johnb

It's as complicated or as simple as you want to make it. My main exhibition layout has a simple power bus feeding the tracks via droppers, so that all are live, with track breaks as necessary. Point control in not DCC and uses Tortiose motors via ordinary double pole changeover switches fed from a separate 12vDC power supply. There are nine electrofrog points and an insulfrog double slip (because that was what I had in stock), so eleven motors in all. The controller I use is an NCE Powercab, others have different preferences as you will have noted. I don't have sound, but do run friends sound fitted locos without any issue whatsoever. It's a small terminus to fiddle yard layout 13ft x 1ft, it's called Whitecross Street and is at the Chesham show this coming Sunday, so if you can make it come and chat. I do have small US themed layout 5ft long that uses DCC, on that the electrofrog points are hand thrown, very simple that in that there are literally just two wires to one location, OK not really all that well done as the points do isolate, but doesn't bother me as its usually one engine operation. John

Don't think that they could run in multiple, I don't think that there isa control socket to allow it . I doubt that there was anything so heavily loaded on the Met that would need double heading anyway. I do recall that if there was a need to shift two at once, then the trailing loco was 'dead' although it may have been crewed. John

Was there with my Salinas Valley and had a very good day out. Was well looked after by the organisers when my co-operator had to go home ill, leaving me on my own. Fortunately a 5ft long US switching layout is easy to run single handed. Thank you all at RDMRC for that help. A good lunch was had and the cakes were well up to expectations! The show is always as good one and last Saturday was no exception to that. Well done all John

Yes, you need to fit a blanking plate/plug

Just had the same issue and solved it by bonding the fixed rail between the frog and the blade to the outer running rail. The problem is that the point blade fails to contact the stock rail properly. In my case I was using very short locos and when the loco was on the moving blade all was fine, as soon as it moved between the moving blade and the frog it stalled. No power was getting to that rail. I simply ran a wire from the running rail to that rail, soldered it up and everything is fine. As in my case all was fixed down and ballasted it was a fiddly exercise, but it works. I'm out with the layout at the Risex show on Saturday so it was an urgent job! Poor blade contact can sometimes be an issue with Code 75 points

How are you triggering the motors? If you are using a passing contact or a sprung switch then they can fail. If you are using the stud and probe method then I'm foxed. One thought though, what wire are you using multi strand or single core and have you got soldered connections? Wires can break under the insulation and if you happen to have a 'dry joint' then that won't pass much electricity. John

The Peco conductor rail that I have is code 60 and is labelled as such. I always leave the little ring off the bottom of the insulators as otherwise it is too high even with Peco code 100 track. I think that the Hornby dummy pickups are set at the nominal scale height, i.e. at the prototype 3ins (75mm) above running rails (1mm in 4mm scale) if the conductor rail is also at the scale height then interference is very probable with even the slightest misalignment. Been there found that out, so that's why I set the conductor rail level with the running rails/ John

The transformer won't 'push' 10 Amps, it will only supply what the command station draws. I don't know the Lenz but yes there will need to be a fast acting limiter maybe internal or maybe not I can't answer that point. No doubt someone knowledgeable will be along soon to sort your second question.

The other trick is to insert and glue a sliver of plasticard between the rail ends, when all is set then trim any excess with a scalpel, almost invisible when weathered

Have a look at this webpage obtained via the Southern Railway E Group. http://www.clag.org.uk/3rd-4th.html It will give you everyting that you never thought you'd need to know about 3rd rail and indeed 4th rail. It covers both Southern and LT, they differ quite a bit in places so don't be put off by the 4th rail info. As for lead in gradients Southern just bend the rail down, it's considerably longer than 2ft and LT use purpose built ramps The E group website itself on http://www.semgonline.com/home.html is also well worh a punt through. John

I have successfully used brass pins to fix the 3rd rail, a dab of white paint then some weathering makes the subterfuge unnoticeable. I have used it alongside the plastic pots and the difference is negligible in 4mm. If modelling SR 3rd rail then prototypically the 3rd rail should be 3ins (75mm) higher than the running rails. However that works out at 1mm higher in 4mm scale. It is not noticeable when looking down on a layout. All my 3rd rail on my OO layout Whitecross Street is at running rail level and I am quite content with that. It avoids any conflict with model 3rd rail pickup shoes and sandpipes or any drooping elements of the trains. Track cleaning is also considerably easier. John+

I use an SL90 insulfrog slip on my DCC layout without problems. I have put insulating joiners on every rail end and supplied power to the centre outside rails only. It works fine. The slip is in effect its own stand alone supply section. One point I would make is that I am using EMUs and bogie diesels, so the common problem of short wheelbase locos stalling on the frog is not an issue. John

Ooops, ignore previous blank post please, pressed the wrong button!! I generally use #18 and #19 for most of my stock with NEM pockets, getting the inner face in line with the buffer front. I'm using locos and bogie parcels stock in the main with Peco medium radius points (3ft radius approx). I haven't used #17s finding them too short, but a #20 was needed for a Bachmann BG. On non-NEM stock the #146/#148 whisker couplers are preferred, fitted as described above, some additional packing may be needed for some locos. I have used the old favourite #5 with success, principally because I had a stock of them. The Starter Pack does as Dunsignalling says provide a lot that you will never use, start with a pack each of #18s, #19s and #148s. It's a bit of a 'try it and see' situation for non-NEM stock. Height gauge(s) are vital for whatever type you use, not all NEM pockets are set right!!! Most of my stock was done quite a few years ago, experimenting with #5s. The advent of whisker couplers and NEM suitable KDs has made things a lot easier. John

Going reasonably for me. Only noticeable effect is that using tha back button on Firefox gives a sluggish result, it gets there in the end though! Well done for all involved in the hard work. John

I would assume that you have checked for mechanical issues.

I have two fully sceniced layouts to move around by myself. One has three 4ft x 1t boards and moving just one needs care to avoid damage to all the scenics. The other is a single unit 5ft x 2ft and no heavier than the others, but it is decidedly more unwieldy and needs great care to avoid damage. Just looking at the size issue and not weight then I agree with Meil above that 4ft x 2ft is about the maximum practical size for single handed use. John

Depends on height to some extent but 44x27mm sticks should be OK strengthwise, provided they are securely fixed to the baseboard top, you may need an extra block of 44x27mm at the top to provide a secure fixing. One board with four legs and the second with two ought to be fine provided the joint between the two is rigid, It's how many exhibition layouts are supported. I use that for one of my show layouts which has 4ft long boards that doesn't flex but it does have deep ply sides. As Neal says above the need for extra support does very much depend on the rigidity of your boards. John

Very pleased that you and grandsons enjoyed the show. It takes quite a bit of effort to put any show on and appreciative comments are always very welcome. Thanks John (I'm not the exhibition manager by the way)

Good to meet up with you John and have a chat.

A dealer/model shop/swapmeet trader will usually offer about a third of what they intend to sell it for. Ebay should fetch more but it's a lot of work. private sale or via a model club second hand stand may well get a better price. There's a thread running here now on the subject. John

I've had one recently from a non-Rmweb source. Almost identical as to the look of the thing, the purported sender was from a source well known to me. It was claiming to be about a very plausible subject for the organisation concerned. Luckily my suspicions kicked in as it was not a usual method of contacting about something. I have since had it confirmed that it was a phishing attempt. Seems to have been done from a hacked email address book. So as said above, DON'T click on a link whoever it is from.

Pasting tables are a bit low and also not very stable unless you pay a fortune. I use removeable legs which plug into sockets under the boards, depending on weight and so on then 2" x 1" timber works ok for small layouts. Trestles are OK but often a bit wide and unless you do something clever with short legs between trestle and layout can be somewhat low.

Having run a second hand stand, that sort of request asking to hold something is common. Reasons are many and varied, 'Got to go to a hole in the wall', 'Have to ask my father for the cash', etc etc, etc. All we would ever say is 'We'll hold it for an hour, if you don't come back it goes back out on the stand'.They never come back!! Where on earth did you find a club for £30 pa membership? Many around here are £75 a year upwards, over £100 is common. Also most club second hand stands charge a 10% commission for club members sales. Charging 15%+ for non members, assuming that they will accept non-members items, is also common. Prices for old Triang can be rather erratic, most is so well 'played with' that many prices are to say the least optimistic. John

Interesting video. What is apparent is the speed at which the switching is carried out!