SRman

Meanwhile, over here in Melbourne, Australia, Autumn is just starting to kick in. We have been inundated with cockatoos around the school I work in. The photos were all taken on my mobile phone, and will benefit from a bit of zooming in. The first two photos are from my office window, looking towards Riversdale station, which is behind the row of trees halfway up the hill. The cockies were flocking around the school oval, before suddenly taking off and heading to the trees along the railway line. Sulphur Crested Cockatoos at CHS 28-03-18 - 1 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr Sulphur Crested Cockatoos at CHS 28-03-18 - 2 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr This last photo was taken in the car park; most regular staff know not to park in the bay under this tree, if they don't wish to have their paintwork dissolved! Cockatoos in CHS Car Park Tree 23-04-18 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Perfectly true, Geoff, but I think you missed the point that the OP cannot read the numbers off the cabsides or smokeboxes/buffer beams (depending on his era) from 20 feet away, and needs some way of identifying the otherwise very similar locos from that distance.

Yes, the weight distribution is a problem with all of the 0-4-4Ts to greater or lesser degree. Hornby stuffed up a bit with the M7 having the decoder socket at the front, when it could have been out in the rear bunker, allowing the wasted space at the front ot be loaded with weight for traction and balance. The H almost teeters over the rear driving axle, which means if you have it going up a hill smokebox leading, the weight transfer will tilt it back over the rear bogie and off the driving wheels at the front. Conversely, you will probably find that running bunker first up the gradient will make a big difference to the abilities of the H. The P, being an 0-6-0, isn't affected because all the wheels are driving wheels, so shifting the weight distribution won't affect it to any great degree.

A couple of suggestions: 1. Use different disc or lamp headcodes so they become recognisable. 2. Weather or paint differences on each loco so that they are recognisable from afar; things like a dirty grey smokebox and cab roof. 3. Add different accessories such as fire irons and shovels, different crews, and so on. All of these still rely a bit on memory, but would allow some ability to distinguish between otherwise similar locomotives.

At last Saturday's BRMA meeting at P.C.M.'s place, Standard 4MT 2-6-4T 80032 disgraced itself by refusing to move. I had it on the programming track to sort it out (she has had a bit of oil and a good wheel clean) and it now works again, although I think I need to open her up and put in a different decoder. While I have the lid off, I will clean and oil the motor bearings and gears. Anyway, seeing as the programming track is also a scenic and photogenic area, I decided to get a snapshot of 80032. BR 4MT 2-6-4T 80032 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr And a slightly 'dated' version of the same photo - monochrome with halftone screening: BR 4MT 2-6-4T 80032 BW halftone by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flick

I have been fiddling with a few different small jobs on Newton Broadway and its stock. Two of the Hornby Pecketts, No 5 Alice and No 6 Alexandria in my fictional industrial fleet are pictured in the next three photos: No 5 has minimal weathering added at present and has a Hatton's P class crew added, and they look as if they were designed to fit in the Peckett cab; No 6 has been more heavily weathered with a mix of powders, but has not, as yet, gained a crew. Some of the newer scenery can also be seen. IMG_20180422_233401 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr IMG_20180422_233349 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr IMG_20180422_233332 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr At last Saturday's BRMA meeting, Standard 4MT 2-6-4T 80032 disgraced itself by refusing to move. I had it on the programming track to sort it out (she has had a bit of oil and a good wheel clean) and it now works again, although I think I need to open her up and put in a different decoder. While I have the lid off, I will clean and oil the motor bearings and gears. BR 4MT 2-6-4T 80032 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr And a slightly 'dated' version of the same photo: BR 4MT 2-6-4T 80032 BW halftone by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr While I still have the SECR birdcage set on the layout, I thought it was a good idea to run the Hornby H class 0-4-4T 308 for a while, now there is a good long continuous run available. I still find this loco a little 'tail' heavy, and it really needs a small spring over the rear bogie to force the balance forward slightly. SECR H class 308 on High Level - 1 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr SECR H class 308 on High Level - 2 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Well, I'm in! I have just ordered the body and chassis from Shapeways, and am looking at the gear set and grille mesh from Scale Link right now. I have some Hornby 08 wheelsets and cranks with coupling rods already so will see about possibly using some of the parts. I'll wade through the rest of the parts list later - I know I already have things like handrail knobs, horns and whistles, wire, phosphor bronze strip, spare brass sheet, glazing materials and plastic card, so hopefully not too much else to get apart from a motor and flywheel, and I may even have those sitting spare somewhere! You're a terrible man, TS, tempting us poor hard done by Southern modellers.

So all 14" ABs are to be 'Kevin'; then I decree all 16" ABs should be christened 'Bob'*. * To be pronounced the same way Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) pronounced it.

Wot? Couldn't she use the Chunnel?

If only 1/3 were drunk, does this mean that it is safer to drive drunk, since the remaining 2/3 are stone cold sober??

I have done the same with several 4-car Southern units built from Bratchell (classes 455/8, 455/9 and 319) and DC Kits (BR 4 EPB) kits; I agree that the trailer cars all require some ballast weight, particularly the coaches adjacent to the powered car. The number of these Replica chassis that I have used (with one more still to go) demonstrates my satisfaction with them, in spite of the compromises needed with seating units.

A photo of what I was talking about in yesterday's post. Power Bogie Frames Adapted and Fitted cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

I do like that lined black livery, and was tempted myself, but with two A-Bs on the way already, I think I'll have to just stop at admiring your model.

I managed to trap a wire initially too - the body wouldn't seat properly, so I investigated before I had done too much damage to the wire and ts insulation. If you read back a way, I fitted TCS M1 decoders into my three, using the four pin sockets to connect them so they can be easily removed or replaced if necessary.

I, too, have used the Sellotape method. Press the tape firmly over the Lima markings and smooth it so it is in maximum contact with the transfers, then peel off slowly.

I expended a little bit of energy tonight and fitted the side frames to the motor bogies on the 455/9 unit. Like the previous 455/8 and 319/1 units I built, the side frames had to lose 1mm from their wheelbases to match up with the Replica motorised chassis I used for each of them. The chassis bogies have clip in side frames that are blank, and also act as a good, solid backing for the kit side frames after they have been cut and rejoined. I usually cut either side of the central bolster/air bag moulding and rejoin the 'arms' with the axleboxes and springs to the central unit after a small amount of filing - the cuts themselves lose almost enough material, but need just a little more taken off. After that, I filed the backing plates to match the profile of the kit side frames, then press-fitted them back onto the relevant bogies. A quick test (still on address 3 until I get the vinyls with the unit and coach numbers on), and all is well with it. I'll have to note on the motor coach (MSO) base which way is 'forwards', for future reference when forming the unit up.

My pair have been combined into one order and the credit card has been debited, but at this stage, the order is merely showing as "open". As DougN said earlier, it would have been nice if they arrived in time for our British Railway Modellers meeting on Saturday, but it doesn't look like that will happen.

More progress on the 455/9, with all windows now fitted. The front end painting is still very rough, and can't really be completed properly until the vinyls arrive and I can match the colours to the vinyls. Fitting the Windows - 5 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr Fitting the Windows - 4 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

There were pantographs fitted but they weren't small. The use of overhead wiring in certain yards was instead of third rail, and was for the safety of the men working on the ground in those yards.

I have inserted the windows in the first coach, a TSO, and no problems have shown up at all. As always, I have used Krystal Klear as the glue for the windows. Fitting the Windows - 2 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr Fitting the Windows - 1 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

Running the little Wickham trolley has had an added benefit: my other half came in to watch it going around, and I said I had plans to replace the false ballast load with a sleeper load, something like what has been described in a recent magazine and in a topic here on RMweb. She said I should leave this one untouched, and buy another Wickham to do the operation on! I have not just permission, but an instruction to buy another!! While I like the idea of a green or maroon one, both Kernow Model Railway Centre and Rails of Sheffield have the yellow one with wasp stripes going at reduced prices, so I think that may be the way to go (I already have a few expenses coming through, including two Andrew Barclay locos which have just been deducted from the plastic.). Fortunately, I bought a very small CT Elektronics decoder at the recent exhibition at Sandown, and that may just fit in in a similar fashion to the TCS decoder I used on the one above.

After a long pause, I have done a little more work on the Bratchell class 455/9 unit, having received a message from Adam of Electra Railway Graphics that he is nearly finished with the South West Trains vinyls for the unit. I have long been putting off painting the window frames, but recently bought a Sharpie permanent marker pen in silver with a view to trying it out on the frames. So far, I think it has been very successful: marking out the raised frames took me around 45 minutes to do the lot, and the paint/ink medium seems to dry quickly and can stand a bit of handling. Painting the Window Frames - 1 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

I decided to try out the Bachmann Wickham trolley, which ran quite nicely in spite of the fact I know one of the electrical pickups is not working properly (something I need to investigate when I am inclined). Then I thought, "This is worth capturing on video.", so here is another quick vid of trains running on Newton Broadway high level. The Wickham was sharing the track with the Hatton's P class 0-6-0T, Bluebell and its train of 'birdcage' coaches. The Wickham has a TCS Z2 decoder hard-wired into it, and the P has a standard Bachmann 36-568 6-pin decoder. I have been doing a little more static grass and other scenery around the new siding, but the glue was still wet at the tie of the video, so the effect is hidden by surplus grass.

The TTS decoders tend to have 8-pin plugs, which R8118 does, but check what you intend fitting it into. Many of Bachmann's newer locomotives have 21-pin interfaces, including their class 20s, although older class 20s, and Hornby's own ex-Lima class 20 have 8-pin sockets. If you intend fitting into a newer class 20 from Bachmann, there are adapters to go from 21-pin to 8-pin, but there isn't a great deal of clearance inside the Bachmann 20 for the adapter plus decoder plug, and the Hornby speaker will also need to be replaced with something physically smaller. the Hornby class 20 has a bit more free space inside though.

I have taken a quick video of one of my Hornby Pecketts running around the inner circuit. this shows off several features, including: The Hatton's crew intended for their P class looking perfectly at home in the Peckett cab; The Smoothness of the Peckett itself, which is fitted with a TCS M1 decoder; The smooth operation of the Gaugemaster aut-frog-polarity switching modules, and; The latest little bit of scenic work on either side of the new siding. The Peckett, No 5, Alice, was renumbered and named using plates from Narrow Planet. The video itself was taken on my mobile phone and edited using Microsoft's Movie Maker, which works well in Windows 10, in spite of what Microsoft say.