Thursday 17th December

Worklist:
Continue testing track
Form yard siding extension
Complete plastering of tunnel interior

The layout was set-up and Laurence supplied some loco's for testing. One diesel in particular caught Stephen's attention - one he wasn't familiar with. It ran 'alright', but was occasionally a little 'tardy' and even seemed to disobey the direction it was sent. Geoff overheard his misgivings and asked if it was a DCC enabled loco, which Laurence denied, then queried himself. However, the letters DCC on the bottom gave it away. Geoff explained that DCC loco's displayed exactly the features noted when run on standard analogue powered track. As the loco was unlikely to run in DCC mode it was suggested the chip be removed and replaced with a blanking-chip, which Geoff supplied. After replacement, the loco performed perfectly!

During a previous running session, Stephen had expressed concern about retrieving wagons from the yard siding as it was easy to become 'trapped' between the buffer and magnet. As there was a road beyond, he suggested an extension be formed across the road. Geoff wasn't too enthusiastic about having such an unprototypical feature, but suggested the track run up to the long wall, with an arch and a pair of dummy doors. All agreed, and he got on with the job.

Rails across the road

Overview

A plasticard arch and trial piers. Only small loco's would go into the house grounds.

Stephen progressed with his work on the tunnel interior, which needed additional areas of plaster before it could be painted. Once applied, the set of led lights were tested. These had been made-up several months previously, in fact, probably just after last Christmas, as they were Wilkinson Christmas decorations! The wires had been twisted together and painted black. The led surrounds were painted to reduce the size of each 'bulb'. Only about half were needed and they were mounted on a scale 'plank', to be fixed to the wall side, once the tunnel was painted. These lights will be powered from the new DC supply, and via a voltage regulator and switch - the first use of the power feed.

Tunnel mouth

Thursday 10th December

Worklist:
Fit a new switch in the controller
Run trains and check the track
Enjoy a Christmas lunch!

The ECM hand-held controller comes with a three position direction switch (on-off-on). The centre-off position has caught us all out, right from the start, causing some annoyance to operators searching for faults when the switch was in 'neutral'. Stephen sourced an on-on switch, which Geoff swapped over. Throughout the subsequent running session, we all agreed it was a great modification.

We then turned to track testing. We're still finding sections of track where back-to-back, stray ballast, rail mis-alignments etc causing issues with running. We try and employ a wide range of stock and loco's and this week was no exception.

Backman HO diesel shunter with new cab and detailing - L

Ruston (Roy Link?) - L

Simplex and etched brass coach kit - L

Geoff's 'Boxcab' Bo-Bo diesel on a Bachman HO GE44 chassis. The original loco's were used by Ford in the USA and three Britsh Thomson Houston Company versions at Dagenham, UK. Geoff's loco is based on further BTH designs that were prepared for a new variation, but never produced. The surviving BTH loco is preserved on the Kent & East Sussex Railway.

BTH boxcab information
KESR stocklist

Gn15 battery loco - plasticard body an a Tenshodo Spud chassis - S

Finally, the 'oddities' were joined by Laurence's O-16.5mm Decauville.

We then adjourned for Christmas lunch at a nearby pub! 

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Gn15, as the name implies, is G scale modelling on 15" gauge track. Scales of 1:22.5 and 1:24 are used. Below is the loco on a small display board, which uses code 125 flat-bottom rail with Peco track spikes, on timber sleepers. After experimentation, On3 Kadee couplers were chosen, being part-way between the Cottesmore/Worton Court standard gauge HO and O gauge fittings. The figure is Toryn Farr - from Star Wars, which is very well detailed and articulated.

For more information on the model see:

http://belfieldengineering.weebly.com/stock.html

Thursday 3rd December 2015

Worklist:
Practice assembling the layout
Continue to test the layout by playing trains

Setting up went well. We forgot to plug the loom in first, but the new supports allowed us to fit the loom with the layout down. We also re-drilled the holes for the storage board bolts and made a plywood end support.

Before we got running, Stephen suggested we fit two power lights (LED's) on the control panel, for the DC and AC power supplies. Geoff found two 5mm LED's, suitable resistors and a diode. The LED's were mounted on the panel front and wired up. A great reassurance when things weren't running.

Stephen got his £10 loco running first. Geoff was keen to test his new trackwork, but running onto the relevant section, a short occurred. Geoff had anticipated that somewhere in the old trackwork, there was a section gap and this was confirmed. A new break was cut and test running continued. We worked on until lunchtime scraping ballast, checking clearances etc. After lunch, Stephen and Laurence got more stock out and more playing ensued.

Geoff mixed up some paint and touched-up all of the unpainted and badly painted sleepers.

We came to the conclusion that some form of protection on the end of the storage cassettes was required. Our first thought was for an extension to the board, but then turned to hinged end-caps. We have some 2.5mm plastic, which Geoff will experiment with.

The siding became a problem at one point, where stock was trapped between the buffers and magnet. Stephen had proposed having an extension across the road, for interest and to alleviate the problem. Geoff countered saying that it was not a realistic solution, but proposed that a gate be provided in the wall intimating that the railway continued beyond. Proposal agreed, the buffers were removed.

Stephen's Peco timber bolsters with new pit props, pulled by a Laurence freelance diesel

The returning empty bolsters

The tunnel needs 'finishing off'

A Laurence Simplex with Stephen's Peco van, scratch WD van, scratch GVT brakevan and 'Mikes' crane on a pair of Peco flat wagons

Stephen's freelance 0-4-0 loco (plasticard on a Fleischman chassis), Brakevan - a stretched/converted Peco van, peco open wagons. The crane wagin pulled by a Laurence scratch diesel.