Talking with people has raised a few points about my mini-layout, which I might as well mention here for reasons of clarity:
Finally, there's no truth in the suggestion that I'm building this to cover the plastered area in the photos without actually decorating.
In the short term at least, the fiddle yard will be a simple affair, but it won't be cassette based - I hate them! It'll be a thick slab of expanded polystyrene sitting on the window-ledge, with Rocoline HO track perched on top. Again, this is product I've got to hand. The Roco track is ideal for this kind of thing, by the way - robust and fitted with slimline DCC point motors within the roadbed. This is pure 2-wire stuff, and the extremely lightweight assembly can be chucked anywhere when not in use.
Having a layout in this position presents the uncommon opportunity to take snaps in natural light. My regular test-track is in a fairly dark corner, such that stock needs operational lights at all times to look authentic, and any sign of daylight in the loft would herald a frantic call to Bob and some of his builder buddies. This one's a little washed out by the bright sunlight, but the novelty of a no-flash shot was too much to resist. Hand-held at 1/45 sec - that chimney ain't pretty!
The layout was conceived as an excuse to run some WR stock in the transition era, not necessarily the stock pictured but you get the general idea. I've always fancied modelling the ex-GWR lines in the Black Country, but never quite enough to do a full layout. Perhaps a decent King, Castle or Western could change my mind, but for now a shunting plank will do.
Much of the Black Country looks to have been cut out with crinkly scissors, the skyline definitely has a triangular feel to it. I would regard some similar factories to be a must, but being a little more cramped for space than I first thought, I'm not sure if I'll be able to fit any in without things looking contrived.
It's ockerd, this small layout business...
Currently On My Stereo: Genesis - We Can't Dance
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My infamous vapour-ware 'Downstairs Layout' (codenamed "Over the Back of Bill's Mother's") has has been in the planning stages since last December and the supporting framework was in place (I think) last March. Since then the thing has been used for various layout planning exercises, but the temporary sheets of chipboard I plonked on top to make this easier had an undesirable side-effect. Downstairs Layout mutated into Overflow Workbench, a convenient dumping ground for anything and everything.
But finally, having come up with my ultimate, bestest-ever mega-plan for this area of prime, shunting-plank real estate, I tidied everything away yesterday - with the intention of cutting the timber today and making a start.
Unfortunately, I discovered I'd made an almighty blunder as soon as I plonked the first pieces of jig-sawed roadbed in place. I'd overlooked the fact that I'd been using 4 sheets of conveniently-to-hand chipboard during the planning stage. These were larger than the actual layout area, and I happily planned away, making full use of the overhanging baseboard. Of course, nothing would fit when I tried it for real, as the extra inches just weren't there. Idiot!
Particularly difficult was the 'steel sidings' area which needed space for the overhead crane and road access to work convincingly. Initially I tried to preserve this feature (very Black Country) by losing other facilities behind it, but I wasn't happy with the increased dominance of the industry on the smaller board.
So I'm back to fiddling again, layout planning in 3D as I dust off previous ideas in the hope of at least getting something started this weekend. The immediate question is what to put in to replace the steel sidings? Coal? Cement? Scrap metal? Hmmm...
Currently On My Stereo: Magnum - Breath of Life
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I've had two Bachmann Prairies gathering dust on my workbench for many months. The main reason for this is I DCC'd three of the things for a friend initially, and couldn't face tackling mine after the hassle I had with his. As well as having one dodgy runner, he'd also suffered from locked-solid-screw-syndrome (glad it's not just me!) and couldn't find a decoder he was happy with. I foolishly volunteered to help, and in the end we ditched his TCS M1 decoders in favour of Lenz Gold Minis - pushing it a bit in terms of current rating but they're running quite happily in service, so who am I to criticise?
I didn't fancy fitting Gold Minis in mine, and the limited space in the boiler precludes any of my normal favourites such as the regular Lenz Gold. In the end I liberated some Zimo MX61s (no longer in production) from some US models by replacing them with Golds. The Zimos fit in the boiler quite easily, unlike the Golds, and give similar top-end performance. In fact, with one 'sticky' Prairie, the Zimo ended up giving the best performance of any decoder I could lay my hands on. You have to watch carefully to notice any hesitation now - comprehensive fine-tuning being a Zimo selling-point.
Bachmann have given no thought to DCC conversion with the Prairie. Although experienced hands will take it in their stride, it's a bit fiddly for beginners as my friend found to his cost. Soldering wires to the small circuit board is one of those jobs where you need three hands if you don't want an existing wire to come unsoldered as you add a new one. The wiring will be running dangerously close to the worm as well, and some care is required if everything is to happily co-exist. You get there in the end, of course, but there are more pleasurable things to do - which is why I put this job off for so long.
Another kettle in the electrical shops is a Hornby King being fitted with a Lenz Gold. I've done some minor wiring mods, despite it being DCC-Ready, and will fit a scrap of plastikard in the boiler to stop the decoder flapping about. In the fullness of time the decoder will go in the tender (possibly with a Lenz Power 1) along with a full rewire to get rid of Hornby's electrified drawbar. But for now this gets things rolling.
Time for a nice cup of tea, Gromit...
Currently On My Stereo: Francis Dunnery - Welcome To The Wild Country
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About a year ago, I was tremendously impressed by Lenz's Gold decoder, so much so that I haven't bought anything else since (as far as I remember) with the exception of a few N gauge products. My enthusiasm was based entirely on the excellent running qualities exhibited by locos fitted with these items, and I didn't really look at any of the other benefits. Features such as Automatic Braking Control didn't interest me as I'd already got them well covered with computer software - what was the point of spending money on extra gizmos to duplicate facilities I'd already paid for?
However, some of these features cropped up in online discussions this week, and as soon as Nigel Burkin mentioned he was considering employing Automatic Braking Control in conjunction with Asymmetrical DCC to ensure operators of his layout were using the signals correctly, the penny dropped.
I won't go into what Asymmetrical DCC actually is, (you can read a brief explanation here) - suffice to say it's a cheap and easy way to regulate train movements in simpler signalling situations. Although Lenz will quite happily sell you one of their BM-1 Block Management modules, they also give you a handy online diagram showing you how to make your own using only 5 diodes. As everything else you need is already built into the Gold (or new Silver) decoders, this was immediately attractive to me - I've got hundreds of unwanted diodes hidden away in the loft.
Connect the arrangement of 5 diodes into the right hand rail, switch a few settings on within the decoder and you're in business. A train will slow to a halt at a red signal (using Constant Braking Distance if you've also set that up) and be held there until the restriction is cleared. The same arrangement could also be used to slow trains to a halt in bay platforms, or to prevent drivers leaving the same bays until signalling permits. A slightly different configuration of the decoder settings can give you a shuttle service, handy for automating those bay to branch fiddle yard moves.
Obviously such technology can't rival the sophistication and flexibility of software-driven solutions, but it's pretty damned good in simpler, low-cost situtations. It's not confined to train sets, either, I've already got sets of diodes installed at either end of my test track in order to shuttle trains back-and-forth for running-in/testing purposes. This is a typical example of what's always appealed to me about DCC - power, flexibility and more than one way to do things.
Asymmetrical DCC will work with any NMRA-compliant DCC system. However, it should be noted that only decoders with this built-in functionality can work in this way. As always, you need to keep an eye on the features you want when chosing your decoders.
Currently On My Stereo: Eels - Daisies of the Galaxy
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What is it with Digitrax Jehovah's Witnesses? Why do they feel the need to knock on your cyber-door, interrupt what you're doing and try to sell you their own peculiar brand of religion? Zimo users don't do this. Lenz users don't do this. NCE users don't do this. ZTC users most certainly don't do this. What is it about Digitrax zealots that makes them think you're going to convert to their way of thinking just because they doorstep you?
To be fair, it's only a small minority of Digitrax fans who do this kind of thing. I assume the rest are happily (and quietly) using their chosen system, secure in the knowledge that it does exactly what they bought it for. But unfortunately the small minority are very vocal, giving the impression that the whole user base is jumping up and down in a frenzy and frothing at the mouth. The casual browser probably isn't going to notice that it's the same people cropping up on multiple forums and repeating the same dogma over and over again.
Digitrax Jehovah's Witnesses are especially fond of trying to rubbish Lenz at every available opportunity, invariably with totally false claims that can be laughed off after just a few seconds thought. Some of the zanier ones I've encountered recently include:
Why do they do it? Although Digitrax is a major seller back in it's homeland, it's never really established itself as a significant player in Europe, where Lenz is the market leader. So I can see why Lenz would be an obvious target for unhappy Digitrax users, but why are they unhappy and why do they feel a need to choose a target at all? Zimo users don't do this. Lenz users don't do this. NCE users don't do this. Most criticism of ZTC comes from ZTC users themselves. I really have no idea what causes this obvious insecurity, this DCC system xenophobia, it's just one of those things. Like Linux users who preach about how unstable Windows is, then regale you with tales of how they've spent the previous week re-installing their operating system, adding security patches and trying to get GnobRott to talk to GnoHope.
Expect to see more of this juvenile acivity in the coming months, as bi-directional communication gathers momentum. A standard available to all manufacturers and the next step for DCC, this has a very definite 'not invented here' air about it if you're paranoid and insecure. The mud-slinging has already started and will only get worse.
Regrettably the behaviour of the minority will reflect badly on everyone else. Don't let their wild claims put you off other manufacturers and, equally importantly, don't let the idiocy put you off Digitrax either. Treat them as you would any other unsolicited doorstep assailant, and close the door politely in their face.
A cheery "f*ck *ff" will put a spring in their stride for the rest of the day, as they know damn well they've successfully annoyed you.
Currently On My Stereo: Jethro Tull - Heavy Horses
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Following discussions on an internet forum, a page of HTA hopper photos has been added here.
Currently On My Stereo: Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever
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