Allegheny1600

I think that’s the principle problem - could be down to staff training, new staff or simply that staff are free to interpret rules anyhow they please. Certainly here in Greece, it’s simply not worth the risk. All the local courier companies here are free to hit incoming parcels with obscene charges and you need to know the rules inside out and speak fluently in order to fight them. Plus, the government here lets them get away with it all.

Yep! Having followed advice from many, many modelling magazines, from being involved in four different clubs over the years and from building more than a couple of layouts myself, I still didn’t think that I knew it all when I started the topic in my signature. However, when I see others making much more elemental mistakes that could easily have been avoided by reading that topic or hundreds of other equally valid topics on here and elsewhere, then one has to shrug and say “they’ll learn, eventually” and leave them to it. In other words “you can take a horse to water. . .”

Hi Chris, You’re layout is coming on nicely I think and I do like to see the overhead coming along, bravo. I too, pin the pantographs so they look raised but have no fear of snagging and causing loads of damage. Wrt the lovely Catalunya, I can identify an older Fleischmann “Prussian” P8 - it is quite old because the green is dreadful! I am quite sure that such colours on Fleischmann stock were phased out by the 1990s or so. Whether it’s close to anything that ever ran in Spain, I can’t say. The only German built locos I know for sure were the Spanish “V200”s, they were lovely. It’s been rather a long time since I visited Spain but I had some very pleasant times there and did a reasonable amount of train watching. Cheers, John E, occasional Prussian modeller.

Nevertheless, stick to the topic, please. You have expressed your opinion, no need to keep expressing it. Thank you, John E. (moderator for this section of the forum).

Hello Dave, Thanks for your reply, I suspect the rack railway you saw was this; https://www.trainose.gr/en/tourism-culture/train-and-recreation/the-rack-railway/ It’s still going! I think the only 2-10-2 that ran in Greece was the rather impressive in looks but not very successful in service, Italian built Ma class; Picture from Flickr by “Historical railway images”. Built by Breda and Ansaldo in 1953/54, they were rebuilt by Henschel in 1957 and I believe there are a couple of rusting hulks still in existence. I should love to make a model of one, someday, somehow. Cheers, John

Here is a little view from my local town, historic Nafpliou or Naplion depending on whether you use Greek or English spellings. Taken today, Thursday 26th August 2021

Hi Michael, That’s a most unfortunate story, I’m sorry for you. Seeing as ACME are probably made in China, what about components from other manufacturers, might they fit? Brawa, Piko, Athearn, Atlas - as far as I know most of the assembly’s used in these models are quite compatible. I only have one ACME model, a Br.120 too as it happens but it’s inaccessible at the moment so I can’t check, sorry. Cheers, John

Do you have details of your friends quotes and final price, please? Thanks, John

Errr, no! It may be available from your favourite UK retailer but by the time it has gone through the UK importer (who always add their cut plus duty and any additional costs they can) - such an item will be in the order of 25% more expensive than were you able to directly order from Europe. It’s a bit ridiculous isn’t it? Maerklin/Trix are apparently willing to ship to North Korea but not to the UK. Is the UK considered such a pariah state now? How many other companies in Europe are taking this approach?

Hello Dr G-F, Everything is looking great, I’m glad you’re enjoying your self. If you don’t mind me saying it, that track looks excellent! Cheers, John

I was a member for a while, good group, helpful and they used to put on, for me, the best show of its kind in the UK - I kind of agree that their communications need brushing up. However AFAIK, they are mostly quite elderly gents so will have been adversely affected by the pandemic and they likely feel that while everyone is in lockdown or isolating, there are rather more important things to devote themselves to. That’s looking at things with a brighter outlook, there is also the possibility that some members may have succumbed.

Many thanks indeed, Keith this is much appreciated. 1. A very good point indeed and I will follow this up. See above post for brief ideas on dealing with potentially the worst situation. 2. Yes, I’ve been working towards this project for many years! I can’t say that this project was what I had in mind but I always knew I wanted a “big layout” one day. I will be quite happy to simply have a “plywood central” for several years, in all honesty. I simply need to know that I’m working towards my own ultimate layout - that is sufficient. 3. Bang on! Although this layout is for me, it would be very nice to at least share it with others, maybe here, maybe visitors from elsewhere and there is a complete stock list so my better half will have some idea of the value of it all when I’m not around. She is reasonably involved anyway, not that she’s passionate about any trains themselves but is interested in my philosophy and aims. Also, she won’t accept the plywood central for too long! Cheers and thanks again, John PS My initial passion for a forthcoming British outline 00 gauge loco was only temporary. Compare that with my passion for German H0 trains: 15 years fairly continuously, British H0: similar and US H0: roughly 30 years now! Before this, I was staunchly European H0 with only temporary excursions into 4mm, 7mm, 1/48th etc.

I guess that any lower level storage yard is going to be around 2’ above the floor and possibly higher as there’s no way I could fill the entire area beneath the main benchwork with storage tracks. Therefore, it would be awkward or very difficult to physically get into the helix but possible, even if it’s not me doing it. Ideally, any derailments will be quite accessible from the outside of the helix though. With a large radius (1m) helix, I plan to have greater hand access between the levels and also a shallow wall both inside and outside the trackbed to retain stock should the worst happen. All good points, chaps, thanks for your contributions. John

Hi Dr G-F, A wonderful acquisition, I really love the BR65 (and the 65.10 but that’s another story). If you fancy having a go at digitising it yourself, here is a nice set of visual instructions; http://www.hp-pfeiffer.de/digi_umbau1/dcc/br65_flm_neu_h0/br65_flm_neu_h0.html He even includes a link to the various isolated motor faceplates that can make the job even easier. I cheated and bought a DCC ready model, quite a few years ago now but having converted a few Fleischmann locos, I’d say “go for it “ as you’ll obtain great satisfaction from being a diyer. Cheers, John. PS good luck with the thesis by the way.

Oh, I don’t know, I haven’t seen any gerbils frittered recently so I’m guessing the doctor has been busy!

Hurrah! If I may add to Tony C’s message - with acrylics, I initially flush excess paint through the brush with water! I find this is sufficient that I can change paint colour without having to strip the whole brush down. A simple blast through with airbrush cleaner at the end of the session is usually enough but I do do a full strip down every two or three sessions. Just to be sure. Making sure the needle is really clean is important but don’t do what I did to my first airbrush many years ago and over tighten the needle into the bezel - mine split and that was the end of my first airbrush! It was a cheap one to be fair but it put me off for a long time. By the way, I painted the actual rails on my linked layout, with a “Rusty Rails” device, it’s a really useful tiny roller that saves hours of brush painting and leaves the rails looking great BUT you must use very dilute paint. Only then did I attack the whole trackbed with the airbrush. Cheers, John

Austria; Copyright: Sartarabad. An 1142 on a local service near Linz.

Hello Amanda, I like the sound of this! If I may suggest either a newer Fleischmann BR94 that has a DCC socket already fitted (this should also have a “flywheel” motor, actually just lead type material sections fitted between the motor segments) OR a modern Trix version - I have both models and they are both excellent, the Trix is smoother but the Fleischmann is more powerful. If you’re rich, you could also go for the ESU BR94 with sound and everything but I understand that it’s less powerful. I only have an older Fleischmann BR50 but it’s still good, like you say, even older German stuff is better than typical 00! As illustrated in a couple of my books on nebenbahn, the BR50 was a bit of a maid of all work and could be seen on all sorts of trains on branch lines. For track, my standard recommendation is Roco-Line - the 2.1mm high stuff (code 83) NOT the 2.5mm high (code 100) NOR the Geo-line. All three types are made by Roco so please beware of the differences. You can get Roco-Line with and without track bed, the choice is yours. I haven’t any decent pictures available but if you hunt on the likes of Stummis forum, you should find good examples. A friend of mine recommends Piko track as a lower cost alternative but I know very little about it. I only mention it as you should have good access to it. I should say that Peco bullhead would be rather incongruous for a German outline layout but may be useful if you already have it in stock? Maybe you could sell it for a good price, I don’t know but I understand that quite a few of your country folk model British outline, not to mention all the Brits living in Europe who might appreciate the chance to obtain supplies tax/duty free! I hope this helps, John

I can’t resist New Zealand again; Copyright: Daryl Bond. A pair of DXs on a container train near Katiki, South Island.

Hi Richard, Your five steps certainly seem great to me! Any particular reason for the switch to brush painting in step 4? I certainly agree with you on using a larger brush, I remember finding that better when I used brushing but that was a long time ago. I’ve literally ruined reasonable models with over-thick applications of inappropriate paint and it is very off putting. I particularly agree with you on the way magazines and their editors used to run things, I’ll say no more! Cheers, John

Hi Fred, A lovely scene! O gauge, I presume? If so, then were they the Pola 89 and Rivarrossi 80? I used to have a Rivarrossi BR80 in my O gauge days, it was a really nice model and had been upgraded with better motor and details, not by me sadly. All long gone now though, as much as I like the larger scales, I can’t have the variety I can afford in H0. Cheers, John

Hi Robin, Thanks for your reply. I do have Anyrail on my big PC but that isn’t set up at the moment. I think it’s V5 as I couldn’t get on with V6! Also, it’s the paid for version so I’m not limited to how many pieces of track I can use. In terms of through station, the German section has to include my full Trix model of Dammtor station, Hamburg, the two kits that make up this model give you a building with an integral overall roof of some 1.4 metres length. That’s a big building! Only four tracks and platform faces though but on the prototype, the platforms extend a long way out of one end and hardly anything out of the other end. Maybe a grade separated return would be good, I don’t know. I would like a viaduct of some kind but stone, brick or concrete - we had one of those timber trestles on an old club layout and yes, it did eat up room and also looked quite wrong with large steam locomotives and modern diesels running over it. I am sure I will have a helix, maybe I can go with one only, I know they are quite something to construct and they eat up a lot of track too. I’m thinking around 6 foot diameter to keep grades and curvature down as much as possible. The point to this exercise is to help me decide how to actually go about planning such a project. Whenever I’ve embarked on a project previously, I had a specific space to fill but this is different as the whole house is being designed by me and my wife. We have professional help with this but if I can establish the basis for what my layout should be, I can make any changes to the house plans if necessary. Cheers, John

Hi there, Sorry about the rash of “likes” but I’m finding this a fascinating layout and area with some really great modelling going on. Brilliant! A good friend of mine has a couple of those Bonn station buildings, I wonder if I could persuade him to part with one!? Cheers, John

It sure is a smashing looking model. Thanks for showing it, I didn’t know anything about it before. Cheers, John

When I was in the army, when at a party, I went to the men’s room, finished and went to wash my hands. Another fellow, a navy man also used the facilities, then turned to leave without washing. I shouted “oi, in the army, they teach us to wash our hands afterwards “ His response “in the navy, they teach us to not pi55 on our hands”