big jim

I'll have a look at doing that mick, the fun bit then will be the extra wires to the removable section! Ive made provision for the existing point on the removable section but will have to add more for the 2 extra points, i do have 3 wires spare on the existing loom but i dont think the accessory decoder will throw 2 peco motors at once

its mainly because im too lazy to do it! the only one i'll struggle with is one on the bridge above the poly risers but the rest i can get to just about, i normally use seep motors but i may try the peco option, the only thing is they are quite deep and the mainline runs below so i may not have the clearance if not i can use rod in tube

Been having a think about the track layout for a while and i have been a bit dissapointed since laying it about the lack of "playability" around the station area So to rectify it ive decided to add a pair of crossovers on the aproach to the station at botg ends that will allow me to use the single platform bi-directionally so i can do run rounds, turn backs etc as well as being able to enter and exit the shed from both directions instead of having to cross over in the tunnel via the hidden points The complicated part of the set up is 2 sets of points are going to have to be located on the removable section on a curve on top of the bridge! The other end will have to fit between a level section and where the line begins to drop! The bridge end will have a pair of curved points, in the picture below gives you an idea of how it will be set up And at the other end, the upside down points are because i didnt have a spare pair of left hand points while i was planning it, to save buying a set of curved points the inner points will use the diverging route as the main line and the main route as the crossover Because the points are an addition i will most likely have to leave them manual rather than motorising them, thats something i'll look at once i get round to actually laying them

its just muck that's been rubbed by the look of it

not my pic but another driver spotted this at fenny compton earlier i'm off work for 2 weeks now on doctors orders so no updates for the time being

despite the electricity not going in til the end of next week i managed to have a few hours in the shed earlier, ran the extension canle out and plugged in the lights and heat so i could do a bit to the corner of the layout The only ball i appear to have dropped is i've lined the lights along the centre of the ceiling above the walkway so when im working on the layout i cast a shadow right where im working, its not a huge problem though as i have a spare set of lights that i can run off the same supply and place above the layout on each side So to the corner, first thing i did was remove the track and cork underlay from the rear and relay a piece of cork next to the other one and relay the track onto it, had to add a short length to the end of it too So now the Hornby industrial unit fits nicely in the corner Next up i placed the storage tanks roughly where i want to put them, not glued together yet, may get another pair of them yet Then i decided to have a bit of a play with some of the knightwing pipes i bought for the terminal and bits of spare plasticard and strip and ended up building a discharge rig! Still got to add 8 flexible pipes to the ends of the pipes and the rigging that can hold them when not in use, very pleased with the end result though!! I know im a long way off getting the scenery done but i was in the mood for building something tonight rather than wiring, soldering or playing trains!!

And the best thing about that picture is it wasnt me driving it!!

New st a couple of weeks back

here we go, home at last, pics from the last week...... saltney toton and a few hours later! wallingford cholsey hinksey a few class 70s knocking about!! oxford, waiting the road to clear towards wolvercote this came the other way, first 60 ive seen in oxford! waiting at coventry water orton, guess what, waiting the road and another 60!! again while waiting the road at walsall this went past! bescot dropped 2 of the 70s off there left them with one of our 60s!! and back into hinksey with 70801 next day at fenny compton water orton, yet another 60!! walsall, and another! water cannon train getting refilled then onto day one of the claydon job, 70801 again with 66850 on the rear in hinksey gbrf 66 shunting into the VQ foggy banbury nothing from claydon as its so dark, but a couple from aylesbury north loop on the return this picture looks a bit surreal with the colours, like something out of a tim burton film!! ghost train!! and finally, leicester this morning

They were actually, and they got their photos taken with the cast!

Hopefully this wont offend anyone but here are my little uns halloween costumes Dom is dressed as elder price from the west end show "book of mormon" It was quite funny that when i went to see the show again last wednesday in the west end there were a group of mormon elders watching the show!!

the new rule is regards traditional points too, i must admit i always used to set the 'american' points anyway the reason behind the new ruling is they recon it will reduce wear and tear and maintainace costs

as an aside, since the beginning of august you are not allowed to trail through any points in EWS yards anymore, you have to get down and set the route correctly some EWS yards have american style 'switch levers' which are like a loop handle that swings over and locks in position, rather than havving to pull it, there are 2 versions of those, orange handled ones that you can run through and white handled ones that you cannot at it will damage the points

anyway, we've had a page without a picture so here's one from tonight... 66850 and 70801 in south ruislip, id just bought it down from claydon and was getting relief as it was off to hinksey via the gwml which i dont sign by the time my trainee and myself drove back to claydon for my van then onwards to hinksey to drop the other drivers van off the train was only 10 minutes behind us arriving there!!

not yet, always seem to end up with everybody elses jobs while they go off and learn them!!

with an rmweb member in the 2nd mans seat! i managed to get a shot of 60001 on the stone the other day too, i'll post the pic when i get home later in the week

well im just off to bed, hinksey-claydon last night with 70801 and 66850, back to the hotel for rest then working it claydon to hinksey return tonight do not disturb sign on the door and all communication devices turned off!L

Its only the depot building thats coming down its going to be staying open as a fuelling and servicing point and they are putting up one of those nissen hut type buildings in its place Its playing havoc with the fuelling at the moment though!!

Happiest thermostat ever, either that or it was laughing at me while i had a wee in bescot!!

a few from today got some pics of bescot shed, its now all fanced off ready to be demolished so really its my last chance to get any pics of it as im on a different job for the next few weeks all pics from the sony lems camera, loads on the proper one too to upload when i get home 60074 on the lindsey tanks at water orton bescot with a pair of royal 67s 08907 seen loads of class 60s over the last few days on various turns, got some good shots to upload of thise, also 68003 in bescot earlier too

anyhooo, back to work, just one pic as the rest are on the proper camera that was on arrival into bescot with 70801, 70804, 70805 and 20 loaded falcons! had fun fuelling them at bescot as the depot is now closed, no power to it anymore ready to be pulled down sometime next month so we had to run up the north end and fuel it on the "tank road" the problem being you can only shunt one loco at a time quite a good day for pics today as well, 4 class 60s knocking about between oxford and bescot!!

The stuffed snake!! The blue water pipe And the picnic area Hope those are some use to you

the only bridge!!

looking on the net the 08s are ex park royal brewery locos http://www.cholsey-wallingford-railway.com/Stocklist.html