Progress (or otherwise) on Jeff's new layout

very nice loco Jeff,
:thumbs;-):cool:

After taking many of my photos of trains at the 'west' end of the layout, I decided that the unpainted plastic tunnel mouth deserved a bit of treatment. The result (so far) is this:




A little more work is needed before I find it totally convincing, but it is getting there.

Latest arrival via eBay is this detailed and weathered Heljan Hymek. I always liked the early blue with small yellow panels and white window surrounds, so when this one came up at a reasonable price, I bid for it and won.

It has had a brass fan and grille added, all of the end pipes and screw coupings put on, and separate etched numerals attached.

It ran absolutely perfectly when tested on DC power, then again after fitting a Lenz Standard+ decoder (which had a side benefit of fitting neatly under the fan housing added by the original modeller).

It was sold as being without couplings, but I knew I could do something about this to make it fully operational for my own use. It has also had the headcode light bulbs removed. 

As a temporary measure, I have attached  couple of the Parkside NEM coupling adapters, packed up with a couple of squares of 60 thou plasicard to get the right height. This necessitated bending some of the buffer beam pipes aside slightly, or in one instance at each end, actually trimming the pipes.




Longer term, I have ordered the necessary parts from Howes in Kidlington to restore the lights, replace the early brass wheelsets with later Heljan plated examples, and the sprues with the coupling components to restore the ones attached to the bogies, which will mean removing the Parkside adapters again.

My research indicates that the number D7007 chosen by the original owner is inaccurate for this livery with the white window surrounds (it had blue ones, which looked absolutely dire, in my opinion). The research also indicates that I will only have to change one numeral under each cab side window to make an accurate choice for this livery. D7027 or D7047 are suitable candidates, although other numbers may also be easily changed (I have the necessary etched stainless steel numerals, bought some time ago to detail my green Hymek … one of those 'round tuit' jobs!

New models are suddenly coming into the shops thick and fast! While I haven't ordered all of them, I do have a few pre-orders which are turning up, or about to turn up. The latest is the Realtrack First Great Western class 143. It does have a tenuous connection with the Southern theme in that its destinations are Paignton and Exmouth, the latter of which used to be Southern Railway/Southern Region territory.

143 618 is seen here posed with 150 219, after having been fitted with a Lenz Standard+ decoder (that was a little tricky, especially as I fitted the plug the wrong way round on the first attempt!). It runs very nicely on plain track but has a little difficulty on my third and fourth rail … mainly the fourth rail as the clearances under the central box arrangements containing the axles are very tight.








I expect to receive the Bachmann LBSCR E4 tank locomotive in the next week or so, and the Hornby 0700 in BR livery within a month, so more pics will follow soon.​

Further to the previous post on the new Realtrack class 143 not liking the sections of track with third and fourth rail fitted, I suspected that it was the very low slung 'boxes' containing the axles and gear train, between the wheels dragging slightly on the fourth rail, especially as the whole arrangement is also sprung and can float just a little. The plastic 'caps' for these boxes just clip on and off, so I removed each of them in turn and filed a groove along the centre-line using a round file.

A quick track test proved I was right. The unit can now complete a circuit without assistance from the giant hand from the sky. There is still a small amount of drag at certain points (yup, you guessed it, the points!) but the unit was still able to negotiate these without any assistance. If I widen the groove slightly to allow for the diverging bits of fourth rail within the points the problem will be all but solved. Of course, this also means I won't have any such running problems when I add third rail to the upper level tracks. Even more incentive for me to get a move on and get the upper level running!

Edit: A quick photo showing the modification to the 'boxes' under the class 143.

I have spent a good part of this weekend fiddling with new stock and the layout itself. I have received several new models, in addition to the class 143 mentioned in a recent post. The most challenging one was the new Bachmann First Great Western class 150/1, with the new style chassis and interior lights. This was run-in on DC using the rolling road and worked perfectly, as far as I could tell. The problems began when I went to fit a decoder. 

On placing the motor coach on the rollers and switching to the Power Cab programming track, the interior lights and red tail lights came on instantly and stayed on. That was suspicious for a start. The decoder, a Bachmann 36-557 (Soundtraxx) one, programmed fine for the address but when I switched the track to normal DCC mode, the lights remained as before, refusing to respond to the F0 key.

I removed the decoder and placed the coach back on the rollers with no blanking plug and the interior lights and tail lights again came on. I switched to DC power and the red tail lights only came on with one direction's polarity. Very odd!

I dismantled the unit completely and looked at the PCB carefully but could see no obvious problems. I put electrical insulation tape between it and the metal chassis, and ran the same tests with no blanking plug or decoder fitted, with still the same results. At this point I got fed up and emailed Bachmann support to ask for advice, and the original supplier (Amanda Jane Models) to advise that I may have to make a warranty claim. Both replied very promptly (with due regard to the 9 hour time difference between me and the UK): Bachmann support suggesting that I should check pins 21 and 22 or pins 7 and 8 for possible shorts, and Amanda offering to pay the return post and packing for the model if it did need to be returned, so I would like to compliment the excellent follow up and service from both parties here. I should make clear here that the fault would not have been obvious if either Bachmann or Amanda had tested the unit on DC.

I examined the PCB and the 21-pin carrier board for the cause of the problem with a strong light and my optivisor magnifier. The soldered tracks at the bottom of the carrier board had a small sliver of solder bridging the tracks from pins 21 and 22. Scraping that away with a sharp, fine screwdriver fixed the problem and I was finally able to feel safe in fitting a decoder.As this unit is intended to run in multiple with my FGW class 150/2 (described in my blog with the Electra vinyl overlays), I thought it would be a bit strange with one unit lit and the other (with old style solid chassis block in the motor vehicle) unlit. My plan had been to see if I could swap with the Collectors Club Silverlink unit, also with older style chassis but fitted with sound. I can report that this is perfectly feasible, with the proviso that the cab interiors have also to be swapped to remain with their originally fitted chassis. 

The two FGW units are now running around on matching old style chassis, while the Silverlink one now has interior lights as well as sound.

Going back one step, while awaiting a response from Bachmann's support, I fitted the new LBSC E4 0-6-2T with its CT Elektronik decoder, which worked perfectly well straight out, but with the high pitched whine I reported from the BR version as originally fitted. I connected the programming track to the computer and JMRI Decoder Pro, put in the settings from 32500's set up and presto, no 579 now behaves more quietly as well.

I have set up three pre-grouping trains to run and took a few photos, although I forgot to hide the Silverlink 150, so that is lurking in the background in a couple of the shots - I cropped one to eliminate all the anachronisms I could.








While fiddling with the layout itself, I have started cutting some Wills planking to form part of the level crossing. I haven't done the bits between the rails yet but I think I'll use more planking but formed into sort of chevron with curved edges to follow the rails - that is, I'll form each bit from two halves cut at an angle to each other, as I think this would look more realistic than having the planks completely straight with their edges following the inner and outer rails. I'll post pictures of this when it is done.

Just a teensy bit more progress with the level crossing. It is not based on any real level crossing but is a bit of a hash up of several bits and pieces I have seen in photos.

The major parts are Wills wood planking, with a little bit of Wills cobbles leading up to the planking. The one 'tween rails bit I have done has a layer of card under the planking to set it at the right height above the sleepers. I need to put a little packing under the outer bits as well.

Ever since I put in the brickwork for the overbridge at the end of the station loops, I have been aware that if this was real, an engine driver would not be able to see the signal for the through loop. I recently ordered a Berko 2-aspect signal with a right-hand cranked head, and this arrived two days ago. A quick bit of soldering to extend the wires, and a quick swap of wires in the 'chocolate block' terminals connecting the wires to the switch on the control panel has resulted in a signal that can now be seen by my 4mm scale train drivers.




It's the red one on the left under the bridge!

On the weekend just gone, I decided to do something about the too steep drop on the hill in the village. A couple of layers of card tapered to a single layer where it joins the old road surface and the appearance is much better, as well as now allowing the 4mm bus drivers to get down the hill and around the bend without scraping the ends of their buses!

I still need to paint and texture the road surfaces properly and to blend the slight level changes where the different bits of card meet, but it is taking shape and I am much happier with the result now.

I'm still running pre-grouping trains at the moment and have been working on some Smallbrook Studio LSWR 'road van' kits (see my workbench topic for the details). Here I have posed the 18T D.1542 van with a Hornby LSWR M7. The van is all but complete now, after receiving another coat of matt varnish this morning. I have accidentally omitted one door handle on each side, so those remain to be done before I can say it is properly finished.

I also tweaked one of the photos to give it an older feel.

Hi Jeff,

Just catching up with your posts. You have been busy!

Hi Dave. Yes, lots of little tasks here and there, but they do add up to actually getting something done over time. :)

Two things to show off here … or really three things in two photos!

One is my new maroon CCT from Invicta Models. I have already painted the ends black to back-date it slightly. I also toned down the wheel faces a little with paint (although you can't see it in this photo!). It is a very nice model but I had a little difficulty ascertaining which of the add-on detail pipes and fittings went where. I eventually found a photo that showed my guesses were correct.




I have also now eliminated the gap under the bridge support girders, using layers of plasticard with recesses built-in to accept and locate the girder ends. The girders are vertical and parallel, in spite of what it looks like in the photo: a combination of the back walls being angled, and the lens distortion towards the edges of the photo make them look quite out of plumb! A quick coat of buff and black paints makes the job look more complete.

I was also going to start on the plate girders above the track level, replacing the temporary, recycled ones I have had Blu-tacked in place so far. However, I haven't found where I put the new girder kits! They aren't in the box I thought they were in, so I'll have to keep looking.

Also showing in the pic are my Bachmann LT pannier tank, which is still crying out for a little weathering, plus two ex-BR brake vans which came from the Bachmann train sets. Both were numbered the same, so I used some Modelmaster transfers to renumber one, before weathering it to provide a contrast to the original.




I really need to renumber two of the three identical low-sided wagons I have  as well. The Modelmaster sheet has quite a few suitable alternatives. Maybe later. :)

A progress report on building up the plate girder bridge sides, using the Wills vari-girder kits. I bought quite a few of these kits with a view to replacing those temporary, recycled sides which were acting as place-holders. I have used up two complete kits so far, plus a few sprues from the third kit. 

The nearest sides are virtually complete, but the other, longer side is single-sided so far. I have to duplicate the panels to provide the double thickness, then add the top plates.

I am using some 40 thou plasticard to form a lip at the bottom, to allow a little overhang at the sides of the bridge. At this stage, I am thinking that I will probably use some half-height panels for the lower overlays, to be attached directly to the wooden sides of the bridge deck.

Continuing the work on the plate girder bridge sides, the next photos show how I have added the plasticard base and the Wills top plates. I'm no civil engineer, but I thought the very long span on the far side should have extra support or bracing to be realistic, so added an extra layer of the top plates. The first  photo shows the side without the top plates fitted, and the plasticard base only partly fitted.




The next two show the sides tack glued in place with Blu-tack to hold them while the glue sets.






The next two show the upper sides in what I hope to be the final configuration, but as yet unpainted.

I also cut one Wills panel in half to see what that would look like as another layer along the sides of the wooden deck. It is only Blu-tacked in place here. An alternative idea is to do a 'U' or 'L'-girder with the flanges facing outwards horizontally. The jury is still out on this! Either solution will require a little rebate cut into the brickwork to represent a support buttress.






Edit: Another thought occurred to me: I could use some of the Wills panels sideways, so they would be shallower but longer between ridges. That would be easier as cutting all those panels accurately in half is a little daunting!

Illustrating that last idea:

Taking a break from the bridgeworks, I decided to improve the realistic photographic opportunities by improving the tunnel and blocking off much of the background visible through it. There is still much baseboard work to do so this is by no means the final solution, but it does what I want for the moment.

The tunnel mouth needs to be opened out very slightly to clear modern 23m stock, particularly the class 166 I use as gauging vehicles. I have used a crude internal wrapper of card with Superquick engineers' blue brick paper glued inside. I also painted the wooden support behind that and positioned it as best I could to block off the view of the white wall behind it.

The first photo shows the 'behind the scenes' clutter and bodgy bits ( ;) ) while the other two show the scenic side, with the BR E4 0-6-2T hauling parcels stock in the last one.

Freshly arrived this morning is a Hornby 700 class 0-6-0, 30315 in late BR livery.

I ran it for an hour in each direction on DC power on my rolling road, then fitted a TCS DP2X-UK direct plug-in decoder. 

It ran very sweetly indeed with the TCS decoder, with only the inertia/momentum settings tweaked, as is my norm. I used CV3 = 25 and CV4 = 17.

It ran in service for the first time hauling a parcels rake of mixed four-wheel and bogie vehicles. There were no clearance problems with my third and fourth rail installations.






All in all a very pleasing purchase. :)

Edit: I just spotted the crooked tool box in the tender. I had to reglue it because I knocked it off while adjusting the tender drawbar to the closer setting. I have now straightened it up again. Sometimes these photos can be useful for showing such things where they would not otherwise have been noticed for goodness knows how long!

A little more refinement to the plate girder bridge: an initial coat of paint has been applied to hide the white plasticard, and the brick support pier has been trimmed to better suit the bridge layout. The Vollmer embossed brick card has been trimmed and folded to suit, and a temporary infill piece of brickwork added to cover the gap left between the pier and the stone retaining wall.








I have also done a little more with the level crossing but no pics taken yet.

Looking good Jeff :thumbs

Did you decide about the other layer of plates along the wooden deck?


Ed