Taigatrommel

I'm really impressed with my homebrew grass applicator, and I've only had one belt off it so far! It just works, and I do wonder why I put off making one for so long. I haven't been doing large areas in one hit, but I am surprised how far away from the earth point it actually works. I've started clipping the eart to a rail (not with trains or controls attached) which avoids the need to pin into the scenery.

As for the camera, I've tried manually changing to different white balance settings, eg daylight cloud (the picture was taken using natural light), but something just seemed to confuse it. The Range Rover is actually maroon!

I was thinking of using some small bits of ballast and traditional scatter in the ruts, and maybe some powders too. I should have done that first, but you know... scatterbrained here. As far as the width goes... it's the track to the signalbox, so gets used by two vehicles a day each way, assuming an early and late shift.

I've taken care to mix tones a bit, adding some of my shorter strands of varying colour in with the longer monotone spring grass. I'm going for a late spring lush look, not exactly fashionable, but attempting to match the backscene. And the colours in that pic just don't match the reality- I tried various white balance settings, but none seemed to match entirely.

Using whitemetal people to add weight is a great idea, I must remember that one. Also, Prince of Wales looks fantastic, nice bit of work there.

I like James' idea of the main article going in the blog with an excerpt and teaser picture. Having them all in one place to drool over refer to would be great.

The Fleischmann "Profi" pre-ballasted track has always looked good to my eyes, not as fine as code 55, but somehow more refined than Kato Unitrack. I prefer the look of the ballast base to Kato as well. Fleischmann do produce a matching flexible track- I can't get onto their website at present, but here's the item at Lokshop

Yeah, there's a few of those about, even in Australia! I actually wanted silver for the greater era flexibility it offers me. That and I already have bunch of mint green Halberstadts. It's funny, I'm not a big fan of mint green or the orient red Intercity livery, but I love InterRegio livery. What a difference colour makes, they're all essentially the same livery, just different colours.

Er... I assumed it was the lock to be honest. I've seen similar on points which definitely aren't high speed.

Dominik, that link goes beyond useful and into indespensable territory. Many, many thanks.

Whoops. I think I put the axle counter on the wrong side!

The 212 I was weathering in my "Taking stock" post. And occassionally a 218.

I'd be concerned at finding a different component supplier if the number next to the dollar sign is the cost of those gates!

Yeah, those would be a bit steep. There's a decimal point not visible there, and it was the cost of illuminated switches (so that they'd light up when the interlocking allowed them to change). A bit steep compared to a dollar for a regular SPDT switch from MERG... or even $2.60 from Jaycar.

So I'm looking at that, thinking, "well, that's wrong, so that.. etc" and I started to redraw it. And now I'm thinking PC control isn't such a bad idea!

Hi Kev,

The crucial question for me over Traben-Trarbach is whether it allows multiple trains to be in the station at once. Looking through the pictures, I can only see one item of motive power in the station at any one time. Adenau is signalled more akin to Bad Horn, with tracks 1 and 2 having Hp1 and Hp2 signals respectively. I could position an Sh1 only for track 2 on Bad Horn, but that offers no saving compared to having a group departure signal for tracks 2 and 3 (let alone operational flexibility), although it is perhaps more likely that track 2 would only have an Sh1 while track 3 would have Sh1 and Hp2 signals. I probably don't actually need the shunt signal on track 4 (assuming passnger trains only using it) now I think about it, that was just following W-Cronenberg. That said, looking at similar termini, track 4 probably wouldn't be a passenger track, rather it would be the track for public freight, and as such only needs a derailer.

So, I've got my head around things enough to signal for maxium flexibility. Now I need to think like an accountant and work out the minimum neccesary!

The shunt signals both permit access to the headshunt, and as I understand it, clear with the departure signal for whichever road the route is set for. I think, if the heashunt wasn't there and it was a single turnout for the loop and siding, it could be a hand thrown point with a single shunt and main signal both adjacent to it.

Also, I put in a derailer symbol thinking it was the symbol for a points indicator (right hand headshunt in the plan). So that's superfluous. If the bay wasn't a passenger road, it could be controlled just with a shunt signal and derailer, although this wouldn't allow a direct departure.

With light signals, the number of posts in that image would go down from 8 to four and one ground signal. As for the prototype, it would seem to be a forest or none at all- without signals though, it would be a "one loco" layout. Some of the signals on the plan are offscene, they're just there to give context, as if I were drawing the plan for the actual signalbox.

Addendum: For an example of a branch terminus not-too-distant from Bad Horn's supposed location, see Wuppertal-Cronenberg.

Thanks for posting this! I'm way behind you in understanding German signalling, so can you please explain how the signal next to the double slip would be used?

 

Nick

From "Usage and placement of signals"

On freight yards or freight tracks Group Exit Signals may be used. This is a single signal placed after the last point where all tracks it governs join. Additionally at the end of each individual track a high line-close signal (Sh 0/1) is placed to be able to show which track exactly is cleared with the group exit signal.

HTH! It's one of those practises I couldn't quite accept in my own mind!

I have every intention of one day modelling the ex-Severn & Wye or Forest of Dean Railway. I grew up playing on the old trackbeds of the mineral loop and Forest of Dean Railway, the spoil tips of the Eastern United and Lightmoor collieries and Shakemantle Quarry. But when I do it it will have to be a real location, probably a bit of the Forest of Dean line between Ruspidge and Soudley. Its the one thing that could get me modelling steam.

Wonderful sketches, I must do more myself!

I've just paid for membership of MERG, as I intend to use RPC for signalling control on my layout. Their accessory decoder kit is a good economic proposition too, especially compared to the $100 I'm just about to spend for a Hornby one at my local shop...

I think DAS is wonderful stuff, although best applied when its a little cooler otherwise it can shrink and crack from drying too quickly. So, the ideal time at the moment! To get a flat finish on the H0e layout I rubbed down with wet fingers, and then after drying with wet abrasive papers. The path/troughing etc is looking great, I need to start looking at these sorts of details before charging on with ballasting Steinruecken. Well, it's a good excuse for browing Bahnbilder!

Good looking stuff Will. There's something about coil springed 2 axle wagons which gives a very different character to classic leaf springed designs.

Nice stuff he's got- just a shame the pics are small! I did consider doing fading work, but the images I was going from didn't seem that faded, and gentle work with the compact has some fading effect too.

Next in line will be either the 365 or the 798/998...

Hi Dominik,

I always thoroughly enjoy your photo reports- they contain so much more information than most. Keep 'em coming!

Ex moustached? I'll have you know it's growing back nicely.

The 1960s BR stock allows me the opportunity to exercise running rights on the layouts of my British outline modelling friends down here.

Furth im Wald is not doable in N, owing to Czech presence...

From what I remember , I just wired in a Lenz accessory decoder - it all worked ok first time , whether by luck or judgement I can't say.. I think the Piko coach instructions show how to wire in the decoder.

Don't suppose you could scan them for me? I don't have instructions with my coach

I have a Piko dosto (a DBmq⁷⁷⁶) which needs DCCing, but I've been a bit scared off by the circuit board... I just don't know where to start!