A layout in progress, slow progress...

Hi Keith

Like you I have been tempted by Heljan's 47xx but put off by the price and the reports about poor packaging and bits falling off in transit. Its a long way to send things back from here!

On the plus side I understand that the bits can be put back and that, unlike Oxford's Dean goods, it is an excellent runner.

4704 (the "Birkenhead" loco) is available in GWR shirt button livery. That wont work for you and I rather suspect it would have been re liveried by 1947-8………would you agree?   In which case I would get the G crest W version and renumber it to 4704. I get the impression that the embossed plates are not raised up too much and it is possible to rub them down a bit. The Dean plates are embossed but new plates fit over quite nicely…..I had to renumber mine because the supplied number didnt come back from Dunkirk!

The big decision with the 47xx is… do I gamble on the price coming down?  Rails have sold out but Hattons still have more than 10………….decisions decisions

Good luck with your point wiring

Best wishes

John

  S’mae John

 Yes, videos of a 47XX do show that it is an excellent runner, partly down to the weight, which is a big plus for me. As to the Birkenhead engine, I’m sure 4704 would have been re-liveried while it was at 6C, but don’t forget I won’t be going back that far, earliest timetable I have is ’55, which will allow me to run passenger trains for the West Kirby branch, my 0-4-2T, and a yet to be acquired Pannier tank. By 58/9 when I was making my regular visits to 6C five of the 47XX were at Old Oak – certainly the ones that visited 6C were all from Old Oak, the other three were  a couple at St Philips Marsh and one at Laira, eventually I think they all ended in London, if only to be withdrawn. I’m pushing my grey cell to the limit now, but I seem to remember that the majority, probably not all, of the engines I saw on 6C were black livery. 6C on a Sunday morning was a pretty dark place, so not always easy to see what livery – but I’m sure if one of the green liveried examples was on shed I’d have noticed, but it was a long, long time ago. Occasionally I’d see a Hall on a Sunday, presumably when a 47XX wasn’t available from Old Oak. So if a 47XX does appear at Woodside in the future, still not sure, it will be a black version. The cab plates seem to be quite proud of the cab in the photos I’ve seen, which is why I’m not sure about attempting to replace them. I meant to ask when you were fitting the plates on your 0-4-2T, which supplier do you use? I ask because they seem to fit better than most – although that’s probably more down to the fitter.

    Switches have arrived, so no excuses for not getting this panel sorted.

 Cofion

Keith

Hi Keith
I used Modelmasters for the 14xx……I seem to recall it was a bit of a fiddle to ensure the recessed original was covered….one of those occasions when patience is a virtue!

Cheers

John

S’mae John

  Apologies for the delayed response, but I have been laid low this last couple of weeks with a bad toothache which turned out to be a rather nasty gum infection. As a result mealtimes have been both difficult and messy, down to the inability to open my mouth properly. Still the array of pills provided by the GP seem to be doing the trick, albeit very slowly, and hopefully things will be back to normal after the weekend – when the current supply has been used, off to the doc again tomorrow just to see if he agrees.

  From what you say it sounds like it is down to the fitter and/or patience level of the fitter for the plates on the 0-4-2T, so I’ll need to pick a day when I’m in a really good mood!  I’ve used Modelmaster Jackson Evans (I assume that’s what you meant) before, for the 28XX plates, new plates for the Patriot and Jubilee and all my 6C/6A and other shedplates – none of which have been fitted as yet, but they are in a box and on a list somewhere. I had a look on the website and they also have the 47XX in black or red, so as there was an offer on for the Bank Holiday weekend I ordered the plates for the 0-4-2T, and 47XX. I now have to decide if it is time to buy or not to buy the 47XX…. Have you decided yet?

  Cofion

  Keith
  

Hi Keith
Sorry to hear about your tooth ache……I had similar problems last year so I can sympathise. Hope itsall sorted now.

If you have ordered the plates for a 47xx it sounds as though you have made your mind up! Me? I am still vacillating……I really need to set space and funds apart for one or more Dapol Moguls. From what I can tell of Croes Newyd shed allocations I have too many 4-6-0s and not enough work horses.

I have been meaning to ask you this for some time……do you know if Halls and Granges took passenger trains into Woodside or where they changed at Chester ….in which case what locos completed the journey…..I read somewhere in BR days it was  Fairburn tanks took over from Castles at Chester.

Best wishes

John

S’mae John

Thanks – but now I’m being sent  back to the dentist next week… feel like I’m the ball in a game of ping-pong…. never fear, I’ll beat the system… I’ve booked another appointment with the GP immediately after the dentist this time, just in case!

You’re assuming that there’s some sort of logic to my thinking…. my grey cell doesn’t do logic any more. Just because I’ve bought the plates (at a discount price, mind) doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll then buy the loco – I’m still undecided, although I am now leaning towards a green version, given that the majority of locos on the layout are black…. at least that was my thinking yesterday. There doesn’t appear to be a lot of 47XX available just now – which is why I’ve been thinking again. Not sure if Heljan are only releasing them, or the dealers are only taking them, in smaller numbers this time, or if it is just a relatively short production run – after their experiences with the recent O2, which still seems to be available in reasonable numbers.

As to your query, all Paddington – Woodside trains had to reverse at Chester, so the WR engine came off and was usually replaced with a 2-6-4T. There were two bay platforms at the northern end of Chester General, so the train would arrive in one bay with the new engine usually waiting in the other, made for a relatively quick change. I can only remember seeing a Castle in the other bay when I travelled down the GWR route (usually on a Paddington bound train), and at that time the run to/from Woodside was almost always behind a 2-6-4T. Birkenhead and Chester sheds had a good selection of 2-6-4Ts – most popular at 6C were the 2 cylinder Stanier variety, with a few Fairburns, and rarely a Fowler, Standard 4 tanks were also used for a short time. In the final years of the through service to Paddington all manner of motive power was seen – I’ve seen photos of Standard 4(2-6-0), the few remaining Crabs and even an EE type 4 (class 40 if you prefer). But the early 60s – which is what I’m running just now, and was the period when I was a regular visitor to 6C, it was mostly Stanier tanks and Castles. I fear I’m rambling now… so I’ll close, but if you have any other queries I can continue rambling ad infinitum!

Cofion

Keith

Hi Keith
Sorry to hear that the dental issues are not sorted. I know from last year just how frustrating (and in my case expensive) it is to be constantly visiting the dentist.

Thank you so much for the info about the loco exchange at Chester. You are a veritable mine of information about the area I sort of model Have you any idea what happened before nationalisation? The Chester - Birkenhead line was a joint LMS/GWR line…….so would Stanier tanks have been used then or would it have been GWR large prairies? I do apologise for dragging your thread off topic…..happy to continue the discussion on Granby if you prefer

Cheers

John

S’mae John

  No problem!… drag all you like, after all we’re still talking about the line which I am trying to reproduce. Must admit my knowledge pre Nationalisation is a bit thin, but pre 1948 the two sheds at Birkenhead obviously ran their own engines. The GWR shed had an allocation of 41XX tanks, and so I would assume they could have been used to/from Chester on the Paddington trains – which still did call in Chester, other than that things would have been as they were in my time. Incidentally, pre Nationalisation Birkenhead also had an allocation of Granges which were used mainly on freight duties (which would pass through Granby…). Three Granges remained at 6C until 1958 (6841/59/78), they had moved on before I made my first visit unfortunately.  6E Chester (West) had a few Halls/Modified Halls for a while as well.

  One other point, I think I’ve mentioned earlier in this thread about the through services to Bournemouth which ran until the end of the summer timetable ’61 – and which resulted in the odd green coach appearing at Woodside during the peak holiday season. I’m currently running the following Winter timetable – didn’t have the Summer timetable at the time I started, but I have a copy now, so once I’ve had a second run through the Winter ’61, I’ll be getting my green coach ready.  Prior to Nationalisation that service was, I think, jointly run by GWR and L&SW – so may be scope for L&SW locos/stock passing through Granby??!…. I’m rambling again, doesn’t take much to set me off!

  Dentist and docs tomorrow…. Hey ho.

  Cofion

  Keith
  

Thanks Keith

That is really very helpful. I suspect I should re allocate my loco budget and buy a large prairie from Dapol………and thats in addition to the must have Mogul (s?)

I dont know about you but when I look at the locos I own and compare them with the 1947 allocations at either Croes Newyd or Chester there is a definite imbalance……too many 4-6-0s and not enough work horses.

Thanks for the info about the Grange……..I have two and they are brilliant locos…..super reliable and great haulage……not your numbers I am afraid. The original Hardwick Grange which was at Camarthen and Brockton Grange at Tyseley which is a bit more credibile

Thanks again for your help

John

ps Please dont tempt me with SR Locos……..I do have a couple of Southern coaches but I guess I should really have a complete rake?

S’mae John

Glad I could be of some use. Apologies once again for the delayed response, but work on the railway is on hold, again. Fflyff, nineteen last May, the surviving half of our demon duo has been having a bad time of late – lots of trips to the vet for various jabs, tests, pills – she’s had good days and bad days in equal measure. All this has meant the re-opening of the cat ICU, so everything else has had to take a back seat – all a question of priorities. We know we haven’t got Fflyff for much longer now, but while she is with us, she will continue to be our top priority, as mentioned before we are totally daft when it comes to our, now singular, cat. To add to my concerns the dentist tells me it was an abscess  that was causing all the problems and now wants to divest me of a tooth –  I’m not too keen on that idea, just now all is well, so perhaps I’ll leave it for a while….

The locos on Woodside – yes, I did exactly the same thing! I knew that there would be lots of freight, so not having checked the passenger timetable (that would have involved planning) to see what capacity I would have for freight – to be fair I didn’t even know if I could run the passenger timetable – early on, with only the fiddle yard track laid, and the main part of the layout not even considered, I set about buying freight engines….8F, 9F, G2, class 5, WD, Crab, O4 (for ER freight) ….whenever I saw  one on offer at a dealer. This was at the time when prices were far more reasonable (‘big’ engines around £85 tops, now you can’t buy a Jinty for that!) and the dealers had far more flexibility on pricing. When I finally got around to trying to run the timetable I quickly realised that what I should have been getting of course was more 2-6-4 tanks. Anyway the fleet is now more balanced, but most of the larger engines spend their time back in the box, or at the back of the shed. I also have a few Pacifics, which can appear… ostensibly on runs out from Crewe Works following a full overhaul …. That doesn’t quite work for the A4, just had to have an A4, but I do recall on Grand National day the odd special did appear in Woodside, so that’ll do…. if all else fails, some other sort of railfans’ special,  imagination is a wonderful thing!

As to the 47XX, been leaning towards a black one again as expected, but can’t find any available…  doesn’t appear to be a UK Heljan website – but checking the Danish site, the full range is still listed.  I’ll hang on for a while, I’ll probably be back to a green one in a few weeks…. and they are still available.

…and your PS, I think a complete rake now and a SR engine added to your wish list, at the least!

Cofion
Keith

Hi Keith
Sorry to hear about Fflyff. Not a fun time. We have a similar issue to face with our 12 year old Wheeton Terrier…….he has good days and then others when he just lies in his bed…..the worry of course is if he is in pain…..you can never really know. All we can do is to make their last few months comfortable and give them lots of love.

Hope the tooth continues to be quiet….I lost two in Belfast many many years ago due to an abscess….again not fun.

I keep checking Hattons stock of 47xx…..once the stock goes below 10 I guess it will be decision time. Its surprising that the black should have sold out,its usually the other way.

You must stop tempting me with the SR! Did their locos actually get to Woodside…..I assumed the locos changed at Banbury or Oxford

Best wishes

John

S’mae John

Apologies again for the even longer delay, but I have yet another excuse, if not several….

 Yes, couldn’t agree more, domestic animals aren’t just pets, they are members of the family – and as such must be treated in exactly the same way as any other family members. Hopefully there’ll be plenty more good days for your 12 year old. Here, it never ceases to amaze me how one small elderly cat can arrange things so that two relatively intelligent humans are perfectly happy to run around all day in order to satisfy her every request, while she sits on her chair expectantly.

I think the black 47xx has sold out probably as it is the only black model in the range, and was in the first batch that arrived earlier in the year. Hattons did get a second hand one recently, but by the time I’d checked my e-mails it had already been sold. Makes me wonder if Heljan might make more available at some point, given they are still listed on the Danish site. I’ve never tried buying something directly from a non UK site before, that’s the Luddite in me, but I may yet be tempted – obviously not a problem for you.

I’ve no info on SR locos I’m afraid, but I would think that you are right about the change south of Birmingham, however if one did venture further north than Banbury/Oxford, it would have come off at Chester anyway …..  the coaches would have continued on to Woodside of course – just as the odd green coach appeared in Woodside in my era. Any freight services would have continued on to Birkenhead, so a SR loco on shed is a possibility, albeit a very very slim one. So for Granby you’ll still need that rake of coaches, at least!…. and with a rake of coaches it’s sensible to have a suitable loco, promise that’s the last time I’ll mention it!

+++++++++++++++

Meanwhile….

Time in the loft has still been something of a premium commodity here, thankfully Fflyff is no longer the main problem, the good days are outnumbering the bad days just now….. I was hoping to get back in the loft five weeks or so ago, but a recurring back problem, from our time on Mull, decided to make a most unwelcome appearance – happens every few years, just to let me know it hasn’t gone away, lasts for up to a month, and always at the WRONG time – makes the loft ladder a challenge just a bit too far. I had wanted  to get this extra fiddle yard panel done and I’d  just realised I’ll need another cradle to hold the remote controller when I’m using it at the North end of the yard – none of this was a problem, getting into the loft was the problem. At least the dental problems have gone away.

A couple of weeks later with the back sort of improved I DID eventually make it into the loft and I did get the new cradle made and fitted, then it was time for another of those ‘buts’ to make an unwelcome appearance. This time in the form of a high temperature and a very swollen knee – doc explained a serious case of housemaid’s knee! … probably due to constant kneeling on stone when sorting out the ’hogs. So then there was no kneeling until the pills did their bit… which left working in the loft out of bounds. So progress was halted yet again, a fortnight later and I made my first tentative trip to the loft, complete with recently acquired knee pads, just to review what I had to do to get this panel finished, and finally last week I was properly back in the loft, and I’ve just finished the panel!



OK, it’s not what many of you would think of as a panel, nothing high tech, not much of a panel really, but it does give me the ability to work on the North end of the fiddle yard without the constant diving under the mainline to change a point.



I must admit that this panel was a tad fiddly to do to say the least – originally I was going to connect the new switches direct to the point motors – but then I thought it would be neater (and it was) to piggy back the new switches onto the original switches – all the wires following the same run, not adding to chaos under the fiddle yard itself. The only problem with this…. the fiddle yard was the first section built (obviously – and equally obviously the lowest section on the layout), way back in 2010, so as far as the wiring was concerned I’d just carried on from where I left off in the early 60s – back then my wiring was well, seriously untidy – even by today’s very low standard. So with the original switches at the top of the panel, and lots more switches below them it meant working through a maze of other wires just to access the point switches…. all this with restricted headroom, a duff knee and a still iffy back… the language was…. colourful!
 
If you compare this panel to the fiddle yard panel (at the start of this epic, post 1) you will see that I haven’t bothered with the two crossovers between 10 and 11 and 12 and 13. I had put them in originally as I thought it would be useful for the yard pilot running around stock, but once I started running the layout I soon realised it was easier to have two pilots in the fiddle yard – and so the crossovers became redundant. I just use standard Peco uncouplers in the fiddle yard – originally I had them at the start of each siding and again a loco length from the end of the siding. I thought that trains could arrive in any of the nine sidings off the up line. That did give me some problems as the ‘loco’ uncoupler tended to pick off the last coach when a train left the siding. It turned out to be far easier to arrive everything into road 9 (only short), where the engine could be uncoupled, then with the pilot attached the stock could be moved to any other siding – and the loco could either go straight to the ‘shed’, for turning, at the end of it’s roster, or straight back onto the same stock if it was a tank on a Birkenhead – Chester roster. Just to ensure the uncoupler at the head of the siding doesn’t lose the odd coach trains do tend to depart at high speed just to clear the siding… well out of sight of any spectators!

One good point, I can now continue the backscene on the mainline down to the tunnel mouths, as I no longer need to be able to ’see’ that end of the fiddle yard from the main fiddle yard panel.So now I can finally get the Dapol out and start clearing the track of dust, the occasional dead body of the insect variety and cobwebs… and then, at last, the trains will be running. Given that the rush hour is coming to an end, the new panel will immediately come in very handy as I marshal the freights which can then make an appearance.

Keith

Hi Keith

Good to hear you appear to be up and running with getting access to your loft area once again. Getting a few years under our belts ain't all fun! But we struggle on. At least I don't need a loft ladder to get into our spare room (it's a bungalow, so not even stairs to get in my way!), but the drawback then is the lack of usable space to use for a layout. And don't mention the garage I could possibly have used - it's more of a junk storage area almost totally full of, err, junk. Really must get it sorted out sometime before someone else "has" to do it for me.

My layout is nothing like the size (or complexity) of yours. I've been revisiting your earliest pages and am amazed at the size and extent of Hooton, B/Woodside and associated lines. You've certainly done a good job on a layout of that size. A credit to you, Keith.

I'm glad it's not just me that always seems to have an after-thought (or two) with certain aspects of the layout. Like yourself, mine seems to be with the mimic panel(s) and once they've been built and allowed to be operated, you find the need to add this switch or that LED. I now find I'm wanting to add a lighting section so that certain areas can be lit while leaving others in darkness. A second panel for this will become a requirement shortly.

I thought I came up with a nice mimic panel design that slides in under the layout when not required. This was all well and good, but trying to add something onto it as an afterthought is a bit of a no-go what with the existing myriad of wires and the existing switches and LEDs. So, like you, it all comes down to adding a supplementary panel to house certain controls for 'other' parts of the layout.

Like you say, our furry friends aren't simply pets. They are part of the family - and don't they know it! It's been a while since we had to say goodbye to our dog and, despite our more 'regular' family members would wish us to have another, the pain of losing our Ben is still a bit raw. So this aspect of the family is still on the back-burner for the time being. Maybe one day there'll be another lodger to take up membership of the family. We'll see. In the meanwhile, take care of Fflyff - certainly a loved family member.

Anyway Keith, good to hear you're back and on the mend. You take it easy and don't push that back of yours. It takes time to get back to normal. I bent my knee out of position some years ago (acting the fool at the time! as you do) and it still gives me grief every now and again.

Cheers for now and keep up the good work.

Dave

S’mae Dave
 
Many thanks for all the positive comments – much appreciated – I must be doing something right. If I can get somewhere near your standard when I finally start finishing off the scenic bits I’ll be a happy bunny. Yes, just lately struggle has been the operative word around here, but things are definitely on the up – another week and the back should be good for a couple of years, and I’ve developed a one-knee kneeling technique which seems to be working. Incidentally on the subject of scenery, when I mentioned a rubella bush, I was told…we’ve got one, in front of the larches! Unfortunately the combination of the beast from the East, followed by that ridiculously hot summer, proved to be too much for our rubella bush, and so I’m sticking with the buddleia heads for now.

Yes, I think most of us have these ideas, just to improve something a bit, mostly mine go on to one of my infamous lists, but occasionally, like this panel, the obvious advantages operationally meant it went on a “really must do it soon” list. I take heart that these never ending after-thoughts/ideas are a good sign that the grey cell is still functional – I reckon I’ll really start to worry when the ideas stop! I think it is a good idea to split up lighting into obvious ‘sections’ – stations/houses /shops/street lights will all have different ‘lighting up’ times/duration during a 24-hour period – some parts like fiddle yards/storage sidings may well need full time lighting – I’m sure you can sort out the software to arrange that, I, as you well know, just rely on lots of switches and a seemingly infinite supply of wire.

Yes, Fflyff has rather taken over our lives for now, as did dear Fflo eighteen months ago, which is as it should be for an elderly member of the family. We know that we won’t have Fflyff for that much longer now, but while she is here she will want for nothing. Not sure what will happen in the future, we’re of an age when another cat(s) could well outlive us, and that is a real concern.

Must admit I’m envious of your lack of stairs – we keep thinking about a bungalow, but finding one with a spare room of similar size to our loft, and with a sensible price-tag, in the right location is a real problem. Like you I don’t fancy a garage.

One point I omitted to mention with this new panel – as I’ve called it a Ground Frame (in the real world I think it would be), I needed something to link it to the main “Box” (in this case the Fiddle Yard panel) – so that the main Box has overall control. So I broke into the main power feed to the new panel with a simple SPST switch mounted on the main panel. The Ground Frame is only active when the main Box gives authorisation – which I think is how it should be.


 
Now, I’ve decided it really is finally time to think about firing up the Dapol!

Cofion

Keith

Hi Keith
 Good to hear from you

Glad Fflyff is having more good days than bad. Long may it continue. Happily Hunter (not our choice of name…he was a rescue) is the same. 

Thanks for the info about the Southern. I actually have two rather nice Bulleid coaches so I have pulled them out of storage and tagged them on to a rake of Collets destined for the south!

You have done a really nice job on the ancillary switchboard…….I did think of mentioning DCC :lol:

 but decided against it……..not sure if it was lack of courage or concern for your health

:pedal

Best wishes

John

S’mae John

… a bit of both I fancy! Probably best not to mention the DDT stuff (not sure I’ve got the correct spelling there, but near enough)…. I wouldn’t understand anyway… musn’t put too much pressure on the grey cell!!

Frustrating day in the loft on Thursday. With neighbour Paul due on Friday I was getting things ready with the trusty Dapol… all was going well… until I tried to move the 2P … which didn’t want to move. Closer inspection showed it had somehow shed one of it’s traction tyres which was now wedged between the wheel and the coupling rod. Bother, I thought… or words to that effect…. must sort that now. First problem – how to remove the loco body – long gone are the days when it was always a screw in the chimney – so I needed the instruction sheet. Fortunately the 2P is one of the more recent additions to the fleet, which meant the box containing the loco box, if you see what I mean, was still accessible without major box shuffling. Instruction sheet found….but, it’s one of those dreaded ‘buts’ again, while it gives details, with an illustration, of how to remove the tender body (to fit the DDT thingy) NOTHING on how to remove the loco body! Bother, again, and not well done Hornby, I thought. In the end I just started with what looked to be the obvious screw, below the cab… and then, not as obvious, the large screw which holds the front bogie, but as it turned out, the body too. That did it, and I could get the tyre back on the wheel. By then of course it was too late to finish the Dapolling, so the evening running the timetable was reduced to just testing the 2P around the continuous loop – but at least Paul did see something moving! – and the 2P seems to be OK. While I had my screwdrivers handy I also removed that oversize front coupling, been on a list since the 2P arrived, and now it looks so much better.

Anyway, Dapolling finished yesterday,  now I can actually start running trains again… subject to no further ‘bothers’ or ‘buts’…. and Fflyff of course – she’s been a bit off for a couple of days, but improved again today. Hopefully Hunter too will continue with the good days.

Cofion

Keith

Snap……I had a similarly frustrating day. I have been working on an out and back routine…Granby-Phwelli…..I call it my Cambrian run. A Manor or a Dukedog with 4 collets…….already to run but the loco would not stop in the platform……its “DDT” related issue so I wont bore you,suffice to say tomorrow the roof has to come off and I have to stand on a stool, lean over 4’ with a saw and isolate the platform track…….something I should have thought about in May!

Enough of my whining…..glad you got your 2P sorted and are back with the timetable

Best wishes

John

S’mae John

… and there I was thinking it was only me that ended up stretching over something to sort out a problem I should have thought about before….

I would only offer a word of caution… whenever I stretch over something to sort out a problem I’d not even thought about before, the usual situation, I regularly misjudge the ‘clearance’ needed to reach said problem… and so create another problem by “just catching”  something else with a trailing sleeve or sweater. Signals are one of my favourites, usually a signal that has taken ages to get operating just right, and then it always takes another age to sort out.

Still, it’s all part of the fun…… so I’m told…. not always how I see it!

Best of luck tomorrow…. 4’ is a long way - if it was me I’d probably end up sawing through the platform and missing the rail altogether….
    
Cofion

Keith

Right, after record delays for the weather and for a bad back and a duff knee I can at last report that the trusty Dapol has done it’s job, collected all the dust, cobwebs, loose ballast and dead bodies from the tracks and the trains are running again!!! I give you…



The first engine to appear, a Stanier tank steams through Hooton heading for Woodside. This is one of only six services in the day (4 North, 2 South) which do not call at Hooton – the 08.15 ex Chester General due Woodside at 08.43, only calls at Port Sunlight and Rock Ferry. I reckon that this was the ‘nine to five, office workers special’ – there is a similar working back to Chester in the evening. The covered Hooton South junction now allows me to hold this train outside the storage loops, so that the other trains already in the loops can be moved to make space for this train, then the run through Hooton is not interrupted. Originally I had to hold the train at the advanced starter while space was made in the loops which looked a bit odd to say the least. OK, I know that junction has been covered for three years now, takes time for the grey cell to absorb information, so I’ve only just thought of this – I get there eventually, perhaps now you can understand why progress is slow!

So, onwards and possibly just a little upwards…..

…. but there are a few things I’d really like to get on with now… backscene/signal box on the mainline and those houses at Hooton…. to name but two….and I’m even considering getting some more ballasting done…. but just for now…..

Keith
 
 
 
 

Just looked through your thread Keith
Thats a lovely layout you are building there


Brian