Thomas Visits Bride Bay

[Dad-1]

I see I failed to reply to Notroh,

The screws are really bolts that fit into blind metal inserts that are mounted into the frame.

Anyway today was the Bridport Club's open day, free entry with various members layouts &
the club test track up & working.
It was in effect the first public showing of this layout, it worked 100% and several youngsters
enjoyed thrashing Thomas, Toby, Percy & Bill around. At times I was too busy to go off and
photograph, but here are four shots of proceedings.









It seems everybody enjoyed the day !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

An Exhibition Day - or at least the local village fete. We had Thomas in the church
and other than taking some photos just after set-up I was fully occupied keeping
hoards of young children on the straight & narrow, or on the tracks !!
Oh I must get Percy DCC'd so we can run both tracks DCC, in analogue he goes too
fast and the 'little dears' keep on derailing him & most of the train !!









Fully dressed with vehicles & people for the first time, didn't have it all out at the end of
May. This being a full dress rehersal for next Saturday which is the Bridport & District club's
main summer exhibition in East Street, Bridport. Details in RM.

Geoff T.

[nickbrad]

Looking good, could a temporary fix for the DC line be to put a resistor in line to effectively cut the power getting to the track and slow Percy down?

[THE CHIEF]

The pictures look great I really like the refection off the water. The ice cream van is cool as well

[Kindling]

The ice cream van is cool as well

(Yes, the wife says I'm in a saft 'un tonight.)

[Dad-1]

"Thomas" is out tomorrow at the Seaton Family Day, running in the library.
While cleaning all up I decided to run my two small loco builds.

https://youtu.be/xiYcml6JqVU

Geoff T.

[Bufferstop]

I'd keep those two well out of the sight of any youngsters, The'd all want to see them go round once Thomas had gone past a few times.
PS you need a Bachmann Percy, lovely little mechanism, there was a guy selling the Bachmann models at the "Great Electric Train Show" think he trades as Tootally Thomas. The prices of them surprised me, very reasonable compared to Hornby.

[Dad-1]

Hi Bufferstop,

'Tootally Thomas' is our source of Bachmann USA stuff. We do have Percy, and he has to run all day without
relief as he's the only one not converted to DCC and currently we run 1 line DC, the other DCC. Thomas,
Toby & Bill all share a days work. I keep on promising myself I'll get James, but keep blowing all my funds
on kits in the form of wagons and locomotives ........ Then there is the new shunting layout !

Very professional approach, all tested & cleaned ready for a showing. Two more bookings so far for 2016.
Beaminster in January, and Sherborne in February.
Too true my little babies will not be going, at about £100 each including decoder only big boys can play !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Crying Out Loud !!
Just after set-up at Seaton we had a visit from the Town Cryer.
A fun evening followed with many 4 - 7 year olds enjoying trying to crash Thomas, but
he's DCC and won't go that fast whereas Percy is still DC and will ..... guess who was the
most popular !!



Built by big kids to be enjoyed by smaller kids !!
Derek looked worn out before we started.

Geoff T.

[Kentishman]

A very big thank you to Geoff and Derek from FoSels (Friends of Seaton Library) for supporting Seaton Library on the Festive Fun Day. It wasn't just 4 to 7 year olds though, Thomas and Percy were enthusiastically received by youngsters up to 11 or 12 (in my estimation), and their parents / carers / relatives. I have to say that I think Geoff and Derek are creating a huge expectation that Grandad (or whoever) will produce something as good!

Cheers
KM

[Dad-1]

Another fun day at Seaton Library on 30th April 2016



Now looking forward to next weekend at Yeovil where all the young at heart can have a drive !!

Geoff T.

[Bufferstop]

Another Fun day! I have the decoder and PCB from a Bachmann "Greg", in fact I may have two, would they be useful for slowing down Percy? The way the bits were distributed around inside got in the way of my butchery so they had to come out.

[Dad-1]

Hi John,

Sorry I didn't answer sooner, but been a little hectic here with one day at
the club rooms doing track repairs and then the two day show at Yeovil Junction.
Here I am watching the Thomas layout 'fun' sessions !!



As to Greg's decoder and PCB's yes they would be very useful as I still have
3 to convert to DCC.

Geoff T.

[Bufferstop]

OK Geoff, PM me your address and I'll rescue them from the bits box and put them in the post. I took them out completely because they don't run smoothly on DC and it let me lower the bodies. I was so impressed by the first one's running that I used the second to take the body of my Bagnall despite the wheelbase error. It's far smoother if just a bit faster than my home made chassis with the 6ft wheelbase and much quieter. The last time I heard a whine like the Romford 50:1 set made it was coming from the rear end of a Mk1 Escort estate, three years old,120K on the clock, third set of rear springs but still the original diff.

[Dad-1]

Hi Bufferstop,

Decoder arrived safely - not done anything with it as we're
away at the caravan while the sunshine's out !!
Just popped home having been in Bridport all morning and
had lunch in "The Red Brick Cafe" a place that has character
all of it's own - rather "Hippy" inside, a place to drop in should
you ever be in Bridport.

Geoff T.