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I picked up an A2/2 from Amazon Warehouse for a decent price (at the time) and it had buckled eccentric rod - the problem was due to a loose nut holding the eccentric crank. All sorted and running sweetly. Probably worth checking the nut on the eccentric crank is nice and tight before running in.

i have doen the same with my Lima class 40s, which now run with new Hornby chassis - which is a drop in replacement

I am doing the same with my Airfix (tender drive) Royal Scots, replacing the running gear with Bachmann chassis (whats the plural of chassis???) - with the added benefits of giving them loco drive.

Thanks to @Nigelcliffe, @AndyID and @kevinlms for your reassuring comments. @dcb I don't have Morley controllers, so I hope not to encounter the issues you relate. It's just a case of knuckling down to it now. No more excuses! Steve

Now I am confused!!! 🤔

I agree. Isn't it time for legislation to compel house builders to include solar systems in all new builds, even better if they can orient each property to ensure maximum yields from the installations?

Oh lummy!!!! I am using a Gaugemaster GMC DS TWIN TRACK CASED CONTROLLER WITH BRAKE SIMULATION for the mainlines. I am planning on using a Gaugemaster hand held controller for the branch. I shall have to investigate their suitability. Silly question: what happens if I wire it all up and the controllers are not compatible? Does it result in a simple short, or will I do lasting damage to the hardware? Thank you! Steve

£142.50 now This site provides a very comprehensive overview of liveries, names and nameplates: https://peakdieselarchive.co.uk/first-to-last-naming According to the site: "D65, was selected to be named GRENADIER GUARDSMAN at Derby Works without ceremony on 23/05/1964. The loco ran with everything intact until late 1976 or early 1977, and certainly by 09/04/77 Plenty of others lost crests early on and many plates were removed for safe keeping well before withdrawal. Fascinating to read the history of the named locos. Steve

Hi @AndyID, I am going to use a common return. I have some bare copper wire (which is intended for gardens I think) and will run 4 bus wires around the layout - 1 each for up, down and branch lines - the fourth being the common return. I will be soldering droppers from the tracks on the bus wires, except where there are switched sections so they can be isolated via the control panel. Is there another "new fangled common return system for DC" I have missed? Steve

Thanks again everyone. @DCB That's the plan - having finalised the plan, I need to crack on. As the layout is in the garage, I shall be waiting for the weather to warm up! I plan to have two period settings - mid 50's and min 60's. Neither of which will have the level of activity you reference, but I may well find an excuse to turn a Compound to run back up the line after the banking duty up to Ais Gill. I agree, but that was how they did it "back in the day" @Phil Bullock thanks Phil - I have been pondering the electrics for too long, I am aiming to make more progress this year. I have a layout thread but it has been dormant for a little while, not much has changed other than wiring up some of the point motors and building the control panels. Unfortunately, the pictures were lost in the site rebuild and I am not sure if I have many of them still to hand. Future updates will feature there. Thanks again Everyone. Steve

Just in case anyone fancies having a go, a part built one just got listed on ebay.

Some interesting comments in this article about the benefits/pleasure of pursuing your hobbies: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/04/the-joy-of-mediocrity-we-need-hobbies-even-if-were-bad-at-them-to-free-us-from-perfection

@kevinlms it is stranded so it should be okay Thanks

Thank you everyone for the continuing dialogue. I am coming to terms with the fact that this will require a lot of wiring, which is okay. Phil - you make a great point and I seem to live my life in a permanent state of organised chaos, I will have to be disciplined and try to keep things tidy. One thing I have learned is that keeping things tidy usually involves using larger amounts of cable to route things consistently. I have acquired some 25 core cable and 25 Pin DIN plugs to try to consolidate as much as possible - I still have to test if this cable can carry enough current for the controllers or to throw the points! I include an image of the control panel, which is starting to look like this, following the advice so kindly offered by you all. The position for the rotary switches is clearly shown, but I have yet to locate the switches for the isolating sections and point motors! There are "off" positions between each of the rotary switch settings; I read somewhere that this is good practice and prevents possible issues. Its going to be a bit busy, but it will be printed 600mmx300mm to fit the control panel box I have - so everything should fit. I suspect the neat a tidy appearance of the panel will hide a multitude of sins! Thanks again everyone for your kind contributions. Steve

Thank you everyone for your continued support. Unfortunately, unless I win the lottery I am afraid I am unlikely to go the DCC route (or radio controlled) with well over 100 locos in hand. But it would solve most of my issues. @Grovenor I think cab control may be the way to go. Notwithstanding doing the wiring, I think it will make for interesting operation - providing I can get it to work as intended! I shall be doing some more research on cab control this weekend, but would appreciate any recommendations to reference materials. Best, Steve

Hi Andy, I see what you are saying and no, in that instance all sections do not need to run with all controllers. So the scenario you are describing is exactly the use case I have in mind. So, based on your earlier post, would a DPDT switch could do the job? I will need to read up on DPDT switches to learn a little more about how they operate - did I say I know little more than the essentials when it comes to electrics! Thank you for your patience. Steve

Everyone, Thank you for such a comprehensive set of replies. Andy - I would envisage only the station environs needing connections to three controllers - this would enable movement between the three lines, sidings, lay byes and turntable. Phil, Dave and DCB - this is an interesting idea and echoes comments from Dave - I can see how reversing the configuration of the switches to one per section could work - hadn't thought of that! Thank you Dave - I am thinking I would want trains circling on the up/down mainlines - while something can be pottering around in the branch or the station - although I am unlikely to traverse the mainlines when something is going roundy roundy! Juntionmad - sounds complicated! For me, simpler is better and will help fault spot later on when I have "forgotten" how it all went together! Melmerby - your picture caused me to break out in a cold sweat - but thank you for the suggestion. I will keep you posted. Thanks again Steve

Hello everyone, I am starting to plan out how I am going to wire up my layout (DC). A representation of Garsdale, there is a double track mainline and branch (to Hawes). I have three controllers (up/down/branch). I plan to include switches to isolate specific sections of the lines - where a train might reasonably expected to stop - i.e. in the station. Other than these switched sections, the intention is for each line to be permanently live via each designated controller. I am currently grappling with the best way to wire the layout to enable locos to manoeuvre between the three lines, given that there are number of single slips involved. For example: if a loco comes into the branch platform, then needs to proceed to the turntable (across both main lines) and then back to the branch to go back down the the branch. See the extract of the plan below. All points, slips and crossings are isolated, so will require their own power feed. They all have switches to change the frog polarity - Roco Geoline. So, I am hoping to use a rotary switch for each controller to select track sections - in addition to the isolated sections detailed above. I know how to wire a rotary switch (6 way) - but I am struggling to comprehend how the wiring might work so that I don't end up having multiple controllers feeding power to one section of track. I suspect I will need some more complex switch gear to enable me to do this? I have looked on @Brian Lambert's excellent site, but can't seem to see a solution there. I hate spaghetti and electronics remains a bit of a dark art to me, especially when it comes to wiring track sections with feeds from multiple controllers. so I am looking for a simple solution - assuming there is one! Any advice would be gratefully received. Thank you! Steve

What is the considered opinion on the LMS 4-6-0 Bachmann split chassis. I have several of the later ones (2005-) in my stash and a little concerned that they will need replacing! :-( Steve

It is going to be featured in the next episode of Hornby: a model world on Monday 6th March. So I would think the model will have had to have been reasonably well advanced at time of filming last year to make it into the programme. Let's hope it's not too far off.

Depending on what you need I think you can find a very wide selection on Amazon.

sorry Andy, I just came across it. Please remove my comments as you see appropriate.

Hi Andi, I binge watched them this week - can't say as I remember episode 3!!! :-) Steve

I thought it was a bit of light entertainment and quite good fun. Episode 13 or 14 includes the late great Allan Downes giving an exposé on his painting techniques. Is the layout still at the Bluebell Railway and what happened to Simon Farmer and his band of merry men - a brief Google search doesn't seem to turn up much? Steve

This series is now available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/3FEve7dyF6g?list=PLHwvJoal4fzevcKVNoy8kMV56_fxB7fq5