locomad2

Value for money, generally you got more for your money than the others, yes might argue that HD was better quality locomotives pulled more but you had to pay a lot more. Also as you mixed other stuff like Airfix, Kitmaster, Wills, peco, with Traing you got a decent layout for less money spent. The big cost then was locomotives £5 for a HD WC was about the average wage for most working men think average is about £500 per week in today then less disposal income then

See lots of these in north east Wales and dispite the weather most are very dry, well built and idea sheds, workrooms, etc. Roofs replaced with tinplate, windows have double glazing, doors replaced by steel, gaps replaced by that foam stuff etc. Both my grandparents had or built them both still standing, know several friends who have them, drier warmer in winter cooler in summer than my flat roof garage. Not really idea for modern cars they are too wide, disposal costs especially asbestos roofs can be high, concrete can be repainted any colour, and repaired too, new gutter/ drainage water butts all add value Actually good source of extra income over lockdown I've worked on updating a few, tend is to have extra away from house workspace, modern electy, solar panels on roofs personally I keep it especially with wood prices increasing Let's face it they are fireproof, don't get nicked better built than some modern houses and yes found some people living in them

Yes some excellent, most ok, so dreadful overall positive, especially like Ron Dodd's Hornby dublo 3 rail ones very informative, to the point and I've learnt a great detail on how to fix things no book or magazine had taught me prehaps a picture can tell a thousand words. I also like all those utube "hacks" on how to fix things or make tools etc especially the Russian ones, recently discovered how to remove a blead on a car tyre without tools wish I knew that years ago. Sam's trains is another one, I watch seems to put us off buying anything new.

Think someone already done this, several years ago free with a magazine called something similar for about £5. You got a quite well painted plastic body about 1:76 scale on a motorised chassis on a plastic base. I collected quite a few including 2nd hand for next to nothing ie car boots, charity shop, spent last couple of years quite easily fitting old working chassis underneath. You get quite good working models for next to nothing, quite a few threads on this site

I tend to achieve the same thing, present layout is the largest, longer trains require stronger locomotives. I find with age some are getting better, I suspect it's due to constant use as compared to sitting in the box for most of their 60 years of life. The standard 4MT's seem to the most reliable often out performing the 8F's, WC's excellent locomotives so are the R1's, and City's, Castles not so good prehaps not been on Western layouts in past and spent too long in glass cabinets. As for Diesels Bo-Bo is a joke, Co-Co's better once tyres sorted and 08's ok providing you don't let them get hot.

This one is based on an original Meccano design saw the plans somewhere, next stage is source all the electrical components if still available. Getting the roughly the right number of turns is the easy bit, work out diameter of wire, think its 0.018 of an inch divide into length of coil 2 ins, then divide into 2600 which worked out about an inch from inner row. Don't forget to thread though the inner row first, use a cordless drill, great fun watching it wind. It's a multi tool, idea for magnetising screw drivers etc, I've a 1 inch core solenoid for spanners. Worth watching all of Ron Dodds videos, the magnetic direction is important, my pole pieces already have strong magnetic force so getting the magnet the right way is easy they attract, providing of course they don't get put in the wrong way, they are marked. I've notice that most Hornby Dublo have strong magnetic fields, they will interfere with a compass if placed with 6 inches, often wonder if stored in an engine shed do they interfere with each other As for Neo's too powerful causes other problems I've seen them crack too. I've used cheap "jumper" small magnets placed on back to increase strength, does work slightly. Think it's very important to get other things right, oil, gear mesh, armature bearing and adjustment, and run in etc. Why still getting it all checked some locomotives of the same class type etc still outperform others? - part of the fun

I use supermarket "fruit boxes" cut down to size with inner walls, Free, easy to make, stored in a system cabinet. Mainly for stock in use but waiting repair, taken off for a while etc

Owning a reasonable Hornby Dublo collection over last 50 years I am aware that some locomotives lose the magnetic strength. Some 40 odd years ago built a simple magnetiser from old solenoids (1inch plus iron core diameter) using a car battery as a source of current. Now I know Ron Dodd of HRCA builds and sells an excellent magnetiser and has done some excellent YouTube clips. However I can't really justify buying one for one or two locomotives which constantly lose magnetic strength, don't really want to use neo's either. So using some information about original Meccano magnetiser found some 26 gauge wire and made some coils using 3/8 pole pieces, wire coiled 2600 times. Did try the car battery however found just connecting coils up to an old arc welder provided more magnetic strength, not even sure it's pure DC current. However it did work remaging a "problem" Duchess lowering the amps from 0.85 @12v to acceptable 0.60amps @12v Bit crude but it worked

Boots sell a "non scented" version works well too I've about a dozen smoke units unless the grandkids want to use the, remove the heater and often the pump as they double the amperage needed. Once had 4 going at once pollution was dreadful just like the real thing for those who remember

Don't think I've ever thrown cotton waste away, used for rags, cloths, cleaning then burnt, plus stripped into long strips to make mope heads etc. Large items like old sheets turned dust covers while decorating, car screen frost protection or used in garden as weed suppressers

Fully agree with you, it's the "careworn" appearance I'am trying to achieve. Myself if find it easier to weather a locomotive or stock than a building. Hence why I still prefer "Superquick" over other building models, there is a certain charm, nostalgia look about them, they look old, worn battered like most building do. In fact look at most smaller town centres now especially upper floors and most still look grubby, unkemped, yes ground level looks better with new signs, shop windows, it is almost like 60 odd years ago, ground level things change, new attractive signs, shop windows, etc. But upper floors roofs still a mess, grass in gutters, pale yellow net curtains, missing brickwork, lost roof slates something which "Superquick" tends to achieve

Good reason why I still like Superquick is they have lasted although this is my 7th layout and 5th house move, and admit the street scene road etc looks a bit tatty, all these building are at least 50 years old and built by myself as a youngster. Plus Iam still building them or restoring old ones found at toy fairs Slight off topic the pub sign is one of those "marketing gimmicks" of the 60's, instead of a cocktail stick. Certainly worked as took it home thinking what a great sign it would make, worked as courting years later would always know telephone number of a popular eating place as it was outside "my pub", still outside now although telephone number changed

Rules totally confused ? 5 mile, no crossing border 300 yards away? Not allowed to buy local milk. Soon realised don't use car. I can see though the trains from my house, only about 30 yards away, and a clear view now trees have been cut. So no not breaking any rules, plus a popular path next to the railway on other side. Today I saw 9 trains not a single passenger like that most days. I've been told guards are not allowed to leave the van and guards at most stations on platform to stop people travelling without a ticket. Apparently that was in first lockdown a big problem kids and others just jumped on a train at unmanned stations and got off at the next unmanned one. Myself I used the bus for essential hospital visits, in the spring hot weather often the only passenger with all windows open sometimes told I was the only passenger that day. Wonderful my own coach service, little traffic then, spent many a pleasant stop in a layby while driver had a fag so bus wasn't early. Buses on time, no traffic, brilliant. Coming out of lockdown certainly more traffic, freedom to go anywhere in Wales, yet no train passengers and only a few use the bus.

You have no broken parts, almost certain that's how they were made 70 odd years ago, it's a "clip fit" fitting. Mine is the same. You could replace it with a thinner ball type hand rail support and a thinner wire plus plug the gap made by thicker wire.

Living on north wales coast and having time now to watch, take pics etc, obsever real trains and chat to fellow railway followers while out in person, the one thing we all notice the trains are empty, completely empty. Run by Transport for Wales known as "Transport for fails" unlike the buses which have had service cut to the bone " reduced Sunday service", they have continued as normal about 2 an hour both ways. Almost every one is empty. So common discussion is will another another "Beeching" happen ? After lockdown will passengers return ?

Did say "bit high on buffers" did turn out to be about 3mm too high, looking a photos of the real thing it didn't look right. After a lot of hacking the original HD R1 chassis did get it lowered, however real problems with the body inside so lot more cutting away white metal. Also there is not enough room so bushes on motor got clipped, plenty of insulation tape, wire insulated. Took ages but I think well worth the effort.

On haulage test, looking good, bit high on buffers so some chassis work to do plus fit the rear bogie Actually pulled 10 HD coaches but happy pulling 8 - 9, at about 8 grams per coach that's about 64 grams to 80 grams.

Well having kept all my train catalogues from about 63 - 90 love looking at them occasionally plus still use my "David Weston" calendars from mid 80's. Surprising no one ever reprinted them in a book, somehow modern ones just don't have that appeal. In subject of large train layouts, recently on one of those Facebook sites someone put a link up to "Blue Peter" visiting one in a shop in London 1969, on utube I remember visiting such a shop can't remember which one. One day I said I will have such a layout one day ?

Well knowing someone who works on railway as a guard admits it's a very lonely journey, perhaps a pre beeching era. When someone realises just how little the trains and busses for that matter are used prehaps all gone in a few years. Not easy to buy a ticket, security guard wont let you on platform without a ticket, appt doesn't work, ID checks on travel and written reason required during most lockdown period just put everyone off

Not surprised there is a group on Facebook who watch while sea fishing north Wales trains, most claim not a single passenger on any for whole of lockdown. I agree as often see on walks dozen trains a day, often not a single passenger

Coming on nicely although the front end proved a bit harder

Started on a Wills Southern E5 this late last night, seems all there but no instructions Started at back end Getting there

I use 12v LED a lot, most just need a 12v dc supply but check, some have to have correct polarity, some are 240 ac but have a small transformer inside down to 12v , some are ok for 12 ac. Most small LED's require a lot smaller voltage like 3v DC I tend to use batteries for these like all LEDs they take very little current

Update clearly ac current is coming from mains extension lead under the boards to the transformers, although the transformers left unplugged a very slight magnetic flux (hall effect) from such a live lead is been picked up by the 12v wires to points, signals and track sections and the device measures such. If you leave certain locomotives on the track especially Hornby dublo then the device measures them. The current 240v is very small about 3-5 Uamps however its differcult to calibrate such an ampmeter to measure such a small current. I doubt its harmful it's been live for 7 years and locomotives left on track for such length. Thinking about it it might be a benefit as noticed this layout is easier to keep clean (track that is), prehaps such a small current burns away dust on track like those Rlalco ? Track cleaners sold years ago.

Phil thanks for posting pic, saves us looking for pic that side of tower, nice pic of the ash tower too very much like superquick one