Dad-1

I really should have added to this when it was still good pre-event advertising.

Sorry Weymouth, but I've been busy !

I ran my 'Kids Drive' Thomas layout this year. I had a fun weekends entertainment.

Then today noticed the exhibition guide cover picture was taken on my last years entry !!

Chuffed.

Dad-1

Sadly Kadees offer a great solution to an insurmountable problem of finding a cheap simple way of uncoupling.

The original OP was specifically interested in coaches and I have run a friends layout where working with bogie

coach stock was very reliable. I don't uncouple my passenger trains as I only run them on a Roundy-Roundy.

For a short siding weeds can activate the standard tension lock couplings. As with every system there is a problem !

What you can't do is run a locomotive over the weeds, they stand too high for the limited clearence under locomotives.

Here is a short video -

For my large layout where I run trains of 40+ and need to separate at any location around a 45 ft + circuit I use a manual

method. There is some derision regarding the 'Hand of God', however there was no automatic uncoupling in BR freight

yards. They all relied on a shunter with his pole, so in actual fact shunting with a magnet on a stick is much more prototypical

than an automatic magnetic, or weed activating system !!

The difficulty is being within easy reach - NOT always possible and as good a reason as I can think of for trying, and trying again

to succeed in finding what Kadees need on YOUR layout

Dad-1

Kadees CAN work, but in my opinion are a flawed system for use with '00' British outline

freight stock.

O.K. This will almost certainly cause a storm, but it's true.

It can easily be said that the problem is caused by ...... everything BUT the Kadees !!

Get the fitted height right to within 0.04 of a mm ? Perfect central alignment ? Remove

any slack in the axle boxes so the wagon always tracks EXACTLY over the centre-line

of your magnets. Keep B2B's to a level where there is little lateral slack.

What a load of rubbish !!

The idea is great, the engineering of components is commendably good - SO WHATS WRONG ?

Whats wrong is that British outline freight, in fact almost any piece of rolling stock has magnetic

metal wheel sets, wagons are also usually ballasted by mild steel weights, all this is prone to

producing Magnet Creep. Magnet creep stops the Kadees from working as planned due to a

piece of rolling stock following the train and not fully disengaging.

I have heard it's always the modellers fault - Too much magnet, or conversely too little magnet.

Well, to operate well into the free shunting mode there needs to be enough magnetic pull to

separate the knuckles. This is already enough to cause creep, reduce the magnetic pull until

there is no creep and the couplings won't function fully !!

As to super free running stock, something that I've always thought as being the ideal (and I

have run a 57 wagon train at an exhibition) it is a curse for Kadees, accelerating the magnet

creep problem.

I do have them working to around 90 - 95%, but this is achieved on a shunting puzzle where

all the stock used has been fitted with brass wire brakes. The down side of that is a light

Hornby sentinel 0-4-0 is unable to pull 6 wagons without slipping to a halt. Luckily that is the

absolute limit of train length only used very occasionally, and with 5 wagons it will just manage.

The principal is good, the engineering is good, but the sad truth is they are not really compatible

with the British outline wagon, be that kit made, or from any of the other RTR manufacturers.

Yes I do have a big choice of wagons (close to 500) from up to a dozen different sources.

Dad-1

For me the real 'Rub' is that I really wanted a 48XX for the clubs new exhibition layout.

Personally I have a Dapol 14xx as well as a Hornby version. Surprisingly perhaps for

some they both run reliably as they bounce along. I had hoped a 'New' allegedly

improved version would be an improvement in accuracy AND running. When I buy a

new locomotive I expect it to run ...... in an acceptable way. My previous 90 have, so

it was regrettable and one can't fault Hatton's in giving a refund, They did however

ignore my letter asking if they could check one before sending ............ MMMmmmm.

Dad-1

Yes Brinkly,

It's going back, You can't knock Hatton's, I had their reply at 09.13 this Sunday morning !!

My concern is that THIS IS what we want for the layout, BUT it must be a good one as it's

for the clubs new West Bay layout that I'm currently working on in my shed.

NHY581 obviously has problems with the same version - HOW many do I try before we give up ?

Dad-1

MMMmmmm Just got this one ?

Simply not good enough, I hope Hatton's have some 'good runners'

Apart from waddling and wallowing along both my Hornby & earlier

Dapol versions run well enough on DCC

Dad-1

Thanks for the comment pushpull33,

Your very nice compact layout made me envious on the day !!

I took 4 hours to fully set-up.

We will be back at the same location in 2019, probably 27th July, but that has yet

to be confirmed.

Dad-1

What can I say ....... all the exit comments were that it was good and so much better

than our old accommodation in the United Reform Church hall in central Bridport

where parking is so difficult to find.

Signing off Summer exhibitions until the last weekend in July 2019 - Same venue !!

To cap it all my Castell Mawr was voted best in show by the visiting public.

We ended with a Hornby 42XX pulling 57 ...... To think a guy once told me he'd read

in some review that they didn't have very good traction ?? - What ??

Special thanks to all our visiting layouts, traders and guys in the club particularly

Terry for spending much of the day outside monitoring parking.

Dad-1

'Tis as rocketron55 says ........

Saturday 10.00 Hrs to 16.00 Hrs for exhibition opening times

For set-up Friday from about 16.00 (allowing for marking out 'bays')

BUT the caretaker wants us out 19.00 Hrs prompt !!

We should have access from around 07.00 Hrs Saturday and I'll

need every one of those precious hours.

Dad-1

Ouch devonseasider,

That's not what you want ! Most of the Bridport club members have jobs to do, but

we should be able to find someone to help for a while ............

How easy is it to set-up ?

When were you coming to set-up ? Friday evening, or Saturday morning ??

Dad-1

My last shout for this our first enlarged exhibition, we hope to be the first of

many at this new location.

Currently working my way through 6 pages of 'check lists' to have everything

required on hand - like a battery powered soldering iron !!

Please come and enjoy, including having a go on the 'U' drive shunting layout

Look for the sign !

Dad-1

Back to realizing just how much work can be involved in running a larger layout at an exhibition.

It's freight ..... HOW many wagons ? Currently sorted out 164 that are going, and hankering after

at least another 20 !!

Currently stacked in the shed :-

Now to find and box all the buildings and nit-knacks, animals, builders merchants stock and .............

Just as well I still have 2 weeks !!

It'll be a good day after which I think I'll need a holiday !!

Dad-1

We've been waiting for times before announcing that this year to help getting visitors

to our new venue we will be - Running an open top bus service

This will be free, but we are asking for donations towards the costs of fuel which we expect

to be in the region of £70

The timetable has arrival & departure times but I shall only show departure times

Beaminster (square) 09.30

Exhibition 09.50

Bridport Town Centre 10.00

Bridport Bus Station 10.10

West Bay (George Hotel) 10.30

Bridport Bus Station 10.50

Exhibition 11.10

Bridport Town Centre 11.20

Bridport Bus Station 11.30

West Bay (George Hotel) 11.50

Bridport Bus Station 12.10

Exhibition 12.30

Bridport Town Centre 12.40

Bridport Bus Station 12.50

Exhibition 13.00 Arr     13.45 Dept

Bridport Town Centre 13.55

Bridport Bus Station 14.00

West Bay (George Hotel) 14.20

Bridport Bus station 14.40

Exhibition 14.55

Bridport Town Centre 15.05

Bridport Bus Station 15.10

Beaminster (Square) 15.40

Exhibition 16.00

Bridport Town Centre 16.10

Bridport Bus Station 16.20

West Bay (George Hotel) 1635

It's also day 2 of the Bridport Folk Festival so this bus will allow transport over and above just the exhibition.

Dad-1

Parkstone Goods will be there ....... You'll know more of this layout next year.

Just a teaser ..........

Great for me - I LOVE freight !!

Dad-1

Currently working in the sunshine cleaning tracks and checking electrics - A month to go, but at the speed I work that's

imminent !!

Photo's in the sun are so much better, wish I'd bothered to add the 5 trees that live on this board.

The loco ? somewhere up on the embankment. This is Wales

'N' layouts coming :-

Bincombe Cutting

Longmoor

We'll be adding the listings of all later.

Dad-1

Lane End a compact 009 layout is enough to tempt others to make up an interesting scenic layout in a small space.

All being well there should be 4 x 009 layouts to see.

Dad-1

Mmmm - Where do YOU work on your layout ?

with a 12 board layout it's done in small segments in the Kitchen !!

All of it'll be at this exhibition .......

2 at a time ?

Castell Mawr in the raw.

Dad-1

You will also have the opportunity to shunt on my HS2. A well executed simple 2 point

DCC & Kadee shunting puzzle. One end where some rubbish is being burnt, we hope

no sparks get into the gunpowder van before the end of July !!

Why HS2 ? - HS1 turned out to suit left-handed drivers and I'm right-handed 'nuff said !

Dad-1

Undoubtedly both !!

Oh and be prepared to eat Donuts ...... 'Doh !!' I've ordered 50 instead

of the 40 originally planned.

Dad-1

One last curtain-Call for our Open Day

Ron said he'd bump it up, but has the excuse of a broken computer.

Still so long as his all sound Shillingford layout is there I shan't complain.

Being less formal than an exhibition it hopefully gives more chance for

us to chat over a cup of tea.

Dad-1 is the chairman so come look me out.

Dad-1

Thanks Ian,

No I don't have any shellac, meths is no problem so long as is doesn't loose any light

distillates during it's 40 + years in my bottle !!

I was wondering if Gum Arabic could be applied is exactly the way you suggest, which

should turn them into water slide decals ?

However as Steamport Southport suggested I have already got the HMRS LNER wagon

sheet ordered. It think it offers all I need l except the allocation names and I had wanted

to mark up as 'Thirsk' - the valuable part of that original sheet is in those allocations of

York; Malton; Leeds; Goole; Hull; Newcastle; My late father was from Thirsk and I was born

in Newcastle. The HMRS sheet has a 'Gateshead', that if the correct size I can use !!

Dad-1

Rather than mess about anymore I've ordered the HMRS press-fix sheet.

My friend for whom I'm making the brake van has another 'on the way'

therefore good quality decals are paramount.

Hi John,

Thanks for the suggestion, but no luck. I may have tried a rather a strong 50/50 meths/water mix,

but as everything was still on the table nothing to loose.

I've also tried Microsol without it making any difference.

I note HMRS do an LNER sheet where I can get suitable numbers, and N , E, although I don't

know the comparative size to the original decal sheet.

I'm going to try floating individual letters on a film of Johnsons 'Clear', but that approach wouldn't

work with an allocation name as on this Cooper Craft sheet each letter in a name is an individual

and separate letter.

Dad-1

I'm just finishing off a Cooper Craft NER birdcage brake van.

The decal sheet is allegedly press-fix, not a problem as I've used loads

of HMRS press-fix ....... Only !!

The decals have dried out to the degree where the tacky attachment

layer has completely dried up and the decals won't adhere to any surface

and feel completely dry. In fact the adhesive protective tissue was loose

without any indication of having been on the sheet.

I cut out a couple of letters and carefully laid on a test surface, added a

touch of water, the tissue coverings lifted away, but the letters (tested twice)

wouldn't stick to the test piece. Dead glue !!

Must check what decals are included on other HMRS sheets that I don't have.

Normally I'm a GWR modeller. 'Thirsk' in 1.0 mm white letters would be nice !!

Dad-1

We're having a club open day on Sunday 27th May from 11.00 - 15.00 Hrs

at Askerswell Village Hall (Our normal club meeting venue). This is just north

of the A35 Dorchester to Bridport road.

Entry is free for anyone within striking distance to come & meet us.

Light refreshments available, biscuits/cake and drink at minimal cost.

We will have the clubs test tracks 'N'; '00' analogue; and '00' DCC up and running

as well as 5 members layouts covering 009; '00' sound'; '00' shunting that you can

try your hand at, and more

This is not an Exhibition, but a day to meet and enjoy our hospitality. For anyone

that can't read maps find us at DT2 9EW.

Dad-1