The Doc

@Caiptean. Thank you - that 2 metres is a very useful dimension to know, works out at about 26mm I think, so I'll bear it in mind with the alterations to the footbridge.

I have spent part of the weekend removing one track from my mainline station. I had previously made the mistake of trying to fit in as much track as possible, resulting in a very narrow island platform which looked unrealistic (probably a scale 10 foot wide) which looked decidedly dangerous for passengers when express trains came thundering through the station. The platform is now much wider and I am pleased with the appearance. I now need to make a building for it – probably a modification of the Superquick model. I also need to alter the footbridge which is based on the old Airfix model. The steps down from the bridge to the island platform are very close to one edge. They were originally in the middle of the old platform, which shows just how narrow it was. I’m also going to add lighting to the new platform, and also upgrade the other platforms in time. Old platform: /media/tinymce_upload/dba62f76b920983fb265da228f155481.JPG New platform: /media/tinymce_upload/a4d71bdae7959dd06513e2994ec9b97f.JPG You can see how the steps down from the footbridge are far too near the left hand edge. I like the gentle curve on the platform, which I had to measure very carefully to avoid fouling by some of my longer coaches and locos.

Not exactly the workbench, more the kitchen table, but I've just fitted an A3 TTS sound decoder to my B17 Barnsley. Apart from having to add insulating tape to the speaker terminals (they were shorting out against the metal tender weight - it was very straightforward. I've no idea if it sounds like the real thing since I'm too young to have ever heard a B17, but as they were 3 cylinder locos designed by Gresley I guess they might sound quite similar to an A3. Anyway, I'm not too bothered - the sound is just a bit of fun and adds an extra dimension. I might even post a youtube video later.

I have a couple of Hornby Railroad diesels and when they shed a traction tyre they lose a lot of pulling power, make more noise on the track, wobble and sometimes derail on points. So you either have to put up with the traction tyres or look out for those ultrascale replacements. However, The types of diesels you refer to, with only one powered bogie, will not pull very well without traction tyres, so the ultrascale replacements aren't ideal. When Hornby first re-introduced Lima models such as the class 59 and 73, they didn't use any traction tyres and had quite a few complaints about lack of pulling power - which certainly didn't suit the class 59.

I finally got around to fitting metal wheels and pick-ups to the trailing bogie of my Tri-ang Blue Pullman. The motor bogie has always run smoothly, if a little noisily, and now it can traverse insulfrog pointwork slowly without stalling. Hurrah! /media/tinymce_upload/d9b9ca18f747fb8835e2614ade4a4d0d.JPG I am now trying to do something similar to two Jouef locos I recently acquired. Unfortunately, in each case the powered bogie has a traction tyre attached to each wheel, so the locos are stuck with 2 wheel pick-up on each side from the non-powered bogie. I am going to have to permanently attach a shunter's truck with metal wheels and extra pick-ups to the smaller loco, and maybe a luggage car to the bigger passenger loco.

I've just been very fortunate and acquired a small selection of Jouef models. They were donated to me from my daughter's boyfriend's grandmother, who is French and whose late husband was a keen railway modeller. She wanted the trains to go to someone who would appreciate them. Most are in very good condition, and although the locos don't run very well at present, the motors seem fine. It just seems a case of improving the pick-ups, and adding some more, so that's my next workbench project. /media/tinymce_upload/2d915646c1e9d42c053660976f4d9e39.jpg

My latest project, to be worked on at school with some year 9 students, is a minimum space continuous run layout - in a total space of 6' x 2'! The tightest radius curve is approximately 8". I've been testing the layout with various short wheelbase stock, and as well as all the Hornby 0-4-0s, we can run the Hornby and Bachmann class 08, Hornby J94 and Bachmann Toby. Short wheelbase wagons and short bogie wagons run fine (e.g. bogie bolster and weltrol wagons) - though we will have to standardise on the large Hornby tension lock couplings. Here are a couple of pictures to show the track plan: /media/tinymce_upload/676ea0bcc521de42e708c82975d52f3d.JPG /media/tinymce_upload/0b50cb1bc6a1ec59aef034db380a25a1.JPG Fencing or some other sort of barrier will go around the long sides to prevent derailments from becoming disasters.

I agree, very atmospheric station lighting, BB. Mind you, looking back at the daytime view of your station (page 58 of this thread), it looks pretty good whatever the time of day! 😀

@HFM Ha ha! I have two youtube channels - one for trains and the other for chemistry (the day job). My Chemistry students think the trains videos are weird and train fans probably think the same about the chemistry vids. Youtube must have defaulted to the chemistry channel when I subscribed. My own layout can be found:

@HFM Great layout and I enjoyed watching the video. I've subscribed!

@GNR-Gordon, Thanks for the nice comments - our layout is very much a team effort. From the start of the Autumn term all our year 9 students are doing a modelmaking activity (about an hour a week for half a term) so I am planning on making some extension boards with them - I just need to source some cheap models of buildings as I have plenty of spare track and scenery items.

I'm posting a few pictures of our school layout - no pupils in sight as it's the holidays, but they give an idea of what we have achieved. I worked out that it has taken us 8 years, on and off, to get this far. We finally have a permanent location (see other "unusual locations" thread and that has meant more consistent progress./media/tinymce_upload/8edf9e7dc26ba630d851f7f38a12e29d.jpg/media/tinymce_upload/7e20fac2e9360e656f804d35a3b2ddab.jpg/media/tinymce_upload/a92eb9257117a2c85b96a4d0c7b15876.jpg/media/tinymce_upload/e95c8eb2de9e33a09a9a364fd358e33e.jpg

Just got myself a secondhand (but looks unused) Gaugemaster Tech 6 controller off ebay, going for a song. I have about 50 locos in my collection, all of which were analogue until I got Gadwall with TTS sound for Christmas. I'm not going to convert digital overnight, and probably never will, but if some of my favourite locos are made with affordable sound then I will seriously consider buying them. For those who don't know, the Tech 6 is a compromise between analogue and digital. In analogue mode it acts as a standard controller with built in inertia, but in digital mode (at the flick of a switch) it will operate a single digital loco (address 3). So it doesn't have all the advantages of digital but it is ideal for someone like me who has no intention of rewiring their layout, chipping all their locos etc. I've just tried it out with Gadwall and I am more than happy with it. I'm looking forward to the Class 20 TTS when that appears in the shops, and maybe also the class 40, but in both cases I'll either have to repaint them in BR green or look for some secondhand Lima bodies. I also fancy getting a TTS decoder for my A3 as well. Better get saving.

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Jeff, You would need an old Super 4 to System 6 converter rail to connect Super 4 to current Hornby (or Peco). I think the code is R476 but they haven't made them for about 40 years so you could look on ebay* where they come up regularly. * Other secondhand sources are available, but harder to search through!

I've only made 2 chassis in the past, and neither ran as well as modern locos. Plus, an etched chassis, gearbox, motor and wheels can work out surprisingly expensive. Yes, you will have the satisfaction of building it yourself, but not all of us have the skill set or time to build something like a chassis. Also, some chassis kits are quite rigid and would struggle with 2nd and 3rd radius curves. Hence I am keen on a ready to run chassis.

I've not tried it yet - I'm awaiting the new Bachmann version of the J72. The split chassis of the older model will cause some problems. For a start, it is quite wide in places to give extra weight inside the tiny J72 body and part of the J69 body would have to be cut away from the inside. Secondly, because it is the split chassis design, the two halves are opposite polarity, so if they were both in contact with the whitemetal body, there will be a short circuit. So either the chassis block or the insides of the body might have to be covered in insulating tape at critical points.

RDS, My Blue box class 08 was very similar - on applying current to the wheels I discovered that only one pick-up was working on one side, and two on the other. This made it very sensitive to dirt on rails, plastic frogs etc. I cleaned the backs of the wheels and adjusted the pick-ups (very flimsy strips of copper so take care) and it now runs much better. Incidentally, I've occasionally noticed similar problems with other makes, including Hornby, so it can happen to anyone.

The Scalescenes canal boat measures in at 245mm, or about 61ft, so a bit shorter than prototype, but it looks about the right length to my eye. Mind you, I'm not too fussy. As far as I am concerned 00 gauge track is fine, as are passenger expresses that are only 4-5 coaches long, which is probably less than half the correct length. It wouldn't be difficult to scale the canal boat up to 70ft, but I'm not sure whether you would simply stretch it lengthways or expand it in 3 dimensions.

Thanks, now I need to tackle the canal!

The hull is made of thick card in horizontal layers, and the sides are printed onto thin card. I made it pretty much by following the scalescenes instructions. I really enjoy making their models, they are very well designed, but I was pleasantly surprised how well the boat went together.

Just completed a Scalescenes downloadable canal boat - now all I need to do is build the canal + lock gates for it to go on. /media/tinymce_upload/5dd982660f5ef7ceb663066be2817683.JPG/media/tinymce_upload/4b4220553d177b1a30286a0ff1de2637.JPG

Thanks LC, I had thought about getting an L1 but I have heard quite a few reports of them derailing on curves and points, which concerned me. I'm not too good at fiddling with wheels/bogies etc. trying to get them exactly as they should be. I had lots of problems with an A4 a few years back, to the point where I had to re-lay a whole section of track. The loco is still imperfect, but better than it was.

Thanks LC&DR - detailed and informative as always. So it isn't just Suffolk swedes like me who could have a J69 on their layout. I also note that the N7 came out top of the LNER poll on rmweb. I'd love one of those to pull my suburban services. At present these trains are hauled by a Hornby N2 or a Bachmann V3, both ex-LNER classes, but I don't think either of them ever got as far east as where my layout is meant to be based (Ipswich in the late 50s). Mind you, I also have a few A3s and an A4 which I cannot resit running up the mainline, as well as a P1 and Cock o' the North, so I can bend the regional and chronological rules whenever I like).

My latest acquisition - A3 Minoru looking lovely in BR green. It is the first locodrive A3 I have owned and it runs as beautifully as it looks. /media/tinymce_upload/b77d6d2e0cbfa7e2c008e28d84686fcb.JPG /media/tinymce_upload/8ceba3940c2da9dac7b0f43e7e0bfa92.JPG