[berth44]

Hello folks,well,it's hard to believe,but since I've 'layed' my boards a 'small' layout has sprung up and I've got one length of track (Peco) left out of my box of 25 yards!!,fortunately,I've still got one more box left. I've also made a huge dent in my 'turnout' collection,all my 'medium' radius ones are gone but I still have a few long ones left..and those diamonds!
So,where's it gone?,not having a camera,I can't show you, but what I've done is a double main line with a 5 road loco shed,a 6th road will be a 'through' but off it,a small 'Y' point comes back at you with a road for coal wagons,2 for the coal tower and another road ,possibly for an 'ash pit' and a turntable,probably just the 'Dapol' one for the time being.
The shed is on the 'operators' side, this is to make it easier to retrieve locos and set the roads by hand. On the other side of the 'main' is my 'Ballast' sidings,so far it's 3 road with a 'head shunt' and there is also a small passing loop,this is just temporary solution for the moment, it'll go 'roo the bend' to make a bigger loop for at least a minimum of 8 coaches,or maybe to hold two trains,'m I just making it up as I go along,no plans,all in my head!!
When I get more boards to complete my 'square' I can complete an 'oval' and work from there. As I've said, I've only got an 'L' shape at the moment butI want my trains to run 'round and round and round',(I've never been an 'end to end' man' myself)
I have the boards, sort of...'but'....they are at 'K Mart!!', my wife works there and the 'boss' asked her if she new someone who'd want them....ME!!! There are enough to do a 'full' square, even to replace the 'doors' if I want to!!
Unfortunately, my car is not big enough to transport them home. My neighbour has a trailer ,but no tow bar, ("HMMM???")so for the moment..I'm sort of stuck....(boo hoo),I definately don't want to loose these, I'm asking around..
Anyhoo,it is sort of 'good' news,"David's got a layout!"..I'm finding it all 'fun' at the moment, I'm able to run all these 'new' locos that I have collected over my 27 years in Australia, and 'New' is the word, 'cause in reality' they have hardly turned a wheel...I'm re-learning my 'hobby,(so to speak)the 'ups and downs' and the thought of what lies ahead,the questin is,will it actually progress into a 'real' layout or is it just a 'stop gap', somewhere to 'play' trains till I retire and just maybe (hopefully actually) go back 'Home' to Scotland, so I'm thinking ahead, and if it does become a 'real' layout,I should make provisions so that it can be easily be dismantled with a view to shipping..........."Hmmmmmmmmmmmm???..Dave

[SkyFire]

Well done and I think I'll have to come over with my camera and get some photos for you, oh and to play trains as well. ;D

[berth44]

Thanks Anthony,but I'll need to get a bit more organised before 'playing' can be done, it's a long way from that yet!..................Dave

[SkyFire]

Maybe just get some photo for you then, play later.

[berth44]

Let me get tidied up first then Anthony and thank you very muchly for offering to take some photo's,I 'll let you know when.
In the above 'blah blah blah' I mentioned the Dapol turntable,well,I looked,20bucks plus postage here in OZ from a model shop, (still a good price)but I looked at EBay and it's costing me 16 dollars from the UK,postage included...ordered!!!........Dave

[SkyFire]

Just goes to show just how much we are getting ripped off out here on prices.

[berth44]

Just deviating for a second Anthony,my wife required a new battery charger for her laptop,now, I'm talking of prices within Australia,Dick Smith..70 bucks,a store in SA, 29 bucks,and with Free postage,we even get ripped off on our own doorstep,it's always a good thing to shop around??!!..............let's see what the budget does for us........'ripping off Australia.??'................Dave

[SkyFire]

Wow Even getting ripped off here in our home town. This is crazy, as to the buget, no idea, we will just have to watch and see.

[berth44]

I think I've progressed beyond the 'frame', it's the actual layout now that's the plan.
I've set up a double road,more or less to get some locos out and give them a wee run and at the same time try out my H&M controllers,so far, the two Duettes seem to be performing well as is the '3000'
It took a bit to figure,but I'm running it at the moment on my 'down main' ,and it's certainly different,set it and watch the train start from a full stop and run up to speed without touching a thing,mind you,I've had a few derailments and run for the 'emergency stop!!'
Now,I'm just about ready to put in place the rest of the 'underlay', figure my sidings and 'loop' arrangements and put some points in so that it makes some sort of sense!!
Meanwhile I'll 'tack down' the track temporarily with household brass tacks until whenever, and with a shortage of track and points, I think running locos in is not such a bad idea for a wee while??.......Dave

[SkyFire]

Might have to bring my pendolino over and give it a run as the curves are too sharp for it on my layout.

[berth44]

I thought I'd done some nice curves Anthony until my 'Blue Peter' did it's first circuit..well,it almost did,it came to grief on the first bend with the tender completely locked,luckily it was'nt going hard and it just came to a complete hault right at the start of the embankment,if it had continued,well it could have been a "cat ass trophey" as it plunged down the afore mentioned with 8 coaches in tow!!!
These locos have an 'adjustable' bar betwee the loco and tender,to use the closest of coupling 'settings', I'd actually require 'scale scale' scale curves,but I reckon,your 'Pendo-ma-leeno' (keh?)might be right and skoot roon at 250 miles an hour!!!but I'll someday address this coupling bar,the long setting has the fireman doing a hop skip and jump to get the coal in the firebox!!
I'll be looking at that first cuve to the 'scenic' end to see if I can get a 'smoother transition' on this curve that is the lead up to the embankment then onto and over the bridge...or viaduct..
Anyhoo,last thing last night I decided to work on the track underlay and lay the available underlay '2 ply' , I think it's just a wee bit too thin, should be better for ballasting in the long run...... I'm thinking??...
Anyhoo, I've only did a few feet,there's a l-o-t to go!,the stuff I'm using, '2 ply' is about the same as commercially available stuff, so I'll see how it goes, there's enough of it to do my layout many many times over!!
Right on that note, till the next time..now where's that 'DP2??'........Dave

[berth44]

That was the long week-end,thank you missus Queen,many happy returns...OK, I had 3 days in the garage (much to the annoyance of you know who??)you'd think with all that time it would be finished..."aye right!!"
So,what did I get done??,well, most of the time was spent 'looking and thinking', with no drawn out plan,that's what I do...it's all in me heed!!
Right then, let's get the track in order first,'smoothing out' the curves and adding bit's of rail to fix the large gaps that suddenly appeared as I pulled at and 're lined' the bends was a bit of a pain,but a scale 1 foot gap between rails is not good for running!!
With this work done for the 'time being',a wee bit running of trains was done as well,(required)...all seems pretty good at this stage ,no crashing of locos or rolling stock on the bends, the spacing is fine.....this is important I think??....
I was going to 'double up' on the underlay,but I've decided against it,I've also given up on laying the stuff 'en mass' like I did before, I just cut it into strips (slightly wider than the track) and about one foot in length, I simply slide it under each track section, pinning it down as I go,by doing this I should have enough of the 'thicker' stuff to do the whole layout, it's much easier this way......I think?
I left this 'chore' and moved on,you don't want to get 'bored',time for another 'think' I think and more coffee!..."need coffeeee!! I also need to figure a couple of passing loops and a place for a station,my attention has shifted from under the window to the side directly opposite.
I was just going to have the 'usual' station layout with the 'up and down' main going through,platforms either side,but what I've done instead is put in place two 'crossovers' thus utilising two of my 3 diamond 'X' ings, the 'up main' can now cross over the down to access the station, and then back onto the 'up main' after it's stop.
The station therefor will now be situated inward a wee bit of my pre 'think' now it'll be just a central platform (akin to Carstairs Junct Scot) for the 'up and down' with the original main lines now separated for trains that are not stopping!!(more fun!!)
There might be a 'passing loop' somewhere up this end as well, (might be??) and I've made provisions for a 'passing road' (for freight)This will run through the shed and coaling area (with facilities in place to shunt coal and ash wagons!). This 'road' (if clear)can also be used as a 'by-pass'... just in case the 'down main' is blocked...see I'm thinking way ahead!!
I thought a wee bit of running was the way to 'finish off' my week end, I was having running problems with my Baby Deltic and Hymec, both are Heljan locos, both had been weathered by me and I think a wee bit paint had gone astray!!
The wheels sets were totally 'bogging',now they 'clean',both are running quite well,......I'll need to pay more attention to the 'overspray' in the future!!!
Lastly, I had to 'remove from operation' my H&M 3000 controller,when it get's going,it works fine,but it seemed very reluctant to re-start after it has been switched off and left for a time?, I thought the problem was solved with a poor connection...but it returned!!... I could'nt be buggered with that, so it's now up to my two 'Duettes' to run the show! I'll obviously need more power controllers for this layout in the future, ie, to be able to operate 'other' sections, like the shed and ballast sidings. and at the same time be running trains on the main lines!!....."multi taxing???...tooo right!!!"
Lastly, 'the count' I'm just about out of track and points,out of 50 yards of Peco,I've got 3 lengths left,about 3 points left out of 40 odd, one diamond X ing left, and two boards out of 10,now, if these items were not 'in stock' or in the case of the boards.."free" I would have been up for a small fortune!!!
And 'lastly lastly' what next??,well, I'll be having a go at motorising a point 'off the layout' before I decide just exactly what 19 will be 'done' later. I'll probably be doing some more 'underlay' and more 'thinking' and 'tinkering'.................Dave

[SkyFire]

Sounds like it's going well. Think, (we modellers seem to do a lot of this) I will have to do a surprise invasion if I'm to see this layout. - LoL ;D ;D ;D

[berth44]

Thinking?, you just got to Anthony, I'm still thinking of what happened to my good camera?, but for the life of me can come up with no answers!.....Dave

[SkyFire]

Now just have to work out, whens a good time.