jamest

Hi all, Apologies for the lack of updates. I've covered the plaster with some paint and brown scatter. I have also been labouring over the ground colour/texture in the yard. I tried wood stove ash but it does not respond well to the pva flood method and if I scatter it onto pva it does not stick thick enough. I'm sure some have had success with it but I have opted for grey paint with talc spread on it when wet. The surface is still quite clean at the moment, as you will see, but it will be weathered and toned down later. I also decided to try be slightly more realistic in the yard line ballasting so I placed card on the yard to the top of sleeper height and then removed the ballast between the sleepers so I could try some DAS clay in there instead: Card up against the track and ballast removed: With the clay blended into the card surface: Half way through showing the card and the area to be covered in clay: And the end result painted and blended: Quite pleased with it - but it is too clean at the moment! Regards, James Regards, James

Hi, That looks like a solid start - I'm glad the layout provided some inspiration. If you start a new thread let me know - I'd like to follow your progress. All the best, James

Hi, I've long been an admirer of your work here along with everyone else. Can I ask a question about the ground surface in your post #3265 where Molly and Dolly are standing? The surface texture and colour look great and I was wondering how you create that? I have been experimenting with paint sprinkled with wood burner ash and talc, and I am getting close - but I'd like to hear how you get those results. I know a lot of the realism is in your use of colour too, but I am keen to get the surface texture looking right first. Regards, James

Hi, I agree that the cable looks most likely - even though my multimeter tests were saying otherwise. If there was a weakness in the small section I removed it might not have been occuring in the orientation I was testing. It is difficult to test all orientations of handset/wire. Another thought is that the wires were complete but the insulation was fauly and there was some combination of cross connection somewhere? I notice the curly wire meant for the LH90 (is that right?) is around £11 - and I would have to cut off the 'telephone' connector from one end and hardwire it to the LH100. That might be a fix for another day though - I want to familiarise myself with the operation of the handset to decide if I want to persevre with it, or another handset option. Cheers for now, James

Hi all, Great news....it lives! I re attached the wires to my new din plug and took a few inches off the cable that end. I then checked with the multimeter again. It was ok....as before. I then plugged it in the box and put a train on the track. Switched on....nothing on the handset display. I went to press cl to enter the address of the loco (as per the test suggested above).....and hey Presto the display appeared after pressing cl. I'm happy but a bit confused. I had tried this button before...along with several others! The main differences are loco on the track, and the new din plug minus a bit of wire. But the multimeter said the wires were good all along? I have turned it off and on again, and now it starts up fine, loco or no loco on track. Perhaps the handset was dormant in some way? All's well that ends well and all that! Cheers, James

Hi, No I haven't tried a loco yet. That's good advice, thanks. I need to solder on a new din plug and then I'll try that. If that fails I'll ring the shop mentioned above to see what they think about a possible repair. Thanks again everyone, James

I notice the LMAB on the circuit board does not match the colour to pin info I've seen on here. I swapped the wires to correspond with the circuit board markings, but still no good.

Hi, I have opened the unit and checked continuity between the din pins and the circuit board pads/other end of the wire. That would seem to rule out the plug and the wire and the connections on the lh100. I have cut the plug and directly connected to the box without the din and the handset is still showing no signs of life. I assume there does not need to be a train on the track for it to work?

Hi, Thanks for that. To check I think I will cut off the din plug and wire to the green connector (carefully). If that works...great...and I consider a female plug or connector plate. If not, back to the drawing board! Cheers, James

Hi, Thanks for the advice - I got this controller set-up for nothing - so I am willing to shell out a bit. But until I find the error (or find someone who has another handset I could test) I don't want to buy something else that potentially will not work. I am in the wilds of North Devon so I'm not near a good DCC stockist. I really need to test another handset on my base, or my handset on another base. I have checked the pin to circuit board connections on the handset and all looks good - checking the DIN female socket on the LZV100 is beyond me. One other thing - reading the LZV100 manual it looks like you can connect directly to the 'green terminals' marked LMAB instead of the DIN socket (see below). I realise this is not optimal - but it might help with my troubleshooting? Cheers, James

Hi, I recently acquired a second hand LH100 with a LZV100 base station and transformer. A very good friend let me have it free as it was getting little use, and was getting on. It has not been used for a few years and it sat with me until I got a connector set for connecting the wires to the base station. Last night i connected it up. Just power in to base, feed to track, and LH100 connected via din plug to base. The red led was ok on the base and the power was good to the track.....but no life in the LH100. Completely blank screen. I've tested the wire by opening the LH100 and using a multimeter between the din plug pins and the end of the wire at the circuit board.....All ok. The kit is in good condition and has been looked after, just not used much recently. Does anyone have any ideas\tips? Regards, James

Hi all, Its been a while since I updated this. I've had some serious back trouble over the summer and the modelling has had to take a back seat. I don't want that to sound too serious as I'm sure there are many who have suffered, and are still suffering, more than me - but for a few weeks the pain was pretty bad - and I've been rationing my time in the shed bending over the layout. I have made some decent progress in the last month or so - I have been meaning to take photos as I go but I don't always remember! I had hit a mental block with how I would arrange the buildings around the sidings - but I have progressed through that and I am quite happy with how it is going. I have finished off the platform surface with paving sheets and painted card for the tarmac and put in the retaining wall around the end with the overbridge. I have decided to have a loading platform beside the angled siding - blending it with the landscape sloping down from the road. I have placed the bottom half of the fascia against the front of the layout which enables we to match the terrain and apply plaster bandage over the foam base. So here is the photographic evidence! Some of the photos are a little blurred as I struggle to get far enough away from the layout when attempting to photo the whole width - and the lighting at night is not ideal for photography. The overall pics showing the bottom fascia - there will be a top too to frame the scene: I have made the ends thicker to hide the end of the backscene and make the viewer look in at an angle - the right hand end might be made thinner depending on how I arrange the scenery/buildings that end - I thought it would be easier to remove material if a need to: Here is some of the shots around the entrance from the fiddle yard - the plaster bandage will be covered when it dries! And here is another showing the platform/track/point rodding/backscene in one. the brick paper is scalescenes aged brown and the eagled eyed of you will notice I have redone the road bridge supports in this as opposed to the dark red brick shown earlier: And the loading platform: Think that is it for now - I am also busy painting all the buildings in my GWR light and dark stone. All the best, James

Hi, Looking forward to finally seeing this for real tomorrow. I hope the journey and set-up goes smoothy. All the best, James

Hi, Not posted for a while but I've trying to keep up with your progress - you are far too self critical, but I understand that as I think we all are. I don't see many weak areas to your modelling :-), but the landscaping and the roads really put the layout at the next level....very very good. Really looking forward to seeing this at Taunton. All the best, James

Hi, I too enjoyed a few minutes watching your efforts on Sunday. A very nice layout with loads of operational potential in a relatively small space for O gauge. Lots of lovely detail scattered around the yard too. Thanks for making the trip. Regards, James

Hi again, Another quick update on my weekends efforts. I've put together some of my wills varigirder kit and used scalescenes dark red brick paper for the surrounding structure. The road surface is a wilkos grey tester pot sprinkled with wood burner ash while still wet. Regards, James

Hi all, Update on the point rodding.... I bought the 'normal' pack and the extension pack, which turned out to the be the right choice as even with this small layout I did not have enough straight runs in the normal pack. You do not get extra cranks or associated bits and bobs in the extention pack - only straights. I have lots of straights left over now, but not many other bits. The packs are around a tenner each, but I'm happy with the overall effect. The small signal box will sit on the platform - so I cut out the base wood for the platform to let the rodding disappear underneath it. I have placed a 'double run' out under the bridge to 'operate' the other end of the run around loop offscene. In other news....I've bit the bullet and purchased some Pheonix Precision GWR paints mail order - ouch! Regards, James

Hi all, Bit more progress to report.... I've made a start scheming out the scenic break bridge and platform and I've also added my 'backscene of choice' (see Braybridge and Bratton Lane in my layouts below!). As suggested by Richard (although I admit a bigger radius would be better) I have radiused the corner of the backscene in an attempt to mask the corner in the sky. As the undergroth and scenery is added the masking will continue. I have part assembled my platform signal box and I plan to use a ready to plonk station building from the scenecraft range. I have straightened the siding a little as I wanted a little more room between it and the end of the board. I am steadyily going along and I am resisting the urge to ballast becuase I want to install some wills point rodding - I have read on here that it is not really 'GWR prototypical' but I believe it will improve the overall picture anyway. Here are the pics....The signal box will be painted at a later date - I'm having trouble tracking down reliable humbrol versions for the GWR light and dark stone - so I think I might have to bite the bullet and order some phoenix paints. You can see the slight adjustment for the track here: I'm quite happy with the spacing and colour: Hope to have some point rodding pictures soon! All the best, James

Hi Richard. I plan to do the same as bratton lane and radius the backscene a little when I fix it. I don't want the radius to be too big as it would interfere with the overbridge. I find as long as it is not a sharp corner you don't notice it as much. You will not be able to look straight in at the sides of the layout as I plan to have a fascia board with width to it each end to prevent this. Cheers, James

Hi all, Time for another update - I always seem to make some headway before commiting to the forum so we have some catching up to do to reach where I am at the moment - I don't actually work this fast! I decided that I could 'manage' - both physically, and in the car if necessary - a five foot long scenic section. I felt it gave me more options in the siding area and around the buffer stops - and I wanted to have a road bridge over the fiddle yard entry so it balanced out the scenic track lost there. So I have extended the headshut and siding into the extra length, and you will notice the track has been painted. I use sleeper grime for the overall colour and paint the rail sides and chairs tamiya NATO brown: I plan to have a fasica board when I have decided the exact contours of the land leading away from the road bridge on the left to the edge of the siding - so the 'mismatch' on the front of the baseboard will be covered. I have also constructed the fiddle yard - it is a traverser with four track to take three Mk1s and a train. I've also set the length of the 'lead in' on the fiddle yard board so that I can run around three coaches. Hopefully this will involve a satisfying reverse into the loop from the trains stopping position - then a further movment back when the train has reversed onto the coaches. Ignore the BR Blue coaches - it was all I had to hand in the shed at the time: Next job is to work out the position of the road bridge and platform - and glue the backscene in place. All the best, James

Hi all, I am continuing with my OO BR blue layout Greenwood - but recently I've noticed strange things happening in my house......I had a look in my 'stock cupboard' and found someone had been buying earlier rolling stock and hiding it in there! - imagine my surprise I've been thinking about doing something small again and I have also looked to take a step away from my usual diet of code 100 track. I'm not knocking it, I just what to experiment with something different. I have bought some SMP track and some Marcway plastic sleepered point kits - but I am not that confident in the durability or build quality of my points - and I don't want to experiment on a layout that might get out and about every now and again (if invited) and suffer from running problems. So I decided to take a smaller step, encouraged by AndyY's thread, and use re-spaced code 75. The track plan is not radical or new and is mostly inspired by another OO layout lurking on here called Pen Y Bont. It has started at a scenic 4'x18" but this might well increase now I've had a think about what I want to do around the buffer stop end. I plan for the fiddle yard to be at least 4' long too so that there are no compromises on train lengths and there is ample storage space for any plan I might lean to! The points will be controlled by seep point motors and a seperate DC supply - coupling will be done via kadees with magnets buried under the track. I'm not really sure about the name yet, North Molton is the village I hail from (North Devon) and the nearest the GWR go to it was South Molton 3 miles away - on the way to Barnstaple. I like using real place names rather than making them up, and this seems to fit for now. Anyhow here are some photos I took of my first stages of construction - the baseboard is 12mm ply on a 18mm x 45mm softwood frame - the wiring is not revolutionary so I'll spare you photos of that. The stock running will be DCC fitted. The track plan - run around is half off scene The push to make switches are wired for the three points: I have used the tracklay underlay - but used it sticky side down and glued the track to the underlay using Copydex - This might seem a bit mad but I think code 75 sleepers are too thick to use a thin ballast layer stuck to the sticky side of the underlay. I can also spray the track after laying this way too - and not have to lay and ballast at the same time. Respaced track looks good, in my opinion, and you can also see the kadee magnet in place: Thats all for now. All the best, James

In lieu of a namebadge, exhibitors are expected to wear a red carnation in the left lapel of their smoking jacket, carry a rolled up copy of the days Times newspaper under their right arm and use the phrase, " Roger the dog is wearing long trousers after lunch today" when greeting other exhibitors. Would you Adam and eve it - my smoking jacket is at the dry cleaners! looking forward to meeting you all. ATB, James

Hi all, Speaking as someone who has planned to come for years but never made it.....I'm actually coming along this year to help Ray Norwood with his layout. I've seen mention of 'name tags' on here before but I can't seem to find anything on the forum - can I ask what the convention is? Regards, James

Hope it all goes well at the weekend. Looking forward to Taunton! Regards, James

I am always trying to think of ways to satisfy operation from both sides. I also prefer the control panel option for points rather than everything from the controller. That is simple but so effective. Good luck with the exhibiting. Regards, James