Noel

Utterly sublime Partick. You've made my day. A superb model version of scenes from JBs book 'Rails Through the West'.

Video - CIE Cement Train / IRM wagons Well done team IRM

Bubble heaven. IRM Orange livery cement wagons have arrived on the layout. Sublime detailing and precision moulding. In the new year I hope to weather the IRM wagons similarly to the MIR ones below, or as close as I can get. Hats off to team IRM. Cement Bubble Amazerballs

Tony You've the two hardest bits already very successfully completed, the building and the baseboards. Most track arrangements were designed without CAD, often as Richie explained, by hand, trying unfixed bits of track, and/or using a pencil on baseboards until it felt right, and often guided more by imagination and faded memories than precise fact. Don't loose heart, judging by the quality of what you've done so far it will turn out more than very well. Perhaps delay ballasting and scenic work until the track is laid and you had a chance to run trains, and simulate movements. This will give you the option of making track adjustments with minimal reworking. Its also fun and gets some stock running early which allows you to pause layout work and enjoy other aspects like kits, resprays, buying stock, buildings, etc. You can then switch between the two and over time the layout can evolve at a pace that is enjoyable to you, ensuring it never becomes a chore, nor a target, never time consuming, nor a source of self induced stress - remaining a pleasurable hobby of relaxation in your spare time when you feel like it. Wishing you fun, joy and relaxation as your passion for railways and model railways is inspired by your imagination. Noel

Very impressive. Your growing skills and talent continue to excel and inspire.

Thanks Stevie. Two photo sketches below showing mapping of BCK to GSV 3173 layout a) brass sides b) Bachmann BCK donor. At the moment I am leaning towards the plastic option of cutting and splicing Bachmann BCK donor sides rather than the brass which seems rather featureless. Bill Bedford sides Bachmann BCK donor

Apologies but I have to disagree. I have found Rail Modeller Pro (mac) very good for flexitrack layout design, but you have to learn its techniques for advanced flexitrack manipulation. I don't read manuals so had to learn by bashing the user interface and once I discovered how it 'thought', I was flying and found it very quick and easy to manipulate flexitrack.

Thanks, you read my mind John. I have a set of Bill Bedford sides ready for the next project 3173 using Bachmann BCK donor. The brass sides are nice but lack surface relief features such as window frames, hinges, door handles, etc. There is also a set of double doors where there should be a single door (see below). The alternative is to cut'n'splice the Bachmann plastic sides or SSM may have 3173 BCK brass sides available in the new year which should have the correct single door and may have relief features such as window frames, etc. Bottom of pic Bill Bedford brass sides for 3173 and Bachmann BCK donor

Work continues on the 20ft skeletal container wagon rake. Four more painted bauxite (railmatch acrylic 235). They are awkward to airbrush and waste a lot of paint due to the need cover all the shaded angles of the skeletal chassis. Ready for decals and weathering. These will be used to haul C-Rail 20ft Bell containers in mixed goods traffic formations behind B&T locos. The 3D kit was supplied by ifm and is quick and easy to assemble.

That's the best approach for most layouts

Very neat carpentry Tony. Looks great and looking forward to seeing this layout evolve now that you've settled on Peco code 75.

Hi Fran. They look stunning, the level of detail is from another planet, and I will be ordering. You did ask above for feedback, so please forgive, but personally I would have preferred a darker grey on the chassis. Easily fixed however with weathering to darken the toy like colour. I know the prototype had a grey chassis but it probably looked darker in traffic with all the frame dirt and brake dust. But that is a minor tweak, overall its another stunning product from team IRM. Looking forward to running orange bubbles which are now my favourite livery. Noel

Hi Stevie. B&T wasn't out over night it took almost 8 years. As far as I can remember many baby GMs remained Black'n'Tan livery right up to the mid/late 1970s, and as JB pointed out they were all B&T until the late 1970s. BTW, Murphy models released two locos numbered 141, the original 1960s with the 'staff' collector, and the later restored version. I've a few extra black models which I am renumbering.

We have two large turntables, one at the terminus and one at the other main line station. When I started the layout it was intended to be British outline steam, so turntables at each end of the route were considered essential for prototypical main line steam operation. Both peco, so oversize for Irish steam, but I wanted to be able to turn mainline BR steam locos. As I have now changed to CIE late 1950s to early 70s diesel era they will not get much use except for turning N class steam locos and for visual effect or perhaps my 121.

16v capacitor I blew up on the test rig. Have switched to 25v capacitors since. You learn by mistakes and the advise of those who know better. Luckily this didn't happen inside a wagon or a coach. It made quite a noise.

If of any use, so far on CIE era coach re-sprays and CIE B&T locos I have used a mix of Tamiya acrylic X6 (orange) with a few drops of X64 (brown), with a water based thinner for airbrush use. This gives a sort of 'golden brown' shade of orange. I plan to switch to mixing Vallejo acrylic paints for B&T tan/orange as they run through the airbrush a little easier and clog less, but I made a total bags of mixing their yellow and red last week. Old chinese proverb start with lighter primary colour first then progressively add small quantities of the darker colour until the correct shade is achieved, not the other way around or you will use too much paint in the mixing process.

Vallejo paint bottles can be recycled as mixing bottles. I didn't realise the top section lifted off which facilities pouring paint into the bottle.

Interested to see how it turns out

Its a trick of the light as at that angle you are also seeing a clear reflection of other colours (e.g. sky, trees and foliage opposite, etc). "Mustard" isn't a colour that jumps to mind from the B&T era. Tan, Golden Brown, Deep orange (i.e. more red than yellow). "Some" later IR/IE era had more yellow in the orange mix, whereas early mk3s had a slight red bias. Consistency was not consistent! Also factor in UV and weathering over time.

Its too small to make a readable transfer or decal as evidenced by photos. You could paint a faded white patch to make it look like there is lettering there but doesn't seem worth the hassle given its too small to read without a microscope.

Wot he said he's the resident forum electronics engineer (who built bits for the space shuttle and 'other stuff' ).

Confession Beware peak track voltage can only be measured accurately on DCC with an oscilloscope, and can reach over 20v at the top of the pulse wave, so use at least 25v rated capacitors. I mistakenly used a 16v capacitor during tests and spectacularly blew one up on the LED lighting test rig, which could have damaged a piece of rolling stock.

Buildings and layout looking fabulous Gerry. It's coming together really nicely. Really looking forward to watching this evolve into one of your usual master pieces.

Pensioner in the background waits to board local branch train to Dunwhatsit hauled by C class. Some parcels about to be loaded on 3185 as children look on. Its a bit grimy below the sole bar, and dirty work for shunters.

New arrival on the layout this evening for loading gauge tests and a trail run.