barrymx5

The Mendips were of course important for minerals and coal so both would have been carried in quantity. Plus pit props, tar and mechanical equipment. But of course both Somerset and Dorset are primarily agricultural areas so all the inputs and outputs of the agricultural industry would have been carried eg tractors, fuel, oilseed, livestock, milk, cider - the list is a long one. I model the S&D but do not take it too seriously and have the occasional “special “ which contains Trains that might have been. You may recognise Wagons from Burnham MRC etc.

I presume you mean this one

Of course the other way is to cheat with the camera. Not Photoshop but b&w with that 1930s aura.

Good point. But not necessarily cardboard and plastic

I will try Dai but I am no Digitrax expert. I introduced my model railway club (Shepton & District MRS) to Digitrax and the club now owns a Zenith. I am impressed with what this unit can do.

I cut my DCC teeth using Digitrax. Much of the basic kit was bought on various trips to the USA. I like the system with its two control nobs on each handset and 5amps which allows power to spare for the sound decoders I wanted. I use a DS100 with a DB150 as a booster I was an early purchaser of Cobalt point motors and found a few troublesome. But DCC Concepts have been very supportive. Their latest Cobalt IP is great and saves the wiring involved with separate stationery decoders. The photo shows the Digitrax 64s I use for the older Cobalts. The aim is to move all the control equipment off the baseboards. I have recently bought a couple of Cobalt SS surface mounting point motors and they also seem very good. I did consider the MERG route and although I admire their work I do not think I am quite up to grasping the intricacies!

A small dedicated room was painted sky blue and a faux wood floor laid. Cantilevered brackets were added to support the baseboards

The basic design is a double track continuous run (LSWR/SR mainline to the West) meeting the S&D The latter has terminus platforms and the former through platforms. The S&D climbs on partly hidden tracks until it emerges on a viaduct which leads to a raised cassette fiddle yard. After various experiments with different gradients I decided to aim for 1:50.

Peco point templates were used to plan the track layout

The 9mm ply baseboards were braced with 3x1 timber and covered with cork tiles.

Thanks John. Interesting. But I notice you do not regard yourself as a “business”. “When my ability to print waterslide transfers became known, I was asked to make my sheets available to fellow railway modellers. This I was happy to do on an informal basis, but I had no desire to set up a business as such.” Ok so Cottage industries can satisfy a need. But having been involved in several startups (not in model railways) an ambition is a common theme. And eggs and baskets are always a danger. But you recognise that with your foray into Japanese motors. But I still maintain that the hobby needs more efficiency, sophistication and professionalism in tune with 21st Century developments. Your statement that you would like more time to spend on your modelling argues surely for greater efficiency in the non-business. I don’t think we will agree on this. We start from very different viewpoints. It just leaves me to wish you good luck with your enterprise. You may even have found yourself a new customer!

John I am always willing to listen to the voice of experience and am very interested in your comments. What I find sad (and I am speaking generally rather than of SP) is when ANY business fails to meet its full potential.

I have just come across this post and agree with it completely. It is indeed sad that not only SP but so many other SME companies in our hobby fail on so many fronts. And so leave the way open to the “big boys” at least some of whom are not very professional at linking their production and marketing- surely a key element in any manufacturing business . So yes I am very grateful that there are now RTR products which I could only once dream about; but I did have to wait up to 7 years for their availability. There are new(ish) companies out there who are bucking the trend and that is encouraging. DCC Concepts and Oxford Diecast come to mind; both have made some mistakes along the way but are innovative and keen to put things right if they make mistakes. And it is possible to run an efficient innovative business without giving up the day job - Youchoos proves that. Usual disclaimer for all companies.

I have a similar problem and tackled it by creating a complete lift off section. So the “walls” are sceniced with a lip of vegetation etc. The photos below show construction a couple of weeks apart. The scenic grass sheet is still to be trimmed in the first photo. Hope this helps. Hardly original but it works.

Thanks Steve. It was the first part of the layout I really started scenicing. Couple more shots below.

I thought I had a Heljan 70ft turntable! At least that is what it was sold as in ?2010. No real problems to date except it “forgets” it’s programmed stops and needs reprogramming. When the Hornby MN came out I was surprised to find it did not fit on the turntable. But ok it is a large loco. But now with the arrival of the Lord Nelson I have a second loco which is too big. After advice on another thread of RMweb, I discovered it is only a 61ft 6 inches turntable! It seems it is only a 70ft turntable in HO. 61ft 6ins In 00. So be aware.

Ok let me stick my head above the parapet. Reactions please to this street of low relief buildings, some of which will be very familiar. I have purposely left off the fence/wall which will be in front of them and they are not yet populated although I have added a few vehicles. In case you haven’t guessed, some are Metcalfe, some laser cut, one is Bachmann resin and another Continental plastic. None have been weathered yet. My layout is a fictional junction of the S&D and LSWR/ SR main line to the West. I have tried to make it timeline neutral between early 1920s and late 1940s so I can run stock from 3 periods: immediately pre Grouping, SR and early BR. I intend in part to achieve this in part by swapping road vehicles as well as rolling stock. But buildings will largely stay. So should I standardise on one building material or does a mixture look ok?

Oh I didn’t recognise her with her clothes on!There is always one who lowers the tone! But why is it always me? She is rather viewable though.

You are correct Keith. I had purchased this turntable as 70’ but the bridge track is actually a scale 61’6””. That explains a lot. Now where can I fit a turning triangle in!?

Interesting. The Heljan is I understand sold as a 70 ft in 00 but it isn’t quite. Even my S15 is tight. Interesting. The Heljan is I understand sold as a 70 ft in 00 but it isn’t quite. Even my S15 is tight.

Sir Francis Drake now joins Royal Mail as being too long for my Heljan turntable. No trouble with Light Pacific Bulleids, 7F, Black Five’s etc. Both SFD and RM have a facility to closer couple the tender but I was surprised that they then would not then take even the curves on the main line. And I had always thought the tightest was 24”. Something prototypical about the length problem on my model railway as there are stories about having to split the real Lord Nelson from its tender for certain manoeuvres.

Just checked my SR one and it is running as sweetly as ever

Thanks for the heads up. I will check mine tomorrow. I have not run it for a few months but it was fine then

I have a Roadvan kit but have yet to make it up. The Kernow one will be very welcome when it finally appears. As for the “New” brakevan I will certainly buy one in LSWR and one in SR. The former will replace an elderly scratch built model from the 1980s, when LSWR transfers did not exist as far as I knew.