It Is Time for T at 1:450

The new bigger, improved Rushes Edge

2012-02-14T08:36:00.000-08:00

Well, I've done it. The small layout no longer exists. I have my new board, not as previously measured, (!!!), but 1200 x 600 mm. Just seems huge compared to the old one. What I did was brace the old board with strips, and then just placed the old layout onto the new, blank board. I have SO much space to play with. The principles will be the same. Fiddle yards behind a screen, but with 5 sidings, not 4, and they are all much longer. The central loop will be bigger and have a fairly long elevated section over 2 of the Truss Bridges. The inner end-to-end will be 2 stations to 2 stations rather than just one. I'm getting rid of the level crossings, I think, and plan a front tunnel that will have the 2 main lines and the central loop going under. This gives the chance for a good road access to the layout for the little people, and their vehicles, and also some countryside.

I need to paint up MORE track, (sighs deeply), but heigh ho, needs must.

Latest News

2012-02-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

Well, what is going on? you ask. Good question and one I would not normally answer without my lawyer being present, or at least the psychatric nurse. This year has not been good, family death and a few more health problems for myself, but I still have my looks, so not all bad.

My layout Rushes Edge is up-sizing. Currently 900x450mm I just cannot do all I want to, so a new board, 1160x600mm has been purchased. This will give eaxtra and longer longer fiddle sidings, (necessary with the HST125 and the ICE on the way), more countryside to fit in a reason for the layout to exist, and more realistic train lengths.
Since I am planning to go down the DCC route it makes sense to do this now. A wrench to take the smaller layout apart, but what is life without pain?

In British Outline we now have Alan Ramsay's brass etching Deltic, Jesse's Class 55 and 66, and Ozrail's Class 42 Warrior. Being spoilt all round. Please support them if you can

David

A little update

2011-12-05T12:49:00.001-08:00

I have received the Class 67 from Jesse, CCE, and it is quite an impressive little model. Me, being me, gave it a quick squeeze to see how flexible it was. Luckily I had some super glue handy!! Also received one of each of the etched brass shipping containers from T-Gauge.co.uk. These are amazing in the detail, well up with the Deltics and the Mk3 carriages made in the same way.
It is very interesting to see a rapidly increasing range available in the 3D/RP world, while Alan is producing the etched brass kits. I feel there is room for both, in the bigger scales there are the RTR types, the buy to paint types and the kit builders, as well as the scratch builders. We can do the same.

Bye for now. Fingers crossed that Santa brings me something really nice this year. 2008, strokes. 2009, appendicitis and dying gall bladder. 2010, DVT in arm. Come on Santa, be nice, please. :-)))

Latest Update

2011-05-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hi T-folks,
Just a quick update. I have returned to painting the track!!! Yaaahhhhooooooo!!!! My head has stopped shaking now and the meds are working a whole lot better. Still got a prob with my arms and hands shaking after a short while, but a bit of rest and back to it.
Just got to get it finished before my HST125's arrive from T-Gauge.co.uk

Just an Update

2011-04-21T07:06:00.000-07:00

Hi folks,
Just a short briefing to show I have not yet been taken by the Angels. A shortage of postings and also work on the layout. I have had a flare up of the epilepsy, caused by my strokes, and the docs are messing around with my meds, which is having all sorts of strange effects. Falling down the stairs didn't help much either!! Nor did the 2 falls outside.

Things are getting better, a bit, and they promise, (huh), that the latest regime will have great effect. Believe that when.....

The layout is not forgotten. Funny thing though. The Occupational Therapist, who came around to see about fitting the walk-in shower, was a railway modeller in HO. Jaw dropped when he saw the T-Gauge, as is only to be expected from someone who models in giant-land!! I put a loop back together and ran a train for him so he knows it works. He is now thinking about getting some for himself. I think I may be receiving some special visits in the future, don't you?

"Rushes Edge" latest.

2011-03-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

Not a lot to tell, or show, really. I broke down the laid-out track and am now, in my usual crazy fashion, painting the tracks. Have you any idea how many sleepers are on this layout? NO!! Neither have I, all I know it is lots and lots, and the ballast has to be painted in afterwards, (deep sigh),. Still, come to one decision. The track is going to be fixed down with clear sealant, you know those squeazy gun things, and where the tracks run side by side I am going to level the banking upto the track level. This should give the chance to try the T-Gauge ballast out for real.

Keep smiling

David

Clayton and wagons

2011-02-17T08:55:00.001-08:00

Here are some stills of the Class 17 Clayton with the 6 wagons, and a close up as requested.

Slow running the freight train

2011-02-17T08:50:00.000-08:00

Running this as slowly as I can without a PWM module in the controller. I don't know if I'm getting more crazy by the day, but I do like the sound from the train on the track, (ignore the tele). I am strongly tempted NOT to put any sound-proofer or absorbant base under the tracks, just glue straight down on the board. Then who needs DCC for sound effects, eh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dko1MiGZ8cY

The Clayton does its job

2011-02-16T09:17:00.000-08:00

I put up a short video of my Class 17 Clayton, pulling 6 home-made box wagons. The box wagons are on the adjustable chassis and each has one of the weights inside. I didn't think the 2nd generation chassis would pull much more weight than that shown. I only did this before I break down the track prior to painting it. (Just think of all those sleepers that need to be painted concrete grey!!!) AAAggghhhh. Still, it must be done proper like, know wot I mean?
One thing I do notice is that on video playback the train seems to be moving much faster than in real life. It did not seem fast to me, because I like scale speed on a layout, so it was not running anywhere near even half-speed on the controller. Time warp effect I suppose, or something like that.

Anyway go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32GT6vGiF18 if'n you want to see it.

Happy T-Timing, folks.

"Rushes Edge" Part 3

2011-01-25T09:30:00.001-08:00

So another post of further pics. All the track fits the board, phew, and clearances for trains are OK. All tracks as laid have had trains run over them and generally been successful, taking into account no track fastened down, nor any rails cleaned. So I'm happy at the moment. Next I lift the track and start the detailing, all sleepers light concrete grey, ballast dark grey, and vegetation on the bankings. Once done with that, sound-proofing goes down and track glued on top of that. Wiring will be straight forward. I am using the system DK Smith showed us, where the "gold" joining tabs are bent out straight, the power feed soldered to them, bend back under the track and insert wire through the baseboard to run underneath. The isolated sections will have four switches, one for each siding.
Getting quite excited about it now. Roads, buildings, streams, lake, hills, vehicles, oh, I just love it. My own little world.
Comments welcomed, my friends.

Rushes Edge Part 2

2011-01-19T15:18:00.000-08:00

We carry on:

Back Loop Finished Pic 003

The Back Loop Pic 004

Close of Play - Day 1 Pic 005
The white polystyrene tunnel shows where the backscreen will start, running across the layout to a tunnel on the otherside. These sidings, therefore, will not be a part of the layout, but due to the design will be visible to the punters. Should look good with 2 x HST's, Deltics and coaches (in the "blood and custard" livery, plus a long freight train pulled by my Class 17 Clayton.
S'all for now, folks.

"Rushes Edge" Layout is Started

2011-01-19T15:00:00.000-08:00

Every layout has to have a name. This one is called Rushes Edge because of where I live, Ruislip. Ruislip is a corruption of Anglo-Saxon for the village, Ryse Lyppe, meaning the "edge of the rushes" (Bullrushes) which, in the days before panic over flooding, lined our riverbank every year. Since my big layout is going to be a model of the real Ruislip Station in its heyday, I couldn't use that name, so "Rushes Edge" it is.
I've recovered, to an extent from the fall down the stairs, so Mon and Tues was spent glueing the strengtheners to the bottom of the base board. Today, Wed 19th, I started to layout the track as per the plan drawn on AnyRail. I may be pushing it a bit close, but I really wanted a maximum siding possible and with this I get 390mm in the dead sections. Only 480mm short of a EuroStar train, but I can still run Inter-City HST 125's. So just to remind you this board is 900mm x 450mm.

And so the show begins with pic 001

Will it Fit? Pic 002

2011-01-09T11:16:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update. Was planning to start this week on the layout, now the last dolls house has gone, but plans not working out. Strongly recommend to anyone reading, "Don't fall down the stairs!! It hurts and also damages bits of your body you need in order to model in small scale." Hope this helps someone!! :-))

Final Track designs

2010-12-28T14:41:00.000-08:00

Here are the final track designs. I have had to scrap my smaller board and buy a new one. The new board is 900mm x 450mm x 9mm. The plans are the same on the outside twin loops with sidings. The isolated sections in the sidings are 390mm long.

Plan 001 shows an end-to-end suburban single track, with 2 platforms at each end, all isolated. There is a branch line going to the industrial/quarry workings, again isolated. This design gives the possibility of 8 trains on the layout, and 3 of running at the same time.

Plan 002 shows the same board dimensions, the outer loops are the same, but inside I have a continuous loop suburban line, for some of its length in a tunnel, plus an end-to-end suburban single track. There will be 2 platforms down at the bottom, and 2 at the top, both sighted to best serve the "end of the line" look. In this configuration I can have 6 trains on the layout and 4 of these will be running.

Simple decision now. Anyone care to offer an opinion?

IGNORE ALL PREVIOUS PLANS POSTED, I WILL GET ROUND TO DELETING THEM.

Quick Update

2010-12-14T03:44:00.000-08:00

Hi folks,
Just to show I'm still around, I thought I would post a quick update. I have, finally, finished my last ever, (hopefully), 1/12th scale dolls house. It gets collected tomorrow and will make a 10yr old girl very happy on Christmas Day.

THEN......I start on my small layout, as per the plan below. There are some minor changes, but essentially it will allow me to have 8 trains on the tracks, and run 3 of them at any one time. I just wonder if I can get anyone to help me in that? Hope I can. Role on the days of DCC, and the computer can do the work!!

Regular pics will be placed here, showing start to finish.

Happy Christmas

New Videos on You Tubby of HST125

2010-11-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

Posted 4 small vids of the brand new High Speed Train 125 in British Rail colours. Enjoy them. Sorry quality is not so good, but stand was very busy, and I have to wait for Santa to bring a proper video camera, so next year will be better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tml6J0SA-PU&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Tooot tooot

David

Wish List for Santa OR Eishindo

2010-11-23T03:46:00.001-08:00

Dear Santa,

I would like three-way points, (where tracks go off both sides as the main line goes straight on, lot less space used than 2 seperate point sets), X-crossing rails, and also, finally, points on bends, both inside and outside. Please!!

Also for rolling stock, a steam outline generic. We can then have a basis to work out our own regional favourites!! Please!!! :-))

New Plan V2.2

2010-11-18T09:33:00.000-08:00

Hoping this is the final plan. I will use "Paint" to plan the roads, farms, houses, etc.,

My Small Layout Plan

2010-11-18T08:35:00.000-08:00

I forgot to say that the board I am building the layout on is 800mm x 435mm in size. I have received, today, the new 157.5 radius curves, in 30mm, and I now have ALL the track I need to build the layout. Backscreen is shaped and ready to glue.
Judging from what I have seen on other blogs and forums it should not take long to finish, ONCE I get going.

I have, just like me, planned a slightly different layout, as seen below. But as it is just the inside working bits, I can decide later. That is where most of the roads and houses will be, plus the industry bit and the lake, so lots to do......

Re-Modelled my track plan

2010-11-14T08:08:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

See below for the remodelled track plan. It means that, with the isolated sections, I can have 8 trains, of varying lengths and types, on the layout at any one time. Of course it does only really have a maximum of 4 running at the same time, unless I isolate longer sections of track and that would serve no real purpose.

Hope you like it,

David

New video placed on YouTubby

2010-11-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

I've put a short vid of a Hankyu 9000 14 car train running on my test track. 4 power cars used, one each end, 2 in middle. Ran well for over 6 hours non-stop, reversing direction and back and forth over points. Sadly this video ends badly. Shows a stroke victim can't film and think about point settings at the same time. :-))

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84SwRCl6neg

Toot-toot.

My Small Layout Plan

2010-11-06T13:30:00.001-07:00

Hi Folks,

Sorry about lack of activity here but I have not been idle on T. I have been working hard to get my freight wagons running properly, plus working through ALL my Type 103 trains to superglue all the metal parts of the bogies into place, just to make sure that height above the rail is constant. With the Hankyu 9000 trains I have removed all the little horn thingies on the front bogies. I noticed, on slow running some of them, that the horn came very close to the rail on bends. If it does this at slow, then it might touch on speed running. Also experimenting with removing the movement restrictors on the unpowered carriages, since I "feel" this might be part of my tripping problem. Of course what I should do is never run above a scale speed!!! But hard to resist sometimes..

Also, at last, I have used my AnyRail software to plan my 800mm x 435mm layout. This is the one I intend to show next year.

The outer 2 lines will be for HST, passenger and freight trains. With the 4 sidings having isolating switches I will be able to have four complete trains on the layout at any one time, for the loop that is.
The inner line is an end-to-end line with platforms at either end, the siding will go off towards the "Concrete Pier" section. I have decided to have the track rise and fall between each station, for visual impact, scenery options and the chance for some light industrial use. The siding off the end-to-end is going to have something else added to it, (hopefully before finishing, but it is only experimental at moment), and I think I would like to place a link between the inner and outer loops, so I can reverse a train, and make it look as if there are more around than actual.
"A" to "F" are the isolating switches, and "G" to "H" is the back screen.

This last pic shows some ideas on water and the hills

Hope you like some of it.

My first upload to YouTube

2010-10-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

Not great quality, I'm better at videoing dogs!! Does show how slow a train can run using the standard controller. There are 8 cars in the train, and another 8 waiting in the siding. Isolating switch works well.
Now to get to running two trains at same time, using an isolated by-pass loop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHzbglaW_og

Update on my Freight Box Wagons

2010-10-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

I thought I would just place this update, so there is something new to the blog. The twin bogie wagons do not perform as well as I had hoped. The Clayton cannot pull all 6 of them, but can manage 3 easily, and 4 if handled carefully, so that is big disappointment. Also, even with the white metal placed inside to weight them down, they are still top heavy and like to lie down a lot!! LOL None of the wagons have magnetic wheels, so not that. I am going to try sticking strips of white metal to the underside of the wagons, between the bogies, that will lower centre of gravity a bit. Is it a suspension issue as I have no springs on the wagons? Dunno, matey!! Might give a try though.
Simple solution, in the short term, is to make one of the powered 19 metre chassis and clear bodies into something that won't show up as "not freight". I don't want to "double-head" a 6 car train after all. I want to have 25-30 wagons in a freight train, and that will, it seems, require more "hidden" powered units.
Another thing I am surprised about is how dirty the tracks get when running trains over them. We need a powered track-cleaner, Eishindo do you you hear me?

Let us see the start and the finish, eh?

2010-09-16T13:47:00.001-07:00

What you say to this then?

Update on Class 17 Clayton bashing

2010-09-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

So here we are, back again with a few update pics. Funny how the digi pics show up the flaws I don't see in real life. Got some tidying up to do, eh?

David

Visitors, Page Views and Comments

2010-09-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

Hi All Visitors, (no matter what planet you're from),

I see from the Stats that I get a lot of Page Views, but no one has placed Comments on any of the Posts. I must admit to finding this a little demoralising. Makes me think my work is really not worth a lot.
I know we have the Talking T-Gauge forum, and a lot goes on there, and I have my yahoo! Group as well, but I am left wondering if you look at my work and just larf.

Don't want loads of Comments, but a few would be nice. Unless you are saving them up for Christmas, 'coz that's not long now. :-))

David

What can I do with a Garden Loco?

2010-09-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

I have bought 2 of the Garden Railway Loco, and I an going to modify them to look like one of these. They are Class 17 Diesel shunters from British Rail.

I will post pics as I work through the stages, but just to prove I am going to do it here is a taster.

My First Wagons

2010-08-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

And here I have some of the first wagons I have built that run, properly, and don't fall over on the bends. They are made from one of the Herpa 1:500th kits, the walkways from terminals to aircraft. I do have 6 of them, but it seems that couplers are in short supply at the moment. No worries, the others, they can sit in the sidings for now. I have more wagons on the way, 4 and 6 wheelers. The Kiha is in the process of being converted to a London Transport shunter, circa 1936, but in use right up to the 70s.

Little Cars: The waiting is over

2010-08-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pics of my new convertible BMW, sorry to mix it with my London Fire Brigade lot, but that's the way life took me, (like a leaf in a stream). I used some scalpels from my Mountain Rescue Kits to do the cutting. They are VERY sharp and I had to be quite careful, (not 'alf, mate), but to have something different from the ordinary taxi's in the sets is a bonus. Not bad for a crppled stroke victim, eh?
Enjoy,
David

Little Cars - A Teaser (for the moment)

2010-08-12T11:01:00.000-07:00

I will be posting more pictures of the vehicles a bit later, see if you can pick the odd one out. It took ages, was very risky using a medical scalpel, but worth it.

Some More Herpa 1:500th Buildings

2010-07-21T06:26:00.000-07:00

What I have done here is modify the Passenger Terminals to be more useful on a layout. The curved buildings I am going to use as a hospital, the others are office blocks. The good thing about these buildings is they can be lit by LED, so plus point there.

Some of my Herpa 1:500th Buildings

2010-07-21T06:15:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

This is the Aircraft Hanger from the Airport Accessories. I cut off unimportant bits and re-painted it. It is now a train shed!! The two bottom shots show "as it comes", the others as I want it.

David

Eishindo Vehicles - painted

2010-07-21T05:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back again and showing some little painted vehicles. These do get easier the more I do, but I have learnt to prep the shell first, use new paint, so no little lumpy bits, and very good brushes, (expensive), I have painted 4 sets now and have only 12 more to go. For the main part of my layout I am painting only the clear shells, and, when I get the correct diameter black plastic rod, will merely paint up the solid ones as background items, with pretend wheels and tyres.
Hope you like them.

David

Is this WORTH the effort?

2010-07-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

I place below some pics, both of the track from the 2 sets, and the L/H points/turnouts. I haven't seen anyone else do this, but they might be in a different secure ward.
I think it looks better, but would welcome comments.

A modern style house with garage

2010-07-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

This one I painted a normal 1940/50s white, but placed plants and flowers around the walls. The base will be surrounded by a hedge, and there will be a couple of trees.

Eishindo houses modified to Tudor style

2010-07-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

I felt that I needed something that no one else has, (yet), and roughed up the roofs of a couple of the L-shaped 2-storey houses, to represent straw roofs. Then painted base colour, one older than other, (Lime-wash does that over the years), and just lined them up with the beams. They look much better with the chimneys added.
Hope you like them.

David

What is happening with my T-Gauge world?

2010-06-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

Forgot I had this blog, brains running late, unlike the trains!! I have been hard at work detailing track, painting buildings, and the car set, A & B, 16 sets in total, 4 sets of each of the Water scenes, and 20 sets of people and animals need to matted and made to look a trifle "more real". At this scale, you loony? Yah. I think so. To both parts of the question.

I have remodelled two of the 103's into London Transport livery.

David

First Post on this new blog for T-Gauge

2010-06-07T17:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first blog I've ever had. This is targetted at those who model in T-Gauge or 1:450 scale model railways.
I have been involved with T for over a year now, having got rid of all my N-Gauge. I am still awaiting the building/completion of my first layout, since new products keep coming out and cause me to re-design. I will, eventually, have a smaller, mobile layout for shows and the like. For this I am designing a vertical fiddle-yard. Anyone else tried this approach? I will have a LARGE layout that will stay at home, but hopefully will appear in some magazines. I am also building a garden railway that will be placed in the garden of a 1/24th scale dollshouse.
I have running prototypes of 4, 6 and 8 wheel wagons, all waiting to see how they last, before I release methods out. I don't want people wasting money on something that may not work. I am building a TGV, currently at the Milliput "master" stage, (still a little to do), and it will be modelled in acrylic cast in latex moulds. I am poking around some 0-4-0, 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 formats, just to see what could be possible.
I have a group at http://groups.yahoo.com/T-Gauge450scale with photos and links there. I should/shall get around to transferring all that to this blog, in time.

Hope for some responses.

David