Banbury in N scale - A great time at the Abingdon in March 2024

[roundhouse]

Dave

 

Thanks. I think Rail Express did a very good job with the photos I sent them. The cloud effects they added  are making me want to add the same to the actual backscene!

 

There are two MOD trains, both done by Mike, one of our operators. He has used the old  Farish container flats, some with the TPM buffer kit and some he scratch built the buffer ends. These probably arent correct but they do the job for now.

 

Ian

[Satan's Goldfish]

I'd best let the wife drag me to town on my monthly trip for rail express me thinks.

[Fat Controller]

Dave

 

Thanks. I think Rail Express did a very good job with the photos I sent them. The cloud effects they added  are making me want to add the same to the actual backscene!

 

There are two MOD trains, both done by Mike, one of our operators. He has used the old  Farish container flats, some with the TPM buffer kit and some he scratch built the buffer ends. These probably arent correct but they do the job for now.

 

Ian

I enjoyed the article, Ian; the model shows up well. It's amazing how N-gauge has come on in the last couple of decades. Gone are the days of 'you can have any wagon you want, as long as it's on a 10' or 15' underframe'

I believe that, when the MoD first started regularly running containers, the recently-delivered Eurotwins (as modelled by Farish) were used, along with ex-coal container wagons; more recently, a combination of Tiphook single bogie flats and EWS/DBS twin-unit FCAs seem to dominate. Freightliner container wagons have been used in the past for some flows; I've seen photos of a short rake running to Newhaven in the early-80s in 'Life and Times- Freightliner'

[roundhouse]

Brian

 

Thanks

 

Yes N scale is much improved and despite the frustrations with the more modern stock coming off and uncoupled at our earlier shows (despite the track being fine for the US stock), tweak / replace couplings etc has now made it much more reliable and enjoyable to operate. The problem now is that with so much new stuff released or coming out we are ending up with way too much stock! Still it makes for more interesting trains when we change the stock in the fiddleyard.

 

The most noticeable part of the MOD trains is the containers so we will probably stick with the current container flats we are using for now but eventually we will get the right ones I am sure.

 

There are quite a few new bits of rolling stock that will be running at DEMU then at Midland Railex in August.

 

Ian

[LongRail]

Ian,

 

Good article 5 whole page with lots of photos.

 

I note you mention you may add interior detail to the station bridge/concourse.

I have drawings and information on the current layout and can let you have copies looking forwarded to seeing the layout in the flesh at the DEMU

[roundhouse]

Ian,

 

Good article 5 whole page with lots of photos.

 

I note you mention you may add interior detail to the station bridge/concourse.

I have drawings and information on the current layout and can let you have copies looking forwarded to seeing the layout in the flesh at the DEMU

 

Yes please. I have plenty of photos that others and I have taken inside but drawings will help me get the walls in the correct location.

 

See you at DEMU

 

Regards

 

Ian

[trisonic]

July edition of Rail Express? I look forward to picking up a copy over here.

Well done.

 

Best, Pete.

[roundhouse]

July edition of Rail Express? I look forward to picking up a copy over here.

Well done.

 

Best, Pete.

Pete

 

yes, it came out today. The electronic version I got two days ago.

 

Ian

[Satan's Goldfish]

Got my copy, fantastic article and pictures. I have to say Ian that on any normal month that would been my favorite part of the mag. (Unfortunately you're pipped this week by the never likely to happen again in a rail mag mention of the village i grew up in and that my parents still call home that has no rail connection what so ever! Bad timing!)

Look forward to seeing the layout at a show again soon.

[roundhouse]

Got my copy, fantastic article and pictures. I have to say Ian that on any normal month that would been my favorite part of the mag. (Unfortunately you're pipped this week by the never likely to happen again in a rail mag mention of the village i grew up in and that my parents still call home that has no rail connection what so ever! Bad timing!)

 

Look forward to seeing the layout at a show again soon.

No rail connection and in a Rail mag!!

 

ian

[roundhouse]

Not a lot done last night as it was a pub night.

 

However I did receive the GWR 150 class 121 bubblecar from Kernow. Superb little model although not really appropriate for Banbury, it will get an occasional run.May have to do a photo  line up of all these bubble cars

 

A few more wheelsets painted for the coal hoppers this morning though.

 

Hope to spend a good part of Sunday working on the layout.

 

Ian

[Steadfast]

Hi Ian,

I've just read the article in Rail Express, top stuff as ever!

One question though, where did you get those lovely looking VW transporters parked in the car park? I fancy some of those to populate my layouts, they look like cracking models!

 

jo

[roundhouse]

Thanks Jo

 

The Transporters are either Wiking or Busch. I got them in Gaugemaster.

 

One day the layout may be transported in one of them.. the real ones that is!!

 

Ian

[Steadfast]

Brilliant, cheers Ian. I'm surprised at that, because they don't look tiny like a lot of continental vehicles do!

You can't go far wrong with a real VW, hope you find a nice one

 

jo

[Satan's Goldfish]

No rail connection and in a Rail mag!!

 

ian

 

Big high-5 if you can name my village....

 

(A friend of mine has a dark blue transporter for sale if you really want one ;-)

[roundhouse]

Jo

 

I try to keep the 1;160 scale vehicles away from the 1;148 / 150 scale vehicles so hopefully the difference doesn't look too obvious.

 

Probably a year or more away getting one as the current car is still doing fine even though its 7 - 8 years old now. There are some nice configurations of the Transporter out there though.

 

Ian

[roundhouse]

Big high-5 if you can name my village....

 

 

I will have to have a hunt through RE!!

 

ian

[roundhouse]

Early this morning I did some more weathering to various wagons and fitted a few more Dapol Easy mate couplings. I hope to have most items of stock including locos fitted with these by DEMU. Intermediate wagons and coaches will however remain either with Rapidos or the Dapol fixed knuckle where the stock has NEM pockets.

One problem that we encountered at RAILEX was that the Tomix couplers used to join two Class 168's together were jamming causing one driving coach to derail in the fiddleyard. Two of these units have had the Tomix mechanism freed up a bit so now they should work better. I have another two to check this weekend.

However the rest of today is a beer day so I am now on my way from Barnham station to Southampton on one of the few remaining FGW services  that run from Brighton and to Bristol and beyond. This one goes to Great Malvern stopping just about everywhere beyond Westbury.
Tomorrow will will be more or less a full day working on the layout and stock.

Ian

Edited June 24, 2013 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

Yesterdays planned work on the layout didn't go as planned due to the garden calling for attention and a few distractions working on other rolling stock.

 

 

Spent early morning assembling and installing Microtrains couplers on US N scale Kato locos before moving some Dapol Easymate couplers between different items of stock. A few more items had the Dapol NEM conversion boxes fitted. These having been in sues at an umber of shows so far have proved very reliable and the plan is to eventually convert all non NEM rolling stock with these. Will just take some time with only one end of 2 of the 20 TEA tank cars done so far and plenty of other wagons only partially converted.

 

My Farish Shanks liveried class 66 had its third decoder fitted and despite checking the soldering and rest of loco for any possible shorts, it worked for a while before blowing this decoder. Its now resigned to the duds box for now!

At least the function side of these decoders still works so they will get used in the Class 168 driving cab headlight installations. Talking of which I have now made a start on the first unit. 

 

SO far the bogie pick ups have been fitted and wired ready for the decoder. Also the headlights have been drilled out ready for the fibre optics to be fitted. This is a 4 car unit so will be a good test for DEMU Showcase to make sure that the pickups dont cause too much drag.

 

The US stock is going away in the stock boxes so hopefully it wont distract me between now on DEMU Showcase!!

 

Ian

[roundhouse]

A few photos showing the first part of the class 168 lheadlight and rear marker light installation.

 

The pick ups are by Digirails obtained from DCC Supplies

 

A general shot of the underside of the driving car

 

A shot showing the upper seating ares of the chassis. The wires pass through an over sized hole to allow the wires to move more freely so hopefully they wont stress and break

 

 

The function only decoder is also by Digirails. Not used these before but they are relatively cheap and do directional lighting

 

The cab endcshowing the drilled out lights. I have been studying videos to work ojt which light are o whrn moving forward. The two in the yellow ara ardctge resr marker lightd. Its a different arrangement on 163/2's

 

The inside of the csb has just had a pieace of styrene fitted to make the holes deeper for installing the fubre ootic hopefully tomorrow .

[roundhouse]

Work is progressing well on the class 168 light installation.

The fibre optic was cut to length prior to to painting the part that passes through the cab bodywork to reduce light bleeding into the clear body moulding. The main beam headlight piece of fibre optic had the end melted slightly to give it a bigger 'lens'. The next stage will be to wrap the fibre optics in pairs with heat shrink.

 

A few other items on the workbench.

The gas bottle cages that are on the old cattle dock are now under construction of after the first attempt turned out too big. Also can be seen are the staff walking route lamps that are situated in front of the Network Rail Rail offices. The The actual light fitting will be fabricated from styrene.

 

Plenty more to do before DEMU.

Ian

[roundhouse]

This morning I managed to do the lamp tops to two of the stsff walking route lamp posts.
A photo here of one completed and partially painted with the other posts also partislly painted and pushef into a piece of foam while they dry.


One of the completed lamp posts dropped into a hole driled very slowly so as not to wake any one up at 05.30 this morning! There is a small water tank to go in the space between the lamp and buffer stop.


And finally a slight distraction. Weathering the EWS Queen Mary after fitting it with some Dapol Easy shunt couplings. A little out of date for the layout but I like it.

Edit - only just noticed the white styrene bits on the side of the vehicle picked up after working on the lamps! It will blow off.

Edited June 28, 2013 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

This mornings project was to assemhle one ofnthe gas bottle stores. Its nearly ready for painting.

Another one like this willbsit alongside it plus there's a slightly smaller one nearby.

The gas botyles to go in thrm are aldo under construction.

[trisonic]

Ian,

Yesterday I saw an advert for the DEMU Meet/Exhibition and it simply said: "featuring BANBURY".....

Good job all round.

 

Best, Pete.

[roundhouse]

Thanks Pete

 

Its also featuring some other superb layouts such as Coppell, Ranoch Moor, Loch Tat amongst other superb layouts.

 

Now off to Bluebell to help on Bourne Valley. looks like another superb day.

 

This evening work will resume on the the layout.

 

Ian