Jaggzuk

A couple of extra photos of the wagons with the closest coupling, the glued attachment version, on R2 curves; the inner buffers are just touching. To be honest the protruding draft box is not too obvious once the wagon are on the track.

You are absolutely right Butler Henderson about the protruding draft box. But as I say in my main text (layout topic) I acquired the box of Kadees from a house clearance, which included over a 100 pairs of couplers and a lots of the draft gear boxes 232 and 242. So I am petty much fixed to the No. 5 version, plus as I got it all for £25 I slightly hesitate at paying circa £5 just for 2 pairs! I think the layout they came from was HO American looking at the other stuff that was on sale. So, as this is both the kids and my layout I will make do with protruding boxes, hopefully a bit of weathering will hide the black box a bit. But, I might source some of the longer ones to try out on my more expensive items of rolling stock.

Night shots are just superb.

Fitting Kadee to a Bachmann POA Scrap Metal wagon I have started to add some Kadee couplings to my Bachmann POA/SSA Scrap meal wagons to replace the non NEM pocket tension lock couplings (TLC). Rather than duplicate here I have posted a set of how-to sequence photos with descriptive text which can be found on my layout thread: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/106602-family-8x4-oo-layout-kadee-coupling-effort/?p=2781178 There was a really good set of how-to photos and text on a neighbouring forum, but this particular topic post has been hit by the Photbucket 3rd party hosting issue and so all the photo have gone. https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=35812 Anyway, I used a No.5 coupling with a 232 draft gear box and have got pretty good close coupling even round R2 curves on the layout. Really pleased with the outcome. Photo added of wagons on R2 curves with the glued attachment version, the inner buffer are just touching.

Just and that surprised me too! The inner buffers were touching and the swing on the the Kadee in the draft box was almost fully to the side. I ran the trucks round the the curve and while mid curve I tried to pull them away from each other. The buffers separated by about 0.5-1mm. So there was just a bit more play left in the Kadee. Not sure if this would have been the case with a NEM pocket Kadee. I also tested it on a reverse swing over a set of Peco Settrack points ans it was fine. So for the next set of POA wagons I might bring the coupling face to be about 0.5mm in front of the buffer faces

After a little play session with the boys there were some wagons that have been bugging me coupling wise, my POA/SSA scrap metal wagons. These are Bachmann offering and came the usual tension lock couplings (TLC). But these wagons out of the box derailed on my R2 curves. After a bit of an investigation it was found that the TLC was causing the wagon to jump the rails as there was not enough play with the hook for the radius. The solution was to chop off the coupling two locating tabs either side and to loosen the central screw to allow it to pivot. This soled the immediate problem and this is how they have been ever since , So back to tonight, the loose couplings have just annoyed me, so having already chosen to fit Kadee couplings to everything I have, I bit the bullet and had go at fitting some to these wagons, Apart from using NEM Kadee already on a few items, this is my first effort of using the Draft Gear Box versions. I think the one I have used is a No.5 with a 232 gear Box. I am not sure of the coupler number as I picked up a box full of Kadee component bits a while back from house clearance sale. Anyway here is my process step photos. The starting point, wagon with loose coupling, the two locating stubs are either side from the original coupling Cutting the plastic stubs off with Xuron track cutters. I then filed the stubs flat to the sole bar. The Kadee parts First option was to screw the Kadee draft gear box into the original couple screw hole. But the coupling sit a bit too far forward of the buffers. Looks ok, but would benefit from some weathering paint Checking the Kadee is at the correct height and that the lopped metal bar underneath clears the bottom plate of the height gauge The original large buffer coupling gap The closer Kadee coupling, looks so much better. But even better with the couplings installed at the correct location, but this required glue fixing of the gear box The instructions for Kadee couplers is that where possibly the back face of the coupler should be level with the face of the buffers. This meant I had to use liquid melt glue rather than a screw. We will see how robust the glue is during play session and some heavy loads. The result is fantastic, firstly it looks so much better being close coupled and secondly it is a breeze to uncouple and take the wagon off the layout, you just lift straight up!. On with the rest of my old non NEM pocket stock now ha ha. Some in info From our own http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/24427-kadee-couplers/ Outside info http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index.php?autocom=custom&page=Kadee-Resources

It all sounds like you had some fun, which is great. I think the local / run down branch idea is perfect, as you say you can then run pretty all sorts of stock. And for any main line you can always have steam charters which haul and variety of coaching stock and liveries. Anyway with kids anything goes really, they do not care (at a young age) a dot about era and regain correctness ;-) For mine its all about train length, wagon loads and colour. Their sense of role plate is lovely to watch, but why our drivers are continually having tea breaks and steam trains constantly run out of coal and just stop is beyond me - I just want to see trains running round!!

Well that's a pretty good start. If you say it should get better, well its going to look very good indeed!! I like the dark green grass and bush clumps. How is everything glued down? My only observation is one needs to ask the question when doing the ballast shoulder, which came first, the grass or ballast and so which is on top. The answer is, well it will depend if it is old existing ballast, or newly laid ballast. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DCl2AJpW0AA8Zzr.jpg Also, if it is to be a main line track you would tend not get any bush clumps on the ballast it self. Great efforts and the future quality is looking good.

Table seats are a vital mix of the offering to customers, not everyone traveling is on their own. I quite regularly see groups of 3 or 4 at a table enjoying the face to face time, both business and social travellers akike. Imagine a family of 4 being split on to airline seats! You cannot work very well on an airline seat table anyway. The tables on planes are far better, much bigger and more square unlike MK4 coaches with their little metal tablets sized offerings

After having seen an article on making rolling stock storage using box files written by Chris Nevard in the Hornby magazine Issue 25 June 2009, I thought I would have a go. Here's my first effort My supplies were: Foolscap box flies from WHSmith - 3 for £10 A pack of 5 sheets of A3 5mm foam mount board from Ryman - £14 Tube of extra strong clear adhesive from Wicks - £3 (sets nice and quick) PVA glue Fleece Throw 2pk from B&M - £10 (this is 100% polyester and is actually quite thin) The price of the parts for each box works out at approx £8.50 per finished box. The method was pretty much as per the article but here is how I did it: Removed the sprung document holder and flatten out the metal rivets. Decide what stock the box will hold and the orientation within the box to make the best use of the space. Cut the foam mount board in to strips - 37mm which was the width of my ruler and so it kept my cuts line parallel. This height also allows enough of the stock to be proud so that fingers can get a grip to lift them out. Approx one A3 sheet per box file. Cut strips of fleece, enough to cover 2 sides and one end of the board strips. Run a bead of extra strong clear adhesive (ESCA) along the full length of the foam strip at what will be the bottom edge and attach the fleece, allow to dry (5mins). Do not use ESCA on the foam inner core as it melts it. Run another bead of ESCA glue the full length of the foam board strip on the other side and wrap the fleece over so both sides and the top are covered. Allow to dry. Trim the fleece to the edge of the board. For the strip of foam board to be glued to the box file I only attached the fleece to the top 10mm on the side facing the box. Stick the first strip to the box side using ESCA. Then glue each subsequent strip on to the base of the box file to form the cells. I actually placed each piece of rolling stock in and then positioned each foam strip against the item to get a snug fit Use PVA glue along the bottom edge of the foam board as the ESCA actually melts the foam as it is solvent based (very strong fumes too). Use a bit of PVA on the strip ends where these touch another strip running at 90 degrees. Allow to fully dry. I am really please with the end result. However, in reality the box file with 5 coaches and a wagon does not really save any current storage space compare to 5 red or blue boxes, but the ease with which stock can be got out and used make it all worth while. Plus for wagons with home made loads, the manufactures boxes cannot be used, so the box file is prefect substitute. As I positioned each foam strip against rolling stock to glue in place this created a nice snug fit which means that stock does not really roll about when the box is carried. The best bit of this little trial is that the width of 6 pieces of 5mm foam board all covered with fleece actually created the perfect cell size to hold 5 Bachmann coaches in place with no rolling about - what I call a perfect unplanned fit! Box of Bachmann coaches Order of gluing foam strips: left end, bottom of box, horizontal cell dividers, top of box, vertical against horizontal dividers, right end Coach box with wagons to show how many fit. I shall now do a proper boxes for wagons.

Night shots are awesome! What is the light source you have used as it is very good?

Its one of the reason I got to version 34 of my layout plan before I even laid any track. Plus its easy in SCARM (an other layout planning software) to rip it up and relay. I also think it is very important to do this BEFORE we lay any track as it can enable us to find better alternatives. I am liking the main station areas, really starting to look good. I think adding track to the lower goods yard is interesting, will make useful on-layout storage for wagons etc. If you wanted to add something else in the open area, you are missing an engine shed facility? I am not convinced by the road coming in from the top under the flyover, but I know a level crossing is desired, it just looks a little odd. To me it will distract from the visual appearance of the flyover But I bet there is a real life version somewhere. Could you not have a double crossing down on the right on the curves? There is a crossing like this near Doncaster, where the two crossings are up higher than the surrounding ground https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.5344035,-1.1392853,3a,73.7y,212.94h,80.81t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s98dG9YyzRIPYcQ7qeigD4w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 I know the big empty space is inching to be filled, but track is not necessary the best option, I even struggle to reach to do anything like uncoupling, so a town/village scape might be the bets option, will also create the scenic break between two track areas.

Ah the station now makes sense. It looks like you have the potential for quite a long island platform too; double the length shown? Having the island platform also allows you to have a station footbridge which will be nice to have trains go under something. In terms of a real prototype, I found that Yeovil Pen Mill provides a good justification to have a through station with an island platform and where one of the lines is single track yet served by two platform sides http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/414999

Ooo the cabin sound good, a posh Man Shed? How big is it, if it is a railway room and office!? With regard to the % gradient, can you not just use SCARM gradient feature to tell you? Sounds like you are chomping at the bit to get started. And if you are like me you will have a great spurt at the beginning (many a late night) as you will want to get to the point where you can run trains, then you can take the foot of the gas as the kids are happy cos they can play trains. The goods yard can certainly be refined at a later date, my only comment would be to try and increase the head shunt a bit so you can have longer goods train backing into it. Unless you want to give yourself tougher shunting puzzles ;-) Looking at your station area, I am still a little confused as to where you will placing the platforms as you talk about an an island platform..

I note that you are getting 4% inclines, I do think you may find this too steep for any train that is long. I would suggest a test incline with the locos you have and find out what is the max length of train they can haul up that gradient. Also remember you have this gradient around R3 curves, that will also add to the hauling resistance. Just get a long plank of wood and drop some straight flexi track on and raise on end to to 4%. Try to have a section of track on the level so that you can have the train running at speed before it hits the climb. I have found on my 2% gradients that my Hornby Railroad 37 could not haul much than 4 old coaches and so I have to add more lead weight to it to get more traction and oiling all the coach wheels. It will also depends on how good your rolling stock wheels and bearings are, With us buying a lot of old rolling stock, this can sometime exasperate the problem. The other think to watch is how you lay the track the level portion of the layout to 4% inclines. You will need to create a portion of transition otherwise it will not look look good run poorly.

Saw these in Tesco and thought now that is useful packaging, I am now having to eat lots of cherries, but they are very nice :-) The box is made from 3mm laser cut MDF all slotted together. I did not measure the actual dims, but the base was about 300x200mm. Will be very useful somewhere, building construction, wagon loads, landscape formers etc.

If you are going for an island platform now, which will be nice. I wonder if you could move the two point ladders either side to give you a longer platform? This would also give you direct access to the goods yard from the outer main line when running in a clockwise direction and also allow any departing goods to run out on to either of the two main lines. You could get even more platform length by using a curve point form the outer mail line on to the ladder. Have you also considered adding a headshunt for the goods yard? This will mean you can shunt without having to run out on the the inner main line all the time.

Hi Nick Like the track plan, looks very workable and better with the Peco streamline points. Are you still intending to have one single gradient up to the flyover or can you go for the spilt gradient option with 50% up and 50% down from the station area? Nice looking station. And the big dilemma, your modelling quality or the offspring's effort ;-) Did you know that SCARM does Signal Control panel mimic tiles. This is my effort for a control panel; the red and green dots will be LEDs for showing point direction. Can be found in Objects>Symbols - Square Tiles. The two bits I did by hand in MSPaint was the grey line to represent the track under the flyover and the two dotted lines for the future extension.

Yep it is a bit of a deep breath moment and may be feels like a task to far, I certainly felt like that when I first came to use mine. However, the potential opportunities it opens up far outweigh the hassle and initial learning curve. I think so far using it to weather track made its purchase worthwhile. My first atempt was using food colouring on a piece of paper so I could get the feel of it and how to vary the spray effect; did this in the kitchen :-O. My next effort was a bit of weathering on a scrap truck. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/106602-family-8x4-oo-layout-new-video-camera-truck/?p=2220679 What sort of work space indoors do you have? Until I can afford an airbrush spray booth, I am just using a shaped cardboard box for spaying objects, the rest is on the layout directly. Give it a go, I am sure it is just that first use inertia you need to get over.

Wow what a layout! Just discovered your layout after your post on "How realistic are your models? Photo challenge." I am really impressed with the whole layout, the detail, weathering, camios, the nice subtle colours, and your photo;no 20 story angle of views! Shall follow with great interest. Oh and the second photo on post 151, is so life like with the water!! Paul

Some great depot/shed shots there Chris, I shall definitely come back to them for inspiration!! Love the Kings Lynn one.

Well I can safely say I have never seen one of those, but they look really useful. So the tension hook coupling is a standard NEM type and can be pulled out form the socket? And It looks like the bit with the hole has some form of plastic centering system; the two little L shapes lugs? Do you know how well the NEM Kadee couplings work with this screw fixing from Dapol.?

Not seen these, who makes them as my initial web search has drawn a blank?

Cheers guys for the comments on glue. I will try some of the ones I have just bought on spare couplings and some scrap bogies to see what works best before using for real on the rake of coaches I use the Superglue on. I needed to fit NEM couplings on the bogies, as they are old Replica coaches and the original tension locks actually caused buffer lock on the R2 curves.

So it is not quite finished yet, as it needs the roof coping flags and the platform canopy adding, but I wanted to show the interior with lighting. I have used two LED ribbon strips each with 3 white LEDs on and lit using 12v. Originally I was going to leave the interior blank, but when lit it really showed up as being blank grey card and looked wrong. So I had to add a load of bits to make it look like a railway goods warehouse. I added some painted up plaster cast packing crate stacks with the rest just being painted up scrap box items with some marked up with a black Sharpie pen for crate banding. Really please with the outcome, but now I know I have to do interiors for all my future internally lit buildings. But I think the effect is worth the effort? The roof window furthest away on the right has been taped over on the inside with semi opaque sellotape to hide the fact that the end wall has not been pained and there were no packing items at this end. It sort of creates the dirty, cobweb cover glass affect seen in this type of building.