Belgian MPD

[Neils WRX]

On 09/12/2023 at 09:02, Neil said:

 

I'm sure that I have read somewhere (on the internet) of others experiencing wifi issues at exhibitions where home use was faultless. The thought was the cause might be interferance from other layouts in the hall also using wifi. Sorry I can't offer any more as I'm no expert in either dcc or wifi.

I actually fitted a wired handset to get round this loco control was fine it was the point control and route setting I now need to fix. 
 

Will have a think before it’s next outing, which is in June 24 at Elderslie.

 

Thanks, 

 

Neil

Edited December 11, 2023 by Neils WRX

[bluedepot]

excellent video you just put on youtube neil!

 

happy christmas

 

tim

[Neils WRX]

Happy Christmas!!!

 

Here is the video from the Virtual Exhibition yesterday.

 

Something a bit different, hope you enjoy it.

Thanks,

 

Neil

[Neils WRX]

Happy New Year!!!
 

Happy New Year everyone. Luckily I have a loco numbered 2024 so that gave an obvious excuse for the new year message….

 

 

 

 

Just before Christmas I added a chance purchase of a Van Biervliet class 25/0. I saw a post on FB on a random Model Railway group of the window of the Menzels shop and they had the locomotive at a sale price so emailed the shop and it was on its way to the U.K. shortly after.

 

As expected I had to pay VAT to have it delivered. On putting the locomotive on the track it moved for about 50cm and stopped. 

 

It transpired the plastic balls (which connect to the Cardenshaft) at the top of the bogie gear towers had become loose. Following a bit of research it seems this is a very common fault. Menzels were happy to refund the locomotive purchase price but obviously I’d have to try and get the VAT back. They didn’t have another locomotive to exchange it with.

 

The internet suggested supergluing the balls back on which at least gave me a working locomotive again. The long term solution is to replace the bit with a Roco part which I will probably do in due course. 

 

 

 

One final arrival for 2023 was yet another 62 this time in Locon orange livery.  The loco is on the shed for repairs from its Dutch owners. 9802 was formally ACTS 6702, before that it was SNCB 6325. The locomotive will be fitted with LED lights in due course.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

[Keith Addenbrooke]

On 02/01/2024 at 19:51, Neils WRX said:

One final arrival for 2023 was yet another 62 this time in Locon orange livery.  The loco is on the shed for repairs from its Dutch owners. 9802 was formally ACTS 6702, before that it was SNCB 6325. The locomotive will be fitted with LED lights in due course.

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

 

Hi Neil, this looks remarkably like a loco I was keeping my eye on on the pre-owned eBay website of a well-known UK retailer recently.  If it is indeed the one, niceto know it’s gone to the right home.  Looking forward to more in 2024: always good to read and watch your updates here, Keith.

[Neils WRX]

1 hour ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

 

Hi Neil, this looks remarkably like a loco I was keeping my eye on on the pre-owned eBay website of a well-known UK retailer recently.  If it is indeed the one, niceto know it’s gone to the right home.  Looking forward to more in 2024: always good to read and watch your updates here, Keith.

 

Hi Keith,

 

I’m guessing it is… I’m a bit of a sucker for 62’s….

 

Cheers,

 

Neil

[swisspeat]

This layout appears in the Feb 24 issue of the excellent magazine Modelspoormagazine.

 

Well done Neil!

 

And you made the front cover....

 

 

Peter

Edited January 25 by swisspeat

[Neils WRX]

8 hours ago, swisspeat said:

This layout appears in the Feb 24 issue of the excellent magazine Modelspoormagazine.

 

Well done Neil!

 

And you made the front cover....

 

 

Peter

I know really chuffed!!!!

 

 

:-) :-)

 

[Neils WRX]

Magazine Arrives

 

Train Miniature Magazine has arrived :-)

 

Really impressed with how my little layout looks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

 Neil 

[Neils WRX]

Photos 
 

Just a few pictures for this update.

 

9101 on 3 x4 wheel tankers

5505 on the Fuel point 

Green diesels by BBC a Roco

 

Finally I’ve printed the magazine cover off and it’s on the wall!!

Hopefully next update something will have happened!!

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

[long island jack]

It's little things like getting our layouts in the model mags, that make all the work we do seem worth it, well done

[Neils WRX]

Quick update, went to ModelRail Scotland on Friday as punter rather than an exhibitor (never had an invite).

 

Enjoyed the exhibition and brought a few odds and ends but no rolling stock.

 

Thought it was an excellent exhibition and foreign layout wise liked the TT Czech layout (which is starting to give me ideas), as well as the Swiss Twins. Neither of which I’d seen before. 

 

Was a bit disappointed with Eastfield, very impressive to look at but not much moving (on Friday), Wellpark and Gresty Bridge were excellent as always.

 

One purchase I did make was a DCConcepts Alpha meter which I can use on both layouts as I’m going to put it in a Tupperware box.

 

The peak power usage seems to be when I change routes on the Z21 and the point motors activate. Not sure what it tells me, I have seem a peak amps of about 1.2-1.3 amps, although normally this sits around the 0.8 mark which is well within the Z21 capacity.

 

Here’s a picture to make the post more interesting…

 

Mehano 2633

 

 

5205 by Roco 

 

 

5541 by Marklin 

 

Also earlier this year added sound to my other 44 railcar (forgot to post this so it never happened….)

 

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

Edited February 27 by Neils WRX

[Neils WRX]

First update for a month or so.

 

One new addition 2863 by Piko, model came from Lippe and I used some vouchers I got at Christmas.

A few random other pictures from the Facebook Page.

 

7617 by Piko 

513-10 by ESU

1502 by LS Models

5102 & 5183 by Mehano 

5931 by Van Biervliet 

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

[John Tomlinson]

On 25/03/2024 at 22:36, Neils WRX said:

First update for a month or so.

 

One new addition 2863 by Piko, model came from Lippe and I used some vouchers I got at Christmas.

A few random other pictures from the Facebook Page.

 

7617 by Piko 

513-10 by ESU

1502 by LS Models

5102 & 5183 by Mehano 

5931 by Van Biervliet 

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

 

I'm pleased to have found this layout, and enjoyed watching some of the videos.

 

I wish I'd done more in Belgium back in the day. A few of the ADL "Along Different Lines" tours and shed trips, plus a bit of linesiding for photography. The latter focused mainly on Athus - Meuse, and seemed like jolly hard work for not much traffic. This was in the late '90's, and although full freight timetables were available (IIRC in Lok-Report, or maybe Today's Railways), they seemed mainly to be honoured in the breach!

 

Happy days nonetheless, and I shall follow this thread with interest.

 

John.

 

John.

Edited April 12 by John Tomlinson

[Neils WRX]

2 hours ago, John Tomlinson said:

 

I'm pleased to have found this layout, and enjoyed watching some of the videos.

 

I wish I'd done more in Belgium back in the day. A few of the ADL "Along Different Lines" tours and shed trips, plus a bit of linesiding for photography. The latter focused mainly on Athus - Meuse, and seemed like jolly hard work for not much traffic. This was in the late '90's, and although full freight timetables were available (IIRC in Lok-Report, or maybe Today's Railways), they seemed mainly to be honoured in the breach!

 

Happy days nonetheless, and I shall follow this thread with interest.

 

John.

 

John.

John,

 

Glad you like the layout.

 

I must confess to have spent far to long in Belgium in the 1990’s…..

[Neils WRX]

More additions…

 

A second 91 0-4-0 shunter has joined the roster, this one has extended buffer beams, numbered 9136. The only issue is I need to source some very long shaft kadee couplings.

 

 

And a video of it moving:

 

Now for something different, a Vossloh E4000 in Europorte livery, I umm’d and aaarr’d about buying this. The model is by Sudexpress a new manufacturer for me. I have found photographic evidence of this specific example 4002 working in Belgium so that was enough!!

 

 

The model came without sound so I fitted a Loksound v5 decoder and used the ESU sound file

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

[Neils WRX]

Less than 2 weeks until the Elderslie Show. That’s the only booking the layout has. I’m planning to operate the late 1990’s / early 2000’s at that show.

 

One gimmick I might operate is 5404 with smoke on:

 

One update LS Models 1306 now has sound, this is by DLOC567.

 

One second hand addition 8217 by Piko, I brought the loco as it was a number I didn’t have. 
 

 

The locomotive came DCC fitted, but the lights didn’t work, so opened it up, only to find the previous owner had removed the circuit board and cut all the cables and hard wired the DCC chip!!!

 

Oh well guess it won’t have any lights….

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

[Neils WRX]

If you are at a loose end on Saturday why not pop along to the Elderslie Show, only £1 to get in!!!

 

One arrival to report is another LS Models 27 from C&M Models just over the border in Carlisle. I also have a 12 and a 21 still to come.

 

One observation is the sound file is different as the start up has a lot more “electronic sounds” than my other 27.

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

[Neils WRX]

Elderslie Review

Thought it would be worth a quick write up on the Elderslie Show. The exhibition was held in the Renfrewshire Model Railway Clubs premises in Elderslie as part of the Gala Day. 

 

Personally it wasn’t the best preparation for the show as I caught Covid the previous weekend but was lucky pretty clear of it before show day.

 

So my prep was limited to just cleaning wheels and track.

 

 

This was my first one day show so loaded the layout up in the morning. Despite taking less stock the car was still quite full. 

 

Longer term I’d like to find a better solution to the A-Frames as they just take up too much space in the car, but are excellent for supporting the layout.

 

I did need assistance getting the layout board out the car as it’s too big for me to easily move on my own. Set up took longer as it was just me but I was soon up and running.

 

I ran the layout at 120cm track height which seemed a reasonable compromise although small children did need to be picked up to see in.

 

 

I was running the late 1990’s and took 19 locomotives with me and operated 15 of them.

 

Everything ran well and again my toolbox  wasn’t opened. Only slight issue was with the Roco class 20 pantograph became a bit bent after it got caught on the first test of the Ohle run off (which I have to assemble each time after set up).

 

I also ran the Van Biervliet 5404 with smoke for the first time which a lot of people spotted.

 

Loads of positive comments including from someone from Aalst who thought it looked just right for Belgium!!

 

I managed a few pictures:

 

 

 

I also tried to label all the plastic sleeves this time to make things easier when packing away. The show closed at 1700 and I was in the car and away by 1745.

 

 

Put the layout back up at home, ran a loco to test it and had a suitable beer to celebrate.

 

 

I have no more shows booked for the layout so if anyone wants a Belgian Depot layout for their exhibition please send me a PM.

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

[Southernman46]

Seeing that glass reminds me of the Dulle Griet bar in Ghent where one of the beers they serve comes in an amazing glass, however to ensure that said glass remained in the establishment you had to give up your right shoe/boot which was put in a basket and hauled up to the bar ceiling whilst you were in possession of it .................... 

Edited June 27 by Southernman46

[Neils WRX]

7 hours ago, Southernman46 said:

Seeing that glass reminds me of the Dulle Griet bar in Ghent where one of the beers they serve comes in an amazing glass, however to ensure that said glass remained in the establishment you had to give up your right shoe/boot which was put container and hauled up to the bar ceiling whilst you were in possession of it .................... 

 

I’ve been to similar establishments!!!

 

Shoe in a cage hoisted up to the ceiling.
 

Never stollen a glass myself, the supermarkets were normally a good place to find them with a bottle and a glass. You just had to be careful getting them home on Eurostar!!

[Southernman46]

Aye - think there's also one in Oostende I went to yonks ago that does the same 👍

Edited June 27 by Southernman46

[Neils WRX]

Bit of consumer research ….

 

About a year ago REE advertised a model of a CFL 851 in a number of different livery variations. I ordered one from a well know German Modelshop, and it arrived this week.

 

I still have a couple Roco versions of the same type but these were understood to really just be repaints of the SNCF 63000 models. They did however have the exhaust stacks on the long hood which the French versions didn’t have.

 

One advantage of the REE model is it’s fitted with sound which isn’t fitted to either of the Roco versions.

 

Anyway here are some comparison photos, the REE model is the lighter red.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

[Neils WRX]

Been over a month since the last update, in fairness not much has happened here as most of my modelling time has been spent on the Czech layout.

 

Here are few pictures I’ve posted on the layouts FB page:

6255 by Roco

7384 Piko

1209 LS Models

2149 LS Models

6313 B Models

5403 Roco

Thanks,

 

Neil

[Keith Addenbrooke]

Thank you for posting these here - really enjoy seeing the photos of the layout (I’m not a great Facebook user).  Have you ever video’s an operating sequence, or does it tend to be more the short videos of individual movements?  Just wondered, Keith.