Jack

The next thing to do is to try and get the standard/narrow gauge transfer to work properly. It is based on . I purchased the transporter wagon as an impulse and have added it to the layout for a bit of added interest. It does mean that Gough's is no longer strictly a Tymesaver but its my trainset and all that Anyway, in the video link above you can see the transporter wagon being loaded (30secs in). Ive had a play with mine and it sort of works, but i think i'm going to need some form of check rail (unlike the real thing). The track leading up to it is standard peco bullhead. However, I went to place a check rail on earlier and the chairs I have are too large and don't sit very well next to the standard flexi track ones ... do points use different forms of chairs for the check rails? Anyone got any suggestions about how I can fit a set of check rails?

Thats better ... the frogs have been wired into the tortoise switches and the blades have been wired into the rails next door. Running has improved 100%.

Grrr ... after a few good operating sessions it turns out the Marway points don't work very well when relying on blade contact ... time to start isolating the frogs and attaching them to the tortoise micro switches ... doh!

Gotcha ... thanks Dave.

Thats where I'm planing on having the rails inset into cobbles, the white stuff is 2mm plasticard ... as it turns out, it would have been cheaper and easier to lay the plasticard straight onto ordinary flexitrack ... oh well, live and learn!!

Cooool, thanks for posting the pictures! Maybe i'm having a blond/senior moment but ... I fully understand using the dowels for the inner joins of your modules (i've done the same), but do you use them where the black box joins to other peoples stuff? If so, how do ensure everyone has put them in the right place as they can be quite tricky to fit in a reliable manner?

... maybe the vicar should have read the bible before he chopped it up I know Status Quo are old, but the KJB is 400 this year

It saddens me that they have learnt nothing from history ... after all, everybody knows that heathens burn better than books

You could stick an exit or two on Wenfordbridge and call it a module ... ... as Mrs Doyle once said "go on, go on, go on"

Thanks ... it is approximatly half the size of my last OO layout attempt and has a considerably smaller amount of track on it ... it has certainly made a big difference in terms of build time. I've spent a bit more getting to this stage, but not much ...

Thanks Its not too bad, pretty much the same as a set of 'coffined' boards of similar dimensions. I can certainly maneauver it on my own if i need to ... and i don't exactly have an athletic physique!!! The only slight pain has been tracing electrical faults. Because the boards are permanently joined, to get underneath either means crawling, or folding the whole thing up. That said, setup is a lot quicker with a folding board. I'm confident enough in my wiring that i shouldn't have to root around the underside too often (famous last words) ...

The latest update pics showing the wiring and track ... some scenery may appear in the future, but as this is my first 7mm layout, i may have to give it a thorough 'test' first

That looks like a very nice piece of modelling there Dave! How do you ensure all the connectors are engineered to the right standard? Do you use dowels of any sort?

Hurrah! The track is laid and wired, the tortoise motors are working (now they have heavy grade wire in them) and I've just spent a good half hour playing trains. I'll get some pictures tomorrow when the light is better ...

My o gauge module, Gough's Yard will have a SECR flavour ... i've started working on the stock, including a terrier and a P ...

It wouldn't be impossible ... Chrome is based on Gentoo and there will be a way in (its possible to get to the linux os on most domestic routers) ... once in, you could install VM Player for linux, then put a windows installation on it and run ms office (and the av) ... clearly what the good people of curry's were expecting the silver surfers to be doing after a quick round of bowls ... simples

Yeah, but it is o guage, so the pool we are drawing on is much smaller than the OO modular project! [optimistic mode] We'll get there though [/optimistic mode] I certainly did. However, there were three draw backs to the Guild's approach ... firstly, it required much better carpentry skills to produce the connections, it was more Freemo than NTrak. Secondly, it didn't take off! The scheme is quite old, but as far as i could find, the only people using it were the East Kent group, and I think they are about to scrap their last remaining module. Lastly, it was for a double track connection, which the poll suggested might put people off. By building a module

As promised some pics of the connector plates I have been working on. The black wood is left over 6mm birch ply duely painted. The wire is all 16/0.2mm to allow the safe use of a 5amp draw. The only non-standard bit is the addition of the ATX cable. I have used these to electrically join the internal connections of the three boards which make up Gough's Yard. They are rated for 5amp and are a lot quicker to join than standard terminal block. I have added the two blocks of 1" timber under the ends to give them better load bearing capabilities. They are only screwed on, so could be removed if they cause a problem. If two modules are at slightly different heights they may prove a hinderance. I have given the connections some more thought, and whilst i can clearly see that a whitemetal o gauge loco could be pretty heavy (not to mention Heljan diesels), these connectors are only 6" long ... my Terriers only just fit on ... so most vehicles will not have 100% of their weight on the connecting pieces at any one time.

I've made a slight amendment to the connector plates i've built. Having added a piece of 1" timber to the ends they are a lot more stable when a heavier loco runs across them ... not that i have any heavy locos, so i improvised with a wagon and a jar of screws ... the extra wooden sections are only screwed in place, so could be removed if they prove a hinderance. I'll pot some piccies when i have an update for Gough's Yard ... work has stalled as i ran out of wire and cable ties ...

In an ideal world you're absolutely right, they would be better joined with clamps, and we may have to go down that route. However, the modules are currently being built miles apart and the original rules were designed to give maximum simplicity and flexibility, based on the work these chaps have done (very successfully I believe) Hmmm, it could be fun maneuvering some of the larger modules ... I'm toying with the idea of putting some form of support under the connecting bridges i have made, this should get over any weight problems that 'OScale' highlighted.

I've just finished laying the track. Everything is now in place, hopefully i'll start the wiring tomorrow. With the forum running so slowly atm i'm not sure how i'm going to get the pics loaded up ... nothing to do with Andy and everything to do with rubbish rural broadband I also need to experiement with the tortoise motors on my marcway points. As others have commented on elsewhere, the points are quite stiff and I may need to replace the supplied wire with something thicker.

The rules then ... 1) Use of standard Peco Bullhead Code 124 Rail [ref. SL-700BH] at the module end. 2) The join between modules is made with metal fishplates and a 6" or 150mm single section of Peco code 124 rail (or compatable) on some form of supporting base (ie not just 6" of track suspended in the ether). 3) The top of the rail should be 6.5" / 165mm above the 'table' height. 4) Point control and isolating sections are to be controlled locally to each module. 5) Track power is in the form of two wires with the positive (red) wire to the rail at the rear of the layout. Modules should be electrically joined using 'choc' blocks. 6) All wires used on the layout for track power should be a minimum of 16/0.2mm to cope with DCC power ratings if necessary. 7) Modules can be whatever length and width the builder likes as long as the can be joined using rules 1-3.

Yup, there is nothing finer than paying VAT on fuel duty ... a sort of tax on tax