Brew Up

After much procrastinating I've ordered a black early BR version which I intend to re-livery for NCB use, fictional of course. A black Gronk just looks right.

What are the differences?

I was just watching your video before seeing this post. It convinced me to get one. I can't decide which version to get though, it will be going on an industrial layout but orange is a bit loud for my taste.

Does anyone have any videos of these running? What lighting arrangement do they have, are the lights directional?

Thanks for kind works James. Progress has slowed a little, school holidays and trying to make the most of the limited dry days we are having. Currently working on fencing and scratch building trees. I'll add some pictures once I have made some worthwhile progress.

I hope they tone down the green on "No.13" it's far brighter than the artwork version.

Did sound decoders become available separately yet?

Does anyone have one sitting on a shelf collecting dust that they wish to part with? Looking for an industrial or low bunker version. No fussed on livery as it's for a project, it doesn't matter if it's a little scruffy or a non runner, although a good runner would be preferred, as long as the price reflects this. Thanks

Aspects of Modelling - Signalling book In good condition £5 plus p+p at cost

Signalboxes for the Modeller book In good condition £5 plus p+p at cost

Is the sound chip available to those who bought the DC version yet?

Great, thank you. I'll keep an eye out for any updates.

Thanks James

Are the hooks on the Victory suitable to use with three link couplings or do the hooks need replacing with Smiths, etc?

Are these likely to be produced again? They seem to have been out of stock for a good while.

This is my take on the winding house at the top of the incline. It's not accurate but it looks broadly similar to the prototype from the limited pictures and videos available.

Many thanks for the kind words and encouragement. It's the first project I've taken on and not felt overwhelmed, I've tried to keep it as simple as possible with a aim to get a completed layout. I have plans for something a bit larger in the future but I'm enjoying building this little layout, it's taught me a lot already. I had a few hours on it yesterday evening and got the bulk of the low level greenery put down. It's my first attempt at layering grass and bushes, I'm pretty pleased with the results. Trees next, I've never made trees before but I'm diving head first into scratch building them.

Since the last update I've ballasted the track with sand and weathered it. The terrain has been reprofiled a bit as I wasn't quite happy with the clearances, covered with plaster cloth and painted ready to start adding scenery.

Progress has been slow but there has been some. I've built the winding house, pictures of the prototype are limited but I've tried to replicate it the best I can. By no means accurate but looks ok.

Made some progress over the last few days. Track is laid and powered up, I've had the Peckett running about on it quite happily. I'm not quite happy with the geometry of the rear track so I'll probably alter this by straightening the end where it goes off scene. Unfortunately I had some warping to the base so I've had to fix a couple of batons underneath to pull things straight. I suspect bringing it into the warm from a damp shed caused that. On the upside I am able to hide all the wiring beneath the layout now.

It would be rude not to I guess, it all adds to the narrative of the layout. I plan to add a driver to the Peckett, a fireman operating the points and a planeman/shunter controlling the incline's brake.

Kilmersdon Top (working title as the layout doesn't have a name) is a micro layout based on the approach to Kilmersdon incline. I've been away from the hobby for a few years due to other distractions but now I feel the need to build a layout again. I have started several layouts in the past, most haven't got beyond laying track and adding power, I think I've been over ambitious and the project has lost steam. I decided that I needed to start on a basic layout with achievable goals to actually get a layout complete. I started kicking around some ideas for a colliery but I can't decide what I want so whilst I'm planning that, and before any enthusiasm wains, I needed to make something in the meantime hence this little micro layout. Having read James Hilton's Small Layout Handbook massively inspired this plan, it really helped me focus my thought process. It is a superb book and I highly recommended it. Above my hobby area I have a shelf 44" x 9" which is ideal for a quick build. I wanted something self contained that was ready to go when I wanted 5 minutes shunting. Kilmersdon colliery appealed greatly to me due to its compact nature, especially the Peckett shunting small rakes of mineral wagons. My plan is to build the top of the incline where wagons where shuffled on and off it. I can get prototypical operation by abstracting the incline as a 4" (on the right) off scene area where empty and full wagons will be changed by hand. The rest of the layout will be scenic, the headshunt (colliery line) will be long enough for a Peckett W4 or Hunslet 16" plus two wagons. The build is very simple, it's a piece of 3/4" ply as a base covered with cork to make burying wires easier. I've started laying the track which is PECO code 75 with electrofrog points operated by hand. Frog control will be be momentary toggle switches. Everything I've used so far has been leftover from old projects. The two long lines will feed onto the incline and the siding at the front will be to shunt incoming empties into.

Thank you for explaining that Paul, makes sense now. I didn't realise that no sound versions had been supplied. I'll just have to be patient. Dean

Unfortunately I already have the loco without sound as the sound version wasn't available at the moment. Maybe I made a mistake with my initial thoughts and what I saw was a pre production video. Is the sound file and decoder available separate from anywhere?