devondynosoar118

Sorry to hear it misbehaved. Did you get your stock finished in time? Monster box was used for the elephants on the circus train to Kingbridge, both pre-war and into the early 50,s. This would be a fun use for it!

Thanks- ordered already! How was the show?

I think I have now cracked this particular chesnut thru the DCC forum but the only conversion diagrams with pictures were all for 00 so I was going to post a load of pictures as I go. I wish the'd just sort them from the factory.

Am currently wiring and soldering everything! Apart from trying to find an all encompassing idiots guide to code 55 point conversion all suggestions from here have been adopted for the wiring, so thank you for encouragement. I will hopefully have a day modelling on Tuesday so will post some more pictures of the track development. I hope to complete the simple tracklaying on the scenic base pretty quickly so I can experiment on it with ballast.

Why not switch to acrylics? All waterbased and if you use a big brush or compressor, no solvents! I spent 12months with sinusitis and that was no fun at all in a spray mask.

Best place to get the DG couplings? How compatable are they with the farish/Dapol chassis, especially locos?

Had a look at it yesterday- Superb!

I was able to get the landscaping finished today including the bridge area pictured in my prototype pics post. Have now completed all the plastering as well, so its onto track and wiring next (gulp!) Here's the pictures from today. all 3 boards together on temporary stands. Finished third board and unshaped second. View up the finished scenic board Plastering the second board having shaped the underpass.

I would also appreciate any advice on couplings for this lot. I will be using electromagnets or permanent magnets with DCC control of locos and maybe the uncouplers, probably NCE powercab.

Is the "Giant" for the Kingsbridge-Birmingham rabbit van? I am struggling to identify what the prototype was made out of and its a signature piece of rolling stock. I loved your Gloucester DMU. Where did it come from? I look at 15000 whenever I'm at Buckfast. DVR also have a Collet 0-6-0t finished now which is beautiful.

The bridge is hidden in Lime Grove, behind Morrisons! I worked next door to the goods shed for a while so got to sneak onto some sections that are harder to see. Also have a brick from the signal box!There are a number of hidden bridges still left as well as some good sections of ballasted embankments in the town. Will be doing some Avon Valley sections eventually as it is stunning. According to the Ken Williams/Dermot Reynolds book, a preservation society was formed, had most of the money but the scrap contract was signed before they had completed negotions and the ministry wouldn't bactrack on the deal. You could have bought the whole line for £24,000 including buildings in 1963! It would have been a masssively popular preserved run due to its scenic beauty. I am setting in autumn for variety of foliage colours and just to be different.

Have done a few pictures today! Only the goods trains are started as Dapol aren't producing their "B" set coaches at the moment and I can't find any for sensible money. as my setting is the 1940's much of my stock is weathered to give it a more dirty and battered appearance as befits a railway which is busy with the war effort and where resources for maintainance and cleaning are limited. Dapol 45xx pulling a mixed train of Farish and Dapol wagons Dapol 20t Loco coal and 45xx GWR 7 plank, PO 7 plank and GWR mineral wagons. Branch "toad" awaiting final signwriting.

Just thought I'd add a few pictures from the line as it is now. Bridge arch under the terminus Not the Pw Hut- the weigh house! Loddiswell station Looking down the line from Loddiswell towards Kingsbridge on the 1:50 gradient to Sorley

The initial plan was: Kingsbridge terminus plus some single line scenic sections in a modular system to enable me to alter the running length. Later put in more scenic sections and the passing station. Period to be wartime as this had the most interest for operating and as an escaped wargamer I could still put in a few tanks. to summarise about 6 weeks of frantic activity- I found out how expensive it was going to be! All purchases would have to be carefully planned and I'd have to stop any impulse buying. I discovered how not to build baseboards, then improved my methods and raided some skips/tip (with permission!) and got a bit better- see pictures. I read alot of books, ditto looking at pictures. I hacked around a lot of different materials and turned the workshop a vaiety of different colours. The first two boards, the station throat and the termus board. Note blue sundela that I got free as it was being thrown out! This is the view I was looking for. this was the boards without the scenic base on. Scenic base going on board 2 with plaster done on 1. This is the area around the end of the 2nd/3rd board More to come at the weekend when I can get some more pictures. Rolling stock has also been started.