6x4 Starter layout - For sale?

[jamest]

Hi again,

Another update - I had one scenic point still controlled by rod as it was almost right over a baseboard brace. I saw another thread (can't remember who - sorry) where the seep point motor arm was bent thro' 90 degrees. Simple but effective - so I tried it with my point and it has turned out (excuse the pun!) very well.
I couldn't use the plastic mounting board for the point so i've used the bent out tangs that are meant to go in the point:

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So now heres the mk2 control panel - again no expense spared!

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And while I had the camera out I took a few of my other baby - my Heljan class35 - my first heljan loco and a lovely piece of work:

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Cheers,
James

[bizzyd6405]

looking good james your layouts coming along nicely, like the heljan class 35 i agree it looks good i have a soft spot for heljan locos my class 33 is heljan and its a great runner.

keep up the good work.

cheers

Darren

[jamest]

Hi all,

Dropped in to my local shop today and found the new Baccy weathered 08 in stock - £45. Smuggled it into the house!

It was a right bugger to fit a decoder inside. First I couldn't see how to remove the body - turned out that the two screws were underneath the couplings - thank god for the internet, I was on the verge of breaking something!
Once inside I found that the bachmann 8-pin decoder I bought at the same time was just too big to fit. I had to swap out a hornby one from my class 37, and that was pretty snug - I'm a little nervous about wires and moving parts touching but I'm not taking the body off again!

Anyway all well ans all that the little chap is running in around the oval now. I assume it is supposed to be slower than other stock, even at a reasonable setting? It slow speed running is quite excellent. Here are some hasty pics:

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Cheers,
james

[Hammy]

Smuggled it into the house!

yeah i know that feeling!!

layouts looking good, great to see a grubby 08

[smallman28]

Nice,I had a Bachmann EWS 08 before and seeing as it was a DCC ready loco there was no information on how to get the body off and fit a decoder
I found it a very tight fit as well and that was with a Bachmann decoder,took the heatshrink off it and put some tape on it instead as the heatshrink was just a bit too thick and that made it tight.

[jamest]

Nice,I had a Bachmann EWS 08 before and seeing as it was a DCC ready loco there was no information on how to get the body off and fit a decoder
I found it a very tight fit as well and that was with a Bachmann decoder,took the heatshrink off it and put some tape on it instead as the heatshrink was just a bit too thick and that made it tight.

Yeah no mention of fitting a decoder at all - I think they need to update their instructions! Even with the instruction diagram it really hard to fathom out which screws are holding the body on. I found this site very useful:
http://www.bromsgrovemodels.co.uk/decoderinstallation

Can I ask if your 08 runs authentically slow? I am a little worried that I am restricting the brass flywheel in some way but I don't really want to take the body off again. I have fingers like bananas and there is plenty to break off!

cheers,
James

[smallman28]

Nice,I had a Bachmann EWS 08 before and seeing as it was a DCC ready loco there was no information on how to get the body off and fit a decoder
I found it a very tight fit as well and that was with a Bachmann decoder,took the heatshrink off it and put some tape on it instead as the heatshrink was just a bit too thick and that made it tight.

Yeah no mention of fitting a decoder at all - I think they need to update their instructions! Even with the instruction diagram it really hard to fathom out which screws are holding the body on. I found this site very useful:
http://www.bromsgrovemodels.co.uk/decoderinstallation

Can I ask if your 08 runs authentically slow? I am a little worried that I am restricting the brass flywheel in some way but I don't really want to take the body off again. I have fingers like bananas and there is plenty to break off!

cheers,
James

Dont have it anymore
Dabbled in 00 for a bit but stuck with N gauge.
It never ran very well full stop,ran it in for ages and it is was still "sticky"
I just wouldn't get going sometimes for no real reason that I could fathom,even off the layout on a clean piece of track it was temperamental.

[jamest]

Hi all,

Quick piccy update - managed to get some photos in natural light today.

I've rubbed down the track I painted in the depot area and everything seems to run nicely. My 08 is going to test my patience a bit as it is a bit temperamental and sticky. Still I've had some fun running engines in and out of the shed.

Questions for all you experts out there:
1) Does the water tower fit in ok? I like it and want it to be a hang over from earlier days, with the possibility of a restored steam engine in the future.
2) What colour ballast would you use in the depot area - I've seen a lot of black used on other layouts and might mix in a bit with my grey stuff.

Anyway here are the pics:

[jamest]

And some more - I hit the submit a bit quick!

[Lewis Nash]

Hi

That's a really nice layout you have there mate!
A good starter layout,the choice of having a diesel depot on a higher level than the main track really adds another dimension to the layout.Keep up the good work!

Regards
Lewis,

[0121modeller]

Some nice modelling, but where are the pics on page 1 & 2 ? , theres only an X in its place
dave

[jamest]

Hmmm, yes, something had gone a bit wrong with my earlier pictures.

I've re-done them and it appears to have worked.

[0121modeller]

Ahh yes ! & very impressive too

The multi level is great, & you've done well to fit all that within a 6ft x 4ft area, the photographic shots are well done too considering the small space, everything seems well modelled & thoughtfully planned out. The modelling of buildings etc is also very well done.

Does the lower level tracks join up at some point with the higher level ?

Dave.

[Durseytu]

Oh nice work; I especially love the picture of the two-tone 47, I appear to have just bought the very same one for myself

Cheers,

Stu.

[jamest]

Does the lower level tracks join up at some point with the higher level ?

Dave.

Thanks for the kind words Dave, and the heads up for the picture problems.

No the two levels are totally separate. I had enough trouble coming up with a track plan for the top level let alone working out how I'd join it up!
I think any gradient I could have fit in would have been too steep.

Hi Stu,

The 47 is a class act, it runs lovely and looks the business - I wasn't intending to go earlier than BR blue but the two-tone green livery is very nice - I have my eye on a class 25 one now!

Thanks for looking chaps,
James