Video

sorry missed the live stream buddy, we were shattered after work, hope you are keeping well mate

are you still awake?

You’re on fire! Loving the content. Hey friend ! 114

Dear Alan, Sorry I haven't been commenting on your video's lately. My daughter Annelies was very ill and passed away last Aug.16 after a plus two year battle against a severe cancer. I know you know how it feels to lose a dear beloved one. Life is cruel for so many good souls. We were glad to have moved closer so I could visit her often and try to comfort her. Now she rests in peace free of pain and suffering. All the best my friend & kind regards, Vera & Filip

Dear Alan, 1 /an interesting video, may I respectfully offer some constructive comments please. 2 / re the Soldering Iron, which I presume is a Mains powered 15W or 25W iron, which I also use.Many years ago, the EM Gauge Society did a Yellow Booklet on soldered track construction ( an upgraded, and extended version is part of the current EMGS Manual) where it is suggested that the tip of the iron be filed into a wedge, similar to a slot screw driver. Although this design is intended to provide a rectangular blob of solder for PCB track, I have found the wedge tip very useful for other modelling solder jobs, and perhaps you should try this out. Also, your current soldering iron tip is filthy, you need to clean it up with Tip Cleaner, available from an electronics store. Tip Cleaner is in a small round container, but it will literally last for years.(You may have to ask for it, as the container is smaller than a matchbox ! ) 3 / Consideration should be given to running your tender wires to a PCB strip glued to the locomotive chassis, and then using linking wires to connect your electric motor to the PCB strip. This would lessen the strain on the wiring connections, and make circuit testing a bit easier. This only occurred to me whilst looking at the wiring of newer locomotives with Blanking Plugs. 4 / Yes, your tender is a former Hornby Dublo originated casting. Whilst I like your idea of using a drop in pre cut PCB plate, I am concerned that you could get intermittent shorting due to the copper plating touching the pressed metal inner chassis.(This could occur due to temperature changes.) May I suggest that you remove the copper plating around the edges of your pre cut PCB plate to avoid this happening. I agree that using the tender wheels to collect current from both sides (+ & _ ) is a good supplement to ensure continuous current collection. Alternately, you could use a thin strip of paper masking tape laid between the metal chassis and the PGB Plate. Paper Masking Tape is both thick enough to be a good insulating layer, yet thin enough not to cause a noticeable increase in height of the re assembled tender, plus it absorbs paint. 5 / re the (usually plastic) hollow pillar which the tender chassis bolt secures the tender body to the chassis, I have found that these can sometimes partially shear off at the interface between the pillar and the tender floor. (In my case, with a Hornby Dublo City of London), the solution being to use two plastic tubes, the inner one to fill replace the broken portion of the pillar, the outer one to fully encase the repaired pillar. This allows the securing bolt's function to be restored (a similar sized metal self tapping screw can be used to recut the thread in the repaired portion of the pillar). 6 / by the sound of your streamlined Duchess/Coronation (some loco crews called them Big Lizzies) , the mesh between the worm and the gear wheel is out. Solution is to place some toilet paper between the worm and the gear, pack the motor up to close the gap between the worm and the gear wheel, then you should be able to hand wind the toilet paper out, after which the gear mesh should be correct. This is a method recommended by the late Iain Rice. 7 / Lastly, I like the sound of your trains running on the high level section, very realistic. 8 / apologies for the ramble above, but I (and others) enjoy you showing the rest of us your approach to improving the running of your locomotives. Best wishes and regards from Australia.

Nice little project again and some great footage of trains running there.

Hi Alan. Great work on the level crossing and a nice running session to finish with as well. Take care. Mark.

Great little project

It's all coming along nicely Al, but you still have not put that crane up I made you & then there is the swing bridge?

Hi Al, Level crossing looks great. ‘Like’ button tickled!

Good crossing Alan , and being a bit warm for been in the loft, best wishes Chris

Brilliant 👍🏻 🚂🚞🚞💨💨 Welcome Home

Some beautiful trains running there Alan, well done on crossing

Another chance to let your imagination go and develop another corner. I think there would be a section signal (red arm) in advance of the crossing and tunnel to protect the crossing, if you find one anywhere. Looks good anyway. Cheers. Mike

That's a good crossing kit, I must get one. Thanks for the video Alan

Hi Alan in the loft. Great crossing build. Always love watching your construction techniques bloomin brilliant. Layout is getting better and better. I like you running the A4 it reminds me of my very first loco. "Golden fleece" I had been given the box set when I was 3. I sold it when I was 14(big mistake) but my brother tracked another box set down and gave it me for my 50th last year. I cherish it like you do yours. Thanks Al

Loved the running session! Great looking plank level crossing. I made my plank level crossing using stained balsa wood. I used steel pin heads to stimulate the bolts holding the planks down. Bill and Janet from California

Nice crossing kit Al. Great to get back to running trains. All the best Dave from Scotland👍

Nice job Al

Well done Alan. We have missed your videos. Cheers Peter from downunder.

A level crossing is always on ground level, usually near a station throat. If you visit a heritage railway, or one of the main line stations where a level crossing is in view, look carefully and you will see that level crossings are normally situated on part of a busy roadway. Take the level crossing on the main line, beyond Wrexham General Station, for example. The level crossing is a double track one with the modern barriers, and it stretches across one of the busy main roadways. On ground level, that is. Very few crossings are near a tunnel entrance, but indeed near the odd tunnel entrance or two, you may see a level crossing on ground level. Nice running session. What's not to love about steam engines? I wish God's Wonderful Railway would intrude a bit more often.

The crossing looks great

Hi@Alan

Horse and carriage technology well. .horse and street car technology, PEOPLE have no feel for the 1800s and early 1900s.. Everything was horse and human powered and MANY machines existed that were just mechanical....Simple steel wheels on steel track is a HUGE part of the machine....... how about the locomotion... .

Good show Alan, I'm going on from 7pm till when you start tomorrow night...see you then.

Enjoyed viewing this show from across the pond. Bill and Janet from California

WW1 layout was Great

Nice video of the exhibition Alan. It was good to be able to go with yourself and Mick and enjoy the day together. Cheers. Mark.

Hi Al Thanks for an excellent video and I’m just recovering from what was an exhausting but extremely enjoyable weekend. Gutted I missed you and Capt Static but I’m sure we will meet up. You are always welcome to come up and look around the club which is in the Dockyard in the basement of the Ropery. Cheers Kev .

Cant beat a cheap Lima bargain Alan :) - great exhibition with some excellent layouts - good fun - cheers

cracking video alan

Hi Al, I was at the Chatham show on Saturday. Not sure what day you were there but we could have met up.

50 layouts?! What a brilliant group of layouts... jealous to think here is a show with so many! Well done on the video and sharing. Thank you for this view!

Good day out there Alan..

Great to see Chatham, many thanks for sharing. The white powder is corrosion from an aluminium weight. Not an issue, clean it up using a dremel, job done

Looked like a day well spent, great layouts and some nice additions again too. Thanks for the video.

Hi Alan, It was nice to see another YT'ers take on the show and whew getting around all 50 layouts and extras took some doing but well done. Cheers Robert.

Surprisingly I have seen more than three of those layouts before, people travel an amazing distance to Exhibit.

Great Day Out - Well done Getting Filming Done with All those Folk about - Trinity Dock Has Done Some Miles around the North and Midlands over the Last 3 Years, a Quality Layout - Some of my Best Stock is From Lima, the Items with Steel wheels just Roll Forever and I have A George V Locomotive on its Way to me as We Speak. A pleasure to watch Many thanks 👍🏻

Good purchase, I like the locomotive, it's pretty, greetings Mr. Alan, happy summer, have a good time. All the best 1 like 👍

Really must catch clanline down at Dover. Never know next time we might see you there Alan. 😊 all the best baz. 👍🚂

You must have a ton of good memories from the past 6 weeks. Good to see you and Vanity home safe and sound 🤩

Perhaps you might see a Standard 4 tender engine next time.

gorgeous capture