Newton Broadway

I tend to relegate Hornby decoders to being function-only items for lighting control in DMU/EMU trailers.

Anyway, I have been tweaking the CVs slightly in the two VEP units to get a reasonable speed match between them. The NSE unit, 3588, had its high and mid-voltage (CV5 and CV6) settings altered so that the two units run at much the same speed through all speed steps on the controllers.

I have posted a second video with Network South East trains, mostly different ones from the first video I posted a few days ago.

 

I have done yet another video for the Network South East period of time, while experimenting with phone camera settings (stabilisation turned off to eliminate the jerky motion, 1080p at 60 fps for this set).

One of the Heljan CargoWaggons was playing up with a coupling losing its return spring and causing derailments (now fixed - this involves dismantling the wagon and the coupling mechanism and inserting a length of thin wire or, in my case, some plastic rod), but after several attempts, I got the Speedlink freight to run reliably with both the class 56 and the class 37.

I don't have any suitable Underground trains to run for this time period, although some are under construction (4-car trains of A60 and C69 stocks).

Of course, if you think my videos are getting boring or repetitive, please skip on by.

 

My faithful Fleischmann turntable has died. It exhibits a complete short-circuit when connected up, and I can't figure out what exactly is wrong or where it is. As this is a good 25 or more years old, I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new turntable. I have settled on the Heljan 89121 model, which is DCC-ready as a bonus. It arrived this morning from Hatton's, and is unpacked and sitting loose on the layout now.

Since the overall diameter is smaller than that of the Fleischmann model it is replacing, I can have another go at arranging the engine shed roads with the turntable at the front, instead of behind the engine shed buildings. Preliminary experiments suggest it might just work. Unfortunately, I had to curtail my efforts earlier today due to a persistent cat - Sykes kept on sliding the door open and coming in to see what was doing. I'm lucky Hattie didn't see that he had opened the door; I really don't want one cat, let alone two of them, racing around under and over the layout!

The joys of being a cat slave. This is what real terrorists look like!


IMG_20171101_182504 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


I have now managed to get some "Me" time, with both cats now tuckered out and sleeping. Here are the results of some rearranging and tinkering with track alignments with the new turntable very roughly in position (but obviously not sunk into the baseboards yet). The track is mostly only placed in position and not anchored in any way, just to gauge the effect so far.

Looking from the front, and going towards the back, there is a small spur for stores and coal, a single track to the turntable, a single storage and refuelling line, a double track engine shed, then another single storage line (which could be for DMU/EMU or for locomotives), then a double track EMU/DEMU shed (as before).


P_20180817_190551_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20180817_190605_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20180817_190619_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


This is all untested at present, but looks reasonable to me so far. Any comments or suggestions welcomed.

 

I have just been working on a couple of unrelated projects. Firstly, I bought some 3D printed London Transport Electrical Isolation Cabinets from Shapeways. Having painted them yellow (with yellow roofs on the newer-style fibreglass boxes, and dark grey roofs on the old-style wooden pair), I tried to copy the signs on the pair I had from Metro Models, but couldn't get them in focus, so I made up some new ones in Word, printed them out and stuck them on. They are barely readable, even under high magnification (I was down to 1.5 point text), so I am not too concerned if they aren't quite accurate.


LT Electrical Section Cabinets by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


Next, I have decided the final position for the new Heljan turntable, so marked out the perimeter with a pencil, with the turntable well upside down. I had to shift an under-board support by a few inches to clear the hole I was about to cut. I then cut the main hole, staying about 5-8mm inside the pencil lines, then cut out the holes in the paper template and overlaid that onto the baseboards and marked where the plastic spigots had to go, and drilled them out. A few test fits followed, with minor adjustments to the holes between each test, until it sat snugly in the recess.

The following pictures show the temporarily laid tracks back in approximate place with the turntable properly sunk into place.


P_20180820_165306_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20180820_165318_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


Experimentally, I rearranged the rear tracks with an extra point inserted to give one more storage line, and moved the engine shed over to be adjacent to the DEMU/EMU shed, but I don't think I'll retain this as it makes the sidings in the DEMU/EMU shed too short. It also makes the area look more cluttered. However, I am happy with the turntable position - anything else I do now won't interfere with that. It leaves a clearer view of the shed area without the buildings obstructing the view of operations.

P_20180820_165901_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


This photo shows that even the largest of my steam locomotives will fit comfortably on the turntable. Merchant Navy 35023, Holland Afrika Line poses for the camera.


P_20180820_171504_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

 

Playing around further with the engine shed area, I have trimmed and pinned the tracks to the turntable and the coal and store siding beside it.


P_20180823_191722_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


I restored the layout to the previous arrangement, but then tried another alternative, whereby the 3-way point into the DEMU/EMU shed and the RH point into the loco shed were swapped. Here's the first arrangement:


P_20180823_191737_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


... and here's the alternative one. This one allows longer leads into both the loco shed and the DEMU/EMU shed, but at the expense of a slightly more 'contrived' track arrangement:


P_20180823_193642_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20180823_193658_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20180823_193723_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


As before, much of the track is only resting on the boards and is being held in place by the weight of the locos I have placed on them. Ignore the surplus length of bullhead track over to the right of the sheds - that's my reserve for when I cut track to the final lengths, although I should really cut all of the bullhead track into 60' lengths.

 

I have just added a new level crossing to allow more realistic access to the stores and shed area. I envisage this as more of an occupation crossing rather than a full-blown regulated crossing, although, truth be told, I didn't really want to add any more level crossings at all, but I cannot see any alternatives at this location.

I will have to build up the track centre fillers a little more, but overall it looks the part already, I think.


P_20180824_151404_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20180824_151414_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

 

Hi Paul, thanks for the feedback and comments. I think I will go with the second one with the longer storage line.

The class 24 is D5017, in the standard livery for the class. I do have D5000 in its unique livery as well, but that isn't in these photos. The Southern Region borrowed several class 24s from the first 20, for several years, from 1959 to 1962 in some cases, for a month or two in other cases. D5000 and D5017 were both Southern Region locos for the full period. They helped cover for the late delivery of class 33s, although some returned to provide steam heating for older coaching stock until more electrically heated coaches were available, so could be seen double-heading with class 33s (which did not have steam heating provision).

The loco beside D5017 is D6585, a BRCW type 3, later class 33/0.

here are a couple of older photos of the two SLW class 24 models: you may observe that the first photo shows D5000 and D5016; I renumbered D5016 to D5017, seeing as D5016 only spent months on the SR, whereas D5017 spent around three years.


SLW Class 24s D5016 and D5000 - 1 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


SLW Class 24s D5000 and D5017 in Multiple cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

 

I know I don't really need any new stock, but I have just bought another item. I was at the Caulfield exhibition all day on Saturday, and was actually commenting to the other guys on the BRMA stand that I hadn't spent any money, then went to visit my good friend, Mary de la Lande of Brunel Hobbies to say hello. She had a second-hand Hornby class 153 in Regional Railways livery going for $120 (roughly around £68 at current exchange rates), so I bought it on the spot. Mary assured me it ran sweetly, and it did indeed. A DCC Concepts direct plug-in decoder was fitted and it was again tested successfully.

It had a few paint chips along the lower body edges, so I touched those in with some Humbrol #129 grey, a shade darker than Regional Railways' grey; I intend to eventually use the correct shade, when I can find where I have put it, but in the meantime, it looks like a little weathering along the lower sides.

153 377 has now joined sister units 153 329, 153 355 and 153 382, posed here for the camera. The lower level tracks are being used as temporary storage for locomotives displaced while I work on the high level engine shed area.


P_20180827_165025_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20180827_165009_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20180827_165000_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

 

I fiddled a little with the carriage shed lines, loosely laying some Bachmann underlay strips, tacked down in places with double-sided tape.

The Ratio carriage shed always sat a little low for clearances, so on the previous layout I had two layers of ice lolly sticks raising it a little; this time I am trying two layers of the Bachmann trackbed, cut into half strips (i.e. as per the N gauge mark), with the bottom layer stuck upside down, and the square edge of the upper layer acting as a guide for the outer edges of the tracks. The idea seems to be good, notwithstanding the fact I haven't glued anything down yet, so it can all move around a bit at present.


P_20180831_135136_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20180831_135243_vHDR_On cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


The EMUs and DEMU are also helping keep the tracks in place for now. The blue 2 HAP unit in the middle is not yet finished, hence the lack of glazing and jumper cables. The other units are a 'tin' 2 HAL (left) and a 2H Hampshire DEMU.

 

Now for some new arrivals at Newton Broadway (yes, they still keep a-coming!). First up, the Hornby Maunsell Restaurant Car, which is posed here with an open second coach.


P_20180916_135841_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20180916_135850_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


I wanted an ex-LMS Ivatt 10000 diesel to go with 10001, but couldn't justify the cost of a new one. I recently scored a second-hand one in green with orange lining, which will get a repaint in due course into black and silver. Doing it this way means I don't have to add the extra marker lights and lamp irons, seeing as they were already fitted by the time they went into the green livery. Of course, they never ran on the Southern in green, but it will remain in this livery until I am ready.


P_20180916_135857_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20180916_135909_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

 

A rather unexpected new arrival at Newton Broadway is 10203 in BR green with orange lining, transferred back to the Southern temporarily from the London Midland Region. This one is a Silver Fox body on a shortened Bachmann class 40 chassis. The finish is very professional, with a few minor blemishes from transporting it and the prior removal of two headcode discs at one end, all easily fixed.

I was very fortunate in that it is DCC-ready, with an 8-pin decoder socket on the circuit board, so it now sports a DCC Concepts S4SA decoder.

While in England recently, I managed to arrange a meeting with two of the Wish List Poll Team, Brian Macdermott and Robert Carroll. Brian organised to meet us at Milton Keynes railway station, and transported us to his home for a very pleasant afternoon tea. He showed us his model railway layout, and while looking at this, I saw the Bulleid diesel and admired it. Brian said he was planning to get a Kernow Model Railways example and to sell the Silver Fox one on eBay, so I asked him to tell me when he was putting it up for sale. He then very generously just gave it to me and said I could have it; I protested and said I should pay him something for it, but he dismissed that and said he would like me to have it as I would be giving it a good home.

It is seen here posed with Kernow's 10201 in the earlier livery.


P_20181016_174724_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20181016_174711_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20181016_174838_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20181016_174824_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


Many thanks to Brian and his wife, Anne, for their hospitality.

 

Another new arrival, but this time a planned one. Bachmann's new H2 Atlantic, 32424, Beachy Head, has run successfully on DC then had a Zimo MX634D decoder fitted, although it has not been properly run-in yet - DC running was smooth enough to say there were no problems with this locomotive. The second photo is a little fuzzy, but I didn't feel like re-posing it.


P_20181026_132004_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20181026_132026_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20181026_132026_vHDR_On BW by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


I also intend to buy an LBSC H1 Atlantic when they become available.

 

If you look back a few posts, you will see the Bulleid 10203 I acquired from Brian Macdermott required a few minor paint touch-ups and some new headcode discs on one end. It took me a while to match the BR green properly, but I have now succeeded in this, and added some discs (actually from a Bachmann class 24 pack, so not quite right), and restored the lining at the end where I accidentally painted over bits of it, using some HMRS early GWR loco lining. The headcode is for the LMR from the SR via the West London Line.


Bulleid 10203 - Silver Fox restored - cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


A slightly different addition to my bus fleet arrived from London Bus Replica Transfers as a resin kit with EFE bits to complete it. It represents an ex-London Transport RLH as converted to a uniform store in London Country Bus Services livery (LCBS was the successor to LT's Country Department). It was a simple kit to put together, but I still have a few details to add, like trafficators and the rear platform. The chassis as seen here is loose, and sitting slightly high at the back.


LBRT RLH Uniform Store nearly finished - 2 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


LBRT RLH Uniform Store nearly finished - 3 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr