SRman

Thanks Ray. Today I tamed the lights in the signal box even further wit a second resistor in line with the LEDs. It's still quite bright but much more acceptable now. I use Decoder Pro with the Power Pro, mostly. It does work with the Power Cab but, as I said, there are a few limitations with the USB interface. Brilliant program, especially as a freebie!

With the arrival of an ESU LokProgrammer, I decided that I needed to do something about switching the programming track, because the LokProgrammer is really only intended for ESU products. I found some spare 6 way 2 pole rotary switches left over from the cab control of my old layout's Middlehurst branch, which would allow me to switch three (or more) controls to the programming track with some 'off' positions to isolate it as well. So, I have wired the LokProgrammer/computer to one position, the original programming output from my NCE Power Pro system to another position, and a Power Cab to a third one - the Power Pro 'talks' properly to the computer allowing full read back and programming from Decoder Pro on the computer, whereas the Power Cab has some limitations on this through its USB interface but, on the other hand, the Power Cab has a little more 'oomph' for programming sound decoders. I could also add a 12V DC output to one of the spare pairs of terminals on the switch too, which would allow me to use the rolling road and run DC locomotives in before chipping them. The switch was mounted on a piece of stout plasticard and a label printed up on the computer, with a little trial and error to get things to line up satisfactorily. It's not perfect but it works well and doesn't look too bad. I must label that Power Cab Panel to ensure that no one tries to use it to drive the layout - it is programming track only

Ooops! Apologies to Manfred!

This photo was taken on my phone when visiting PCM's Llanbourne layout for a BRMA meeting on Saturday. Gwiwer weathered these Bachmann Polybulks and posed them with Peter's Manfred's rake of factory weathered examples. {Edited!)

Here are some photos I took of the day at Llanbourne. They were taken on my phone but hopefully the quality is not too bad. My modified Hornby class 92 (with Hornby class 60 chassis) visited Llanbourne. It is seen stabled in platform 1. I'm not quite sure how an electric locomotive got there under its own power!! One of Peter's class 45s is right behind. A maroon Warship diesel-hydraulic was also seen (and heard) on the day but I didn't get any photos of it! Peter's superbly detailed class 33/2, complete with miniature snowploughs, awaits departure from platform 2 with a rake of blue and grey mark 1 coaches. A couple of these were branded for Network South East. Another of Peter's detailed and weathered diesels: 08 472 sits in the headshunt adjacent to the signal box, awaiting its next instruction. Steam visits Llanbourne. Peter Beckett's ex-LNWR G2A 'Super D' 0-8-0 , fitted with Howes' DCC sound, shunts a representative rake of goods wagons. Rick (gwiwer) brought along a couple of Bachmann's new Polybulk wagons that he has weathered. They are seen here with a rake of Peter's factory weathered examples. An overall view of Llanbourne terminus and approaches, with those Polybulks and a couple of engineering coaches in the foreground - the latter were converted from Lima coaches by Simon Hartley.

It was a very enjoyable afternoon (and evening) and there was a very good turnout of members. Thanks Peter and Leanne.

I did a little wiring this morning, so here it is in situ on the layout, with a Bachmann NSE 2 EPB passing. The lights are still a bit too bright but the overall effect is good.

Hi Colin. The roofs are, indeed, a little darker. I applied a wash of the Humbrol weathering wash in dark grey. I must weather the undeframes and bogies next - they are way too 'clean' at the moment!

Hi Peter. I am planning to add an armchair, a phone or two, a clock and possibly a stove. There is also a white metal cat awaiting painting! The interior is still a little bare at the moment. A while ago I bought some LED lighting strips from a dealer on eBay (also available from the likes of Jaycar). I bought 5 metre reels of warm white strip and cool white strip for around $AUS15 each. The strips come with resistors already built in and work off 12V DC, and are marked with cutting points and solder pads every three LEDs. I had carriage lighting in mind (Hornby 2 BILs in particular) but they are also ideal for lighting buildings. I cut one strip of three Surface Mount LEDs and soldered some wires to it, then mounted it in the ceiling of the signal box - the strips are self-adhesive but they don't stick well to the matte paint I used on the inside of the cabin so I used some black-tack to secure the strip and the wires. I had to file a small semi-circular notch in the floor assembly to let the wires pass through to baseboard level. I hooked the wires up to my test analogue controller, which has a controlled output but also has 12V DC uncontrolled and 16V AC uncontrolled outputs, noting which was the positive wire as I did so. The result was just a teensy bit bright!! I could add a higher resistance into the circuit but I thought a diffuser would serve to distribute the light as well as toning it down a bit. Some 10 thou plasticard was cut to fit the ceiling area and Blu-Tacked int place. This was somewhat better. You can see the wires running down next to the door. They will be painted to look like pipes.

Thanks Rick. I am planning to go to Peter's place but I may have a clash of dates for your open day, most regrettably - I missed the last one too.

And here are a couple more shots of progress. I have added a figure I think looks like a signalman and probably need to find another as well. I made up a train register book for the bench. All of this is based on what little I know of signalling rules and practices and rather a lot of assumptions that LT used much the same as BR and its predecessors. I think it looks reasonable and feasible, anyway, although I have no doubt there are a few experts out there who can correct me if I am wrong (please do!).

To get into the headcode 'box' I moved the cab interiors back towards the centre of the locomotive - just a few millimetres is all that's needed. The headcode box and marker lights can then be slid straight backwards before lifting the foam to gain access. While not essential, this does give a little more room to work in and doesn't damage the light guides to the marker lights. I keep looking at mine and thinking I am still not happy with the Heljan class 53 headcodes I used. I may have to try again soon with something better..

Mark, I have been asked to host the August BRMA meeting (the 16th, from memory but check closer to the time). Regardless of that, you are welcome to drop in at any time you are in Melbourne. Continuing wit the LT signal box, I have painted the interior floor and put the first coat of paint on the levers - these are mostly either black for points or red for home signals (which are all 2-aspect here). I made a high bench from scrap bits of plastic. I'll add some printed matter to it as I proceed with the project.

Thanks for the kind comments, Mark. I won't see you if you are only going to Corio as the BRMA meeting has been relocated to Peter Mantle's place on the other side of the bay, due to Graham's hospital visit. Any chance you will get to Peter's as well?

I worked on a miniature track diagram for the signal box last night, partly of the layout around Newton Broadway and partly fictional tracks, signals and stations on either side of the "known" bits. I created the diagram in Microsoft Word, using the line and shape tools. I then took a screen snapshot using the snipping tool built into Windows and loaded the resulting image into Paint Shop Pro (Photoshop would be just as good!) for a little 'fettling' and adding the green background. I then loaded the image back into word and resized it to suit the 40 mm width available on the back wall of the signal box, printed it on the colour laser printer, then cut it out. I cut a 40 thou plasticard panel, slightly over-depth, and glued the printed panel onto the plasticard, then glue the whole panel into the signal box. The result is rather pleasing, I think.

Another job I have been putting off for some time is fitting some sort of interior detail to the Hornby Dublo signal box that masquerades as an LT box. It should probably really have the Westinghouse electro-pneumatic style of miniature levers but after much thought, I realised that no one would be able to see such a system inside the box anyway, so opted to use the old style levers. With this in mind, I ordered the Smiths/W & T etched brass levers. These were duly assembled over a couple of evenings, with many pauses to cool off again from the heat. I can't say I did a brilliant job with these, but once they are painted they will look OK. The frame was stuck to a small rectangle of 40 thou plasticard acting as a sort of plinth. This was trimmed down a bit once I had the final size of the frame. I cut a false floor out of 40 thou plasticard, designed to fit the shaped end of the signal box and overlap the recess in the floor/roof at the other end. Onto that I stuck a floor cut to exact shape from Wills' wooden planking. The wooden floor was stuck to the false floor with solvent, while the lever frame/plinth was then glued towards the front windows of the box, roughly centrally along the floor planking. A small rectangle of black plastic was glued to the shaped end of the box to allow the floor to rest against it and prevent me from pushing it too far upwards. I will draw up and print a track diagram to mount on the back wall of the box, and add some more furniture for the signalmen to use (desks, chairs, etc.). Anyway, here are some photos to show what I am talking about.

Hi Rick. For the Dapol/Kernow Silver Bullets, I actually modified the ladders. I removed each ladder from the wagons then trimmed approximately a millimetre from each of the projecting lugs that mount at solebar level, then glued the ladders back in position. This mod renders them slightly more vertical and makes the whole wagon nearly 2 millimetres narrower than the out-of-the-box state.

Correct! The pantograph/power car goes with the pantograph end at the centre of the entire unit. The next coach has a toilet with no window at that end on one side; that windowless end goes at the far end from the pantograph car, or, if you prefer, with the windowless bit next to the last driving trailer. That assumes that the bodies have been assembled the correct way round on the chassis. I haven't heard of any such problems with the 350 but the first issue 4 CEPs in green had just such a problem. Ignore the livery and lack of pantograph, this shows the correct orientation and position for each coach. It started life as the Silverlink 350/1 version.

One thing about my platform construction and finish didn't look quite right to me and that was the light grey edging extending down the ramps at each end. A thin white line will be added to the edges of the level surfaces later but there always seemed to be a discontinuity at the ends of the real thing. I have corrected a couple of spots along the edges of the platform where particular items of stock rubbed or caught, most notably the Dapol Western at the curved edge on the right of the platform. I also levelled a couple of bits, before painting te ramp edges coal black (Humbrol #85) and touching up the light grey elsewhere. However, while doing this I noticed there was some distortion at two of the section joints, one at each end of the platform. This seems to be a result of the plasticard base expanding in the heat (we are now on our fourth day of 40+ degree Celsius heat, with evening and night temperatures in the high 20s and low 30s). I am hoping I won't have to cut and trim anything after it all cools off again over the weekend (cooler change on the way).

Interestin Interesting, Peter. I fiddled briefly with my platform today, to finish off a couple of things that have been screaming at me to do. I found that the joints near each end were lifting due to the plasticard expanding also. I will have to wait and see whether the cooler weather to come allows it all to settle back or I will need to do something about it.

Thanks guys. Paul, the livery s mostly already applied,with only a few extra touches needed to complete - I baulk at the very idea of doing the NSE livery myself! Robert, the kits are relatively easy and straightforward to build and you can get them up and running in just a single day of modelling. Adding extra details (something you would be quite expert at doing, I think!) make the kit into a model. Bratchell do leave the front ends a little bare, with only printed on lights and moulded on handrails as supplied. They are not cheap but they are well thought out and robust. You can now buy the undecorated kits off them now. If you were to do a 455 in blue and grey you could save a bit of money as that livery is somewhat easier to apply.

Just as well it's a 'no heat' working ... run that with heat in this weather and you'll melt the carriages, let alone the passengers!!

Quite a while ago, I started building a Bratchell Models class 455/8 unit - the first batch with the really ugly front end! Most of the build has been covered in my layout thread in the main forums but it really belongs here on the workbench blog. The unit has actually been running on the layout for some time. I started the handrails on the leading DTS car using handrail knobs but this looked much too coarse when compared to photos of the real things. On the trailing DTS, I used shaped wire handrails with an intermediate support made from plastic rod, and this looked much better. I have now revised the leading car to match. By way of explanation, even though it is an EMU, for DCC purposes I need to designate a front and rear for the train, so the number 1, or leading, car is the one immediately ahead of the MS car with the Replica motorised chassis installed. The trailing, or number 4 car is the one behind the TS car, which itself is also behind the MS car. Formation is DTS(#1)+MS+TS+DTS(#4). In the meantime, I had fitted the jumper cables and receptacles (adapted from Blacksmith Models EPB jumpers) to the leading DTS but not the trailing one. That also has now been updated to match. Turned brass horns were also fitted. DTS #1 has some seats installed but none of the other coaches has an interior fitted yet.

Unfortunately, Newhaven is just a tad too far for me (as is anywhere else in the UK!!), but otherwise I would dearly love to see your units in operation, 'in the flesh', Colin. Edit: Newhaven or Aberaeron!! Still too far away!!

I have been working on the Bratchell class 319/1 a little more and it has actually run in service. I added the third rail shoe beams (or, more correctly, height limiting bars) to both this and the earlier Bratchell class 455/8 I was building. While I had the 455 out, I also finished off the front handrails and jumper cables/receptacles. With all that going on, I decided to have a Network SouthEast (NSE) running session. In the two photos below, the trains at Newton Broadway are, from left to right, the Hornby class 92, 92 022, on a Speedlink freight (the rear of the train), the Bratchell class 455/8, 455 835, the Bratchell class 319/1, 319 174, and a Bachmann class 416/2, 6225. From the other end of the station, looking under the rail overbridge, from left to right are 319 174, 455 835 and 92 022. Edited to correct the photo descriptions.