Golden Fleece 30

I agree David, I have long been an advocate of analogue only at model railway shows and have special ones just for DCC where they can discuss all their non working issues with each other and if layouts do work keep that infuriating non realistic sound to themselves and not annoy others. Garry

Not just TT but any scale DCC is always talked about as being superior, well, I have never liked it and every show I go to has at least one DCC layout giving problems but this one at York yesterday was the ultimate. This sign was on when I arrived at 10.00 and was still there at closing time, 4.30. Looking at a preprinted PC sign it makes me think this has happened a few times before. Someone at the show did think it had been like it most of the weekend. When will these operators realise that DCC gives far more problems than analogue? Garry

Here is a low relief model in TT scale of York Minster built by a friend of mine Bob Dawson who I used to work with 30 odd years ago. He also had a TT scale low relief full length street of Duncombe Place in York near the Minster. Garry

I am confused Kevin, are you now TT or 00? My parents bought me Dublo (3-rail second hand) Tri-ang 00 and then TT when it came out. I still have a few of the original items and in the late 60's did start on N. In the early 70's I even tried Z when it came out but swapped that for the new Fleishman turntable when that came out. I never sold any of the other scales and in the 80's went to Fine scale 0 gauge. I have since gone back to 3-rail (using modern Peco track) and 18 months ago resurrected my TT. I have now sold a lot of 0, N, and some 3-rail as I much prefer TT as easier to work on in the house as my layout shows and easier to take to shows. Apart from the 0 gauge all my layouts are to normal standards which I personally prefer to finescale. I do need to now sell ALL the remaining N if possible especially the layout. Garry

I use Tri-ang standards and as Dava says the chassis's are around 9mm wide but the back to back measurement is 10mm for the driving wheels. Having said that their coach and wagon wheels were split so they could move further out to 10.5. As I am replacing the plastic wheels with metal ones I set them at 10. If you look at my videos on YouTube, via links from another thread from here, you will see this is not an issue. The back to back will need to be greater as NCB says to go through modern Peco track, in my case as I use Tri-ang track as well I have modified the Peco points to accept the Tri-ang standards. Garry

After a little cutting out Cunard White Star has her nameplate fitted. I did get carried away with the filing one corner but at 80mph it's not noticeable. Some paint did flake off and will need touching up but I removed all the centre as I want to paint it light green as the prototype and hopefully paint a flag on it. Garry

Regarding the nameplates I have just received some Kings Cross ones which are far better. All I need to do is be able to see to cut them out nicely, the last time I did these was about 40 years ago and did not need glasses. Garry

Here are some of mine. Garry

Ray, Modelmaster do the diesel numbers in complete sets D8***, D9***, D3*** etc so no need to line up individual characters. Usually there are 4 or more sets of different numbers per set too. I use them for TT although a little large for that scale. Garry

I do have a fan heater but it is not cheap to leave on while I am not in there. Like yours it does heat up the room quickly but then once switched off it cools quickly too. The shed is fully insulated, 2" Celotex around the walls, and fibre glass in the roof, but is still cold overnight. I have discovered the metal door is not sealing so will need to look at altering that to help prevent the cold getting in. Garry

I have just machined the wheels on a Rokal 4-6-2 to allow it to run on Tri-ang track. All I need to do now is think of a body conversion to a BR loco. Garry

I will have to ring them up but looking at the site it seems you pay per letter and in 4mm, 7mm and larger. I have ordered some Kings Cross ones to try but as in the old days these do need to be cut out. If I could do a TT Pendennis Castle okay all those years ago I guess I should be okay now. Garry.

Trying to source some more nameplates for the W/C and some Tri-ang M/N's I thought the Blue Funnel one was an ex Kings Cross version but on magnifying a photo it looks hand made which is excellent, more so for 40 years ago. The other on here is a modern 3SMR one bought late last year which is really quite poor with words/letters not readable at times and is quite disappointing especially if hand made ones all that long ago could be produced to the quality of Blue Funnel. I have written to the ex Kings Cross supplier so will wait to see what theirs are like. I may ring Guilplates next week to check their cost etc but I believe they can be quite expensive. Garry

Denis Williams, the Dublo Surgeon, does a lot of the Dublo styles But with a lot of variations not just the original numbers. I have used his 0-6-2, 2-6-4, A4's etc many times. They are unfortunately meths fix which you are not keen on but I like them better than any other. If you are unsure of their application I have done a video on YouTube abut using them. Garry

I did acquire the rebuilt M/N and it looks to be very nice. It is brass but I have no idea if kit or scratchbuilt but the shape really looks the part. Due to bits of paint flaking (I did scrape off the cylinder cover) I think I will be repainting as opposed to touching up but that can wait until the warmer weather. Not only that but as the seller said it looks more likely a W/C as opposed to a M/N so I may give it a W/C name and number and save the plates for a Tri-ang repainted M/N. As usual I will remove the front coupling hook which does give away it's shorter length but it is something different and unusual on the TT front. I cannot wait to see it at the head of a rake of the SR coaches. The builder (and I assume the painter) was very good as the number is hand painted and not transfers. Garry

I once asked a plumber about fitting a radiator into the system but as the shed is a few yards away from the house it was to expensive. The pipes would have to be more than a metre underground and specially insulated to prevent freezing the system so I ruled that out. I will have to look into the green house heaters. Garry

Needing somewhere to store the layout but also be able to use it and with no room in the house I came up with the idea of making some supports to fit across my 00 3-rail layout boards. This has worked a treat so I can now build/modify/repair in the house and still test on the layout as opposed to a couple of lengths of track. It is easy enough to lift off if I ever want to get back to the 00. What I could do with is a very CHEAP to run method of heating the shed. I just need to sell of a lot of the 00 to make way for shelf storage of the TT. Garry

Hi David, I thought the top one too. It looks like some couplings for some reason do not let the hook part lie horizontal and I have found some spares that do not lift fully due to a different design of the hook body. A gentle teak with pliers will pull the hook back level and as I only use a handful of coaches on this layout the mods will be negligible as my next layout will have modern Peco points etc so not as sharp curves to worry about. I just use two of each variation like 2 WR, 2 SR, 2 Pullmans etc but still need to look at some (not all) long wheelbase wagons which gave the same issues whereas none of the shorter ones did. Garry

Here is a video of the show, please excuse the shunting sequence in the middle where I was trying hold the camera, control the train and watch the publics little hands at the same time. Garry

Further to the above post here are two photos using the gauge, which one is correct? I personally cannot think it is the hook on the gauge top as the main body of the coupling would need to be bent down for this. Quite a few couplings have the hook pointing upwards slightly when the body is level, which is exaggerated in the photo due to the hook not dropping fully. Garry Ps I have since found that the ends of some couplings were also just catching the moulded buckeye protrusions so cut those off.

One of the hiccups we had was a coupling to buffer issue on Tri-ang reverse curves. I know these are sharp but surely Tri-ang would have taken that into consideration. On two coaches only the buffers were riding over the hook causing a derailment , using the Tri-ang gauge these were set correctly and I noticed the buffers then pushing the hook inwards helping turn the bogie and it worked a treat, but, The A1A-A1A and a tank loco still had issues as their weight was too much for the coach coupling to help push it across. If I remove the coach buffers the tank engine works fine but the Diesel still derails the coach. I am thinking of filing a small flat on the underneath part of the buffers on the end vehicles. Has anyone else come across this problem and if so do you have a solution? Garry

Had a really good two days at the Howden show this weekend. A storage board was knocked up to give even more operational interest which kept two operators very busy. A couple of tweaks needed but overall the layout performed well. We did discover the incline was steeper than expected due to the floor/tables sloping in the same direction but all the locos seen here coped for two days. Our little one did some operating a couple of times and found doing it in front of others different to playing at home. I must get GWR removed from the tank and get a BR crest on it. Hopefully a video later. Garry

Thanks very much to Carlton Railway Society for an enjoyable weekend. Had a lovely time and pleased to see so many people attend through the bad weather. Garry

Looks good, is the chassis supposed to be motorised or just for show and a metal one made? Any Idea on the cost? Garry

Here we have the reverse loop in action for the suburban train to go out and back, fingers crossed it runs as well at the show over the next couple of days. Garry