Slogging Away

Too many weeks since the last update making this one long overdue. Line No4 was dismantled prior to Christmas to allow for a Tree (why? I hear you ask) and domestic harmony. This allowed me to do some bits which otherwise would have proved difficult from underneath and upside down. It also caused me to focus on some problem areas mainly point activation the MERG servo kits and cheap servos are fine although I did find the Sevo4Sema4set software easier to master and finally had points which moved and closed although only correctly 90% of the time more fettling required.

Christmas brought me an Etched Pixels LSWR wagon which I soldered together that day and spent the next week sorting a chassis and cleaning up. This caused me to review the situation with regard to rolling stock and some ground was gained in that direction although at the moment transfer sides are defeating my best effort, how do you match the ends to the body?

Adjustable feet have been fitted to all supporting legs, the fiddle yard although with only one cassette completed, connecting wires for the DCC been via 3.5mm phone sockets with RJ45 socket connecting the three ( a whole 3 point layout this one ) toggle switches which are mounted into the surface of the fiddle yard top. A lot of time has been expended laying and then removing ( the unwanted bits that get everywhere ) ballast although this is far from complete with most of the track requiring repainting and clearances tested. The problem of the short siding buffer stop has been resolved, EKR practice was to use a sleeper across the rails ( given that a overrun would then lead to a 500 foot drop ) so a N Brass trolley was assembled and will be firmly fixed prior to the cosmetic sleeper stop.

This is now reading like a school report which requires the usual comment “must try harder”