Barry Ten

I've loved the look of the Kato Mikado but had also heard that it was a pig to convert to DCC, so I've resisted the urge. Everyone seems to rate it very highly as a model, though, so you wonder why Kato haven't pulled their finger out and brought it up to date with a more user-friendly design. You're quite right about choosing road names - could have made life a bit easier by going UP or Southern Pacific or even Pennsy (which I have a particular liking for) but as you say, it does force one to do a bit of modelling, even if it's just swapping tenders.

In N scale, there isn't anything like the range of models that you get in HO, so you take what you can get. Pacifics are very short on the ground, at least those suitable for my neck of the woods - in fact the list begins and ends with exactly one model, the Model Power USRA 4-6-2. And even then, I don't know how particularly accurate it is since MP seem to use the same body casting over their USRA 2-8-2 as well. Never mind, though, I fancied one so earlier this year I picked one up off ebay. I'd heard decidely mixed views of the Model Power locos - it was said that if you got a good one, they ran really well but the pickup arrangement was hit and miss. Also, they aren't DCC ready, requiring a hard-wired decoder. I had also had doubts about the moulded handrails and a tendency for the cab to look a bit droopy in some of the examples I'd seen - but as I say, you take what you can get and the wheels and motion looked well up to scratch. When I got my model I was suprised at how sloppy the loco-tender connection was - it seemed to be retained only by the wires, with the drawbar doing nothing. When I eventually opened the tender to look at the wiring, I could see that a small plastic spigot was missing, which gave the drawbar nothing to hook over. I fashioned a replacement from plastic rod. I then tested the model on a short stretch of DC test track. It ran very slowly and smoothly, if a little noisier than a contemporary Bachmann model. There matters rested until I found the nerve to wire in a Lenz silver mini decoder. It turned out to be relatively straightforward, provided I accepted the headlamp being on permanently. Dismantling the loco, to get at the headlamp wiring, is apparently a significantly harder job so I kept well away from that. However, the model ran terribly on the layout. It was still smooth and controllable, but it stalled at every opportunity. It turns out that the Model Power pickup arrangement is quite poor - a straight length of plain test track is no substitute for a layout with pointwork, curves, etc! The tender bogies are each live to one rail, so you're only picking up from two wheels at a time. Yes, there are pickups on the loco but the wheelbase is short and the problems seemed to happen when the loco was going over point frogs, leading to the driving wheels dropping slightly into the crossing. At that point the tender is doing all the pickup work and it's not sufficient. Trawling the internet, I read that some people had done a straight swap with a Bachmann USRA tender, which has a proven and reliable eight wheel pickup arrangement. That seemed like a good idea, and Bachmann tenders are relatively easy to obtain, so (again to ebay) I got myself a spare. (I actually ended paying more than if I'd gone straight to Bachmann's spares department - lesson learned, there). But that was about 6 months ago as I couldn't immediately find a way to dismantle the Bachmann tender. I kept putting it off, never quite feeling up to the job of transplanting the decoder and sorting out the wiring and drawbar connection to the new tender. I think partly it was the fear that if this didn't work, there were not many other options. As it happened, with a freshly tidied layout room, I felt like giving it a shot and it turned out to be one of those jobs that was much, much easier than I expected. Dismantling the Bachmann tender - a snip, just needed to be a bit more forceful. Inside, everything unscrewed very easily and the Bachmann wiring convention was very straightforward. I made a diagram just to be sure and then snipped and resoldered the Lenz chip into the Bachmann chassis. I also found that - thanks to a cunningly placed screw - it was a matter of seconds to work in a new drawbar connection. The model was tested and the difference in performance was fantastic - not a stutter or stall, even with the pickup coming entirely from the tender. I then reconnected the loco pickups as well, just to be 100%. The only remaining job is to hack a bit more plastic away from the Model Power tender shell so that it can sit nicely on the Bachmann chassis - you can see it riding high in the pics - but if that fails, I still have the undecorated Bachmann tender shell as a fall back. The only thing I've discovered tonight is that no one seems to do Southern steam locomotive decals in N. Bit of a surprise, that, as I have a couple of other steamers I'd like to paint and/or renumber. In terms of the body detailing it's still a bit of a mixed blessing, the MP USRA pacific, but it looks nice and purposeful and it is very heavy, being all die-cast. I think it will look good pulling some Southern green heavyweight coaches and from normal layout viewing distances, those moulded handrails aren't going to matter... Cheers and thanks for reading.

When I look down Marc's layouts, I think "I can see for miles and miles and ...."

You already planted a seed with that snowman idea, Dave - I've been looking through the internets for 00/H0 snowmen... (of course I could scratchbuild, but where would I get the carrot?)

I also used a laser level to sat a datum around my layout room, and I'm so glad I did - it was only when I'd done it that I really appreciated how far from level the floor really was. Even now the combination of a wonky ceiling and floor can really trick the eye into thinking that it's the layout that's sloping, but no, the layout is the only level thing in the room. I marked the datum using a pencil all round the room and 5 years on it is still useful, as when I need to add another shelf or set of brackets, it is there as a reference. It has also allowed me to monitor board stability since I can quickly assess whether a board is sagging or bowing relative to the pencil mark.

Matthew - I bought a couple of prints off you at the Bluebell earlier last year - one of Midford viaduct I think? It was a rotten rainy day but we still enjoyed our visit. I want to have another go at the snow backscene and have been looking at some winter paintings by the likes of David Bellamy, Terry Harrison etc.

Couple more shots of the BP under moonlight, this time on the winter module. Looking at this model now, I'm thinking how great a full HST set with lighting would be...

I do like that combo of relatively clean polished boiler and grimier smokebox, looks great and adds so much character to a black loco.

Ha, that was almost my blog title, CK!

Glad the shots are appreciated, thanks all - but mainly, thanks Bachmann! I have been running the model in daytime today (I only took it out of its box last night) and it really is a stunner. No derailment issues on my track, unlike some that have been reported, and all the lights were correctly illuminated. Now all I need is the moral stamina to continue with my epic Western Pullman build, but I think the Bachmann model will give me a good benchmark for working with the Triang mouldings, which are still very good in terms of the crispness of the detailing.

Gosh, this is a rather nice piece of kit, isn't it? What an absolute stunner of a model - thank you, Bachmann. I've been playing around with a "moonlight" mode for the spring module, using an inexpensive anglepoise LED lamp, to which I've added a home made blue filter. Most of my trains don't as yet have coach lighting, though, and the Bachmann 108 DMU, while a lovely model, has quite faint interior lighting which doesn't show up particularly well even in night shots. The BP Is a different beast entirely, though, wiht very bright lighting, so I couldn't resist posing it under the blue LED. This night shooting lark is new to me so I still have to learn a few things, but I can see it adding some extra play value to the layout. In the meantime I'm off to play with my BP. Edit: I couldn't resist having a fiddle in Photoshop - anyone remember the Ladybird Book of the Night Sky?

The difference in hue between Precision and Railmatch's interpretation of dark stone is really quite dramatic. On balance I think I prefer the more orangey Precision but I'd hate to say which is the more authentic.

Nothing to say really, other than - looks fab, keep on with it!

Impressive work, Tim - I guess this is one of those jobs where it pays to know when to stop, in order to ensure consistency across the whole area.

That's an interesting approach. Potentially it could fix the similar problem with the DJH 7F, where the frame doesn't drop down enough ahead of the cylinders.

I'm still not sure what went on, but the Dapol signal has been fine ever since. Since the power supply was working with everything else (it runs my Tortoises and a DC hand controller) I wonder if there was some noise in the supply that was causing problems. In any case, all now well. Incidentally my local model shop has been running a Dapol signal using a push to make button and they've had no difficulties.

Thanks, sir - and by the way, postie just delivered the new BRM with your article on Poynton Sneer in it - nice job, reads very well and a good joke about the iron still being warm... nice also to see the other layouts, sort of Smith's Greatest Hits.

They are good models, yes. But the grass is always greener isn't it? I often hanker after the sound-equipped HO stuff. There's just that bit more variety of models in the larger scale, too. But no regrets.

Sorry, I missed this post. No, not done anything on the layout in months, other than run the occasional train to keep the track and switches in order. But I've recently started planning the next "push" so there should be some progress soon. I find I have two settings in my brain - 00 and N - and I tend to get stuck on one for months on end, perhaps because once you get the kits and parts out on the workbench, it's easier to stick with one than keep chopping and changing.

Jumpin' jack flash... The new N scale Gas Electric Doodlebug from Bachmann, with decoder and coach lighting already fitted. This is a very nice model - runs well and it's a complete train. I got the undecorated version with a view to adding GA&E lettering at some point.

The trouble with 1/24th kits as you have to find room for them afterwards! The Hurricane takes up an entire shelf in my office, and I've got an elderly Airfix Spit to do at some time (my mum found it up in the attic last year) but I'm trying not to do anything larger than 1/48 from now on. Although I do fancy that Mosquito ... and a Harrier would be good, too ...