P.C.M

Spot on Kevin, From memory 08s had a small switch under each light so had to be turned on and off manually I can't remember how but the red lens could be moved to show whites, there was only a small globe so were never very bright, so if they were lft on during the day you probably wouldn't see them. The lights on the tamper look great too. I am still sending locos the wrong way, I try and remember that fan end is forwards. Having lights certainly helps. Cheers Peter.

Hi Sean, What about in the prototype section. Title something like 'Class 26 detail pics.' Cheers Peter.

Hi Kevin, The VWs look great sat on your wagons, the 08 looks good too, but I think they normally showed one red one white each end when shunting. Cheers Peter.

Hi cav Great news on the job, pitty it will slow your progress though. Cheers Peter .

Thanks Derek, I will have a look at that. Cheers Peter.

Hi Cav and Jeff, Sorry about that, not sure why I wrote bridge. I need to make up a tunnelmouth now before I go much further. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Dave, I had a picture in my head of what I wanted, then started to have second thoughts, as I was thinking of having a side road down to the oil terminal so looked at making the road lower. Even that wasn't going to look right so it's back to plan A which is pretty much option 2. Cheers Peter.

The figures on the platform are mainly Bachmann some are the older ones that I don't think you can get any more. Other figures on the platform and about the layout are white metal Phoenix models railway workers and trackside workers. Cheers Peter.

Thanks guys, I think I am going with option 2, as much as I like option 1 the road doesn't look quite as good being that low, I can't curve it round the hillside as well. A bit hard to explain really but I will post up some pics once I have made more of a mess. Cheers Peter.

Having re read my post, I maybe should have written road over tunnel mouth rather than bridge. Cheers Peter.

Very nice Cav, how do you think some for 00 gauge would look. ;o) Some single pipe one for my oil train would be nice. Cheers Peter.

Ok guys I need some help here, I wasn't really planning this but got sick of tripping over a great big block of polystyrene in the garage so started to hack it up to fill in my senic break. While at it I have started to think about the road bridge. Hopefully the pics will explain but I am not sure if it would be better to have the road higher up with with some senics between the road and bridge with the hillside going up behind that or to have the road lower and next to the bridge again the the hillside going up behind. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Derek, Always nice to see your pics, 45123 looks to be in good condition too, and still with nameplates very nice. Cheers Peter.

Hi Alan, If you don't mind spending the money to chip all your locos and you can find a control system that you like then go for it. The 08 will need a small sound decoder and speaker but can be done and the Lima class 40s were easy, for a start there is plenty of room and hard wiring is pretty easy if you can use a soldering iron, there is plenty of info out there on how to wire them up but if you need any help let me know. Cheers Peter.

Hi Doug, I am happy with the DCC so far I think the hardest thing is remembering what is forwards or reverse, I have a habit of sending the train the wrong way. I just need to remember fan end is forwards a bit hard to do sometimes with a pair of 20s. I am with you, full automation would mean some major rewiring and it all works fine as it is at the moment, so I am happy with just controlling just the trains with DCC. Cheers Peter.

Coupler looks good to me Cav, I think Mick is pretty much spot on, and it does go to show there is some variety between wagon types. I was a Shunter at Eastleigh East yard from 1989 to the 90s and all our Speedlink trains were single piped by then including the oil trains going to Fawley. Freightliner and stone trains were air and main res. I would guess alot of block trains would have been twin piped. Passenger stock would be air and main res plus ETH cable each side a real pain to couple and uncouple especially if they had been coupled for a while. Depends on how far you want to go re doing other couplers. having one type for everything is still going to be way better than the couplers supplied and anything I have seen in N gauge. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Mark, I have one more 31/4 to do which is a sound fitted model. I may not get around to it this year though. I am going ok with the DCC still a few locos to fit decoders too and looking at getting a Zimo chip for my class 08. Cheers Peter.

Hi Alan, Thanks Mate, I do like my Peaks and 111 is a bit of a fave I had a quick look at my list of slides and don't have a pic of 123 and it wasn't marked off for haulage but then I missed out on quite a few as I was living down South and had to get my Sulzer fix from class 33s. I have to say the new crossing is now working fine and I haven't had any shorts or derailments since my dummy spit. I was a bit worried some stock might not like the code 75 but I haven't had any problems as yet. I am not sure I have mastered DCC yet but I would say I am going ok with it, and if I can manage it I am sure you could. I am not a big fan of computers because when they go wrong I am stuffed but my powercab is fairly easy to use I still need to play with the CVs on my sound locos and I would like to dim the loco lights if I can. As for non sound locos I can fit decoders no problem and even hard wiring my old Bachmann Peaks and Lima 40s wasn't that hard. It took me a while to go DCC and it was the sound locos that got me in though I don't plan on having sound in everything its costing me enough just to get normal decoders, the cost is a big factor but by doing things gradually it dosn't seem too bad. I am not planing to run my points through the powercab I will keep my old control panel and change the points by pushing buttons, so I haven't had to do any major rewiring. I would certainly look at DCC when you build your 00 layout. Cheers Peter.

Well I have been drawing plans for ages, and thought I had decided on one. That was until Bachmann released their class 85, I just want one so have gone back to an older track plan which is a small part of a much bigger yard with part of a loco shed at the back on a lower or higher level plan is to make my own points so there won't be too many. The layout will be mid 80 s north of the boarder trains will be similar to what you might have seen at Mossend. I need to do more to llanbourne before I start though I do have a class 26 and 27. Cheers peter

Hi Damian, Seeing your list made me feel a bit better about my long list of things to do, plus I don't feel so bad about planning another layout seeing that you are planning a new one yourself and finescale 7mm too. Look forwards to following your progress. Cheers Peter.

Thanks Lee, One of the reasons I chose 45111 was it was one of the last Peaks to carry it's cast nameplate, plus I took a pic of the loco at York after riding on the train from Leeds. Ploughs were more common on the Scottish class 20s but I did see 121 and 169 with ploughs although it was in the 90s. Don't tell anyone. Cheers Peter.

Hi All, I finished touching up the sky backscene on the extension the other day, I might even get round to doing some senics this year. I have also been playing with a new DSLR and trying to get more depth of field so took some pics of 20121 and 20169 arriving on a special coal working from South Wales I would guess the 20s were put on at Crewe or Chester. 31403 is seen on the empty postal stock heading to Redbank. Also newly fitted with decoder 45111 works it first train of the year arriving on a Trans Pennine working from York. Cheers Peter.

Looking pretty good to me, it still looks like two little round holes/ recesses at the bottom of the body need, I think to be filled. I am sure they were sandbox filling points. Other than that spot on and the neamplates will look superb once you have painted it blue. Your other stock is looking good too the HST has come up really well as have the HEA coal wagons, I like the couplers too, though for HEAs you would only need one brake pipe. MRJ 113 and 115 1999 for the point rodding article, can't find the other article yet, will have a look tomorrow. Cheers Peter.

Hi Jeff, The bridge looks good, pleased to see you sorted your clearance problem. As long as you can get a Peak and a class 40 passed you will be right. Cheers Peter.

No worries Howard, They are great looking wagons.