Dmudriver

Hi Jon. I tried to get the wheelsets out but that would have been impossible without some pretty severe surgery. What I did do, though was to play about with the B2B - one wheelset needed moving out a tad and the other one moving in the same!! Also, I resoldered one of the point blades on the curved crossover as that was a bit tight - though only this vehicle complained!! When I say "played about with", it was literally just that: I didn't use a back to back gauge but just kept twisting the wheels on the axles until they rode through the pointwork smoothly!! So now it won't be destined for the Sales section on the G0G website!! Rod

To be quite honest, Paul, I like the uniformity of 3x Mark 1 BGs!! The other 6 "loose" vehicles will create ample shunting opportunities and variations in train length, too. I've decided that maximum train length for the mail order depot will be equal to 4x 57' bogie vehicles. The length of that ex-LNER one does cut down the options a bit!! Rod

So far, I'm afraid, the video hasn't materialised - as my efforts have been channelled elsewhere: in getting the 2nd ex-LMS FB ready for running. This is now done: the new bogies are fitted, as are the Dingham couplings, and everything works as it should. I thought it might be useful if I summarised all my parcels stock - so here goes. First up the "loose" parcels vehicles: From the left, a 57' ex-LMS FB, followed by a 50' one: then a BR GUV, a BR Palvan, a BR 12T van and finally an ex-Blue Spot refrigerated van converted to parcels operation. The bogies on the 2 ex-LMS FBs need painting, as does the last vehicle - which will also be blue, Express Parcels branded. These 3, I think, will be ideal jobs for the next few days of the heatwave - and I may as well paint the seagulls, too!! Also in the parcels stock is a 3-coach train of Mark 1 BGs, semi-permanently coupled together, using KDs: Then there's the ex-Railair Express Parcels unit: and finally, the class 131: Quite a bit of stock when you look at it like that!! There's also an ex-LNER 63' FB but I can't fit that on the layout so that is going to be on the G0G sales site shortly.** Added to this lot, there's 4 DMU sets (2x 2-car, 1x 3-car and 1x 4-car) plus a DEMU, so it's understandable why I say the layout's full!! So, ..... it will be painting on the agenda for the next few days by the looks of it. Watch this space!! More soon. Rod ** PS The Heljan fuel tanker will also be sold as the wheels don't like the 31.5mm pointwork. It will be replaced by a kit-built one of some sort. Any suggestions for one that would be running in the 70s/80s?

Continued ............ The other signals that are interlocked with this crossover all worked as they should - the interlocking was effective - so that didn't point to the Tortoise microswitch playing up. After 3 hours - yes, 3!! - I finally found the problem. It's to do with this diode matrix and one of the copper tracks on the back of the board - where the yellow wire now is, at the bottom of the board: I found that signal 44 (the left hand pin) was interlocking correctly but the other 3 weren't. Circuit testing between the 3 pins on the right showed perfect closed circuits but the test between the left hand pin and the other 3 showed either an open one or a closed one with high resistance. Clipping a wire between the left hand pin and one of the others sorted the problem immediately so I assume something has happened to the track on the back of the board (I didn't take it off to find out!!) Originally all the interlocking worked perfectly so what has happened since, I haven't a clue!! The yellow wire is now soldered on and the interlocking works as it should. Big sigh of relief!!! I never got a decent running session, though, and the next couple of days I'm busy so it could be Friday before I try again - I even had my camera ready for stills and a video!! Hopefully soon! In the meantime, I've decided that I really have no room on the layout for 2 preserved steam sets - if I do use 2, all the parcels stock and the locos have to come off, which is a bit of a bind. So, after a lot of soul searching, I'm going to sell the GW 0-4-2 Tank and the 2 autocoaches. I can't sell them on here - I'll put them on the G0G site but if anyone's interested, PM me and I'll send more information. So ... all being well, I'll operate on Friday and you might just see a new video soon - featuring parcels stock shunting!! More soon. Rod

It was a decent day today and, apart from a bit of shopping, I had nothing planned so I thought I'd have an operating session. Now, the layout is getting a bit near its maximum capacity with the increase in parcels vehicles and I've decided that, to make it work efficiently, I need a parcels train and a passenger train in the station area all the time. So at the start of the session, things look like this: Just a shunter in the stabling point, a parcels train that arrived at the start of the signalman's shift and the first passenger train of the day in platform 1. The fiddle yard looks like this: Passenger and parcels DMUs in the main roads and 2 locos and 4 parcels vehicles in the kick-back sidings. And I've still got 1, maybe 2, bogie parcels vehicles to add!! However, before I actually got started, I got a reminder that the ground signals on the stabling point headshunt and the 2 Down sidings will clear when the curved crossover on the approach tracks is set against the permitted route, although they should be interlocked to prevent this happening.. This has annoyed me for a while so I decided to have a quick look at it and see if I could sort it. See the next post for the continuation (I can't add another pic to this one!!) Rod

It's been a month since I last put anything on here - doesn't time fly?!! I can't really say I've been that busy, either: I think I just lost my mojo!! Anyway, I have done some work on the first ex-LMS parcels vehicle. It is now finished apart from painting/weathering the new bogies. It does run rather well but the Dinghams were a bit fiddly to set up, mainly because the slot in the buffer beam was too big. That's now sorted - by gluing one of the Dingham coupling plates (if that's the right word) inside the buffer beam to keep the coupling in place. I've used a spring to hold it in place rather than gluing and this had to be packed between the floor and the coupling to maintain the correct height. All a bit fiddly but not difficult. Here's what it looks like in a train of mixed parcels vehicles: Missing from that rake is a Heljan GUV which is pictured with the newly-fitted vehicle here: While they're not obvious in the pics, the axlebox covers are now fitted!! That Heljan GUV seemed to cause a few problems with an Easybuild BG when it was coupled behind it: one bogie of the BG kept derailing on one particular point in the station throat. I thought it was because I had put too much weight in the GUV, so I took the weights out but the problem persisted. It turned out eventually that the problem was the bogie retaining screw on the BG was too tight and the bogie was not turning easily (there's also a slight gauge narrowing on the point which didn't help but as it's a 32mm one it doesn't really cause problems). However, getting the body off the GUV was a bit of a challenge - it kept wanting to spring back on!! Got it done in the end, though, and everything works OK now. I really must get the electromagnets for the couplings - but after I've done the 2nd ex-LMs vehicle. I did mention about holding the nuts on the bogie retaining screw in place with paint. However, I've used masking tape instead: From previous experience, that will work fine and it's easier to remove than paint. Now I've done it with one, it's on to the next one. More soon. In the meantime, it's watching some of the Southport Air Show from St Annes with binoculars - and as I type something has just flown over the house - probably en route to Blackpool airport. Rod

Just superb, Jon. od

The Easybuild bogies have arrived and I've built the first pair, bar the axle box covers, but I first wanted to test the running and how they fitted onto the vehicles. I don't know if everyone is familiar with Easybuild bogies, but they have a pivot which, when fitted to their coaches, ensures the correct ride height. However, that doesn't work with Sidelines vehicles as the fixture on the chassis extends further down. With Easybuild's pivot fitted in the recommended way the vehicle rides too high: turn it over and the vehicle sits on the bogie wheels!! So what I've done is to turn the pivot the wrong way up and add washers to lift the body off the wheels. This pic shows the overall situation: and this one is the detail of the washers (superglued to each other and the pivot): They now ride at just about the right height - as here: and compared to a Heljan GUV, also on Easybuild bogies: The downside of this method is that there is very little thread left on the screws that fix the bogie in place - I lost one just in pushing the vehicle up and down through pointwork! - so a blob of paint will be required to hold them in place once the couplings are fitted (and the axlebox covers, too!). Overall, though, I'm happy so far. However, I'll not start the second one until the first one is complete and running acceptably. More soon. Rod

A tiny bit of progress!! I've sold the 2x pairs of Sidelines bogies off the ex-LMS full brakes and ordered 2x pairs of Easybuild replacements: they should be in the post today. The Dingham couplings need the buffer heads to protrude from the buffer beam by 12.5mm but the Sidelines ones protrude by 14 to 14.5mm. They are self-contained, sprung buffers and the spring is quite strong. I've used some plastic tube to hold them in position - see pics below. This is a good interference fit except on one for some reason where the buffer shank seems to be a bit narrower so I had to superglue that one in place - and managed to superglue the buffer itself in place - the right place, fortunately!! How they will stand up to the vibration when running is to be seen: I'm hoping they'll be OK but experience will tell. In the meantime, I've not done much running (of the layout, not physical running!!) though I do go out and shunt stock about - running up to the hole in the shed wall in rear of signals 44/36. I'm still suffering from the after effects of this ****** Covid - still tired. Goodness knows what it would have been like without vaccinations!! However, you can't sit around feeling sorry for yourself so I have been out and about - and slept rather well afterwards!! 😂 More soon, once the new bogies arrive. Rod PS I've recently been looking at narrow gauge stuff (00-9) - I've always fancied it - I had an Eggerbahn railmotor many, many years ago and there's a lot of stuff available now. Maybe 0n30 might be a better idea, being that much bigger though whether I go as far as parting with some of my savings is another matter - but I can still dream!!

I like that idea!! 😀

Not a lot done since last week - I'm still feeling shattered after that bout of Covid. However, been to the doctor's today and it looks like the virus has kicked off a condition that has been under control for a considerable number of years: a change of medication and some tests to undergo and then hopefully we'll get on top of it again. Hey ho, such is life. But ... I have been out in the garden and done a bit of playing. However, that also threw up some problems, like a JLTRT tie bar that had come unsoldered - only noticed it when a DMU went completely the wrong way at the station throat!! Plus the fact that the two piece tie bar was starting to split. Those problems are sorted now but then I noticed a window out of the trailer car of the Reggie Rail 101. Getting at it was a bit involved and I had to unsolder the wires to the chip that controls the lights - only to solder them back the wrong way round with the result that it shorted the whole layout as soon as it went back on the track!! I was about to say "soon sorted" but it took a bit longer than that!! One of the buffers fell off and needed gluing back on: a bit tricky as the buffer shank is in 2 parts. It's now back on the track and all is working fine at least until the next issue!! I've tried to get a pic of the buffer to show what I mean but I can't get a decent one. I've rung Shawn about a couple of pairs of LMS bogies but he's not able to get at his stock for a couple of weeks so I've to ring him the week after next: he does have them in stock, though. And that's it for an update so far. More soon. Rod

Hi Simon Sorry to her about your post-Covid problems, but glad you're now on the mend. As you say, we should never forget what a good thing the NHS is. Rod

You can talk about football again now, Paul!!! I might even keep my fingers crossed for your lot on Sunday!!

I'll be honest, I shut myself off from the match completely!! Didn't think my nerves could take the tension!! Only knew the result when my son rang me, elated!! - he'd been sat in his garden on his own, following it on BBC text. A pal of his who was at the match left at half time, disgusted, and paid £60 for a taxi to get him home to somewhere in Cheshire!! He's had a fair bit of ridicule since!! Breathe again time!!

Hi Simon. Yes, I've googled images of seabirds on roofs and there's plenty of justification for nests on flat roofs. Now I've got to make some nests!! With regard to the wheels, here are 2 pics showing the difference in the flanges. The wheels that go through perfectly are at the bottom in the first pic and top in the second - though it's obvious really, isn't it? My feeling is the others definitely need changing. Just to clarify, in the top picture the nearest wheel isn't really brown/bronze - that's shadow!! Rod

True!! 😀

Just don't raise the subject of football, Paul, or you'll set me back again!!! Rod

I mentioned a few posts ago that I'd acquired on loan a Lenz LH101 hand controller and that it didn't have a clip on the back. "Parking" it when I wasn't using it was a bit of a problem so I got some right angle brackets from the local B&Q and made some. Basically, 2 brackets side by side so that the wire hangs down in the gap as the controller sits on the brackets. I've positioned them between gaps in the leaning bars as getting them under the bars and into the brackets was extremely fiddly. I've used Gorilla Heavy Duty Grab adhesive as screwing upwards into the baseboard I found a bit difficult - even in daylight!! Here's what they look like: And the controller in place: Not ideal as it sits a bit high but better than having it lie on the scenery. And I've now acquired another one on loan. And finally, the parcels stock has increased by the addition of these 3 vehicles. Sharp-eyed followers may recognise the 2 on the left as having been resident on the layout previously - a bit like the gulls, they've come home to roost!! However, they don't like what they've found when they've come home: the wheels do not like the 31.5mm pointwork!! I think it's to do with the profile (and possibly the width) of the wheels. Whatever the problem is, I'm going to have to replace them but it's not easy to take the Sidelines brass bogies apart so I think I'll replace them with Easybuild ones - they do a 9' welded LMS bogie. The e-LNER one is absolutely fine: I think that's also a Sidelines kit but it has different wheels and run superbly through the new pointwork. So that's me up to date. More soon. Rod PS I thought there was a 10Mb limit on pics but this post has gone over that, so maybe not anymore.

Seems like I've been away for a while!! First of all Covid, then we went away to Anglesey for a week, during which I was getting more and more tired (not helped by an almost continual cough!!) and since then I've been feeling shattered, though the cough has virtually gone. I'm not the only one to suffer post-Covid, though, from what I'm reading on RMweb and picking up from elsewhere so it's a case of just getting on with it. However, my computer seems to have picked up Covid and is now suffering the very same slow moving symptoms!! I'm not sure I've sorted it yet or just got used to it!! Anyway, the seagulls have arrived and, I have to admit, there was a bit of a WTF moment when I opened the package and found seagulls with 8 or 9 legs!! I've not had any 3D printed stuff before so wasn't expecting that. They are, however, sitting which, from my observations, only happens on the nest. It's unlikely they'd be nesting on a station roof so I'll just have to hope I don't have too many avid birdwatchers following this thread!! They're yet to be painted but I've shown them in position in the 3rd and 4th pics below. I've taken the roses off the watering cans and they have been made up (all 3 pieces of them!) and painted and are now in place on the layout. One is on the plarform edge where a "in-a-bit-of-a- hurry" driver has left it and the other is at the base of a lamp post awaiting the next thirsty DMU. And here are the unpainted seagulls: Painting them is a pretty urgent job but there's been more done on the layout - see next post as I've run out of picture allowance. Rod

Only update so far is that the watering cans have arrived and the seagulls are on the way - by post, not flying!! 😀🕊️ Rod

Hi all. One advantage of having Covid is that, being required to isolate, you can play trains - so I have!! Well ... after I'd sorted out a few repair jobs - a battery box became part detached from the 2-car 108 and jammed the unit on a point, breaking the thing off completely!; the middle bolt joining floor to roof on the 116 worked loose and jammed in the fiddle yard double slip, resulting in a twisted screw link coupling and a detached buffer on the 128 (unpowered 116 leading stopped dead, powered 128 pushing didn't!!); the 101's squeaking was traced to a number of brake blocks dragging on the wheels; the Heljan tanker didn't like 31.5mm gauge - checked B2B, too wide, so narrowed down, now improved; the unpainted van derailed on the fiddle yard double slip - B2B too narrow - widened, now OK; and a couple of other fiddly jobs I can't recall at the moment!! When I did get playing today, I ran a bit of a timetable - here's a flavour. The 101, on a trip from Helsby, is checked at the Down Outer Home signal as he will be entering an occupied platform: The signal started to clear as soon as the cameramann pressed the shutter! It was then caught passing the Down Inner Home signal giving access to occupied platform 2: And entering platform 2 to stop on top of a 205 recently arrived from Birkenhead: As soon as the conflicting route is cleared, the signalman gives the road to a 115 for a service to Birkenhead from platform 1: Platform 1 is immediately filled by an incoming 5-car service from Chester: Chester services have been augmented to 5 cars as the frequency has been reduced to allow more paths for parcels trains (letters to the local press have inevitably followed, but at least the complainers all get seats!!). Closely following the Chester is an incoming parcels train headed by 50021 "Rodney" on a running-in turn from Crewe. Pictured passing the Down Inner Home signal, with the ground signal (30) cleared for entry to the sidings: Pictured arriving in no.1 siding: The 08 is standing ready to reverse the train (and remove the 12t van which will go Moreton later in the day). As the parcels has been drawing into the siding, the signalman has set the route for a Helsby service to depart from platform 2 (the driver did manage to get a brew!!): Not so the signalman - it's all go for him at this time in the morning at WKT!! And so the day goes on .......... I took the pics on my digital camera and they're not as sharp as I'd have liked them to be - and I don't know why!! Apologies for that! I've used the Lenz LH101 controller for most of the session and, briefly, I really like it! It's so much easier controlling the running with the rotary knob, although that is very sensitive and I did a couple of times knock it when I was reverting to the stack for the next unit, only to put a bit of power on to the unit I had just finished with: I found the units hard up against the buffer stops with the wheels turning!! The stack only supports 8 addresses and I've got 11 units/locos so what I've done is to put the 7 MUs in and I use the 8th space for the locos (08, 25, 37 and 50), entering them separately as required. The stack on the LH100 holds 12 addresses but only goes one way: if you want address 5 after you've just used address 6, you have to go through 11 to get to the one you want: with the LH101 you can go either way. I said the rotary knob is sensitive - you press it to change direction, do an emergency stop on a unit/loco, and confirm a choice, but if you press it for too long, it cuts off the power to the layout!! I did that at Shepton Mallett and on my layout here, but I'm learning from my mistakes!! There are other (minor) differences but all in all, as I get more used to it, I much prefer it to the LH100. As for the Covid, I'm not too bad - apart from being very tired!! Thank goodness - and scientists!! - for vaccines. Last day of isolation tomorrow, so the NHS Covid app tells me!! More soon. Rod

Slightly off track from railway modelling but a bit releveant ..... after more than 2 years of shielding and being careful to avoid crowds in order to avoid Covid, it has finally got me!! Relevance to railway modelling? ..... I think I caught it at Shepton Mallett!! I've had my 4th jab, though, so fingers crossed I'll be OK!! In other news, the Class 122 railcar that was on loan has returned to its home depot. I wasn't really using it that much and I didn't have the money to buy it (other things being higher on the priority list), so it's gone. In its place, however- but not on the rails - is this, also on loan: Compared to the "push button" LH100 it's interesting: scrolling through the stack is much easier, but the stack is limited to 8 addresses as opposed to 12 on the LH100, so what I've done is to list the multiple units on the 101 and the locos on the 100. With a loco that needs 128 speed steps every time it moves (like an 08 we were using on "Alexandra Sidings") it's not as convenient as the LH100 but I'll keep trying it for a while with my 08. The LH101 doesn't have a clip in the back as do the 100s but I've still managed to hang it on the hooks I use - it's just not so convenient. Anyway, those are just initial comments after using it for the first time on my layout: more considered coments later. More soon. Rod

I'd never seen any photos of these units before, nor did I even know of their existence. They are rather fascinating but unlikely to appear on WKT. I did know about the Sandite train - and have got other photos of it - and that is a remote possibility, but no more than remote. Rod

Nothing much done on the layout this last week but I did go down to Shepton Mallett, as I said in my last post. That was a really good exhibition! HLJ is just unbelievable - it's so long and so much in it. I must admit I was more interested in the operational aspects of it so spent as much time round the back as at the front!! And Simon is planning still more to it - a station and making the fiddle yard into a marshalling yard, as well as finishing off the DMU stabling point area. That man has so much determination! I spent most of the time, though, operating on "Alexandra Sidings". A fascinating layout - on 2 (unconnected) levels. Keith Harrison has done a fantastic job on building baseboards, buildings and scenery and Dave Hampson also on the electrics and electronics. I really enjyed operating it - both levels (tho' not at the same time!!) I didn't manage to get any seagulls but I did have a brainwave for the marker on the platform - a watering can. These were essential station equipment (often carried on the units too) for topping up water levels when engines refused to start. So one being left on a platform near the edge is very likely!! The one I've found is in white metal and it has a rose on it, but I'm assuming that can be pretty easily removed. I also saw the Class 73/1 on the Heljan stand and I am very, very tempted to get one when they come out. I know it's wrong for WKT as Merseyrail had 73/0s but DMUs didn't run regular services to West Kirby, nor were there regular loco-hauled coaches or parcels trains so I'm not stretching things too far with a 73/1. WKT is "based on" West Kirby so that's my justification. I'd like it in Merseyrail yellow - how close that is to Network Rail yellow I'm not so sure, but LLB is also an option. Finally, I was checking whether any early photos have come back yet when I realised that this thread has been going almost a week over 10 years now - 10 years!! And 121 pages, too!! Doesn't time fly? 😀 Looking back at the early posts, I've done a lot, though, so that is really satisfying. Let's see how long I can keep it going in the future!! No bets, though!! 😀😀 More soon. Rod

I'm sure it could be done, though it would mean touching a button on a screen. I'll "phone a friend" for you but he's off on hoilday shortly: I'll try and remember for when he gets back. (Mind you, he might just see this comment!!). After seeing some of what he's done on "Alexandra Sidings", I believe anything is possible electronically!! Rod