john dew

Thats a stunning model Tony.....very impressive. Milne House...equally impressive name.......what purpose did it serve back in the day? Best wishes John

Hi Neal My apologies.....I mislead you .....my horse troughs are actually cattle troughs on permanent loan from a Ratio Cattle Dock. Congratulations on your new locos. I look forward to your comments Best wishes John

Hi Keith Thank you for posting such an informative summary. I imagine you will be making some CV adjustments. If so I would be interested to know what you finally settled on and in particular how the loco performed at lower speed steps. I was intending to fit a Zimo (MX617) plus some form of SA. I suspect there will not be enough room for a full fat Supercap and I will have to settle for a few tantulum? I only just saw your second post......dirty wheels and faulty pick ups wouldnt help......it so annoys me when this happens,all too often, on new locos. Thanks again for posting....enjoy your new loco John

Correct .....the newer ones have a blue indicator light that remains on for quite a while after the power is switched off. The other fault with the initial launch was they had no memory of the polarity setting. After a power outage (planned or not) they reverted to the default polarity setting........regardless of the actual blade setting! There were some work arounds like making sure that at least the default polarity matched the normal position but it was still a pain. I only use them where I have been forced to use surface mounted points for a repair or addition and I cant retrofit a tortoise. I have spare decoder capacity for stall motors so hopefully I can replace the binned ADSFX with a Gaugemaster GM500D unit (by a very fortunate chance 3 are already on their way here!) I was very conscious of your immaculate wiring when I was posting (particularly when inserting the photos ) I hope you were not too appalled! Best wishes John

Hi Mikkel It was not fun at all. Apart from the uncertainty that I would find a solution there also was the realisation of how much time would be wasted putting everything together again. I was extremely lucky that the fault was on Circuit 3 which runs under the front edge of the baseboard. All that cutting and testing was, at least, accomplished from the comfort of an armchair. It would have been rather different if it had been on Circuit 4 which runs under the centre of the baseboard.......not sure with my eyesight/back if I would have managed. I am afraid that only the tyred wheels will be replaced on the 14xx. I tried building a chassis for one for almost 30 years ago .........not a happy experience. Model railways are great at exposing ones limitations without causing too much harm! Best wishes John

Thanks Tinker. Sadly I think it will be wet tomorrow.......more modelling time though! Hope the building is going well. Best wishes John

I suspect this post will not appeal to all but, hopefully, may serve as a helpful warning to some. Last week was a bit of a disaster! While re-connecting a loose wire on my test track panel I managed to create a short circuit which closed down the layout completely and took 3 full days to sort out. The test track is mounted below the main layout. Its a 10' long piece of straight track divided into three blocks which I use for loco testing and RR&Co profiling. One of the blocks can also be switched to become a Lenz DCC programming track With the test track not being used on a daily basis I attempted to save money by "sharing" the three detected blocks with three blocks on the main layout. The panel below enables me to switch between either track and test or test and programme. It also contains the occupancy detectors for 8 blocks....3 of which ( 761, 765 and 767) are the "shared blocks" This is a retro shot.......the original panel had a lot less labels and the wiring was more than a little haphazard .......hindsight is such a wonderful talent. I managed to create the short by mistakenly attempting to connect a DCC wire to the 16 v AC turnout circuit..........not recommended! Normally when I do something stupid like this the remedy is simple. Disconnect the offending wires, turn the power off and on again and all is well. Not on this occasion......the system remained down and there was no obvious source of the fault. For a moment I thought I had blown the Lenz Control Unit. Fortunately that was protected by PSX circuit breakers, one of the best investments I have ever made ... The DCC output from the Lenz control unit is divided into 4 separate sections each protected by a PSX In theory a short on one leg should not close down the other three however I am afraid over 13 years of modifications and repairs there has been a certain amount of inter marriage between the 4 legs! I assumed the fault lay with the switch panel and stripped that down tagging and labeling each connection...... Very time consuming and to no avail......no faults Finally as a last resort I disconnected all the PSX except #3. Having established that the -ve Black circuit was ok I cut the +ve Red circuit down stream of the panel I had been working on. I then proved the fault did not lie there by connecting the cut portion to the +ve output of #3 PSX. I continued this cut and test procedure upstream until, after the third cut, the newly cut section of bus shorted when connected to the PSX output I then cut and individually tested each dropper connected to the suspect section of bus. After each dropper was tested it had to be soldered and taped. Eventually I found the faulty dropper......it was connected to an ADSFX (a DCC Concepts point throwing/frog switching device) some distance from the panel. The device is of course connected to both the DCC Bus and the 16v AC bus. I guess my initial error blew some internal safety component. Once blown the DCC input shorted. Once I found the source of the problem I immediately remembered that I know from past experience that these devices (although very useful) are not as robust as Lenz components. I normally always have the power switched off when working with them. All that remained was to remove and bin the ADSFX (I temporarily have two non functioning turnouts) rejoin the segments of #3 bus, re- connect the other three PSX and re-assemble the panel! My wife observed that the whole incident aged me 10 years. A slight exaggeration perhaps......it is after all just a train set..... but it was undoubtedly a singularly depressing 3 days. However all is well that ends well.......everything is now back up and running........ the lights on the 4 PSX are winking happily at me and I can continue with my latest project. I hope to add to my loco fleet and resurrect a long discarded Dapol 14xx by replacing the dreaded traction tyre driving wheels from another even longer abandoned 14xx More next week Regards from Vancouver

Hi Neal I have a couple of horse troughs by the canal locks. I think they came from Langley......if not try Dart Castings or one of their associates Either of the above should have rural sign posts as well Very envious of your “large parcel from Hattons”......what could it contain I wonder? Best wishes John

A rake of 4 Hornby non corridor delivered Feb 2019 will be perfect......cant wait! Although I have to be patient because my livery...GWR .....hasnt emerged from the Container Regards John

Thank you Robin, thats very civil of you. I realise I didnt answer your question properly. I suspect the changes to existing Royal Mail vehicles etc would be gradual... a bit like GWR logo changes. The armed forces may be quicker. I joined the Army two years after the Coronation (I did say I was old! ) to the best of my hazy memory,badges of rank that included a crown ..Colonels,Majors, Warrant Officers etc (Generals as well but I never got close enough to them to check) were all Queens crowns even though some of them must have held that rank in the previous reign. Cheers John

My apologies Robin......I really didnt mean to pour cold water on an excellent idea and as you say it can hardly be seen at normal viewing distance. The crown on all logos bearing Charles’s name should be different to his Mothers when he succeeds. You could/can see Queen Victoria’s initials VR surmounted by a Queens crown on pillar boxes nearby would be a phone box with GVR and a King Crown (the arches are not depressed.) Having said that it may be one of these traditions that dies out. I am in the Royal Vancouver Yacht...very hot on tradition and yet since 1953 we happily wear a queens crown on our blazer and still fly a burgee with the Kings crown. Its trivia and I am sorry I mentioned it

Thats very nice Rob so I hesitate to mention it that he should have changed the crown to a kings crown..... but only people as old as I would ever notice. ........and there arent that many of us left! Cheers John

Happy Birthday John...... have a great day........or perhaps it should be I hope you had a great day......I think its still yesterday here

Neither of mine were much good out of the box ...in fact one went back and forth across the Atlantic before I got it sorted. I added a lot of weight to mine .....otherwise they dont haul much.....and that may well have helped with the electrical contacts.....but the game changer for me was fitting stay alives. That transformed their performance. They dont stall, are super reliable and can meander along at speed step 3. Usual disclaimer but my preferred set up is a Zimo chip and Youchoos Lifelink + 6700 u/f Supercap. With a bit of carving/modification they can be squeezed into the tender HTH John

Thanks Paul Thats great thank you It was a very effective logo in the sense that it was almost timeless and thus able to last for many decades without looking dated. Now I just have to find room in my storage yard so I can actually run the rake. Thanks again Regards John

Hi Johnster I always read your posts with interest...you are a mine of information. I wasnt confusing Fillongley Hall with Hawkworths Modified Halls.......I read somewhere that the “Wartime” Halls produced immediately prior to the Modified Halls had some visual changes and in particular had fire iron tunnels in the tenders (I realise tenders were not attached to locos for life)......and it kind of niggled away....but as I said I wouldnt have bothered if the plate hadnt disappeared. Not too long a wait now for your 94xx Best wishes John

Hi guys Thank you for the quick response. Mr Chuffer is correct, ICI is no more....hence the difficulty. I found its demise quite incredible...it was such a huge conglomerate with its vast Headquarters at Millbank(?). I missed that photo Jason....thank you. Thats very encouraging it will not be the first time I have shed a year Best wishes John

I have a rather nice rake of ICI tankers in Teal green with the roundel logo but I have a nasty feeling that 1948 is too early for them I have googled in vain for a definitive answer but I do get the sense that it was mid fifties at the earliest. Can anyone confirm? Regards from Vancouver

As you may have guessed, I try and post about Granby each week. Sadly, despite being in the Train Room most days last week, I dont have a lot to show you.. I spent most of the week perfecting (.... well trying to perfect!) the LMS 4 car routine with two tanks and my new acquisition the Ivatt 2-6-0 Class 2 MT that I wrote about recently. When it works its brilliant but with three locos and two turntables all in action at the same time there are lots of opportunities for foul ups. Having got most of the Kadee problems sorted,one of the elderly split chassis tanks started playing up (plastic axles?). Locos have to be totally predictable for these routines to work so I will have to strip the loco right down or alternatively substitute another loco...........eventually there will be a video I promise. With the news that the much delayed Hornby large prairies were finally due to arrive in June I ordered engraved plates for the two I have on on pre-order. Kiss of death of course ......still no news of the GWR livery. The plates, on the other hand, arrived in record time. Great service from Fox. In addition to the Prairie plates I ordered a replacement set for one of my Halls. Over the last few years when renumbering/renaming locos I always go for a loco that was shedded in the North West in 1947.......ideally Croes Newyd or Chester. Bachmann's 4936 Kinlet Hall was shedded in Penzance in 1947 so I renamed it 6941 Fillongley Hall which was at Chester shed in '47. Not a great choice.....I later found out that the later numbered Halls had a number of improvements including a tunnel for fire irons which the Kinlet does not have. Its not really a big deal and certainly not that obvious but it just niggled away and irritated me. So when one of the new 6941 plates fell off and disappeared into infinity, I seized my opportunity and KInlet has now become 4976 Warfield Hall also at Chester in '47 . Please dont ask why I didnt choose this the first time......and yes I would only have had to change one digit on the buffer beam. . In other news I understand that some might argue there is another of my Chester based Halls that should be renamed: Nobody has got too excited in Vancouver so I think I will leave it for now. Best wishes

Hi John I have enjoyed watching your videos I can relate to the shortage of hands syndrome, Juggling with controllers, camera and making sure the trains behave themselves.....although I suspect the latter may not be a concern.....your trains look very well schooled.......in my case the moment my locos see a camera/iphone they develop all manner of previously undisclosed foibles. If you are not doing so already, using a video editor may give you a bit more time......start shooting earlier and then cut it until a couple of seconds before the first train arrives.....similarly at the end. There are a number of free video editors for Windows. I shoot with iphone/ipad and edit with ivideo (I believe this works with a Mac as well). Best wishes John

Thats a lovely shot Neal.......you must be rather pleased with it? A Pre-war summers day in Berkshire....whats not to like! Cheers John

Thanks Richard......I like that effect.....a really useful tip for next time.....unless I have another go and try and wash all the paint off. Best wishes john

Thanks Neal I did say with a glass nearby ....rather than in hand! I allow myself just a sip as a reward for completing a load of window cutouts. It is getting more relaxed here......we have days without new cases or covid related deaths being reported. We still have to practice social distancing and exercise care in extending our bubble but the schools are back with about 40% attendance. How about you guys.....can you travel beyond a certain distance now? Best wishes John

Not in North Wales! ..........no I cannot tell a lie........its either a typo (since corrected) or Wikipedia got edited after I did my due diligence. Thanks for telling me John I would not have wished to annoy my other Australian followers ( I dont think there are any Kiwis) Cheers

Thank you! I am leaving the hotel until a little later.....its a perfect summer job at a table on the deck under a sun umbrella with a glass of rose nearby. Just need to finish my Heath Robinson irrigation system then I will have more time for modelling. Best wishes John