gridwatcher

2 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

You’d think they’d go for BR blue or  Railfreight grey nail varnish on their website!!!!?

I think I recognise that as BR Roof grey and pretty sure it's Patrick's nails.

On 14/06/2019 at 12:04, SEM63A said:

More news:

 

Finishing Touches have withdrawn due to unforeseen circumstances. A replacement is being investigated to take their allocated space.

 

Seminars by Legomanbiffo. One seminar per day in the luxurious surroundings of the Board Room at Dewars Centre but instead of an audience with Lord Sugar, you are welcome to come along to find out about the following:

 

An introduction to the version 5 chip and how its features will benefit everyone. A pre-production Heljan Class 66 will be used to demonstrate that.

 

Some information on DVT and DBSO operations and dispelling the myth that 'electrics, DVTs and DBSOs don't make any sounds'. This will include a Class 47/7 and DBSO, plus a 67, 86, 87 and a 90 running with a DVT.

 

There will also be a good light and sound demo including a London Underground S stock with door opening lights and third rail arc flashes, 1 153 with door opening lights and an Autoballaster with sound and lights.

 

Also, a little bit about bi-mode operation using the Hornby IEP as an example.

 

Also included, Neil  will be some examples new steam and irish diesel sounds and answering as many questions as possible.

 

All of this is for free! Each day the seminar will start at 2.00 pm and last for an hour or longer if there is lots on interest and as many questions and discussion as you like.

 

Please register for the seminar at the entry desk or at Stand 76

 

Regards,

 

Stan

 

 

Hattons 66 Stan?

Getting the Portuguese fleet fettled for our only show of 2019 with Campo De Leste (are we the only Portuguese outline layout on the show circuit in the UK at present?) Come and have a chat with the SDEG boys. You won't miss the bright Orange Polo shirts.

Not long now! Campo stock is being fettled for Perth Show on the 29th 30th June. Look forward to seeing many of you there. Here is an Andrew Donnelly shot that sort of encapsulates everything that we try to achieve with Campo De Leste.

Cynical...... I await the flood of cheap 25/3s next.

7 minutes ago, Br60066 said:

After fiddling with cv’s I’ve found setting cv 163 to 230  and cv 162 to 70 gets the pan much higher while still having a little slack to avoid damage. If you get the Bachmann decoder it gives a handy breakdown of what the pan specific cvs do and what they are set to from factory. 

Philip

Is there 'bounce' in the pan when extended too? No point it being up and rigid? The whole thing is real contact wires go up and down and pans move to follow them. I was hard enough setting everything up to be realistic on Wellpark.......! Will be giving Ian (Biff) a ping to see where he's at on the sound decoder. 

Thanks for update

Si

15 hours ago, wombatofludham said:

I still think Hornby might just beat the Danes to an 86/2...they do seem protective of their current model range, witness the spat with Rails over some kettle named after a dog.  The old 1980 86/2 was quite good for the time and has been a hardy perennial ever since, so given the all new 87 seems to have hit the mark (DCC fitting excepted) it wouldn't surprise me if one breaks cover towards the end of the year.  There again, I've said that before, so don't trust Mystic Wombat's predictions that much.

Ordered an Intercity 90 seeing as they seem to be selling out quickly but will wait for a sound chip before I dcc it.  I'm looking to renumber and rename as many of my out of the box AC electrics with Midlands themed names, so I'll be wanting to rename it as "BBC Midlands Today", not the most imaginative of names but I did once appear on a feature on the programme.  It really does look the business.

Looks like Heljan will be there first on the 86.... ...... As for sound chips. I think when reconfigured the new Loksound v5 will be able to power the servo on the pan. so asking Charlie petty or Biff would answer that. My biggest question and the one I cannot get an answer to is the pan itself. How high will it go? It certainly doesn't look anything like high enough for running on wires? In reality the pan should be softly sprung and extend several millimetres beyond where the wire lies to leave pan head running on wire under light pressure? Anyone help us? Don't want the most beautiful locomotive on Wellpark to be the only one whose pan head doesn't run on the wires? 

I suspect this entire website will be drowned in froth by the end of next week........

21 minutes ago, Stimpy53 said:

I used this photo as a guide for weathering, stains, leaks.

 CRACKING SHOT...I CAN HEAR IT FROM HERE!

On 14/05/2019 at 22:20, Stimpy53 said:

Well, I had no idea AM were going to offer a limited run of rtr kits of the 1900, instead, back in early 2018 or was it 2017(?) I bought two of his kits along with a couple of Bachmann SD40 el cheapo via eBay. I've only built up one of them as the process of cutting down the Bachmann frame and reassembling them to the correct size was more than a handful of trouble. Regardless, one is built. I was going to start on the second one for eBaying when I saw the Sudexpress flyer...., think I'll leave the kit alone..... but darn it I've just noticed I've knocked a windscreen wiper off.

 

I bought the sound project, created working ditch lights that operate white/red or white both ends etc. Then weathered it.  While the resin details aren't bad overall, I did think a much better method of building the trucks is required. Following AM instructions, I reckon they'd not last many years of abusive use. Since AM are charging 450 euros for a built one, I think I'm fine having only spent 230 euros to build this.

Very nice too.... complicated still further by an RTR one from Sud withing a year or so. That said it just means we'll have more and some 1900s and not just 1930s..... Nice to see you have the oil leaking out of 'ALL THE RIGHT PLACES'!?

See what we mean Neil?! 

In other news "our' (Andrew's) Bombardier 1965 has had a chip and speaker upgrade (nervous work here!) The two Astis have both had YouChoos Large Flame speakers added and sound better. The Orange Norbrass Alco has also had speaker upgrade. All because despite the exorbitant money charged for some of these models the quality of sound supplied is a long way from what we luxuriate in here in British Outline.  

Waddon Marsh is ready to go. We are at Scottish Diesel and Electric Group /Bonnybridge MRC Show at Bonnybridge Community centre this coming weeeknd 27th 28th April 2019, 10am. FK41AA along with a load of other great layouts. Hope to see you there. 

Feast or famine in Portuguese modelling. Having had nothing to look forwards to for years all of a sudden we have the Sorefame coaches on the near horizon to look forward to. Then  SudExpress announce both the Asti (see kit built version in earlier posts) Sud's release will include the 'freight' pool with the odd long buffers. They have also announced the Schindler coaches. These superb vehicles are still in service in the Porto region and are approaching 70 years old. 

On 03/04/2019 at 17:26, brushman47544 said:

Don’t know if you’re interested, but SudExpress has announced new Sorefame coaches, expected in September. https://www.comboioselectricos.com/html/frames/sorefame.htm

Andrew..... are we interested?!?! We haven't stopped hyper ventilating yet?! We have ordered all three rakes. So we will have 9 different coaches. Probably running as a a 4 and a 5 or 3 x 3 ? We will see. €260 for 3 coaches doesn'r seem too much? If anyone is interested these are what they look like as Preproduction models. Very nice indeed. Stainless bodies, the sort of things that in the real worls last for ever!!

Waddon Marsh is in the process of getting longer fiddle yards to accommodate 'longer trains'  The cassette idea didn't really work and I have decided to go conventional. This allows trains up to 5 feet long (on the longest roads) so longer coal trains could be run along with possibility of 4 car units on trains destined not to stop at the halt. Should make operation much easier and get rid of the risk of dropping anything too! All set for being ready for Bonnybridge show and then on to Wigan.

The instanters will sell like hot potatoes....and those Dublin lads know all about hot potatoes!

35 minutes ago, RBAGE said:

 

I can see these lovely couplings ending up on the front of locos, never mind hidden between 2 wagons.

Exactly our point....and what I intend to do with the 24 that are on the way here from Dublin!

2 hours ago, McC said:

 

Hi grid, each of the wagons are supplied with 2 screw link couplers in the parts bag! HTH

Hi Lads

I know. Chatted with Fran this a.m. But the (beautiful) supplied screw links are still a bit stiff in the horizontal plane and might not be reliable enough in the hurly burly of running 20 odd wagon block trains on a exhibition layout

Has anyone fitted Smiths screw/3/Instanters to these wagons yet? Is the chassis drillable and 'slot-able' to get them in? Any pictures if you have? Looking at prototypes it looks like Screws were fitted but experieince wold suggest that 3/Instanters will be easier to live with on exhibition layouts?

Great choice..... give me a shout for the next idea....it'll have 16 wheels!

Can we have a OO gauge version please? Or have I missed something earlier in thread??

Just three months until Campo De Leste has its only outing of the year at Perth MRC Show at Dewars Rinks at Perth 29th 30th June 2019.  Here's a flavour of what we do. Jorge's lovely Douro photo 

Very nice they look too. The bar has been set high by the Redland hopper and these look just as nice. Great work.

No need to worry lads DJM has announced 'Bart' for the 2025 catalogue 

I have succumbed......