Merry Christmas all,

Nephew has flown in from Melbourne (yes, there was a couple of days of frenzied track cleaning) and we are having a training session on the layout. 

37254 is shunting the Henllan pickup goods, this is the fourth train we've run in the last 2 hours and it looks like there will be more.






More to follow….

Looking really good. Like the greenery. A very official chap at the front there Marty. You'd better be on your toes.

Enjoy

Toto

Nice bit of photo-bombing there Marty. 
Love the hat your nephew is wearing. I want one !!!!
Everything's looking good on the layout and I hope you had a great Christmas 

Looks like fun was had by all.Hope you all had a great Christmas Marty.

A super Christmas thanks guys, my best wishes to you all.

Dapol released the GWR 2884 2-8-0 class some time ago, twelve months or more maybe…. I knew it was coming and wanted one but one thing lead to another and then it appeared to be too late as all of my dealers had sold out.
Naturally, such a woeful state of affairs was relayed in detail to SWMBO months ago and forgotten about.
My SWMBO is a whiz when it comes to hunting down stuff on the internet… one of the early users of text based search engines and dial up in libraries… so it shouldn't really come as a surprise when the last 2884 class in retail captivity was released to the Newcastle Emlyn branch….ending up in my stocking on Christmas morning! Gotta be special.

Here is 2892 on the branch during running in….





GWR roundel too…. 





and that's not all…..

Congratulations Marty. What a very considerate wife you have.
I managed to get one of the Osborn's Models limited edition ones earlier in the year and it's a cracking loco
Dare I ask what else you got for Christmas or would that be too much information.    :cool wink  :hmm

G'day Trevor,
I have a very understanding wife who is well aware that a stocking full of bits and pieces for the railway is the way to bring on the Christmas cheer :cool::lol::lol:

All of the below were in the stocking… the blue rods are 240 grit sanding needles, the green, white, yellow and black rods are micro applicators, the silver box is a mitre box for the razor saw (been wanting one of these for ages) and a woodland scenics culvert and some brass window frames.






This book about Western Australia's railways was under the tree.




and… a specific request from me was to source from Peco replacement coupling rod retaining pins for my Collet 2251 class that had disappeared into the floor boards of my railway room years ago during a loco servicing session, a loss which necessitated shelving the Collet until repaired.
PECO came to the party and also in my stocking were these pins…






You can see why I lost them!! :shock: :twisted:

Which means that my Christmas has resulted in two locos, the new 2284 2-8-0 and the repaired 2251 0-6-0 added to the fleet.  Here is 2252 rumbling over the farmers occupation bridge near Pentrecourt Halt during the first run on the branch for a long time.  






She isn't running quite right and is stalling on the points. I suspect that the pick-ups need adjusting. None of my points have yet been wired for polarity, relying on point blade contact to carry current. Further work required but nearly there.

Cheers

Marty

Major overhaul on the Collett in progress.
Everything was tarnished and dry. Cleaned, straightened, a tiny dab of PECO electrolube as required, re-assembled (and that in itself is a b**Dy fiddly job in this scale) and NOW there is a short…. 

…. disassemble again….





Marty

Nice to see that 22xx moving, even if it need tweaking. There is something about an 0-6-0 that just looks 'right'.

I understand the lost screw scenario having once lost a screw from my driving spectacles in the car….en route for a channel ferry. The only thing I could find as a substitute was the 'needly' bit of a Pudsey bear brooch Shelagh was wearing. I got some rather funny looks from the customs and border police on that trip as I negotiated the formalities with Pudsey Bear perched on my starboard eyebrow…

Doug

Now that's what I call a 'Happy Christmas'
Good to see the Collet Goods out and about and I'm sure you'll soon have her running as sweet as anything.

:):)Nice Marty,

Your family and friends know what brings cheer to you.

Lost items, my bane are suspension or buffer springs.They have a habit of launching into orbit never to be seen again.

Have a great running session with the new loco and renovated job.

Derek.

I DO like the Collett 0-6-0 too…. business like yet still nicely balanced shape. A work horse with a good reputation.

Late last night I decided to call it quits without resolving the short in the Collett. Nothing I could see was obvious, I even had the multimeter out trying to troubleshoot the electric pathways. Nothing worked so I thought I'd do a Gormo and sleep on it.

To make myself feel better the last act of the day before shutting down the power was to give the new 2884 class a run. This is what I found….





Yup. The driver hadn't screwed the hand brake down properly (Isolating section not switched off) and she's rolled quietly onto the goods shed points…. causing a short!!!!

My thought process when troubleshooting is this….
Oh dear… (or words less PC),

that would be right….

What did I stuff around with last…. and thus the thought that the Collett was the problem.

The Collett was OK of course and here she is on a down pick-up freight from Pencader, happily in charge and doing a great job.





Next today is finishing the Halt platform.

cheers
Marty

Don't you just hate it when you loose something… and then no matter where you look, even SWMBO, (who said, "Yes, I thought it was a strange place to put it) can't find it?
Somehow, sometime this afternoon I've misplaced my headband style magnifiers… and that, linesmen and ball boys, is game, set and match as far as further modelling goes! There is no way any further work can continue in N scale until they are found….

… off for another lap around the house, garage, gardens, etc!

Hi Marty,

Glad to see that the Collet is working fine. It looks really great in that setting. At least you are well versed in stripping it down now so it should be no problem when it's next due for a service.

As for the magnifying head band, judging by the Photobucket picture, the last time you had it, it was on your workbench. :pedal

changing to 0 scale then Marty ??  :pedal

you know what will happen if you purchase a new one, the old one will turn up !!

You mean this one Trevor? No peeking and spoiling the story :lol::lol::lol:





With a good head of steam in modelling mode this holidays there really was nothing for it but to duck down to my local dealer, who is only 1500m away (what a trap) and get a new one.

When the old one turns up, as you rightly say Sol, it will become a spare. The one pictured above is the new one and I'm very pleased with it so far.

T and I have both searched the house 3 times and the old one hasn't turned up yet. I'm looking forward to the eventual find, all the other "lost" keys, bits of paper, calculators, etc will probably be in the same spot.

The old one lost it's battery covers for the grain of wheat bulbs within a week after purchase and after 5 or 6 years was falling apart, I had to prop the inner lenses on the top bar of my specs to stop them from falling down, thoughts had already been turning towards replacing it.

This new one has two LEDs powered by 2 x AAA batteries and the lenses are a lot clearer than the old one. Just got to get it comfortable on my head now.

We are back on track and the last two Halt support legs are drying at the moment.
More to follow.

cheers
Marty

[user=19]Marty[/user] wrote:

Don't you just hate it when you loose something… and then no matter where you look, even SWMBO, (who said, "Yes, I thought it was a strange place to put it) can't find it?
Somehow, sometime this afternoon I've misplaced my headband style magnifiers… and that, linesmen and ball boys, is game, set and match as far as further modelling goes! There is no way any further work can continue in N scale until they are found….

… off for another lap around the house, garage, gardens, etc!

Glad it's not just me then, Marty.

I'm forever 'losing' particular screwdrivers, pliers, files and track cleaning rubbers.

Ed

You are definitely not on your own mate! Still haven't seen the old one yet. Not that I'm actively looking for it now.

Here we go, 16 supports to go under the platform, block of timber to keep them vertical I think.

That picture of the pick-up freight is 'pic'o'week' material, very nice.

Doug