GWR/LMS OO Gauge DCC RR&Co

[user=2137]Briperran[/user] wrote:

Great little story there John giving us photos of Granby from differant angles.

Shouldnt worry to much about twisty track thats more prototypical of the time period.

Even to this day if you go to Truro station the HST`s coming into the west end of the station go down a thumping great dip and back up again.

Brian

Thanks Brian…….you are brilliant at boosting morale……now I can stop worrying about the very pronounced hump you can see when trains come off the viaduct…..my family call it the big dipper:oops:

Cheers

John

[user=1512]Headmaster[/user] wrote:

Wow john - first you amaze us with your modelling, now with running so many trains!  Beautiful, and super pics too

Michael

Thank you Michael thats very kind of you……although I think you may be flattering me about some of the photos…particularly the ones I had to crop so viciously!

Cheers

John

Collets are on their way John  :)

Bill

Indeed:thumbs
I am impressed….two months between announcement and UK delivery ( bit longer for Canada) although I see in the Engine Shed they started the design in 2017……they kept that pretty quiet

They look very impressive…..need to get my routine allfinalised

Best wishes

John

I don't want to tease you the 3 Hornby non corridor releases are sitting in the display case here they are excellent models of equivalent standards to the corridor versions , 5 sets of old coaches are now in the sidings 2 have aquired Comet K40 sides, 2 more K40's to be done, 2 are recieving Wartime Brown, 2 kept for a friend once his layout is underway and the last 2 which have been fully detailed will be kept as a spare train.Bob

[user=2126]81C[/user] wrote:

I don't want to tease you the 3 Hornby non corridor releases are sitting in the display case here they are excellent models of equivalent standards to the corridor versions , 5 sets of old coaches are now in the sidings 2 have aquired Comet K40 sides, 2 more K40's to be done, 2 are recieving Wartime Brown, 2 kept for a friend once his layout is underway and the last 2 which have been fully detailed will be kept as a spare train.Bob

Hi Bob

That was a useful reminder………I am quite philosophical about the delay but it did make me check my account with Hattons because normally I get a notification followed by a picking list and so far I have had nothing. They may well be holding off until all the items are received but I emailed to make sure the ones they have received have my name marked on them

You may remember that a few years ago, Phil (Mallard) helped me convert a BSet to a K40……as it happens in Wartime Brown…….I still have the sister coach and should eventually get around to converting it….I certainly need more GWR full brakes.

I am making a new 4 car set with this purchase leaving my existing two B Sets (2 car) to continue to run on the branch but may be I should paint one set Wartime Brown. It would be quite appropriate and serve to mask the difference between old and new.

Best wishes

John

Last week was very much a case of one step forward then one step back……in fact I think it was actually more backward than forward.

Of course the week started badly with England losing to Wales in Cardiff. I sometimes think Rugby is becoming as structured and scripted as American football. England's inability to react to the Welsh change of tactics in the second half was inexplicable. Mind you I have been disappointed like this on so many occasions its hardly noteworthy. Still…….Italy and Scotland to come…….and at the risk of irritating my Welsh friends I will not be too disappointed if they are beaten by Ireland! 

My trials continued when one of my favourite and most reliable Locos, a Hornby Grange, ceased operating. I tracked the problem down to a dead motor (very dead…..in fact nailed to its perch dead) . I bought the loco in 2004 and since then Hornby have changed the motor and the usual outlets have no spares. Fortunately I eventually found a source….just need to get it shipped to Canada.

As you may know virtually all my recent operating activity has been focussed on converting my main line schedules from roundy roundy to out and back. A key element in all these routines  is this turntable in the storage yard





Its a very elderly non digital Fleischmann that I bought second hand for fifty bucks in the mid nineties. Despite its limitations it has wheezed its way round Granby III for the last 6-7 years.With all this recent activity, I noticed Locos occasionally stalling on entering the bridge. The problem became more frequent but remained sporadic. Last week I realised that it wasnt that random…….it was just one end of the bridge…..in fact one contact that had failed.

So out came the bridge……….shades of last year…..I am becoming quite the expert at stripping and assembling turntables!




Not an easy task because the outer segments that have to be eased out were firmly ballasted to the baseboard.

Flipped over the contacts are exposed.





I attempted to re-align and re-attach the damaged contact. The bridge then had to be replaced in the TT and tested. Sometimes it worked but more often it didnt…..so off with the bridge and start again and again.

They say that one of the attractions of the hobby is that it is "character building". Frankly at my age I am not all sure that my character needs or indeed can stand any additional building.

Inevitably, constant bending and adjusting the copper contact strip resulted in me braking off the custom head. That moment was definitely character testing .

Eventually I found some similar but oversize strips that DCC Concepts sell to provide contacts for Coach lighting





No prizes for guessing which is the Dew special jury rig!  This involved a couple of attempts and lots of snipping and filing to get both width and length correct. The exact length was critical……too short….no contact…….too long it quickly got distorted out of shape as the bridge turned. Soldering it in place in the narrow indent,so it retained sufficient spring, was also interesting.  It took more than a few character building/testing trials….each involving stripping and assembling the TT, before it finally worked consistently .

After a couple of days of fairly intensive operation it does seem to be reliable with not a single stall……….so a little ray of sunshine to end this post.

Which brings me neatly to the weather where the sun is streaming through the windows as I type but the snow lingers on the ground. Its 95o in the greenhouse but -2o outside! Quite the contrast to the UK. 

Well done John an annoying niggle you have persevered to fix.
And from the photo i can see yours is the posh looking contact ;-)

Brian

[user=2137] Briperran[/user] wrote:

Well done John an annoying niggle you have persevered to fix.
And from the photo i can see yours is the posh looking contact ;-)

Brian

  Yeah…..right!

Hi John,
pleased to see you fixed the problem. Out of interest how does Train Controller handle a non digital turntable?

Good job John - and for once, aesthetics not the most important thing!  Not surprised by your perseverance though.

Michael

[user=540]gdaysydney[/user] wrote:

Hi John,
pleased to see you fixed the problem. Out of interest how does Train Controller handle a non digital turntable?

Hi Dave

Good question which I am glad you asked…..I was looking for an excuse to explain my Heath Robinson set up.

Give me a couple ofdays and all will be revealed.

Best wishes

[user=1512]Headmaster[/user] wrote:

Good job John - and for once, aesthetics not the most important thing!  Not surprised by your perseverance though.

Michael

Thanks Michael…………as far as aesthetics are concerned wait until you see the switchgear that Dave was asking about!

Best wishes

John

Congrats on fixing that issue with the turntable.

You've got some lovely operations going on your layout, very lovely indeed.

Regarding headlamps… Have you thought about fitting teensy wire loops to the backs so that they can be taken on and off the irons?

I'm struggling to attain your level of character John !!!

Having been let down (3 times now) by my roofer, I've had to have a total re-think regarding my train room.  The only good thing about it all is, once you reach the bottom, there's only one remaining way to go ………………………….. :hmm

Lovely display of soldering expertise there John on the plastic TT bridge.

Bill

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

I'm struggling to attain your level of character John !!!

Having been let down (3 times now) by my roofer, I've had to have a total re-think regarding my train room.  The only good thing about it all is, once you reach the bottom, there's only one remaining way to go ………………………….. :hmm

Still waiting here Peter for I think now, the fourth roofer to do what should come natural to artisans. I just hope that approaching storm Freya leaves the hangar roof intact! My comiserations.

I too am waiting John for the Collets to arrive, despite having had Hatton's confirmation message that the first part of my order has been posted a week ago. Sometimes it really does take the 10 to 15 days to get here, rather than the normal 2 or 3, but from comments here and there, they're well worth waiting for.

Onwards and upwards chaps!

Bill

[user=1916]ZeldaTheSwordsman[/user] wrote:

Congrats on fixing that issue with the turntable.

You've got some lovely operations going on your layout, very lovely indeed.

Regarding headlamps… Have you thought about fitting teensy wire loops to the backs so that they can be taken on and off the irons?

Thank you Brendan

Glad you like the layout. I must admit I do enjoy spending time getting the trains to operate in a prototypical fashion. My big challenge is to link all these routines together into a timetable……..mind you I have been talking about this for a decade:oops:

Not sure how my fat fingers will cope with teensy wire loops but maybe I should give it a go. Its amazing how careless Granby’s firemen are with the lamps….I keep finding them on the carpet:lol:

Best wishes

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

I'm struggling to attain your level of character John !!!

Having been let down (3 times now) by my roofer, I've had to have a total re-think regarding my train room.  The only good thing about it all is, once you reach the bottom, there's only one remaining way to go ………………………….. :hmm

Hi Peter

Sorry to hear that he has let you down again. That must be really frustrating. I assumed the plan was to convert the building one could see from the dining room? I do hope you come up with either an other roofer or a brilliant plan B

Best wishes

[user=1814]Longchap[/user] wrote:

Lovely display of soldering expertise there John on the plastic TT bridge.

Bill

Hi Bill

Thank you…..I have been fortunate enough to collect a few elephant stamps but this is undoubtedly my first frog stamp….I am overwhelmed……I guess only you and Peter can award them?

Good job I followed up on Bobs comment about the Collets……….Hornby are making two complete 4 car sets .Only 3 of the first set have arrived in the UK……….quite by accident I had ordered the second set…..with an A suffix…….none of which have been made…..I would have had a long wait. Fortunately a swift email exchange and all is well…….the three cars that have been made are being parcelled up in Widnes as I write this

Best wishes