DelticBlade

Eagerly awaiting mine to arrive. Scarbados as a destination. If I wanted the version that does Cleethorpes - Piccadilly, I would need 'Not in Service'

One week to half term. A sound conversion for No16 and a week of top Deltic action to come. The problem I have is which of my others will receive another sound chip. Can't see what the problem is with No16 in purple.

I ordered a Silver Jubilee headboard last night. Now eagerly awaiting the arrival of all the sound stuff.

Let's just say cheap. Nose end and cab lights, plus tail in No11. 16 headlights and tail lights. Wasn't too fussy as was more interested in doing some running in.

They are cracking locos. I went for normal DCC ready. Two of them have been for a spin today using cheap decoders to just give them a test run. Very smooth and quiet runners. The access to the decoder space is good. I will have to do the FP shot later in the week. Along with other people, I am now thinking 'why didn't I order my favourite (18)?' Any future models will probably be a sound fitted version. I really don't know what can be said that already hasn't.

22 had boiler replaced and additional fuel tank in the old boiler water tank position(?) I think that there is provision for 15 to have the boiler reinstated.

Somewhere above, there is a mention of a Tom Waits tune. Did anyone else read it with the accompanying sound of hammers, drills, routers etc?

KOYLI was repainted blue when the DPS had the big celebration with all the Deltics at BH, remaining in blue after the volunteers restored and then achieved main line certification. The NRM repainted the loco green a few years ago, not long before the cylinder liner problem occured.

There has been no update for quite some time. Below are a few pictures taken fairly recently. The branch line station now has fencing at the end of the platform, plus some gates. There probably need to be a few poster boards facing the passengers as they walk out of the ticket office. I'm thinking of a bit of a tweak to the track layout on the approach to the station with the addition of a curved point to depart from another platform.

Now they are super. Whether it is this track or new single Wet Dream. On in Sheffield on 17th at Leadmill

The last couple of weeks have seen a few more lights being sorted for different sections of the layout. Street lights on the low level, platform lights and street lights on my Torbay Road section. The hill overlooking Torbay Road are just about done. I am quite taken aback by comments of people who have seen photos. I have explained to them that I am not a good modeller, if they want to see some proper modelling then they need to have a look at some of the layouts that have inspired not only me, but countless others. The photos were taken following the installation of the old style street lights. The road leading to the station will have the same lights as the street on the low level. Lighting certainly gives a different atmosphere to a layout. I am glad that I didn't illuminate the shops in the first instance as it may have made the scene too bright.

Over a number of days, I have been able to really get on with the row of shops, I am now awaiting a few bits to complete them, plus the covered walkway. I had mistakenly thought that the old 3 storey buildings from Scalescenes had an option stucco texture of different colours. Fortunately the people there were really helpful and sorted me a few colours. A big thanks to them. There are around another 3 buildings on that side of the road to build. When they are done it will be time to think what is going on the other side of the road. Certainly a pub of some description, probably a cinema too. I had planned to lay a road, but the ink has run out in the printer. I have found a bag of figures and have got them placed, at least one part of the layout looks 'busy'.

The lights are bright, I think this was taken with only 3 working.

Being off work and effectively on-call is interesting. Contacting parents twice a day to check on the pupils leaves time for garden and model railway. Finally started the street lights, fitting them with resistors. The wires are really fiddly, I thought wires for colour lights were bad, these are equally if not more so. Only 4 more to do on the street and then attention will turn to wiring up the platform lighting on another section of the layout. My brother has suggested that I correct an omission. A toilet block near the tunnel mouth as found at Holcombe.

One hour or so in the loft today after a nice day in the garden sorting the chicken/orchard fencing out. No doubt tomorrow the chickens will be wandering the main garden. Today's task in the loft has been the cricket field/village green so far I am quite please with it and the trial fitting of some platform lighting. Hopefully, tomorrow I will be able to get them illuminated and that will be another thing to tick off.

I realised that I had made a mistake with the corner layer of the house backs, I will think of a way to sort that out

I would be interested to hear from others who have a cricket match happening on their layouts and what figures etc they might use, plus pavilion.

Since Christmas I have been doing more to make things ready for a project a friend is doing. Platform lights are up and running, the street lights need resistors connecting before that part of the layout is done. I wanted to do some photos similar to what might have been seen in the Profile..... or Power of ..... series of books. There are further photos to add soon of a cricket field that will double as a concert venue, while the project I mentioned above will use the space for a gathering of a large crowd. There are street lights, platform lighting and some buildings for a main street to position. The buildings have took some time to do, based on the Scalescene 3-storey houses/shops. I am sure that I had alternative house fronts with colours akin to those seen in the South West holiday resorts, unfortunately I can't find them. With the Easter Holidays looming and a week left to work - we are open due to it being a Special School, it won't be any different to a normal school holiday unless things change - the street might take a few more weeks to get done.

I managed to connect some more platform lighting, with only two left to do plus the platform building had some LED's added. That revealed the need for a bit of a repaint. I also swapped the lighting to the Gaugemaster transformer that I intend to use for the layout lighting. It made a marked difference to the station. Road lighting to do next before moving onto another part of the layout.

The lights in the Bubblecar are bright. Looks like there needs to be some adjustment of the appropriate CV. The second platform having lighting might make things appear so bright too. Still much to do.

There has been no update for ages, having started a new job quite a way from home last Christmas. That job has enabled me to begin building a layout alongside the young people I work with in a special school. The layout at home now has a fully work coastal section nearly complete. With so much stock, it has meant there is need for more sidings and that is being started, various crossings and turnouts have been purchased. A few more signals have been put in, the wires for those are really fine and are a real pain in the neck.

Someone needs to show Dan this. Who knows if he could persuaded to do it.

£169 for APT 5 car. Did not use credit card.

With the cooler weather and cricket season over it is time to do some more work. I have used EZ Water to create a calm sea, but I think it is too flat at the minute. Once this bit is done, it will be time to do more work on the station area.