Barry's havering

[Clay Mills Junction]

As well as starting on the railway, I don't have a lot to update on. I did, on an impulse, book on to the upcoming Cumbrian mountain rail tour on LSL's Scotrail livery push-pull stock behind Crewe Diesel Preservation Group's 47712 Lady Diana Spencer. I think I've said before that the Hornby model of 47712 in 1981 was my first locomotive. I have two more models of her now. I started life travelling on these sets so it will be a trip back in time for me and my Dad.

[Clay Mills Junction]

The video editor in Windows seems to have finally been removed by stealth in an update. However, the replacement, Clipchamp seems OK but is also an online app.

[Clay Mills Junction]

So an interesting evening, started with a bang, literally!

A thunderstorm, the most violent I've ever witnessed and demonstrated by the sheer number of strikes in the area on the tracking app, hit within metres of the house. I thought the bang was inside and the thunder was immediate but it was only because I'd left the back door open for air.
Although it only knocked out the electricity for a split second, it has knocked out my internet. The phone line still has a dial tone, so I'll have to get that reported tomorrow.

[Clay Mills Junction]

So I've bought a pair of the new release TRSB coaches for the APT set. As put in the GlenDollar thread, my intention was to sell one on and make a 2-PC-5 rake. With the opportunity to take some photos of it while I have the set, it would be rude not to.

I was tempted not to try to sell it having looked at it on the window sill, but looking at the photo I took in the garden in the summer, it'll be too long. My intention was that everything I run will fit through the inner line of the loop with the exception of the HST set, that means the APT can be max 8 cars total.

APTs generally ran as two sets together, a full set would be 7 cars:
Driving Trailer Standard - Trailer Standard - Trailer restaurant standard buffet - Trailer unclassified - Trailer First - Trailer Buffet(?) First - Non driving Motor.

A 14-car train would therefore be two sets with the NDMs connected. It seems, from research, that the number of times 2 full sets ran together was actually pretty limited. The reality was that, in service, mostly they ran as one full set and a short set. The short set would be minimum DTS-TBF-NDM but could have a TRSB. Making them 10 or 11-car trains. I can't see may times they ran without the second NDM except in testing.

A model railway is only ever a representation of a real train, we try to get as close as we can but there will always be compromises. So with that in mind, here are some photos of different configurations with what I have.

Symmetrical 4-PC-4

3-PC-5

As I'll run it 2-PC-5

[Clay Mills Junction]

I haven't posted anything for a while. To be honest, the last 2 years have been a challenge with parents health and I've spent a lot of time with them and travelling. Basically trying to look after 2 houses and gardens while still working. Railways have taken a back seat both in my garden and at Dad's. 

There are a lot of models on pre-order though so maybe that will inspire some progress next summer.

On order between us: Accurascale 37420 and Mk2 TSOT, Heljan 47492, Revolution OO class 320, Bachmann class 314 (both Strathclyde orange and black).

I'm hoping to get some time over Christmas to work on Dad's layout. I could really do with installing 4 point motors and then create the mimic panel to show routes. I've decided the arduino route looks a bit too much so I'm going to try every LED with its own little set of transistors. Probably an inefficient way of doing it and agricultural by modern standards but at least it'll be visual how everything works. I'm talking about 3 not gates and 7 and gates to make the panel.

  

Edited November 21, 2025 by Clay Mills Junction