All About the Model Railway Village Magazine

I came across this magazine under a different name originally, on the continent. The UK and ROI version - Your Model Railway Village - is published under the Hachette Partworks banner, and promises to deliver an interesting layout over a number of issues.

The exact number isn't mentioned on the official web site, however a number of review and fan sites, such as ModelRailwayLayoutAdvice.co.uk mention that it will run to over 100 issues! That puts the price somewhere around the 900 GBP mark; expensive by anyone's standards!

So, what do you get for your money?

Your Model Railway Village Magazine

The magazine that comes with the various bits and pieces that go to making the layout qualifies as 'light reading'. It also includes the instructions for building the layout, and is accompanied by 4 quarters of the track plan.

To give Hachette credit, they've done a reasonable job of reducing the complexity of the hobby into bite sized chunks of history and technique. It's thin on details, but this is a consumer magazine rather than a specialist publication so that is to be expected.

One thing that isn't included with the magazine is the actual train, or power for the rails or lights. These are part of the special reader offer that requires collection of tokens in the magazine, as well as a fairly substantial payment.

Part of that payment is to buy the locomotive, but I'm fairly sure we can do at last as well as the reader offer by buying elsewhere.

Your Model Railway Village Locomotive

Being set in the 1960s, Hachette have chosen to focus on British Rail Maroon Mk 1 carriages, pulled along by a 'Junty'. This is an 0-6-0 steam engine, and the one presented as part of the special reader offer (see below) comes from Bachmann.

Given the quality of the rolling stock, the Bachmann locomotive that they suggest is possibly overkill. 

A good alternative to the Bachmann locomotive would be the Hornby Railroad GWR Freight Pack, which comes with a GWR Jinty, and an open wagon, box van and brake. Okay, it's the wrong era, and in a jaunty green, but it's half the price of the Bachmann suggested.

Amazon has the Bachmann model listed at around 75 GBP, and Hachette are offering it for 69 GBP, so there's a slight saving to be had. But what of the other special offer items?

Your Model Railway Village Special Offers

The Special Offer comes in three parts:

• Bachmann Jinty 3F 0-6-0 Fowler Class locomotive (analogue) @ 69.99 GBP
• Electrical kit for track & lights @ 39.99
• Cork underlay @ 14.99 (or free to subscribers)

The engine, we've covered above. The electrical kit is a controller that can also supply accessory power, and comes with adequate cabling for connection to the track, and presumably lights, too.

Hornby manufacture controllers for around 20 GBP, which mounts to 35 GBP when you include the power supply. And Gaugemaster also do a combination for 39 GBP, which, at the same price point, represents better value for money. Gaugemaster kit is renowned for being solid and hard-wearing.

So, the special offers represent value, but for anyone who believes that the train, controller, and cork is an integral part of the magazine collection (which costs well over 900 GBP, don't forget) it's going to be a painful hit.

All in all, it's a good concept, and so far the execution represents value for money. In a future article, we'll look at the model buildings that will make up the 'village' in Your Model Railway Village.

What is the Space Needed for OO Gauge Layouts?

This is a question that I always get asked by people who are either new to the hobby, or who are more used to smaller (or even bigger) layouts. The short answer is that it depends on what kind of layout you would like to operate.

My brother in law asked me recently why I didn't have a continuous running layout in my attic, and I replied that I preferred shunting operations. I have the space, but not the inclination.

So, how much space is needed. According to measurements taken from this Hornby track geometry guide, it is possible to get an oval based on first radius curves into a 4x3 foot space. However, this doesn't allow for much of a safety net for falling locos, and if you're planning on putting it under a bed, in a box, then you may find you have trouble with overhanging rolling stock going round the tight corners.

A better size is probably 4x5 feet. This will allow you to use second radius curves, and still have a decent margin around the edge of the baseboard.

Beyond this, those with whole rooms to play with get to play with double ovals, third radius and above curves, and so on.

On the shunting side, shelf layouts (see What's the Ideal Shelf Layout Size) are popular in OO gauge, as they can be transportable and extendable, and don't take up too much space. Even with only 30-40 cm to play with, a decent scenario can be modeled, complete with stations, wayside stops, and industrial areas.

So, there's no simple answer to the question of space, but hopefully these hints have given you a few areas to explore, and discover what would be, for you, the ideal size of layout.

Review : Scalescenes Coaling Stage (R026) - Comparison with Metcalfe, Hornby and Ratio.

The new Scalescenes Coaling Stage wasn't what I expected when I received the advance email showing the design. I was expecting something far less grand and complete at the sub-5 GBP price point.

The detail is as accurate as we've come to expect from Scalescenes, both inside and out, and is suitably grimy in the right places. It could have benefited from a more weathered look, but that is easily applied with a wash-n-fix with appropriate products.

Of course, it can be printed as OO or N, and comes in several brick finishes.

As is becoming more frequent with these kits, there are also etched windows available from Brassworks, which add to the price, but can make all the difference, especially if, like me, you're a bit clumsy cutting out the window frames!

A final note - for all of you building modern image layouts, and who want to include a deserted, dilapidated, almost ruined coaling stage, this would be an excellent starting point. With the addition of a few boarded up windows, removal of the staircase, and some weeds to add texture, it could be made to look thoroughly tumble-down.

So, either as an in-use, or an ex-use coaling stage, this is a good model; as usual you need to have the patience to either layer up cereal box card, or buy thick card (thereby increasing the price), but the advantages are in the quality, appearance, and size of this kit.

There are alternatives, from Metcalfe, Ratio, Hornby, and Scenecraft, among others, but they just don't look as good.

For example, this is the Metcalfe coaling stage.

It is less complete, and looks a bit basic next to the Scalescenes model pictured above. However, if you don't have a decent printer, and want something pre-printed with the correct colors, and which will also probably be the same coloring as other Metcalfe kits already on your layout, it's a good alternative.

On the plastic kit side, and for those who have a smaller layout, with less available space, Ratio's coaling stage looks realistic.

I'm not sure exactly which era it fits into, but the lack of a building would suggest a reasonably early timescale.

On a similar note, and for those who like red-brick, Hornby also have a reduced size coaling stage, pictured below.

Again, it's basic, but realistic enough to include on most layouts, provided that it is suitably weathered and filled with a coal look-alike to add realism.

All of the products featured here can be found by a simple search on Amazon, or a similar search on eBay.

The eBay product list contains pictures taken by real people of the products on their layouts, which are often a good way to see how they might actually look, so I'd recommend starting there, even if you return to Amazon to buy the actual product.




As always you can use the comment feature to start a conversation with other readers, or simply use the feedback form to email me your thoughts.

Bachmann Magnetic Uncoupler Options

I've had a few questions about Bachmann couplers recently, so it's maybe time for a quick post just to clear it all up a bit.

It turns out that the Bachmann name gets attached to a lot of stuff - both in the UK/European markets and the US - and this includes products for the OO (Branchline) and HO gauges. One of things that is markedly different is the coupler types that are available for HO and OO.

Bachmann EZ Mate Knuckle Couplers

These are similar in nature to the Kadee knuckle coupler, in that they can be magnetically operated, using the Bachmann EZ Mate magnet (that comes with a little HO scale figure to mark where you put it!) that sits under the track.

While these are available in the UK, and they're reasonably cheap, they're not really designed to fit the Branchline rolling stock available over here. Also, fitting them is a bit of a pain, as they don't fit into NEM pockets.

However, they do fit into Bachmann HO models, among others, and would be a great solution for people who are modeling US outline.

In the UK, we've found a cheaper method, that just requires a small tweak to the existing couplings...

The Brian Kirby Method

Of course, I've written about this before, and it's fair to say that it does leave a little trace of itself behind, as can be seen in this video.

If you're not 100% certain what I'm referring to, it's the little "tail" that you can see on the tension lock coupler, and which can only really be hidden by subtle painting and weathering.

This is one of the reasons that people tend towards the knuckle couplings such as Kadee, and away from this (very much cheaper) method.

I'm still testing both - so I'll post some results of my own trials with the various Bachmann magnetic uncoupler options in due course!

Review of the Hornby R3120X LNER J83 00 Gauge DCC Fitted Steam Locomotive

The R3120X is a Railroad model. It bears stating up front, just so you realise that the price tag will probably reflect the build quality. Usually, Railroad also means D-ring couplings moulded onto a Lima style chassis.

In this case, I was mislead slightly by the Amazon description, which indicates that it has NEM pockets. If this is the case, then they've hidden them well.

I'd err on the side of caution and say that, from the picture below, these are moulded Lima style D-ring couplers, rather than NEM couplings as listed. (If anyone knows differently, please let me know in the comments section!)

(Thanks to Papamallard for the picture)

Still, it is a handsome J83, at a reasonable price.If you can get it for the 40 - 50 GBP range, including delivery, that is. So, what makes it such a good deal?

For a start, it has DCC fitted. This is a little odd, since as a Railroad model, with D-ring couplings, it is going to most likely find itself on an analogue layout (I would think) rather than a DCC one. And, curiously, that's it's value - it's a great price for a DCC fitted model.

So, where does it fit in on your layout?

Briefly, the J83's were made at the turn of the last century, and lived on through the grouping changes into BR ownership proper. The last J83 was removed from service in the early 1960s.

They were generally used for shunting and short haul of goods. In fact, they were used for mineral trip workings and goods transfer up until 1909. Hornby also sell, in their Railroad range, a pack of three 12T mineral wagons, which would be a good place to start, if creating a layout around this loco.

There's also a book by Peter Tatlow, which I've not been able to find new, but which is available second hand, and which covers all the various wagon types that might have been seen behind the J83.

Bachmann do some interesting wagons, such as fish vans, in LNER livery, in the correct era, which would have made sense in and around the Scottish coast. Fitting them would require a change in coupling, of course.

Bachmann also do a 45 ton Bogie Well Wagon, in LNER livery, with a boiler, which could feasibly have been seen being shunted around by a J83 at this time.

Another option is to look at the shed history, post 1930, of these locos. Into the 1930s, they were allocated to sheds (for shunting duties) from which they would, generally, retire.

LNER 9833 was allocated to shed 65A, Eastfield, near Glasgow. Eastfield itself has had a turbulent history, having been destroyed by fire in 1919, used to service up to 200 steam locos after the rebuild, was subsequently closed in 1966, only to re-open in 2004 as a TMD.

If we place 9833 at  Eastfield following the fire and rebuild, then a few options come to mind, including shunting around locos that have come in for repair, or for shunting things like the aforementioned LNER bogie plus boiler.

Hopefully that sparks a few likely scenarios, and provides food for thought for what is a well priced, small loco with an interesting history.

(Thanks to LNER.info, and RailUK, among others, for the information.)

How To Find and Use the Horn Function on Piko Digi Fern Controllers

There's good news and bad news for Piko Digi Fern users when it comes to using the horn function on a loco decoder. The good news is that there are four buttons f1 to f4 on the controller which are used to access special functions on the loco decoder.

The confusing news from the manual is contained in several phrases. Firstly, that the "lights are switched on with the f0 key and off with the off key."

These keys are located above the f1-f4 keys which are circled in green on the image of the Piko Digi Fern.

The other confusing phrase from the manual is "the keys A to D switch the special functions f1 to f4 on and off." The A to D keys are circled in blue.

The upshot of all this is that I suspect that the function keys can be used to trigger sounds (among other things) that are pre-programmed in the loco decoder. I make this assumption because similar functions like cab lights (on/off) can be operated with these function keys.

However, since the Digi Fern (and this is the bad news) cannot be used to program a decoder, it's a bit hit and miss to figure out which key does what.

By the way, if you need more than 4 function keys, you can use the f+4 button to access functions higher up the order. There's still no guarantee that these will actually activate something, but that's all part of the trial and error game that is the Piko Digi-Fern.

The first step is to make sure that you're actually controlling the right loco, by selecting the correct transmission channel (with buttons A to D) and keying a known function. For example, press the loco key (it's top-leftmost on the Piko remote) and follow that with the loco address, and the desired function - say the + button to increase speed.

Cancel that operation, so you have a stationary loco, and can proceed to test the various f buttons.

Although the documentation states that the system will 'remember' the last loco that was used, I prefer to key the loco address each time when I'm doing trial and error operations.

So, key loco + address + f(n) and see what happens. Write down what happens, even if it's nothing. An easy test to make sure that the decoder accepts these functions is to start with f0 and off, which should enable you to turn the lights on and off.

Eventually, you should find the horn function, but without any way to visually see what you're doing, there's no actual guarantee! I'm personally saving up for something like the Sprog3 or z21 before I get into advanced functions like sound!

How To Convert Rapido to Micro Train Couplers : A Simple Guide

In the world of US N scale modeling there are essentially two choices of modern couplers - Rapido and Micro-Trains - which represents something of a consolidation of a collection of proprietary couplings that grew up over the years.

There are other manufacturers, Atlas and Kato among them, who have couplings that surpass Rapido and match Micro-Trains for functionality, but which haven't achieved the same acceptance for aesthetic reasons.

On the left, courtesy of the N Scale Division web site, is an example of the Rapido style coupling, in open position.

Modelers like neither the look, nor the functionality of these couplings, which hark back to the early days of N scale modeling.

Micro-Trains couplings, now re-branded as Kadee, satisfy in both areas - they look the part (i.e. they are prototypical) and also allow advanced functionality such as delayed uncoupling (pre-coupling) which let modelers perform complex switching and shunting maneuvers.

The image on the right, again from the N Scale Division web site, shows the Kadee/Micro-Trains couplers mounted on the same (or similar) wagons as the Rapido image above.

They are known as knuckle couplers, and while they're not the only ones on the market, they have become the market leader.

So, now that we're all on the same page, what happens when you have Rapido style couplers, but you want Kadee/Micro-Trains?

In the US, there are two decisions to make - which models of Micro-Trains coupler to buy (there are several kinds) and how to actually fit them. Starting with the first, the Micro-Trains web site has a great list of all the various products that they make, and how they map to various rolling stock manufacturers.

Depending on the year, model, and whether it's a locomotive or a wagon, removing the old couplings ranges from easy (pop out) to medium (unscrew and pop out) through to hard (cut-off.) Luckily, Micro-Trains have mounting kits available that help you out if you need to go with the hard way.

These mounting kits also have little glue-on feet and come with gauges so that you can get the height exactly right (no mean feat) and they make the entire process as easy as possible.

Before you actually get out a  craft knife, though, do check if you can remove the body from the chassis, and pop out the existing coupling!

In Europe, things are a little easier, as we have something called the NEM standards, which all manufacturers are supposed to adhere to. They cover everything from DCC operation, to the exact height and length of various coupling types.

Most modern rolling stock from the likes of Graham Farish has NEM pockets that can take any kind of compatible coupling on the market - Kadee/Micro-Trains included. The old couplings just pop out, and the new ones slide in.

Of course, older rolling stock, and those with proprietary moulded couplings will need to be dealt with the hard way - with a craft knife and conversion kit. But, with practice, it becomes easier. I've documented the process for OO conversions in a previous blog post.

Building a Layout Around the Southern Railway 2-BIL EMU

Hornby 2-BIL EMU

Hornby have now released their R3161A Southern Railway 2-BIL EMU twin pack, and it's such a handsome model that I thought I might like to try and incorporate it into a shelf layout that I'm thinking of building.

It turns out that it might not be 100% appropriate (and also that my skills aren't quite good enough yet to do it justice) but I thought I'd share my research with you.

So, from the top - the 2-BIL units were built from 1935 to 1938, and were DC third rail EMUs. They lasted into the 1970s, under the TOPS Class 401 allocation. If you ever wanted to see one in the flesh, the only preserved example is in the National Railway Museum, in York, according to the Southern Electric website.

Looking at photos, it looks as if the Metcalfe Signal Box would work nicely alongside the Class 401 (I'm using the TOPS classification because my layout would be based in 1970 or thereabouts), but I remain undecided on what kind of station would be best.


To further research this, before buying any extra buildings, I'd need to consult something like Modelling the Southern, an excellent book by Jeremy English. It's subtitled 'Ideas and Inspiration' and would help to avoid any serious faux pas.

My initial idea was to have the passenger component running on an auto-shuttle, something like the Gaugemaster SS-1, and then have a DCC based interactive shunting part based around some kind of goods yard or scrap metal merchant.

Since I'm pretty much a diesel fan, that leaves only the Class 12 of the three diesels that were built by the Southern Railway company. The other two were retired and cut up before the 1970 cut-off date that I'm envisaging.

However, I can't seem to find anyone who makes the Class 12; the closest I can get is the Class 08, which would have to be re-engineered a little to become a Class 12, if indeed it's possible. This is one of the reasons I've decided not to go the SR route at this time.

Examples of other Southern Railway rolling stock are available, all of which could be used to give the layout an authentic feel. They're just not really my bag!

As for layout ideas, I was also wondering if something like this Mile by Mile book might have been a good source of inspiration, had I decided to stay with the topic.

I'm a fan of research, and this book, covering the railway in 1947 would have been a good source of historical information pertaining to the use of the railway, and its original raison d'etre.

Another good book for helping research is the Southern Railway Handbook, which I still plan on purchasing as it will no doubt come in handy in the future since it covers the whole period from 1923 to 1947, complete with pictures.

What I'm really hoping for with this book is a good background in the steam/diesel transition years, which is a period that I hope to model into an exhibition quality shelf layout, once I've honed my skills on my current projects.

For more information about either of these titles, just click the images.

Other ideas for a Southern Railway layout might include coastal operations, such as various imported goods that would come into the UK by way of the various ports.

The nature of these goods will depend on the era. Perhaps a more easily accessible prototypical freight operation would include cattle and milk. A good initial source of information for Southern Railway modellers is the Wikipedia article on the topic.

Have fun!

Locking Device For OO Scale Sector Plate

A sector plate is a great way to store and select rolling stock in a fiddle yard. The blog article "Sector Plates : A Space Saving Tip for all Scales" goes into the whys, wheres and hows in more detail, but one thing that isn't really covered is the provision of a locking device for the sector plate.

A locking device needs to be able to fulfill two important roles:

• prevent the sector plate from moving once the rails are lined up
• supply power to the rails on the plate

The reason for the second role is that the rails on the plate are separate from the main line, and since the sector plate moves, allowing selection between one or more lines, supplying power to the track on the plate might be an issue.

The plate itself can contain more than one length of track, and the tracks on the plate can feed one or more lengths of track. Probably the most common arrangement is to have an on-scene track run onto the sector plate, which is then used to transfer rolling stock from the plate to one or more tracks that are off-scene.

Less frequently, the rolling stock can be 'stored' on the sector plate, but this makes it a bit heavy to move smoothly due to the added weight.

When the tracks are aligned, they should be locked into place to drive the train on or off the sector plate, and one of the best ways to do this is to use a humble sliding bolt lock. These have different names in different countries, but you're looking for something that has a part that is usually fitted to a door, and a part that slides into it.

The idea is that this will both lock the sector plate, and hence the track, into place, and also provide circuit completion to supply power to the sector plate track. Of course, you still need to provide one side of the circuit fixed to the sector plate, but having the bolt provide the other is an easy way to complete the circuit connection.

Different gauges will use different size sliding bolt locks, but the technique ought to be good across all scales, with the bolt mounted under or on top of the baseboard. Luckily, because the sector plate is mainly a fiddle yard device, you shouldn't need to camouflage the bolt if you choose to mount it on top of the baseboard.

What Coupling System Do Hornby Currently Use?

This is a question that has come up a few times now, and there is a really quick answer : they use two, Lima-style D-ring couplings that are moulded onto the rolling stock (loco, wagon, carriage, etc.) and NEM pocket couplings with reasonably standard tension lock couplings inserted.

The Hornby Railroad (cheaper) range have the D-ring couplings, and the Hornby non-Railroad ranges have the NEM couplings. If in doubt, simply use the product code to search the Hornby shop. If the product has NEM couplings, it will say so under 'Special Features'.

However, there are a few points that I suspect lurk behind the original question. The first related to compatibility.

The old Lima style D-rings are moulded onto the rolling stock, so that they are part of the chassis. This means that changing them to NEM couplings, whilst doable, is a messy process.

You'd be better off buying the more expensive, and slightly more attractive (neither are actually prototypical) models with NEM couplings if that's your goal. Of course, there's a caveat.

That caveat is that Hornby actually sell packs of NEM compatible D-ring couplings. These enable you to buy up Railroad (cheaper) wagons and carriages and then couple them to Hornby non-Railroad locomotives, by taking out the tension lock couplings and replacing them with the D-ring ones.

That's part of the beauty of NEM couplings - you can change the actual couplings for others. This becomes necessary, even if you've splashed out on non-Railroad stock, if you use Brian Kirby style magnetic uncoupling.

The reason is that the Hornby tension lock couplings are made of ferrous material, unlike the Bachmann ones (for example) which are not. If you have ferrous tension lock couplings, then the Brian Kirby approach doesn't work, as the magnets affect the coupling directly.

But that's the beauty of the NEM couplings - if you really don't like them, you can always swap them for some Kadee knuckle couplings, which are generally thought of as being more prototypical, and provide excellent delayed action magnetic uncoupling/coupling which is very versatile.

So, that's pretty much everything I now about the current coupling system that Hornby uses in both the high-end and Railroad product ranges.

What's the Best Onboard Model Railway Camera?

This article covers the 808 Key Chain style micro camera, but I've also written an updated list of cameras which rely on more modern technology in "The Next Generation of Micro Video Cameras for Model Railways" article.

A quick search of the web pulls up a company called 4K Systems, who sell a device they call the MC120 Micro Video Camera. If you want to have a quick look at this, before I tell you the price, you can check it out here.

Now, this camera is the size of a car key fob, can take video in HD, holds about an hour of charge, and has an on-board micro SD card slot. It also costs over 90 GBP including postage and packaging.

Even though model rail is a pretty expensive hobby, it occurred to me that there ought to be a better solution, so I thought I'd share a few with you.

The first thing to note is that Amazon have a good line of keychain cameras. My favorite is the Keychain Keyring Cam 808 #11, which costs half as much as the 4K camera. It might boast a lower resolution, but the Amazon videos and reviews show it to be more than capable.

Amazon has a fairly extensive list of keychain cameras, ranging from around 5 GBP up to the aforementioned 808 #11. Worth checking out, but there's a problem.

4K Systems MC120 Micro Video Camera

I've borrowed an image from 4K's web site to illustrate what I think is a problem with the 808 keychain solution - it just doesn't sit right.

In fact, for N gauge and smaller scales, it would be unusable; it's just too big.

O gauge modellers might be able to fit it into a box van, but for the most popular scale - OO gauge - it's just a little bulky.

Now, my first reaction was to have a look on eBay,  Amazon, and others to see if a custom solution existed. The first thing that came up was this wireless video camera, which costs around 30 GBP from Amazon, and looks as if it could be secreted in a truck, wagon, boxcar, or suchlike.

In fact, trawling eBay pulled up such a custom-made solution for US modelers. For about 150 GBP, the TrainCam System for 1/87 scale modelers is a reasonable solution, and could feasibly be pulled apart and fitted into UK rolling stock.

Unlike the keychain camera, it actually transmits an image to a receiver, as opposed to storing the video on an SD card. It does look promising, but the price puts it out of my reach. But then I found this:

This Mini DV Camcorder might only record in 640x480 (which is just fine for online!) but it is small, has great battery life, and takes up to 32GB SD cards.

It also looks pretty; not that this is a criteria, as it will likely lose that exterior pretty fast if you're modelling in N, or even OO gauge. I'd say it's well worth the $10 or so that it's currently on sale for!

In the end, I also bought a keychain camera, which I will tear apart and see if it can be fitted into a Railfreight box van, and am also looking at ways to adapt a pen based video camera. The chief drawback with pen based cameras (and button based ones) is that they are vertically mounted.

Looking at the tear down video of the 080 style keychain camera, this looks possible, as the camera component seems to be flexible (i.e. it's on a short ribbon cable.)

So, as to which is the best solution, there's no easy answer. If you know any better, please post a comment, and if you want to find out how I get on in my experiments, follow the blog!

Don't forget to check out the "The Next Generation of Micro Video Cameras for Model Railways" article for more examples of adapting micro, miniature and spy cameras for model railway filming use.

How to fit LED Lights to a Peco Inspection Pit (the Cheap Way!)

This weekend, I finally got around to fitting lights to my Peco Inspection Pit. Lighting in the Metcalfe Engine Shed on my current 'main' layout has always been a bugbear, and having seen the excellent Mie Depot (as seen on the Mie Depot at Carnforth Railway Station video) in action, I decided to give it a go.

A while back, I'd bought a string of LED Christmas Lights from Wilko, with the idea that they would make great lighting options for the layout. I paid something like 5 GBP (in the post-Christmas sale) for them, and although I've not counted them, similar products on Amazon have something like 100 lights on 10m of cable, so it's pretty good value for money.

Peco Inspection Pit Segment (Unpainted)

The Peco inspection pit kit comes in segments, which look something like the unpainted example in the photo.

Along the top, there are some clips that hold the rails - Peco supplies them in the pack, but I prefer to use my own rails - and in the center of each one is a drainage hole.

Usually there's a grate on it, but I decided to remove them (as you can see) to put the LED light in. Sadly, I forgot to take a photo before I started to experiment.

So you'll need to imagine that there's a grate over the hole in the segment pictured here!

Assembled, Painted Peco Inspection Pit

Assembled, painted, and with a buffer stop added, the inspection pit looks something like the one pictured on the right.

It's painted grey (something which doesn't come out very well on the photo) and has steps at each end. The drainage grates have all been drilled out to make way for the LEDs.

Depending on how long you make the pit, you'll have space for five or six lights. A five segment pit fits well into the Metcalfe engine shed, leaving space at the back for a buffer stop, as pictured.

The next step was to cut off some LED lights (a string of five, in this case) and push them through the holes. The end result is as pictured.

Fitting LED Lights to Peco Inspection Pit

It's not the best picture in the world, but you get the idea.

Luckily, I'd also been careful to drill the holes 'just right', so there's no need for any glue to hold the lights in place.

This is important for me, as I have one golden rule when making layouts - everything is as temporary as possible.

This means that the use of glue to fit lights (which can go pop at any moment!) is out of the question. 

It's also the reason why I don't solder rails together; a contentious point, but one that I believe is vital in keeping costs down!

So, with the lights fitted to the underside of the inspection pit, it was time to put it back in place, plug in the 12V transformer, and test the installation.

First off, I always test these things under low voltage - and as there are 4 lights, at 3V per LED, 12V is the maximum - and had found out two things. One, that operating the lights under anything less than the 3V they were rated at made them look extremely lacklustre, and two, they're pretty bright!

Undeterred, the first test fitting was duly photographed. 

Lights fitted to Peco Inspection Pit

There's a few bits and pieces in this photo, including a scratch built walkway, and some figures and equipment from the Bachmann Scenecraft range.

The gray area is a bit of plasticard cut to exactly fit within the walls of the engine shed, and the baseboard had a hole cut into it to receive the inspection pit.

I know that goes against my reuse philosophy, but in this case, I made en exception because holes are easily filled, covered over, re-used, or just plain hidden!

The four lights shown here operated for a while, and didn't generate extraneous heat, so I decided to try fitting teh shed over the top, and taking another photo or two.

It's only when you fit the whole thing together, and take photos, that any flaws become apparent.

So, firstly, let's look at the effect on an empty shed (i.e. with only the scenery, and no loco.)

Light from Peco Inspection Pit

To my mind, it's unrealistically bright, but you do get a sense of what the shed looks like inside.

In fact, the photo is a little dimmer than real life!

However, given that these LEDs are currently (until my 12V LED strip light turns up!) the only lighting in the shed, I think that the overall effect is reasonable, if not realistic.

However, things take a turn for the worse when a Class 37 is parked in in the shed...

Class 37 in the Shed

The issue is that these LEDs are quite directional and boxed in by the inspection pit, so there's less bleed than I expected from around the loco.

To deal with this, the next steps are several-fold.

First, I want to reduce the power of the lights so that they're not so unnaturally bright. Since I'm working from a 12V power supply, I'm going to wire an adjacent factory in series with the inspection pit lighting, and reduce the number of LEDs to two (per installation).

Then, I'm going to fit overhead lights to the shed (using a strip of 9 LEDs bought off eBay. Hopefully they will provide enough (and not too much!) light to make the whole thing come alive.

Lighting these elements is the last bit of work before adding scenery and ballasting, and still to come are some dwarf signals, and yard lamps, which will all need wiring in before ballasting can commence.

If you want to leave a comment, I'd welcome it, and you can also 'follow' the blog to get regular updates.

Layouts for Small Spaces : Fiddle Yards, Sector Plates and Traversers

With all of us facing the twin threat of less spare time and less free space, it's perhaps no great surprise that the small layout seems to be making something of a comeback, if indeed it ever really went away!

Sites like the excellent Small Layout Scrapbook (from the late Carl Arendt, author of Creating Micro Layouts) and books such as Planning, Designing and Making Railway Layouts in Small Spaces, by Richard Bardsley, all offer excellent ideas for those modeling on baseboards as small as 8'x1'.

Track plans for small spaces need to address one key issue : how to offer the maximum of operating interest, with a relatively short amount of track. In other words, how can we get as many locos and rolling stock onto the layout as possible, given that we have nowhere on-scene to store it!

The answer is to use a fiddle yard, sector plate, or traverser. Let's start with the basic fiddle yard.

What is a Fiddle Yard?

At its simplest, a fiddle yard is a place to store trains (locos and/or rolling stock) for later use. It represents the 'rest of the railway', and is usually off-scene, sometimes as a bolt-on, or folding section of baseboard.

The easiest way to construct a fiddle yard is to just have a series of points, and parallel tracks leading away from them. Of course, if you can't see the points, you have no idea whether they are set or not, so some form of indicator light panel will be required.

In addition, you may well not be able to reach the points to change them manually, so either a wire-in-tube control scheme or point motor / switch engine are also going to be in order.

Whether they are visible and accessible, or not, fiddle yards provide a great way to extend a small layout, and can be either on-scene or off-scene.

Hiding Fiddle Yards 'On Scene'

If you choose to place a fiddle yard on-scene, it should be hidden by a tunnel (inaccessible) or behind a wall or building (accessible).

Some layouts, such as motive power depots, can use roundhouses and turntables to hide a pseudo-fiddle yard in plain view, and there are sure to be many other ways to hide them.

Off-Scene Fiddle Yards

While an off-scene fiddle yard doesn't really need hiding as such, it can be useful to mask the fact that the train is disappearing somewhere by using a tunnel mouth, or having the trains pass behind a wall, as on the on-scene fiddle yard above.

However, the off-scene fiddle yard can be a more complex beast, use manual points, and remain visible to the operator at all times.

It may, however, compromise the idea of a small layout, and there may well not be space for an addition few feet of add-on baseboard. In such cases, there are a couple of tricks that can be used to reduce the space required.

Sector Plates and Traversers

The first trick is a sector plate. This is just a piece of wood that pivots between one or more tracks, and is best described in the New Railway Modellers forum post about Sector Plates. Once you have absorbed this discussion from the start to the end, you may well become a sector plate expert!

A traverse is easier in some ways than a sector plate, because it just moves forwards and backwards, allowing the rolling stock to be pushed (or driven) onto it, and then simply slid along to line up another piece of track to use as an off-scene siding.

RMWeb has an excellent article covering a fully-automated motorized fiddle yard, which may a be a bit ambitious for the small layout modeler, but will give you a good idea of what a traverser ought to do.

Back in the 1960s, CJ Freezer produced a number of great little books in a 'Railway Modeler Shows You How' series. One was called 'Turntables & Traversers' and is well worth a look if you can track it down!

Using the above techniques, quite complex operations can be built up, keeping an interesting minimum of rolling stock on the layout, and a whole lot of other options safely tucked away on the 'rest of the railway'.

How to Set Up Piko Controller with DCC Concepts Cobalt Point Motors

Recently, through various channels, I acquired some DCC Concepts Turnout Motors (Point or Switch Engines) with DCC adapters built-in and some Dapol LMS Home and Distant signals with the intention to add them (slowly) to my current layout under construction.

After a brief conversation with the proprietor, and one of the other customers, at The Train Shop in Morecambe, Lancaster, UK (they're at 22 Pedder Street, check opening times, it's well worth it!) I'm pretty sure I know how it all goes together.

The idea is that when I use my PIKO controller to activate the turnout (point or switch), the Cobalt will move the tie-bar, and switch the signal from Stop to Go, or vice versa. Not terribly prototypical, but in my case quite handy, as I have a siding (goods) and platform (passengers) and wanted something that would work and look acceptable.

The first phase was to get the Piko kit (controller and decoder) working with the Cobalt point motor (switch / turnout engine). That didn't go quite as smoothly as I'd expected, so after much experimentation, here's the rundown.

Step 1 : Connect the DCC Decoder (Track) to the Cobalt

Actually very easy. It doesn't matter which way round the wires are connected, I just connected them to the wires coming from the Piko IR receiver/decoder unit.

Step 2 : Program the Cobalt from the Piko DCC Handset

This step got me hunting for the Piko manual. After decoding it, I finally got it right. The first thing to do is set the Cobalt from 'run' to 'set'. There's a little dip switch underneath the connection blocks, and it slides from left to right. Make sure it's set to the right.

Now, use the handset to perform the operation that you want to control the point. Oddly enough, I found that only the following actually works : first press the accessory selection button, then the address (i.e. 001), then the accessory button again, and disconnect the DCC IR receiver/decoder.

If you're wondering which button it is, it's the one that looks like a single turnout/point/switch. The double one is for programming locos, and the one with a loco on it is for selecting locos (!)

Step 3 : Activate the Cobalt from the Piko DCC Handset

Again, I got unstuck, and had to refer to the manual. First off, though, set the dip switch on the Cobalt from 'set' to 'run'. That's right to left on the current (2013) model.

Now, I assumed that pressing button-address-button would activate the motor, but I was wrong. You have to use the little red/green buttons at the bottom of the handset to activate the turnout motor / switch engine.

So, if you assigned address 001 to the motor, it is activated with the first set of buttons.

Step 4 : Connect the Dapol LMS Home Signal

Finally, it was time to check the signal connection.

It has two sets of wires. Red/Black for connection to a 16V AC power supply, and two yellow wires to connect to a push-button switch. At this point you have two possibilities. One is recommended by Dapol / Cobalt, and one appears to work okay, but may damage your signal.

The first is to attach a push-button to the Cobalt motor, in serial with the Dapol Signal (using the yellow wires).

The second is to connect the Dapol Signal yellow wires to the Cobalt 6,7,8 terminals which represent a SPDT switch. The issue here is that the SPDT switch, according to the wiring diagram provided by Cobalt, will be 'always on', as it's break before make.

This may, according to Cobalt, damage the components in the circuit (including things like the auto-reverse polarity circuitry) so they strongly discourage it. You have been warned.

If you choose to connect the signal directly to the Cobalt, you will need to split one of the wires so that there is one going to 'Common' and the other going to both LHS and RHS. It's probably better for the health of your signal to use a Berko/Eckon type LED signal instead...

That's about it - now all I need to do is drill a hole for the signal, install the Cobalt, and take photos!

Should I Convert Bachmann Coupling to Hornby (or vice versa?)

Many of us have both Bachmann and Hornby rolling stock. For my part, I prefer the Bachmann locos over the Hornby ones, but sometimes needs must and they are just too pricey. I also have a penchant for out of stock (and even out of manufacture) wagons from the Railfreight Red Stripe era, which are not always easy to come by.

Subsequently, I have a mix of Bachmann and Hornby, and have struggled with the approach needed to convert Bachmann coupling to Hornby, or the other way around.

In fact, the answer is not obvious, but very simple : neither - it's not about the couplings, it's about the way that they are attached to the rolling stock. There are so many different types of coupling to choose from - and neither the pre-fitted RTR couplings from Hornby or Bachmann are the best - that it's usually simpler to choose one, and then convert everything to NEM.

The Buffers Model Railways Couplings Guide, a great round up of all the couplings on the market, points out that when mixing Hornby and Bachmann, they're often not even set at the same height. Thus, adapting all rolling stock to use NEM pockets is a logical first step.

The article Converting Rapido to NEM Couplings from a few weeks back covers this in detail (and is applicable to old style Hornby and Bachmann as well as Rapido), but you may well find that your modern rolling stock has been pre-fitted with NEM pockets.

This being the case, you can just choose the best coupling for your needs, and buy in bulk. Or, if you already have Hornby, with the standard Lima D ring style coupling, and one of those Hornby uncouplers (Uncoupling Ramp reference R620), you can just buy NEM compatible D couplings and switch them out.

This technique will also work if you have modern Bachmann stock, but only if the heights of the rolling stock are the same, which isn't always guaranteed! It is, however, somethign I've done in the past, but now I'm steadily converting all my rolling stock to the Bachmann tension locks, in order to use Brian Kirby style magnetic uncoupling.

Simple Model Railroad Forced Perspective

Forced perspective is an interesting way to give a layout more apparent depth, and is especially useful where space restricts the real size of a model rail layout.

Originally, the technique of using forced perspective was used in architecture to make buildings appear more grand (either inside or outside) or to fool the viewer into thinking that they were physically bigger than they actually were.

It's also a technique that can be used in amateur photography and has been used in the movies to great effect. Popular examples are of people appearing to 'hold' the top of a building by photographing them closer to the camera, but in line with the building in question.

Model rail enthusiasts can take advantage of forced perspective in many ways, but one of the simplest is in mixing gauges (or scales) to make objects appear further away than they really are.

For example, an N scale car in the back of a layout can make the layout appear deeper, or a mountain higher, as the difference in scale forces the viewer to accept that the distance must be greater than it actually is.

And backdrop scenic photos can be used to great effect too, by appearing to show a scene that fades into the far distance.

That's all there really is to it - the rest is experimentation. For more information, Model Railroad Hobbyist Magazine put together this great video.It's sure to give you some great ideas about how to used forced perspective on your own layout!

Converting Rapido to NEM Couplings

I've been getting a few N guage questions recently, and top of the list is "how do I convert Rapido couplings to NEM?" Now, many readers might not even know what Rapido or NEM couplings are, let alone why you'd want to change from one to the other.

So, this article should help to answer a few of the more pertinent N scale coupling questions, as well as address the theme of changing from one type to the other, along with some helpful resources.

The key difference between NEM and non-NEM couplings is that NEM provides for a pocket that can be used to change the couplings - in other words, if you have rolling stock that is compliant with the NEM standards, you are free to change the couplings for those that are also NEM compliant.

That includes Kadee (now Micro-Trains), Dapol, Graham Farish, and Bachmann, amongst others.

Non-NEM couplings are usually moulded to the rolling stock, and as such cannot be changed - Rapido couplings fall into this category.

A Quick Note on Standards

Here in Europe, we have a body that was set up to standardise many aspects of railway modelling, from track widths to coupling heights, wheel sizes and bogie placement. The only downside is that most of the documents are only available in French or German.

Officially called MOROP, the list of standards is impressive, across the gauges. The set of standards that deals with N scale coupling pockets  is called NEM 355. While this document is in German, a Danish web site has provided a great overview of the pertinent points of the N scale NEM standards.

For those who want a bit of a potted history of couplings, from Rapido, to NEM and including standard knuckle as well as automatic and magnetic variations, it can be found on the N Scale Division web site.

Rapido Couplings & Moulded Couplings

Rapido couplings had been the standard for many years, despite not looking especially good, and not really allowing for the close-coupling that modellers demanded. They worked, and were also avaiabile across a wide variety of rolling stock, having been licensed to manufacturers, which boosted their penetration.

Otehr manufacturers (especially in Europe) used proprietaty moulded couplings, and to this day, if you buy Peco or Dapol rolling stock kits, it is common to find that they have moulded proprietary couplings; and older ready to run models also have this restriction.

Subsequently, many people have found it desirable to convert their Rapido and propriertary moulded couplings to NEM pockets to allow them to use more modern couplings such as magnetic couplings from companies like Micro-Trains.

Converting Rapido to NEM Couplings

To do this, you are going to have to use a knife to remove the old couplings, and then obtain a NEM kit to replace the old moulded coupling in its entirety. Some advice : practice on a wagon that has little value to you, as the first time that you do this, it may well go very wrong!

On the Model Rail Forum, there is a guide to replacing couplings with NEM pockets, complete with pictures, done far better than I could, and is well worth a look.

The key points to remember are that:

• you need to remove the old coupling carefully
• the new pocket needs to be at the right height
• the couplings also need to be NEM compliant

To help get these right, there are a couploe fo useful products on the market.

Buyer's Guide to NEM Pockets & Couplings

Dapol make both a pack of 20 pockets, as well as a smaller kit. The smaller kit contains 5 pockets, but also a tool to help you get the height just right. Called the NSPARE9 kit, I would recommend it for anyone converting to NEM.

As for couplings, despite being a fan of Kadee magnetic auto-couplings for HO/OO gauge, I actually prefer these Graham Farish couplings for N scale. For those who want to see a general overview of available products, the Gaugemaster web site has a great variety.

Hopefully with this information in hand, converting your old couplings to the NEM standard should be a less daunting prospect!

Customising HO/OO Buffer Stops

I'll be honest - I'm not much of a scratch-builder, but I don't balk at a bit of kit-bashing or customising from time to time. Recently, I looked at the various standard PIKO brand buffer stops on my layout, and decided that they just looked a bit boring.

In the quest for a more interesting solution, I stumbled across the Peco SL-41 Buffer Stop, which is a cheap, easy-to-assemble kit that I've used for both OO and HO layouts.

One of the things I like about this kit is that it's so simple, it's really easy to customise. For example, I painted the wood, added some grass, and topped it off with some ballast to make the texture and colouring a bit more realistic.

I also came across these Gaugemaster Buffer Stop Lights, which can be added to the standard buffer stop and operate on both DCC and DC. However, be warned that on DC the results are a little variable, since the lights take their power directly from the track. On DCC layouts, they light red at all times.

With these two small additions, you can really add some life to the layout. I'll be posting some step-by-step pictures to show what can be achieved when I'm next in a building mood.

New Squidoo Lens for N Gauge Beginners

I've been looking around for a good N gauge starter set of late, and I thought I'd share the results on a Squidoo Lens (kinda like an interactive, structured blog).

So, if you're just getting started, and want to know what the best N gauge model train manufacturer is, or who does the best ready to run box, check out What's a Good Make N Gauge Trains for a Beginner.

Meanwhile, I'm continuing my quest for the best point / switch / turnout engine / machine for my new OO/HO hybrid layout. The idea is to use the layout that I'm not currently operating as the fiddle yard for the other layout, if that makes sense.

I'll keep you posted; it's a bit chilly in the attic these days!