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mick

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Everything posted by mick

  1. The biggest majority of UK modellers will be using Peco track and for outdoor use this is almost always what is recommended and used. I believe that Peco provide a warning regarding it's longevity where use is subject to extreme sunlight/temperatures but for normal useage it is ideal. We have members successfully using Peco track in countries far and wide and so I'd have no problems recommending it for your use. As far as costs go then I doubt there will be much difference between major brands and it's surely worth any extra pennies to get something you know will last. Look out for second hand Peco flexi which can often be used successfully.
  2. I'd be very reluctant to put any kind of oil, however light the coating, on to the rail tops. I've spent hours trying to get some of my loco's hauling decent rakes up the incline along the back side of the layout and I dread to think what would happen should they encounter a coating of oil. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, I think you'll find that any type of oil, including those spray type water dispersants/lubricators such as WD40, while certainly providing additional protection against rusting or oxidization of the rails will only serve to attract dirt and debris which will lead to poor running. I agree that some abrasive pads can scour the rail tops and make the problem of oxidization worse but the finer grade pads designed for jewellery and fine metal work are much kinder than some of the commercial stuff sold for model railway use. In fact the regular use of a very fine abrasive pad has appeared to make sections of my track less susceptible to deep oxidization than previously - probabaly as a result of smoothing the scouring made by the Peco and Hornby type track rubbers I used before. I've not run any trains for a few weeks now but surprisingly the rail tops are still very clean apart from those areas that are in close proximity to soil.
  3. Hi and (a somewhat belated) welcome to the forum. Sorry about that It's interesting to hear of your developed interest in UK railways. I've always been fascinated as to why modellers choose to base their layouts on foreign lines. I've seen examples of some really impressive American 'railroads' but even though my modelling interests are centred on what we in the UK would class as 'heavy freight', the much larger and more powerful American traction has never done it for me. I have to stay with what I know and have experience of but that's not intended to take anything away from any other area or geographical region of modelling - it's just my personal preference. To add to my fascination as to your choice for UK railways there's an obvious interest in LMS steam rather than any modern diesels. I guess that's somewhat akin to my preference for the LNER even though I have very few recollections of any working steam trains. Railway (or railroad) modelling is an interesting pastime for sure. It's good to see you're able to make use of reclaimed timber and if there's a ready supply then I'd say go for it - far cheaper than the stuff I've been purchasing which has cost me an absolute fortune over the past couple of years or so and none of it's actually viewable. I'll say one thing for outdoor layouts. You can cobble something together, run any kind of stock you wish, and you can have a whole lot of fun. Doing likewise indoors just wouldn't be the same. Looking forward to continued updates, more photos and perhaps a video or two once you're up and running.
  4. Wow, details of yet another remarkable model in an e-mail received last Thursday from Hattons. "Hatton’s are pleased to announce our next specially commissioned project - the Beyer Garratt. Working with Heljan we will be producing 12 variations of the LMS Garratts in OO Gauge, due for delivery in time for Christmas 2012. The price for pre-order is £199. The Beyer Garratt 2-6-0+0-6-2s, which ran between 1930 and 1958, will be available available in LMS and BR liveries with a choice of pristine, lightly weathered and heavily weathered finishes. All models will include an 8-pin DCC socket and have two motors for the articulated driving wheels. We’re also looking into the possibility of incorporating working lights which operate in the direction of travel. This project follows our previous collaborations with Heljan, the Class 14 Teddy Bears and Class 28 Co-Bo’s. Our early LMS Beyer Garratts, running numbers 4970 and 4978, will feature standard bunkers and pony wheel brakes, with the 10 later models featuring revolving bunkers and no pony wheel brakes." Has there ever been a better time to be an OO gauge modeller? Let's hope that Heljan make a terrific job of this one. Just as an aside, I wonder which model loco will be the first standard non-sound locomotive to break the £200 barrier? Details of the models and liveries due to be made available can be found on the Hattons website
  5. Nice video's Roy. I enjoyed the Kookaburra too (but just had to check upon how to spell it). If you've got it wrong then so have I. Does the HST have sound chips at each end? Mine has SWD sounds and I have to agree that the turbo scream sounds great outdoors. I fitted a larger bass reflex speaker into my power car (just fits) but haven't yet got a chip for the unpowered car where there's plenty of room for a larger speaker. A sign of my track laying skills was the fact that I couldn't run mine with the power car pushing as it tended to push the whole lot off the road. You've clearly made a far better job. Without gradients or sharp curves then haulage shouldn't be a problem. If I can haul almost 50 minerals up the gradient on my layout then you should be okay in excess of that on yours. Wagons, more especially the 2-axle versions, are pretty lightweight compared to some coaching stock and these days the're generally very free running.
  6. That's an impressive plan that should give you some good running opportunities. The stone wall looks nice and substantial so shouldn't pose any problems used as a base for the track. I have found that track located close to plants tarnishes much more quickly than the track out in the open and requires the most intensive cleaning. I'm not sure if it's a reaction with something the plants emit or whether it's due to it being close to the soil but you might wish to bear that in mind when considering running your track beneath the shrubs. There's also the distinct possibility of leaf fall causing derailments. The short section between the two stations looks like it may require some small radius curves as it doubles back on itself to approach the tunnel area. I'd recommend the largest curves you can accommodate, even if it means forgetting about one of the stations. Long trains have a heavy trailing weight and the standard tension lock couplings are extremely unreliable under such tension when negotiating sharp curves - it's not a happy combination. Keep curves as large as possible and the track clear of any potential source of debris and you'll have the recipe for some good reliable running. I'm looking forward to seeing that viaduct!
  7. Not prototypical as Dave says - you need another coach Roy!
  8. I note from the National Railway Museum website that item no: 311205, 4472 Flying Scotsman in LNER apple green livery, is now advertised as featuring smoke deflectors and my original post has been amended accordingly.
  9. Hi James The current photos of your garden remind me of how my garden used to look before I started building the Selby Garden Railway. Now with the addition of the railway, the vegetable plot and the siting of the weather station I sometimes wonder what on earth I've done - where has all that nice open space gone That's the beauty of keeping a photo diary, you can look back on how things used to be and compare the situation today with how it appeared at an earlier date. I'd be really interested to know what my little dog thinks about it all - I can sense he's not too keen. You've got a nice secluded space available to you. I'm not sure what height you are considering building the trackbed but I'd be tempted to run it through those outbuildings if that's at all possible. That would give you some undercover storage area and cause less of an intrusion into the garden itself. However, as you've already stated that the plans have been finalised and gained approval of the household I assume that isn't to be the case so I'll be interested to see what you've come up with.
  10. Hi James and welcome to the forum, it's good to hear from you. I don't know anything about computer control so I'll leave it to Chris to respond to your query as the JMRI software forms part of his set-up. Feel free to ask other questions while you're waiting!
  11. I've not entirely given up on the idea of building a proper cast viaduct, in fact I've been thinking it over again recently and looking at how others have tackled similar constructions. If you can keep it watertight then a wooden framework should suffice and working with timber is a much easier task than messing around with concrete. Using the tarpaulin covers I can keep the rain out but I would really like to have the viaduct exposed all the time, open to the elements so that it weathers naturally. I have to say that the plywood on my viaduct has stood up fairly well over the past 2 years now but that's because I cover it whenever there's a chance of rain. I rather like the modular approach which would mean making a mould from a master pattern to be cast in stone or concrete. There's some good ideas to be had by looking at the http://www.cainhowleystructures.co.uk/viaduct--bridges.html' rel="external nofollow">viaduct and bridges manufactured by Cain Howley Structures. If you can make the 2 master sections and produce the necessary moulds then you could make the viaduct whatever size you wished and at a reasonable cost - certainly less than some are quoting!
  12. Hi Jaybee and welcome to the OO gauge Garden Railway forum. I don't think there's anyone currently on the forum who has their track laid directly onto a masonry base but I don't see any reason why you couldn't do that successfully. The only problem you will have, as you've already pointed out, is how best to attach the track. Fixing with some kind of adhesive would seem to be the best option but may render any future track alterations difficult - although that might also apply to track fastened to a plywood or other wooden base that has subsequently been ballasted. With the slight movement I have experienced in my wooden structured base, I've been glad that alterations and realignment of the track has been a simple matter but that's another story and mainly down to my inability to get it right at the outset. I would think that a solid masonry base would be ideal and that the track could be tacked in place with a waterproof adhesive before being ballasted also if desired. In fact it sounds like a pretty good idea to me so I'm hoping that some other member(s) will come along and suggest the best kind of adhesive to use. Do you have a photo of the planned site for the track?
  13. I've never had anything to do with class 33 loco's. Can't remember seeing one and certainly never been on the footplate of one - but they are an attractive looking loco. However, when finances are stretched it's good to have a selection of loco's that you can't quite justify on your layout, even if it does mean missing out on some good ones.
  14. Having this same loco myself and also with the Howes sound chip I have to agree with everything you say. Great loco and good drivability with the sound responding almost exactly when required.
  15. Excellent loco and thanks for the tip regarding the sound. The Hornby factory fitted is okay but isn't really anything special so I might give the Howes version a try. I really do like to 50s and had considered this same loco myself before opting for the large logo blue version which I can more easily recall.
  16. Strangely enough, Roy, (cleanerg6e) also commented recently on the Howes 37 sound being a bit on the quiet side and I was under the impression that it was a big improvement over the standard Bachmann factory fitted sound. I have a number of class 37 chips that I wanted to get reblown to add a bit of variety to the 'fleet' but now I'm not so sure what to do That aside, 37426 looks splendid and purchasing locos with specific trains in mind is a really good idea. It's something I have been trying to do but temptation keeps getting in the way.
  17. Nice weathering on the tanks Ian. The TTAs are a very nice and extremely versatile wagon that look good either in a lengthy rake or as a small set. There have been so many liveries made available from Bachmann that it's difficult to know exactly which ones to purchase. I don't recall seeing any with the major oil company brandings on them during my railway career but it's possible that I might have overlooked them had I done so. I prefer to see them unbranded as you have depicted them - good work! NIce selection of other images you've uploaded to your gallery too - enjoyed looking through them. You've acquired a nice selection of rolling stock already!
  18. Ahhh, you noticed that then. I thought I might get away with it stuck on the end of the train but yes, you're right, I've still got a lot of work to do with this particular rake and the brake van is certainly one of the tasks still outstanding. PS: being mainly instanters the wagons weren't coupled together either but I can forgive you for not noticing that one As I think I've mentioned before, I barely remember steam locomotives in working condition other than standing on the footbridge at Womersley Road, Knottingley, to be engulfed in steam as they passed beneath. I never had an interest in railways until much later in life but it's the photos of steam locos passing east through Knottingley station (invariably an Austerity) hauling coal wagons for the local power station (would be Eggborough in those days as Drax didn't open until abt 1974) that captured my interest. That interest in rail transportation of coal carried on into employment and so that's why I have so many coal wagons in my collection. Ian, what I think would be really interesting is for you to cover some of your locos in detail showing the improvements you have made to them. You've added lots of additional detail and have made an excellent job of weathering them and they're truly inspirational. It's the sort of thing that would tempt many people to become interested in railway modelling. I'm sure that others on here would agree....
  19. I had a bit of time to spare this evening and checking the contents of the Bachmann WD 2-8-0 box I discovered that there was in fact an unopened pack of detailing parts. Some time later the loco had front steps, cylinder pipework, brake pipework, and brake operating gear fitted, while the tension lock coupler at the front of the loco was removed. The photo's not a very good one but I feel it shows the improvement that these additional detailing parts makes. http://www.selbygardenrailway.co.uk/images/views/IMG_5629.jpg' alt='URL>'>
  20. It's good to see that YouTube finally managed to process the class 37 video - I was beginning to think there was a problem and that I'd end up having to upload it again. As for today I've not had any trains running but I have been out taking a few photos of some of the 16t mineral wagons I had previously weathered and they can be seen posed behind my WD 2-8-0. The photos are taken on the curve just before the viaduct where there was some shade from the sun. http://www.selbygardenrailway.co.uk/images/views/IMG_5614.jpg' alt='URL>'> http://www.selbygardenrailway.co.uk/images/views/IMG_5618.jpg' alt='URL>'> http://www.selbygardenrailway.co.uk/images/views/IMG_5619.jpg' alt='URL>'> http://www.selbygardenrailway.co.uk/images/views/IMG_5622.jpg' alt='URL>'> The photos are all very similar with just a slightly different viewpoint/perspective. I think the loaded 16 tonners look superb behind the WD and one of my next tasks will be to remove the tension lock coupler socket from the front of the loco, add a screw coupling and also a brake pipe to plug those distracting open holes on the bufferbeam. The loco has light factory applied weathering which doesn't look too bad but could perhaps do with a bit more here and there. I would imagine that the 2-8-0s were usually to be seen in an unkempt condition? This is the loco that I obtained complete with a fitted smoke generator although I'm currently out of smoke oil and so need to get hold of some more. I'm not entirely sure why but I would have to say that this particular loco is one of my favourite locos from my entire collection. Along with the rake of loaded mineral wagons this is exactly how I remember the days of the steam locomotive and it's the reason I had to build my own model railway layout.
  21. I've got the video uploaded to YouTube but I've had enough waiting for it to be processed - not sure what's wrong but it's taking ages and I'm ready for bed. I'll add the link just in case it manages to complete before I get up again! FAvHR-B3nME
  22. I had my first running session in quite a few weeks yesterday (Thursday) in order to try out my new Bachmann class 37 as well as one of my ViTrains 37800 'Glo Cymru'. I wired in the standard DC controller and I'm pleased to say that both loco's ran very nicely. The only problem I encountered was with the coupling hook on the ViTrains model which seemed intent on pushing the Bachmann Mk1 coaches off the track. The hook wouldn't stay seated inside the tension lock and kept wedging itself alongside the coach coupling and forcing it sideways - often resulting in derailment. With the hook removed from the loco coupling it's fine but another example of coupling frustrations. I've managed to film a few clips of both locos in action and included a couple of extra clips of a class 60 and 47 taken back in June which never made it onto film. I'll add a link once it's processed and uploaded.
  23. A few weeks ago I was asked how the ViTrains 37 compared to the Bachmann version. I've read elsewhere that some early versions of the ViTrains model had problems with the nose end paintwork being either the wrong shade or for it being translucent but it seems that those faults have been rectified and the more recent versions offer remarkably good value for money. The example featured here is product no: V2071, depicting 37800 'Glo Cymru' in the attractive coal sector livery. http://www.selbygardenrailway.co.uk/images/stock/IMG_5555.jpg' alt='URL>'> Unlike the Bachmann version, the ViTrains models come with an awful lot of add on detailing parts, including handrails, lamp brackets etc., all of which the purchaser is required to fit themselves. Not such a big deal I guess, and if it helps to keep the costs down then that's all well and good. It should be noted that this particular model was purchased by myself in new condition from a leading retailer at the discounted price of just £33. So good it was/is that I immeditaely went and purchased another one. In appearance the Vitrains model compares very favourably to the Bachmann version. http://www.selbygardenrailway.co.uk/images/stock/IMG_5560.jpg' alt='URL>'> To someone with my limited knowledge and experience it would be very difficult to tell the models apart and considering that one of the models shown in the above photograph was twice the cost of the other then it just shows how favourable the ViTrains model is, especially when it can be obtained at such a low discounted price. For the purpose of a garden railway then the ViTrains 37 is absolutely ideal. http://www.selbygardenrailway.co.uk/images/stock/IMG_5561.jpg' alt='URL>'> I've not been able to run 37800 outdoors yet but on my short indoor line it operates nice and smoothly with no more noise than the Bachmann version. I would certainly not have any hesitation in purchasing another ViTrains class 37 in the future.
  24. I've been spending so much time tending the vegetable patch and setting up the weather station that I've barely touched anything railway related for a number of weeks. However, with the house to myself for a while, I got the urge today to set up the indoor layout in order to test a new Bachmann class 37 that I recently obtained. This is product number 32-782 depicting D6081 in BR Green livery with split headcode boxes and bufferbeam skirt and it's photographed straight from the box without any added pipework or snowploughs. I've got a fair number of class 37s now but this is my first one in BR Green having missed out on the earlier versions produced by Bachmann and being unwilling to pay inflated eBay prices. I'm glad I waited - it's very nice indeed! Looks like I'll be needing yet another class 37 sound chip.
  25. I have one of my raised beds planted three-quarters full of onions. They're doing okay and haven't caused any problems but they do seem to take up a lot of space for what they are. I planted approximately 60 onion sets and should get up to 60 onions in return. Given the limited space I have available that's not a good enough return for me to plan growing them again next year and so they're probably one item that will be best purchased from the supermarket in future. All the same, I'm looking forward to harvesting them if only to free up space for something else. On a positive note I have completely removed the silver birch tree that used to stand at the bottom of the garden. I had intended to manage it before it became too tall but just never got round to it and it got to a point where it was well out of arms reach. So with assistance from a neighbour and his colleague the top was taken off and the tree reduced to a manageable height until I decided exactly what to do with it. In the end I decided to remove it completely and so spent some time yesterday digging out the stump and associated roots. More space.....!
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