devondynosoar118

Is there a final date for deciding? Need to look at work diary first.

I might be available for this too, where is the “new” venue?

Not quite enough for a complete update on the blog, here’s a few shots of today’s progress on the station kitbash.

The 4 elevations are now complete, I have got some of it together, here’s some progress shots of the elevations, in primer and some of the filling and rescribing of the stonework done.

Cost so far including windows is the wrong side of £80 but the fastest way to fix a problem is sadly to throw money at it and in this case the station building is really needed to get the board finished!

Close up of the scratch built gable end, right by the station entrance if we could time travel.

Whilst I had the station board at home I re laid the run around loop at the buffer stop end to make more room for coaches on the platform, as it was originally too compressed looking. I found it made the whole station look too short, this was one of the areas that I had to compress to get things to fit and making it hold more stock before the points has helped the illusion that the platform is longer. More to come on that when I set the whole lot up again.

Hopefully all of these pics stay the right way up...

Powercab now supports 3 additional throttles in the last firmware update, which was some time ago so should be on any handset you would get sent from a shop.

Yeah mine was a while ago now. Thankfully new place has had all the pipes re done in the modern plastic mains pipe before I bought it.

Water supply regulations look like a thrilling read if you have insomnia.

Hopefully the Captains drive and lawn survive the visit from SWW!

I discovered that my neighbour was linked to my supply when the pipe in my house leaked(buried under concrete floor, no sleeving) and I cut them off.

Next door’s landlord went nuts when water board tried to charge him £1500 to reconnect it with a separate supply from the road. I told him it was not his liability and father looked up the relevant water regulation which required the company to provide each dwelling with a separate supply that could be individually isolated.

Confronted with their own rules the company swiftly relented and it cost him not a penny.

Ironically my current property has two stopcocks outside, one of which turns off the second one! Next door runs off my supply again! Thankfully I don’t have a meter.

Any mineral based lube will perish the rubber in a the tap washer. Use a silicone based rubber safe spray, 3 in 1 do a silicone spray.

Captain- glad to hear Kernow Towers won’t be getting an unplanned moat!

PM me if you need any help. I have several impact drivers and an appetite for destruction! Am van wrestling this morning but free after lunch.

Here’s my Baldwin on its first full train, with 3 Dundas and one WD models kits. Wagons are only base coated at present. It’s pulling them all nicely on my test track.

I am looking for the above kit, ideally complete with motor and wheels, part built also considered.

If you have one in your gloat box or know who is producing it then any information or offers considered.

Payment offered via PayPal pay a friend so no fees and secure payment.

Thanks.

OK, having looked at the excellent suggestions I had a lot to think about (hence it took months to get round to doing anything.)

I have since decided to retire Squezzebelly Lane to a display shelf upstairs, where it holds some stock and lights itself up every evening.

With that in mind and a final idea about presentation sorted I have now been able to start full planning. The board can be a maximum of 4ft by 2ft but 3’6” by 2ft is a little more practical, I am considering the excellent suggestion above for a hidden fiddle yard and might look at putting it on the back. For show use I can have two extension boards about 1’ long by 2’ wide on the ends to feed the end to end parts either by linking to the back sidings via a continuous run (tight radii) or to take cassettes.

The infrastructure for this layout and the presentation box will be designed to be fully modular so that I can fit new micro modules into it for variety, whilst using the same surroundings and maybe same fiddle yard. Open to ideas on that front.

Here is the sketch plan of ideas so far,

I haven’t produced a clear track plan yet, I do want to make use of diagonal lengths if possible.

Thank you. Once I collect the money from sale of children I will give them a ring. Glad they are sold out/not ready yet or the credit card would have taken the hit instead.

I like this new style of plug in decoder, so much easier than soldering tiny decoder wires.

Have a look at this post http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/87702-Bachmann-announce-narrow-gauge-range-led-by-baldwin-4-6-0t/?p=3149887

 

This shows a ZIMO sound decoder fitted to the model. It's a new decoder, ZIMO MX659N18, specially designed to fit this and other small models.

 

Best regards,

 

Paul

Does it come from Digitrains with the sonunds on or do they charge extra for that? I couldn’t see a window at checkout for adding a choice of sound. If not where did you get the Baldwin sounds and how much extra was it?

Got mine today, it ran smoothly in both directions straight out the box. It’s a beautiful model, so much detail and the daylight under the boiler is amazing in such a tiny loco.

I want to fit sound to it in future, I looked at both the Loksound and Zimo next18 sound decoders, both were bigger than the size suggested in the manual. Are there any plans for a dedicated decoder for it or will a slightly bigger one fit?

Track will be either code 55 or the Finetrax N. I have a load of salvaged code 55 so that's my top pick right now.

Running length can exclude fiddle yards, I have a plan for them. Likewise support for the boards etc is irrelevant at this stage, I have all that planned as part of the finished set up. I don't want to give too much away yet, suffice to say traditional layout presentation is not the way I approach my micro layouts! This layout will be designed to be viewed from the front, unlike Squeezebelly, which had 360 degree viewing. I like the idea of an added jam factory, might incorporate that in somehow.

I have stock for secondary passenger lines/trip working for 1930-1965 (pre tops diesel) mostly GWR/Weatern region as that's what's on the doorstep. Ideally I am not looking to buy any locos for this layout but wish I had bought a Dapol bubble car when they were out. I am more into goods than passenger workings but a bit of variety is good too.

I have done some more design work. I am waiting for a piece of furniture to put it in, as soon as that arrives I will start the baseboard. I do need some suggestions for track plans in the region of 20-30'"long and up to 12" wide, with maximum operational interest. I gave struggled to find any prototype maps via searches of the net.

Another factor worth remembering is the sidings at Wrangaton and the stores depot there from WW2 were still operational. The Americans ran the wartime dump there but RN built the current buildings, not sure what was there in 1947.

I would say the most likely load in this period would be Universal Carriers (Bren Gun carrier) as those were tracked so not driven on road for long distances, plus several can fit on lowmac or warwells without going out of gauge. Self propelled guns are another option.

Note edit, I checked my facts!

I saw our current BARV this week, it's definitely out of gauge. The Sherman was already very close to the limit if the loading gauge, you wouldn't get a taller version through it, unless it was on an ultra low riding wagon and even then the BARV looks too tall.

The Marines told me the BARV in nicknamed the bullet magnet!

The REME developed a BARV, with a Sherman chassis. For once it's tall side profile was an advantage!

I would have thought, given the HUGE housing development about 300m down the road that the sensible thing to do with the very end of the line would be a new platform and connection to a Devon Metro type set up, as currently the road from Kingsteignton to Newton Abbott is a total car park most of the time, especially at peak times.

I don't see the value in a heritage line on such a short section, but given the continuing development a metro set up would at least provide a useful service.

Is Washwood Heath the yard visible from the traffic jam of the M5/M6 interchange?

Acceleration is more important to set, so that locos don't do 0-60 like a rocket, hence discussion of speed curves. In setting the "top speed" by the power cab you are simply assigning a value to the CV, not setting any sort of scale speed.

Top speed is done by driving the loco prototypically (well that's how so do it!) It can be done in settings but you should imaging the shape of the speed curve more when thinking of the simple settings off the cab, so on a shunter you would want the start value under 5 mostly, mid value about 50-80 then top whatever you like, as you won't be getting it to the top of speed curve if you drive it right.

On a mainline loco you would still want a smooth, steady start, with speed building consistently across the range, the values set would only be a matter of how many times you want to thumb the thumb wheel to get up to speed.

What you should be aiming for is good, smooth, controllable running. That's all you should focus on for now, getting each motor to not jump perceptibly through the first half of the curve. Most layouts only have room to get moving, with the full range of acceleration not being visible or always practical within the available space.

No, it's cheap chips, not age!

I found PWM settings from reading posts about specific decoders, they listed start values and what the factory preset usually was. Decent manufacturers usually have good documentation on what their decoders are set at and which specifics do what. I have a test track and spend a little time messing about with the basic motor parameters.

I don't mind some variation between locos, as the real thing steamed differently so a little driving variety is great. Even diesels had to be driven differently according to their types and duties so having differing performance in minature isn't a big problem for shunting, I just want controllable running, which is far easier to achieve with CT, Lenz, Zimo and similar quality decoders vs lowest common demoninator factory ones.

Hoads Wood 1982. Iron Ore Tipplers loaded with Minestone from Betteshanger Colliery. En-route to Norwood Junction. I was in the back cab of the leading class 73. There was a slight tug, nothing heavy, then looking out of the cab window I could see wagons tumbling, throwing up ballast like the bow wave of ship. The vacuum had dropped to zero, it seemed like an age before the front portion came to a stand. In this case the train was in 3 portions...gallery_2484_2896_322094 hoads wood.jpg

New trousers please. That looked like an almighty mess! How did they derail? Surely the brake stops the load, keeping it on the track , or did the first portion get hit by the second?