DaveC46026

The wife has gone mad! Apparently using a coffee grinder to reduce the courseness of the ballast wasn't my best idea this year! It has worked somewhat though in my defence!

In other news I have started playing around with building size and positions as i wait for the weather to dry on the 2 sidings which are now in place.

11 hours ago, 47606odin said:

i think I’d have to remove the plastic webs under the rails, and I think course sand would be a better ballast especially in a siding

Unfortunately due to the manufacturing techniques cutting the web from between the sleepee isnt an option as this is moulded around the bottom of the rail (tgere is almostva doubke web to give the top section a finer look! 

Ok quick update as the sidings are drying I decided to look at ballast.

First off Woodlands scenics fine laid as it is!

Not happy with the rail colour but I think the ballast looks just fine for a main running line!

Thoughts

So Ive purchased a couple of lengths of Peco flexi track and a left hand point to make a start or at least evaluate what we have to work with.

Firstly I have to say the new packaging is great! I really hope Peco move all their products over! Simple, no plastic, greener packaging works for me.

Anyway onto the trackwork. 

After reading various comments on here and elsewhere I was a little apprehensive after purchasing my first bits and didnt look closely when initially purchased. Sleeper spacing seems to be the biggest grumble from what i can see on forums! Ok they might be slightly close but not in the way that OO set track or original streamline is! Without scratchbuilding the track I'm happy enough with this for a first foray into TT:120 The next gripe appears to be the lack of clearance under the rail, this I do think could be an issue. I get that the inset rail into the sleeper gives the strength that rail into a chair would striggle to achieve with in code 55 but with no gap under the rail very carefull ballasting will be required, I'm looking at a siding based layout so flush ballasting will be the order of the day! A secondary point arrising from the inset rail into the sleeper base is that the flexi track keeps its shape well but creating the required curve takes considerable effort without the help of a tracksetta (which I dont have.) I also had to make a track center guide from plastic to enable the run round to be laid to scale.

Moving on to the point, this is a great piece of kit, or at least on first inspection appears to be! I printed off a B6 point via templot and the geometry and timbering is very close indeed for a RTR point, once again very good for my siding based layout. It will be interesting to see the future additions to the range. I do like the fine flangeways particularly on the switch rails, lets hope that the stock when it arrives runs well through them as they will need to be very fine! Anyway thats the thoughts so far and illmleave yoi with a few pics of the first laid and weathered track.

It's been quite interesting reading through the posts on here and other forums regarding TT120. Will it work? Won't it? Can it be finescale? Will other manufacturers get involved?

I'm not going to bore you with my initial thoughts now but I am going to throw my hat into the ring and see what can be achieved with this embryonic venture.

I will however point out a few of my reasons for dabbling a tentative toe in the murky water.

I am predominantly a 4mm scale modeller, I'm involved with a group who have a large (and by large I'm saying 37' with 18 road fiddle yard Roundy-Roundy large) layout on the exhibition circuit. I'm also a member of the scalefour society and have endless reasons why I haven't started in P4 yet! I have stock in 2mm FS and ditto I have no real reasons why I haven't built in this scale either.

So why something new?

Well...

Firstly; Having a scale that is almost right gauge wise at RTR level is appealing. I don't have an issue with 16.5 mm gauge being a few mm out but I do wish it were closer without the need to convert everything!

Secondly; Lugging a 37ft layout around to watch trains go by isn't exactly straightforward, neither is working on it, or storing it! Something of a more manageable size would be great!

Thirdly; 2mm FS as great as those who excell in it make it look, does seem to be the preserve of the smaller layout (and before you quote Copenhagen Fields or Fencehouses, these I believe are the exception and not the norm, and have taken a vast amount of hours to construct!) Having the ability to run longer trains within a smaller space whilst getting to an exhibitable state relatively quickly is a definite plus!

Lastly: I'm only assuming here but I would like to imagine that the level of detail and the quality of running will allow for a very appealing experience for both operator and viewer if the layouts appear on the circuit! 

So... where am I at?

As I said I am about to dip my toe into the pond and hope I don't catch a crab, after all there is nothing on the market as of yet to run on the 2 points and 6 feet of track I've purchased. The layout has been planned and will use the forthcoming Hornby 08 as its main motive power when released! The layout will be built using a Tim Horn Scenic 800mmx250mm baseboard with a separate fiddle yard and will follow a similar track plan of a shunting layout I built several years ago based on a scrapyard entrance. This measured just 48" including fiddle yard so already we have the benefit of a little more space. See the images below.

I'll post more as and when I get started in earnest but I'm hoping to have the trackwork and electrics finished within 6 weeks and the to start on the scenics before anything has even run in anger! 

Well thats the mad plan anyway!

Thoughts?

3mm.pdf

Evening all

I'm on the lookout for a few bits of gla!ing if anybody has any of them!

1. ORIGINAL  Bachmann class 40 Bodyside windows

2. ORIGINAL Bachmann class 25/2 Cab front windows

3. ORIGINAL Bachmann class 45 Domino Headcode glazing

Drop me a line if you have any bits and I'll arrange a bank transfer or PAPAL payment

Cheers Dont read the mag so thanks

Have I missed anything? It's gone awfully quiet in the peak front from Heljan!

5 hours ago, stovepipe said:

Update expected soon, see last paragraph.

 

 

Hope to have news to me doesn't say update expected soon! Plus if your not following that thread you wouldn't know!

It's all gone very quiet on the Peak front! Can we expect any updates soon?

Hello All

Just a quick question and 'asking for a friend' but does anybody happen to have a track diagram , plan, map or aerial photograph plus other bits relating to Bromsgrove circa 1985? Would be great if you could let me know what you have!

Cheers

Evening everyone.

I'm wondering if anybody out there has in their possession or knows of any OS maps or similar that show the track layout of Middlesbrough Goods in the late 70's or early 80's. 

Pre Dawsons massive unit and associated sidings!

Regards

Dave

Sorting out old images after posting my shot of 47407 leaving Catesby Tunnel here is another shot from the same location a few day later. 56013 heads into the loop whilst working  a Barrow Hill Didcot Power Station MGR. 

25 minutes ago, Kylestrome said:

 

Class 25 7581 arriving at Kinlochmore with a short freight from North Ballachulish in the summer of 1969. The sun is out for a change.

 

 

 

Having just parked my Claud Butler on the station platform, I’ve nipped over the bridge to take a quick shot of the station building from the goods yard. It looks like rain is on the way, so I might just put the bike on the afternoon train back to Fort William.

 

David

David cracking images, can i ask what products you have used on the embankment? There is a depth of quality to it that I want to strive for!

Regards

Dave

Hi Guys I'm looking for anybody with a poorly class 31 of which I'm sure there are plenty! I'm looking for the bodyside grilles that are a separate fit! If anybody has any or the body that they are wishing to part with PM please

Hi Lippy I have some what are you wanting?

Dave

9 minutes ago, Mr.S.corn78 said:

 

I've been told it tastes very nice, but as I don't drink I couldnt possibly comment 

It is good! 

Good evening good people.

Well as the latest group project is on the home straight I kinda got signed up for the club competition. The long and short of it is that I'm looking for track plans and any other information on Cambois MPD - which must be the most modelled depot ever!

The idea is to model from buffer stops back towards the shed which will be modelled in deep relief , probably about 8"-10". I've drawn up a plan on Templot using photos as a guide and Google maps for distances but the whole thing looks  a bit too wide at the minute. And although it fits into the deemed 10' space I had hoped to include at least the wagon sidings if not the running lines to North Blyth!

Many thanks in advance

After the small matter of Simons wedding we can get back to the preparing Charwelton for its second outing under its new guise. We are looking forward immensely to the show, meeting up with friends and playing trains. To get a flavour of the layout pick up a copy of the next BRM. If you do come see us please say Hi! 

Just a long shot but I'm wondering if anybody has any information on the above Bogie cement wagon as I'm about to start hacking the Hornby version to resemble something a lot closer than it currently is!

Drawings would be great but any information, length over Head stocks Bogie centers etc.

The Hornby version appears too long. And the tank appears to sit at least level with the headstocks if not infront!

Regards

Dave.

Well Charwelton is loaded up and were en route! Come say hello over the weekend

We are so excited to be debuting Charwelton in its new guise here at Doncaster, come say hi!

I also managed to get a shot of 407 (Andy stole my thunder!) A quick grab with the phone (Really should take the BIG camera down next time!(NOVEMBER))