New layout
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Re: New layout
I've been watching a few YouTube videos on Midlands WCML around 1996 and I stumbled on this curious formation;
This was from Stafford station in 1996; class 47, mk1 or guv & a dvt! Would anyone be able to shed any light on the reason for such a strange formation?
I've decided that may layout now will focus on 1996; the early transition from sectorisation to privatisation.
It still consist of main Swallow livery but with some virgin starting to pop up.
Current passenger rakes/plans:
Class 90, x10 mk4s, dvt (all swallow)
Class 43, x7 mk3s (class 43s in virgin, mk3s in swallow)
Class 90, x7 mk3s, dvt (class 90 and 2 mk3s in virgin, dvt and remaining mk3s in swallow)
Class 47, x6 mk2s (all swallow)
Class 86, x3 GUV, x3 mk1 (all swallow, parcel train)
Class 158 (regional railways)
Current freight rakes/plans:
Class 37, x5 TEA tankers, x10 TTA tankers
Class 58, x20 HEA hoppers
Class 90, X2 intermodal container wagons
Class 86, x9 container wagons
Class 20, x4 railfreight box vans
Class 37, mixed wagons (all Dutch civil engineering livery)
Can see here the current plans for the maintenance depot and terminus. There will be a curved brick effect wall to hide the bends in the track as the go into the corner. I'm hoping that with this wall and the road bridge, it will make the layout look a bit more realistic by hiding the curves.
This was from Stafford station in 1996; class 47, mk1 or guv & a dvt! Would anyone be able to shed any light on the reason for such a strange formation?
I've decided that may layout now will focus on 1996; the early transition from sectorisation to privatisation.
It still consist of main Swallow livery but with some virgin starting to pop up.
Current passenger rakes/plans:
Class 90, x10 mk4s, dvt (all swallow)
Class 43, x7 mk3s (class 43s in virgin, mk3s in swallow)
Class 90, x7 mk3s, dvt (class 90 and 2 mk3s in virgin, dvt and remaining mk3s in swallow)
Class 47, x6 mk2s (all swallow)
Class 86, x3 GUV, x3 mk1 (all swallow, parcel train)
Class 158 (regional railways)
Current freight rakes/plans:
Class 37, x5 TEA tankers, x10 TTA tankers
Class 58, x20 HEA hoppers
Class 90, X2 intermodal container wagons
Class 86, x9 container wagons
Class 20, x4 railfreight box vans
Class 37, mixed wagons (all Dutch civil engineering livery)
Can see here the current plans for the maintenance depot and terminus. There will be a curved brick effect wall to hide the bends in the track as the go into the corner. I'm hoping that with this wall and the road bridge, it will make the layout look a bit more realistic by hiding the curves.
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Re: New layout
that weird formation is actually quite simple, the DTV is being taken for some sort of maintenance work but its couplings are not compatible with the locomotive, hence a barrier conversion vehicle is between them
quite common actually, various old vehicles, GUV, old coaches, vans etc get used this way
layout looks reasonable, a small inspection shed on a kick back works quite well both because its something that fits without looking daft and its a good sight blocker too
even though its just track on chipboard its still got an atmosphere about it, lots of potential and with decent length trains I think is going to look very good.
quite common actually, various old vehicles, GUV, old coaches, vans etc get used this way
layout looks reasonable, a small inspection shed on a kick back works quite well both because its something that fits without looking daft and its a good sight blocker too
even though its just track on chipboard its still got an atmosphere about it, lots of potential and with decent length trains I think is going to look very good.
Re: New layout
Oi! Everything I own is just track on chipboard!aleopardstail wrote:
even though its just track on chipboard



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Re: New layout
I've not been able to get up the loft for a little bit, so no further progress unfortunately, but there will be some changes.
Have been weighing up some decisions based on some online research and some of your feedback.
I have decided that my era will be 1996, on the crossover period into privatisation.
I have acquired a rake of mk3 Virgin coaches (6, scale length). I plan to have my full length Swallow Class 90/mk4 set, then will have a Class 90 Virgin with the virgin mk3s and a pair of spare mk3 swallow FO to make it 8 coaches and the dvt. I have lucked out on a class 43 in Virgin livery; for now I will give it a rake of swallow mk3s (short coaches) until I can swap them for scale length.
Finally for long passenger trains will be a Swallow class 47 with a rake of swallow mk2s and a single virgin mk2.
Then will have the sprinters for the terminus.
Then freight will stay as it us, but I was debating on whether to sell the railfreight/speedlink rake as I am doubtful that there would have been much of this left by this time. The rake of 30 HAA's will be sold also.
This will leave me with a Railfreight grey class 90 with a rake of 10 container wagons (can be swapped out for a rake of 2 double intermodals in a siding), a Class 58 coal Sect livery with 22 HEA hoppers, a rake of TEA/TTA tankers in BP green that will be double headed with class 37s (one in Mainline BP livery, the other in swallow) and a Class 86 swallow with a rake of Swallow GUVs and mk1s to form a parcel train.
This will leave me with an unused class 86 railfreight grey (could be double headed onto the parcel train) and a Class 56 railfreight grey, which I was going to add to a short Dutch civil mixed rake.
Any thoughts or advice would be welcome as always
One thing I would like some advice on the wiring on a class 90.
I have acquired a class 90 with a 5 pole motor, dcc ready in Schenker red livery. I was going to take the railfreight grey body and swap it on.
When I tested it downstairs with a 6v battery on a peice ofntrack, it wouldn't move, whereas older models move. Is this to do with 6v batteries not able to power dcc ready models? I've not been able to test on the layout yet. I've had a look at the wiring and it doesn't look great on the black wires that go from the rear bogie toothed pantograph. Will add some pics later.
Have been weighing up some decisions based on some online research and some of your feedback.
I have decided that my era will be 1996, on the crossover period into privatisation.
I have acquired a rake of mk3 Virgin coaches (6, scale length). I plan to have my full length Swallow Class 90/mk4 set, then will have a Class 90 Virgin with the virgin mk3s and a pair of spare mk3 swallow FO to make it 8 coaches and the dvt. I have lucked out on a class 43 in Virgin livery; for now I will give it a rake of swallow mk3s (short coaches) until I can swap them for scale length.
Finally for long passenger trains will be a Swallow class 47 with a rake of swallow mk2s and a single virgin mk2.
Then will have the sprinters for the terminus.
Then freight will stay as it us, but I was debating on whether to sell the railfreight/speedlink rake as I am doubtful that there would have been much of this left by this time. The rake of 30 HAA's will be sold also.
This will leave me with a Railfreight grey class 90 with a rake of 10 container wagons (can be swapped out for a rake of 2 double intermodals in a siding), a Class 58 coal Sect livery with 22 HEA hoppers, a rake of TEA/TTA tankers in BP green that will be double headed with class 37s (one in Mainline BP livery, the other in swallow) and a Class 86 swallow with a rake of Swallow GUVs and mk1s to form a parcel train.
This will leave me with an unused class 86 railfreight grey (could be double headed onto the parcel train) and a Class 56 railfreight grey, which I was going to add to a short Dutch civil mixed rake.
Any thoughts or advice would be welcome as always
One thing I would like some advice on the wiring on a class 90.
I have acquired a class 90 with a 5 pole motor, dcc ready in Schenker red livery. I was going to take the railfreight grey body and swap it on.
When I tested it downstairs with a 6v battery on a peice ofntrack, it wouldn't move, whereas older models move. Is this to do with 6v batteries not able to power dcc ready models? I've not been able to test on the layout yet. I've had a look at the wiring and it doesn't look great on the black wires that go from the rear bogie toothed pantograph. Will add some pics later.
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Re: New layout
try a 9V, likely 6v once its been through the DCC circuitry may not be enough, if it doesn't move with 9v there is a problem.
something I found worthwhile doing, get a length of wood suitable to sit on whatever desk you have and about 5" wide, stick straight track alone one side, the other side is space for a basic "controller" (I use an Arduino and a L298N motor driver, with a variable resistor hooked to the arduino to set speed and direction). can live somewhere easy to access and it perfect for testing locos and testing post servicing
something I found worthwhile doing, get a length of wood suitable to sit on whatever desk you have and about 5" wide, stick straight track alone one side, the other side is space for a basic "controller" (I use an Arduino and a L298N motor driver, with a variable resistor hooked to the arduino to set speed and direction). can live somewhere easy to access and it perfect for testing locos and testing post servicing
Re: New layout
If there's a decoder in there, it may have DC running turned off, so using a DCC controller might be the best option.
Pete.
Re: New layout
It's nothing directly to do with 'DCC ready', which if an accurate description of what you have means 'ready to run on DC, has a DCC decoder socket fitted'. (Quite a number of us suggested the 'DCC ready' term was misleading when introduced, but that's water long gone under the bridge.)Stokestation12 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2024 8:38 pm ...I have acquired a class 90 with a 5 pole motor, dcc ready in Schenker red livery.
When I tested it downstairs with a 6v battery on a piece ofntrack, it wouldn't move, whereas older models move. Is this to do with 6v batteries not able to power dcc ready models? I've not been able to test on the layout yet. I've had a look at the wiring and it doesn't look great on the black wires that go from the rear bogie toothed pantograph...
What a previous owner may have done to lead to your 'no go' finding in addition to suggestions already proposed, ranges from : altered the wiring, moved wheelsets or other essential components in the pick up path around, removed the blanking plug from the socket, in some way mangled the socket, replaced the blanking plug with a faulty item, fitted a faulty decoder, allowed the model to stand until the drive line is glued solid with dried grease; the possibilities are plentiful, and I can sign up for having experienced all the above on s/h purchases.
Do you have either a meter or a low voltage bulb so you can test for continuity from one rail to the other via the wheels? That's a good first thing to check.
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Re: New layout
https://youtu.be/Ebv5vz9JKgk?si=ZsbPePwoatUALDci
Quick video of the outer loops showing the 2 class 90s.
Quick video of the outer loops showing the 2 class 90s.
Re: New layout
Looks like an interesting project. I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops
.

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Re: New layout
Well, progress haunted over Christmas due to the cold and general business of the Christmas period.
I've had a few Christmas gifts to add to the layout; a wonderful brewery and goods yard shed being the highlights. I'm yet to decide where to put them but the current winning idea would be to remove the diesel depot and add them there as a sort of older relic from years past.
I've boosted a few rakes so that I now have a rake of 8 BP green TEA'S and will also have the class 43 boosted to a rake of 3 tso and 2 fo (all scale length).
Can't wait to get back to it!
I've had a few Christmas gifts to add to the layout; a wonderful brewery and goods yard shed being the highlights. I'm yet to decide where to put them but the current winning idea would be to remove the diesel depot and add them there as a sort of older relic from years past.
I've boosted a few rakes so that I now have a rake of 8 BP green TEA'S and will also have the class 43 boosted to a rake of 3 tso and 2 fo (all scale length).
Can't wait to get back to it!
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Re: New layout
drawback of a loft layout, huge number of advantages, weather can make it suck.Stokestation12 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2025 2:22 pm Well, progress haunted over Christmas due to the cold and general business of the Christmas period.
I've had a few Christmas gifts to add to the layout; a wonderful brewery and goods yard shed being the highlights. I'm yet to decide where to put them but the current winning idea would be to remove the diesel depot and add them there as a sort of older relic from years past.
I've boosted a few rakes so that I now have a rake of 8 BP green TEA'S and will also have the class 43 boosted to a rake of 3 tso and 2 fo (all scale length).
Can't wait to get back to it!
good you are going back and more stock never hurts (well unless you have more than you have space for.. *cough*)
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Re: New layout
Managed to get an hour in the loft the other day.
Not a lot accomplished, just a quick track clean and running session.
A question that has arose:
Has anyone ever used any protective measures for metcalfe card kits from the elements?
A few shots from the running session;
https://youtu.be/ngYGtwtwods?si=WucNIS_FdU_2AKv9
Not a lot accomplished, just a quick track clean and running session.
A question that has arose:
Has anyone ever used any protective measures for metcalfe card kits from the elements?
A few shots from the running session;
https://youtu.be/ngYGtwtwods?si=WucNIS_FdU_2AKv9
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Re: New layout
card kits, not overly had to here (had to get a dehumidifier for the cellar though), depends what protection you want - one you can do when the kit is built is spray varnish it, after all painting etc is done. you could also do some parts e.g. the inside as you assemble it. to seal against moisture - though to be honest if you have trouble with damp - sort that problem instead of trying to mitigate the impact.Stokestation12 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 9:38 pm Managed to get an hour in the loft the other day.
Not a lot accomplished, just a quick track clean and running session.
A question that has arose:
Has anyone ever used any protective measures for metcalfe card kits from the elements?
A few shots from the running session;
https://youtu.be/ngYGtwtwods?si=WucNIS_FdU_2AKv9
what elements are you struggling with? if its "windows falling out" thats a glue issue, bostick works pretty well when it gets cold or warm to keep them stuck
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Re: New layout
I haven't encountered any issues as yet, it was more of a hypothetical question should I encounter anything. I didn't know if there was a commonly applied method to preserve them from heat, cold, damp etc just in case.aleopardstail wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 10:36 pmcard kits, not overly had to here (had to get a dehumidifier for the cellar though), depends what protection you want - one you can do when the kit is built is spray varnish it, after all painting etc is done. you could also do some parts e.g. the inside as you assemble it. to seal against moisture - though to be honest if you have trouble with damp - sort that problem instead of trying to mitigate the impact.Stokestation12 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2025 9:38 pm Managed to get an hour in the loft the other day.
Not a lot accomplished, just a quick track clean and running session.
A question that has arose:
Has anyone ever used any protective measures for metcalfe card kits from the elements?
A few shots from the running session;
https://youtu.be/ngYGtwtwods?si=WucNIS_FdU_2AKv9
what elements are you struggling with? if its "windows falling out" thats a glue issue, bostick works pretty well when it gets cold or warm to keep them stuck