So I finally have a draft layout as depicted. All using Kato Unitrack and DCC Concepts ADS4x's for the point control. DCC tested and power getting to everywhere on the layout after lots of trial and error.

There are two main line loops and an elevated loop, not for any great reason or realism but I had the track and it makes good use of the board space, and it's fun! I don't see any need or use for complicating things with a reversing loop.

On the left hand side there are two sidings for the 8 car Pendolino and a long freight train with perhaps space for another long siding later for my Eurostar, if I can revive it with DCC

On the right hand side there is multi train siding for EMU/DMU's etc. I plan to put a single two or three platform station on the extreme right hand side and use other areas for freight yards/maintenance depots etc before thinking about scenery

My questions from this point are:

- could I fake a low relief station building on the extreme right of the layout with a real station building on the other side of the tracks?

- best way to secure the track after drilling and burying the wiring under the board - just glue down / hammer and tacks using nearly the scored out drill holes in the Kato Unitrack/ballasting and gluing the ballast edges of the track later without any other support?

- for the longer future, any advice on signals for N gauge that preferably would be compatible with Kato Unitrack & DCC? Their branded signals are DC only. I don't need anything fancy like block control but maybe being able to link the signals to the ADS4x would be good.

Any comments and criticisms of the layout of course welcome!

Hi everyone,

I successfully completed the Falklands Challenge walk on Saturday.

The weather was kind, warm & breezy. I met some interesting people in the course of the day, & they had a short little memorial ceremony and laid a wreath at the Falklands memorial at the entrance of the Royal Marine barracks at Chivenor when everyone had finished.

I completed the 10.45 miles in 3hrs 2mins. I have discovered, however, that weekly 6 mile walks in the countryside are completely different to 10 miles on tarmac! I have a couple of nice blisters to show for my efforts.

I'd like to personally thank the following people for their support:

@Train Waiting
@Newportnobby
@busbar
@Southerngooner
@martyn
@TrevL
@Tank

Between yourselves & other friends & family I raised the fantastic sum of £420 for the Veterans Charity. The event as a whole raised somewhere around £3,500.

Watch this space as its a yearly event, so you may be hearing from me again!

Thanks again for all the words of encourage & support.

Best regards,

Michael.

Years ago, when we had Grappa, our first Staffy, we put him in a cage.

He only managed to bend the bars sufficiently to wiggle out...

That comment is just pants

Quote from: Bob Tidbury on Yesterday at 04:22:36 PMNO I DONT USE THE PUPPY PADS before any bright spark makes that comment .
Bob

I was about to bet you a Tena that you did 

QuoteThe process is:
1) Create an accessory on your Z21 system (using the layout planner).
2) Allocate the accessory an address of your choosing.
3) Put the ADS into SET mode.
4) Activate the chosen accessory on your Z21 left, then right.
5) Put the ADS into RUN mode."

That's pretty much the same as what I had to do with the NCE accessory decoders.

Regards,

John P

I worked on and also taught airborne radar from the early 1950s for 23 years in the RAF. Initially the H2SMk4 as fitted to the Lincoln Bombers, a development of the Mk3 version fitted in the Lancaster, ending up with the Mk9 version fitted in the V bombers, along with other radars, including tail warning, and navigation aids

Our 10 year old Tibetian Terrier kept waking us up in the night to go out for a wee ,We now put puppy training pads down on the kitchen floor and she got the hang of useing them and doesnt wake us up any more ,Ok they  do cost us but worth it for a full nights sleep ,But now like Mick its me that gets up in the night every 2 or 3 hours while the dog now sleeps .
NO I DONT USE THE PUPPY PADS before any bright spark makes that comment .
Bob

Freyr has a cage not 3 feet from me, I've built an outdoor run 6ft high steel weld mesh fences, slabbed floor, steel kennel...

Oh and he's learnt yesterday how to open the back door so we have to have it locked..

Quote from: Newportnobby on June 14, 2025, 03:29:30 PM

Quote from: The Q on June 14, 2025, 02:56:17 PMAnd definitely not at the radar museum on my side.

You have a radar museum on your side??

(When trying to open a door - Bluebottle "Eccles, turn the knob on your side". Eccles "I haven't got a knob on my side ")

I should add I'm a volunteer at the radar  museum, and the room I show people round in is the wrong side of the building to get mobile phone signals. There's a 64 ft square WW2 concrete above ground bunker, full of radar consoles in the way.


I'm normally residing the other side of the wall on the left. ( The equipment is the early 1970s refit.)