mick

Hello Tony - thank you for choosing to join us. I'm sure there's a way that the base could be replaced easily enough but it might actually be made easier if the track was removed first. However, I can sense that you're not too keen on that idea. Sadly I'm a bit too distant to be able to offer any practical help in order to revive your railway, as much as I would enjoy doing so. I'm still okay on my knees - it's the eyesight that holds me back. I'm sorry to hear that a lot of the marine ply base has rotted (hope the boat's okay?) but I suppose that after such a long time something like that could be expected if not regularly maintained. How is the track secured to the plywood and is it ballasted? Is the railway OO gauge and do you have any photos of how it used to be? I love to see layouts that are in need of a little TLC - not just outdoors but also those designed for indoor use too. I have this desire to spend time on them and get them up and running again. There's one on a well-known auction site at the moment, a somewhat large sectional indoor layout that's been partly completed but they always seem to be at the opposite end of the country making transportation difficult - not to mention the fact that I have no storage facilities anyway. Hopefully, there'll be someone among us who resides a bit closer to you and may be able to help - fingers crossed!

Once again the indoor set up has been neglected but it's not forgotten about and should be making another appearance soon. The removal of more garage clutter means its looking promising that the layout can now be set up with greater ease - even if it does mean it must be dismantled at the end of the day.

Just out of interest Roy, how much interest was there in the Royal Wedding over in Australia? Did you have morning till night blanket coverage on tv?

I've never purposely used the Garryflex rubber 'wet' as is suggested they can be, but when used on damp rails they appear to work even better than they do on a dry rail. I would also say from my experience that the amount of small particles left behind after cleaning does reduce the more the block has been used. I've not found the particles to be an issue on railway track as I always follow the use of the rubber with either dry brushing or vacuuming. Agreed - The 'Garryflex' rubbers are certainly one of the successes found through the mutual involvement of forum members (thanks IanR!)

I use the CMX track cleaner with cleaning fluid as you've probably read elsewhere and I've found it robust and excellent in use. I did also consider getting the Dapol cleaner as well due to its ability to clean and vacuum around the layout but the one thing that put me off purchasing one was the cost of the replacement parts. I'm not sure how often those replacement parts, in the form of cleaning and abrasive pads, would be required so it might possibly be a misguided belief of mine and not a true reflection of the ongoing costs. However, compared to the cost of the Dapol track cleaner and considering the fact that I already have the CMX cleaner for the important fluid cleansing, I decided instead to purchase one of those small hand-held rechargeable vacuum cleaners that can be simply passed over the track after or at the same time as going round with the track rubber. It has a continuous operating time of approx 15 minutes which is easily sufficient to enable me to go round the entire layout and it's powerful into the bargain.

I'm quite looking forward to the time when I feel I'm ready to ballast my tracks but looking at the amount of track you would have to get through then I'm not so sure I'd be that keen on the idea. I suppose the covers will also prohibit the use of any other landscaping or architectural features unless any such features are made removable so I guess it's going to be a railway primarily for watching the action. The wireless operation sounds ideal for the garden, especially if it's as successful as it has been in your experience. I do find myself restricted to the shed area which is why I intend to add alternative sockets for the controller so that I can sit outdoors as desired but still retain some control over what's going on. I'll have to make do with that because I really don't want the additional expense of changing the control system.

Thanks for the info Ian. Unfortunately they don't have any left in stock Looks like I might have to start making my own.

I'm not familiar with the number of available function buttons on the Hornby Elite. I believe the smaller Hornby Select digital controller is unable to use the full array of sound functions on some locos but perhaps the Elite is more capable? Funnily enough I use very few of the available sound options on the majority of my sound-equipped locos. Obviously I turn the sound on and off and occasionally give the odd whistle or two but rarely do I use any of the other sounds so a controller with limited function buttons wouldn't be so much of a problem in use on my layout providing the more commonly used options are accessible with the lower function buttons. I've heard others comment on the distictive wobble of a class 33 when it's started. I remember something along similar lines, but perhaps to a lesser degree, with the class 56s. The only thing missing is a thick cloud of choking exhaust!

Well it's good to hear that some of your problems have been eased. You'll no doubt run into others along the way which will all add to the fun! I think the more you do the more you'll learn just what you need to keep on doing in order to keep things running smoothly. You'll learn how important it is to ensure reliable electrical continuity between your controller, the rails, and your locos, and how frustrating it can become if something's not quite right. You'll need to obtain a decent track rubber to keep the rails clean - if possible go for the 'Garryflex' ones mentioned elsewhere on this forum, and don't forget the loco wheels too. Yes, I'm speaking from my own sorry experiences with all those recommendations Finally with regards the 'gallery' section, don't worry too much about saving space. The forum is set up to handle images that are overlarge and which would take up large amouts of storage but we have plenty of space available to us and I'll sort things out if it does ever become critical.

What make/kind of bridges have you used on the K&WR? On your recent brake van view video the train departs the station and at approx 0:30 secs is seen passing beneath a stone arched bridge - what make is that one as it's similar to one I am looking for myself. Is it moulded plastic or cast stone/resin?

Hi Dave, you having a few problems? I've just tried to look back at the photographs you added to your gallery to try see exactly what you've done but they're no longer there apart from one - have you deleted the others? To begin with could you explain fully what you mean by 'I've soldered all the joints'. Have you soldered a bonding wire across the join or actually soldered the join itself? What problems were you having with the troublesome points and what points are they? (make etc) Do the vans derail only at a certain place or are they coming off the rails at random places? It might be helpful to carefully watch as you manually push a wagon slowly along the track and try to see just where it's coming off and why. Start right back at the beginning and look for the obvious things. Are your feed and return wires from your controller to the track correctly wired to the opposite rails? There's always the possibility that you might get them mixed up if you aren't using colour coded wires. What sort of controller are you using and is it up to the job? Do you have a 'multimeter' or similar tool that will allow you to check for continuity along the track? See if you can add some photos to help us get a better picture of what's going on. I'll help as much as I can. Mick

This isn't an outdoor model railway, this is serious major construction! And I thought what I was doing was expensive - this build must have cost a small fortune. A few decking boards and breeze blocks now looks comparatively cheap!

Not sure what I was looking at originally, but I happened to stumble upon this website that advertises Garden Railway Products manufactured from recycled plastics. The products are actually intended for the larger scales but I'm sure that some of them would be suitable for OO gauge too and could be adapted for use. With all the problems associated with the use of timber outdoors and the need to protect it from the elements it seems only logical that a plastic alternative be used instead. It's not as cheap as the corresponding sized timber product but it should pose fewer problems in the long term.

Good to hear of some progress and looking forward to seeing it just as soon as you can get some video sorted. I'm also looking forward to hearing the class 33 as it's a class of loco that I don't have in my collection and I'm a fan of the Howes sounds. Regarding the MK1's, although I've had my own share of problems with the couplings it's usually been derailments rather than any instance of them uncoupling. If you're still using the standard couplings then I'd say it's the track rather than the couplings that's causing them to come apart. I've found on some other stock that even the slightest dip in track level, even if only for a couple of inches or so, is sufficient to cause wagons and coaches to uncouple. I've seen it stated on other online forums that the Dynamis can be troublesome outdoors, especially in bright sunlight. I'm not familiar with the Dynamis but from reading Roy's response I assume the handset communicates with the control box wirelessly and that it's that signal which causes problems outdoors. Does it have the option of a wire connection as Roy suggests? I can see that a wireless connection would be the preferred choice as from my own experience it would make things so much easier. I'm looking at incorporating some extension sockets into my Prodigy controller so that I have a choice of operating position.

What plans do you have for the railway room? Is that something you'll be adding shortly or something for later? Do you find it easy enough to keep an eye on what's going on? My layout's a good deal smaller than yours but even so I can't watch over all of it all the time, especially if there are more than a couple of trains in motion at the time. In fact I soon get confused and panicky if there's too much happening at once. One of the videos I made yesterday, the one showing the front on view of the 37 with the camera being towed along by another loco, actually took me 7 minutes to get both locos started together. It's all on film too, me getting flustered because I wanted the class 37 loco to start off on speed step one but each time, instead of pressing the + key to advance the speed control, I pressed the numerical 1 key (function switch) and turned off the bloomin sound! I'd go through the whole routine again and then do the exact same thing. I did get there in the end.

You weren't kidding about the number of photos Roy - is there any aspect of it that you haven't photographed? Excellent blow by blow account and testament to the hard work you've clearly put in to the project. I'm wondering just what effect it's going to have on the environment with all that timber - oh my, the rain forests..... I'm just happy I can get away with a lot less bother over here!

I've had some success in the past hour or so with the video uploads. Yes, I've been at it almost all of the afternoon and well into the evening. You wouldn't want to know what I've had to do to get here but suffice to say that I've now returned to Windows 'Live' Movie Maker running under Windows 7 in an effort to get some respectable uploaded video. Having just got accustomed to working in Movie Director I'm having to find my way around Movie Maker again but at least the test video's I have uploaded most recently appear to run smoother than before. I can't decide whether the quality of the final footage has suffered but they don't look too bad. So, in order to keep this thread from becoming clogged up with my 'mini camera' experiences I've started a thread elsewhere for that purpose only and will just post the odd video here as applicable.

I knew something would scupper my plans for the day. Whilst the quality of the recorded video from the mini keyring camera is of good quality, when it is uploaded to YouTube it doesn't play back smoothly. I'm currently having another try at it with some different settings and as the production of the actual video appears to be so cpu intensive I'm posting this entry from another computer to give it all the space it needs! I'd love to get back outdoors but now I can't settle until I've got this worked out. It's hardly worth having a decent mini camera if you can't get decent playback once it's uploaded.

13 days after placing the order my new 'High Definition' keyring camera has finally arrived from Singapore. How on earth am I supposed to get anything done when there's always a new toy to play with? The camera comes complete with a USB cable and a car charger as well as a chain to attach it to your keyring and some brief instructions. Not a lot but there's no need for anything else. The instructions suffice, especially if you've followed the link to the video review of this camera provided by IanR of the Kirkfield and Warmthorpe railway. I've even managed to follow the instruction provided on the distributor website and removed the annoying date/time stamp without any problems. But enough of what's what, how does it perform and how does it compare to my previous mini cameras? Well, I'll upload some example footage shortly but take it from me, for £24 including postage from Hong Kong you simply cannot go wrong. It works, it's simplicity to operate and the quality of the recorded footage for the price is simply amazing. Filming moving model trains isn't easy when the camera is perched upon a small moving platform that's certainly not stable. It's a low angle which creates lots of movement but this camera manages very well indeed. There is a degree of fluidity, like a wrippling water effect at some points but it certainly doesn't detract too much from the finished product. Colours are rich and vibrant. The integral microphone picks up nearby sounds so that the sound of the propelling loco can be heard well and without any interference. However, the sound of a following loco approximately four feet distant isn't audible - you'll see that later in some of my footage. The proof of the pudding is in the eating so I'd better get some video put together for you to judge for yourself - be back soon!

I agree that the Hornby Tornado is priced low to attract a higher volume of sales and doubtless in train set guise it will do so. However, in competition against the already available Bachmann model the standard Hornby version has already lost a high number of potential buyers - I have the Bachmann version of Tornado which I think is superb and am very unlikely to want the Hornby version too however low it is priced. So, a brand new model of Tornado is to be made available by Hornby at an extremely low cost. How come that other entirely new models and the majority of re-releases are priced much higher? I guess that's why we are being asked to pay upwards of £40 for a coach and (in the case of the ubiquitous MGR wagon) upwards of £20 for a single 4-wheel wagon! The model railway market is now highly competitive and it's becoming somewhat fierce at the top. Take for example the Dapol/Hattons model of the LMS twins announced last year - they are currently priced at approx £124 on the Hattons website. Now along come Bachmann/Rails with the announcement that they too are to release models of the same locos, only at around £25-£35 cheaper. Where does that leave Dapol/Hattons? It's a shame that such a welcomed venture by a leading retailer and a top RTR manufacturer should be almost scuppered by their respective competitors. In these times of financial restraint, unless the Dapol/Hattons version is released very soon to generate those initial sales it's bound to lose out big time without a drastic reduction in the listed prices. Anyway, that's somewhat off-topic but in my opinion Hornby, with their model of Tornado, will certainly attract the attention of the train set market with their version of Tornado - that's what they're good at and it's why they have become an household name. Needless duplication, as in the case of the B1, isn't of great benefit to the market in general although it may help keep prices of that model to a minimum, but Tornado with its potential for high volume train set sales is a slightly different proposition. And yes, today's models from almost all the major manufacturers are to a very high standard indeed.

Here's the video now that it's finally uploaded. Just a couple of Bachmann 47s running round and round for most of the day. The two late evening shots are a bit grainy but different and I'm going to keep working on Charlie's wave! a9VeC9aPD5M

Today has been the nicest day of the year so far in my opinion and although I've had a few trains running I've been concentrating my time on a spot of garden tidying. Having seen examples of some other OO gauge garden railways I've decided that I need to make mine look more like a railway. There's a need for bridges and/or tunnels to break up the long plain straights and plenty of scope for some additional lineside planting. The top end of the garden beyond the larger curve has always been a favourite spot of mine for capturing videos of the trains but it's been allowed to get so overgrown that's it's been nigh impossible to use it lately. I've now cleared a large section and dug it over so that some proper planting can take place. Not sure exactly what I'll be putting in there but the spade was a good place to start. I'm not sure if it was anything to do with the weather but the 2 trains I left running whilst I had the spade in my hands ran really smoothly today and without a hitch. I also made use of my recently installed point motors which worked faultlessly. When I did finally get the chance to 'play' I took a few minutes of video footage and I've just spent some time putting a short movie together and getting it ready for uploading to Youtube. It's nothing different but does show some better views - as well as some night-time shots. It'll be uploaded shortly.

I'm pestered with bird droppings too Dave. In fact almost exactly one year ago (11th April 2010) this is what I was faced with: http://www.selbygardenrailway.co.uk/images/views/IMG_3490.jpg' alt='URL>'> The birds perch on the conifers that run alongside the boundary fence but at least it's not quite as bad this year. If I remember correctly I had to take a bucket of warm water and swill it all off. Perhaps lopping off any overhanging branches might help or failing that you might have to resort to some kind of cover as Roy suggests.

A superb series of how to's with some splendid illustrative photos and a lot of helpful tips thrown in along the way. I'm sure this will be of great interest to a lot of potential garden railway modellers. Thanks for taking the time to upload everything. Looking forward to seeing how it all comes together.

I might just do that today to see if that's the case. What's amazing is that I can throw them singly straight after each other so the CDU must obviously recharge instantly. The clue I think is in the fact that Peco sell those linking bars - I really did wonder what the 'point' of those was - perhaps I know now. Hmm, I'm beginning to understand the logic behind the CDU. I thought it was just for extra power but it does obviously provide a lot of protection for the point motors - especially if they work along the lines as the one I am experiencing. There's no way any motor can receive anything but a short burst of power.