what are people doing on their layout right now

[Shaun Harvey]

Not sure how many people read this part of the forum so I will quietly mention that I'm trying to get my layout ready for Mr Nevard's visit in January. Aarrrrgh!

[Newportnobby]

Mr Nevard

You'll have to clue me in on the gent concerned, Shaun

[Shaun Harvey]

He's the photographer for 'Model Rail' magazine!

[daveg]

He's the photographer for 'Model Rail' magazine!

Impressed!

I'm under the layout 'tidying' the supply and dropper wires so I can test my soldering and track joints.

Dave G

[Newportnobby]

He's the photographer for 'Model Rail' magazine!

Thanks, Shaun. I've never read it.

[GScaleBruce]

Currently trying to encourage an Arnold diesel loco to run smoothly. Having bought sundry replacement parts, I'm not much further forward, but I'm now wondering whether the little diodes that ensure directional lighting, or the lamp bulbs themselves, might be implicated in some way. I've fitted a new motor, new bogies, everything's clean, but it's still not a smooth runner: I think the problem must be electrical, rather than mechanical.



The diodes are little round disks, the bulbs conventional incandescents (it's not a new loco!). Could a diode, or a bulb, affect the running? One thing that put me onto this theory was that the bulb is brighter in one direction than the other at a given speed. To give further credence to the theory, without the bulbs at all it is running a bit better... any thoughts, please, as my electrical skills are close to zero?

[Trainfish]

Not strictly on my layout although some items have been taken from there. I have been sorting out my display cabinets. There is a distinct HST theme to cabinet 1 and I know I'll upset some people with both Orribly Oversized and Del Prado examples but guess what, I don't care! I've added foam upstands to enable 2 N gauge displays on each shelf and have a few shelves to populate but there's no rush. Some examples in these cabinets are either non-runners or dummies etc as they're not much use on the layout.

[mickster04]

Working on some terraced housing [smg id=34815 type=preview align=center caption="Kestrel terraces "]

[GeeBee]

Work on Martini Holt at a complete standstill at the moment due to DWP and health issues and Wotcanappen is proceeding at a very slow crawl

:'( 

[DELETED]

Having obliterated my small coffee tabletop layout at xmas (and put the coffee table to charity) as I thought I was going to have to sell my flat I have since found work.  I said I wouldn't do anything until 3 months probation was up but a few weeks ago I just had to start something again -this time in my spare room which now has a work desk as well as the fold-out sofa bed.  This layout is along 2 walls, single track dog-bone affair to reduce size down.  A first attempt at a real model railway rather thsn just 2x3 or 2x4 roundy roundy's.

Last week I was on a 1 day round trip for a meeting in York and I happened to have just enough time to pass Monk Bar Model Shop where I picked up one of the clear plastic 2mm ballast spreaders (from proses maybe -I ditched the packaging before checking).  I had already collected 2 bottles of Deluxe Ballast bond and plenty of Woodland Scenics fine ballst from Sports and Model Shop near me in Dingwall.  So I've been giving it a go...









I'm very impressed with the ballast box so far!!! It is not a perfect one-shot but A) significantly reduces the time to lay an EVEN spread of material B) after tamping (I've been using a toffee hammer) and the usual fettling with a paint brush it can leave a ballast shoulder ridge and C) it's never been so quick to lay such and even layer.  It's still really enfuriating though.  I get it all nice and perfectly even, spray it with a good mist of "wet water" from an eyeglass wash bottle, then apply the ballast glue -and as susual it's then that it starts to rise-up and go uneven GRR!!!

...So doing this before my probation period is up will probably still bite me in the ass but I just had to have a crack at something -I haven't spent too much so far and half the baseboard is done anyway.  I'm still living with half of what's left in my flat packed-up just in case things don't come true.

Cheers,

Rich

[port perran]

Looks to be a very neat job to me.
Keep up the good work and do post more photos of your new layout.
I hope that your new job works out and you get to keep your flat.
And Dingwall. We grew fond of Dingwall when we stayed in Inverness a few years back and travelled through it several times by train (en route to Wick and Thurso and Kyle - fantastic rail journeys).
I now always look out for Ross County scores and good to see them win the League Cup last week.

[Newportnobby]

I can understand your reluctance to 'commit' until the probationary period is up, Rich, but am pleased to see you doing something railway related.
I, too, found that applying the glue/water mix was like carpet bombing the ballast resulting in the inevitable craters. This was solved by application from an eye/ear dropper from minimum height and gentle squeezing.

[GeeBee]

I have started to feel well enough to start some more wiring on Wotcanappen this time wiring photo resistors at the end of each siding they will light a yellow LED when the wagons pass over I will post some pictures on the Wotcanappen thread
Graham

[MinZaPint]

Back in November last year! I posted a pic of some old Peco point motors on my layout (well it will be eventually!) now fitted and wired up to the old Peco switches you can see at the front, I hate to throw out anything that still has some useful life left in it, I've had the wife for 40 years 



and work since has involved taking up all the terminus track to lay cork so that I can fit the wire and tube for point operation some of which is in place.



progress is very slow but at least things are moving! The railcar as my widest item of stock (no O8 on my layout!) is being used to check platform clearances. Right back to work, cheers for now     David

[Bealman]

Great stuff and I  love the reference to the 08.

Cool!