Banbury in N scale - A great time at the Abingdon in March 2024

[roundhouse]

Thanks for the photos Phil. I only took one over the three days. I planned to take more but either forgot or was busy talking to visitors and other exhibitors which was great especially yesterday as having Phil as and extra hand really helped. It been four years since we last saw Phill when he helped at the Taunton show.

 

After the initial few hours on Friday, the layout generally worked well despite it being three years since its last show. Hopefully the numerous potential invites will come to fruition although one for this year clashes with another show with one of my other layout, so fingers crossed we can do it next year.

 

The layout was down and loaded in the car ready to depart 35 minutes after the show closed and we were home 2 hours 30 later. A very enjoyable weekend.

Edited May 2, 2022 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

When we packed the layout up on the Sunday evening, the lighting pelmet suffered a bit of damage. It's now 16 years old having been used on numerous other layouts,  so has lasted well.

 

It's now been repaired and quite a few more screws fitted to strengthen the units. A further coat of Jacobian Oak has been applied. This water based version takes quite a few days to dry but that should be fine as it's not due be used till June.

 

Next will be looking at the stock that failed at Bristol. Luckily not that much did.

[roundhouse]

At the weekend when we set up the laser gauge train apparently the working light wasn't working, so today I have set it up on the program track and it is still working. However this is one item that I hadn't got to clean prior to the show. The wheels were quite dirty. All is well now.

This was a scratch built laser wagon and Electra Graphics for the support coaches, all put together by our late friend Graham Stenning. At the weekend we also ran the class 73 that was named after him back in 2015. Unfortunately I did not get any photos at the show.

 

 

Edited November 12, 2022 by roundhouse

[Bigfraser]

Hi there.  Roundhouse - do you have contact details?  I'd like to email you about possibly appearing at AbRail (Abingdon).  You can reach me at domATmarrakeshrecordsDOTCOM.  Thank you.

[roundhouse]

6 hours ago, Bigfraser said:

Hi there.  Roundhouse - do you have contact details?  I'd like to email you about possibly appearing at AbRail (Abingdon).  You can reach me at domATmarrakeshrecordsDOTCOM.  Thank you.

Dropped you a message on this forum.

[GWRPhil]

Merry Christmas and a happy new year. 

[roundhouse]

6 hours ago, GWRPhil said:

Merry Christmas and a happy new year. 

And you too plus everyone else here.

 

 

[roundhouse]

Hope every one is having a fab new year so far.

Just a quick update.

Banbury is booked to be at the Preston show in March. At present it's only show this year.

Edited January 4, 2023 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

Looks like Banbury might have another show later in the year nearer to home.

 

More once its confirmed.

[roundhouse]

I am currently servicing the locos in reddiness for the Preston show this weekend.

[GWRPhil]

14 hours ago, roundhouse said:

I am currently servicing the locos in reddiness for the Preston show this weekend.

Have a great weekend. 

[roundhouse]

45 minutes ago, GWRPhil said:

Have a great weekend. 

Thanks.

 

I have been up working on servicing locos since 4 am. One split gear so far in a class 57. Still a few a stock boxes to check through this morning before loading the car.

[GWRPhil]

57 minutes ago, roundhouse said:

Thanks.

 

I have been up working on servicing locos since 4 am. One split gear so far in a class 57. Still a few a stock boxes to check through this morning before loading the car.

Have a safe journey and a good show. Would love to be there but Preston too far for us.

[roundhouse]

We had a good run to Preston stopping off for lunch to meet up with the rest of our crew on the outskirts of Warrington  where we had a very good lunch.

 

The layout is now set up at the venue and working well but it did take some time to make sure all rolling stock was on the rails and all trains working. We did have quite a few locos play up despite spending a few days giving them all a good check over at home where they all ran fine.

Unfortunately the Dapol Childrens Railway class 66 now has a hole in the exhaust silencer where the decoder overheated despite the loco running fine on the layout. Its always been a problem loco since new. At least I can repair the bodyshell but it may now become a non powered loco for double heading.

 

We retired to a rather good micropub not too far from the hotel and this morning, looking forward to the layouts first show in nearly a year.

Edited March 4, 2023 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

Over the two days of the Preston show the layout settled down well with just one turnout solenoid giving grief on Sunday morning but that was soon fixed. I have 9 pin D connectors to all the solenoids so they are easy to remove after unplugging and remaing the two screws. This one had a broken wire to one of the coils. A quick resolder and it was all OK.

 

I did not take many photos but here are a couple of two charter trains.

 

Edited March 6, 2023 by roundhouse

[AndrueC]

Ah brings back memories of the 14 months I commuted between Banbury and Birmingham. Not the worst experience of my life due to Chiltern Trains punctuality and being able to walk to my office along the canals from Snow Hill.

 

But I sure don't miss standing on the Banbury platform at quarter to seven on a winter's morning.

[roundhouse]

1 hour ago, AndrueC said:

Ah brings back memories of the 14 months I commuted between Banbury and Birmingham. Not the worst experience of my life due to Chiltern Trains punctuality and being able to walk to my office along the canals from Snow Hill.

 

But I sure don't miss standing on the Banbury platform at quarter to seven on a winter's morning.

I wish that I could say that our trains were or are punctual. The first time we went to travel on Thameslink this year back in January, there werent any due to a broken down one. I certainly am glad that I dont commute anymore and my other half avoids going into her office in London as much as possible as she can still work from home (they are up the creek this evening with most cancelled at our station).

 

A month ago Chiltern emailed me re a ticket offer so I took them up on it. All trains on time although the loco hauled was a DMU substitution but at least the return journey was a push pull one. My first time on them for about three years and in Business class seats and no supplement these days.

 

The layout is now back at home. No tasks required on the layout but still a few locos to sort out. However they can wait a while as the layouts next outing isnt till October. I have a few other layouts that require attention for their upcoming outings.

Edited March 6, 2023 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

Dapol 66720 children livery was quite happily sitting in the fiddleyard after a few runs on Banbury at the Preston show back in March when the decoder heated up and melted through the roof. Luckily I found it before it did any more damage than just melt the separately moulded exhaust / silencer.

So over the past week the moulding has been removed, filled and painted before refitting yesterday.

Inside the loco I believe that the factory applied insulation had become dislodged, so this has been replaced. Now just waiting for fitting a blanking plate to test on DC before finding an old decoder to test under DCC control.

[roundhouse]

Just a quick update to say that 66720 has had a good test run on DC before taking a decoder out of another loco (for a future N scale layout) and then giving 66720 a long run on the High Line test circuit.

 

All is fine and hopefully this loco will perform well at the layouts next outin whihc is to Uckfield show in October.

 

I still have two more Royal Mail vans to add to the layout but that will have to wait till my two newer layouts are worked on for upcoming shows.

 

The layout is now 12 years old but I have no plans to get rid of it although I will probably thin out the rolling stock as theres just way too much of it that doent get used.

 

Just need a few more shows for future years.

[roundhouse]

The layout will be at the Uckfield show in just under two weeks time, so I will be checking through the rolling stock shortly. Mainly the class 66's to have another go at the pickups as we had quite a few play up at the Preston show back in March.

[roundhouse]

With the new layout back from it's first show in Cumbria and safely stored away, attention has now turned to checking and cleaning the stock for Banburys outing this coming weekend.

 

So far just one loco that isn't playing ball.

This 66 cuts out every few yards. I don't think that it's the pick ups as they are all very clean. It's the only N scale loco with a Tramfabriek decoder. I mainly use Dogitrax ones on this hard wired Farish locos. It could also be a failing motor.

So this loco will be marked up not for use this weekend.

[roundhouse]

Cleaning of stock continues. However just found that one of the Revolution car carriers must have been dropped at the last show as one as ide is broken and the clear roof section is loose. Also a coupler head has sheered off. Accidents happen but I wish who ever dropped it told me so that I could have repaired it at the time.

At least I spotted it before the show and it is repairable.

 

 

[Phatbob]

23 hours ago, roundhouse said:

Cleaning of stock continues. However just found that one of the Revolution car carriers must have been dropped at the last show as one as ide is broken and the clear roof section is loose. Also a coupler head has sheered off. Accidents happen but I wish who ever dropped it told me so that I could have repaired it at the time.

At least I spotted it before the show and it is repairable.

 

 

Not guilty m'Lud.  I only play with your N gauge trains.  I never put them on or take them off! ;-)

 

[roundhouse]

All stock checked cleaned and loaded.

 

However mt turn to break things.

 

On Wednesday night the main loco box fell on the floor. No quite sure how it managed to do that but I came down in the morning to a big jigsaw puzzle of loco bits. All my fault as I put it on the chair after bringing it back in from the shed.

So yesterday morning was putting them all back together and this morning testing them and reassembling the Arbel car carriers. Luckily all are back as they should be.

 

Unfortunately we will be one operator down tomorrow, so set up in the morning at Uckfield show is going to be hectic so we will have to reduce the contents of the fiddleyard to make this achievable and for easier operation. A least all the batteries in the end wagons for tail lights have been replaced this morning, so one job less to do in the morning. Some stock boxes will also not be coming along with a few other items hat aren't necessary but nice to have with us.

 

Anyway, still looking forward to the layouts second and last outing this year.

[roundhouse]

We had a good and very busy day today at the Uckfield show. Layout unloaded quickly and soon set up in a good location in the main hall with plenty of tables behind.

 

We did not load the fiddle yard with the normal amount of rolling stock so we managed between the three of us with reduced shuffling up in the fiddling yard tracks.

 

The usual derailing issues the first 45 minutes but after that it settled down and we had a good time.

 

Plenty of friends to chat to including a long time friend from Banbury who helped with info for me to build the layout.

 

A full crew tomorrow.

 

 

 

Edited October 21, 2023 by roundhouse