AMJ

Just been wondering if anyone has done some re liveries onto the Azuma/IET trains. There are a few proper prototype versions now. Not got photoshop so can't do so myself Couple of ideas Classic Blue Pullman - as don't need yellow ends now Perhaps also reverse grey blue HST style blue grey Intercity NSE Classic LNER garter blue or apple green cabs with teak stock LMS maroon GWR chocolate & cream stock with green cabs SR malachite green

Is there a handy book listing the various vehicles that CIWL operated? Or does anyone know of a website with vehicle numbers?

DJH BR class 02 diesel locomotive has been fitted with a Zimo sound chip. Managed to fit in the 6 pin decoder along with plug. A sugar cube has been fitted inside the frames between the axles. At the end there is a mini Rolls-Royce powered loco gala. https://youtu.be/MkJdkK2BKYs

I did use the word might so just like various preserved railways looking at reopening but if C19 has spikes then that will put a dampener on it. Half suspect that 2020 as a year will be a none starter for many.

Lower Briggate, Leeds - slightly bigger canal side building but still a small one - see white one with blue plaque on the wall. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.7938542,-1.5418028,3a,75y,101.54h,95.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sib4Z6CKb_ozmGqfh2A1dTQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en Or even the Hunslet Engine Co office building https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.7835507,-1.5377429,3a,53.2y,0.31h,88.21t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sgSuMqvtvBrP2Bz9pFsopoQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DgSuMqvtvBrP2Bz9pFsopoQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D121.80204%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en Taking a short walk next door there is the Manning Wardle office, both are listed.

Using the aforementioned Digitrains Zimo (no stay alive - but might get one later) here is a short video I took with the NER E1 doing a small shunt.

Going Loco - link as per previous post is now open. Called in and spent some well earned money there yesterday. Site no longer has shut on it. They are having a 5 customers in the shop at one time.

As the shut down will be eased more the closer we get to the autumn months I think that there will be some venues that will be rather conservative in the prospect of opening. Well my last exhibition in 2020 was Narrow Gauge North and I think that the next I might be able to visit will be Shipley in September. There might be a few clubs that have open days at club rooms rather than full scale exhibitions. Let's all be optimistic that there will be exhibitions that we can attend and suggest that the list of any that are on are posted below.

An idea for those who do 3D design/scanning would be for a stove for fitting inside of a guards van as a detail accessory. In O and OO could possibly be an ideal item to fit a nano LED inside that could eventually be given a flicker glow. Taking this a bit further a similar item would be the brassier commonly used to ensure that water towers don't freeze up in winter. I'm not a designer/scanner nor have a 3D printer so just throwing the idea towards folks who do.

The Soundtraxx product is priced between TTS and a normal decoder but has no motor control. They can be used in coaches for the rear light control (such as in a DVT) in addition to sounds. They can be added into a consist with the loco so that the wheel sounds along with application of brakes matches the loco.

Looking online Soundtraxx do an interesting product - Tsunami sound car decoder. See links below. Just wondering if there is a UK equivalent as the addition of sounds and lighting control to a brake van might be of interest to UK users. Idea could be controllable Tail light (FRED in USA) Stove glow inside light guards whistle (from the van not the loco) wheel noises sounds from carried goods brake noises - those of us who do run 12":1' will comment about brake tests etc https://soundtraxx.com/products/tsunami-soundcar/tsunami-soundcar-digital-sound-decoder Guide https://soundtraxx.com/content/Reference/Manuals/SoundCar/soundcar_usersguide.pdf Manual https://soundtraxx.com/content/Reference/Manuals/SoundCar/soundcar_techreference.pdf If you don't subscribe to the YouTube channel George B does many interesting videos explaining the features of the products and DCC in general.

As there looks to be ample space I'd be tempted to get one of the harnesses that are available from Bachmann spares at local model shop and then it will be easy to plug in any decoder. Looks like a simple wiring job that there are just the two wires direct from the track to the motor. Usual red & black to track orange & grey to the motor. Advantages with the harness method will allow you to fit lights to the loco or even change chip later for a sound one.

2 opening from Monday in Yorkshire Frizinghall say 2 customer at a time see https://www.modelrailshop.co.uk/ Millenium see https://millenniummodelsmorley.co.uk/ Going Loco website still showing as closed, perhaps they have yet to update the site http://www.goinglocomodels.com/

Interesting topic, to make mention again of private builders as various people were trying to find the earliest of the closures and last locos taking Leeds as top trump card. The first commercial builder of locos was Fenton, Murray & Jackson who went bankrupt in 1843. having built locos from 1812 in the Round Foundry. Ignoring Glasgow's output the various Leeds builders made more engines than any other city in the UK. With the first and last industrial rather than experimental or recreational uses of steam locos produced. See link in my footer.

Oxenhope houses the coaches in the carriage barns. The steam loco runs light from Haworth to pick up the stock from the shed and back into the platform at the start of each diagram. If they run a diesel loco in the second path with coaches this runs light to pick up the stock. First few trains of the day are DMU or railbus, light from Haworth. End of day loco shunts stock back into the barn before running light to Haworth.

There are various DCC controlled locos in the USA that have class lights that you can change the colour of by cycling around by pressing a Fn button a few times, most of these have off, white, green, off as the cycle. Just wonder if anyone has considered an electronic board to control the lighting on UK locos. We have a few suitable candidates Current lighting standards where you have day and night operations. I realise that some use many outputs from the decoder to perform the same but if you could press F0 to cycle from off, day, off, night, off Green era locos with disc head code lights or certain late steam locos fitted with electric lights. There are 9 different classes of lighting codes (excluding the all on for royal train workings) I'm sure that if someone did a small board with the right solder pads for these that there would be quite a lot of folks interested in adding lighting Why use a stack of outputs from a chip to just control lights that could all be controlled on one cycled function?

This is an interesting video from USA about discussions they are having about how to attract the youth into the hobby of modelling and ways to retain then. Might be an idea for clubs in the UK and makers to work together.

Put simply, if may of the people who are likely to support the railway(s) are out of a job they won't be able to donate. If the government gives money ultimately YOU will have to pay for this from your tax contributions. The charity commission says that you need to have a contingency fund that you can survive on for a few months if something unprecedented happens.

It's not just the model shops who will be suffering, if they are not selling items then there will likely be a contraction in the number of manufacturers.

Nearholmer has a valid comment about there being quite a few of the current volunteers being over 70 and after having a few months off due to the isolation may feel that they no longer wish to spend time at the railway. Tonight I was talking with dad and he has decided that he is going to have a brake away from the workshop. For many having a rest will be a bonus as when they get back into action they will be reinvigorated. Whilst many lines have cash reserves set aside for rainy days like these the main issue will be having enough crews to run shops and trains. It has been worked out that as a minimum the Middleton could run with just three people. Driver, second/fire man and guard. The downside would be a closed museum and shop. At the Middleton we think that our June gala celebrating 60 years of volunteers might be the first operational trains (other than new years day). I might have crewed the first and last train of 2020 all on the same day if this goes on for a long time!

Bachmann have normal light F0 and Aux1 for the firebox flickering.

2020 is here and a friend is making some tweaks to his layout. NGN will be the dry run for York at Easter for him.

I have not heard of silent electric locomotives even our models are quite noisy. DB & OBB both have a few electrics that the locals have given them a name after one of the music conductors as they make distinctive notes as they accelerate away from rest at stations.

At last I have got around to doing a short (2 min) video of the loco operating now that I have fitted the chip. Used the factory speaker as pre fitted by Bachmann Not tweaked any of the Zimo settings other than decoder address Not sure that you can properly see the flicker from the firebox whilst the fireman puts on a few rounds.

Video to follow soon as I picked up a Zimo chip today from Digitrains at the Pontefract exhibition.