john dew

I agree......Englands defence has been leaky fora year now. The other concern is the penalty count 17-4 I believe......difficult to win a tight game if you concede penalties like that.......Saturday will be interesting

We need to establish a protocol.....when can we talk about it? It sounded like a very exciting but kind of weird game.

Thanks Tony..........the shed itself is over 4 years old, its made up of components from the Scalescene small engine shed kits joined together to make a part roundhouse, not sure what the technical term is. Its not very prototypical but I believe there was one in Cornwall? The whole shed layout is rather unrealistic although there is usually one very obscure precedent for each inconsistency. All combined together though requires a heavy dose of Rule#1 Best Wishes John

Having been following and admiring your Mid-Cornwall Lines thread I am not surprised you have come up with such an elegant solution........I am afraid I glue mine,so its a good job I like weathering.....although in fairness most of my locos have had unchanged head codes for years. Are you able to watch England in South Africa tomorrow? I will be reduced to “as it happens” in the Telegraph.....very sad

I dont think 3 would work for me. I dont like to see my trains improperly dressed. Old habits die hard!

Not sure which is more boring .......ballasting itself or posting about it! With 14 exit tracks and all the associated approach track there is a daunting amount of shiny new track to paint, weather and ballast I try and relieve the boredom by breaking it up into manageable sections......last week was the three LMS tracks I have never worked out how to spray in the layout room so everything is hand painted! The rails and chairs are painted in Raw Sienna.......at first sight its a bit fierce. You can certainly spot any newly laid track. After a while though,it weathers down to a more realistic shade. Sleepers are painted in a random mix of Burnt Umber, Black and Grey. I am using a mixture of 00 and N Woodland Scenic Ash ballast. Spooned and brushed into place.....allowed to settle for 24 hours. For the last ten years I have used Mrs Ds cast off scent spray to dampen the ballast before droppng diluted PVA. Recently it has developed the power of a fire hose (see below) . I need to find a more gentle alternative. This shot is out of focus (fortunately?) but the ballasted spur still resembles a lunar landscape.There is a fair bit of fettling still to do in order to get the compacted surface I am aiming for. Will this be completed by Christmas........possibly! Last post I promised to post some loco shots An Earl, a Knight of the realm and a full house of stately homes......(a Castle,Hall, two Granges and a Manor) all on parade to check shed doorway clearances The Scalescenes shed was scratch built to align with the Heljan TT geometry. Fleischmann tracks exit at a narrower angle......hence the additional tracks that I have gained. I have always worried whether I would be able to utilise all six bays.......so this was the moment of truth Not ruler straight but, after a bit of tweaking, all the birds are home to roost. All 6 locos lamped up ready for their next turn........really? This, perhaps, highlights the modellers conflict between realism and practicality. It really isnt feasible to be constantly changing lamps.....I would rather have my trains running correctly coded and accept locos on shed looking a little odd........out of interest is this what most people do? Regards from Vancouver where the temperature is dropping like a stone.......not good for the tomatoes but great for modelling

They were revived in the nineties.......not sure for how long....I have the first english edition of the 1991 Baedeckers France....probably worth a fortune. ....not I had forgotten all about it until Mikes post.......brought back some happy memories of trips to France in the late nineties. Its a good comprehensive guide with a rather different style from the norm. I guess that we are a tad off topic......always assuming ANTB has a set topic......in any event I seem to recall the owner started the diversion

Allegedly British Intelligence knew Coventry was the intended target. Churchill had to make the agonising decision not to give the city advanced warning because the Germans would have realised we had cracked Enigma Decisions like that put the problems of modern day politicians in perspective

The BBC developed Tv in the thirties but it really broke through in the early fifties all over the UK. You would be astonished how many families rented their first Tv to watch the coronation in 1953

Thanks for all the ticks and comments ......particularly the non railway advice re tinted windows From this 1 To this............. was remarkably swift and trouble free 2 - Much better........just have to buy another roll for the last window pane............thanks again for the advice 3 Back to the railway........steady, albeit boring, progress. The 16 exit tracks are now live and running. Many of the droppers were already in place........well at least connected to the DCC bus.The track angles are different though so they were rarely in the right place on the baseboard. This involved drilling new holes and a lot of crouching under the baseboard trying to make sure the right wires were re connected. .........not fun and definitely not recommended for a six foot, unfit OAP. The 8 tracks leading into the engine sheds still have to each be divided into two blocks and the approach tracks still need some wiring but the worst part is over. Time to hook up the Turntable. The TT is supplied with an Analogue or DC controller which, after installing a separate 14v supply, is essentially Plug and Play However I will be operating the TT with RR&Co so a controller that also operates as a DCC decoder is required. I decided to go with Fleischmann's Turn Control unit. There are less expensive options available but after all the fret I had with Heljan I wanted to be totally confident with the interface. The Heljan controller was mounted, for wiring convenience, on the other side of the duck under. Not a good idea...operationally it proved highly inconvenient. This time I mounted it as close as I could to the TT but on the operating side of the duck under Ignore the unit with the blue lights.....thats a decoder for two Cobalt SS surface mounted point motors on the new approach tracks.......more on these later......suffice to say they are effective but very fiddly hence having the decoder readily available As is well known, DCC layouts only require two wires.......the two for Granby can be seen under the canal! Here is a close up of the Turn Control Unit Its exceptionally well designed with simple controls. Operating is quite intuitive. Each track has to be set up individually ...........but it is far easier than with Heljan where you had to line up each track by eye.......here you just turn the red knob till the bridge is in the required position and select a number. RR&Co is a little more demanding and you have to select the tracks clockwise from the 9 o clock position and number them sequentially There are 14 tracks on the shed side which face just 2 tracks on the line side but you also have to set up the 12 passive tracks making 28 tracks in all. Hence 14 on each side. Polarity changes automatically at 12 and 6 oclock ......very simple menu option. To select a track.....dial the number with the red knob then press it. So far so good. I am very happy with the precision and accurate indexing of the bridge. A supposed feature is that only one of the segments leading on and off the bridge are powered. They can be manually switched (bottom green button). Not sure how this will work in automatic mode, although as a last resort it can, I believe, be by-passed Next stage is to set all this up in Train Controller. I am afraid this will be of little interest to most but may be of use to anyone contemplating installing a turntable in the future. I will however try and actually take some loco shots next week as well. Regards from Vancouver

. You almost always get a comment from me Tony. I enjoy your videos and invariably learn something from them. A couple of questions.......did I miss the panniers cameo appearance?......you dont have to answer that one! Secondly did you scratch build the pit winding gear or is it a kit.......I thought it looked very realistic The still in your last post is stunning......cant wait to see the mag photos if they reject that Best wishes John

Very droll.....we are more sophisticated than that in British Columbia! Actually its a right pain now.....the place is like a dungeon with literally zero natural light.....we are pursueing alternative solutions

Time to lay some track 1 The entire perimeter of the turntable is made up of 48 removeable, interchangeable segments There are three different types Left: Connector to an exit track ......its powered from the bridge, hence the IRJs I have fitted on the track end. Centre: Passive track............................powered but no track connection Right: Blank Each track connector must have a track connector or passive track segment immediately opposite In theory you could run 48 tracks off the turntable. In practice it only comes with segments for six If you want more tracks you need to buy more segments. Fortunately, as you can see, my old second hand analog Fleischman has compatible segments From the rear the segments look identical. In the centre, a surprisingly strong plastic spring which clips into the turntable body To remove a segment you press on the centre spring and wiggle it out. Its much harder than it looks although easier once the first one is removed In contrast the Heljan perimeter is continuous. The Code 83 exit tracks have the rail ends filed down and are then glued direct to the perimeter In theory the Heljan turntable can accommodate up to 56 exit tracks. Perhaps because of the rigid geometry imposed by the segments, I found it easier to lay more track with the Fleischmann. On the Heljan I had 12 tracks (10 on the sheds side and an entry and exit track opposite) while on the new Fleischmann I have been able to install 16 (14 : 2) Note the cunning land reclamation at the back........the exit angles from the two TTs are different.......I am hoping the additional length will not only allow more locos but also allow me to set back the shed buildings to align with the tracks Regular followers will no doubt be disappointed that they can no longer see the rusty wheelbarrow from the window. We had to temporarily put the silver foil up because a neighbour chopped a couple of conifers down.....the resultant extra sunlight was starting to make my Hornby GWR green locos look even less realistic! Please dont ask why I didnt have the forethought to install venetian blinds 10 years ago! Now its time to wire up the control unit Regards from a very sunny Vancouver

Hattons Help Desk Assisant was surprisingly unhelpful.....claimed to have no influence with Oxford and offered me a 4 pound discount on my next purchase. Two subsequent emails have not even been acknowledged. If anyone could let me know the email address of someone relatively senior at Hattons I would be very grateful Otherwise this is a sad end to a 25 year relationship during which I have purchased approx 40 locos from them. I find it hard to believe they intend to be so churlish.......I rather regret I no longer live on the Wirral......I would be hammering on the door at Widnes! I am both relieved and happy to report that my faith has been restored in Hattons hitherto excellent customer service. I have now heard again from the Help Desk. Their buyer has spoken to Oxford and arranged for my chassis to be exchanged. Very happy in Vancouver John

And there is one on Granby courtesy of Mr Duck

Thanks Mike thats very helpful. The buildings, water cranes and yard lights are already painted in light and dark stone......fortunately very faded because the shed area is the one part of the room exposed to the sun......even more now that a neighbour has removed two very large Conifers......so much so that we put blinds up this week. I digress.......The turntable rails or girders will be in light and dark stone.......artificially faded. Best wishes John

What a mine of information you are Andy........thank you so much. Having looked at those photos and the links that Tony provided, I think sticking with the railings will not look too out of place on a layout that is, all to often, rather loosely based on GWR practice The house would have to be removed of course and the railings suitably painted.......I do wonder what constitutes "suitable". Did the the GWR really paint turntable girders in light and dark stone I wonder or is this just part of the preservation scene. I rather think shades of grey with some rust highlights will be more appropriate. Regards from Vancouver and thank you all for the ticks and helpful comments John

Thats tiresome.......I suspect its stretching it a bit to suggest Granby's came from Birkenhead docks

Thank you John I hadnt seen the girder bridge with rail and steps on top before. The bridge width must have been much narrower than the model to allow the crew to step direct from the footplate to the top of the Girder. I had assumed that the steps at the perimeter were to allow access to the well for maintenance but I guess they served a dual purpose also allowing the crew access to and from the bridge steps. Thanks Tony ........I keep forgetting Google is my friend. Apart from illustrating John's comment above about rail and steps on the girder I was intrigued to see that the Didcot turntable is/was a different model with rails on the bridge and outriggers Maybe I can get away with the way I modified the old Fleischmann in the storage yard? In which case some flashy girders can remain in the MCIHOD box! I do wish the shed staff wouldnt fall asleep when on shift

Thanks Keith I checked my ex BR Black Dean.......single fly wheel. In summary Mike had a twin flywheel on his liveried Dean.....the first release......and Andy Yorke mentioned twin fly wheels in his review of that model Quarryscapes has a twin on his Locomotion Model. There are now known to be four models of the last two releases with a single fly wheel........is this a QC issue or an un-announced change of spec? I will try and find out when Oxford reply to my request to buy a replacement chassis Regards John

I know Keith......I need a blushes embarrased emoti.......in my defence I was very wary of fitting the tender body back and didnt want to force it......the little tab at the back is very flimsy and the screws at the front are a bit dodgy........silver mini would be the way to go should I buy another Dean which is unlikely! Regards Johxn

For what it's worth I have found the model to be just about the poorest puller of any RTR model I own. The model feels very "tender heavy" to me and emits a buzzing noise like a swam of angry hornets when running. To add insult to injury the motor now stops turning at random intervals and won't restart unless I take the body off and turn the armature (by means of the flywheel) by hand. If anyone knows where I can source a replacement motor I would be grateful for the information. Not my favourite locomotive. Andy. **** Correction to the above: I'm intrigued to see some Oxford Rail Dean Goods have twin flywheels, one of which is forward of the motor and will occupy much of the smokebox cavity. Mine does not! See Mikkel's superb blog. (http://farthinglayou...an-goods-1.html). Was the specification of the chassis changed between batches or is mine a QA failure? Hi Andy There is only one fly wheel on what is now my non running plain green Dean. I have a re liveried black Dean that runs fine.......I will take the body off later to check. I have a nasty feeling Oxford may have changed the spec I had exactly the same noise problem.......I think the buzzing sound is a gear wheel tooth not connecting with the worm gear. If I rotate the flywheel by hand there is a noticeable resistance at one point in the rotation. I did notice a slight stiffness when first testing .........I guess I should have sent it back.....but I live in Western Canada......so I decided to persevere and chip it with a Lenz Standard ..........initially it seemed to improve but then got progressively worse to the extent that it is now a non runner. The gear wheel and worm appear to be a sealed unit within the chassis so there is not much more I can do Perhaps slightly off topic.....I carved out a bit of the tender interior (underneath the coal) to better accommodate the decoder so I voided the warranty. I acknowledged this when I wrote to Hattons and asked them to help me buy a replacement chassis from Oxford. Tender Loco Body and Motor are fine. Hattons Help Desk Assisant was surprisingly unhelpful.....claimed to have no influence with Oxford and offered me a 4 pound discount on my next purchase. Two subsequent emails have not even been acknowledged. If anyone could let me know the email address of someone relatively senior at Hattons I would be very grateful Otherwise this is a sad end to a 25 year relationship during which I have purchased approx 40 locos from them. I find it hard to believe they intend to be so churlish.......I rather regret I no longer live on the Wirral......I would be hammering on the door at Widnes! My apologies for the rant...happy to delete and post elsewhere if deemed more appropriate. Back on topic I have written to Oxford direct to see if they can sell me a replacement chassis......if and when they reply I guess I should tell them to make sure it has twin flywheels! Regards from Vancouver

Thanks Andy thats quite fascinating. I did know a bit about the Merseyside connection although I didnt know they went directly to the docks. I am tempted but a combination of the price and varied quality reports have made me a bit cautious. I have just had my fingers burned with a non working Dean....... I am about to add to your reply on the Dean thread. Best wishes John ps Thank you so much for the PM

I checked the length......here is a picture of Flash Gordon girder resting on the bridge. Its about 1/4" short at each end but that should be easy to fix with Evergreen, either at each end or in the centre. I am guessing its far too high though.........would this be more correct? I guess I need to check some photos......Anyone know the typical height at the centre? The real problem is the side platform at each end of the bridge You can just see the support wheel underneath the bridge house platform. Gordon S said that his TT ran fine without them........ but he is far more skilled than I. I am not sure I want to take the risk.......I dont mind butchering a $10 plastic moulding.......a $400 ($500 now) turntable will be outside my comfort level. My instinct is to remove the house and side railings and leave the steps and maybe the machinery.........all heavily weathered. Mind you I need to get some track laid and set it up first.!

Posts crossed I will go down and check the Dapol length.........there will have to be some bodging anyway .....I am reluctant to cut out the outriggers because they each carry a secondary ( non motorised ) support wheel. Out of interest how heavy is the 47xx compared with a Castle?