Mike at C&M

At the fiddle yard end of the countryside section, I have built a structure out of Meccano which fulfils 2 main functions. It lifts the overhead wires up in height so that the pantographs can run on and off the wires. It is also rigidly built so that it provides tension for the overhead wires, so the wires do not bend as the pantograph runs along them. It certainly isn't pretty, but it is very effective. However, this effectiveness is not repeated at the station end of countryside section. I am having major problems putting in the overhead wires over the points, and a major rethink is required, which may involve moving some of the span gantries, and the subsequent re-wiring that this would need.

The overhead system is by Viessmann, and is the DRG 1928 style.

The past weekend has seen me doing some knitting - of the overhead model railway variety, that is! The wiring has been extended along the whole of the countryside section. This includes a section where the overhead wires change and the relevant tensioning arrangements. The above picture shows two of the masts prior to the wiring going up. Here, the left hand section has been wired up, the right hand ones awaits it's overhead wires. As with the prototype, the model form does tension the wires. Once the whole system is tensioned up, then the overheads can be aligned which allow locos to run with their pantographs up and on the wires. The view from east to west. The wires currently finish just beyond the end of the scenic section (and the attic kingpin). A sturdy gantry made of Meccano will provide the lead-in at this point which will provide a strong anchoring point for the overhead wires. And finally, a view from the west at the end of the scenic section. A visit by the track alignment gang will be required before the wires are finally aligned! The curve heading into the station area is in the distance to the left.

Didn't know about the DB 150s into Switzerland, but the Re4/4II, Re6/6 and BLS Re4/4 are all legitimate for the Tirol on test runs, as is the Roco Norwegian El16.2209!

To 1216 025, The premise of Bayern and Tirol was deliberately set to include the Munich area, so that such stock as the ET420s could be included. Therefore I can also run other items which tended to have Munich as their southern limit, such as DB103s and 118s. As for the Swiss stock, I know it doesn't realistically fit in with the area modelled, but as I travelled extensively through Switzerland in the 1980s, such items as SBB Re4/4IIs, Ae6/6s, Re6/6s and Ae4/7s, plus BLS Re4/4, Ae8/8 and Ce3/5s will also get running rights. Hence the Ae6/6 being used for setting up the overheads. The past few weeks has seen slow progress on many fronts, and I hope to have most of the semaphore signals in place and working in the coming weeks, as well as more of the overhead catenary wired up. Further reports to follow.

Great to see a link for the Olten webcam for Internet Explorer, but is you can watch it in Morzilla Firefox, the picture refresh rate is far quicker and gives a much better flow. Also, the following link gives a station timetable down the left hand side, and if your screen resolution allows, has diagramatic train formations at the bottom of the page: http://pittsburgh.ethz.ch/TC/Cam0

Latest news from Dapol is November. Once the chassis units have been produced, they are likely to be air-freighted in with a view to getting them on to the pre-Christmas market,with Warley being a distinct possibility.

There has been a slight amendment to the address. Try: http://webcam.deg.net/?a=showcam&w=showliveimage&o=pla

Ahead of a week off work next week, when I intend to progress a few aspects on the layout, I have found myself doing a little more work on the overhead wiring. It is recommended to wire the complicated junctions first, which allows any adjustments to made before you move on to the easier plain track sections. The work done thus far definitely proves this rule. Even though this picture was only taken a few hours ago, the scene has already changed as the gantry nearest the camera has had to be moved 25mm further away from the camera so that sits directly over the middle of the double slip. The wiring attached to it will require to be set up from scratch as well. Better to sort this now, rather than give myself problems later. This is the view from the other end of the station throat. There are wires missing, and still to be put into place. I don't have the required wires available and will need to buy these. This project is going to be one of evolution, rather than be completed in a hurry. However, I can already appreciate that as wires are added, the whole structure tensions up considerably, so that when the wires are aligned properly, pantographs will not fall off the wires. As my Swiss locos have the narrowest pantograph heads, these are the ones used for testing the alignment of the wiring. With the first three gantries now in their correct place, I can also start to wire up towards the countryside section.

The Best Pie Fight in History - Laurel & Hardy I am just quite happy to watch someone throw the pies. Especially if it is as funny as this!

Having a good old thunderstorm tonight! Isn't this what live feed webcams are for? Shame they don't have sound, this one looks rather close by

To those of you who model British outline, straight out of the box, I would like to introduce you to a novel concept - electrically operated semaphore signals that are incredibly simply to install and wire up. These are produced by the German firm of Viessmann, and although the ones used are supposedly of German outline, because the histories of Austria and Germany in the 20th Century are so interwoven, they are not wrong for Austrian-based layouts. This picture shows a single arm Home signal straight out of the box. A 12mm diameter hole is drilled in the baseboard for the motorised part to be pushed into. The base has 7 wires emerging from it - 2 for a 16V a.c. supply which works the lights, 3 provide for the electrical switching (common return, signal arm up and signal arm down). Wires 6 and 7 can be used to control a distant signal when switching a home signal. The single arm signals are used the same as for UK practise - up means proceed, horizontal means stop. The two arm signals signify something different to UK practise. Two arms 'up' (as per the right hand side picture) indicate proceed, but with a speed restriction. The left hand indication of one arm horizontal to the post means 'stop'. In the case of these signals, the two arms are coupled and change together, although there are signals where the two arms are independant, so allowing a greater combination of aspects to be shown. At this time, distant signals have not yet been considered. By wiring the signal correctly to the Accessory Decoders, it is possible to marry the signal indication to that on the Roco 10772 Route Controller. So on the left hand picture, I have set the signal to 'Proceed' with the green light showing on the 10772, on the right, a red light on the 10772 indicates the signal is at danger. As yet, I do not have the full set of signals I require for the whole layout, so one end of the layout will have the signals installed and wired up over the coming weeks. This is the view of the west end of the layout with its full compliment of home semaphore signals in place, although obviously the signal aspects shown need to corrected! This simplicity and detail does come at a price. The single arm signals are currently available at a shade over £30, the twin arm signals with interlocked arms are over £40.

RING THE BELLS! Thanks to a wonderful piece of good fortune, I have managed to achieve in 3 weeks what I had been unable to do in umpteen years! A fellow member of the Austrian Railway Group was selling a large number of Rocoline (analogue) point motors, and I took the lot at a price I thought was a bargain, and which was more than what he expected - a great deal for both of us! It is 'umpteen years' since the Rocoline track system was discontinued, and although I had all the track I needed, I didn't get all the point motors I needed, so I ended up with a hotch-potch of analogue and digital (both red and white bodied) which were never happy together. I had never reached a position where all the point motors worked at the same time! With the motors purchased, I replaced all the digital motors (Those with the relevant DCC circuitry in the motor itself) first of all. I then set about sorting out the few remaining analogue ones that required attention. I found a badly soldered joint, a huge piece of stone under a point tie-bar, but best of all was one point which when turned over didn't actually have a motor in it at all! All the motors are now driven through Lenz LS150 Accessory Decoders, and all work! Next step is to program the fiddle yard routes into the Roco 10772 route controller. This will allow one command to change all the points for entry and exit for each fiddle yard road. I have also successfully tested a Viessmann DB semaphore signal using the LS150 Accessory Decoder, so once these are in position, I will be looking to set up the wiring for all of these and include their operation within the route setting on the Roco 10772. At last, my layout will be fully useable in the coming weeks.

No date on the Bachmann website, so effectively we are looking at 2012. Please remember that the current Bachmann catalogue covers releases for 2011 AND 2012.

A lonely Class 294 wonders who has stolen all the goods wagons that he usually plays with!

Following several months when I have achieved nothing on the layout apart from filling the fiddle yard with storage boxes of non-railway items, I have recently bought a new train for the layout. The train mirrors the express trains that ran between Munich and Zurich, along the Allgau line via Kempten and Lindau. These were formed of Swiss (SBB) type UIC-X coaches, the models of which have recently been released by LS Models. With one vehicle still to obtain, the 6 coach train consists of 4 x 2nd Class coaches, 1 x 1st/2nd composite and 1 x 1st Class Currently motive power for the train is a single Class 218 in blue/beige livery. Although to be entirely realistic, a second loco is required to give a double-header. The line through the Allgau region having many curves and gradients. Ideally, I would like an original red liveried diesel, for the contrast in liveries. But during the era modelled (late '70s/early '80s), many of the trains ran with a Class 210 gas turbine diesel as one of the pair, the body styling is the same of the Class 218. One of these 'screaming' its way around the layout would be a real 'neighbour disturber'! The era modelled also allows me to have Swiss coaches with two different styles of markings, as shown in the above photo. The missing coach is an EWI lightweight Restaurant buffet car. A completely different style and height to the UIC-X coaches shown here, and in red livery. This is due for release from LS Models later this year. Although slightly out of my area being modelled, this is a train I am very familiar with from my European trips of the early 1980s.

Four shunters in the yard, all actively engaged in shunting duties

NOT AT ALL! These two were the 'design experiments' for what became the Rosarot (pink) livery on the locos and coaches that started to appear in the mid-1980s. This was towards the end of my days of extensive travelling around Europe, so hence my preference for blue/beige livery. In fact, if truth be told, throw in some red diesels and blue or green electrics too.

Back to the 'old' days with a top n' tail pair of class 111s on double-deck stock Although if truth be told, I prefer them in blue/ivory, as first delivered in the 1970s!

All versions, including the digitally fitted, are shown as May 23rd. Although be aware that this is a best estimate and these dates are subject to change.

Hornby's trade website shows an expected date of arrival in Margate of May 23rd.

Might I suggest the following is a better link: http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/map.php?file=maps/germany/germany.gif Plattling is down in the bottom right hand corner, with Passau close by on the Austrian border. The view in the picture effectively looks from right to left on the map, the routes to Munich (via Landshut) and Nurnberg (via Straubing) diverge in the distance.

Anybody aware of any issues that oprevent me from viewing the Olten webcam on a standard PC running Windows 7? I am sure there is more to this webcam then a small sqaure with a red cross in it!

Definitely still watching, although I cannot get Olten to work on my PC. I suspect the lack of responses is because it is difficult to match the sheer variety of unusual items seen during the latter months of 2010

You put it in your garden, and just tell everybody that it is under the snow! Much cheaper that way.