GWR/LMS OO Gauge DCC RR&Co

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

A great opening photo, John.  Very artistic.  Super modelling, too.  Everyone else has said it, but it really does look good from your viewing distance, and as always great attention to detail.
Michael

Thanks Michael

Glad you like Vancouver shot. We are lucky to have rather a nice view over to the US border but its very rare that I can take a decent photo…..I suspect it is the light and SE aspect……its almost impossible to capture either of the two mountain peaks……and when you do get the light it changes so rapidly……there was little to see a minute or so after I took that shot

Best wishes

[user=1120]peterm[/user] wrote:

Talking of detail, some constructive criticism. The sheet on the lorry should be over the headboard for keeping the weather out. Also, unless I was dropping the whole load off, the ropes would still be on the front part of the sheet, ready to go. Hope you don't think I'm being picky, but it's how it's done properly and would be the cherry on top of the icing on the cake.  :)

Hmmm……you can go off people you know!:lol::lol:  

Only joking……Not sure why I didnt add ropes to the tarp. What would you advise Pete…..two digonal ropes over the sheeted load with the ropes secured ( glued!) under the lorry platform?

I may have to leave the headboard…..the tarp is very securely glued down……and, unlike Vancouver, it never rains in Granby!

Thanks for tip…..no point in having the crate all perfect and the lorry wrong

Best wishes

What I'd do is a cross over the front, even with a headboard you have to secure for fore and aft movement and then a couple straight over and maybe some on the ground so that the driver can carry on with the roping. I don't care if you go off me, I'll just keep annoying you.  :lol:

You've used the wrong length nails in that crate John, those will never hold !   
  hat, coat, gone

Only joking, I just love these little touches that bring your whole layout to life and give hours of enjoyable 'Exploring' rather than getting orf my posterior and actually DOING something 
Love that Sky as well, just wish I could be back there soon seeing it in person ! Ahh well  :roll:

Cheers

Matt

[user=1120]peterm[/user] wrote:

What I'd do is a cross over the front, even with a headboard you have to secure for fore and aft movement and then a couple straight over and maybe some on the ground so that the driver can carry on with the roping. I don't care if you go off me, I'll just keep annoying you.  :lol:

Thanks Pete……I will do that…….and hopefully not take as long this time!

Keep Safe

[user=2080]Barchester[/user] wrote:

You've used the wrong length nails in that crate John, those will never hold !   
 hat, coat, gone

Only joking, I just love these little touches that bring your whole layout to life and give hours of enjoyable 'Exploring' rather than getting orf my posterior and actually DOING something 
Love that Sky as well, just wish I could be back there soon seeing it in person ! Ahh well  :roll:

 Cheers?

Thanks Matt ….glad you share my love of detailing.

I knew that you were contemplating a trip to Vancouver but I had not realised that it had actually taken place. I am sorry I missed you……hope you had a great time,

Keep Safe

I do hope that despite the restrictions you and your families are able to enjoy a merry Christmas. These are indeed strange times…..we normally have 14 of our extended family to dinner…….this year because of the structure of all the inter related bubbles there will just be Doreen, me, my youngest daughter and her husband. We will see our eldest daughter (who only lives 300 yards away), our granddaughters and would you believe great grand daughter only through the wonder of Zoom

I would particularly like to thank all who, throughout the year, have patiently supported my ramblings about Granby with comments, praise and advice……it would not be the same without you.

I was trying (unsuccessfully) to add snow flakes to the Dean Goods when I looked out of the window realised I didnt need Photo- shop or Affinity:





You cant see too much of Mount Rainier right now……….It looks as though we may have a White Christmas


Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year

Thanks for the well wishes and stunning photos. Merry Christmas and happy new year to you a nd your family.

Happy New Year, John, to you and yours.  Optimistically looking forward to a good 2021 and the opening of a new hotel at Granby!
Michael

Happy new year John. Thanks for all the help over the last year or so and hopefully the new year will be an improvement. On the bright side, in the UK the second vaccine is approved and my 84 year old mother has had the first of two injections with no adverse reaction what so ever. When we will get it here in Spain is anybodies guess but we can all do our bit to keep safe until then.

Looking forward to more fantastic updates from Granby over the coming year.

A Happy Safe New Year John!

seasonal greetings John, I'm with a new partner now and the work on new flat is now finished some form of a GWR is now being planned this covid 19 has put things back 9 months, good luck for this new year Bob

Thanks forthe good wishes guys:thumbs

Somewhat belated New Year greetings from Vancouver. I know we are 8 hours behind but 3 days is a bit much……my apologies…..I managed to pull a muscle in my lower back and spent the last few days either on my back or hobbbling around very slowly.
Hopefully all is now well because top of my 2021 resolutions is to add a road to the storage turntable which involves a fair degree of crawling under the base board and back and forth under the duck under………at times like this I really regret not installing a lift up flap

An updateon the hotel to follow


Best wishes

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

seasonal greetings John, I'm with a new partner now and the work on new flat is now finished some form of a GWR is now being planned this covid 19 has put things back 9 months, good luck for this new year Bob

Thanks Bob……good to hear from you……so glad you got things sorted out…..I look forward to reading about your new layout

Best wishes

Not long ago John, you showed us your new Dapol Mogul.

There was some comment about how one might fit sound into the locomotive.  By sheer coincidence, the February issue of Hornby Magazine has a full article on fitting a twin speaker sound system into this loco.

I'm not sure,  but have asked if this is a Paul Chetter installation - it certainly looks like something he might have done - Zimo decoder and all supplied by Digitrains, his favoured supplier.

Apparently, Dapol have thought this through and there is a wire ready installed in the tender for a speaker plus, the article showed one clipped to the underside of the decoder as well.  That clever loco/tender coupling obviously does more than keeping the two attached !

If everything is as I remember,  having just skimmed the article, then full marks to Dapol - a DCC ready loco which must surely lead the way for the future.

Does it perform well as a bonus ?

Hi Peter
The mogul’s performance is generally excellent. Straight out of the box its probably the best performer of any purchase in the last few years.

Fitting the decoder was so easy.

It is however highly geared…….With CV5 at 90 it gives a top speed of scale 45 mph……..by way of comparison a pannier with CV5 at 90 gives a top speed of 28 mph!:shock:

Its an ultra reliable runner….I dont believe it has stalled once and thats without stay alive! The other plus of the tender coupling, of course, is the connection with the tender pick ups.

I am so pleased with it I splurged and bought another……….are you contemplating one for Maxmill? I guess you could grt away with one in BR livery?

Keep safe

If I remember right John, your locos are DCC but without sound, just wondering how good the sound is with Dapol?

Pleased to hear  the Mogul performs well.  What was their 1:1 performance - is 45mph way over the top ?

I am considering one for Maxmill John - but currently, only considering !  I do have a Crab awaiting sound installation.

Apparently, shipping goods from UK to the continent is fraught with difficulties and additional costs at the moment.  One would have thought international trade only started on January 1st !!! 

Many small and medium sized companies have stopped taking European orders - including John Lewis would you believe !!   Those that are still prepared to trade, are charging large "documentation fees" plus of course, local VAT for which the delivery service make a "collection charge" ………  La Poste in France won't accept parcels for UK - letters are OK but no parcels at present.

I read today of someone who bought a £42 bathroom fitting from UK and was stung for VAT and charges of €30.

Even Amazon are directing mainland buyers to their local sites.  Here in France, Amazon.fr tend to be considerably more expensive than most of the other countries.  We often use Amazon Germany - much cheaper than France, same currency and no hidden charges.

I do hope it all settles down very soon otherwise Maxmill will develop very slowly indeed !  :sad:

[user=753]Phil.c[/user] wrote:

If I remember right John, your locos are DCC but without sound, just wondering how good the sound is with Dapol?

Thats correct Phil so I cant really comment on the sound quality. There is a thread on RMWeb called Henley and there are a couple of sound videos there. I think Neal had some initial problems but is now very happy with his Mogul……….Pen Y Brin could certainly do with one:lol:

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

Pleased to hear  the Mogul performs well.  What was their 1:1 performance - is 45mph way over the top ?

I am considering one for Maxmill John - but currently, only considering !  I do have a Crab awaiting sound installation.

With the Zimo default CV settings top speed was off the scale! The loco was approaching 40mph at speed step 7:shock: so without adjustment slow speed crawling wasnt an option! Now its adjusted….CV6 mid voltage is at 50…..I have a nice smooth slightly concave curve.

You have my sympathy with Brexit and VAT …..hopefully it will settle down eventually but right now with all the confusion plus the Covid restrictions it must be a right pain. I guess you will have plenty of time to practice with your piercing saw and the viaduct…..mine hasnt come out of the wrapping paper….last 4 days have been spent trying to persuade the 30 year old storage turntable not to give up the ghost……replacing that will make a huge hole in Granby’s budget:sad: