totonlover

I haven’t to be fair I’ll try and find that thread 👍

Hi thanks for your response I tried Hornby and Bachmann nem pockets in the mount they will go in but are very tight almost to the point of breaking the wagon, they distort the mount pulling it out of shape, the coupling then falls out a little later as if squeezed out! I think the Oxford mount is marginally smaller than other manufacturers. The only other possibility is to file an existing Hornby/Bachmann item so it fits 

Hi I’m hoping someone can help me to source an nem pocket for the Oxford/Hattons Ici hopper. 
 

it’s a stepped pocket and Hornby/Bachmann nem pockets are slightly bigger and straight!

I’ve tried Hattons and Peter’s spares, just waiting on Oxford who only work Monday-Friday for a reply 

thanks for the help 

Hi just a heads up I popped into a little model shop in star beck models in Harrogate today and came accross a great guy in the shop, he’s selling the railfreight distribution railfreight red/grey and brown VEAs brand new for £28, I’d have bought them all if funds had allowed lol, great price and great to support local model shop 

Hi I’m looking for a large retired or soon to be retired exhibition layout, it needs to be at least 30’ long by a max of 11’ wide tailchaser, preferably an era of around 1990, DC or Dcc, anything considered in any state of repair 

Can you help with some n gauge items please 

For years and years modellers and collectors have wanted more detail, more accurate models, year after year but now your saying they have gone to far and should produce models as they did years ago?

Something in between?

I use really useful boxes 18 litre and 35 litre (35 litre locos mainly), these really useful boxes are essentially the same dimensions, (internal 340mm x 400mm) in all but depth, so can be stacked together.

I then use the Warley/Bachmann collectors club storage boxes in the main.  I glue the flat cardboard sheet to the assembled stock divider sections and glue the end dividers into place, works for about 95% of stock.

The problem I have is some stock is just that bit too tall, maybe 3-4mm so can't be fitted into the Warley/Bachmann stock boxes.  I store my stock in "block formations" so I cant store a BDA flat in the same tray as a CDA/PCA.

The main stock that has height issues are Hornby CDA clay hoods, Hornby PCA cement wagons & Bachmann BG parcel coaches with roof vents.

I'm trying to source foam inserts with slots in (preferably 5 slots) that will fit snug into the really useful box, tried a few guys on ebay but not looking like he can do to my size.

Anyone got any ideas?

really good info here

Quick update on work- 7 of the 19 boards are now fully prepped for bus-bar fitting, points have had to be separated from the common return (common return fed track feeds/points/signals) and are going to be controlled via the original panel and fiddle yard route matrix.

Another task that has been started is a database of stock- starting with revenue freight a first draft has been started and I have added a screen shot of the initial count below.

Only a few more rakes required to fill the expansive fiddle yard!!!

IMG_0452.PNG

Could probably fill most of the holes in your stock list there Andy I have 80+ new style MGR

Hi, what have you used for the trackbed, I thought most people used decking board?

I'm looking to build a Garden Railway, with the intention of running scale length trains, some neigh on 20feet long

It looks like people are using decking wood to lay track on, does anyone know if hardwood is worth the premium of paying the extra for?

 I'm looking to run (eventually) a 250ft dog bone layout with runs into my garage. The track will be laid around the perimeter of my long (100 ft x 60 ft) "L" shaped garden.

The track will be placed on staggered railway sleepers laid on their sides hopefully showing the rail chair indents to create a "brick effect". The sleepers will be laid 2 high creating a low wall to keep the track out of harms way and creating a boundary round the garden.

This will give the wall of sleepers a height of around 20 inches, I then plan to top the sleepers with decking board (not sure if hardwood is worth the premium or softwood will suffice) Then overlay the deck board with roofing felt to weatherproof it.

This seems to be how its generally done , but i'm all ears for advice from people who have built Garden Railways.

One problem i'm getting stuck with is I'm building a fiddle yard in the garage, its going to be built to one side against the wall to keep its footprint low, 3ft is the maximum reach for comfort, this allows for 15/16 running lines and a table top height of about 1m works well.

The problem this gives me is a differential in height between the garage and the running track in the garden, of about 50% or 500mm/20"

My only solution is to build a helix in the corner or the garden to get the levels corresponding, this would still be quite a project in itself dropping 500mm on a 5foot radius Helix.

I know the layout is Big but even so the difference is too big to make up the difference in levels.

How do you spray your glue?

I have pva in a bottle and have tried brushing the pre sized plasticard base then applying the real swarfe to a liberally glue coated base, but it's a bit crap tbh.

does the swarfe need to be really fine?

if I use a simple water spray bottle with pva in wont it clog up after the first use?

Is there a recommended spray glue ?

Hello....

MBA scrap loads this morning.

Cut plastic sheet to size to use as a base:

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Then spray with Railmatch dark rust:

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Next the messy bit... Liberal spray of glue then apply swarf by the spoonful.

Spray again to bind together.

Add another layer soon after repeating process or leave to dry / do again.

image.jpg

Tomorrow will be a spray of Railmatch dark / light rust and maybe some powders.

May keep a few loads unsprayed - masquerading as stainless steel - which I assume gets separated at some yards

Regards..Nick

Thanks Grimley

 

They are a "must" to do - bits of them look silly now (bogies in particular). I'm not a rivet counter....but it's got to look half right..

 

Wheels and wheels and wheels tonight.....

 

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Hi there, similar thing to do coming up soon, whats your procedure for these? as I'm ordering Colin Craig inserts soon, Paints shades would be helpful too please, TIA

Hi good luck with this project.

One of the members at the club I attend Shildon Model Railway Club has done one of these based on the early Hornby variant, it can be seen on youtube by searching for Runswick Leamside the latest video by "unclerayraybatch" 

link (hopefully) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8hcig5Nwv8

That looks like a good plan for an interesting project. Good luck with it; at least there would be lots of activity in its heyday, although it looks to have undergone some rationalisation in recent years.

 

The big building at the back appeared to be going to take over as the new servicing facility when it was being built 20 years ago (or at least that is what I assumed.

 

56092 56108 KY 5:9:92.jpg

 

 

Now, from that overhead view, it seems to be completely unconnected with rails and looks more of a white elephant.

As I recall the line where the 56's are stabled is not there anymore and the access road down to the depot said something like EWS or DbS learning centre, so is it possibly a training centre, either way I couldn't see it connected to any lines.

Hi David,

 

Looking forward to seeing this progress! I visited Knottigley a couple of times but that was when it was full of 56's and 08's. Those last pictures above from Jonny777 were probably around the time I visited, I was 13 at the time and now 38!

 

Cheers

 

Simon

Ditto this statement, I went only last Tuesday rather coincidental  

you used to be able to walk round the car park with impunity  and that was legitimately, now its like fort knox with electric gates, cctv and intercom entry.

I asked two member's of staff for permission to drive in the car park to have a look at the shed to a firm rebuff your on cctv! how times have changed

Hi Am I right to assume you have this new TTS sound and are not quite happy with it? How does it compare to the Bachmann version?  Thanks

Thanks Nick thats good advice

Bit of a mega session today......

 

First removed wheels (most of which I'd painted already and where required I'd added brake discs). Duly bagged and labelled...

 

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Then I masked off the wagons requiring rust....

 

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Some of the older MEAs (for example) have a silly moulding line across the buffers - filed off:

 

image.jpg

 

Next a coat of Railmatch dark rust. Must be more overspray in the cardboard than the wagons....

 

image.jpg

 

Where I've not masked properly / oversprayed a quick rub around with a cotton bud soaked in thinner.

 

image.jpg

 

Done a good few today, MRAs, various 2 axles etc. Next step is to distress the internals with wire wool or emery - that will be tomorrow once the paint has hardened.

 

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This is the aftermath on the table....

 

image.jpg

 

I've airbrushed the underframes with Railmatch frame dirt.

 

Tomorrow I'll do some more...

 

Regards

 

Nick

Hi Nick, love your posts and work, took me two days to find you again, Could you advise a novice like myself on a few points please.

You say you "distress" the wagon bodies? is that internally in the load area or externally or both. Does distress simply mean "scratch" or do you distort the wagon bodies?

If its internal is it not best to distress then paint as you'll surely remove the weathering?

Many thanks 

Hi Just a tip turn the bogies Sidewards to remove some of the long screws and dont overtighten them on re-fitting the 32,s are prone to snapping the threaded inserts off the bodyshell if you overtighten

if he gets too many bad feedback and ratings they will suspend his account, you should be ok if you paid by paypal (with-in 45 days) barring the inconveinience

Thanks that was great, nice to see so much helpp on the forum from like minded people

Thankyou that is great, i'll see if I can find some pictures