peach james

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47105471@N05/10770215163/ (that'd be me) Or http://www.flickr.com/photos/47105471@N05/6798999818/ (probably a closer match by age- I'd have been 4 & a bit) The layout- I doubt it will ever be "finished". It will get more done, slowly. The next step is running a few more of the trains through/around over the next week, then the club comes to visit next weekend. After this last lot of changes, I am slowly getting happier with the track performance, although there are still areas I'd like to relay. Next step is some more styrospan grinding to make the layout a bit more even, and then the middle sections need plastering & sanding back...and buildings need finishing, and the anhydrite wagons need building, and the Flatrol P's need making...you know, I might not ever get it done !. Only 2 years until I retire from this job, then we see how that plays out. The chances are good that I will have to go work somewhere, probably on a camp job. So, it is all to depend. One of the big differences is that Long Marton is moveable, mostly easily. There are some sections which are attached direct to the house, but the major sections are all removeable. James James

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47105471@N05/8448962255/in/set-72157629408307454 ~1994 or so. James

The answer is "it depends". Typically, the fixed (outer) rails can be fed directly. Assuming (!) that all frogs are live, then there can be some other interesting effects. Take a look at Tim Warren's track laying to see how to do it. http://www.bronx-terminal.com/ (or, heck, get drawn down a rabbit hole and have a look around the web page...) The usual trick is to use the adjacent turnouts to control the frog power supplies. This assumes there are adjacent turnouts. If it is strictly on a figure 8 or similar, then insulated frogs are normal, especially with near 90% crossing angles. I know my double slip is wired as a single section, fed from the outside rails, as per how Peco recommend. That is with insulfrog's. I have experienced a little difficulty with it over the last few days with my 50, strangely enough. Most likely due to grime on the track though...i've spent some time cleaning track last night, and more before. James

Which is odd- I have been working on Long Marton on and off for 21 years now, and started at 16 with it. The "complicated" plans had already gone by the wayside before I started Long Marton. I knew I wanted 2 tracks, and S&C, with the viaduct (ideal), but the track plan seemed right from the start. Although, given more space I would like Appleby, or New Biggin & the gypsum mine, space does come into play eventually. Unless I was going to pay someone else to do some of the modeling for me, I think Long Marton is really at the edge of what one person can achieve in a reasonable amount of time with other things to do as well. It certainly appeared that way to me from 17-18 onward, that it would not be practical to run a bigger layout by myself than Long Marton. I'd love to make a model of Kingmoor yard in the Addition...but I don't think I want to fill it, or clean the track on it. http://ribblesteam.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/kingmoor-marshalling-yard-carlisle/ James

A quick note about the above- the fire (*) was below the aft end of that area. Andre was interviewed for CBC, as he was beside the generator that started it. It's probably the end of HMCS Protecteur. So, the last time I will have run full sized steam has possibly happened. (Late November, 2011). It also means that I likely will have the last MINT cert 3A ticket off PRO with 0.00 hrs steaming time on it. Inglorious- I'd have rather had the opportunity to use my ticket !. PO2 James Powell, Cert 3A (PRO) (*) HMCS Protecteur suffered a major engine room fire on 28 Feb/2014, approximately 600 km NW of Hawaii, centered on the port Turbo-Alternator. 20 minor injuries, no serious or fatal injuries.

Generally, I use black 22 awg for the droppers (about .3mm^2 area), and then reels of different colours for everything else (18/16/14 awg). White tends to be my "return" side, black as the live DCC, green is the ground (yes, there is one), red & yellow unsensed DCC, and then blue/purple/brown as sensed DCC. (that is somewhat dependant, as I have used white/black, red/yellow, blue/purple/brown/green as the cable colours feeding the Long Marton boards from the signal box) I've used LOTS of terminal strips- I think it makes things easier. Also, most of the removable BDL 168's have been mounted onto a chunk of plywood, then onto the baseboard, so that it should be easy(ish) to remove them in the event of a serious issue. James

So, my esteemed 8 year old wagon counter told me that I had 63 wagons and a caboose (don't worry, being a RCD owner, I corrected him to brake van) on behind Ark Royal. The 8F that replaced it only has 46 16 tonners on...it's still longer than my sidings. That's on the Down side...on the Up side, I have my pair of Jason Shron's favorite Bo-Co's (sitting Bo-Co-Co-Bo, which is how the "favored" arrangement was...fans on the insides) on the Condor. Next is the missing pair of torti, then the little remapping of sections that I know is needed. Wheel cleaning has been undertaken as well. Next is making realistic like goods trains out of all the wagons. I did remove the FNA's and the very few PO wagons that were hanging around. The passenger trains are already made up, they still need engines adding and testing though. James

The 6P's and 7P's are OK with 10 on, the 5MT was not. I'm not sure how the Jubilee will do. Current train is a extra long goods train with the 50 on the front- strictly for test purposes. That will be tomorrow's play- it's about 75 wagons long, and the wheels on the 50 were dirty, so the 50 got lifted off for a wheel cleaning session, when the battery in the dremel went dead...of course !, so wheel cleaning has to wait. I've got the holes drilled for the next torti to go back on, screws for it are outside & it is late here. So, the layout sits abandoned for the night. James

Some track back in- enough to test run through. I'm still awaiting the arrival of a package from Liverpool, but the track slapped down allows one circuit to run. After that, a quick reprogram should allow for auto again. Then, testing...testing. James

only 2x4's ? I prefer 4x10's for making baseboards out of...or 4x4's. (the 4x4's for real railway...) Some nice photos of big timber: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinsol_Trestle James

Well, as I am sitting across from a 3 7/8ths year old, and next to a 8 year old, I would go with a wild combo of 3 link, tension lock (both Hornby and Bachmann), and Kadee. The Thomas layout has mostly tension lock, and Long Marton has mostly Kadee. Then, there are odd bits of 3 link stock, like one full mineral train and a bunch of other stuff that is 3 link on Long Marton. Oh, and Toby on the Thomas layout...made with the Ertle cast manzac body on a 31mm SPUD. The Kadee's end up with the kadee shuffle being used, but of note is to NOT put the permanent magnets on running lines, as the instructions allude to. I model UK because of tension lock- the X5F couplers that come as "stock" on models over here are cr_p, they don't couple, they don't uncouple...except when you don't want them to. Tension locks, while they look like nothing known to man, do at least couple, and uncouple via a ramp, and stay coupled when a train is being pulled or pushed. James

So, I gave up. I pulled up about 10 ft of track, to relay it. It was rough enough that frequent derailments and uncouplings meant that it was time for a change... New plywood is installed (3/4"/19mm), and some of the track is relayed. I have a couple new turnouts on order from Hattons, and when they get here, I will be able to reconnect the circuit. I may lay in a temporary bit of straight for now...not sure on that. There is rewiring to be done as well, so... James

At high powers, GT's are not bad. It's at low power ratios where they suck, badly, down the fuel tank. I know... If you load them up, then 30% n is possible. It's just that you need a lot of the airflow, and hence compressor losses, in order to keep the engine at idle. James

I'm not concerned with the ability of Sub D's to transmit low powers (like 1A-2A), but don't recommend them when used with DCC power- which is where my recommendation further up came from. Since Dent is going to be DC, then it doesn't matter as much... I do use a pair on Long Marton... Xmas 2009 069 by Peach James, on Flickr the gray Telco wires behind my older assistant's head connect to a 25 pin set. Used for connecting the torti to the signalbox. James

Re: the car-ferry operation(s) around Vancouver: Most of the traffic by weight/volume is not for SRVI, but for the pulp mills. The last traffic out of the Vancouver terminal was ~Dec 2009 or early (~pre 6 jan) 2010. I know... http://www.flickr.com/photos/47105471@N05/sets/72157623323680194/ James

Some of us are still fighting the last gasps of steam... DSC_1562 by Peach James, on Flickr That is NOT me, but one of my mates, Andre Aubry. But, that being said, I fall into the death of steam kind of group too. Dad also had his gasp at it... 8122 by Peach James, on Flickr running steam until 1979, when we left the UK for Canada.

Re: Class 28's http://www.ehattons.com/stocklist/1000399/1000588/1000635/0/Heljan_OO_Gauge_1_76_Scale_Diesel_locos/prodlist.aspx still in stock in most styles. (green, green small yellow ends, green yellow ends, blue) Yes, they take some getting used to...kind of like a Q1. I'd be looking at getting them fairly sharpish, as I have my doubts about a 2nd batch of them. The only annoyance to me is that they didn't do any with the original wrap-around windows. I think they are fairly well identified with the S&C, particularly with the Condor train. James

As threatened: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47105471@N05/11910659473/ Should be a flickr video of the train running through. Note, the signals mean that the computer is actually working too ! James

So, I now have Ark Royal hammering out at about 90 MPH on the 2130 sleeper- GUV, BG, BSK, SK, SK, SK, SLEP, SLEP, CK, BG. Now no longer uncoupling each lap, and not derailing each lap either. I ended up shimming in places by 80 thou. (mind, some of the track has been down for 6 years or so...) Given that I hadn't run trains for 8 months, then it doesn't shock me that some places the track has moved substantially. The other bit that I needed to change I've known about since I finished it ~2 years ago. Changed heights about 40 thou or so there. Next step: work on UP mainline. I will see about cleaning track tonight, and then see what happens. I think I will just run the train around the triangle... James

Ok, so, that kind of fixes the problem on that end of that GUV. Now, plan G is to make the Grades less severe...especially the cross grades that are in places, well worse than what they should be. I ended up with the laser level shining down the track to see where high spots are, it may not be level but at least it needs to be flat. Lots of track work required. Boo. It means that the detection sections would likely (long) short out (under 10k ohms), so I haven't even tried with the computer. I may just see if the version I have in the computer actually matches reality. Before I get there, I have to put in the RR&Co code into it. I think I know where the original is... Hattons package arrived with DCC Concepts lights in it. Not sure when I will get to install the other 3 lamp posts, or the lights for the sides of the buildings. (eventually, I am sure) James

In spite of fettling the plastic bits of the GUV, I'm no closer to it not derailing. Plan F or Y or Z or AA7 or some is now to make a fixed coupler for the front of the car, rather than the Bachmann pivot style. (it will rotate, but not slide in/out). What fun we have with under scale sized curves, over scale speeds... James

Well, I ran the diesel around a few laps tonight, mostly on "fix the high spots" type mission. This is all on the Up track, as the Down line is currently covered in most of the other stock for the layout. I'm up to 9/10 cars from the 2130 sleeper. The GUV keeps derailing, probably by lifting being at the front of the train and with big forces acting on it from both ends. I took it apart and added about another oz of lead to it, and that didn't cure it's rising habit, so...next is fettling the coupling areas at both ends to ensure that the couplers are sliding smoothly. James

Glad to see that you win the same battles as I do I have a couple of slide rules, and I know roughly how to use them. By no means am I an expert, but for a lad born in the 70's, it is a strange passion. I did high school with a +- * / calculator, and the slide rule, and a big stack of paper. Not bad at all, and it does teach you how to approximate and see how math works. I have a TI 82 at home that when I was using it a lot, makes math easier, but it mostly comes down to programming. I've been known to use excel in anger to generate spreadsheet calculations for interesting things- the most complicated one was a fueling calculator for 280s, with water compensated fuel tanks. 16 tanks, giving estimated time till empty, current weight based on salt water (or fresh), suffice to say, there were lots of carry over formulas. (strangely enough, we are talking about math right now- looking at curves of static stability for ships, and WHY/how to trust the book answers) James

DSC02124 by Peach James, on Flickr Shows how close the wood furnace is to the railway. The Double Decker is about in the middle of Trout Beck...but I didn't put it there, one of my "assistants" did... Sorry about the soldering iron...I have several because of that kind of issue...although some jobs like what I was mucking with today would get put off if I didn't have my good one working. Restaurant 2.01 by Peach James, on Flickr (5 LED's in the chandelier) James James

I don't have any big problems with my wood furnace- apparently, I don't have any photos of it up either !. It lives right at the foot of Trout Beck on Long Marton. The track in that room used to get dirtier than the rest of the track, but that probably had more to do with it not having any celing than it having the woodstove in the room. The woodstove is currently burbling away, with it being ~0C here today, I'd rather burn wood than oil. (the oil furnace is in the same room) I do have reasonably big gaps at the end of LM, but those are more accidental than deliberate- as well as allowing enough room to squeeze the whole of LM into place. (there is some requirement for flex on a semi-modular layout to be able to get it into and out of place) James