DLT

I don't think the suggestions was to remove them from existing locos! High Level now supply their own motors to go with their gearbox range, and these are even better than Mashimas! I believe they are coreless types, like Portescaps. High Level Kits have their own topic HERE

I'm getting this squashed-up title bar as well, but only on Premium. If I revert back to 2021 Default Them, it goes back to normal. Cheers, Dave.

And here is the yard end; once again looking bare and needing people, goods, general clutter etc. And a couple of closer views, I'm really please with the result in this area. And finally the coal siding. As this is a transhipment point, its very unlikely that any coal would be stored here, especially in bunkers provided for the purpose. However, it does make an attractive feature, and gives this rather open area a focal point.

Here is the current state of play, with all tools/bags of flock/jars of ballast etc removed, and looking a bit bare. Weathering and blending needed, but I'm not sure I'll manage is completely. The old track looks very dark and yellow in comparison, maybe I need to brighten and "grey" it up a bit. I'm thinking I should leave the contrast, to show it as a length of track that has, literally, just been relayed and ballasted; not something you seen modelled very often. Some lower angle views of the station end, definitely some dirt and darkening needed to create contrast between rough ballast and walkways etc.

Hi Callum, I really liked this layout, even though I only had a fairly quick look. Meant to come back for a more detailed look, but ran out of time! Couple of quick questions if that's ok, do you have any more West-Country shows coming up? And is there a topic/website for the layout? I've watched some of your videos, but do you have a photo gallery? Thanks very much, Dave.T

Excellent photos Chris, thanks very much. I went along on Saturday, specifically to see Bridgewater North, and I wasn't disappointed, its superb! And hats of to Trevor and his team for bringing it all the way from Lancashire. The show as a whole was very good, with a nice variety of layouts. I was particularly taken with Fry's Somerdale, a beautifully conceived view of a level crossing; and its got me thinking! I went in the company of John.C, of Narrow Gauge & Industrial fame, and we DID indulge in the cakes... Many thanks to the organisers, see you next time. Cheers, Dave.

Ok, we've moved on a bit. I've painted the new coal piles with a mixture of PVA glue and black powder paint, and coloured the flock/sawdust ground with various powders. At a show yesterday I picked up a packet of what I thought was dark coloured ballast (could hardly see through the bag) but on examination it turned out to be fine graded coal. Very appropriate!

Thats phenomenal Giles,

A bit more progress, Ballasting on the SG siding More coal piles being added in the yard, from little offcuts of insulation board (never throw anything away) and ground texture from fine sawdust. Can't see it very well at the mo as its all the same colour.

Sounds like it! Could well be 1/4 inch BSW (British Standard Whitworth) Not sure where you would get them nowadays, Engineering suppliers? Furniture restorers?

More messy stuff, getting the whole of the yard ballasted, and at the moment the contrasts are stark. Pictures show it just done, with no cleaning up at all. When its dry and tidied up, weathering will blend it all together a bit more. I wanted the SG sidings looking like they are top-ballasted with fine ash, and I've used Woodland Scenics "fine cinders" to achieve this. To conserve the stuff I started with a layer of normal ballast to about half depth, glued in the normal way, and then sprinkled the cinders on top. The front siding was originally done with ballast and a suitably coloured flock, but this has faded to yellow, so the plan is to top it with more cinders.

At last the work of upgrading Bridport is moving again. First job is ballast and ground-cover in the new transhipment yard. Looks a bit on the chaotic side, but is is organised(ish) Ballast is a general mix of lightish grey/brown/beige colours, mostly from Greenscenes, and avoiding the dark grey stuff that turns blue when you glue it.. Its easier to darken stuff that's too light, than it is to lighten it if too dark. The headshunt end is done, but needs darkening down a bit more. General grot, weeds, grass etc need adding around the edges, base of buildings and fences; it all looks a bit clean and pristine at the mo.

Look forward to seeing you there Martyn, come and say Hi.

I'm doing some ballasting at the moment, but as its a small area I'm sprinkling it by hand. I've watched the videos of the "spreader" device, and to my mind it seems deliver too much ballast. You don't necessarily want it level with the sleeper tops

How much forward and back movement is there in the motor shaft? If it runs sweetly in one direction, is that with the shaft pushed in or pulled out? Reducing the end-float in the motor shaft, so that it stays in it's "sweet" position would help. Simon has already brought up sideplay in the driven axle, is the gearwheel moving sideways relative to the worm? If so this will cause noisy/rough running Reducing the sideplay to an absolute minimum so that the gearwheel stays in it's optimum position will be a big help. Best of luck! Dave.

Ooh the irony! I constantly try to reduce the amount of stuff I carry, with little result.

You will probably get a controller thrust into your hand....

Just realised with alarm that Bridport's first show of the New Year is only a month away! Febex Alton is the venue, and its been much postponed, I was booked for 2020. So I will be paying a bit more attention to the layout now, having been involved in SG projects for a while. Cheers, Dave.

Thanks for all the "likes" folks. After the recent spurt of activity, I need to spend a bit of time getting Bridport ready for the new year, with the realisation that my first show is in one months time!

I'm planning to attend, but likewise, I've not found any further information. Dave.

A quick diversion back to the tender. The bogies in the kit are superb, but the mounting lets them wobble and flop all over the place. So I've applied the same restraining/controlling method that I've use for many years on my narrow gauge bogie coaches. A centralising spring wire on each bogie sits in an eye near the opposite bolster, springing them to the central position. Additionally ONE bogie is prevented from rocking sideways, steadying the whole tender. The photos SHOULD be self explanatory.... The U-Shaped strips rest on the sideframes of the rear bogie, stopping it from rocking sideways, preventing wobble A view from above shows the central-springing wires in place. With these restraints in place, the tender runs much more smoothly and steadily, does not wobble in motion, and it a lot easier to put on the track.

Thanks very much Nick, I have to admit this ones been a bit of a marathon. I've been a bit bogged-down with the dimensions and details, and additionally having to work extra shifts on the run up to Christmas, the cold period when the workshop was VERY uninviting, plus a bout of the flu, have all conspired against me. There was a lot to do to the old-style chassis as well, and it was only recently I discovered that Wizard/Comet do a chassis kit aimed at upgrading the Hornby model. I wish I had started with that! Anyway, we're getting there, another update to follow. Cheers, Dave.

Here's the replacement reversing rod, filed from the edge of an old etched fret (never throw anything away...) Its probably still a little on the heavy side, and the ever-so-slight fishbelly shape isn't quite there, but its a definite improvement. The supplied one is too thin and shouldn't have the zig-zag in it. The real thing curves downward slightly over the rear splasher before disappearing from sight. The cab end now looks like this. You can see where I've moved the handrail knob holes to their correct position and filled the old ones with Araldite. The countersunk hole allows the knob to go deeper and keep the handrail straight. The S-bend in the injector feed pipe is where it curves over the ejector pipe and then under the handrail And the front end, with a clack valve added for good measure.

Never saw it myself, but remember CJF writing about it. One of his Plan Of The Month articles was entitled "Homage to Maybank".

And today's one-pace-forward-two-paces-back is the reversing rod. It turns out to be too thin, wrong shape, and too short..... So its out with the etched leftovers box and files.