mick

Yes, I agree that the reliability of the point blade switching is probably time limited but I'll just be interested to learn how long they last. In the interests of OO garden railways we need the data! When/if they fail they will be changed for an insulfrog version and the rails bonded across to the point blades - it's just that all I have at the moment are live frogs. Are yours the Peco version Ian? Have you experienced any problems with them up to now? Again, this is going to be collected 'data' to see how some of the RTR stuff performs outdoors - we need the answers.

That's exactly what it is Ian; the individual cores from some 2.5mm ring main cable. It actually fits down in the void between the track base and the sidewalls of the viaduct - I just need to cut some thin strips to cover the void once everything's found to be working okay.

Yes, I'm not sure they're really necessary outdoors. The additional wiring and switches makes installation not so easy, especially on solid bases and exposed to the elements. However, the point shown in my photo is a live frog point - just used in its very basic form with the frog feed coming directly from the point blades depending on which route is set. I'm not sure how long this will last so this is another one to go down to 'experience' for me. I have installed the point with sufficient movement on the fishplates to enable me to slide them to one side for easy point removal should that become necessary.

Nice work with the video George. Sounds like it was a family occasion too. As Griff says, now's the most tedious part - certainly for me it'd be getting stock constantly in and out of boxes! Do you have any kind of storage system to make stock rotation easier? I find that even a small number of items starts to get a bit monotonous if they are kept in their original boxes. Big pat on the back from me. It's been great watching things develop.

This looks like a man fully refreshed after his trip south. Great start with the platforms - they should be fine. Bendy ones are much better than plain straight ones. Of all the scenic items you can add, you know you've got yourself a railway once the platforms go in. Pretty impressive size you've got there too judging by the photos. I had the same problem cutting wood to fit the curved concrete footings round near the weather station. Perhaps I should have cut the wood first and used that as the former for the concrete. You're probably busy sanding away and whistling along as I write.....

I never seem to do a lot in any one day but at least each little bit feels like I'm making some kind of progress. Although there's not a lot to show again today I have a good feeling about it. I've got a couple of lengths of track laid along the viaduct. They're not fixed permanently in position just yet until I can get the remainder done and be able to run some stock along to test for level and find any irregularities. The track pins go into the blocks very easily by the way. With most of the wiring also completed in this area I've been able to tack the bus wires out of the way along each inside wall of the viaduct where they will eventually be covered by something resembling a walkway. I've also knocked up a little tunnel portal from one of the discarded block sections to conceal the entrance into the shed. I really don't want anything fancy or elaborate and this does everything I need. There might be some slight mods done later but for now, although not yet fixed in position, it looks okay to me. And so to the Peco point motor I've mentioned earlier. Although it's only a point motor with no additional internal switching for live frogs etc.. I'm hoping that it will be okay outdoors. Okay it's a little bit bigger than a scale motor but it's still pretty discrete in my eyes and resembles the kind of things often found at the lineside. I thought about making a wooden effect walkway over it in order to conceal and perhaps protect it. For now I'll wire it up and see how it performs. If it proves problematic I'll take it apart and see what can be done to make it more suitable for use outdoors.

That's him!

I'm just taking a short break while this latest light shower passes by so here's a quick update. I had almost decided to bond all the rail joins on the track over the viaduct but I've worked out that by feeding power to the first section that leads on to the viaduct I only need to make a total of two more soldered joins once all the track is in position to connect it all to the bus wires. It's much simpler soldering the wires to the rails while the rails are still on the workbench so that's what I'm on with at the moment. I've also re-soldered some wires to a Peco large radius point that I'll be using to revert back to double track running. I'm not sure that the time and effort required to wire the point for live frog running will be worth it and so I'm going to use the point as is with the frog feed switched via the point blades. You've got to try these things for yourself and see what works best for you. I've also received my Peco side mounted point motor to try out on this same set of points. I'd looked at the similar Hornby version too but that one appears to be more open to water ingress. The Peco one looks fairly well sealed on top with just a couple of narrow openings on the sides. It also doesn't look too out of place - in fact I'm sure I can live with this. I don't want to dismantle it just yet to see what's inside - I'd rather see how it fares exposed to the weather and then it'll be time to check on the inners should it fail me. Right, back to the shed to get the last few wires soldered and then it'll be track on the viaduct!

Looks like my kind of holiday. I've just mentioned the west coast of Scotland in another post and that's where we tend to go to get away from it all. It's a combination of mountains and lochs and if you search hard enough, some beautiful secluded beaches. It's good to get the wind in your hair. How far was the drive? How long did it take to get there?

A beautiful part of the UK to be in. Have you visited or are planning to visit the West Coast? We've visited Wester Ross for the past few years although not this year as yet due to having so much work done at home. Thanks for the info regarding the veroboard. I'll have to look into it. Anything that might make the wiring neater would be welcome. "The Experts are predicting a Scorching Saturday" was the headlines but although not sufficient to register on my weather station we've actually had some rain this morning. It's warm but overcast at the moment so perhaps the experts meant later in the day (or further south)? Anyway, I'm pretty happy if it stays like this - I'm still shedding skin from last weeks sunburn! Once I've got myself sorted I'll be making a start on the viaduct again. Hopefully I'll be able to get some track fastened down and might even get so far as making the breakthrough into the shed. I need to sort out some kind of structure to go in front of the entrance hole into the shed to make it look like a tunnel entrance. I'd thought of buying a ready made tunnel portal and if I'd remembered that yesterday I could have added one to the order I placed online. Still, I could always fashion something out of one of my spare building blocks. How difficult can it be? It's becoming a bit OCD and I've still got locos on order! I need to start running and stop buying and maybe thin the collection out a little bit. As was pointed out to me yesterday, the first train across the viaduct should really be captured on film (do we say film, video...?) and after discovering that 2 of my locos appear to have gone AWOL (I'm sure they'll turn up) I've just remembered that I'm not sure where the camcorder is either. I don't remember seeing that for some time. It'll want charging by now I should think. Have to have a rummage around later.

That must be disappointing but Bachmann/Graham Farish are pretty quick these days getting models released in both scales. I wouldn't have thought you would have too long to wait unless there's some reason that they can't do the N gauge version. Failing that you could always make a return to OO N gauge is very well catered for these days. Even the Blue Pulllman, yearned for by OO gauge modellers for so long, is about to be released in N gauge. I just find n gauge a bit too small for my failing eyesight and clumsy fingers but for those who model in it things are certainly looking rosey at the moment.

Stunning scenery Griff. Perhaps you can fill in the details later?

They're listed in the annual catalogue - the 7F features on page 36 of the current Bachmann 2012/13 catalogue.

It did yes. Don't Bachmann do a commemorative model each year packaged in a wooden presentation box? I know this year they're doing the preserved blue S&DJR 2-8-0 7F loco No.88 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the S&DJR. Mine's already on order. Here's a photo of my model of Blue Peter standing on its wooden presentation box and uploaded shortly after purchase. Beautiful isn't it?

The 16t minerals are one of my favourite wagons and it's about time I got back to finishing off my weathered rake. I was just getting the hang of weathering when we moved from Selby and haven't had chance to do any more with them since. In fact...where are they? I thought you were kidding with all this talk of sunshine and scorching temperatures but you're right - for tomorrow at least. There's not much chance of any official viaduct opening just yet though - there's the track inside the shed to sort out before I can run anything through. I've just been sorting through my entire loco collection and accounted for all but 2 of them. I even found a Hornby class 101 DMU that hadn't been entered on my stock list. Where the Bachmann 108 and class 47 are I don't know but I'm sure they'll turn up in some other box when I get round to unpacking them. The reason I've been sorting the loco's out is in response to Craig's suggestion for "the first train to cross the viaduct". I hadn't seen Blue Peter since the house move and just wanted to make sure nothing had gone astray. Blue Peter is safe and well.

What's the crack here then? - I don't understand what it all means. If Virgin have lost the contract what happens to their rolling stock? Do they cease running trains altogether? Do First Group take possession of the rolling stock? Do they have to pay Virgin for it? What if Virgin say they're not selling them? How the heck do these franchises work? And by the way - I'm getting some really strange ads since Craig started this topic!

Oh that reminds me..... I already had the 2 live steamers, Flying Scotsman was totally unused, when I noticed on eBay someone selling a complete live steam Mallard set (track, controller, loco etc) in 'as new, condition. I resisted the temptation to place a bid and it didn't reach its reserve price (£325 I think). It was re-listed and I ended up paying £225. When it came, oh dear... It was in a terrible state. The controllers were all battered and the loco was covered in scale - someone not using distilled water? It was totally unuseable. After a lot of hassle and the intervention of eBay I did return it to the north-west and received a full refund. That would have been about 3 years ago. The viaduct? go on, you know you want one!

Yes I'd considered the possibility of some kind of freight working over the line too but obviously I wouldn't be able to accommodate long block trains. It's still something I'm looking at so I'll have to see what kind of historic write up I can come up with to justify a few freight wagons. Storage problems will only be solved when I go ahead and build the loft layout No progress whatsoever today on Worsley Dale. I've done a bit of tidying round in the shed so that I'll be able to make a start in there a bit sooner but outdoors everything is exactly as it was yesterday - only a bit wetter.

Sun? Where on earth are you? It's been grey and miserable all day here today. I never had an issue with track expansion outdoors. If I'd got the expansion gaps correct then it was purely by luck. However, inside the shed where it was out of direct sunlight I did experience buckled rails on 2 occasions. Must simply have been the heat within the shed. Have your rails actually buckled?

Well that really does sound as if Mallard isn't too well. I had Papyrus and Flying Scotsman and yes, they are difficult to get to grips with at first. I knew absolutely nothing about them at the time and I thought mine was faulty but after a couple of attempts I began to get the hang of it and from there on in it was okay. Sounds like you already have some experience of them so it's clearly not something you aren't doing. Let's hope you can get this resolved soon - it's not a good experience and we all want to see Mallard in steam

Nice idea. Staring me in the face every single day and I would never have thought of that one. Mind you, I am usually a bit slow on the uptake. That's one in with a serious shout.

We're all ears. What you been up to?

Isn't that typical of Griff. He's away on walkabouts and as soon as he returns he has a solution! Not good news with the live steamer. What's been the problem with it this time or is it still the same fault?

With a single track viaduct I've got no other choice but it will be one of very few. When the weather signature states 'No Rain Today' it actually means "...so far!" Don't expect too many updates. As for the first train I'm not sure - I've not seriously thought about it up to now. Does anyone have any suggestions? Obviously I'll need to test the track as I go along but I think the occasion of an official opening would be good publicity for Worsley Dale. It's still a few days away so I'll have a think about it.

You asked for opinions of the Bachmann class 37s in another thread so I thought I'd add my thoughts here. I have a number of Bachmann 37s, probably 12 or so, and I've not had a single problem with them. I used them regularly on my previous layout and will be doing so on Worsley Dale. I'm not one for looking for faults and errors so I can't vouch for their accuracy but they certainly have the look and feel of 37s as I remember them. They're nice and heavy with good haulage capabilities and as you probably know they are available in lots of different liveries. Another good point is that they are still reasonably priced and if you shop around you can find current models ranging from £50 upwards. I can certainly recommend them - but you'll have to decide on the livery yourself!