DLT

Depends on the height of the backscene Andy. Nought wrong with operating from behind as long as you can still fully interact. Charmouth and Bridport both operate from the rear, but with manual uncoupling the layout and backscene height have to be arranged accordingly. Also has the advantage that you are actually facing the audience to begin with. Charmouth, being a long straight layout, has the controls arranged so it can be operated from front or back just as easily. Operating from the front is fine, as long as you don't spend too much time obstructing the view for visitors. With three-link couplings you may find yourself moving around at the front quite a lot. layout is looking terrific by the way! All the best, Dave.

Only just found this layout John, and very nice it looks too. I'm a bit of a fan of the Irish narrow gauge, and this looks very authentic. All the best, Dave.T

When it came to testing the all the bits together, a problem appeared. Testing the crosshead in the slidebars revealed a maximum back and forth movement of 8mm. However the crankpin throw of the supplied wheels gave a movement of nearly 9.5mm; Problem! Had I got the right wheels? A check of the loco data said cylinder stroke 28 inches, scaling to 9.333mm, so yes. So increasing the crosshead movement it had to be. I managed to lenghten the slidebar slots VERY carefully, using an old blunt junior hacksaw blade. Still not enough, so I shortened the crosshead slipper (the flat bit that actually slides in the slidebar slot). Success! slightly under 10mm ov movement. Slidebars were soldered to the cylinder assemblies with their fore-aft position quite critical. Indeed it took three or four goes to get it right. Anyway its all there now and the photos SHOULD show the mods, if you can see them! Cheers, Dave.

Now that looks superb! Dave.

Yes, coz so far I've only done one side! Perhaps I should have said "The left hand cylinder is NOW about right, the right hand as supplied" I photographed it like that to show the difference. Hope that explains, Dave.

Turning to the cylinders, SEF supply a fold-up etch with all the holes correctly located, and cast cylinders that push on to the ends. Crossheads and slidebars are beautifully (and solidly) cast in nickel-silver. A trial assembly revealed a hitch, the cylnders stick out much to far, almost a scale foot outside the footplate! As hollowing out the whitemetal was a non-starter, I filed back the etching. The left hand cylinder is about right, the right hand as supplied Rather than a plain hole, I soldered a piece of tube in place for the piston rod to run in; the square hole above it takes the slidebar. Putting it all together: (but nothing fixed yet) Bye for now, Dave.

Looking a very nice job Doc, and an interesting prototype that I've never seen before. You cant beat a nice bit of brass & solder. All the best, Dave.T

Hi Andy, I think a tin shed is just the job in that location, but can I make one suggestion? When using the plasticard, cut it into scale-sized sheets and apply them individually. You dont have to overlap them, but it just makes it look less smooth and uniform. Embossing the nailheads from behind with a sharp poin beforehand will help give it some relief. When painting corrugated iron, I paint each sheet individually so that they have subtle variations in finish. Don't overdo it though! When adding weathering using dirty washes, it will run into the joins and gather along the edges and round the nailheads; in the same way as you have done with the wagons. Merry Christmas, Dave.

Looks superb in those last two photos, very convincing. And the building disguises the corner very effectively, a superb piece of modelling. Merry Christmas, Dave.T

Hi Matt, You have an excellent set of skills; along with a determination to get on and build models, and the confidence to take on new challenges. You recent conversion of a GW 4-6-0 to a Brighton Atlantic is a case in point. Some real "outside the box" thinking that I wouldnt have thought of in a million years, and a unique and correct looking model without a trace of its origin. And followed by a stunning rendition of the very complex SECR livery on the H. Don't run yourself down! All the best, Dave.

You're doing some mileage Ray; I should be coming to Beaminster in January, maybe I can have a play? Cheers, Dave.

Time for another of my rather sporadic updates on this thread, this time its for sme of the bits attached to the footplate. The front bufferbeam now looks the part (to me at least) Footsteps are always fiddly, the DJH etches went together very well but needed filing down a tad to blend with the curve of the footplate. After worrying about the melting the soldered footplate I soldered all these bits on without any problems. The heat required is so localised that theres no risk of heating up the whole footplate. Smokebox wrapper is homemade and Araldited in place. It doesnt go all the way round, but stops where it meets the saddle; you can see this if you look closely at the photo. This abrupt end wont show when finished as it will be hidden by the smokebox front and the smoke deflectors. The firebox is soldered to the footplate, but the boiler barrel is screwed on. It has to be removed for painting. When put next to all that whitemetal the etched cab seems a bit flimsy and delicate, but is all the more realistic for it. Its just perched in place for the photos, hence the visible join. I've left it loose for protection and will fix it in place later. Dave.

Interesting idea Paul, If you are going to double the period and location by removing the Southern Concrete, how about going for TRIPLE period and having a pre-group independant light railway period as well? Odd secondhand early Victorian/industrial locos, ancient 4-wheel coaches etc, etc? Or maybe thats taking things a bit too far... All the best, Dave.

Great set of photos. Dave.

Except where you want it!

Lovely stuff Matt, and you've done a superb job on the H-Class. SECR must be THE most complicated of all the pre-grouping liveries. All the best, Dave.

Just had a look at the pictures on Lionheart's website http://www.lionhearttrains.com/modeldetails.php?page=models&mid=4 and they all look far to bright. Of course that maybe the photo colours being over-saturated. Dave.

A highly productive 24-hours Andy, brilliant. Is the Wife still away? Dave.

Yes I see the problem! My immediate reaction is that the coach is much too bright and shiny, it doesnt match the subtle and subdued tones of the rest of the layout. I would go so far as to suggest that it needs a repaint, but this may not be an option if you've just shelled out a shedload for it. Hmmm, Dave.

Very useful...

Hi George, Never had any problems with whitemetal soldering myself; although theres been a lot of scare stories about it over the years. You need 70degree solder, liquid flux, and an appropriate iron. The one I use is an old Weller 15-watt model, that I found wasnt powerful enough to solder brass. The whole subject has been discussed at length, I seem to remember there is a thread devoted to it. Have you tried a Forum Search? Hope this helps, Dave

An update on an earlier part of this thread, I have replaced the photos of the W-Build, that had dissappeared from the first page of the thread. If anyone is interested of course. Cheers, Dave.

Have you been Icing the Christmas Cake as well????

Hi Rob, I would suggest extending the foreground to the railway boundary and adding a fence. Peco's new Iron Spearpoint Railings would be just the job, http://www.buffersmo...GoogleBaseFeed1 or Scalelink if you prefer the etched brass variety. Your existing foreground slopes downwards away from the line, extend it as far as you can (even one inch would make a significant difference) and put the fence along the edge, or as close to the edge as is practical. Alternatively, slope the ground upwards away from the railway, and then put the fence along the top. Either way it would reduce the "In yer face" effect that you describe. Visually a fence gives a definite boundary to the scene and keeps you looking into the layout, rather than letting you eye wander down the front of the baseboard frame. Much the same effect as a backscene has at the rear. Hope this helps! All the best, Dave.T

Some beautifully flowing trackwork there, I did once look at Ilfracombe myself as a layout, but was put off by all the double-slips; I think there were five altogether? Cheers, Dave.