SRman

Nice! What mechanism is powering the 74, if you don't mind my asking?

Those skyscrapers are really well disguised, there, Ian!

Nice to see LT trains running. Those Gresleys really don't look out of place at all. I did something similar for my EFE '38 stock, with Steam Era wheelsets from here in Australia. As per your description, I also removed the pinpoints from the axles. They do run better but there is still a lot of friction from the 'U' shaped axle bearings on the EFE bogies. I now have some Metromodels pinpoint bogies to fit, so had to buy more wheelsets (again from Steam Era Models) but this time, retaining the pinpoint axles! I have yet to actually fit these bogies but they do promise to improve the running and will allow me to run the four car set with only one Black Beetle motor bogie. Cheers, Jeff.

Thanks for the compliments, Jamie. I used the brown paint as a temporary measure to hide the stark white of the polystyrene, particularly as I was going to host a meeting so it would be seen. I still have a little more landscaping to do, followed by a layer of plaster, before I do the 'real' grass and shrub textures. I usually mix some brown powder paints into the plaster mix so any chips won't show up white later. That's the technique I have used in the past on several layouts. The church itself is the standard Hornby Skaledale one from a few years ago - the second church they released.

Continuing with the C=Rail containers, I have decorated a couple more of the tank containers, plus a 40' hi-cube container, and finished off a previously started 40' one. Starting with the box containers, I completed the Hanjin one, which had already had the main large side logos and names applied some time ago, I added all the remaining details such as the numbers and end logos and information panels. The OOCL one was just a bare, off-white box! Both still require the locking bars to be applied ... unfortunately, I can't find where I have put those at the moment! Turning to the tank containers, I decorated the Stolt and Seabrook ones. Both are visible just behind the Brisbane City Council Leyland Panthers (resin models from Brisbane's Model Buses), which are another project (I have just added the fuel and water filler detail on the closer bus). EDIT: The 40' containers aren't 'hi-cube' ones!

Well ... not the aforementioned classes 74 or 70. Not in Sunny Scotland!

I still look at mine and marvel at the fine printing on the sides. Wonderful models!

If LU_fan has any other blue square DMUs (or buys some in the future), it may be worth retaining the couplings for multiple working. Depending on which types of units were allocated to an area, class 101 could work with any of classes 105, 108, 110, 116, 117, 118, 121, and 128 (to name only those that are, or have been, readily available as ready to run models ... or have been announced, in the case of the Kernow 116/7/8). Of course, some of these multiples may never have occurred due to geographical separation. In model form it may not be practical to run the 101 with a Hornby 110, which has entirely different motor characteristics. Of less value, perhaps, in view of the internal coupling system on the 101 model, it was entirely possible to see combinations of types within sets, such as a 101 Driving Motor, class 108 trailer and class 104 Driving Motor at the other end, but that may be getting away from the point of the original query.

I had the Kernow original sounds but wasn't happy with them, so had mine reblown with Ian's earlier sound project. If the new one is better still, I wouldn't mind another reblow. Has Bif posted any videos of the new sounds yet (I couldn't find it with a quick search)?

SouthWest Trains used to run class 159s and 170s in multiple, before swapping the 170s for refurbished 158 units.

And another tank container with transfers applied, this time for Stolt.

West Yorkshire PTE used to regularly run such workings in the late 1980's, at least in peak hours. I rode on a 155 + 144 combination out of Leeds, heading eastwards. I can't remember what the ultimate destination was for this train, as I was only getting off at Cross Gates or Garforth. At one stage, I believe BR banned such workings because of the end-throws on the long sprinters adding extra wear to the pacers underpinnings, but the WYPTE never seemed to let that worry them.

Some time ago, I purchased a couple of C=Rail's bulk container packs, one with 40' box containers, the other with five 20' tank containers. I have built and decorated three of the box containers, with two still being completed (delayed by a bad can of primer that left lumps stuck to the surfaces). These are now awaiting their transfers, plus the locking bars on the white one. The tank containers were only partly assembled, to make painting easier, before putting all the fiddly bits on. I completed the painting to my own satisfaction, even though a couple of bits are still a little rough. The detailing bits (walkways, tank fillers, ladders, etc.) have now all been added, although, looking at liveries of the real things, I should repaint the red framework one into black. The GCatainer item is the first to be completed properly, although there were only a limited number of images I could find to assist with the positioning of the transfers (which also came from C=Rail). I think it looks reasonable, regardless of the accuracy of positioning some of the transfers. They are posed here with a couple of C=Rail's professionally finished tank containers, which also gave me some clues as to where some of the markings might be placed. And these are the previously finished examples of the 40' boxes.

How do you know, Kevin???

I agree with using the Replica chassis (when available). I now have three in service, under a 4 EPB (DC Kits), class 455 (Bratchell Models) and a 319 (also Bratchell). For the Hastings unit: I built a DC Kits 'Tadpole' 3R unit, with a Black Beetle under the Driving Motor car. Unfortunately, this one is on the short underframe so not suited to the longer Replica chassis. Replica were going to produce the shorter underframe length, but I'm not sure if it was actually released.

Before the BRMA meeting, I wanted to 'pretty' up the Church Hill. However, circumstances worked against me, so I had to minimise standing up for a while. As a quick fix, I used some of the Scalescenes road and pavement textures just as plain printed paper laid over some of the expanded foam. Today, I re-did some of it, using the same printed bits attached to some card, then glued to the scenery properly. I ran a small amount of extra glue along the edge and put some grass material there. This is by no means finished but it still improves the look considerably. The lower road section is the access way to the cemetery. There will be more land sculpting and filling, plus stairs and pathways in the future. Now: where did I put that Oxford Diecast hearse? Of course, I will have to add walls and/or fences along the edge of the car park, otherwise some careless reversing could result in adding a few more occupants to the cemetery below.

Hi Peter. I forgot to mention: the speaker is loose in the green 33! I have been meaning to remount the speakers in that 33 as it has been rattling a bit. I like the pic of the 450s. I won't be able to run 12 cars but I will be able to recreate an eight car set in the not too distant future, with both units having sound. The 450 we had running on Saturday also needs its speaker reseated slightly as the sound from the other unit with the older v3.5 and 100 ohm speaker is actually slightly clearer, especially the horns. You are always welcome to call in again and we'll run the 37, and retest that decoder if you want, seeing as I didn't get the programming track fixed until too late.

It did go well today. Thanks to all who came and especially to those who helped with operating the layout later in the afternoon, giving me a chance to sit and rest, and also time to trouble-shoot and fix a broken wire to the programming track.

Bad news. One side of the DC feeds has decided to stop working! That leaves me with one track live for DC but everything still fine for the DCC side. As I am hosting the BRMA meeting this afternoon, it will just have to remain that way until I have a little spare time to go over it properly.

Looking good, Peter. Your expertise in operating the NCE system may be called upon tomorrow, as my foot is still very tender (gout attack) so I cannot stand on it for any length of time. Don't tell DougN, but he may be roped in as well!!

Your question is very vague indeed. It depends on a heap of factors, the main one being that the motor brushes are totally isolated from the chassis. You don't specify what sot of kit you are referring to - steam, diesel, electric outline, and so on. Diesels and electrics may be motorised with power bogies or with central motors driving through cardan shafts. The electrical arrangements may vary widely between these types. Steam locomotives may be built with live chassis providing half of the electrical path between track and brush. To convert any of these to DCC, you must ensure the brushes are completely isolated from any feeds from the tracks. Orange and grey wires go from decoder to brush. Red and black wires go from decoder to wheels/track feeds - convention says that the red wire goes to the right-hand track feed when the loco or unit is facing forwards.

Thanks for that - extremely useful to know. I was thinking in terms of using a letter code.

I have now labelled the rotary switch on the LT control panel, so any visiting operator can see at a glance what it is doing. I still need to label all those signal switches. I added an extra signal in the tunnel after making up the diagram, so the switch for signal #1 is actually the second one from the left. Most of these are as yet unconnected: only signals 1, 2, 8 and 9 are connected, plus the extra one in the tunnel (not sure how I label that one without renumbering all of the signals!). Underneath, the wiring is still messy. I need to tidy it up but it works for the moment. The black wire cutting across from the 8-way 4-pole switch to the left of centre in the photo is actually cut too short and limiting the amount I can hinge the panel upwards, so that is another job for me to do ... later. I have also added labels for the terminal block with the track feeds out, 12V DC feeds in and DCC feeds in, making it a little easier to fault-find ... hopefully, that won't be necessary, though! Again, much tidying up is needed. The track wires leading downwards at the left-hand end of the block are inadequate for DCC. At least using screw terminals makes it a relatively easy job to fix this.

Yes. It would have been nice, pizza with you and the kids. I did make good progress, and today will be devoted to clearing up more clutter. A sharp gout attack last night has slowed me down a bit, but I'll get there before Saturday ... maybe not with extra track laid, though!

A quick update to say the DCC side is now working successfully and reliably. I decided to hook up a second DC controller temporarily to the DCC connections so I could be sure I had the polarities correct for the two track feeds - the locomotives on the tracks each went in the same direction when the controller was connected, firstly to one track at a time, then to both tracks. Once I was sure all was as it should be, I connected up the command station and turned on the power (with just a little trepidation, still!). I have just had a half hour running session with several DCC locomotives running on both tracks, so I am now happy and, especially, feeling secure that no one can accidentally switch anything across from DC to DCC on adjacent tracks.