ikcdab

well yes quite but the oil boiler has an electric pump to circulate the water etc. I suspect that the electricity consumption of the oil boiler is more than i thought.

a very kind person on another forum has kindly supplied these:

I think you're right on all counts. I have some berko heads that I will use. I need to add some wiring channels into the 3d file as you suggest. I'm using fusion 360 for the designs. Then I might also add sockets for the handrails Just to make that easier. Ian

here is my slightly modified design

Although I am firmly a OO modeller, I am really interested in this and I look forward to seeing pics of your progress Ian

Highest I've ever seen it. Twin ovens on and the kettle.... I still can't work out why our bills are quite so high. I now suspect that our oil boiler uses more than we thought.

On another forum, someone gave me this link https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4361397,-0.0536799,3a,75y,139.04h,90.73t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1spkY1qpYXKvDPVh3ROun7NA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en-GB&authuser=0 Useful sideon view which shows the steps. I'll revamp my 3d view. I'm still guessing at the width of the structure though.

Hi there those are great pictures. The second one looks quite recent... Do any of these still exist?

I need some signal gantries for my layout and I quite like the look of the southern region concrete gantries that were erected on the Brighton line in the 1950s. There used to be quite a good website covering these with pictures of the gantry at Anerley, but this website seems to have disappeared and whilst the wayback machine can find it, the images are missing. https://web.archive.org/web/20210123043732/https://hydeparknow.uk/2020/12/05/seventy-years-of-main-line-signalling-in-london-2/ All I can now find is a very poor picture here: https://sremg.org.uk/RlyMag/CompletionOfBrightonLineC-LSignalling.pdf On the website there was a drawing of the front elevation of the gantry from which I have derived the design below, but there are no details on the drawing of steps which i know were cast into the bracket, nor do i know the correct thickness. Does anyone know where I can find more details of these gantries so that I can create a 4mm scale version? Thanks Ian

Ceased in 1911 but restarted in 1948? https://www.gwra.co.uk/auctions/diesel-worksplate-built-1959-swindon-ex-br-class-4-2018nov-0393.html

I was interested to see Pete Waterman's layout that he referred to several times as the biggest model railway. Then today I see Heaton Lodge Junction in RM that also uses the same label. So which is bigger...I haven't looked up the relevant sizes so can't check, but suspect HLJ is the biggest.... Good TV whatever.

Hi Simon, well you asked for it! Here is the control panel, so you can see what we are talking about. Its the left hand junction, the single lead one I am discussing here. The right hand double junction works on similar principles. You will see that Foxhole junction is a double track main line, a crossover and a single lead to the branchline. There are three controllers, the up and down main lines and (on a separate panel) a controller for the branch line. The route selection is by the rotary switch on the left. When selected, this uses a diode matrix to set the turnouts as required. So selecting "down branch" throws all three turnouts to allow a train from the down main to access the branch. In this case, the down controller can run a train over the crossover and onto the branch. "Up branch" only sets the branch turnout. "Up/down main" leaves all turnouts normal. The rotary switch has two sets of contacts - one set throws the turnouts and the other set throws relays to change the polarities and switches the power feeds to the relevent controllers. You will see that the crossover and branch lead are a self-contained unit - ie the rails are broken in all tracks at either end. The diagram below shows things set for the up/down main. The power from controller one is taken from feed F, via relay R2 feeds B and via relay R1 feeds A. If you follow the routes, you will see that feed G supplies D and C, feed H supplies E. You can ignore the relays connected to the signals, this circuitry means that the relevant signal clears when the route is set. You cannot have the main starting signal off when the line is set for the branch. Here is the situation when the line is now set for the up/down branch. If you follow feeds F and G, they now go nowhere and controller 1 has been disconnected. H (controller 2) now connects to B and D and J connects to E, C and A. This then allows controller 2 to drive a train through to the branch. For completeness, here is the settings for up branch/down main and you can follow the connections. With this solution, there is no manual switching required. All the operator has to do is to sel;ect the route required with the rotary switch and the relays do the rest and connect the power supplies accordingly. Hope this makes sense, let me know if not. Ian

I imagine all DC layouts with more than one controller have this issue and there are multiple ways of solving it. On my own layout I have a crossover on a double track main line leading to a branchline. This then has three controllers, up and down main and the branch. I solved this by considering the crossover and branch junction as a single unit. When the road is set for the branch, relays switch everything to the down controller. This happens automatically and is switched by the turnout switch. When the road is set for the up and down main, things revert to individual controllers. On the branch I have a handover section which is wired to two controllers but either operator can take control and switch it to their controller ( think stair and landing light with switches top and bottom). It is reasonably complicated wiring but not that bad and the relays work like a dream. I can post wiring diagrams if you want them, just say. Ian

Are you sure you need it 1.25mm thick? That is quite heavy for OO chassis. You will find that thinner brass works just as well. I would also be wary of buying the exact width you need. Strip brass is normally guillotine cut and leaves a chamfered edge. You are better to bit slightly wider and file it to the exact width and get a square edge

Thank you. The one I bought does not have a tank. But I find that the compressor only runs for about 50% of the time, certainly it is not running continuously. It does have a long hose, maybe that acts as a tank.

Thanks for the replies. I visited my local wargaming and RC model shop and chatted to them. They recommended the timbertech kit (no tank) and I bought one. Its been great so far!

If the hole in the bogie is 8mm diameter the that's a pretty hefty screw you need. Id use a washer and use something like M4 which would be a better size.

It must depend on the thickness of the material and the quality of the cutter. Our cutter will handle thin card, say 250g but struggles with anything else. I had to cut many 4mm wide strips from 0.8mm ply for sleepers and after trying different methods, just fell back on good old Stanley knife, steel edge and Vernier to position the steel edge. Put on the radio and just cracked on. For me accuracy was the key thing and I couldn't get consistency with any other method.

Seen this... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234844785514?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=usqnc_ezshc&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=oMX1GZ5VQyG&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

This one is still pricey but looks really good https://www.dccconcepts.com/product-category/specialised-model-accessories/dccconcepts-rolling-roads/

I would 100% build my own when I need to replace. I suppose "build" sounds dramatic. Its more plugging together and switching on. Having said that, when I need to replace I will be going for a laptop. Much more flexible and suited to my lifestyle.

Hi Phil, yes thats a good point. Each time I have a failure I say "never again" and then a couple of hours later I am having another go. I have lychee so I'll try that today and see what happens. Looking at my fusion 360, I have made the walls of the huts quite thick, 1.5mm, plus the prototype reinforcement, and the roof is 2mm thick so it is quite a heavy model. I might try thinning them a bit to make it lighter. Ian

Thank you to all who has replied. This is what I am finding frustrating. Here we have three models. A PW hut, tool shed and coalbunker. I have duplicated the models in chitubox after adding supports so the duplicates are identical. You will see that in each case, one has printed ok, the other has failed. The toolshed appears to have slipped a portion of the side. This looks to me as if it's supports, but why would one work and the other fail? Any advice? PS I had already removed one coalbunker hence only one in the pic.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285129631069?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=-SEUcIYJSsC&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=oMX1GZ5VQyG&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Great opportunity for you. Decent price but, in effect, £40,000 postage!

As you know your requirements, why not just build your own? You just buy the components and plug it all together. It's easier that assembling a rolling stock kit and you can get exactly what you want. Ian