john dew

Lovely shots Robin. Does the 47xx perform ok or does it live up to its reputation? One was shedded at Birkenhead but so far I have resisted the temptation! Keep safe

England also lacked imagination but I guess thats not really new......Scotland on the other hand had a well thought out game plan that was well executed.......although I recognise with all that possession they should have put more points on the board.It will be interesting to see how they perform against Wales at the weekend

Thanks Tinker It was more a hope or wish than a prediction but even so what a shambles. Scotland played very well but as for England........I will not be surprised if Italy break their record this week and I am certainly notexpecting attractive running rugby from the men in white Keep well

Thanks John.........I owe you a pint! I had got fixated with a curved roof largely because of the material on hand. You have reminded me I have not only CD cases but also plexiglass left over from picture framing. Perhaps my problem is now solved and as a bonus England will beat Scotland on Saturday playing attractive running Rugby. Keep safe

Back to the Hotel and a couple of setbacks. Initially all went well: Finished rear wall glued into place and support floors added to the wing extensions: Added matching end walls and finished side walls Dormers added to wings. Not sure if practice has made perfect but they are a lot better than the first batch and took far less time. I just need to add about 30 chimneys and the roof area is virtually complete Lots still to do at the rear of the Hotel and this is where I have run into some problems. I am having to rethink some of my original plans I had hoped to finish with a shot of the "Palm Court" completed. Unfortunately glazing is turning out be rather challenging .......I had intended to use printed film from the Scalescene Station roof but, after a couple of failed attempts, I think it may be too flimsy without additional support. The ends of the two wings still have to be clad .........the plan is to have the kitchens under the Palm Court spread over to the RH rear wall with a single storey extension topped by ventilation apparatus. I hoped to cover the LH rear wall with a fire escape constructed from this rather delicate Langley Models Brass Etch I knew when I bought the kits that, when completed, it may be 3/4" wider than the rear wall. I thought I might get away with a slight overhang, now I am not sure. This weeks project is to start stripping the fret to determine whether I can reduce the overall width..........if I cant I guess it will have to be Plan B. Hopefully next week I will have, at least, resolved the glazing issue. Keep Well

Taking a break from the hotel .......... Here is Mogul 6346 leaving Granby Junction with the 2.10 pm Up Passenger for Shrewsbury Meantime on the Down line a second Mogul 7305 approaches Granby Viaduct with the 12.10 pm Passenger from Barmouth Junction Hope you enjoyed the sequence The sharp eyed may wonder why 7305 has a number plate on the smokebox door......particularly when it reads 7301! The loco was re-numbered to 7305 which was shedded at Croes Newyd (Wrexham/Granby). A new smokebox door, sans number plate, is now on its way from DCC Supplies. The Dapol spare parts list for this loco is amazing Next week.....back to the hotel Keep safe

I am sorry my congratulations were a bit premsture......this must be very tiresome.....hopefully things will settle down shortly.....I guess the customs guys wont be in a good mood with all the extra work It is tight fitting everything into the Dean Tender but it can be done and makes a huge difference to the running. The plastic coal has to go of course.....I seem to remember carving out one of the internal support walls. Hope they arrive soon

Hi Neal Glad all your parcels finally arrived.....I am, of course, looking forward to hearing your new sound chip but I am even more interested in following your progress with installing and operating the Dapol signls.....its on my list for Granby so any comments or advice will be very much appreciated Keep Safe

Crane shunting......now there is a concept.....not sure how RR&Co will cope....it tends to be rather picky about train formations!

I am very impressed with your progress John.....you put me to shame. Does the B.V. at both ends of the china clay train reflect actual practice on the prototype or is it just for operating convenience? I am very tempted to do something similar although it won’t be on a clay train! Best wishes

Nice job Neal.......I guess the extension will cause less cropping and give you better camera angles? One of my regrets is that I didnt pay enough attention to this as Granby developed. Although you have added scenery, I think your extension is actually a very good example of less is more. Keep safe

On with the hipped roof for the front of the Hotel The width and length of the roof are obviously fixed but the height can, to some extent, be varied. There is a formula for calculating the other dimensions but trigonometry was never a strong point at school......and that was a while ago! I just played around with card templates to try and establish the optimum height The hotel dominates the station area already so this is obviously too high but a few adjustments produced a more acceptable version. Here is the final version in 1mm card Dry fit to test Cover with Scalescenes copper sheeting Insert strengtheners I mentioned earlier that John Wiffen sent me photos of another modellers three dimensional hotel and it was from there that I got the idea of using Copper sheeting. Nice snug fit......I need not have bothered with the edging! Next stage : finish the rear wall, build out the inside of the wings and add a row of dormers to match those on the outside. I have also just finished weathering the Dapol Moguls so next week I should have few loco photos for you Keep Safe

A very belated Happy New Year and many thanks for the good wishes. Like most of you we had a curious and quite unforgettable Christmas. One can only hope that it will be better this year. Back to the Hotel. This picture is, perhaps, somewhat deceiving. Its overall structure hasnt changed fundamentally since the following photos were taken in the fall. Its just three separate low relief models arranged in a U formation. With the arrival of winter most of the construction takes place in the kitchen. The Jamie Oliver and Elizabeth David books used as weights are a big clue. It will not surprise you to learn that a week before Christmas I got an eviction notice from Mrs D! I did however make some of progress in the final week. The first job was to glue the three modules together into a single robust structure that would form the foundations for rooves and the very visible rear of the building This was the moment when I moved away from John Wiffen's detailed step by step instructions and started designing myself.....on a wing and a prayer Not quite as elegant as John's support structures. In truth its only rarely that I model interiors.......the back scenes for the side wings were over prints but will be useful as guides for positioning support floors. The next step was to start building out the centre section The rear centre sub-wall ties the two wings together. I have tried to match the front window configuration but the top floor had to be free lance to line up with the dormers on the wings. This sub wall will eventually be clad with a second clad and glazed wall. The entire center section will be surmounted by a hipped roof The sub-wall acts as support wall for the roof foundation. The edges of the roof foundation are clad to allow for a less than perfect roof fit! Afraid that was a bit dry and dusty......gets more interesting next post when we will see whether the roof fits. Stay safe

Hi Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. The keeper plate is attached to the underside of the chassis and retains the wheel set in position. Hopefully this photo will help. There are 4 retaining screws......the one next to the clearance bulge for the centre axle/gearss is the one that was too tight. Ignore the normally unseen aspect of my weathering! Happy New Year

I and others had a similar experience. Stay Alives will help ( I added Youchoos Supercaps)......but you will probably have to make other adjustments They are quite light locos....try adding additional weight ...I added over 70 gm. The pony bogie doesnt have enough play which can cause derailment problems but it also contribuites to stalling.......if the the track is at all uneven the pony wheels will lift the unsprung centre axle clear of the track! I and other owners have filed down the bogie to provide more movement. I think the keeper plate is also screwed on too tight .....I eased the screws and this helps as well. Performance improves as the motor beds in.....I had to run mine a lot trying to sort things out I had to spend far more time tinkering with these Prairies than any other recently purchased models. There is a marked contrast between their out of the box performance and Dapol’s Mogul.........however time and the adjustments do pay off........I have three and performance for all is now excellent and the stalling has disappeared. HTH Best wishes

Slight change of subject: Spare Lamp Irons? There dont appear to be any on the Model Assuming they were fitted to the prototype could someone advise where they were located? I am guessing LH side below smokebox? Still with Lamp Irons.....the rear lower irons on the tender are part of the buffer beam and consequently finished in red...........or were !

That happened with me the first time I profiled the mogul. I came to the conclusion I had muddled up CV 29 Bit 4 (Lenz Bit 5 !)* and inadvertently deactivated the speed table created by CVs 2,5 and 6 * I read the CV values with the Lenz throttle and have to remember the numbering is different. Like you, I have been very impressed with Zimo and this is the first time with them I have had a hiccup.....fortunately its now sorted.

Hi Keith For comparison purposes here are my CV settings for the Zimo 617 N18 and a screen snap of the TC Speed Profile 2 : 1 3: 1 4: 1 5: 90 6: 50 29: 34 57 : 125 I suspect thats a bit slow for you but I rarely go above 30mph on Granby I havent done a huge amount of testing.....I am in the throes of weathering them (I was sufficiently impressed to buy a second).......but they do haul 4 Collet Suburbans up a curved gradient at a scale 10 mph Best Wishes John

Hi Robin Just a note to wish you and your many followers a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. Thank you for hosting the best informed GWR site and continueing to provide me with all manner of new ideas/products......I would be lost without you! Best wishes from Vanvouver

Hi Neal Just a note to tell you how much I have enjoyed following Henley this year and to wish you a very merry Christmas. I thought these shots of the interior absolutely brilliant........not sure what you did but they are outstanding.....quite different from the normal layout photo Best wishes

I do hope that despite the restrictions you and your families are able to enjoy a merry Christmas. These are indeed strange times.....we normally have 14 of our extended family to dinner.......this year because of the structure of all the inter related bubbles there will just be Doreen, me, my youngest daughter and her husband. We will see our eldest daughter (who only lives 300 yards away), our granddaughters and would you believe great grand daughter only through the wonder of Zoom I would particularly like to thank all who, throughout the year, have patiently supported my ramblings about Granby with ticks,comments, praise and advice......it would not be the same without you. I was trying (unsuccessfully) to add snow flakes to the Dean Goods when I looked out of the window and realised I didnt need Photo- shop or Affinity: You cant see too much of Mount Rainier right now..........It looks as though we may have a White Christmas. Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year

Something different to start.........in every sense.......I first posted this in its entirety the Mogul thread to the confusion of all We live on the edge of the North Shore Mountains overlooking the Port of Vancouver and Burrard Inlet. Facing South East, if you are up early enough, you can capture the sun rise. You have to be quick......this was gone in seconds. 600' below us the inlet and most of the Port are shrouded in mist. The mountain at the back is Mount Rainier, 200 miles away in Washington State Back at Granby the hotel is progressing as I create the foundation structure for both the rear and the roof. Cutting and glueing 2mm grey board isnt very exciting although shortly I should be able to post some photos that show what I have been up to. As I have said before I have developed the bad habit of focussing on the project of the moment to the detriment of all manner of other repairs and improvements. You may remember the Metcalfe Warehouse that screens the entrance to the Storage Yards? I tried to make the scene a bit more interesting by adding some figures unloading a crate from a lorry . Its all a bit superficial.....the chains round the crate wouldnt lift much .....they were just odds and ends left over from the Tank/Warwell exercise. Doug (Chubber), a long time and extremely helpful follower of this thread, pointed out that the unrelieved pressure of the chains would shatter the crate! He spared my blushes by sending me a PM and followed it up with some detailed instructions of the proper way to do this job I am ashamed to admit that this conversation took place in April! How time flies when you are building Hotels. The warehouse is just behind the Computor Monitor.......I see the scene every time I go to the railway room.....it was a constant reminder of my bad habits. I finally "got round tuit" last month: Its not the neatest model and I never did qualify for the Scouts knots badge but I hope that it is now technically correct Spreader from scrap 2" x 4" relieve the pressure on two bridles The bridles have eyes (rings) at both ends. The rings are suspended from the bar of a shackle. The shackle is suspended from the hook of the hoist A light line is attached to the crate to prevent it from spinning Everything is a bit overscale. I found it impossible to thread and secure the "rope" to scale eyes. The eyes I eventually used were too big for the coupling shackle I intended to use. I had to scratch build a larger shackle from brass strip. Achieving and maintaining equal tension on the bridles was character building. So there we have it from my normal viewing position........another job ticked off the list Whats this.........a bus on a bridge??? Special dispensation .......its in the family: Keep Safe

My apologies.......this shouldnt be here.......I have re posted it in my Granby thread Something different to start We live on the edge of the North Shore Mountains overlooking the Port of Vancouver and Burrard Inlet. Facing South East, if you are up early enough, you can capture the sun rise. You have to be quick......this was gone in seconds. 600' below us the inlet and most of the Port are shrouded in mist. The mountain at the back is Mount Rainier, 200 miles away in Washington State Back at Granby the hotel is progressing as I create the foundation structure for both the rear and the roof. Cutting and glueing 2mm grey board isnt very exciting although shortly I should be able to post some photos that show what I have been up to. As I have said before I have developed the bad habit of focussing on the project of the moment to the detriment of all manner of other repairs and improvements. You may remember the Metcalfe Warehouse that screens the entrance to the Storage Yards? I tried to make the scene a bit more interesting by adding some figures unloading a crate from a lorry . Its all a bit superficial.....the chains round the crate wouldnt lift much .....they were just odds and ends left over from the Tank/Warwell exercise. Doug (Chubber), a long time and extremely helpful follower of this thread, pointed out that the unrelieved pressure of the chains would shatter the crate! He spared my blushes by sending me a PM and followed it up with some detailed instructions of the proper way to do this job I am ashamed to admit that this conversation took place in April! How time flies when you are building Hotels. The warehouse is just behind the Computor Monitor.......I see the scene every time I go to the railway room.....it was a constant reminder of my bad habits. I finally "got round tuit" last month: Its not the neatest model and I never did qualify for the Scouts knots badge but I hope that it is now technically correct Spreader from scrap 2" x 4" relieve the pressure on two bridles The bridles have eyes (rings) at both ends. The rings are suspended from the bar of a shackle. The shackle is suspended from the hook of the hoist A light line is attached to the crate to prevent it from spinning Everything is a bit overscale. I found it impossible to thread and secure the "rope" to scale eyes. The eyes I eventually used were too big for the coupling shackle I intended to use. I had to scratch build a larger shackle from brass strip. Achieving and maintaining equal tension on the bridles was character building. So there we have it from my normal viewing position........another job ticked off the list Whats this.........a bus on a bridge??? Special dispensation .......its in the family: Keep Safe

Thanks Mikkel.......French Cafe Jazz in the background....I had forgotten it was on

I also fitted a Zimo 618 N18. Very happy with the result. My model is a super reliable runner........I dont believe it has hesitated once! The model is highly geared though. Thr max speed out of the box must be astronomic. To get a scale speed of 45 mph, which is all I need on Granby, I had to set CV 5 at 90. As a benchmark CV 5 at 90 in a Pannier gives a top speed of 28 mph! Here is a short video of the Mogul crawling through speed steps 1-7 In the video the transition between step 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 seem a bit too abrupt........I have only adjusted CVs 3,4,5,6 and 57. I am wondering if there is another Zimo CV I should be tweaking? Speed step 1 is pretty amazing.....it too over 30 minutes to cover 6' on the profile track. A number of posters have used the phrase "sure footed" to describe the Mogul's road holding. Thats certainly mu impression. Some sections of Granby's track are less than stellar. The nasties presented no problem at all......every dodgy section taken with total panache. I did encounter a problem with the motion bracket.......entirely of my own making.....I managed to hook the mogul up to an already anchored train and then applied too much wellie. Not a good idea...the bracket popped out of its mounting recess and the motion seized. Fortunately I was able to re-insert it without any great difficulty. It doesnt look the most robust method of attachment though.....wouldnt want it to get mis aligned too often. I have to say I am very impressed with the Mogul. If the Manor is equally good I will be a very happy camper. I must say I do hope that Dapol persevere with their Prairie, I think they would give Hornby a run for their money. Best wishes from Vancouver.......Keep SAfe.