trainfan

Well, since its been a while since the last update, maybe its time to bring things to update. Since the last post, the 009 layout mentioned has now become 'Blaecwm'. I would take a photo of it in its semi finished state but as its buryied under a lot of other stuff, that'll have to wait. Also, Doveston and the other OO station layout have both been scrapped as I just don't personally like the ideas the two layouts were based around. However, this has left me needing a new layout, which is now underconstruction. Based on the concept of a 'Railway centre', similar to the one at Didcot, it should allow for a varirty of 'preserved' steam and diesel engines to run. However, to make it all work, it has to be DCC powered which is done using the same Bachmann system off the former Doveston layout. Until I get a chance to get take some more photographs of the project, here's a coloured in track plan showing my thoughts at present about scenics. The trackplan is already down and by some miricle, working as predicted so something must be going right. Just need to go and get the rest of the materials needed before I can start some serious work on the layout's appearence. Until next time, Jon

Evening all, Since I started work on the other Terminus, a number of factors started to affect what I modelled. Including, the succussful completion of the Lyd project on the Ffestiniog Railway...... Ever since then, my belief love affair with the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways has dramatically been resumed with the start of a 009 layout on a spare piece of wood (more on that later). But sadly, it's curvse were too tight for my stock which then has lead to the rebuilt layout that is currently being worked on. Hopefully I'll post more later but as part of the work, I've rationallised what I have railway wise to just the Single 009 layout, Doveston and the O gauge layout. More to come on this layout and its stock. Jon

Evening all, Not been able to do alot as I'm getting ready for a new year at College. But, I've finalised on the track layout and it fits everything I wanted from it. Here's some pictures including my new N15 Maunsell N15 4-6-0 No. 736 'Excalibur':- Unlike my preivous pictures, there is still the two coach runround loop with a headshunt that can hod a Hornby princess. However, I've now got a 3 road carriage yard (where me Maroon Mk1 is) so I can have the fantastic Bachmann Carriage shed on my layout when its installed. Also, I've added a small Engine shed area near the platform (where Tornado is on the top picture). Once I get paid, I need to buy 3 Left Hand points, a Right hand point and a catchpoint before I can start track laying. However, I'm debating if to use underlay or not. I'm planning to use the Hornby underlays but I'd like to know if anyone's used it before or have it installed at the moment on thier layout and what it's like before I buy it. Anyone have it on here? Until next time, Jon

Hi, Your layout looked good in the magazine. A truely brillient layout you've got there Jon

Well, this is a out of date. Not a lot has changed since my last update but a few things have happened. Firstly, a few stock additions: LSWR T9 GWR Hawksworth 94XX GWR 8750 – Brought and run in at the Bluebell Railway’s 50th Gala explaining the Standard tank in the background. Modelzone TPO Limited Edition I’ve also started work on a OO gauge working diorama which is based on the other end of the line to my main OO gauge layout. Its main purpose would be to run in new stock and to be a sort of test layout for newly repaired rolling stock to be tested on. Unlike my main OO layout, its been designed to have curves with a radius of less than radius 2 to allow a greater range of stock to be run on it compared to my main layout. Anyway, on with the pictures. I've also decided to just stuff it and rename/number one of my two Bullied Blackmoor Vale models into a Battle of Britian, namely, 21C166 Spitfire. I'm planning to use Foxs Transfers and nameplates which should give a nice finish but as its my first time, it'll be interesting to see how it turns out. Until next time, Jon

Evening all, Its been a while. So a update for mainly my OO layout because my O gauge has had nothing done to it lately due to lack of time to make the backscene and get my hands on some mounts for it. Hopefully one that will be done by the end of the summer holidays. Doveston Track and scenery Not a lot has changed to the layout since the last update layout wise apart from the station is now where the goods shed used to be and that has moved to join the engine shed in the 'yard'. This is mainly becuase of the continual derailments which kept occuring during setting back into the station after running round. Also, to mkae my life easier to manage, the layout has been moved back towards the 1950s as most of my operational stock is in BR early liverly. The layout still is able to operate in 'perservation mode' abet with the MPD downgraded to a similar style to the Brewdley depot on the Severn Valley Railway which only has two engines and possibly a shunter to manage trains that depart from the station before a train can arrive from the other station. Electrics Since my last post, not a lot of work has happened but what as happened has increased the operational potenial of the layout hugely. A few weeks ago, my DCC controller stopped working (yes, I'm now on my third unit) which reprogramed the active engine (my class 25) to an address which couldn't be accessed on the unit (address 1-14 somehow) which had to be dealt with by the shop where i brought it from. I really must at this point say a huge thank you to the guys at Gaugemaster in Ford, Sussex who have constantly been helping me fix the rudy thing every thing it goes wrong. The layout has had a couple of electric connections either added or modified. There is a point on the run round loop which for some reason doesn't let power pass along it when it is set to striaght running, a quick wire around the point to add the power to that section with another isolating switch has been added to isolate the outer loop which increases the area I can test run engines around my outer loop. Loco Dept Since my last post, the running fleet has been running fine. Most of my engines have run at least once this year on the main DCC layout (except those which just won't work and haven't for many years (mainly old Lima diesels which are now over 10 years old)) with the only exceptions being my Princess Royal and Duchess Class Pacifics which are due thier once yearly check shortly before they go away again till next feburay. The T9 is performing well and is quickly becoming the engine which is pulling most of the trains. A Duty shared with my Ivatt except it doesn't make half as much noise when the T9 is running compared to the Ivatt. Hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures of the beast on my layout as it quickly has become the favourate engine for mainly passenger work admitily with the surprisingly reliable Torrington handling all 'special' traffic dispite its constant refusal to accept a DCC chip. On the subject of Bullieds, all three bullieds are running fine after the choas all three caused at the begining of the year (Torrington melting DCC chips, the two blackmoors not liking various sections of point work and in one of the blackmoors case needing major repairs after a accident 3-4 years ago where it had a relatively major accident for one of my engines). After much deliberating, I've decided that Torrington will remain as is (unrebuilt) and a similar situation to what's happened to the real world terrier 'Sutton' will have happened to 'Torrington' giving me a valid excuse to run it. The other Blackmoor will get renamed when I get a chance to do so to either Spitfire or Bideford. The Backlog of work At the moment, I've been planning a extension of the fiddle yard to allow for more stock to be stored in there (a whole 2 Mk1s and a A1 of the peppercorn variaty!) on the inner 'main'line and 3 Maunsell coaches and a bulleid on outer sections. Ideally, the outer area will be completely isolated from the main circuit so that I can test run engines on a DC system to make sure they work correctly. Hopefully this will be built before the end of the year as its something that is needed badly. Also, I need to get my hands on loads of DCC chips for a huge selection of my engines but I have one question. Do the Limited Edition Hornby Princess Royal class model released for the 50th anniversay of Hornby and the Duchess model that came out with the Royal Train train pack have DCC sockets in them? My two are special to me for personal reasons so I don't want to take them apart unless I know they have the sockets inside for definate. Any ideas gents? Until next time (with hopefully some pictures), Jon

Evening all, While I still debate weather to rename Torrington and pondering about something that will follow in another post, I've been out and about the place purchasing various bits and pieces for the layout. After about 7? ish years of waiting, I've finally brought my First Hornby teak Coach, a Carmine and Cream Buffet while on holiday and today, purchasing one of the Hornby DCC Fitted T9s (see below). Both have been run in on the layout but I haven't taken any pictures yet so the offical Hornby one of the T9 is all I have to show you guys at the moment. Hopefully, I'll get some taken soon which I'll post on here. Plus, I've been overhauling some more of my engines with my J94, Blackmoor Vale (no2) and Torrington recieving attention. The J94 has had numerous people look at it with no or little improvement on its performance but for some reason, taking the chassis apart completly and cleaning all the filth inside the gears has done the trick. Blackmoor vale had had a interesting accident which meant it couldn't run at all (Tyres had been forced off the wheels and there was lots of damage to the tender coupling on the engine). this has all (bar the tender coupling as it workes fine with other tenders) been repaired with a small trail also being done on the engine's Tender itself. I've taken out the centre axle (the worst of the damaged) and am seeing how it affects the Bullieds running around my 1st Radius Curves. Its going well so far so it may become a modifcation to all my Bullieds as and when they get repaired. Torrington (aka the engine that refuses to accept a DCC chip despite it being DCC ready) has had its dcc socket itself looked at after advice from a friend who's had a similar problem. It turned out that two of the pins on the socket had been soldered together at the base. This has been recificed but it still won't respond which means that I think it needs another new chip installed. At least it doesn't fry this one which is better than what it did to the first one it recieved. Image Copyright Hornby Hobbies Ltd Until Next Time, Jon

Morning all, After looking long and hard at my 3 Bullieds side by side, 2 Blackmoor Vales and a Torrington, I've decided to renumber/name 1 possibly 2 of them into other machines. One of the Blackmoor Vales will become 21C119 'Bideford' and my Torrington might become 34066 'Spitfire'. Originally, I was only going to rename one of my Blackmoor Vales origninally but on looking into the BoBs and WCs, I discovered that Torrington had been rebuilt which for my layout, is kind of pointless as I only have Unrebuilt BoBs and WCs. But, its fictional preservation which gives more freedom but I want to be true to the fact the engine was rebuilt. I'm not totally decided about that one so any imput on this would be greatfully recieved Ah well, I'm planning on using Fox Transfers Nameplates and decals for the renumber/naming(s). Any tips for this as this will be the first time I've renumbered/named a engine. Until Next Time, Jon

Evening, While the O Gauge scenery was drying and the 2251 was cooling after soldering work to the pickups, I got on with updating the headcodes on my engines. On the southern, there is a very different system where the headcode doesn't mean what type of train it is, but where it is going. For my line, and to pay my own little tribute to my Favourate Standard Gauge railway, all my engines that will work day to day on doveston now carry the same headcode. This isn't unknown for different areas to be carrying similar codes (A emample of this is the Swanage railway in purbeck which used to share a route headcode with the Steying line in sussex). I also added headcodes, or in some cases reattached them, to a number of other engines mainly ones which where approiate for that type of engines work. Until Next time, Jon

Evening all, The main purpose of today was to do some more work on the main scenery of the O Gauge Shelf. Got a fair bit done as you may be able to see with only the backscene left to do and painting the stock before Its relatively ready until I can afford to get a engine anyway Until Next Time, Jon

Evening Did a fair bit of work today on both my O gauge and OO (documented later) with some surprising results: One of the jobs I got done was the Mechcanical Overhaul of my Bachmann 2251 Tender Engine. Its nearly 10 years old and about 3 years ago started to run roughly and basically stopped working a year later. Today, I stripped it all down to see what was up with it and after cleaning 10 years worth of scum and muck off the picups and inner works, its now a completely different engine It runs brilliently It also reminded me that I haven't taken any photos of the layout since the DCC Conversion. My BAD! Until Next Time, Jon

EVening all, I got this at Model world 2010 on the cheap. It says on the box its a LNER Bulk Alumina Wagon but its missing decals and the roof shown on the box :S Any idea what colour this should be an where I could get some decals for this from? Thanks in advance, Jon

@ Scale7JB: Patience? what's that? I'm joking. I'll most likely finish the scenery and then I'll consider installing the likes of those. @DonW: Thanks for that, I was thinking that but wasn't sure on how as the glue I use has a tendency to peel off under any sort of pressure. I'll give it a try. Jon

Evening all, Since yesterday's post, I've been working all evening tonight on the layout, mostly on the scenery but I've also made the rest of the kits I brought for this, a Vent van and a Toad Brake Van. Both went together as well as the other truck (meaning that the fourth and final truck for the layout will also be from the peco range as that's all it will be able to hold and a engine). While they were drying, I have brick papered my Station (which has improved it a huge amount) and added the first of two layers of grass scatter to the grassy areas (the glue I use is shocking for holding the stuff down first time................) Quick Question, How should I go about ballasting the track though as I normally ballast the track first then lay the track? Until next Time, Jon

Evening all, Started on scenery work today as can be told by the Buffers being installed on the layout. I also, have just finished this, a scatch built Platform. Its built of Cardboard and it designed to hold one wagon or van . Its the first I've done so I'd like to know what you guys think of it. Its not finished as I need to get hold of a load of Brick paper but It's structurely complete. Until next time, Jon

Evening all, I finally got the parts I need to start work on the O Gauge Shelf layout. Mostly Scenic with a couple of Kits for the Rolling Stock. I've decided that it will be based in the 1930s on the GWR which makes my life easier as I can get hold of GWR kits more easily. I built one of the kits tonight and it went surprisingly well, aka it runs brilliantly. Also, I've managed to add three sets of buffers to the layout which required major surgery to the track to install them. Here's some photos of the little work that I have done on it but its a start. Got to admit that the truck was a lot smaller than I worked it out to be. Ah well, could be worst aka longer than I worked out. Until next time, Jon

Hi, I've looked at them all and quite like the look of the Tower Models Barclay or thier 02 Shunter which is mainly whitemetal kit with a little bit of soldering for contacts etc aka is acturley Ideal for what I want and would be more confident doing I'll have a look into a Etched wagon kit as that would be good practise for later on Jon

Morning all, Well, I got round to getting a photo of the layout as it is at present. The area with two tracks is where the fiddle yard will be, with the rest being scenery. Where the scene break accross the track goes can be seen in roughly the middle of the board with the regtangle in nearest the camera being where a small scratchbuilt station will go. What do people think of? And Also, I'm looking for a small engine to fit on it (like a peckett or something similar) but it seems all the available ones are brass kit. Can anyone recommend one for someone who's never built brass kit before? Jon

Evening all, While RMWeb's been down, I've been able to finish my work on my DCC conversion of Doveston. I've not chipped anything else yet as I've been working on my AS Design Technology coursework. Which, ironically, brings me onto something new. For my project I constructed a small O gauge test track on a old shelf we had lieing about in the workshops to test my ideas for my coursework. Well, it became redunent today after about a month and a half's use and I was allowed to keep it. Plans are to mount it as a shelf by my Desk at home simply as a test layout. One which I can learn the art of scatch building on and one I can learn aout Flexitrack and building your own stock. It will be something completely different to what I'm used too so I'm looking forward to it Photos soon Jon

Evening all, I got my E-Z Command replaced today and I LOVE IT Likewise, I've replaced the Hornby Decoders with Bachmann ones (which are cheaper and at least work with the system). I only have one picture at the moment of my little DCC test set but it does the job. I've managed to chip the following: Peppercorn A1 No.60163 Tornado BR Class 50 No. 50013 Agincourt GWR Grange Class No.6818 Hardwick Grange BR Standard 4 No.80136 I'm also running it with the standard Bachmann DC controller which gives me an extra address for engines as the DC control moves onto the other controller. Just a shame my Torrington model won't work with a chip in it which is annoying. It seems everything brought in the 14 days before christmas seems to be faulty in one way or another. First Tornado, then the DCC and now Torrington. Not good. Anyho, here are the ones that have been chipped alongside my class 25 which came in the set. (The Bullied in the photo is my other Bullied, Blackmoor Vale): Jon

Morning all, Yesterday in th modelzone sale in guildford, I managed to pick up some bargins to complete two of my coach sets. My general rule is 3 coaches per set with at least 1/2 of one being first class. Well, I completed my Southern Maunsell Set (a Full First, Full Second, Second Brake and PMV) amd my Mk2 Blue/Grey set (BSO, SO and BFO). Here they are plus another one of my christmas presents, a E.A.Robinson coal truck limited edition by Dapol for Gaugemaster. They're the ones in front of the two lines of stock. All three together with the older Maunsells in the background My Coal Truck Maunsell Full First Blue/Grey BFO My Maunsell Set with my Standard 4 Tank Engine Hopefully, this afternoon I'll be able to get some photos with my Class 25 and the Mk2s alongside Blackmoor Vale with the Maunsells. After I've been to get my EZ looked at anyway. Jon