jhb171achill Posted July 20, 2019 Posted July 20, 2019 Nice trackwork - great potential! I'm fiddling about with ideas for a terminus at the moment - I thought a 5'3" version of Letterkenny's track plan might be a good size for a layout. 1 Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted July 30, 2019 Author Posted July 30, 2019 Pay day has been, so an order placed for the remaining track and trackbed... I hope it arrives soon, while I am in the mood for some track laying! 2 Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted August 4, 2019 Author Posted August 4, 2019 I've completed the track, but ran out of trackbed. So not quite complete. I did do some test running though, to make sure the staging yard works properly. Enough room in there for six 5 coach trains plus locomotives, and a raft of freight too. Now all I have to do is make a start on the scenery. Oh, and collect more trains and run them! 5 Quote
David Holman Posted August 4, 2019 Posted August 4, 2019 With track laid as well as this, the trains ought to run very nicely indeed. 1 Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted August 4, 2019 Author Posted August 4, 2019 They did, once I'd spotted this little bu99eration... 1 Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted August 5, 2019 Author Posted August 5, 2019 All the wiring is complete, so some test running was needed. Fitting the kadees to the bubbles was a faff. Perhaps a case of 'too detailed'... certainly fragile and all the undergubbins made it difficult to extract the hook and loop couplings. Anyway, after some swearing and tea breaks the job was done and away went the test trains. 2 Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted August 5, 2019 Author Posted August 5, 2019 (edited) First away was the bubbles, the 20' flat with the Bell container having been set out with a faulty wheel set. 20190805_160742.mp4 Then the Cravens were away to Dublin. I don't have a steam generator van yet, so excuse the mk2 EGV which itself is waiting for a set of mk2s... 20190805_161138.mp4 Edited August 5, 2019 by Dr Gerbil-Fritters eejit phone makes editing almost impossible 7 Quote
JasonB Posted August 5, 2019 Posted August 5, 2019 Impressive looking set-up Mr Fritters. Looking forward to watching this progress. 1 Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted August 8, 2019 Author Posted August 8, 2019 Not so sure that my test train - trialling DPU principles with DCC - was a success... But all the track is in, and everything wired up and working perfectly. Terminus to fiddle yard, and a sneaky track to allow roundy roundy when things need 'testing' or there are visitors! Later this month I should take delivery of my Mk3 Suburban Push Pull set (waiting for the 121 to arrive). And also the SGV to finish the Cravens rake. Then I'd like to get a set of Mk2s to go with the lonely old EGV, and then the Project 42 freight cars will start arriving... Happy Days! 8 Quote
DiveController Posted August 18, 2019 Posted August 18, 2019 (edited) Top'n'tailing can be tricky especially if there are tight curves and light rolling stock. If you take any too 'identical' locomotives and run them on the same DC circuit, one often catches the other. It can be even trickier with dissimilar locos which may have different gearing and hence different starting , running and top speeds for any given current on the track. I think the same holds true once DCC is added but there is a way to have a consist of locos match speeds (using back EMF I believe) so one is not working harder than the other, and the propelling loco is not trying to derail the stock against the leading loco etc. Now, I've forgotten the details of how to do this with which decoders but it's discussed in the DCC section and maybe someone can point you to the correct thread? Edited December 15, 2019 by DiveController 1 Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted August 27, 2019 Author Posted August 27, 2019 I've got the platform in, and been fiddling about with signals. I've discovered for myself what generations of modellers already knew... it's impossible to get Ratio signals to actually work. I got everything together fine, including the cranks etc but as soon as I tried to connect the cranks the brittle plastic broke. Bah. 3 Quote
David Holman Posted August 28, 2019 Posted August 28, 2019 Signals are fragile things at the best of times and very prone to damage even on a permanent layout. My triple signal on Arigna/Belmullet has survived 30+ shows mainly because it is removable for transport and storage, plus the posts and brackets are whitemetal, with everything else in brass. Being 7mm scale, it is that bit more robust, so goodness knows how the 2mm boys get on. Wizard models do a nice range of signal kits. They look complicated, but the instructions are very good, so might be worth a look. 1 Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted August 29, 2019 Author Posted August 29, 2019 (edited) Thanks! It's just Peco US style code 83 which does a reasonable job of looking like CIE flatbottom track. The close sleepering somehow looks right for BG track too. I've almost finished the signal box. Guttering and the interior to fit next. I'm sure the colours are all wrong... Edited August 29, 2019 by Dr Gerbil-Fritters 3 Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted August 30, 2019 Author Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) Now we're getting somewhere. The suburban push pull arrived today, along with the Mk1 SGV. So Castle Kerry has a reasonable train service now, courtesy of the excellent Silver Fox Models. Now just the Mk2 set to go. This little lot made quite racket yinging away. I've also been bodging up some retaining walls to provide a background to the station platform... only another couple of yards to build. The EGV has taken up residence here until the rest of the Mk2s show up. Edited August 30, 2019 by Dr Gerbil-Fritters 11 Quote
NIRCLASS80 Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 Looking great. Keep up the great work. I have no doubt this is going to be excellent. Quote
Rob Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 Love the era you are modelling, exactly like what l like ! Look forward to the progress photos! Quote
JasonB Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 Nice, very very nice. As already said above, this is class and is a joy to watch as it progresses. My preferred era also. Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted September 1, 2019 Author Posted September 1, 2019 yards and yards of wall being built... and then a canopy to add, this was just a quick test pose... 6 Quote
JasonB Posted September 1, 2019 Posted September 1, 2019 I'm liking that wall Mr Fritters. What did you knock that up from, if you don't mind me asking. Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted September 2, 2019 Author Posted September 2, 2019 (edited) Hi Jason, It's 1.5mm balsa sheet, 70mm high, with 65mm x 10mm x 1.5mm thick pillars on 50mm centres. All wrapped in ancient Superquick red brick paper. Proper old skule! Edited September 3, 2019 by Dr Gerbil-Fritters 3 Quote
JasonB Posted September 3, 2019 Posted September 3, 2019 20 hours ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said: Hi Jason, It's 1.5mm balsa sheet, 70mm high, with 6.5mm x 10mm x 1.5mm thick pillars on 50mm centres. All wrapped in ancient Superquick red brick paper. Proper old skule! Thanks for the info. Nice work all round, it's looking really well. 1 Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted October 13, 2019 Author Posted October 13, 2019 A busy Sunday at the Castle... 088 is ready with a push-pull set and 077 is waiting for a path for the Cravens set. A bit more wall to do, but autumn us not really peak modelling season. In fact, this is the first time I've been in the shed for a month or so. 9 Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted October 21, 2019 Author Posted October 21, 2019 Some new arrivals this past week. I need at least another 2 MKD TSOs really.. but they seem to be like the teeth of hens. A bit more wall has appeared, but boy is it ever boring to build.... about another 18" should see it up to the bridge abutments. When completed, it will be glued to the wall so will be properly perpendicular! 11 Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted October 29, 2019 Author Posted October 29, 2019 This is where it all started, Rail Enthusiast magazine issue 2, June/July 1981. Only 38 years later and I can actually buy excellent models of Big GMs off the shelf... Funny how that article stuck with me for all those years, and planted a seed if you will. I've still not actually been to Ireland... no point now, with no GMs and MK2s/Mk3s... 4 Quote
WRENNEIRE Posted October 29, 2019 Posted October 29, 2019 071's still belting up and down the country Dr. 2 Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted October 30, 2019 Author Posted October 30, 2019 15 hours ago, WRENNEIRE said: 071's still belting up and down the country Dr. Not on pax though? I should still get over and see them... As well as the Rail Enthusiast article, this was what really got me enthused A series of magnificent videos from Gerry Conmy. This sequence in particular was so atmospheric. Seemingly frequent express passengers too, where were they all going? 3 Quote
Edo Posted October 30, 2019 Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) God Yeh - them were the days He took all of those videos along the mainline out of Dublin Heuston as far as Cherryville (Kildare) Junction - so you would have all the services from Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Galway and Westport/Ballina going to and from Dublin along that line - that would be pretty hectic at rush hour between 5.30 and 7.30 in the evening when you probably would get a train passing every 10 mins or so as they all funnel out of Dublin along the same line until the Waterford service is the first to split off at Cherryville junction. That video brings back memories - particularly the one of the Waterford to Dublin service crossing the points at Cherryville - in my students days I took that train so often I would probably do it eyes closed and still know where I was - sitting here in my office at home - I can still feel the sway and bumps as the carriage crosses the points onto the up line for Dublin and we saunter casually into Kildare - normally the last stop before Dublin and then 071 growls and its foot to the floor across County Kildare into Dublin before slowing passing Inchicore and sliding down into Heuston and then picking up my bike and cycling back to my flat in Rathmines in the rain for another week in UCD......................great times! Edited October 30, 2019 by Edo 3 Quote
DoctorPan Posted October 30, 2019 Posted October 30, 2019 2 hours ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said: Not on pax though? I should still get over and see them... They do get turns on RPSI diesel tours during the year, April, May and October being the usual months. Quote
skinner75 Posted October 30, 2019 Posted October 30, 2019 Living in Athlone, I get to hear them accelerating after they cross the Shannon, heading west on freight workings. There is no mistaking the GM sound as it carries on the wind! Quote
Noel Posted October 30, 2019 Posted October 30, 2019 4 hours ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said: Not on pax though? I should still get over and see them... Yes recently retro livery repainted 071 and 073 frequently haul RPSI specials, and their diesel rail tours. Quote
Noel Posted October 30, 2019 Posted October 30, 2019 4 hours ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said: A series of magnificent videos from Gerry Conmy. This sequence in particular was so atmospheric. Seemingly frequent express passengers too, where were they all going? Really interesting at the end of that video about 27m50s was 10mk2a's sandwiched between two modified dutch heating vans behind 074. My nostalgia memory was that trains seemed to be much longer 20-30 years ago and even more coaches in the 60s and 70s. Quote
burnthebox Posted October 30, 2019 Posted October 30, 2019 Totally enjoyed those video's, great to get a chance to see them at speed..!! BTB Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted November 26, 2019 Author Posted November 26, 2019 Not much going on here t the moment, in fact I've not ventured across the marshes to the shed in a month or so. However, 080 in IR small logo was purchased on Saturday, and a rattle can of RAL2011 should appear shortly so perhaps there will be some activity soon! I am on the look out for donor Mark 3s.... (sounds of the Accurascale Mark 3 production line starting up....) 3 Quote
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted December 7, 2019 Author Posted December 7, 2019 080 made it to the shed today, it's finally stopped raining... needs sound chip, KDs and so on. I suppose one day I will weather the fleet... 4 Quote
.png.c363cdf5c3fb7955cd92a55eb6dbbae0.png){kind=logo}
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.