TEAMYAKIMA

Hi I want to fit track sensors that trigger certain special effects on my exhibition layout. For example I want an approaching train to bring down the barriers on my level crossing and for the barrier to go back up after it has passed. I had assumed that this would be some light sensor that would trigger a timer to bring the barrier down and after 20 secs or so the barrier goes back up But now I have thought of a problem. The line is bi-directional. So a train travelling left to right triggers the sensor 10 feet to the left of the crossing, it travels across the crossing, but then 10ft to the right of the crossing it triggers the sensor on the other side. Any thoughts? And also where can I buy such 'kits' - I would prefer a ready made solution or at least a kit of all the parts for me to construct. Thanks

Hi Many many years ago I was given some jumper plugs/sockets like these ................ They are extremely high quality and lock in position but I've now used them all. I guess these are no longer made but would like to buy some s/h ones or something similar. I am looking to join approx 6 - 12 cables into sockets on the side panels of my portable layout rather than underneath. Now that maplins have closed I don't know where I would start to source such things. Any thoughts please?

We learnt a lot about operating the layout whilst at Bristol. One thing we learnt was that my team and I had different views on just how the layout should operate. I had designed and built a quite complicated fiddle yard with loads of headshunts off the loops so that we could make some quite complex moves on the two China Rail main lines ................. 1. Run trains longer than the length of the loops 2. Change direction of many trains in the fiddle yard The unanimous decision of my team was that i) these moves were too complex for long operating sessions - what was quite interesting as a one-off became a right chore when repeated 50 times in a day. ii) these moves were too time consuming - what we needed to do was RUN TRAINS to entertain the paying public. At this point Al made a suggestion - to convert all my dead-end headshunts into loops. The effect of this would be to make changing direction in the fiddle yard impossible but at the same time allow us to easily run four extra long trains - two in each direction. So on Monday I started making changes - strike while the iron's hot! Here's the plan of boards 1 & 2 as was... The work begins on board 2 - headshunt off point 7 has already gone Here is board 2 just as I began work ... points 6 & 7 have gone and the new points to form the loops are being prepared Now by Wednesday evening all four headshunts are history and all loops are installed and motored up - just need to wire up the point motors....

First of all a big thank you on behalf of the Beijiao team for featuring us and in particular making us your thumbnail layout. Secondly, may I request that anyone who visited the show give our layout some feedback - positive or negative. Last weekend was our FIRST EVER operating session - yes that's right our first ever operating session. We had tested everything, we had run trains to prove the trackwork , but we had NEVER operated before and so feedback is very important to us - as long as it's not just 'FOREIGN RUBBISH!' So rather than post here please PM me with your comments- especially if you think that some aspects weren't as good as they could be - that way we can improve. For example .................. Trains - too fast? Too slow? Trains - too many times there were three trains moving, one on each main line? Unrealistic or good entertainment? We know what we think but we are too close to the topic - we need HONEST feedback please - no offence will be taken at negative comments. We want to make the layout even better and so we need to know what outsiders think. Thanks

I want to pay tribute to my helpers at Bristol - it was the layout's first real long operating session and it was a steep learning curve Many thanks to Al, Alan, Gordon, Martin and Terry. Here are some snaps ....

Nice to meet you too Brian - you have long been a hero' of mine as you have put up an excellent website featuring your photos of steam in China - a great inspiration and a very useful reference. I recommend anyone interested in Chinese steam to visit it - see Brian's post for link.

My last big worry (there are hundreds of small worries!) was the hotel banner and decoration ................... I will go back and improve it but for Bristol this will do ..... And some more of the railfan photographers have appeared - and one of them is a woman!

The 3D printed figures have arrived! Here are the first three.................. From left to right .... Peter .... loco repairs - especially the ones I drop!! Al ..... the bridge, the Faller roadway and the level crossing - and general right hand man! Bob - DCC, route selection and general advice on the logistics of taking a BIG layout to an exhibition

Five days to the Bristol show!!! Scenic board # 4 has always been lagged behind the other three - no today! An overall view at the end of the day ... And from the other direction Some details ................

And here is Bob himself as he will appear on the layout - 3D printed and painted by Claudia Everett

Have taken delivery of a total of five DCC fitted QJ 2-10-2's from Bob my DCC man. This means we can now run two double headed coal trains (one loaded, one empty) with a spare loco just in case of a failure.

We now have a carrying frame ...................... First shot ....................... Later I cut down the height to reduce weight and added a second bolt to hold the boards .....................

A lot of time spent on the layout yesterday - and today from 6am! A lot of it 'wasted' repairing or re-doing bits that I'm not happy with. Repairing ..................... Somehow a lot of brown liquid got spilt all over one of the boards and I hadn't noticed - originally I thought it was coffee but now I think it was the water I clean my brushes in. All the front tenements looked like this! Luckily, two hours with a cotton bud took it all off! Re-doing. Wasn't happy with the end backscene. The new one will have smaller holes cut in it for trains to enter the fiddle yard and will also fit better - lees gap to its neighbouring backscene. Old and new shown - still need to cut one more hole on the left.

Less than 48 hours now until Twickenham & District MRC's FREE pop-up exhibition in Twickenham Library. Star of the show will be NORTHWICK the club's premier OO exhibition layout. Take a look at a few recent photos ................. Better still come down and see it in the flesh on Saturday!

Hi I have acquired a kit of a building site and there are loads of these .................. I think they are breeze blocks but can someone confirm this please? I want to pile them on top of a wooden pallet as a scenic feature but I assume whatever they are they would be heavy and so might be too heavy to store on a wooden pallet - any thoughts? Lastly what colour would they be?

I have often said here that there is more to building a (large) exhibition layout than just modelling - there is logistics as well. How are we going to get this mother into the van? Are we going to get it into the van? I've made some end protectors that also allow the scenic boards to lie on their backs lengthways in the van..................... We measured and they were still to wide to fit in the van! Mark 2 ..... the fiddle yard boards will stack (all 8 of them) across the van with the stock boxes on top

Just a quick update................... Twickenham MRC are holding a 'pop-up' show in Twickenham Library, Garfield Road, Twickenham on April 21st 10am to 3.30pm. There will be four OO layouts......... Northwick - our main OO exhibition layout - classic steam era layout Eastgate - our brand new contemporary D&E layout - all privatisation era MODERN diesels Inglenook Sidings - our 'Have-A-Go' switching puzzle layout Drive-A-Train - our newly re-vamped classic toy train layout for our younger visitors to try their hand at running trains. Plus displays It's FREE (donations welcome) so please come down and see us.

Yes, I agree with you up to a point, but to a great extent the issue only means anything with regards to an exhibition layout. What anyone does on his own home layout is totally and utterly his/her own business and so others (like me) only have a right to comment on layouts that are exhibited to the public.

Absolutely, brilliant - you have summed up my views perfectly!

I really genuinely had not wanted to get involved in this thread again, but I cannot agree with that statement. What I think we have agreed on is that there are two schools of thought ; one agreeing and one disagreeing and that further discussion is pointless as the one camp will never persuade the other camp over to its view. The other thing I think we have agreed is that there is disagreement as to what the purpose of exhibiting is and that the 'target market' of various layouts (of all genres) varies - from families to extreme enthusiasts - and all variations have value, they are just DIFFERENT.

Twickenham & District MRC are holding another 'pop-up' exhibition in Twickenham Library right in the centre of Twickenham on April 21st (10am to 3.30pm) The theme this year will be OO with four working layouts and other displays. More details soon.

Thanks Paul

Another frustrating day .......... My tame DCC expert (Bob) came over and we tried to tackle four long term issues .............................. 1. The easiest one - DONE! Delivery of new infra-red hand throttles - no cables everywhere inside the operating area!!! 2. The most important - DONE! A new high tech piece of kit that means that the DCC is split into four distinct districts - the four track circuits. So now if something shorts out any given circuit the other three can continue running while we sort the problem instead of the whole layout cutting out! Here it is fitted in the power box ............... 3. New DCC operation of some front of house pointwork - FAILURE !! Very unusual faults - totally baffling!! 4. Route selection issues through the 18 road fiddle yard - FAILURE!! Still have to operate all 54 points individually! Will try to deal with issues 3 & 4 next week at our last trial running session before the Bristol show.

Track laying on Twickenham MRC's new D&E layout now complete! So we're on track (sorry!) to be running at the club's 'pop-up' exhibition at Twickenham Library on Sat April 21st (10am to 4pm). This mini exhibition is designed to take our hobby to a new audience, people who might not attend a full-blown show on the outskirts of town so we have taken our hobby right into the centre of Twickenham. Why not come and see the layout there and meet the team behind it?