SteveBedding

That little loco (J94?) seems to be quite happy with those tight curves! It's very satisfying when something actually moves after the efforts of construction Keep on the great work, and I'll watch this with interest.

That looks like a very well developed technique there, and a great description of the way you did it; it certainly gives an impressive result! I saw St Ruth at the expo and can just imagine the size of the area you are working on - it's not for the faint-hearted or the easily bored I look forward to more progress and future updates on what is going to be a spectacular layout

Thanks for this Pete, you make it look so straightforward One question (I'm sure they'll be more later when I actually get round to trying this myself) - how does the buffer height seem with the lowered body? It looks quite a significant drop on the last picture, so how does if compare with the wagons & other rolling stock?

I'd agree with this - I'd say you've cracked it, the practice versions have certainly paid off! I'm in a quandary over whether to use brick paper or look for an alternative textured/embossed covering, and having looked at what your achieving, this is not helping my thought process at all - it would be so much easier if you'd made a pigs ear of it. Damn! Super work - keep it up and please keep the pictures coming.

Looking good so far Pete - even if they are diesels - and blue at that... Am I right in assuming that only 142 has been lowered at this point? If so, are you going to detail how you actually did this on the other 3? Of course this isn't for me you understand, but I have a friend who happens to have 37 that needs a bit of TLC...

Pete Is this what the doctor prescribed?

You don't do things by half do you? If I remember rightly, it's only one point and a section of single track from the end of the platforms to the bridge; I'd be inclined to say 'go for it' and get all the track to a basic level (no ballast). The only doubt/concern about this that I would have would be the alignment of your 'mechanisms' under the board and the risk of spoiling the super neat wiring that you had so carefully done. The up-side of this would be that you would have a totally clean slate from which to ensure that the running characteristics were absolutely perfect. It is easy to view this with clinical detachment when it's not your own layout your so blithely suggesting ripping up and starting again , and I could well imagine how disheartening this could seem at times. However, with your standards of perfection and detail, I can fully appreciate your wish to get everything just so...

Agreed, looking back at the pictures & text, the 28T & 12T shown both appear have inside diameters of 1.5mm - I'd made the assumption that the 28T had a 3.2mm (1/8") inner diam to go with the association gear m*ff. Chris, Out of interest, what loco is this for? What is it's nominal top speed, and do you have a motor in mind?

Nice recap Pete, and congratulations on the 10,000! I'll enjoy contributing to the next viewing milestone I've always liked the clean simplicity of CJ, and the modular approach that you've taken, but I would agree with you that at the moment the operating potential does have its limitations... ...if you want to justify your large collection of blue diesels, you just have to expand the 'junction' element of the layout!

Chris, Looking at what you've got, I'd suggest that you try for the 30:1 reduction from the worm & 30T 100dp gear (assuming it's a 'worm wheel' and correctly cut for a helical drive) and then use the 12T/28T combination as the second stage to the drive wheel. The diameter of the 28T 100dp should be about 7.62mm which is smaller than the 8.05mm of the 30T (there is a very useful file titled "GearWS.PDF" on the VAG) and will give better appearance behind the 8.5mm diameter drive wheel. However, following your comment about the 30T looking a little worn, it may be better to go back to first principles and design the gear chain from scratch. Using the no-load motor speed and desired final top speed of the loco, you can calculate the reduction needed, and the select fresh gears to suit. The Scale Speed Calculator (here) is a good place to start.

I'll have you know that NO jelly babies were harmed at all today!

Great to have finally met you Kris,and to have seen Avonwick in the flesh again - its' certainly grown a bit since the Expo last year . The Manor did look rather nice, and my views on the 'blood & custard' livery have changed having seen your Toplights; OK its still not as good as a proper livery (Cream & Brown), but its a pretty good second... Anyway, congratulations on putting on a great display, and my hat's off to you for running it all solo

Do you mean the drive gear ###### (3-100 Black acetal axle ###### for Drivers (3.2mm dia)) ? Chris, looking at the gears you have listed, I'm a bit concerned - are these from the Association shop? My concern is the the 28T (3-354?) spur gear you're referring to is not intended to be used with a worm, something to do with the cutting of the teeth on an angle; the gears for using with worms are 3-364, -365, & -366 (or the dedicated gear-sets). I'm no expert on this (and may be barking up the wrong tree!) but I've just been going through a similar exercise a 57XX pannier and like you found the 'gearing' to be very confusing. If you have more details - ie planned layout, motor type and speed, desired top speed of the model, there are some quite useful articles on the VAG on calculating the necessary gear ratios and the spacing between centres.

David, thanks for the educational insight into the 'horses rear end' - I can now seem really intelligent (?) when talking to my daughter Yes, well guessed Pete , and here is the little engine on it's new home, firstly as the wagon load, and then in overall context... It still needs to have tie-downs fitted, and either a dusting of snow, or a tarpaulin cover, and maybe a cameo to 'receive' it, but that will be down to Mark to decide (it is his train-set, so his rules apply).

Thanks for the identifications; I'd never heard of Pithead-Miniatures before, and as you say they do have a nice range of 'support' vehicles Some of which will most definately find themselves on the station forecourt of Calne circa 1942...

Nah, can't see a DUKW there....

A few days ago I alluded to an 'off-topic' project I was working on this week; this was a necessary diversion as 1) it is due for tomorrow, and 2) I wanted to wait for a consensus on the point construction and tie-bar discussions. It is obvious that there are as many variations as there are railway modellers ( ), but it looks like I'll keep on experimenting until I find a style/technique that I'm comfortable with - well this layout was all bout learning new skills... Anyway, the diversion... ... late last year I observed that a certain wagon was short of a load, and was then (politely) told "...well you fill it then!" So this is what I found... There's no specific prototype identified on, but it appears to be reasonable representative of the stationary/static steam engines of around the turn of the century. ... but not this... I chose to model the engine in 'as-new' condition (just being delivered in around 1910), and to make it in it's 'travelling' configuration, ie the chimney dismantled and laid along the boiler. The cut off chimney was replaced with a piece of brass tube with wire soldered around on end to represent the flare. There are still a few little bits to finish before tomorrow; the wooden 'thingy' that goes around the horses' rear end (what do I know about equestrian terms ) needs to be bent down to the level of the wagon floor, and the front wheel unit can't be glued to the body until this is done. The chimney, and now I look at it, quite a few areas of the matt black..., need a second coat or touch up, but overall I'm actually quite happy with the attempt. Certainly these close-up are very cruel, but when seen from a distance (especially if the wagon and it's load are parked behind a tree!), it looks quite respectable . This is the first paint-job I've done in about 25 years and although I had trouble with the enamel paints (new tins!) not drying, and the 'slightly' older acrylics being less easy to work, I reckon with some more practice I'll get the hang of this artistic lark... Hopefully I'll have some snaps tomorrow of this wagon load being used at Newbury, and dispel the myth that wagons only carry jelly babies

Oops - where the hell is the edit button? Should read: "...they were my fathers toys that I used to play with, as I AM NOT of a sufficient vintage to have had them first hand...."

Looks like a rather substantial battery that you've got there, and I especially like the way in which you have managed to recreate the green that Dinky used for their immediate post-war models! (...and before anyone comments, they were my fathers toys that I used to play with as I still of a sufficient vintage to have had them first hand.... ) I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that they are 12mm MiniFigs? I recognise the Quad/limber/25 pdr, and the White scout car; I think the small tanks at the back are either an M3 or an M5? But what is the small truck?

That's quite a significant re-work there - though as you say it'll be well worth the effort to get snag-free running. I'd also fully agree with Ian's view that it would be better to do the re-working of the board 2 track, and test the layout in it's entirety before ballasting; I'd suggest that this will serve two purposes, 1) fully testing all operations/movements/stock permutations will ensure that all snags are identified and corrected whilst it is still easy to do so, and 2) ballasting in one go will allow for continuity of colour of the ballast, and a continuous approach to the weathering. Just remember during point 1), you're not playing trains, you're carrying out an essential quality control check and system test (Ok this armchair modelling at its best, as I've yet to get anywhere near this stage!)

As if.... ...we are going to try and be professional and serious about driving Witney this time - "a jelly baby's for eating, not shunting..." (and if you beleive that, I have a nice castle in Windsor that I could sell you? )

As noted by 2mm Dabbler, I've used the Versaline etched chair plates on the PCB sleepers (but only the standard single chair plates); where a longer plate has been needed, I've used a piece of 0.010" brass strip cut to length. I've got some of the Versaline cosmetic chairs, but as yet I'm undecided on whether to use them or not (back to the KISS/80% solution principles)

Thanks again to everyone for the input - there is some real gems of experience coming out here and I certainly intend to shamelessly poach all the great ideas! I have to say though that I'm a fully paid up member of the KISS supporters club (I used to like their music too...) and a firm believer in the 80% solution! That one was quite easy actually... Select all items to form a group (Tabs > group > group select all templates) Work out the mirror line - either horizontal or vertical (Tabs > group > mirror group on X at notch - (X is for vertical axis - substitute Y for vertical axis)) Then move everything back to the desired datum point ie distance from notch to origin (Tabs > group > shift group by...) Ok it did seem easy after the event - I'm not a Templot expert, I only found this out by accident EDIT: I've attached a screen shot of Templot showing where the commands are that I used to create the 'mirror'... ...ignore the highlighted command, this is just where the mouse was when I took the snap shot.

To add an echo... .. that is coming together very nicely - thanks for the insight into the initial marking up of the carcass (PS - its good to see you back in the land of the 'real' scale, not faffing around with those big toy trains... )

Pete Looking forward to the work on the 4 class 37's! It would be very useful to see every detail (warts 'n all...) of each step - with lots of pictures please... It just so happens that SWMBO has a cousin about 10 miles from Keighley, so I might even get to the Expo this year - if I can persuade her that she needs to do the family visit I'll have to sweeten the deal with a trip to the The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway on the Sunday, but that's no hardship as I always did enjoy the (original) Railway Children (oooooooohh Jenny Agutter - must go and lie down )