0e Code 80 track, I may stay with Peco Code 100 for now after all, as @Gordonwis suggested.  While I still don’t like the width of the Code 100 railhead, when placed side by side the relative heights of the standard gauge and narrow gauge rails don’t look as bad:

I’m not planning to change my Narrow Gauge track.  Interestingly, Code 80 has been confirmed by @Hobby as suitable for contemporary European / Austrian Narrow Gauge lines and I do have this Peco SL-404 ‘mainline’ version.

Thanks to all, plenty of useful information as always to draw on when the time comes, Keith.

An enjoyable diversion from the tasks of the day,  thank you for the time taken to put this together and to arrange the Poll, Keith.

Thank you all for the help and advice.  The retailer who sold me the set has kindly offered to give the locomotive a service, including replacing the brushes and removing any hardened oil or grease.  Hopefully that will get to the bottom of the problem.  Thanks again, Keith.  

14 hours ago, melmerby said:

Nice loco.

Doesn't seem to be much wrong with it.

Can you measure the current draw when running?.

I would expect maybe 50 - 100 or so mA when running light, if it's a lot more then something could be wrong.

(

 

Thank you - good idea.  I don’t have any electrical equipment (a multi-meter?) but I’m sure I can find someone who does.

26 minutes ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

How warm does the motor get?

Good point - all I can say is not noticeably at all: when I’ve picked up the loco to reattach the body I didn’t feel any undue warmth.

The block weight does look to me to be heavy enough to prevent unwarranted bouncing - but there'll be one way to find out.  I await the video with interest...

Keith.

I recently acquired a pre-owned Fleischmann H0 Scale Prussian T16.1 0-10-0 as part of an anniversary set originally issued in 1989.  Both the loco and the rest of the set are in excellent condition and came from a very reputable retailer (I treated myself to the set following a small win on the Premium Bonds):

The loco shows very little sign of use - wheels are clean and it runs very smoothly at all speeds, with clear working lights.

The problem is the familiar one of the smell - the burnt electricity / ozone / bad fish smell is worryingly strong.  I've removed the body (easily done by removing two screws) and the block weight (one more screw), and all looks in good shape inside:

I've cleaned the commutator (I think it's the commutator) as best I can, including with a cocktail stick in the side of the slots where visible.  The gears looked a bit greasy, especially the middle one, so I've wiped off the excess as best I can without affecting performance.  I use a sewing pin to apply just a single drop of oil to each oiling point when lubricating my locos, which was easily done in this case as the instructions clearly showing where to add oil (and where not to!) were in the box still.  I don't think I've over-lubricated it.

I can't see anything amiss, even when running the loco without the body on (no sign of sparks or anything like that).  The last time I had a loco that smelled as bad as this was in the early 1980s: an N-Gauge Pannier tank that ran increasingly noisily and badly as the smell worsened.  At the moment there seems to be no link between the performance (lovely) and the smell (awful).  My concern is that - even though this loco runs flawlessly - the smell is telling me to be careful.  What am I missing?

I realise this must be a basic and oft asked question in this Forum, but as a total novice when it comes to locomotive maintenance, I'm happy to be taught the basics.  Any help and advice will therefore be much appreciated. 

A couple of short videos in case they help - a faint "flapping" noise can be heard when the loco is in reverse, which is more discernible in person.  The controller (not shown) is a Gaugemaster Combi.  Hope that's OK.  Thanks, Keith.

I’ve looked at several different Continental projects over the past couple of years, mainly in H0 Scale.  Although various ideas (and their trains) have come and gone, I’ve kept hold of this Mercedes-Benz L 319 van from Gaugemaster:

As I understand it, they were built between around 1955 and 1967, thereby helping date any layout it might appear on.  I’m wondering if I can find out more about it, specifically if anyone can help identify the number plate - country or region (if anppropriate) and possible date would be ideal?  Fully magnified the Licence plate appears thus:

I’m afraid I don’t know enough about European Licence Plates to identify it.  Bearing in mind it is only 4mm wide by 1mm tall and on a model that only cost me £3, it may not actually represent anywhere in particular.  I’m just curious to see what I can find out…

Passenger Sam appears in various of my photos - often posing as an American, even though as a Preiserling he is really European.  Hope it’s OK to ask a kind of non-railway question.  Thanks, Keith.

1 hour ago, F-UnitMad said:

How about this...?

 

 

 

🤣🤣🤣

Er, no.  Just no! 😀

On 06/12/2023 at 22:54, EasternO said:

I've settled on a classic. I have all of the track and half of the running stock.

 

It's made from two 1100 boards and one 700 board with traverser. After Christmas I'll order the centre board, probably from Grainge & Hodder.

 

As you say - a classic: simple, straightforward and achievable.  Just one quick comment if I may: a single slip would be more likely than a double slip - I don’t think the upper turn back route through the double slip would ever get used?  Keith.

3 hours ago, Bernard Lamb said:

These 'modern' wagons tended to run in block trains. I vaguely remember an earlier version of a limestone container that was based on the typical older type open wagon, with a much smaller container. Another destination for limestone was Leuna. Which I presume would have had some major infrastructure for handling this material that went way back. I never went too near the place, so can't provide any details. It was a horrible polluted area, visible for miles beching out smoke and fumes. Far too late for the OP though, so sorry for wandering OT.

Bernard

Continuing the thread drift (sorry) but hopefully of interest: I note the loco in the photo says: “funkferngesteuert” which I think translates as “remote radio control”.  The reason there’s no sign of a driver / engineer / Lokführer in the cab is therefore presumably because it’s the person hanging on to the rear wagon of the train (who would be using a remote control securely strapped on)?  Just wondered, Keith.

Can you also factor in the transition, after the new style was introduced but before it was applied to all existing rolling stock? I don’t know about standard practice across the KPEV but in some countries there are photos of later transitions tacking years or even decades.
 

@BillB, will you be setting up a layout thread for your project?  Sounds very interesting, Keith.