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Do you have any model railway projects on the go?

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hexagon789

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I started converting my railway from DC to DCC in July. I had 60+ locos back then, but found all of the steam bar one DCC ready loco couldn't be converted.

So far I have bought or converted 31 locos and still have 10 not suitable for conversion, the oldest being Hornby Dublo. I am mainly modelling modern GWR (including for steam charters), plus anything Southern DC. I still have some locos rarely or never seen on these regions, that will go eventually.

I have 08/10/11/24/25/31/37/40/42/47/50/52s/56/59/60/73/86/92/MPV + 101/110/156/170/220/HSTs/395/401/402/403/423/450/466 + some steam locos of which only 71000 can stay

Yes I buy what I like. For steam, that is locos that look good. I plan to get a Garratt, Battle of Britain, LNER P2, W1, Silver A4, but only those I can get at a reasonable price. My philosophy is to have a long wish list and only buy what comes up for an affordable price. I'd love a Paddington class 800, but not for £500+ and S Stock but not for £1000.

Your collection is impressive I must say, and I can relate to the cost of models. I've only very recently purchased a set of coaches because new they were €56 (~£50 at the time, though closer to £42 from certain retailers), having held off over year after they were released a full set came to around £23 per coach roughly which is reasonable enough considering the general scarcity of Irish stock and the small runs of such information comparison to British stock.
 
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reddragon

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Your collection is impressive I must say, and I can relate to the cost of models. I've only very recently purchased a set of coaches because new they were €56 (~£50 at the time, though closer to £42 from certain retailers), having held off over year after they were released a full set came to around £23 per coach roughly which is reasonable enough considering the general scarcity of Irish stock and the small runs of such information comparison to British stock.

I am finding that about 2 years after release a price low point is reached.

I am looking to get a rake of freightliner type container wagons. You have to do a lot of price research, watch & bid last minute and hope that you might win one. I just bid on 4 and won one at the lowest price of the 4, well below market rate :)

Also just sneaked a very cheap class 411 in blue/grey by bidding with 5s to go!

Laid another point & double slip today - remembered to drill holes in the base to add point motors!
 

hexagon789

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I am finding that about 2 years after release a price low point is reached.

I would tend to agree, though at this point the models in question are becoming difficult to find as the original manufacturer doesn't have any left in stock now and nor do most stockists.


I am looking to get a rake of freightliner type container wagons. You have to do a lot of price research, watch & bid last minute and hope that you might win one. I just bid on 4 and won one at the lowest price of the 4, well below market rate :)

That's pretty much my bidding technique as well! Though one still gets gazumped now and then.


Also just sneaked a very cheap class 411 in blue/grey by bidding with 5s to go!

Nicely done! 8-)
 

Cowley

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I’ve realised after a bit of research and swearing that the magnet I buried under my track in three places are upside down.
This means that my automatic uncoupling doesn’t work and I’m going to have to dig them out somehow and reset them... They were the only thing that I didn’t test before ballasting and I’m absolutely kicking myself now.
I may need some counselling at some point...
 

Iskra

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There's something fishy about the Southbound sleeper portion for London St Pancras this evening... layout very much WIP but starting to resemble a railway at least now. Need to think about my platform layout before the underlay arrives.sleeper.jpg
 

Cowley

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There's something fishy about the Southbound sleeper portion for London St Pancras this evening... layout very much WIP but starting to resemble a railway at least now. Need to think about my platform layout before the underlay arrives.View attachment 84764
Love it. :)
So, Herring in that van..?
 

Iskra

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Love it. :)
So, Herring in that van..?

Thank you. Something like that! Luckily for the passengers there is a BG inbetween it and the two sleeper carriages! Although this portion working is fabricated for my railway, this is how the Glasgow St Enoch-London St Pancras Sleeper (via Leeds & Nottingham) ran, with a fish van and BG separating it from the passenger coaches. Of additional interest, this service alternated nightly between using Eastern Region and London Midland region rolling stock. To model this I can switch the current Mk1 BG for a Stanier or Thompson equivalent; maybe some Gresley sleeping coaches might appear in the future...
 

hexagon789

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I’ve realised after a bit of research and swearing that the magnet I buried under my track in three places are upside down.
This means that my automatic uncoupling doesn’t work and I’m going to have to dig them out somehow and reset them... They were the only thing that I didn’t test before ballasting and I’m absolutely kicking myself now.
I may need some counselling at some point...

I take it the couplers can't have the polarity changed, it's has to be the uncouplers?
 

Cowley

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I take it the couplers can't have the polarity changed, it's has to be the uncouplers?
I don’t think so unfortunately. I’ve sought wise advice from people that know these things and it looks like they have to come out if I want them working. I’ve just got to decide how important that is to me.
 

Iskra

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I don’t think so unfortunately. I’ve sought wise advice from people that know these things and it looks like they have to come out if I want them working. I’ve just got to decide how important that is to me.

As hard and as frustrating as it probably is to do, just forgetting all about them might be the sensible option!
 

43055

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View attachment 84718View attachment 84719
This is my main station, do far consisting of platforms and tracks at the north east end and a blank board ready for tracks & sidings at the SW end.

The trains are out as I'm replacing the boards with PIR insulation. That wall at the end will be demolished soon to open up the space into the next loft rather than small tunnel holes.

This will be the railway yard area

View attachment 84720

My SE loop under construction. There will be a hill on the left of the 4 tracks and the viaduct will be across the end wall where it loops to the other side of the loft. This will be the S&C type scenery area

View attachment 84721View attachment 84722

My NW loop to be inner city area like say London Bridge to New Cross. Trains are stoed there whilst I insulate the rest of the loft.

View attachment 84723View attachment 84724
Another area and the temporary DC suburban station that I'll replace

I've probably done around 60% of the base boards so far, DCC wiring but little scenery, no point motors, signals etc
Cracking space you got there! Could probably end up watching and running the trains all day with a layout like that.

There's something fishy about the Southbound sleeper portion for London St Pancras this evening... layout very much WIP but starting to resemble a railway at least now. Need to think about my platform layout before the underlay arrives.View attachment 84764
Nice start!
 

hexagon789

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I don’t think so unfortunately. I’ve sought wise advice from people that know these things and it looks like they have to come out if I want them working. I’ve just got to decide how important that is to me.

That is unfortunate, if it's any consolation plenty of excellent layouts use the tried and tested "hand of God" - I don't feel it detracts from the layout itself.
 

Cowley

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That is unfortunate, if it's any consolation plenty of excellent layouts use the tried and tested "hand of God" - I don't feel it detracts from the layout itself.
Well it got the better of me in the end and I managed to dig two of them out without damaging the track. Now I’ve moved the magnets to the side and raised them slightly they seem to work fine so I’ll reballast it at some point.

67E900A8-AEE7-41AD-A3EE-8EAE68E1B6AD.jpeg
 

Iskra

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Well it got the better of me in the end and I managed to dig two of them out without damaging the track. Now I’ve moved the magnets to the side and raised them slightly they seem to work fine so I’ll reballast it at some point.

View attachment 84789

Good work, and I commend your bravery in attempting it!
 

hexagon789

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Well it got the better of me in the end and I managed to dig two of them out without damaging the track. Now I’ve moved the magnets to the side and raised them slightly they seem to work fine so I’ll reballast it at some point.

View attachment 84789

Glad you've managed to at least partly solve the problem, how many did you have installed?
 

Cowley

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Glad you've managed to at least partly solve the problem, how many did you have installed?
There’s three altogether so I’ll probably have a bit of a play first before I dig the last one out.
Actually I dissolved the PVA in the ballast with a bit of thinners and it was easier to do than I expected.
 

hexagon789

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There’s three altogether so I’ll probably have a bit of a play first before I dig the last one out.
Actually I dissolved the PVA in the ballast with a bit of thinners and it was easier to do than I expected.

Always comforting when something works out a bit easier than anticipated, good luck with the final one.
 

L401CJF

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I've got a 3d print kit class 508 on the go along with a reject 3d print class 313. You can follow my progress on my modelling Instagram account - 508emu
DSC_0314.JPG
 

L401CJF

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Theres definitely a growing market for these things now. You can buy a variety of laser cut MDF kits from various ebay sellers, and 3d printing seems to be on the rise not only for scenics but for stock too. The 508 kit is available from modernmultipleunits on ebay. He does the pep series and now class 323 amongst others.
 

reddragon

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An update on my railway: -

I've managed to get everything done I planned over half term, in particular wall demolition and starting the viaduct.

This is the view of my railway minus the wall giving an extra 3m of sightline
1604322685095.png1604322724682.png

The viaduct.

The site base boards are in and the curved viaduct base for the 4 tracks is cut and in place. It will allow me a 1.2m long viaduct with 4 spans of Arten Gill proportions. The span will be between the rafters.

1604323017947.png

My next task is are the 5 sets of cross-braces, a base for ground level then the 2 curved arch sides.
 

hexagon789

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An update on my railway: -

I've managed to get everything done I planned over half term, in particular wall demolition and starting the viaduct.

This is the view of my railway minus the wall giving an extra 3m of sightline
View attachment 85395View attachment 85396

The viaduct.

The site base boards are in and the curved viaduct base for the 4 tracks is cut and in place. It will allow me a 1.2m long viaduct with 4 spans of Arten Gill proportions. The span will be between the rafters.

View attachment 85397

My next task is are the 5 sets of cross-braces, a base for ground level then the 2 curved arch sides.

Excellent progress, it's shaping up nicely :)
 

32475

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Sorry to be late to the party but my answer to the original question is a definite yes. To be honest during Lockdown 1 I didn't really get it far off the ground because the weather was so good and I spent most of the time in the garden with Mrs 32475. However now that the evenings are drawing in and Lockdown 2 (The Sequal) is about to be unleashed upon us, the infrastructure of my layout is starting to take shape. It's based on an imaginary line skirting the south side of Ashdown Forest in Sussex in the mid to late '50s. I've unboxed all the accessories and rolling stock I bought around 12 years ago and never got round to using so now I'm really enjoying the therapeutic value of the hobby along with my carpentry and building skills.
One of the many things I've missed this year is going to model railway exhibitions, however I can see a time when social activities are allowed again that there are going to be some wonderful models and layouts emerging from the attics and sheds of dear old blighty.
NIL DESPERANDUM
XXXIICDLXXV
 

Peter C

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An update on my railway: -

I've managed to get everything done I planned over half term, in particular wall demolition and starting the viaduct.

This is the view of my railway minus the wall giving an extra 3m of sightline
View attachment 85395View attachment 85396

The viaduct.

The site base boards are in and the curved viaduct base for the 4 tracks is cut and in place. It will allow me a 1.2m long viaduct with 4 spans of Arten Gill proportions. The span will be between the rafters.

View attachment 85397

My next task is are the 5 sets of cross-braces, a base for ground level then the 2 curved arch sides.
Looks like a brilliant amount of space to build a layout in - and plenty of trains to run on it as well! :D
I like the idea of the viaduct; I don't know if I've ever seen a 00 gauge curved viaduct, at least on that scale. Someone I know is actually building a layout with a viaduct which will carry the layout past a window - I expect that would be quite nice to see trains running through the window.

I look forward to seeing more posts about this layout in the future!

-Peter

Sorry to be late to the party but my answer to the original question is a definite yes. To be honest during Lockdown 1 I didn't really get it far off the ground because the weather was so good and I spent most of the time in the garden with Mrs 32475. However now that the evenings are drawing in and Lockdown 2 (The Sequal) is about to be unleashed upon us, the infrastructure of my layout is starting to take shape. It's based on an imaginary line skirting the south side of Ashdown Forest in Sussex in the mid to late '50s. I've unboxed all the accessories and rolling stock I bought around 12 years ago and never got round to using so now I'm really enjoying the therapeutic value of the hobby along with my carpentry and building skills.
One of the many things I've missed this year is going to model railway exhibitions, however I can see a time when social activities are allowed again that there are going to be some wonderful models and layouts emerging from the attics and sheds of dear old blighty.
NIL DESPERANDUM
XXXIICDLXXV
I planned to get something done with my layout during the first lockdown and whilst I did manage to move it upstairs (with the help of family :)) and change a couple of bits, I didn't get an awful lot done, so I can empathise with you on that one! Hopefully the time I'll get at home during the second lockdown when I would have normally been going to various places will give me the extra incentive to get something properly done.
I expect that if you bought the rolling stock and other items twelve years ago, you probably managed to get the stuff for some real bargains when compared with modern-day prices? I was looking through the Hattons catalogue for even as recent as 2015 and the prices were really quite amazing in comparison to 2020 prices for things!
The layout sounds really interesting; hopefully if you've got plenty of skills in carpentry and building you can make a high-quality layout and get it right first time.
I've not really been to many model shows but I have missed the toy fairs near me, which always have (or had) several second-hand model railway stalls. We can look forward to better times though, as you say!

-Peter
 
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32475

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The layout I’m building is in early stages. I built the Metcalfe viaduct first which is still due for a few modifications then I’ve built the first length of the layout so that the viaduct drops down into it and it fits in snugly. The hillside is formed with thin plywood formers overlaid with aluminium mesh then a couple of coats of plaster which I can sand down to take out the lumps and bumps. The image shows the viaduct dropped into place temporarily just to check it all fits. There will be much landscaping, buildings, track etc to do over the winter.
The layout is based very loosely on Howling which features in ‘Cold Comfort Farm’ by Stella Gibbons. Watch this space!
 

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Peter C

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The layout I’m building is in early stages. I built the Metcalfe viaduct first which is still due for a few modifications then I’ve built the first length of the layout so that the viaduct drops down into it and it fits in snugly. The hillside is formed with thin plywood formers overlaid with aluminium mesh then a couple of coats of plaster which I can sand down to take out the lumps and bumps. The image shows the viaduct dropped into place temporarily just to check it all fits. There will be much landscaping, buildings, track etc to do over the winter.
The layout is based very loosely on Howling which features in ‘Cold Comfort Farm’ by Stella Gibbons. Watch this space!
Sounds and looks really good! :)
I'd love to have a viaduct on my layout but it's just not practical in the space I have, so seeing other people's layouts develop (and particularly viaducts in this case) is really interesting.

-Peter
 

reddragon

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Getting Peco track is the biggest issue. Peco shut over lockdown 1, then re-opened but an attack on their IT system crashed all orders & supplies for a few weeks and now I understand they've had a COVID outbreak and have had to shut again!
 
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