SparxD428

More work this weekend on the embankment and with yet more ballast infill in light grey, trying to break down the overly brown appearance. Also started project 117. A full service on the Lima DMBS and had it running beautifully on a DC test track. Fitted a DCC Gaugemaster chip and after a bit of research and tweaking of CV's have it running pretty well under DCC on the layout. Also tweaked the settings for the Lima 47 and now this is running much much better on DCC so will be retaining its services. Started repainting the BR Blue on the DMU trailer and centre car as well to improve the appearance after the dreadful weathering of my youth some 25+ years ago. It will be reappearing as set L419. Hope now to detail it and might even have a go at flushglazing, as this weekend I did my first flush glaze kit fitting on a Lima BSK and it has improved the appearance no end, so with a renumber and weathering on that as well will be useable on the layout. So coach numerals and set numbers are on the shopping list. Having a night off though to watch England v Slovakia Will try and get some pics of further work later in the week. Cheers Stu.

Thanks JDW. I agree regarding the Lima 47. I remember that I stripped it out a while back after I purchased it second hand for a full clean, grease and gear sprue trim etc. when it was on my old DC layout but for some reason thought it was done much more recently than I did, so it probably just needs the same TLC to make it a little smoother, although it does run OK once a happy constant speed can be found. Cheers, Stu.

Hi Matthew, I agree, I am a bit short of stock and have concentrated my spending on getting the materials to get it complete although occassionally get sidetracked with the odd purchase. I do have an old Lima 117 DMU which I am thinking of hard wiring DCC but despite my weathering efforts about 25 years ago it may need a bit more TLC before its acceptable. I have run the centre car and trailer DMS being pushed by the DPU occassionally so have that option in the short term. I would very much like a new Bachmann 117 when its released and a 121 when I can find one. And a 31, few 47s, more 50s, HSTs..... In regard to 104s if I remember a few came later in the 1980s when they were used on the Goblin so might not be likely to appear on my layout but I may stand corrected as my knowledge of DMU's is almost postage stamp material. Cheers, Stu.

Hi Rob, Got a feeling you posted this on my thread by accident, just in case you have been shouting at your computer wondering where your post went !! Would be happy to have you and 31415 over at some point soon. Once the layout is in almost "completed" state in the next few months I will hold a running night for fellow RM Webbers to run the first proper services, as you can probably tell from the pics I'm a bit short of stock for a full western region commuter night so will be pleased to invite you along. Cheers, Stu.

Hi Trev, Smashing layout. Looking really good. Love that 40 as well. Cheers, Stu.

Ballasting of the tracks is now complete with the shoulders also completed. Just a few infill bits to do once track ballast is all dried and decision on whether to use buff fine chippings just to break up the monotonous brown I have created. I have also started creating the embankment on the inside part of the layout from the 2nd scenic break but nothing worth picturing yet. Took a couple of pics after running some trains tonight using the older phone camera from more distance and seem to have come out well. Hoping to plough on with more work on Saturday but need a few more materials. Struggling to find decent hanging basket liner at the moment. Cheers, Stu 50031 on a rare stopping commuter on the main line 33004 sits on vans idling in the yard, unusually in the stabling shed road 55991 waits for the road to park in the yard for the night.

Thanks Andy. Much appreciated. Can never have enough Blue or Large logo in my opinion. Glad your next project will be Blue period. Any thread started yet, or information on what it will be or where it will be based as I will be keen to follow. How many projects do you have on the go now ?? Cheers, Stu.

Superb job on 47033 Rob. Like the fiddleyard expansion too. Coming along well. Cheers, Stu.

Just love this layout. So much atmosphere comes through in the pictures. Class. Cheers, Stu.

Track weathering has been the order of the day today using the usual acrylic mixes watered down. Also found a lot of loose rather than stuck ballast right under the scenic break bridge so this will need addressing when I deem I have enough time and patience to rectify it, but its no big deal just something that is bugging me. Also been doing some of the last bits of ballasting to the shoulders of the 4 lines as they travel from the road bridge in the centre of the layout to the other scenic break which is yet to be built. Zoom function seems not to be an option on the work phone camera but colours and sharpness are much better so a couple of pics attached showing the weathered track with the obligatory 50 in the background as well as my 08 shunting the yard. Cheers, Stu.

The dark side gets us all....

Looking really good so far Martyn. I will be following progress. Cheers, Stu.

So after the debacle of my 50 related betting (only Regal Monarch managed 3rd place) back to the modelling and some pics as promised. I have airbrushed out the "clutter" under the layout using MS-Paint as I took some overview pictures of the layout tonight to give a clearer picture of how it is developing. The 08 shunts a speedlink train This is the start of my road construction feeding the speedlink "platfrom". The main road behind will be run off into the backscene by a trick of perspective and a strategically positioned block of flats or bus depot above the platform as it wouldnt have been realistic enough to have the road become singled and follow the railway. Overviews of the corner of the layout, then the main viewing side And finally one of the station area Hopefully will plough on with more retaining wall construction tomorrow as I have run out of basket liner for the bank for the time being. Cheers, Stu.

A busy week off has concluded with the completion of rail side painting and track ballasting. At last !! Just snagging and the infill to do now but feel a sense of achievement this week and its continuing as I am using cork offcuts to build up the bankside scenic on the inner oval. On a separate note it's Derby day today and i decided to have a flutter, and has I havent had a bet for a long time I decided for fun to do a Lucky 15 (4 horse selection) and see if I could find 4 horses whose names contain Class 50 names or related terms. Amazingly I found 3 running today, Montys REVENGE , FEARLESS Fantasy and Regal MONARCH. As I couldn't find a fourth I think "Big Generator" is the closest thing to finish the quadruple., although I think it would have been more apt if it was called Generator Flashover ! So expect these horses to be shot in the paddock or fall off the truck when arriving at the track. If I win any sniff of money I will have to put it into a saving fund for when 50026 is released by Hornby !. Oh, and I backed Ulysses to win the Derby. Back to the layout, will try and get some more pics up tonight. Cheers, Stu.

Week off work and in between looking after the girls and various trips have done a bit of modelling. Finished painting all of the rail sides now and done about 85% of the ballasting though one curve lifted after ballasting so I have had to pin and reballast that but it seems to be holding now. Planted 3 platform lights on Platform 4/5 and made small Acton Green signs from photo print for them. Planted 3 yard lights purchased at Brockenhurst over the weekend when helping out on Tidworth. More lights to be done as well. Also I manufactured milepost 4 3/4 for the layout, which puts its location as just past Acton Main Line but not as far as Ealing Broadway. I am imagining Main line wasnt there (but the yard is) and that Ealing is a little further west !! Still lots more to do but a few pics from recently. Cheers, Stu. 50004 St.Vincent idles by the new milepost 4/III 50011 Waits on a parcels train in the bay Acton Green has a few more signs as well

Hi Peter, This is what I will be using on Acton Green for 4 aspect signals (for 3 aspect you can ignore the circuit branch for "A2"). I will be using 2 way "On-On" switches so to avoid having to jump through Amber to go from Green to Red as a rotary might do, but it might not be everyones cup of tea as you need extra switch(es) on your panel. I put a description up on my layout thread of how it works if it helps. This also includes LED indicators on the panel to mirror the signal setting, but again these can be ignored if not required. Thanks, Stu.

Yesterday I started construction of a small office to live adjacent to the fuelling point. It is based loosely on part of a structure by the fuelling point at Ipswich circa 1985, so maybe not regionally correct but I just think that this type of office once painted and weathered properly will be a better fit than the current plate layers hut I have marking the space. Here is a pic of the office under construction using card for the structure, plastic for the window frames, and Wills flexi brick cover and doorway. Hopefully by the end of the week this structure will be completed. Yesterdays ballasting must have had slightly over diluted glue as it has not stuck as well as previous, so have gone back over that today ! Cheers, Stu.

So have done a bit more of the block of flats in the background which is beginning to develop OK, as well as the relay boxes which will just need a bit of weathering. Ballast still drying as is more baseboard concrete colour. I also recently painted the ladders and the rear of the colour light signals silver as they look more realistic that way. Cheers, Stu

The ballasting gang have been out today as well as the relay box wiring crew after a fortnights rest (well work travels !) Have the bank holiday week off so looking forward to really cracking on and getting a lot more work done on the layout. Will try and get a few pics later of the latest works. Cheers, Stu.

Thanks. Its very basic but it could help others new to the electronics aspect of signalling, certainly the basics anyway. So my basic circuit for 4-aspect signals is as below. This will be repeated for the 4x 4-aspect signals on the layout, with a simple toggle for the 2 aspect platform starter. I have added colour so you can see easier which LEDs are fed by which branches (ignore the position of them as the signal is Red-Amber-Green-Double Amber but for ease of circuit diagram amber is at the end - you will see why). On the 12V line I will have an On/Off switch so I can turn the signal circuit off without unpowering the transformer if required, but this switch is not a necessity. Switch 1 is my primary switch, which can either be set to RED, or OTHER. Switch 2 comes in to play when the signal is not set to RED, and determines whether the signal will be GREEN or AMBER. Switch 3 comes in to play if the signal is set to AMBER, and allows the Double AMBER to either be set On or Off. It is on this branch of the circuit so it only becomes an option when a single AMBER is already lit. Fairly basic electronics but hopefully will be effective. The LEDs marked display will be on the panel to mirror what has been set, saving me having to keep poking my head around the corner as the panel position is almost perfectly "behind" every signal. The resistors from the signal come pre-wired as I am using Berko signals. The resistors for the panel will be 1.2K ohms as I only want 10mA across my display LEDs. Cheers, Stu.

Got my copy through the post yesterday and have to say a great article.

Think I may have a rethink on chipping up some of the old Lima items. After a reasonable start 47402 has developed into troublesome child, behaving in such a way as not running, spluttering, stopping, then finally running and refusing to stop, the only time it has run round the layout flawlessly with the controller speed set firmly to 0 !! Even though it ran well under DC, it needs a lot of attention under DCC so might just hold on to the other 8 pin chip in hope of a new arrival with better running gear before I weld it in to something 25+ years old. However have devised a circuit digram for the signals using just 2 way On-On switches to avoid having to jump all through the different combinations unrealistically to get to the correct signal setting, with mirrored LEDs on control panel to make it easier to see. This first circuit design is just for 4 aspect or 2 aspect indication with no junction indicators, and does not include any logic to reset any conflicting signals, which if I do decide not to bother with junction feathers will be sufficient enough for my needs. Will try and draw a decent schematic for the signals if anyone's interested with explanation of the logic behind it. Cheers, Stu.

Another busy day after a quick trip to Alton Model Centre for some supplies. Did a little rail side painting this morning and ballast snagging. Then almost broke the bank to buy a new Class 47 but decided to wait until I can really afford one (or two !) However, purchased a fair few bits n bobs for the layout including some advertising hoardings, 3 Berko signals and a couple of gaugemaster DCC chips. Signals have been planted but not yet wired, but tested on 12V dc all LEDS ok. I know the down relief is wrong type/position and I may yet change this as I need to purchase 2 more signals and will decide whether to have junction feathers or whether this whilst desirable would just add unnecessary wiring as its not an exhibition layout after all. Tonight I have successfully hard wired my old Lima 47402, although its a bit rough under DCC but will be acceptable to cruise by on passenger trains rather than be used for any shunting manoeuvres. Like the look of the new Bachmann 47576 in NSE and 47001 weathered. Hoping to make one of them a summer "present" to myself. Still got to decide which other DC loco to chip up - maybe one of the other 47s as 47628 was a good runner under DC, though the Lima 117 DMU is an option. Also put a postbox outside the station building with a postie figure I already had, and tidied up the non painted parts of the tube station. As usual a couple of photos. Cheers, Stu. 47402 on the down main, taken from the front of the layout. 47402 on the fuelling point The new postbox and advert hoarding in the background. I am likely to change what is advertised to something more period suited circa 1985-87.

Hi Ian, Hope you dont' mind as though I didn't get many shots from the operating side recently at Fareham I did nab this one late on and really think it shows how brilliant the colours are for the grass, ballast etc. as well as how real the buddlea makes the whole scene look. Absolutely nothing to do with the fact the parcels sector robbed a DCWA vac for their turn. Cheers, Stu.

Been trying to finish the overbridge scenics and I think i am nearly there now. Should have worked out my perspective vanishing point before I put down the pavement on the bridge side but have almost overcome that with a new bridge/wall, print of some further houses and a big tree to split the view where the 2 backscenes meet in the corner. Overall happy enough with the effect. Also have printed images of some ticket barriers inside the tube station though due to the lighting and dullness of the image not very clear but its better than plain grey card staring out of the station. Just need to position another set of railings and then this part will be complete. Completed the painting of the final set of platform stairs and although I made these square its more to disguise the scenic break under the bridge from viewing position as well as not obscuring trains. A couple of pics of these developments, without trains as the focus point. Cheers, Stu. View from ground level of the station area. Need to just straighten the tube station a little as it seems to lean slightly