A layout in progress, slow progress...

S'mae Brendan

Apologies for the slow reply, you’ll get used that, and yes,  a recovering Fflo is definitely good to see. There are plenty more photos of the Station in the Gallery. It is only a representation of the real Woodside of the 60s – double arch roof, five platforms (albeit one of mine outside the main roof), with a road bridge over just beyond the platforms and flanked on one side by a stone wall, topped with brick. I’m a bit short on platform length so I have to trim the odd coach or two from some trains, but as ever, it’ll do. Currently there  are 52ish locos on the layout, most are classes seen regularly at Birkenhead, but that imagination of mine does allow for the occasional stranger, although I can usually come up with a half decent excuse, for such  an appearance. Admittedly, a football special for the visit of Doncaster Rovers to Tranmere Rovers is really stretching things a bit thin for an A4!! New arrivals in terms of motive power hopefully due soon, the Stanier Crab, 42969, spent 14 years after Nationalisation at 6C – and the Hattons 0-4-2T – for when I turn the clock back to 1957/8, 6C had two 0-4-2T for working the West Kirby – Hooton branch – will go very nicely with the auto coach I bought a while back

Keith

  S'mae Marty

  Usual apologies again for the slow reply, yes, a lot of TLC over the last eight months, but to see Fflo as she is now makes it all worthwhile – Fflo too is one of a pair, with Fflyff, again same litter. Only with us it’s Fflyff who was the runt of the litter – and apart from her eye problems early last year seems to be bullet proof, and she will probably go on for ever.  I’ll wait a while before tackling the Dapol problem, just in case there is someone out there who has already done it – otherwise I’ll give Dapol a bell, they should be able to put me straight. It's on my to-do list…..

Cofion

Keith
  

  So, why yet another delay? Thankfully nothing to do with Fflo, she’s having a reasonable spell right now, no, it’s ’cos after being in the backwaters of Broadband for years little ol' Pennant has now leapt into the new world of superfast fibre, thanks to FTP (fibre to premises) – so we have ditched the bin lid on the wall which gave us a slightly iffy up to 10Mb/250K data limited service and replaced it with a magnificent 52Mbs/9.5Mbs fibre, unlimited – 52.3Mbs on test! The Broadband changeover was almost seamless – we’re now in the letting-everybody-know our new e-mail address phase – which is taking forever. The problems started with the conversion of our phone to fibre… problems which have yet to be solved completely and are taking up most of our time. Still, can’t complain too much…. 52Mbs, still can’t quite believe it, could have had 330Mbs – but that would have just been showing off… and a tad expensive. Apparently as our exchange is seriously antwacky it could take up to a fortnight to get the phone transferred – something about bugs in the software which cause 90% of transfers to fail first time… which makes our neighbour, who had no problems, the 10%

  As already mentioned, the Stanier Crab will have to be acquired, even though it is a bit pricey - as are most significant locos these days – but thankfully I’ve a birthday due very soon, so problem solved. The Hattons 0-4-2T, the lined green version that I want, will also be arriving soon, so that’ll have to be the early Christmas present again…. not sure which year I’m working on now for that excuse, probably 2021!

  The early morning parcels has made it to Hooton amid all this fibre stuff, and is about to enter platform 3 to collect an urgent parcel which missed the evening parcels last night… my imagination in full flow now…. I’ve only included this photo as at least this part of the layout looks a bit more finished (it isn’t really) than the rest of it (which is anything but).


   
 
 â€¦ and as soon as the parcels is away, 5.21, the first passenger train of the day, the 5.12 from Rock Ferry, arrives in Platform 2, on time at 5.24…. 
   




Note the slightly battered bracket signal, mentioned in the last post, working after a fashion, so it’ll do for now.
 
  Most things are on time at this time of the day…. when things get busy I have to stop the clock every now and then, to allow time for me to catch up, definitely not a one man operation!

Only another hour or so for the first sighting of the 2P at Hooton, so that may warrant another photo, then I’ll stop these constant photos of a half-finished layout and get on with running trains, or perhaps I should start some of the jobs, well perhaps just one, on one of my many to-do lists, that’s always assuming I can find at least one of the lists…. highly unlikely….. then there’s always the recently received signs from Sankey Scenics,  I could do something with them before they get filed in another of my ‘safe places’….

…meanwhile back to the new e-mail address notification, you'd think these days you could just run a program, with the old and new addresses as data… and it would all happen - just like that….

More soon…

Keith
   
   
  

Glad that even with the phones a mess you can still get the trains to run on time

  S’mae Brendan

  Yes, when there’s not a lot happening I can cope quite well…. Once it gets to approaching 8am…. then the fat controller goes in to full panic mode. Must say I like your description of your workbench – set me thinking for a suitable strap line for my workbench…. After much thought the only appropriate thing I could come up with to describe the organised chaos in which I work, well illustrated in photos in this thread :     My Workbench…. Isn’t!

  Keith
  

Well, three weeks on and the phone was finally sorted last week, but then trying to send a text left us with a weird dial tone and all the features of our phone disabled. A known fault we were told, although the simple question “can we text on a fibre phone?” remains unanswered, as no one at BT appears to know. An engineer needed at the exchange to sort the odd dial tone… nothing happened…. now an engineer needed at the house. I just sit in a corner and count to ten, very slowly….. I’m becoming quite expert at that. Monday brought a helpful engineer, and we are sorted… but the question about texting on a fibre phone has yet to get a definitive answer. Anyone out there with a fibre phone who knows the answer?

Some progress with the timetable, and look what has appeared on 6C :


 
… that is a seriously good model. A lot more extra bits than usual to be added, but that is a job for later – I’m only going to fit the extra bits to all the locos after I’ve finished the ballasting, or put it another way, not for a while yet. Must admit though, in my humble opinion, the prices are now getting a bit silly… and I’m thankful that I’ve only got the 0-4-2T to buy… and then I’ve got all I need to run any period from the mid fifties up to closure of Woodside in 1967. The Stanier Crab will replace one of the Hughes Crabs – 2765, which is a poor runner. I see that is now available again, at near enough double what I paid for it. OK the Stanier Crab is a new model, all the development costs to recoup, but the Hughes Crab has been around for a while – they’re not even changing the number, so the new price seems a bit steep. The only locos that may tempt me now are the Standard 2 tank and the Stanier 3 tank if they ever get made, for now I’m making do with the Ivatt. Anyway 2969 will probably head a London train down to Chester later today, or possibly just take out a freight or the afternoon parcels. Meanwhile lurking at the back of 6C for a couple of days (layout time, more like three years plus in real time!)….


 
I bought the Patriot when it was first released, mainly on the grounds that I did see one on 6C once, good enough for me, it was the unnamed 5508 (if my memory still works), which for some strange reason had been fitted with a stovepipe chimney – made an elegant locomotive look quite ridiculous. My excuse for this appearance – fresh out of Crewe Works after major overhaul (which gives the excuse for the OLW stickers), developed a hot box while on a test run…. Now fettled by the 6C folk will head back on a coal empties (as far as Chester, then back to Crewe). Like I’ve said before, this imagination of mine can often come up with something quite plausible…ish.

And of course the 2P has now appeared in Woodside ready to take out the first Chester train of the day at 5.55 –


 
only calls at main stations – I reckon this was the workers’ train, so old stock – admittedly these old ex GWR Centenary coaches never reached Woodside – but back in 2008, when I was still in recovery mode, and armed with the insurance payout for the HA, I started to buy stock for the forthcoming layout – and at the time these, together with the old Hornby Mk1s (which hadn’t changed much since the 70s), were the only maroon coaches available, so modellers’ licence applies again. Just the first three coaches, the three behind (proper Mk1s) will be for the next Chester train. Must get rid of that big front coupling, it ruins the 2P… and as for an excuse for appearing at Woodside in the first place… well Llanduno Junction had three… and one could have made it to Woodside on the morning through coaches from Llandudno…. stretching things a bit, I admit, but just about plausible…ish….

With trains now running I’ve naturally started thinking about completing the backdrop on the far wall – the bit between the factories and the goods yard…  that will also hide the floor support which shows above baseboard level. It’s a major problem I have – as soon as I start running trains I immediately think of new jobs to stop me running trains (apart from getting the track ballasting finished, I have to be in the mood for that job, and the multitude of jobs I already have on my many to-do lists, if I ever find them)….. so I’m in Metcalfe mode again… probably use the low relief terraced houses to link in with the existing background behind the sidings… watch this space….

eventually….

Keith

Hi Keith. Sorry I wish I could help you, I just dropped myself right in it, I purchased a new phone and it ain't anything like the " Thirty quid phone out of Asda" There was me thinking that DCC was complicated.Never mind a plan go with your gut feeling and when your happy with it. It will be grand.
And from where I am sitting it looks fine.   All the best. Kevin

Looking good, Keith.

If my new layout looks half as good as yours I'll be very happy indeed.

One question that arises from your 'shed' photo above….. how have you motorized the turntable?

I'm adding one onto my layout and am a little perplexed as how best to proceed with it. Whether to go for the small, cheepo, far eastern motor from ebay driven by a PICAXE circuit and a sensor, or spend quite a chunk more money and go for the Locomotech motor with its indexation disk, or W.H.U.

Your ideas would be greatly appreciated on this one. The hole in my baseboard is cut, the T/T is bought (waiting to be built), clearance underneath at the moment is limited without a slight realignment of the track plan and the possibility of having a hole to be cut in the lower board - all I need is the ideas and experience of others such as yourself who's been there, done that, and then a final decision can be made as how I feel would possibly be the best way forward for me. It will be well out of reach for manual operation, so a motor is essential.

In the meantime, keep up the good work.

Dave

  S’mae Kevin

  Fflo has had a couple of iffy days, so I’ve been “busy”, thankfully she’s improved again. Many thanks for the positive comments, yes, never really got the hang of planning…. Lot of work – and all you end up with is a diagram or two and some words – far better to just get on with it! Still not got a definitive answer from BT on the fibre/texting query….  at least they rang me to let me know they’re working on it…. tried to send me a text… never arrived…

I hope you have more luck with your phone.  Techology is wonderful when it works…

  Keith
  

Hi Keith.  Thank you. I got my cousins grandson on the case, good with technology he is. All the best. Kevin

  S’mae Dave

  I’m certain your new layout will look better than Woodside, I always think Woodside is a pretty basic affair, a bit light on the scenic side. These photos always make things look better than they are, particularly if I keep taking the bits which are about halfway finished…  I think that’s why I keep posting them!

  As to the turntable, I’ve just checked out your thread – I can’t be of much help I fear, as you can see it’s the standard Peco offering, motorised with a kit from FMR in Bradford.  It is just a simple (low cost) motor and gearbox, as you know, which is powered from the controller via one of my many simple switches (I’m an expert on simple), so if you turn the controller clockwise, the table turns clockwise… and amazingly for me, turn it anticlockwise, the table turns anticlockwise – the Vortrak has centre off controllers. It can operate at really slow speeds, which I like, OK it isn’t the quietest thing on the layout, I just oil the worm and main cog, but it does the job. It needs about 45mm clearance, if you trim the “axle”, or 75mm if you don’t, no idea about connecting it to DCC of course.
  As you well know I’m not into all this DCC stuff, so can’t really add anything else. I did think about one of these indexing systems, I quite fancy being able to leave the table turning, knowing it will stop in the right place, while I get on with something else,  but cost is always hard to justify, given there are lots of other things I’d like to have and I can manage with what I’ve got (the old “that’ll do” principle again) – but there are times when I “miss” a few times and I start to think about it again. I don’t have your expertise to be able produce an indexing disc etc. as mentioned on your thread, so I’ve only looked at off -the -shelf indexing systems which are expensive. I’ll be interested to see what you come up with, especially if it can be used by the likes of me…. and the cost is within budget.

And the timetable has moved on a bit, with the early freights taking centre stage, so bear with me, just a couple of photos



the morning fish from the East Coast behind an Eastern O4 (my imagination again - but Eastern O4s did appear on Bidston, 6F) trundles through Hooton. And then



The first oil shuttle from Ellesmere Port behind a 4F en route to the fuel depot (not yet built - on a to-do list). Meanwhile the local parcels has shunted over to platform 3 to load/unload before heading north after the first Chester-Birkenhead train leaves Hooton.

I'll just put more photos in the gallery… honest.

Oh yes, new task of the day - build the main signal box at marshalling yard junction - from two Metcalf kits - I've already got them, so I may just start a job - for a change…

Keith

Thanks Keith for your comments on the turntable. I've seen that motor in various articles. Good to get your take on it.

I also like the KISS approach - far less to go wrong. I find that if anything wants to go wrong, it will, no matter what is done to try to prevent it.

Forget the scenery stuff - you've got a darn'd good layout there and the work you're putting in must be repaying you in dividends and self satisfaction of a job well done. The scenery can come later - it's non functional; pretty, but doesn't aid the railway running aspects.

Looking forward to your next installment.

Dave

[user=1755]Dave C[/user] wrote:

I also like the KISS approach - far less to go wrong. I find that if anything wants to go wrong, it will, no matter what is done to try to prevent it.

Forget the scenery stuff - you've got a darn'd good layout there and the work you're putting in must be repaying you in dividends and self satisfaction of a job well done. The scenery can come later - it's non functional; pretty, but doesn't aid the railway running aspects.

Looking forward to your next installment.

Dave

Totally agree with Dave's comments and congratulations on picture of the week Keith  :thumbs


Ed

Hi Keith well done, congratulations photo of the week, your scenic modelling great 100%
Best of Luck from South Wales

Noviceman

  S’mae Dave and Ed

  Been a bit tied up with BT and this fibre phone lark this week, there are clearly incompatibilites between the two systems… and we seem to be finding all of them… it’s a bit like the old days, being a beta test sight again! Fibre to fibre, no problem… introduce copper into the mix and the wheels start coming off. Add to that Fflo having an iffy week, it follows everything railway related has had to take a back seat.

  Thanks again for the favourable comments, I guess I’m used to looking at Woodside, and I know all the things that have yet to be done, so I can’t see it in the same league as other layouts on the forum. Yes Dave, I’ve noticed before that we sing from the same hymn sheet, simple is always best, and yes, if it’s going to wrong, just live with it….. easier said than done sometimes!

  My main interest of course is operating the railway to the BR timetable of the day so on the layout I’ve concentrated on the actual railway thus far… still lots of signalling to do, although I’m a bit stuck with getting working disc signals, may be a step too far, or too small – I’m going to have a play with the Ratio discs at some point, that’s on one of my to-do lists. It is interesting to see how the engine shed slowly empties up to lunch time, and then starts to get more freight locos in, and the first of the local passenger locos that have finished their roster for the day. Likewise Woodside Station is jammed full of coaches first thing, and most of the coach sidings too… and as the day progresses they mostly disappear only to start reappearing after the evening rush, I sometimes wonder where do they all go…. Freight is similar, but on a much reduced scale, and nothing like the real thing – I can’t fit it all in. Like you say the scenery will come….. eventually, as will all this ballasting I keep mentioning and then promptly forgetting. Early morning just now and I can cope… by the time it gets to the morning rush, with five or six trains waiting in the loops under Birkenhead, that’s when the fat controller has to go for a lie down. At least this is the second run through and I know the layout can cope, which is still something of a surprise to me, given the lack of planning that went into the track layout. Incidentally I’m still after this clock (for railway time) that I can run at half/quarter/just about moving speed for the rush hour – any suggestions?
   
  Keith
  

S'mae Dave

Many thanks… I think 100% is pushng it a bit!…. something to aim for perhaps…

Keith

  Well, I was surprised to see Woodside as Pic of the Week last year, for it to happen again, I’m amazed…. and once again one very chuffed Scouser, sincere thanks Alan – you can see something  that I’m missing – I was quite pleased that with my point and click camera I managed to get most of the loco in some sort of focus. Wish now I’d put the bike shed out between the two shed buildings and got a few bodies on view, and added the bits to the loco. Next time perhaps, I’ll put it on my to-do list….. and it really is a cracking model, well done Bachmann. May well replace the rostered Standard 4 on the first London train!

  Keith
  

Hi Keith.    BR Timetable ? You could always use a calendar, as there has always been room for error, and in these times of "Franchises" it is even getting worse that the BR days. They even give extra running time "timetabled in" so the trains would really have to run late before Penalty Payments need to be made. Having said that "Crack Expresses" were given a better chance to run on time. I don't think they could manage that today. What era are you modelling in Keith?    All the best. Kevin

Re: Pickie of the week

As one Scouser to another Keith, well done again that man!

Cheers,

Bill

:cheers

S’mae Kevin

As I said, any period between the mid 50s and closure of Woodside in 1967 – for the early 50s I really need the odd Stanier 3, Standard 2 tanks possibly a Pannier or two.  Currently it’s 1961… and Winter – ’cos I’ve only got the Winter timetable… and the BR timetable was the only one that mattered in those days!

Anyone familiar with Woodside will know that prior to 1961 Rose Brae bridge spanned the station before the end of the platforms, so when I go back to 1958 (so I can run the yet to be purchased 1400 tank on the Hooton/ Birkenhead - West Kirkby service) in theory I should have a Rose Brae bridge. Perhaps that’s one for the to-do list, must remember Rose Brae mind, before I fix the position of the Woodside Signal box…. wouldn’t do to have road running through the signal box…

Keith