Piemanlarger

Sacks of "things!"

Not much modelling going on yesterday or today, intfact none ! But I have been having a little play with train formations and operation schedule for home and exhibition use. I've seen far to many static displays at exhibition and it's always been my main goal to make my layouts entertaining to watch and just as important to use! Its surprising how tedious it can be come doing the same move over and over for 6 or more hours in a show. Now of course Cwm Risca is not a huge 0 gauge layout so the number of different train movements is always going to be limited but after yesterday and today experimenting it's got the potential to keep both visitors and operators looking at something different long enough. Front of layout has auto train and light engine movement Goods yard we have a few options in milk train formation with a mix of syphon and choice of brake coach. Freight trains are limited to just 2 wagons normally which could be coal topping up local supplies. Open wagons picking up sacks of "things!" A single fruit wagon may call in with the milk and be added to the opens or it may come in as a 3 wagon train. That however will need a light engine to help shunt. So happy enough with the play factor in 8 x 2 ft. Add another 4ft of engine shed board with a potential extended run round loop either side of the platform and it gets even more complicated!!

Is there an on line index of Hornby magazine articles issue by issue. Have looked but cant find one?

I've fitted the 8 ohm megabase in my pannier now and am very impressed with the sound quality.

What sound project is this please?

Not alot happened of late bar knocking up a make shift " fiddle yard" so I can run in and off layout and put show time table to practice? Just something to run in and out of while I make up some cassettes. Going to need about three of them all about 2ft or so long. Track nearest front will remain fixed as it will only see the auto train or light engine movement that will occupy it. So at least the layout is back together though I forgot the station end backdrop ! Saying that I'm already planning the modular add on that will run past the station onto another board ( I have a spare 4x2 ply top here lol) which could well end up as a small loco depot ! Just incase I keep spotting nice things on ebay lol

Tunnel board is nearly finished and I'm fairly happy with how it turned out. Just a bit of track weathering to " spot out " some of the white / pink plaster that dripped onto the tracks and then some track cleaning and running should be ok. Mr.Evans the photographer has to walk the gorge and then the cliff path to get to his favourite photography spot. Still not sure if I'll paint the white fence yet? Might go weathered wood to make it look old and then some lighter brown weathering? Possibly a short safety fence along the edge of the cliff face but then again I like the danger aspect ! Speaking of danger the Dr has dropped nicely into the corner to sort some problem out?? This is another on no1 sons inputs to the layout in the dr (Tom Baker) and it's a bit of fun !

You have inspired me again To have a kebab this time lol

Nothing ever goes smoothly!! I had decided not to hard wire 48xx no2 but use the twin sugar cube set up with supplied 21 pin PCP etc. All fitted and speakers black tacked the pcp was slid had into place only to be greeted by a short circuit sound ! A quick if not somewhat panicked removal of the loco off the rolling road and the pcp was swapped with my spare one. This time just a megabase speaker wired in Sound and motion, horraughhhh! Trouble is it means I have now to hard wire a sugar cube into the bunker and fit the megabase into the boiler. Should not be too hard but possibly a job for tomorrow? There is a concern that no power is being picked up from the pony truck wheels so that bit of Dapol quality control looks like it will require inspection. Bit like another piece of their handywork which I suppose does make it a unique 48xx lol !!

A leisurely Sunday is planned with a model room tidy up, some ebay rc tank sales and a bit of rock work ! Funny how things go. Jack Russel rock pile lifted off the tunnel with ease and i nonchalantly placed it on the board and hey presto it looked at home ! So a bit of work on a new flatter slab of rock on top of the tunnel and perhaps fitting the sound chip to 48xx no2 and it will be a good days work ?? Rugby on at 3. Could be doing extra modeling on the layout by 3.20pm lol

Walk away is best when your not happy ! My plastering skills dont seem to have matched the picture I had in my mind ! So it's best to leave it for today and come back tomorrow? The "cutting" leading up to the tunnel is a bit rougher than I envisioned. Could be with more work it develops into more of a "green" banking rather than rock ? The mound on top of the tunnel looks like one of my jack russels did it lol ! That definitely needs redoing.

Been awhile since I worked with modrock. I'd forgotten how much mess you can make with it lol Happier now I've broken up the uniform look of the bunker area. The smallrocky mound will be finished off tomorrow once the modrock has dried out? Tomorrow will see the plaster mix out and the " cutting " I can visualise in my head take shape? I think!

I'm going to have to stop reading your posts !! Every time I do I see and order something extra for Cwm Risca lol Very nice as usual and thanks for the tip.

The rear tunnel mouth was glued in position last night and is now fairly solid! Weathing needs to be done later. However I got side tracked and started on the air raid shelter! I'm happy with the shelters look and position, this is something my son made about 15 years ago when he was 5 or 6 so really is the most special part of the layout in many ways to me. For reasons I'm not sure about I like the look of my olive green backdrop too and the the hedges and footpath leading over the rear tunnel to the shelter. The path will continue down a " rocky" cutting towards the railway cottage. Hopefully later today after my corvid jab ! I'm not convinced about the lineside fencing. I think it's the white paint that make it stand out too much so I may paint it brown later to tone it down? It's also a bit to flat up there so a bit of a mod rock lump may well pop up to break the ground up also? Mr.Evans the photographer has previously visited with his saw we think and now has the perfect platform to rest his camera on !! So glad we had railway photographers in the 1930s !

Any potential date in mind?

Might get to do abit of detail painting on this later with luck

The increase in rtr 7mm / 0 scale stuff, locos especially is what got me to switch from 00 to 0. While I dont have the desire to build kits there are a number of nice items that come up for sale on Ebay etc. This 6 wheel toad is my latest acquisition and very pleased with it I am. Yes it needs some finishing ( name and some paint/ weathering) but at least this one dont need to visit crumlin A shop ! Question is do I keep the 4 wheel toad ( kingsbridge) and re name / number that or given I'll need three roads on the layout do I go for all 6 wheelers ??

Time to split the boards again to gain access to the rear side of the tunnels. The skytrex tunnels were gorilla glued yesterday and primed. Today its had a base coat of dark yellow, sort of bath stone colour? Will need to add some other colours and weathering to finish it off but it wont be too visable when in place ! Mod rock and a path then can also be started on and a visitor may pop onto the layout? While the boards are split I can then start looking at the fiddle yard. That's going to be basic enough. Fixed track for the front tunnel as only the light engine 72xx or auto train will use it. About 3 or 4 cassets needed for the rear tunnel??

Gostude !! A name I've come across and now have on block !

Managed to get the pannier back together properly! Decided to re fit plastic coal and top up with real coal. Driver sorted but needs a fireman . And lamps.all in order. Not much happened otherwise today. Next job is fit esu stay alive to 72xx. If that works then I'll probably add one to the pannier and both 48xx? Need to get the skytrex tunnel in place today so it can be glued and left to go off. Milk train forming nice. Another 6 wheel rake coach is due to return from overhaul soon which will give a nice choice to mixing pairs for a bit of variety?

What sound project is the 48xx ??

Errr,no ! But now I've tried it it works. Ok first attempt I went too far and pulled the speaker apart but luckily I have spares..so 2nd attempt went better ! So when my 2nd 48xx turns up I now have apple board ready to go with two sugar cubes sealed with black tack. Be interesting to compare the sound with the other 48xx that's fitted with mega base speakers, giving the sound project's are the same.

5700 was today's task as mainly I could not remember what the sound chip I have for it is? I still not sure lol It's only got f1 - 12 so may well find its self on the way to swd for a rebolow, once I've finally finished fitting it and the speakers. I was going to use a 28mm round speaker I have that fits into Dapol ready formed speaker enclosure. I previously used this set up in another pannier with a sugar cube in the bunker. This time it's a base enhanced in the bunker. It was not that impressive for some reason so I tried the 25mm sq mega base. Wow! Big difference. So more work to fit the megabase and then get everything back on tidy. The cab and front of boiler are not sitting right for now but latest run around the goods look where the pannier will spend most if not all it's time was successful with good running bar the dodgy y point that needs looking at ! Not a bad day and now we ( nearly) have two locos in steam !

I might have missed it but what size is your layout? All looking very interesting and playable