traingeekboy Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 If I knew where to buy one I'd buy mince pies too; although I have never had one the name sounds very tasty. Blue foam it's kind of a standard over here for building light weight train stuff. I'll have to take a picture of the N scale layout that now lies abandoned, it's all blue foam covered with real dirt mixed with glue. If you just start the bridge project it'll get done sooner. It's the starting that's hard most times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 15, 2011 Author Share Posted September 15, 2011 I had one at tea time and I can assert with great certaininty that mince piues are indeed most tasty! I know if I start it'll get done sooner, but I've just finished a review of a range of 1/285 (wargames call this 6mm) Napoleonic Russian miniatures (the generals and one-piece artillery are are particularly excellent!) and I've got a new sci-fi wargame and a 're-visioning' of the old Advanced Fighting Fantasy RPG to complete before I can start! A scale-model geek's chores are never done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traingeekboy Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Oh napoleonics sounds fun. I used to have the system seven sets. I tried to get my buddies to play it, but one of them wasn't familiar with napoleonics and put his troops in columns and advance up up ravines in dense formation. I guess the counters didn't convey the fact that each unit was hundreds of men to him, he just treated it as wwii style games. The game lasted about 3 turns before his troops got decimated by artillery and musket fire. Neer was able to get my friends to try it again. Is that RPG anything like TFT steve jackson games? I played a lot of that back in the day. We mixed it with Empire of the Petal Throne, it was fantastically bizarre and fun. So what is the sci-fi game? I guess I'll have to go peek at the new issue when it comes out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 16, 2011 Author Share Posted September 16, 2011 I'll reply on the 'other scale modelling' thread, as we're moving away from teh subject of my layout here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traingeekboy Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Oh yeah, This is the "Dave's Layout" thread, and not the "Dave's cool stuff" thread. ha ha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 18, 2011 Author Share Posted September 18, 2011 Having said I didn't plan to do much else, I have covered both ends of my layout with rooding felt as we've had good weather over the weekend - with only the occassional heavy thunder shower! But I was fortunate and didn't get caught out at any point whilst I was attaching the felt. No photos now as the light has gone rather funny this evening, but I've got a couple of days off this week so I'll try take a photo in the next couple of days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick Posted September 18, 2011 Share Posted September 18, 2011 Sounds like things are progressing nicely Dave and the application of roofing felt is a good indication that we'll be seeing some movement shortly. Now if only I could say the same for my own Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 20, 2011 Author Share Posted September 20, 2011 Dad is coming down to visit tomorrow and he says he's bought me a couple of packs of track pins for my birthday - which is tomorrow - but don't ask how old I am, I'm old enough not to be bothered anymore! So I guess I might be laying some track tomorrow after Dad gets here! Anyone got any warnings of advice on using track pins? I don't think I've used them since an aborted 2x4 foot N gauge layout I started with my Dad as a kid,. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyR Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Hi Dave, I have been using track pins on my railway and have had a pretty good experience. I have found them a bit fiddly though. I will say I made a bit of a mess of the tip of my thumb, maybe my skin is too soft! I have been pushing them in so they are just upright then tapping them gently with a small light hammer. Once they are through the sleeper I then tap them in multiple times rather than one big whack. I bent quite a few at the start before learning my lesson! To avoid hitting the track I use the flat side of the hammer for the last few taps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanR Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I use 10mm and sometimes 12mm fine brass pins as used by ship modellers. I push them into the sleeper ends with fine nose pliers and then push them home with a pin push. Both brass pins and pin pushes are available from Cornwall Model Boats and similar retailers. Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 Thanks for the advice chaps Made much progress today, with help from my Dad this morning. Yesterday, I built a simple temporary bridge, and by the time it went dark this evening we had laid a complete loop, with two points that will lead off to a future extension into a future shed - although Dad had to leave just after lunch, so he's not been able to see it all, yet. I also ran out of fishplates, which I am using temporarily for electrical connectivity - but soldering will begin in the near future! Dad bought me the chunky black hornby track pins, which I'd been thinking of using anyway. For each pin, I pre-drilled 1mm pilot holes with my dremmel into the target sleeper and the felt and ply underneath, then a couple of taps with the pin hammer to secure it before I used a small clout nail upside down as a make-do punch with a couple more taps on the 'sharp' end of the nail with the hammer. Seems to have worked pretty well, and I remembered Mick's advice about not hammering them down too hard so that the sleepers don't deform What really shocked me most, though, was that the first circuit I ran around with my little LNER tank and a couple of cattle wagons was a clean run and I left it running a couple of dozen more circuits whilst I cleared away all of my tools as it went dark. Needless to say I am now well chuffed (pun intended) as I can honestly declare that I have a functional model railway in my garden now! Of course, more remains to be done!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Dave You should find that the fishplates will maintain electrical continuity for quite some time before they start to fail, and even then, on a complete loop you're going to need more than one to fail before you get any problems. That said, the sooner you can get the joints electrically bonded the better and it'll certainly be better doing them sooner rather than waiting until later and into the colder months! That first running over a completed loop gives you a great deal of satisfaction - at least it did with me. It's great just to be able to set a train running and watch it going round and round without having to stand over it ready to put the stoppers on when it nears the end of the line. From a few posts in the ground up to having a train completing a full circuit, you've certainly come a fair way in very quick time. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all looks now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 23, 2011 Author Share Posted September 23, 2011 Well, I got some more video this evening as Dad has lent me his video camera. The kids helped me have a running session, so we had some odd combinations out there! I'll try and get another video up this weekend. I was concerned at first as Thomas wouldn't go at the start of the session, and I inspected the whole track until I got to the power connector and realised it wasn't plugged together properly, D'oh! With luck, I'll get another session this weekend and perhaps even have chance to figure why my Scotsman doesn't seem to be running very well. I suspect I need to clean the wheels, but I'll find out soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traingeekboy Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Congratulations. Big day on the layout. Thanks for the info on how you attached your track as I am about to do same. I look forward to video of the initial runs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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