taunmarc88

Thank you for the responses. I’m feeling a bit deflated at the growing list of things I need to get the railway going properly as I’m starting from new. So I need to have a think as we’ve had a few big money things go wrong recently at home and it’s getting harder to justify spends at the moment. I had hoped I could get by with all the bits I had already.

@Andrew-372848 Thanks I’ll try that when I get home from work. I’m hoping it can be sorted.

The track in the front short siding is now dead, not from the points but actually where one R6 curve meets the straight piece. It worked okay a few days ago but now even the long locos will not go into the siding past the curve piece. I’ve tried cleaning the track but that doesn’t seem to be it. Not sure what to do, it’s already ballasted. I'm starting to think I wouldn’t ballast in this method again, it seems to cause a lot of problems (but that may be my technique?).

Such a shame about the radius 3. I know there are work arounds but I do hope they can fix it for the next batch.

@Pete82 I did watch the first part of twelve mill bridge on YouTube for free. The viaduct is a kit they sell on their website, set on a board that is lower than the others. If it’s still free it was actually a good watch. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OUMA5gv1LPg&list=PLCPTIBLH-o2lTlLDLWhrTP94CWX5_BfgS&index=7&pp=iAQB

@GMD I’ve decided I’m going to keep trying it and hope a garden will blend it in better. At least knowing you have knowledge of them helps with the sizing in my mind. I’ll keep it on the layout whilst I’m building and playing so it becomes normal to me.

@moawkwrd I still have to really push to engage the points but I did try to lightly bend them and I think it has helped. I still have two points to go and I will be much more careful with those that’s for sure.

I don’t think so, not yet anyway. If I don’t use it now it’s not the only thing in a box now that will hopefully be used later. I keep trying to justify it as it’s an old cottage which would have been smaller but it seems just too small. Strangely it looks better from the back so that’s another option (no roof windows on the back and the door seems larger).

Received my Croft cottage and the photographers shop today. They are clearly not going to be able to sit on the same layout (my layout is tiny so I can’t even force perspective). Looking on metcalf some of the N buildings are much bigger than the Croft cottage. The photographs shop seems to be correct to the other railway buildings.

I wonder if they will do something on Fathers Day but recently that has been a free gift.

That pub is a little on the large side isn’t it. I like a corner halt, a good use of that waiting room.

It was so hard not to want a loco 😜. I went for two buildings and a wagon to hit the free delivery mark.

Looking great! Is that a station halt in the back corner? The church looks great in its own plot of land.

It does seem odd to even offer the club then not deliver on it. As StuLarge says I’m also not bothered about it - there’s no benefit to the club right now. We have developed our own community both here and on YouTube so we’re doing a lot of the leg work ourselves!

If money was no object I would have a different answer but as I’m generally skint the rule developing is that it’ll be Era 5 mostly set in the western region. That doesn’t really work right now due to availability so I’m holding onto all my locos: Bonny, Mallard, Trigo, Whitelaw and Blue 08. Mostly I only use the 08 anyway and Bonny. So right now it looks like the railway closed and a heritage line popped up! Rules are actually quite fun I think, that’s why High Fell works I think. It grounds it to a real time and place. Of course if you build two layouts… or three…

I totally understand. I’m making a DC small layout for this very reason - so I can run the smaller locos. Don’t miss out on a livery you want though.

Thanks both that’s good advice. I’ve just watched Chadwick model railways video on soldering so I understood what you were saying about tin the wire and flux so now I’ll get to looking into getting the bits together. I’m starting from scratch so my tool box is bare of anything useful!

I’m the same as Martin, it was working at 6am. Hopefully they’ll have it sorted soon.

https://youtu.be/OPIpYNlGQiY?si=YuFWsIBFQQyLtLnQ The next instalment of me rambling on about my railway is now on YouTube. I forgot to mention loads! I just pressed go and spoke for ten minutes so I think a notebook is in order to organise my thoughts. Enjoy!

@dBerriff It will take a while to get the bits I need but I’d love some pointer or links to videos you think are really worth watching. It’s surprising how many experts do things differently even down to track cleaning so I’d love to be pointed in the better directions first. Now, it’ll take longer to get together but is this the time to be thinking of getting a better controller? I’ve seen a walkabout one from gaugemaster or they do double track ones (I’m thinking the second could be for an extension or even for future layout). I’m just thinking if I’m soldering can that still be compatible with my starter controller or do I need to go the whole hog now. Thanks for all your advice, always appreciated.

Thanks for the quick responses guys, I’ve tried a few of the quick things you advised and the point has responded - I have to really push the point into position for the power to run through it but then it will. Just flicking it is not enough for contact to be made. I think this has proven to me that I do need another power supply to the other curve as you all have suggested. I do not have a soldering iron yet nor have I tried it since school but I’m more than willing to do so as I’ll need it for future larger layouts anyway.

Help! I have a power issue and I’m not sure what I’ve done… when I open the point at the far side of the layout all power is dead from the point at the front round the curve. So I’m assuming the point at the front is not deliveringpower onward around the loop. When all points are close the loco will move as it is passing both ways. The power is supplied from the left side of the station as seen in the pic. I’ve cleaned the point but maybe I need to be a bit rougher? It was fine until I ballasted so perhaps the glue has got in somewhere?

Thanks for the replies, I’ll ballast as normal but I might leave it a little lower to allow me to pop the road on top. I’m thinking of a quiet county lane style crossing so I’ll have to do a road surface I think, I can use my gravel for a yard area perhaps.

I’ve started ballasting. I haven’t decided on how and where the road will go across the tracks yet. Would those who have already done this leave a gap in the ballast or ballast and then put the road on top? I also have a bag of Buff stone I’m not using… i was wondering if this would be any good for my 60s roads? However I use it I would like to use the colour as is… I really like it. (The ballast for track is medium gray blend).

I’ve found it quite hard to stick with one time period, I identify least with 70s/80s era as I was born in 88. I prefer steam myself but I’m also captured by modern image locos that I have seen even though I had I been asking prior to starting in TT if I would buy them I’d likely say no. I’m so impressed that some of you are adamantly sticking to one period - the way I see it if I buy too many locos I will be unable to buy lots of stock for them to pull. I love High Fell’s long trains so perhaps less locos and more stock is a good way to go. It’s hard not to be tempted to preorder a load more locos though.