Well a bit more progress has been made on Pottington Quay. Track testing has been a very enjoyable process and all is working well. The SEEP point motors are wired directly to the DCC powerbus and everything has been tested with the Bachmann EZ controller. Everything is working like a dream and I have spent a good deal of time getting out some old stock and trundling it around the layout. However, I did connect up my NCE powercab, as I was running more stock and the EZ controller can only control up to 9 locomotives. When using the NCE powercab the point motors won't throw, even though they are using a CDU. Arghh the mysteries of DCC! There is no doubt that in terms of operation and enjoyment DCC is a massive progression, but I am still trying to get my head around some of the finer workings!
Class 08 shunting ballast wagons ready to form a train back to Exeter.
Class 37 picks up an airbraked freight.
When playing with the trains it became pretty obvious that using 2 separate rakes of coaches was quite laborious in terms of using 3 link couplings. The fiddle yard has two lines running into the station area. So a priority has to be a getting a DMU working on one of the passenger services, leaving another locomotive hauled passenger service. The fiddle yard will easily accommodate a class 108, class 121 and 2 coach locomotive hauled rake. The goods line coming to the quay area provides plenty of scope for moving wagons around and then using the incoming locomotive to head out on a passenger service. I also got out my class 121 recently and running is as poor as I remember. I have a 121 already stripped and I might paint this in BR blue and remove the motor to run in with a class 108 set, leaving it unpowered. The Hornby motor is a shocker! And as the Bachmann or Dapol offering will be here reasonably soon I do not see much point in putting a lot of effort into remotoring one of these older 121 units.
So I have got to the point where I have a list of projects to really make the layout operational. Priority buildings are the signal box and platform. The platfrom will be a mix of MJT components, scrathbuilding and Peco parts. The signal box is a ratio GWR kit. A second priority is to construct a quay wall from foamboard and DAS clay. These are all critical pats of the layout that will start to transform the bare boards.The other key tasks are to complete the trackwork with buffer stops and LED stop lamps and add a couple of yard lamps. In terms of rolling stock the class 37 sound chip is going off to be reblown and the western sound chip is about to be ordered. Some superstrip is winging its way to me to strip down a class 25 for a fulll repaint and the 108 DMU and second MK1 need detailing for a basic set of rolling stock to run in the 1970s/1980s era. Add to this I have just removed (broken!) the bogie frames for the class 47 to repaint these and I have plenty of modelling projects to keep me occupied. The following are a few shots from playing trains on the layout - very enjoyable!
So I have got to the point where I have a list of projects to really make the layout operational. Priority buildings are the signal box and platform. The platfrom will be a mix of MJT components, scrathbuilding and Peco parts. The signal box is a ratio GWR kit. A second priority is to construct a quay wall from foamboard and DAS clay. These are all critical pats of the layout that will start to transform the bare boards.The other key tasks are to complete the trackwork with buffer stops and LED stop lamps and add a couple of yard lamps. In terms of rolling stock the class 37 sound chip is going off to be reblown and the western sound chip is about to be ordered. Some superstrip is winging its way to me to strip down a class 25 for a fulll repaint and the 108 DMU and second MK1 need detailing for a basic set of rolling stock to run in the 1970s/1980s era. Add to this I have just removed (broken!) the bogie frames for the class 47 to repaint these and I have plenty of modelling projects to keep me occupied. The following are a few shots from playing trains on the layout - very enjoyable!
Class 33 ready to head back to Exeter with a passenger service.
Class 08 shunting.
Class 47 moving to the front of the passenger service. This locomotive is now back in the painshop.
Class 25 ready to depart with a short freight to Barnstaple. This locomotive is about to have a full strip and repaint, being one of my first repainting attempts.
View into the layout from the goods line in the fiddle yard.
Birds eye view of the layout showing a locomotive hauled passenger service about to depart.
Class 33 ready to return to Exeter riverside with a small mixed freight.
One of the next projects, swapping over the class 37 body shells and getting the sound reblown on the class 37.
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