Savoyard

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I am pleased to announce the details for our 2018 exhibition

* Updated 18/05/2018

MRX 2018

Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th May 2018

Museum of Transport Manchester

Boyle Street,

Cheetham Hill,

Manchester,

M8 8UW

1000 to 1630

Admission (includes access to all of the museum):-

Adults: £7

Concession: £6

Accompanied Children under 16: FREE

Layouts

Arcadia Pennsylvania (US, O, DCC, 1960/70s)

Batterdale (UK, N, DCC, 1950)

Blackwood (UK, OO, DCC, Trams)

Bodmin Generally (OO, UK, DC, 1963)

Coal Valley Mining (G, DCC)

End of the Spur (US, HO, DCC, 1990+)

Forthal Schmalspurbahn (DE, HOe, DCC, Modern)

Graithwaite Junction (UK, OO, DCC, 1970/80s)

Grange Lane (UK, O, DCC, 1970s)

Manchester Model Trams (Large Scale Trams) *

Midhurst Road Junction (UK, OO, DC, 1930s)

Newbie Bridge (UK, OO, DC, Modern)

NO PLACE (UK, OO, DCC, 1975)

Nordenstadt (HO, DE, DCC, 2000) *

OO Live Steam Roadshow

St Combs (CN,N, DCC, 1970s) As seen in April 2018 Continental Modeller

Smethurst Junction (UK, OO, DCC, 200)

Traders (confirmed)

Aire Valley Models

Along Classic Lines

Crafty Models

Digitrains

Durham Trains of Stanley

Finishing Touches

Leigh Models *

Locoshed

Manchester Models *

Model Roads and Tramways

Sig-Na-Trak

SMTF Poyntom

Stevenson Carriages & Millholme Models

TTC Diecast

Todmorden Model Supplies

Tower Collection

Treemendus *

World Of Motion *

Demonstrations

Wagon Loads - Brian Davis

Scalefour Society

CentreShuttle - Free Heritage Bus Service

The CenteShuttle free heritage bus service operates between Corporation Street (stop NU outside New Century Hall near Victoria Station) and the Museum of Transport.

Every 20 minutes throughout the event, using heritage buses.

From Corporation Street 0950, 1010, 1030 and every 20 minutes until 1630

From the Museum 1003, 1023, 1043 and every 20 minutes until 1643

And Not Forgetting the Museum's excellent Cafe

Departure list for the Bus Service from both Urmston and Partington.

Slightly Revised Timetable with later departure from the Exhibition to Urmston on Saturday.

SATURDAY                                                                        

TRAIN  Manchester, Oxford Road    0916 0944 1016 1044 1116 1144 1216 1244 1316 1344 1416 1444 1516 1544

       Urmston                    0927 0953 1024 1053 1127 1153 1224 1253 1327 1353 1424 1453 1527 1553

BUS    Urmston                         1000      1100      1200      1300      1417      1514      1617      1714

       Partington Lesure Centre        1020      1120      1220      1320      1437      1534      1637      1734

BUS    Partington Lesure Centre        1040      1140      1240      1357      1454      1557      1654      1755

       Urmston                         1100      1200      1300      1417      1514      1617      1714      1815

TRAIN  Urmston                    1050 1119 1150 1222 1250 1319 1350 1422 1450 1519 1550 1622 1649 1719 1749 1823

       Manchester, Oxford Road    1103 1134 1202 1235 1303 1334 1403 1434 1503 1534 1603 1634 1703 1734 1803 1835                                        

SUNDAY

TRAIN  Manchester, Oxford Road    0945 1045 1145 1245 1345 1445 1545

       Urmston                    0953 1053 1153 1253 1353 1453 1553

BUS    Urmston                    1000 1100 1200 1300 1412 1512 1612

       Partington Lesure Centre   1020 1120 1220 1320 1432 1532 1632

BUS    Partington Lesure Centre   1040 1140 1240 1352 1452 1552 1650

       Urmston                    1100 1200 1300 1412 1512 1612 1710

TRAIN  Urmston                    1118 1217 1317 1417 1517 1617 1717

       Manchester, Oxford Road    1130 1229 1329 1429 1529 1629 1729                

This is the provisional timetable for both days, subject to a timing check.

The timetable is designed to meet trains from Manchester in the morning, shifting to meet trains to Manchester in the afternoon on both days.

Please note the service will be operated by a real bus, my Manchester MCW bodied Leyland PD2 3706 (3706 VM), the Routemaster is currently off the road.

SEE LATER POST FOR TIMETABLE

I took this photo of the prototype Bullhead point on display at Model Rail Scotland, I thought it was very impressive, including single piece blades.

Here is a picture of one of the pre production Bullhead points displayed at Model Rail Scotland. I was very impressed.

It's the full version, I've had it about 6 months now and it's great. Only discovered recently that I didn't need a laptop to make it work

 

I bought an extra copy today for my wife's phone, got it from the App Store no problem. The pic of the first screen on the App store shows a light, speaker symbol, steam loco wheels etc, 8 more symbols than my iPhone's cab, points, signals and options.

 

Weirdly I tried finding it on my iPad just now and it come up 'no results'. Went and searched using the iPhone and it's still there in the App store!

As its really an iPhone/iPod Touch app it probably does not appear as an app for the iPad, you may have been looking at only iPad apps, if so look for it under iPhone apps or ones already purchased.

Problem solved, it was the WiFi connection in the shed so I've used a powerline WiFi extender and it dosen't crash.

Hi Alan,

I have tried as you suggested and I can now control a loco once again but with the occasional crash. I need to investigate further.

Thanks for the tip.

Peter

Sorry to hear Jens. that you have decided to stop development of TouchCab, sadly it comes at a time when ESU have released an update for the ECoS and having downloaded it on to my ECoS it no longer works correctly with TouchCab so the end of an era as it was the best way to operate the layout and caused a lot of interest, sadly there is nothing on the marker to match in terms of quality, design and ease of use.

Peter

I have working and re working the Class 504 front, I have found some plans in a old BR DMU/EMU book and did some comparisons with resized photos to try and correct measurements for the cab windows etc. So after a couple of weeks the trailer is nearing completion. The windows have been redone (several times) and today I corrected the destination box and I put some thin plastic strip around the middle window to represent that windows beading. Unfortunately as the plastic has been hacked a lot of times I will have to make some compromises especially as I will have to get the motor brake ready for the Blackburn Exhibition on 5/6th September. I have done a quick paint to highlight any errors before completing it.

I have been doing some more work on rebuilding the cab Windows and it now looking a lot better and I think more like the real thing. I've glazed it temporarily to see the effect but there is still some work to do.

I have just looked and it is over three years since I last posted on here. I have done bits and pieces on the 504 but nothing drastic, it has mainly been sorting out the front windows which I have never been happy with. Last night I thought of using some thin metal, in this case Printers Electro Plate aluminum which is nice and thin and easy to cut and file. I had successfully used it on my Push Pull unit.

The original DC Kit front it wrong as the windows should be square and not tapered, I have tried filing but the plastic is very soft and it is quite easy to file too much and make it worse. Last night I had been working on a new front on for the cab of my L&Y radial tank using the aluminum and it looked quite effective, so I thought I could apply the same method to solving the 504 cab windows, so this morning I made a prototype using a spare front and it seems to work well and looks a lot better than the original plastic. Being very thin the aluminum can be easily filed and blended with the plastic so it doesn't look like it has been stuck on. I will be now trying it on the original 504 and the one currently in build.

I filed out the original windows to be their maximum so that I could easily place some glazing behind to give the impression of near flush glazing.

I will be using the 504 on my layout Holcombe Brook & Tottington at the Blackburn Exhibition on 5/6th September.

I was in tonight and we were talking to Tim about holidays and he says the last time he had a two week holiday was about 1979! In fact it is only in the last couple of years or so he has been having some well extra deserved though ofter short holidays. I am sure his wife Karen is pleased he is having some more holidays!

I put a smile on his face as I spent some more money! I have got some of the new Hornby LMS coaches, I rang this morning and he said he'd got a parcel but hadn't opened them as he thought they were some repeat orders, he didn't realise he'd got the LMS coaches as he wasn't expecting them!

Anyone know (or have drawings to show) if 977091 had the long or short National panels/windows, please??

 

Looking at the pictures above they look like the short windows.

I have updated my ECoS to 4.0.0 and whilst outwardly it doesn't look different, it does seem to load faster.

The first thing I tried was TouchCab and this seems to work fine so no problem there.

I have tried the VNC connection and that works really well, I have done a connection via an iPhone, iPad and Windows PC, and you get the full ECoS screen on the device. I am trying a humber of different VNC iPhone Apps to see which one works the best. Being able to have a VNC connection on the PC means editing information is a lot easier as you can use the keyboard, especially when entering loco and accessory details.

I have found a couple of glitches on the maintenance section when selecting an option on the left hand side, it seems that after selecting some of the top options the two lower ones cannot be selected, I have found a work around by exiting the screen and then selecting the lower options.

This is a welcome update and makes the ECoS even easier to use.

The current Oldham Depot, now owned by First Group was never a tram depot as I first thought and Red Devil was correct. I had mistaken the entrance of the old tram depot for that of the new bus depot in a photograph, having checked the book on Oldham Trams I realise my mistake.

With regards to Parrs Wood Depot at East Disbury, I worked in the Schedules Office at Birchfields Road Depot (an ex Tram Depot) which was at the other end of Kingsway and I was told one of the justifications for closing the depot and moving a lot of the work to Birchfields Road was the reduction in walking time for drivers on the 50, as duty changeovers could take place outside the depot, unfortunately the police didn't allow it and crews had to walk around the corner to the lay-by on Kingsway thus increasing the walking time over Parrs Wood reliefs!

"The clock tower is all that now remains of East Didsbury tram depot:"

Parrs Wood Depot at East Didsbury was never a tram depot it was built as a bus depot.

"Queens Road Bus Depot, Manchester.

Also being used as a Bus Museum"

Queens Road Bus Depot was the tram depot, in fact the first Electric tram depot for Manchester Copration Tramways. It is now owned by First. The Bus Museum was never a tram depot it was open as bus depot for the new motor buses, it is the venue for MRX on 17/18th May.

Hyde Road Depot, now Stagecoach Manchester was a tram depot and later a trolleybus depot. Hyde Road Car Works still exists but I am not sure who owns it now, I think it may be the council.

Oldham Depot, now First, was a tram depot.

Hi Tony,

I have done some photos of the installation on 1008 which I will make up into a step by step.

I have ordered some small HiBass speakers from Digitrains which I think should fit in the bunker instead of the current Sugar Cube. I will wait and see how it fits before posting the photos.

Some more solo shots:-

Only 1008 is fitted with a sound decoder with a project based recordings of the L&Y preserved locos done by a friend last month.

I have just ordered some Zimo MX648's from Digitrains for fitting over Christmas, they have the same L&Y project to load on to decoders.

The LMS Version