TEAMYAKIMA

Ok... M shed now wired. Next insulating...... Taking cost out of the equation , whic is better at keeping the shed cool in summer ... Rockwool or celatex? And is the difference significantly so? I just can't make up my mind!

Another problem has been discovered. Scenic boards have been stored on their backs...… and have just discovered that this has caused some damage as a part of the bridge supports has become detached....

I've had a frustrating and time consuming morning - off to work soon! One of the problems I've always had with the layout is testing/adjusting - in so many cases testing could only be done when the layout is fully assembled - which now means at exhibitions. And of course at exhibitions there is no chance to adjust things if things are not quite right! And so it has been with the working level crossing barriers - this needed a lot of adjustment and there was no time at Stevenage to do any. Today have spent about two solid hours and I think I've finally got it perfect. Here is a photo showing the problem - the rear barrier should be fully down - but it isn't! The problem now was working by myself I needed to be in two places at the same time - DIFFICULT! I had to be under the baseboard to make adjustments to the relays but also standing up to see what the adjustments looked like. After four or five attempts the rear barrier settled down properly - that then revealed that in the down position the barriers weren't level as seen here …. So by raising the supports each side this problem has been improved... Then more adjustments to make sure the barriers went up to the same angle ….. One last check - did they look OK with a vehicle passing across? Job done!

So the Milton Keynes show has now been and gone...………….. We used the new barriers for the first time...………………. We were visited by one of our Founder Members (and still a Country Member 58 years later!) Pat Finch - proudly wearing his 50th Anniversary T&DMRC shirt.... And a new loco appeared for the first time ……………..

We're off to the Milton Keynes show and no barriers are provided - time to buy some of our own …..

Since our first real operating session at the Bristol exhibition last May I have now taken out a total of 16 points to simplify operation in the fiddle yard - that's nearly enough for the new fiddle yard on my new home layout....

I have now removed four more points from the three industrial roads in the fiddle yard - yet again I built in features in the fiddle yard which no-one ever used... The industrial roads are 16, 17 and 18 and the crossover you can see links 17 and 18 - the two crossovers linking 16 and 17 (one in each direction) have now been removed. All clockwise trains will now use road #16, all anti-clockwise trains will use road #18 and trains which change direction in the fiddle yard will use road #17 using the remaining crossovers to run round via road #18 when its vacant.

My friend who will be insulating and lining the shed came round this afternoon and needed the shed to look its best. So I make no apologies for posting the two most recent photos of the shed - it's never been so tidy and organised - and most likely will never be so tidy and organised again

Richard There are detail differences with QJ's. I'm not an expert but there are single and double headlights, high and low headlights, 12 and 8 wheel tenders, standard smoke deflectors and 'German style' small deflectors, various adornments and various designs of front boards on the pilot. Now there were several examples of deflectorless QJ's - now it so happens that I also own 2 x 6266 and I plan to convert it to a deflectorless version This photos shows high and low headlight variants …………………. Unusually the one on the left has no front board so that would be a relatively easy conversion. The one on the right has only the China Rail emblem which might be doable...……. 7043 would be difficult as the front board has Chinese characters on it......

I have been preparing my new shed before insulating and lining it in two weeks time. I have now fitted permanent LED strip lights - 3 x 5 footers - and laid in the wiring for 8 x double sockets. New fuse box at the northern end of the shed …. each cardboard box is a complete train ….. Eventually there will be a workbench with 4 x double sockets at the other end of the shed Even the outside has had a re-vamp - including a new motion sensitive floodlight...…

As the OP I would emphasise that I don't claim that all British modellers are like the guy I quoted from Bristol all those years ago - just some. The question I pose is whether we overseas modellers can be just 'as bad' the other way round. You make a good point about the existence of Continental Modeller, but I think you'll find that CM readership is spread across the English speaking world ie I think (and I could be wrong) that a quite high percentage of CM readers live in the US, Australia, NZ etc as it is the only English language magazine covering railways where the usual language would be German, Italian, French, Dutch etc.

Hello Steve That is the way I think we should all think. I like to think that I am very open to any new concept but that usually means overseas layouts - generally they tell me a story which I don't know I am not proud of my current thinking regarding British layouts, it's just that I've found that attitude creeping up on me!

I model foreign railways - first American HO, then HOn3, then O, then On30 and finally On3 - now Chinese HO. I well remember when I took my American O gauge layout to Bristol many years ago and one of the organisers saying ' I suppose some people like this sort of thing '. I am aware that many exhibition visitors walk past layouts like mine thinking 'Not British, no interest' or even 'Foreign rubbish!' My initial thinking when making this OP is : Are we overseas modellers just as bad? I say that in the context of the recent Aly Paly show where is just walked past many (very nice) British themed layouts on the basis that 'I've seen that 1,000 times before in the past 50 years'. I would like to think that that I am open minded and open to everything with regards modelling, but I fear that I am becoming just as insular as that guy in Bristol all those years ago - just the other way around!

Could someone kindly post a photo clearly showing this issue please

What exactly are you referring to? Is it that very faint line 3/4 up the boiler/smokebox, just below the handrail? Not in any way criticising your comment, just wondering what the issue is.

Hello I want to illuminate my path to my shed at the bottom of the garden. I want to use a light with a motion sensor so that when I walk down to my shed in the dark the exterior light comes on. The path runs alongside my conservatory. The ideal place for a light is opposite my conservatory So my query is ……………. If my motion sensor in effect 'looks into' the large glass windows of my conservatory - will movement behind the glass windows trigger the light coming on? In other words …. if there is movement inside my conservatory, will that 'movement' trigger the exterior light? Thanks Paul

Hello I am using Peco OO/HO code 100 points in my fiddle yard with point motors fitted underneath I need to fit a reliable switch to turn on a waring light when the road is set to a headshunt - how treliable is the Peco accessory switch ? Is there an alternative? Also I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't experience of how exactly the accessory switch fits - any photos?

Just quickly returning to the modelling content of the programme, may I highlight the re-surfacing of Twickenham & District MRC's long departed 4mm GWR layout TADMERE. Filmed in the 1970's for Bob Symes' MODEL WORLD series I was somewhat gobsmacked to see it feature in the opening sequence of this programme some 45 years later! That piece of film is truly a gift that keeps on giving.

Did anyone notice a Twickenham & District MRC layout in last week's James May programme about Hornby? In the first few minutes there was a random selection of footage of layouts and one of those featured T&DMRC's long-gone 4mm GWR branch TADMERE. It was filmed in the 1970's for the MODEL WORLD series and has now re-surfaced in 2019 - truly the gift that keeps on giving!

Some other points have come out - these are now no longer needed and can be used on the next project - YES there will be a 'next' project - once I get the shed sorted! I'll be replacing the gaps with plain track tomorrow....

The new industrial railway FY point is now in place permanently...

Have cobbled together some temporary lighting so can work on the fiddle yard approaches - adding a new point on the approaches to the industrial FY roads - this will allow us to run one extra train...….

I haven't been able to concentrate on the shed for a few weeks as other things have taken my attention, but back on track now...………….. Anyone else used this? It looks easy to fit and cheaper so that attracts me. Many people mention this air gap issue - why is it important?

Twickenham & District MRC's Open Day is due to be held on Saturday July 13th - and there should be a lot of good modelling to show visitors! Recent good T&DMRC news includes the club and its members winning three out of the five categories in the recent LNWR Society/RMweb modelling challenge - including the RMweb popular vote - congratulations to Peter and the team.

6165 is MTC - have never had a problem with a Bachmann one so can't help - sorry