SRman

I think only Hornby can answer that question. There have been no suggestions that they intend to do so this year. Perhaps a quiet word in Simon Kohler's ear could get the ball rolling but be aware that Simon never let's the cat out of the bag regarding future production plans!

Hi TT3. Like you, I am hopeless at woodwork! The previous layout worked well enough but the carpentry was distinctly on the rough side of "dodgy"!!! Doug has all the woodworking skills I lack - he probably lined up twice when they were handing out the skill-sets!! It has been a blessing having such a good friend so near by. I tried to maximise the use of the space while leaving things as accessible as possible. I may have to duck under occasionally to retrieve things from the tunnels in the event of a disaster but, hopefully, things will remain reliable for a good few years to come. I have done quite a bit of running already with a large variety of stock and the only problems have been one vehicle becoming uncoupled (coupling adjusted and problem fixed!) and one derailment due entirely to my inattention and running one train into the back of another! Peter, we'll look forward to seeing you on Saturday (and TT3 if he can make it). I wasn't planning on bringing the EPBs along but since you have asked so nicely I am positively delighted to announce that I'm not going to do it!! Actually, I'll bring one or both along and maybe a couple of other locomotives too. I now have sound in Kestrel to show off, amongst others. I don't want to steal too much of Doug's thunder though, as he is getting quite a good LNER feel to his layout now. Doug: because I hurt my wrist again I have been drilling holes and putting screws in just a few at a time each day after I get home. Toby has been wrestling the mat inside our front door (he kicks the s*** out of it too!) so we never know what position it is going to be in: I tripped on it in the dark after getting back home from your place on Sunday. He has taken to sitting on the window sill behind the layout a lot lately - he does like the trains. I haven't locked him out of the room yet but once I start putting scenery in i might have to review the situation. As long as he remains non-destructive I'll leave the doors open (previous cat demolished a few of my very delicate Ratio semaphore signals and ate some of the plastic figures, including the school mistress and half a motor cycle!). I may have to take over the BRMA meeting following DougN's as Roger T, the currently listed host, had a heart attack at the exhibition on Saturday. He is recovering but I have offered if he thinks it may be too much for him to cope wih hosting 15 or 20 people in August. At least I have something operational already so I am further along than I expected to be at this stage. Rcmacchipilot, I want to do some scenery and I have some ideas in mind already but it will be a little while before I can really start on it. Unlike carpentry, I do have some reasonable skills with scenery and positioning of items for best effect (I think!).

Hi. No, I haven't come up with anything definitive yet. I have had a few thoughts based around corruptions of names on the SW main lines; something like Heybridge or New Hey. I'm not very imaginative when it comes to things like this, though.

Next installment: DougN dropped over today with the hinged lift-up fiddle yard board for the upper level and helped install it ... more specifically, he installed it and I assisted! He even pre-painted it for me. I will have to trim parts of the front edges to suit the track layout below but this is minor compared to all the hard work DougN has put into my layout. There were two trains in motion when I took these shots, using my new DSLR camera (I still have my 'L' plates on for using that!). The trains are a pair of blue Bachmann 2EPB units (consisted) and a Bachmann green 4CEP unit. The plate girder bridge over the far end of the LT station represents an approximate alignment for the overhead tracks of the main lines although the proper structure will be double-tracked.

Chip, would it be easier to drill holes in the containers to match the spigot positions?

Ninja, I use Kadees within rakes as well as between wagons where appropriate (#17 on the Bachmann intermodals), leaving the tension lock couplings only at the outer ends of the rakes. I tend to do something similar with fixed rakes of coaches too. I haven't had many problems with this approach at all, even between brands of wagons.

The other shots are great but I'm not sure those Triang locos are very realistic (nice though!). Some superb photos further up the page too. I regret I don't yet have any scenic areas on my new layout to attempt any photos like these but it gives me something to aim for - lots of wonderful inspirations here.

I'm sort of glad they are delayed - my card won't take any more punishment for a while!!

Nice! I like the "disused" track in the foreground. But you're really on a slippery slope now, Peter. First, sound, now steam as well!

I received emails from Hattons yesterday advising me that two of the KFAs are now in stock. There were no pictures on their website at that time but it shouldn't be long ...

Boy, has he got the DCC sound bug!!

Thanks, Manfred. Next meeting is at DougN's; perhaps you could also drop in here afterwards for a short spell.

Hi Peter. I'm not 100% sure about Saturday. Check back with me closer to the day. If not, then you could always detour slightly and drop in here on your way back home from Werribee. Thanks for the comment lordhinton.

Here are some photos of the layout pretty much as the AMRA visitors saw it on Saturday 14th May (pics taken on 16th May). The tunnel mouths are close to where they should be in the greater plan, although they are definitely not the final appearance! Otherwise, most of the scenic items bear little resemblance to what will eventually be in their places. The road vehicles and nissen huts are where there will be viaducts and embankments carrying the main lines. There may also be a road with a level crossing over the main lines and bridge over the LT lines but the final position will vary from the bridge placed for effect here.

Hi Peter. Yes, the LT lines will have third and fourth rail, eventually. The upper level BR lines (not built yet!) will have third rail for the main running lines plus any carriage sidings but not for the engine shed area or any goods sidings. I had to get trains running for the AMRA visits on Saturday; both Doug's and my layouts are included in one of their tour circuits. In the meantime, I have been enjoying watching - and listening to - trains trundling around the completed LT circuits. Of course, much of what can be seen now will be covered over by the upper level later. At the moment I only have the CO/CP stock converted for DCC but the Q stock will follow soon, as will one of the tube trains as soon as I fit the Metro Models pin-point bogies. The F stock will also follow but I have to build and finish three more coaches - the only resin bodied one I have is visible in some of the photos. Much futher down the track (another pun?) I have two more EFE trains to convert (1938 and 1959/62 stock: one set is not even motorised yet) and two more surface trains to build, a four coach C69 train and a four coach A60 train. During the work over the last few days, I have also had a massive tidy-up under the layout and rearranged the various drawer units and storage tubs. I have carefully arranged them so that the tubs are on the side of the support legs where, if i move the layout, the cross-beams will pass straight over the tubs without my having to move anything else.

Today I laid the last pieces of track then marked out the holes for the point motors. While I haven't connected the last few wires to the micro-switches yet, or added a couple more track feeds, I test ran train on each circuit as I completed them and, to my surprise, they ran perfectly throughout, although I know the 09 shunter won't yet make it through because of its short wheelbase. The following pics show the first, inner London Transport circuit connected up. Then the second, outer LT circuit was connected up and Lion ran with a short parcels train.

Here are the promised photos of the progress. The trains in the station loops were all driven there under their own power, notwithstanding the fact that some of the points were not fully wired and, therefore, had dead sections through the frogs. I deliberately tested those that had been through wired using my Hornby 09 shunter as its wheelbase was shorter than the dead sections. Locos with longer electrical pickup wheelbases were able to drive through the dead sections with no problems at all. The extra curved siding can be seen in the foreground of some of the pics and is able to take a five-car Underground set - I can't quite get six cars in without tightening the radius to 18" or so (2nd radius for train set curves) but that is a compromise I'm not prepared to make. The station buildings are perched precariously on bits of wood at approximately platform height to check clearances. The holes where the point motors and switches are mounted will be covered with stiff card. As it is a work still in progress, I make no apologies for the tools and bits of wire lying all over the place! Track laying continues, as does the work of wiring it to at least get things running for Saturday's AMRA visits.

Extra hint: add some powder paint or poster colour to the plaster mix so no white shows if it chips later. I use browns or blacks but it is really a matter of personal preference.

I have made further progress since the last posting. As I am now in the middle of a two-week holiday I have been able to do more painting and track-laying (last week) and wiring (today). The holiday was "interrupted" by three days travelling along the Great Ocean Road though. Sad, innit?? I have laid track to half way along the station loops and wired the three points at the right-hand end on the inner circuit ... one of those is an extra one leading to a storage siding inside the curve. This will be outside of the tunnel so will have to have high retaining walls, at least on the tunnel side of the track. I still have two points on the outer circuit to wire at the right-hand end, and four at the left-hand end to lay and wire, together with the remaining track. A test train of CO/CP stock has now run just about 7/8 of the circuit. I also ran a Hornby 09 shunter at low speed over the wired points, with no stalling or hesitation whatsoever. The same locomotive has a wheelbase shorter than the dead sections on the unwired points so this was a good test of my wiring and the Peco micro-switches. No pics yet but they will follow in the next couple of days.

I think the Cararama ones are nearer 1/72 scale. If you keep them apart by about 9" or more,the difference will not be noticeable. Adding that extra width is an interesting development. It will certainly facilitate taking photos along that edge. Keep up the brilliant work.

Nice photos, Keith, and you managed to get The Man himself in!

While I don't have too many problems with my earlier Heljan Western with original wheels, I was browsing Howes' website last night and they not only have the replacement wheelsets to the newer style (I have already fitted these to my 33s, a 35 and a 47) but now havw the sprue available with the wheel inserts, so I may well be treating my Western to an update soon! Like many others here, I am awaiting the first super-detailed Dapol models (the class 22??) to see how the mechanism stacks up before I even think of buying one.

Yes, make sure your shortcuts and bookmarks point to http: //railsofsheffield.com/default.aspx (as Gwiwer has said). I have deliberately broken the link here so that the text does not get truncated - do NOT type the space between http: and //.

It is what used to be called Spencer Street station, now Southern Cross station (why??). It is nice and airy and spacious, especially good for photography, unlike the old decrepit station buildings and canopies. As for the layout, it is even better in the flesh than in the photos (good as they are). There are so many small but realistic details, as well as Peter's excellent detailing and weathering of his stock. B)

I know this is speculation (no, don't throw me out yet!) but I would guess Dapol have allowed for a good many of the known variations and will have various plugs for the moulds and separate add-on fittings for the smaller details, so it should be possible to incorporate the new information without too much difficulty. Also, it has been known for production locomotives to differ somewhat from the original drawings as production line modifications are put in effect. As Rick said, we will have to wait and see but I think Dapol will choose theor subjects carefully, from the information they have released so far. B)