SRman

Newton Broadway seems to have fallen through a worm hole and ended up in the Sydney (Australia) area, sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s! Interurban V set V4 in original 'blue goose' livery passes one of the first batch of Mercedes 0305 buses in original livery. The V sets were built in batches over nearly 20 years, with the first sets, to a slightly different pattern, entering service in 1970, while the last build went into service in 1989. Early ones have been withdrawn, but quite a few of the later ones are still in service. The model is from Auscision, and was a little bit of an extravagance on my part (tax refund!). P_20190110_112510_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190110_112555_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190110_112414_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

It depends on a number of factors. I would say, in general, you have been lucky. As other posters have indicated, some models come out and sell out straight away - in a few cases, they sell out on the pre-orders. Other models sit on the shelves and come down in price later if you are prepared to wait. However, if you wait for the 'wrong' model, you can miss out completely or end up chasing one at a premium price (whatever the seller thinks they can get). Which models need pre-ordering and which ones are 'safe' to wait for? That's not always a predictable answer. Someone mentioned the Huntley & Palmers Peckett earlier ... I think I got the last one in Australia, and I was very lucky to get it at a still reasonable price, before the rare examples that did come back on the market shot up in price. I didn't pre-order because up until the point I bought it, I didn't even know I wanted one!

Kernow Model Rail Centre have had some Bachmann de-branded DRS class 66s with soiled boxes going for £74.95 (http://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/59810/32-976Z-Bachmann-Class-66-Diesel-Locomotive-SOILED-BOX - no connection apart from being a satisfied customer). Even for a repaint or hack, this is a reasonable price and I have been tempted but am resisting at present ... I really don't need any more class 66s.

TPM's website, but I don't think Bernard Taylor is making them any more. There may possibly be a few kits stuck on a back shelf somewhere, but you would have to ask Bernard, perhaps with a PM as he is on the forum. http://www.tpmodels.co.uk/4mmdetails.html

I love what you have done so far, Tom. Great work and great imagination, building on STP's works.

It is, indeed. It is a TPM CarKit4 resin and white metal kit, hence my call to Bernard Taylor before.

I try to give most of my stock a run at some time or another, but I do have certain favourites that get a lot more running (particularly certain sound-fitted locos and units). My layout has the capacity to run six trains at once (with two each sharing a common track on the upper level), with storage for another eight full trains, or even more with shorter trains sharing the same fiddle yard road. It may be possible to run even more trains on the upper level, but that would require one or more extra operators to keep tabs on them.

Answering my own question from before, it looks like these and the Peckett 0-6-0STs will have 6-pin sockets for DCC. That's according to the listings on Hatton's website.

Hornby use the Lima body moulds, but a revised chassis now, which is DCC-ready and has a 5-pole motor driving only one bogie. I don't have a Hornby 66, but I did fit the very similar Hornby class 59 chassis into a Lima class 59 body. The motor is very smooth, and has reasonable amount of power but not much traction - there is a distinct lack of weight in the chassis. Neither Lima nor Hornby have working lights. The Bachmann one has a solid chassis with a central can motor and flywheels. It also has working lights but the marker lights don't illuminate, meaning you don't get the distinctive triangle of lights, with only two of the three vertices illuminated. Haulage and smoothness are good. Early examples didn't have pickups on the leading axles, to the detriment of running on uneven track. The new Hattons one promises to be like the Bachmann but even better, with the weaknesses of the Bachmann model eliminated. As it isn't on the market yet, we can only go on the promised features. However, having said that, the previous Hattons branded locomotives and rolling stock have been very good (P class and Andrew Barclays, and Beilhack snow ploughs) .

Moving on, some more of my London Transport/London Underground Limited multiple units. The first two photos show a pristine EFE 4-car set of 1938 stock in original livery with cream window pillars. This set is, as yet, unmotorised. P_20190109_101342_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190109_101331_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr Next, another EFE 1938 set, but one I have tinkered with the livery - no cream window pillars as in their later days, representing the 1960s - and with a Black Beetle motor bogie fitted. The Black Beetle struggles with the four cars (including itself), but I have some MetroModels pin-point bogies to fit, which should reduce the considerable drag created by the existing bogies. P_20190109_101041_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190109_101107_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr I also have a 4-car silver set of tube stock (1959/62 stock) from EFE, which does have a motorised chassis fitted but this still needs work and doesn't sit correctly on the track. I have taken photos of it as a 3-car set with no motor. P_20190109_100904_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190109_100849_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr Bringing us right up to date is a 6-car set of S Stock from the London Transport Museum/Bachmann. The interior lights are wired directly to the wheel pickups so remain permanently on as long as there is track power. I forgot to turn on the headlights for the photos. P_20190109_102437_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190109_102454_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190109_102400_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190109_102346_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

There's a story elsewhere that Chris Chibnall and JW are possibly going to leave due to disagreeing with the BBC management policies. Could the moralising and preaching be something dictated from higher up, rather than coming from Chibnall himself?

A mixed selection of multiple units, of both electric and diesel types. Continuing the London Transport ones first, the first photos are of 1920 F Stock. This is a 4-car unit still under construction but able to run. The centre cars are unglazed and the bodies are quite loose on their underframes. Once again, two Black Beetle motor bogies power this unit, and I have plans to add one more car. The kits were from Harrow Model Shop, but one of the DM cars hasa Radley resin body. P_20190108_214228_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190108_214256_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr Now to the main line types. First up are ex-Southern Railway units running in the late 1960s or early '70s condition, with a 2 BIL in green with full yellow ends leading a blue 2 HAL and another HAL in green with full yellow ends. P_20190108_215015_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190108_215044_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr From the same period, but much more recently built, a 4 VEP in plain BR blue with small yellow ends. This model pre-dates the Hornby units by several decades, and is, in fact, four Lima restaurant cars with MJT brass sides and white metal driving ends, and a Lima class 73 motor bogie. P_20190108_220118_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190108_220246_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr Moving on to the mid- to late 1980s, a class 455/8 unit passes in Network South East livery. This was built from a Bratchell Models kit and motorised with a Replica Railways chassis. P_20190108_215837_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190108_215805_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr Also from the same period is a Network South East class 456, built from a Bratchell kit, but unmotorised (it works with the class 455 normally). P_20190108_214557_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr And finally, moving into the privatisation era, a visitor to the Southern metals in the form of four class 153 single-car units. Only the black one has not had its livery modified,with the blue and pink units having Electra Railway Graphics vinyl overlays, and the Regional Railways one having been second-hand with some poorly painted additions in some areas, so it had some livery touch-ups and fixes. P_20190108_221159_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190108_221220_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190108_221208_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Doug, I am keeping the scenery at the front low, and leaving places to lean on behind the trains, as well as having some access from the back of the layout too. But, yes, I am keeping in mind that I still have much work to do further back. Those poplars are only black-tacked in place and probably will not remain in that position for the future. After playing around with fences and a few hedges, I have returned to this setting at present. I had some lovely rough hedging that looked absolutely great in the corner of the foreground field, but it obscured the trains and the car. Since I intended this scene to be a photographic backdrop, that just didn't make the cut. I have added the row of poplars in the background, and removed the upturned tree. Anyway, here are a couple of my London Transport EMUs, a little out of their normal environment. First up, two photos of a 5-car train of 1938 CO/CP Stock (1 x 2-car unit, 1 x 3-car unit), as it would have appeared in the 1960s. These are all built from Harrow Model Shop/Radley white metal kits, so are very heavy, and require two Black Beetle motor bogies. The other two photos show a mixed 5-car train of Q Stock, with cars of 1923, 1938, 1927 and 1931 stocks. These are all resin kits from a couple of different sources, but, again, have two Black Beetles in one of the 1923 DM cars powering the set. Both trains are intended to be expanded to six cars at some time in the future. The cars are from the TPM CarKit4 range, combining resin body shells and white metal chassis and fittings, with a few etched components as well. One is a Hillman Hunter (mark 1) and the other is a Humber Sceptre, built with optional parts in the same kit. They also had parts for a Hillman Hunter Mk 2. P_20190108_181415_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr url=https://flic.kr/p/23tDynT]P_20190108_181445_vHDR_Oncropped[/url] by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr url=https://flic.kr/p/QjMCKi]P_20190108_182223_vHDR_Oncropped[/url] by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr url=https://flic.kr/p/QjMCT4]P_20190108_182235_vHDR_Oncropped[/url] by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr And for effect, a monochrome version of the Q Stock. P_20190108_182235_vHDR_On croppedBW by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

As close as I could get to a 'real' colour used on them, anyway, Bernard. A little more work on fences. A lick of paint, all-over grey first (first pic), then some steel colour on the railings makes it look a bit more convincing. This is actually the Ratio 423 GWR fencing but with the nylon 'wire' replaced with .020" plastic micro-rod substituted to represent steel tubing. It is a little bit of a compromise in that the tubes should go through holes in the posts, but I couldn't see me drilling all those holes on the plastic posts. The Peco flexible field fencing on the right also had a quick and light spray over with grey primer. No. 8, Sherlock Holmes is seen once again, followed by 5 BEL unit 3052. P_20190107_235018_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190108_111156_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190108_111145_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

With that in mind, I bought some Comet brass sides to use on the Kirk kits - looks like they may be relegated to the bottom of the 'to do' pile!

Is there any indication of what DCC interface they are using? I sincerely hope Hornby will drop the proprietary 4-pin connection and go for a 6-pin one for these and their other small locos. I note that they have a 6-pin decoder in the range now.

Another test shot, this time with the addition of some fencing. The fences are still being added to and are unpainted at present. I feared they may steal the auto-focus on the camera, and looking at this photo, that may well be true. I may have to resort to combining two shots with the focus manually shifted. Anyway, this shows LT ex-Metropolitan Railway Bo-Bo electric locomotive No. 8, Sherlock Holmes, hauling the rake of five Graham Farish coaches representing Dreadnoughts. Bernard Taylor may recognise the Vauxhall Victor 2000. P_20190107_175340_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Looking at the photo, it has a ringfield motor which confirms what others have said, that it was never DCC-ready to start with, and that this is a home-bodge job. For all that, it looks well done. If you wish to retain the decoder (for that is what is in there), swap the orange and grey wire feeds to the brushes. If you don't wish to retain the decoder, do as 34C suggested, cut the wires and rejoin the track feeds directly to the brushes, checking the polarity as you do so.

After a little more scenic work and some glue (still wet here), a test shot with my Bratchell kit of a class 319 EMU, 319 174. I am going to have to paint the rails for this angle as they do show up rather more than I had expected. I will continue with a little more work before I can use this properly for recording the various EMUs and DMUs, but it is promising, and does allow me to hide all the unfinished areas behind. P_20190105_192234_vHDR_On (1) by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Years ago, I was coming back to Melbourne through Ballarat. I was in my old Falcon hardtop (V8 4.9 litre), cruising at the speed limit (even allowing for the known speedometer error on it), being tailgated by an idiot in a Nissan Bluebird. Got to an overtaking lane, which coincided with the start of an uphill gradient (as many of these things do!). I moved left as soon as the lane started, maintaining my speed up the hill. Idiot in Bluebird puts foot down and sort of maintains his position to the rear but to my right, until the hill steepened ... I maintained speed but he fairly rapidly dwindled into the distance in my rear view mirror.

The R1 is atypical, but is one of the easiest to convert to DCC - I have done one myself. Converting old Triang locos with the X04 motors is very similar to this. Connect the green right-hand track wire to the red wire on the decoder (step B), the black decoder wire to the return path (chassis, step A), then the orange and grey wires to the brushes (steps C and D), making sure you insulate the spring wire from both brushes (as you have said in step D). If the loco runs the wrong way, reverse the orange and grey feeds. Many other HD locos have the motors partially built-in to their chassis, with one brush sleeve force-fitted into the casing as the return current path. If this is the case in your other locos, you will need to drill/ream out the hole for that brush holder, and sleeve it with insulating material. I haven't done this operation myself, but I know of others who have done it successfully.

With a view to creating a longer photographic scene to suit multiple units with up to five cars, I started doing some dry ballasting on a section of the upper level. I haven't painted the rails, but with the right framing, I should be able to capture the trains without making the unfinished bits too obvious. This is by no means finished, but its as much as I could manage before both my back and the heat in the train room got to me (we do have air-con in our sitting room, but the train room door has to remain closed because of the two destructo-cats we have). P_20190104_211752_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr P_20190104_211809_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Presumably you avoided branding yourself with the seat belt buckle.

That fits better with what we would expect, Chris. Incidentally, for anyone using the Wills vari-girder, each section is a separate piece, so it would be relatively easy to build it with a light angle between each piece to create a similar 'curve'.

And above human body temperature, the human body starts to melt too!