chaz

How lucky we were that the double chimneys that were fitted to the A4s for good engineering reasons also improved the look of the locomotives. In your pictures No 2 looks so much more modern and purposeful compared with No 23. Chaz

GN has worked through a realistic sequence more than once and used it to illustrate his excellent layout and stock. I think he could well need to loosen his straight-jacket a couple of notches to maintain his own interest. As always Rule One applies - we all run our models to a set of self-imposed rules and bending them is always permitted. I doubt if he will ever run an HST - that's not bending the rules it's smashing them, but why not an occasional football special with some exotic and unlikely motive power? A LCGB special with an early preservation loco? Chaz

Well here it is, straight out of the box. I will change quite a few of the details (shortened smokebox, straight stack, road pilot, "hungry boards" on the tender) and it will get a repaint (all those white lines have to go) and weathering but now I will just give my initial reaction to the sound. Firstly I haven't attempted to do any programming yet so the volume needs setting to a more reasonable level - not to mince words its bl**dy loud. The sound quality seems to be very good, possibly the best I have heard. It's going to be fun programming this with all those different sounds to choose from. Chaz

Christmas has come early! Yesterday I received a Bachmann On30 2-8-0 from Paul Martin of EDM models. Big deal? Well yes, Paul had put a TCS WOW sound decoder in it but didn't really have time to test it so I've got the job. Of course if I'm happy with the set-up I will not be returning the model - it will join the FVRR stud for a price yet to be agreed. The decoder has Audio Assist Programming as a major feature. Think of it like a SatNav voice that guides you through the programming to set up the loco's sound and the motor control etc. Looking at the TCS leaflet that Paul included in the box I note that 45+ bells, 60+ whistles and 5 narrow gauge chuff sets. Tasty! I will post my experiences with this chip and comments on quality etc as I go. WTS. Chaz PS - if you have experience yourself of these decoders please do add comments to this topic.

Does that show in Chatham still happen?

We haven't done Kent yet - if you got me an invitation we could come to you....

I will of course take the usual batch of snaps at the Brighton show and will post the best of them here. Here's a link to the club website. It's a modest show but if you are in the area worth a look - Dock Green is always worth more than a passing glance (so I am told). http://www.brightonmrc.com/exhibition.htm Chaz

Dock Green's next outing is coming up. We will be at the show in Brighton on the 17/18th November. The venue is the Patcham Library & Community Centre, Ladies Mile Road, Brighton BN1 8TA. See you there? Any RMwebbers who do go, do say hello. Chaz

Oh dear, I noticed yesterday that both #7 & #12 are missing a stay - the wires that link the boiler to the pilot. It's also evident in that last photo. Are the lying somewhere on the layout or has the carpet monster got 'em? If they don't turn up they are are easy job to make but maybe a touch of glue on each end might be a wise precaution? Chaz

You don't hang about do you? Yes, it's an big improvement.

I finished spiking the engine yard tracks and connected up all the wire droppers (one for every piece of rail to the DCC bus) and then I just had to have a play thought I had better test what I had done with a loco or two. The Mogul #12 is over the ash pit. The gondola is sitting where it would be spotted every now and then to receive the ash out of the pit via a belt conveyor. Running the loco down to the end of both tracks went smoothly - I was confident that I could lay straight track accurately but you always have to test. Once some work has been done on the ground, the sort of mucky coal, oil and ash mix that engine yards always had, this will be a really nice scene. A backdrop of the (unfinished) water tank and the freight house is already working well. The Mogul is only a small loco but the 2-4-0 is even smaller and betrays its two foot gauge origins. No matter, I like it! The cognoscenti will have spotted that the Mogul now carries a replacement pilot, the one with a working coupler. A simple job to swap and essential if the loco is to work for a living. Chaz

Just looked in to see how you are getting on. Brilliant stuff! I think you are doing it to make the rest of us feel inadequate - yes?

I am baffled by the compensating beams between the pairs of springs on the Dub-Dee's tender. Was this arrangement used on any other eight-wheeled tender I wonder? It wasn't used on the LNER eight wheeled tenders. And might it have anything to do with the propensity for these tenders to land in the dirt when being propelled? I used to like seeing the Dub-Dees, so often filthy and always musical, with a variety of clanks and bongs. Chaz

Earlier today - a trial fit of the girders in the ash pit... I have added wooden planking along the vertical sides of the pit (at this stage just placed - not glued). With the rails already in place this had to be in two pieces to get it in, but looks quite natural. A piece of card packing at the bottom of the set of planks brings the top of the highest plank snugly into contact with the girders, which in turn are touching the rails. More progress during the day got me this far this evening... The timber side and end planking is stained and glued in with PVA. I painted the girders matte black (Tamiya acrylic) and then added weathering powders - whatever paint was put on the girders I am sure the hot ashes and cinders would wreak havoc with it. I will work a little more on the powders which the camera has revealed to need it. The pit will need more work yet. A belt conveyor to remove the ashes, some trim pieces around the top edge to close up those messy gaps, a ladder to allow men to climb down into the pit and, of course, some ash heaps. I also intend to glue some thin plastic over some of the planking, painted to represent rusty steel sheet, which might have been added to prevent the hot ashes from setting fire to the timbers. Chaz

I'm sure it does Jeff. That doesn't mean that any buildings have to be parallel but even these may be subject to the pressures of space. I am intending to include a few buildings as a backdrop for the end-of-the-line station Dixon and I hope I am able to position some of them at angles - there is probably just enough room! Chaz

This morning... ...RH track is in! I had to cut and stain another batch of balsa ties. There are a few spikes left to put in but otherwise I am finished laying track. Next task is to sort the ash pit and whilst spiking and listening to The Stones I had an idea..... Chaz

Probably for the same reason Jeff. It's just one of those limitations one accepts - the alternative would be no layout, or a very small one. Chaz

One regret I have is that lack of space has forced me to place much of the layout parallel to the baseboard edges. The second photo on my previous post makes that very obvious. I envy some of the American layout owners with their huge basement spaces. Chaz

Your picture of No. 21 from the rear reminds me of standing on the platform at The Cross and being most impressed by that huge expanse of shiny paint on a 34A Pacific (pity it wasn't blue). At the time I never reflected on how much labour went into keeping it so. I love your shiny locos - most convincing, I can almost smell the oil and smoke. Full marks to the wizard who transformed these toys into convincing models. Chaz

Progress at lunch time today... ...both tracks laid across the floor. Later, at 4pm... ...both extensions beyond the shed soldered up and the LH one ready to spike down. Onwards! Chaz

Interesting approaches John. I did use computer control and JMRI software on a (now dismantled) British O gauge layout. I thought use of a computer to control a narrow gauge layout would "feel wrong". Having operated the layout a couple of times with all the switches controlled by locally sited toggles this does "feel right" to me. Chaz

Quite so Don. The only thing I would add is that signal boxes were unknown on U.S. narrow gauge lines so a centralised grouping of switches is not necessarily the best approach for a layout of this type. I decided to put the toggle switches in line with the switch tie-bars. Chaz

After all the preparatory work I finally got to lay some track up to and across the shed floor today. Hoorah! As the RH track is curved I laid one rail with the PCB ties soldered on, then glued down the balsa wood ties. Once these are down I set the alignment and spiked the rail to middle one of each of the set of three wood ties. Using a pair of track gauges to set the gauge I solder the second rail in place. The rails across the ash pit as yet are unsupported but “I” beams will be placed underneath on small abutments each side. “Building downwards” like this should result in a good flat rail top. On the left of the picture the rail for the LH track is on my jig that sets the PCB ties spacing, with five ties soldered up. 9:50pm this evening and I just had to stop. The PCB ties have been soldered to the LH rail of the second track and the balsa wood ties glued down - ready to be spiked. Chaz

It looks like it's slipping and, as there is no motion blur in the picture on any other part of the loco.... All Pacifics were prone to slip on starting (only half the wheels are doing anything).

I spent some time this morning cutting and gapping enough PCB ties to complete the hand laid track on both sides of the engine house - boring, but necessary. After lunch I made up a card and stripwood box for the ash pit. This was a simple job, assembled with PVA. As it had to be installed from underneath and gravity was not on my side I used an impact adhesive (Timebond) to fix it. The tricky bit will be getting the rails across and adequately supported - a little thought is needed. Once it's all in I am going to want to model heaps of ash - The heaps are no problem (DAS will serve) but any ideas how I can get an ash effect? Maybe burn some stuff and use the real thing? Have you successfully modelled ash? Chaz