Rossi

Mark, I'll probably hang onto the "King" and let it rest in the back of the engine shed for a while. Problem over here is, that we have no model shops as such (railways) so any rebuilds/spares are always taken from whats at the back of the shed so to speak. The wear and tear of outdoor running can be demanding, especially (luckily weather-wise) as mine does it in more or less daily doses. I have a Lima "Western" diesel which has a burnt out motor. In the back of my mind I'm looking at the King motor. Mmm!!!!

Just a quick PS. Roddy: read the bumf on the Bullfrog stuff. Looks as though that is the way to go maybe. Looks pricey at first glance, but you have a jar of the stuff on hand and lasts a few years in the bottle. Good light-hearted promo from Peters spares!!!

Traction tyres on tender: Opposite side of where you'll see the cogs and brass pick-up strip on wheels. Spent a couple of hours trying to rectify the "No Motion" of engine driving wheels. I suspect it is actually down to lack of weight in the engine. It is extremely light. Maybe some weight has gone missing over the years. By strategically placing some lead weight on top of the engine, the motion starts moving. Not sure whether the project is worth all the effort. About the Bullfrog Snot...No idea. Must have been some meeting around the table of executives to come up with that name.(After a liquid lunch maybe?)

Hi Mark, This is the engine.

Full service over the festive period. 2016-01-02 11.24.36.jpg[/attachment] Wishing all members a Happy New Year. And a bit of sepia nostalgia to the 60's!!! Wishing all members a Happy New Year.

Foreign visitor to the railway. Adds a bit of colour though.

yeah...the budgies. Funny, we never hear them because it's pretty constant.Seemed like a good idea at the time after the canaries. Still, we flog the babies to the local pet shop & the funds go to the railway...or in truth a meal out-LOL. What you see of the railway is all of it. Nowhere near as big as some on here. Main station area has a roof over it (bottom of terrace). Part of the day shaded, which helps. Plus side: track cleaning takes 5 minutes.

Hi Mart, Got a couple of those Train_Tech modules a few months back and yes they do the job. I thought they were a little too quiet at first but now think any louder & we'd upset the neighbours! On reflection it probably is scale sound. Put this video on some other page... Surprising how quickly the batteries run out though. (Think it's a couple of hours). You forget how time flies when having fun.

Always this idea:

Baimor, forget the five mile garden. Remember the track cleaning job!

Colours? Added some more girders recently and decided to match them all up colour wise. Well, not got round to the job...decided to run some trains, like you do!

Snippet of video showing the class 24 up and running after the water event. All's well that ends well. Safety barrier now screwed into place on viaduct (not glued) and Cyril is no longer traumatised/traumatized.

Well, not exactly a bucket of water, but close enough. The safety barrier on the viaduct had fallen into disrepair a month or so ago and the usual apathy took place of "I'll get round to fixing that soon..." Now fixed. The class 24 with six trucks entered the tunnel area when that dreaded noise of a derailment. "Let's see if it tows it out" I said, standing at the other end of the layout. Then disaster as the guards van dug into the track on the outward bend, subsequently dragging the train away from the rails. "Was that food dropping into Cyrils tank?" said fat Cat. Well you guessed. The Class 24 dropped off the viaduct, straight into Cyril the Turtle's tank. "What was that splash?" The only thing I can say on reflection is that the water splash was better than hitting the stone tiles.Or hoped for with fingers crossed. The day was spent drying out the 24 and leaving it to bask in the sun. Next day the real test. She ran as though nothing had happened. So, water or concrete tiles? Obviously the water, even though there may still be a slight smell of turtle on the class 24 diesel. Put her on the fish train later in the day!

Oh! The intrigue. Why was I grateful for my class 24 to be submerged in a bucket of water? Answer later this week.

Good news today. The arrival of repaired Standard tank engine. Hattons couldn't replace it (8 months after purchase) but then Bachmann reckoned it was a faulty motor causing all the stop/start workings, so replaced the motor (under guarantee) and all's well.

Never known it before...Rain in August.(Couple of hours anyway). Good news is, it will get rid of all the dust which I thought I'd have to tackle after the sand storms. 47 about to be moved under the canopy. Cover boards in place over point work. Dust about to be shifted (hopefully) As I'm typing I can see the clouds moving. Probably a run this afternoon. Rain always make the place smell fresh. (Not too much though).

First it was viaducts, then windmills. Now it seems knee pads are the in thing. Can't say much myself. If you scan my last few photos you'll see cushions scattered about the debris (sorry-rebuild). Wonderful for the knees!!!

Roddy, I think most of us on here have been exactly where you are. Garden railways are not easy to manage; a couple of neglected weeks and Mother nature strides in, unlike the garage/loft railway that only acquires a layer of dust. I feel slightly humbled that my efforts have given you a new lease of inspiration but thank you anyway. If you sift through my pages, you'll find that I have constantly battled what the elements have thrown at me. My railway is nowhere near perfection, I still get derails/uncouplings etc, and sometimes can find no reason for them. (Well, perhaps in truth, it's mostly down to uneven track, however much time I've spent eyeing up the gradients!) We're probably blessed with better running conditions here in the Canaries than the UK and so regular running does help to keep away oncoming problems. I can only say that all the effort has been worth it. Nothing better than being able to sit back and watch a goods train idle around the circuit whilst partaking with a nice cool beer/wine/cup of tea. All worth the effort. Rossi

Tony...the church! Might prove costly 'cos the parts are in numbers 71/73 and 75 plus we assembled it only to find that some small parts are to follow. So, 4 editions works out a bit steep for one item.

Cheers Andrew. Yes, it's one "take" as they say, no edits. What you see is how the railway performs and I try to get something running most days even if it's only a couple of circuits. Now everything has settled down (I.E. builders work finished) we'll be trotting down to the garden centre to refurbish, plus, as I said, a bit (lot) of paintwork.

Put a video out of the railway as it is at the moment after the big rip-up. Not much has changed apart from straightened platforms & some new track laid. Salvaged quite a lot actually. A tub of paint wont go amiss either on certain parts!

So, a bit of progress...at last. Main thing is trains running, and I made it by the skin of my teeth! (See previous comments) Track laid.Some varnished and sand/gravel added.Noticed on the pixs that the back wall will be in for a repaint soon. Been there for about 4/5 years now, so can't grumble. A few alterations to station track and new platforms in. Now a lot straighter than the curved ones from before. All the scenics need to be done around this area but as I say, trains running. Well done Mick with the new look. Seems ok.

Jim...all part of the great outdoors. If you sift through my old pages you'll see that I gave up on DCC and reverted back to DC. Horses for courses, but it works for me.It depends what you want from your system. PS. I've given up wondering what the neighbours think. One's Ukranian the other Austrian...And they're always asking if the kids can come round. "NO, It's for adults only!!!!"

A bit of headway after traumatic times! Back section now in place for hidden track and for scenic development. Covers on hinges for easy access. Took the decision to buy these new fangled composite boards. Feels like heavy duty plastic but the Spanish translation was wood and plastic mix!!! Anyway...maybe an end to the WARPS. So, the old station obviously no more but a new beginning hopefully this week. The aim is to try and get something up and running for friends arriving this week...well, tomorrow actually.

Talking of salvage Griff. But the builders have got a bit of a move on. View of the terrace debris from the relatively untouched (apart from dust) top balcony. Seems a good place to be at the moment!