Nifkin's Bridge TMD

[47606odin]

2 hours ago, PjKing1 said:

I’ve still got a few O gauge locos to be sell if you want anything 😉

no regrets lol

[97406]

2 hours ago, 47606odin said:

no regrets lol

A class 40 for the mantelpiece perhaps. Not the Heljan one!

[PjKing1]

4 hours ago, 47606odin said:

no regrets lol

To be honest no, I was sad at first but I can actually afford things now and sound fitting is so much easier 😂 also there’s so much more to choose from etc

[97406]

23 hours ago, 47606odin said:

I haven’t got my grid yet. It’s being illusive. However this arrived today

 

 

I must have mixed up one of the official photos, honest GUV! I can see the 56 has arrived now and my comment still stands. Considering it is a descendant off the class 47 body-wise it makes you wonder why the new 47’s have such a flat windscreen area (or a slight ‘squint’, perhaps), whereas the 56 looks to have the subtle V profile, from what I can make out.

[47606odin]

This arrived also today…..

 

[97406]

6 minutes ago, 47606odin said:

This arrived also today…..

 

 

How's it running? It is a little rough sounding as per others' reports, but it moves OK.

[97406]

My video facilities are rudimentary, but I think you get the general idea...

 

 

 

[47606odin]

53 minutes ago, 97406 said:

 

How's it running? It is a little rough sounding as per others' reports, but it moves OK.

I’ve not powered it yet 

[97406]

The DCC rollout continues apace...

 

[97406]

On 18/05/2022 at 08:56, 47606odin said:

I’ve not powered it yet 

 

There’s insufficient play in the bogies, so any slight bumpiness in the tracks is transmitted directly into the chassis. Ideally they need to be able to rock backwards and forwards a touch. It’s not enough to cause me a problem though, so I won’t be cutting any of the bogie frames at the moment.

[47606odin]

1 hour ago, 97406 said:

 

There’s insufficient play in the bogies, so any slight bumpiness in the tracks is transmitted directly into the chassis. Ideally they need to be able to rock backwards and forwards a touch. It’s not enough to cause me a problem though, so I won’t be cutting any of the bogie frames at the moment.

there is indeed zero vertical movement longitudinally on the bogie. This will cause derailments on slightly uneven tracks, change in gradients or transitioning from super elevation. Also it can’t push as the blunt end coupling hangs too low and derails the coach it’s pushing. There is a small wobble when coming off curves and just noticeable on straights. A shame really, however there was never an intention to get another 

[97406]

1 minute ago, 47606odin said:

there is indeed zero vertical movement longitudinally on the bogie. This will cause derailments on slightly uneven tracks, change in gradients or transitioning from super elevation. Also it can’t push as the blunt end coupling hangs too low and derails the coach it’s pushing. There is a small wobble when coming off curves and just noticeable on straights. A shame really, however there was never an intention to get another 

 

Just the one will do for me too. Plus the issues can be fixed relatively easily if need be. It really looks the part, but Hornby do seem to overlook basic issues with their models. The Class 87 pantograph being another example.

[47606odin]

37 minutes ago, 97406 said:

 

Just the one will do for me too. Plus the issues can be fixed relatively easily if need be. It really looks the part, but Hornby do seem to overlook basic issues with their models. The Class 87 pantograph being another example.

yes it’s unfortunate they keep shooting themselves in the foot

[GRUNFOS]

The would probably miss their feet all together!!!!!!!!

[97406]

1 hour ago, GRUNFOS said:

The would probably miss their feet all together!!!!!!!!

 

Perhaps "Shooting oneself in the head" instead!

[97406]

Nifkin's Bridge is a fictitious location by the WCML somewhere in Cheshire, so there are plenty of locomotives stopping off before or after being serviced at Crewe Works, or new builds emerging ex works. I can now add the original IC Swallow class 90 to the list. I really should get an IC Mainline example to make up the 3 as-built liveries.

[PjKing1]

I had a photo of a 91 on test at Crewe but it got lost along with all my other photos, those liveries bring back so many happy memories from my childhood 🙂

[97406]

17 minutes ago, PjKing1 said:

I had a photo of a 91 on test at Crewe but it got lost along with all my other photos, those liveries bring back so many happy memories from my childhood 🙂

The period I chose is the one where I got into railways proper in my teens at the end of the 40s, give or take a few years either side. I've long since lost most of the photos I took at the time, but I remember the 89, 87/2s (or 90s) and 91s being built at Crewe, along with a large number of scrap 40s queueing up by the melt shop. The test trains for the ex-works diesels to Bangor were interesting to witness as well, often with a Class 33 as backup!

 

I do have a small selection of locos covering the green/blue transition period, which harks back to growing up near Navigation Road station in Timperley with the ICI hoppers and other trains scaring the bejesus out of me as a young'un! I grew quite accustomed to them in later years!

Edited May 24, 2022 by 97406

[PjKing1]

12 minutes ago, 97406 said:

The period I chose is the one where I got into railways proper in my teens at the end of the 40s, give or take a few years either side. I've long since lost most of the photos I took at the time, but I remember the 89, 87/2s (or 90s) and 91s beign built at Crewe, along with a large number of scrap 40s queueing up by the melt shop. The test trains for the ex-works diesels to Bangor were interesting to witness as well, often with a Class 33 as backup!

 

I do have a small selection of locos covering the green/blue transition period, which harks back to growing up near Navigation Road station in Timperley with the ICI hoppers and other trains scaring the bejesus out of me as a young'un!

Same here we must of been around Crewe at the same time!  I do remember blue every in the early 80’s, but there was just something about the mid 60’s that I had to model 

[Jerry1975]

Very nice, I like overhead catenary on depot layouts and have considered it myself, you never know I might get round to building one.

 

Jerry. 

[97406]

An aerial view.

[Pete the Elaner]

I've seen pics of this but only just taken a look at the thread after communicating with you elsewhere.

The layout looks nice. It is a reminder to me that something small can be done to a high standard. A big roundy is much harder work & takes a lot longer.

I see you've gone DCC? I found the ability to stop a loco exactly where I want & buffer another one right up to it was enough to convince me it was what I wanted. Permanently-on lights were a bonus.

Sound didn't really appeal to me at first but spirax valves clicking away became rather addictive.

[97406]

5 hours ago, Pete the Elaner said:

I've seen pics of this but only just taken a look at the thread after communicating with you elsewhere.

The layout looks nice. It is a reminder to me that something small can be done to a high standard. A big roundy is much harder work & takes a lot longer.

I see you've gone DCC? I found the ability to stop a loco exactly where I want & buffer another one right up to it was enough to convince me it was what I wanted. Permanently-on lights were a bonus.

Sound didn't really appeal to me at first but spirax valves clicking away became rather addictive.

 

Thanks, Pete and welcome to my thread. I’m a little over half way through adding decoders to the fleet now, with a big push on the older 8 pin models this month. I’m finding the LaisDCC decoders ample for the bulk rollout, with more specialised decoders going in the Bachmann 90s and 47s. A LaisDCC decoder will get hardwired in a Lima 31 with its original pancake motor soon, so will see how it stands up.

 

The older Hornby 50s are proving the most troublesome due to poor circuitry and build quality meaning the 2 outstanding ones to detail have been broken up for spares to give me 4 runners, and a heap more spares.

 

Sound will be fitted to a few, with about 10 or 12 eventually being done, but the main reasons for going DCC are the ability to pose locos for long exposure photographs in low light with their lights on, and to simplify the wiring for the layout extension which I will look at next. This will be of a similar size to the existing scenic section with a small fiddle yard off the end. Give me a few years and I’ll keep adding sections so it goes around the room, with a twin track running line to the front or back of the existing depot. It will become a retirement project, hopefully in the next 10 years or so.

 

Tim.

[Psiborg]

Only just found your thread and love the photos.  Especially the "ICI hopper" photo from way back 👍🏻

 

Keep up the quality work you are doing 

Simon

[97406]

10 hours ago, Psiborg said:

Only just found your thread and love the photos.  Especially the "ICI hopper" photo from way back 👍🏻

 

Keep up the quality work you are doing 

Simon

 

Thanks, Simon, glad you like the layout. Looking forward to seeing your Buxton layout take shape, as I spent a lot of time around there in my youth. I can see a Heljan 104 fitting in there with its bay windows at the front!

 

The ICI hoppers used to pass within earshot of where I grew up near Skelton Junction and Navvi Road Station with its Bouncy Castle service between Altrincham and Alderley Edge. The shrill squealing of unfitted freight trains on the junction, and the Class 40 whistle and 25 thrash were also particularly memorable.

 

Tim