A lack of cab power...

Well ive decided to get rid of the power cab. It was just too limited. Its being replaced with the dynamis which is another unit i have lots of expierience of. Its a well thought out unit its only main achiles heal being its wireless connection or lack of it at times.
i hope to change them at the nec so it will be a seamless change over.

Dynamic Dynamis

Im wondering whether the dynamis is going to be better for me. Why? Well it seems my power cab is limited in being unable to use two locos at once and things being automatically reset. Now given i know the dynamis does everything i want i wonder if now is the time to change. Dump the powercab on ebay and use those funds to get a dynamis. Its so so tempting. It all hinges on what one of the dcc gurus say.

And now for something completely different, ive begun writing and article for the railway modeller on westleigh. Im looking at the moment for it to be printed in around 18 months time so no rush then accept there is as there is around a 12 to 14 month lead time. Better get writing!!

Making a bigger empire

I spent some of today planning the new fiddle yards. One to replace the current yard. The other to extend it at shows to a through run. I will also have to put in a filler board so the scenery doesnt just end. An over bridge would probably be best. I intend to make the fiddle yards with route setting so i can build this into the panel rather than have seperate panels for each yard and also because i have space in the panel to put this in. Quite how im going to do that electronically i dont know yet but thats half the fun.

I also installed a wiring harness into my lima 156. Thankfully there is enough room in the roof space to hide all this. The 156 will also get lights eventually along with an underframe conversion with the seperate detail. Just need to get round to doing it!

Illuminating times.

Bit of a while since an update. Ive spent the last few days sorting out the lights on 31132. I've also drawn up a replacement diagram for me to use as a diy set up. This i will dually fit to 37003 and 37707. More on this as it develops.

Apart from that work has been quiet. Ive put together a plan to operate the layout in 1998 which to me is one of the few other other interesting eras there were. In 98 the 31s, 37s and the immingham 47s were just about still around. But the new liveries and locos of privitisation were just arriving. A quite colourful period you might say. Certainly alot more interesting than dull rail blue and todays railway scene.

Anyway more to come tomorrow when i can write up my master plan slightly more in depth. Then i hope it might make some sense....

Black kettle.....

also a dirty black kettle....

Who'd have thought it.

Just spotted this beauty in temple meads. Long time since ive heard that ee whistle.

Constructive day

A really constructive day today in more ways than one. I've had to replace the lighting transformer as it had failed. It was simply an old lima train set controllr hard wired in and switched on. Thankfully i had a spare so i used that and they now work. Hopefully the yard lights and bufferstop lights will arrive soon so i can get on with that.

Secondly today i fitted some 8 pin wiring harnssess to my lima locos so all i need to do is simply plug the chip in. Simples really.

And lastly today i made up a holder for the control unit out of some 1mm thick plasticard. This will give me somewhere to put the handset when not in use.

Thats more or less it for the time being. I've still got the tipper lorry to do so i may do that tomorrow along with adding a few more small details. Im also still looking at the best way to chip a pacer unit.... I could be here a while!

Testing new technology

This is simply no more than a test to see if this new fangled email system works. Well we find out because if this appears it obviously does.... And if it doesnt you wont see this at all!

DCC new age!

Westleigh has finally joined the new age and is now DCC. Its also still DC too. How come?

Well the layout was originally wired for DC cab control using centre off switches. All i have done is convert one of the cabs to a DCC control. By changing a plug i can operate DCC or DC quite safely (though not both together). The NCE powercab i am currently using is very good although i'm having a few problems but these are mainly due to lack of knowledge on my part. I'm using bachmann 36-553 chips for their cheapness and ease to get. For my lima models i'm using a NEW652 wiring harness (8pin socket to you and me) so i dont have to chop the plug off so chips can be swapped around.

Apart from that very little has occured since the show. I've decided to add a fiddle yard at the other end so i can run through trains. This along with the replacement for the others will be 5 roads in a ladder style. It can run however in the exsisting set up for home or even show use.