what are people doing on their layout right now

[dannyboy]

@Nbodger
Clever link there Mike. 

[Ontrack]

Recently purchased a new Farish 8F. great loco but not as detailed or has the presence of my austerity vulcan which has a larger tender.
As the 8F has a built-in speaker I purchased a D&H sound decoder but unlike Zimo did not give random sounds on my dc analogue layout.
I have been thinking for some time to get a DCC controller to test a collection of decoders I have in my drawer so I went ahead (not without risk) and got my own Arduino DCC++EX wifi controller setup which I control with an old mobile phone engine driver free app.
Have now just converted my centre track on my layout to work with DCC or analogue and the D&H sound decoder works great in my 8F so I am enjoying my new upgrades!

[Moose2013]

Mrs Moose is finishing up a few laser wood kits. The depot still needs a chimney and the house is nearly completion... Oh, and there's a lot of muttering going on with the house -- apparently its very, ummm, how should Moose put it, "fiddly"?

[PGN]

Here's the "village" end of Neraland 2, which I've been working on: still need to get the lineside fencing done on the nearside of the line, and finish the goods yard fencing; and lots of other odd jobs too. But at the beginning of 2021 this was all just card landscape formers, so I'm pretty pleased with progress.

[zwilnik]

Mostly running a variety of locos (some reliable, some Dapol ) and a rake of coaches around my main loops to find lumpy bits that cause derailments, uncoupling etc. and then adjusting, packing and gluing the track down.

Then repeat until everything can get round at least a couple of loops

[AndyRA]

As it turned a bit chilly it was a good excuse to run the trains and put off garden activities for another day

[crewearpley40]

Complete with feline assistant and signalled inspecting. Sounds fun

[KevTheBusDriver]

Yesterday (not right now) I took a drill to a Farish 47096 in order to (carefully) fit headcodes to it...



Just for a change I managed to remove all the glazing! I then added a crew. With a new headcode and the crew it's coming along:



Then add RailTec transfer (numbers), Methfix intercity signs on cabs and a Woodhead transfer data panel:




This is the last pre-tops 47 I saw at Walsall and being one of the last built it was outshopped in this livery - it never carried green.

[KevTheBusDriver]

This morning's little project - make the mobile' hut' for the gantry crane...



Then make the gantry it's got to sit on...



Not a bad day's work - still got a bit of painting to do. The crane doesn't 'work' but it can be posed in any position on the framework.

[zwilnik]

I've been working on making my Kato turntable look a bit more GWR. I'm going for a sort of cross between the ones at Minehead and Didcot. I nearly broke it attempting to give it a gravel floor (not enough clearance ), so I'm going for Didcot's prefabricated concrete sections. It's also a bit bright and shiny looking at the moment with the fresh paint for what will be blended into the scenery around and covered with scenic grass.

[dannyboy]

That is quite effective.  . With the turntable on Averingcliffe, I used a 'mucky' wash and pencil on the turntable well and stuck printed paving on the sides.

[Greygreaser]

Been a while since i posted because the head got in the way of a fence post - not the best way to start a headache - beer is simpler!
Ive stopped the kit builds as I've finished the platforms for Readum station using the Metcalfe kit with brick finish walls

The wide area is to support the station house.


Ive also constructed the road bridge over the station and matched this with the footbridge for height.



My current efforts are directed at the control panel where Ive got a sort of "interlocking" plan to link track feed switches and route indication! Looks like a dogs breakfast under the lid but hopefully will do the job, wiring diagram shown for interest only may yet see adaption!


This is the underside of the lid part wired




This is the panel with a version of the box diagram


And the Reedham Junction box diagram


There's about 350 joints under the panel and then the controllers and CDU etc to wire in, point switches and some ad hoc arrangements to accommodate the Minitrix points which have no built in switch for the route LEDs.
Power box is done with 7 circuits from separate windings so i can use a common return for the 6 AC and 1 other for the DC/LEDs. Ive tested the panel with a 9v battery and so will tweak the DC converter down to 9v as this will prolong the life of the LEDs & bulbs in the Minitrix semaphore signals. Will also stop the panel looking like an Asda Christmas tree!
There will be 4 x 25core umbilical cables from the panel to the boards, 2 each side using 25 pin D-sub connectors so i can easily disconnect and move the layout if needed.
Ahead I've started to make a snagging list for the track work as dry runs of various locos and stock have highlighted issues. These wont affect the wiring but resolved should enhance the free running of trains.
Garden duties are now increasing daily so its evenings only for the layout and progress has slowed significantly - as have i since the bump on the head.  Best news is we are double jabbed so i might be able to let folk in to see the layout soon?
Stay safe and be sensible, the Indian version is upon us so its not all over!

[PGN]

I am busily dry-brushing the roof of a white metal well to try to get it to match the roof of a "Lyddle End" cottage in whose garden it stands ... and it is proving somewhat challenging, to say the least!!

[Bob Tidbury]

I am still feeling sore after an operation so I dont feel like crawling under my layout , so My wife Val and my son Glenn went down the shed and brought my test track oval up and I have been oiling and running some of my stock that I have collected over the last 40 odd years . Its surprising how many locos are suffering with the dreaded split gears ,but more amazing is I have one of the very early Grafar Panier locos with the old plastic chassis and the can motor and after a few nudges it now really crawls round and is unusually quiet for that type of model. One of my other friends  Crewearpley bought a Morley Crawler controller and he  didnt get on with it for some reason so he sold it to me and I am really impressed with it ,with a GOOD loco you can really get them to CRAWL  along at a snails pace and that is with even the old brass geared Farish ,but I do stress the loco must be a really good one and the  track must be clean ,some will crawl but then just stop and need a nudge but then they are very old I havnt tried any modern locos yet as they are all in the shed .
A lot  of my stock I have built the chassis from non runners that people have given me as spares so I have a real mix of chassis ,but my days of doing that are nearly over at one time I could strip and clean a loco put new brushes and springs as required but I find that now I am older it takes me ages and Ive lost count of the number of springs and brushes that are on the floor in my shed so now rely on my friends to help me out .

I am not able to change any gears on the axles  because my fingers are not very good so my good friend
    Hailstone  ( Alex ) has offered to do the repairs for me  Its  nice to know that I have such good friends thanks to the FORUM .
Bob Tidbury
PS  I am really looking forward to this pandemic  going away and the many FORUM members that have visited me will be able to come again they will be more than wellcome and as many will testify Val makes some nice sandwiches and a great sponge cake so they will be well looked after , Tonye and his wife Shelley said they only come down for the cake and sandwiches .

[zwilnik]

Slow progress due to work getting in the way, but whenever I get a few minutes I've been painting sections of the scenery and applying scatter. I recently got a pack of dried moss that'll help cover the joins between the removable sections, although placed very roughly in this picture, just to get a general idea of how it'll cover. Ultimately it'll be a combination of moss and trees..








I also forgot to post the turntable update in this thread. This is it after a bit of scatter application..