Gilbert

Some pictures from the construction phase. ]

Just take your time and plan - nothing happens by accident (usually...) sometimes I follow the instructions....

To be fair its a bit of a Craftsman kit bodge with Downtown Deco, a bit of an FSM kit placed on the layout, scratch built yard office and a few other bits - the signal tower is I think an HO kit from N scale architect and the bar is from JL Innovative - all a bit OTT but I like building them - the next layout will be a bit more downbeat I think...

This overhead shot gives a good idea - it's pretty basic! Its 4 ' long with an extra foot at the switching lead as a small extension on the right plus a run off to a staging track on the front road on the left - not entirely necessary but a bit more track to play with when showing.

I thought I ought to start a topic for my US HO shunting plank. I started in US HO when I first returned to the hobby seriously in the 1990s and I have a lot of B&M stock I would like to run every now and again following the sale of Gilbert JUnction. This layout was was originally built as a small demo tool with a lot of easy green scenery but I decided to rip that all off and add a few existing buildings and make up a few more. Only had one outing so far. As you can see I do run non-New England stock as well....(Rule 1 applies)

Thanks Andrew I'll post a photo of the Heljan 05 as well once I mend the hand rails..amazing what you only see in a photo... Chris

...and I've also been experimenting with some different shunters...Sentinel has a Digitrains Zimo installed and as long as I keep my track clean is really fun to operate.

Two more photos from Exmoor rail - Teddy Bear courtesy of one of the operating team

Usually when the eyesight gets bad....

You'll crack...they all do eventually...

Just been doing a bit of fettling and mending as Pixash will be at Wycrail on 5th November.

Simply spendid Chris

As opposed to beer-powered railway modellers? or cider obviously...

My favourite - the fun of playing trains

Just prepping Bakewell Street for the extremely good Exmoor Rail on 6 August at Minehead - most of the layout works but it's surprising what doesn't after a period of inactivity.....like real life really... Chris

Brian Very nice indeed A little off topic but can you tell what green paint you used? Thanks Chris

PM sent Chris

I shall watch with interest as I'm struggling with an ABC bogie for a 22 at the moment

Que?

I don't know how the 47 will go together but 'm just wading through the 22 - it will build into something really nice but the build needs thought and planning - especially if lights are being installed. I found Brian Daniel's diesel thread very helpful as the instructions do need augmenting in my opinion. With the 22 the glazing has to go in during the build and will not be accessible once the body is built and so will need robust gluing and careful masking during the painting for example and I'm now at the stage of working out what sub-assemblies I can get away with and what to paint when. One or two of the brass fittings do need a bit of straightening and some of the resin mouldings also do need a fair bit of work - getting the glazing to "sit" prior to gluing in the cabs - especially the side windows - took a while. I also had to work out my own method for fitting pick ups on the non -powered bogey - I've go an ABC bogey coming for the powered end. None of this is difficult it just needs thinking about and you do get great customer service from Laurie at JLTRT. Chris

Thanks Dan - it was a nice show - we actually had a bit of a nightmare - we had a fault which took a while to diagnose properly but it ended up being a track continuity problem on the moving part of the switch blade on one of the Peco points - althought the rails are bonded and the frogs switrched that is a weak spot and I'll need to sort out a connection - on all 4 moving bits I suppose - we got round it by using longer wheel base diesels - the good old Hymek did sterling service... Chris

and again - all loaded (just - doesn't O gauge consume space?) and ready to roll on to the M4 bright and early tomorrow morning

Just a gentle bump - Bakewell Street will be at NEWGOG next Saturday 16 April: http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/events/11977-Newgog

Straight and point both appear to have 24 sleepers (roughly 24 on the point but it suggests it's same as a straight)

Wouldn't a point length be roughly half the length of two curves placed end to end as in a cross over? or is that the length of a straight anyway? (400mm) Chris