New storage sidings coaching stock

13 August 2025

After long deliberation as to where I could site some storage sidings for my coaches; I decide to expand the site adjacent to Westernhills MPD. 2x 4 foot by 6 inch boards were constructed and fitted to the main board.  Due to the mini heat wave work was suspended at 14:15 

14 August 2025

 Work restarted at 10:30 on the storage sidings first a cut though the rails where the new turnout will fit; then a liberal spray of water to soften the glued ballast; with the track pins removed the old track is lifted. I cut the rail slightly under size to enable me to fettle the new turnout into position.  Next job is to clear the debris from the base board and test fit the turnout I had to remove a small amount of rail to ensure a neat fit. Holes are marked for the point motor actuating pin and for the frog wire.

17 August 2025

 Turnout fitted and Cobalt iP Digital motor fitted wired and tested; a power buss fitted to new section holes for droppers drilled. 

19 August 2025

After a pause its still 30c 41% humidity in the loft I laid the 1^st 4 foot of track. Wired up the turnout in the siding to a DPST switch and laid the remaining track.

With the entire track laid cut at the 4 foot board joint all was left was to ballast. Ballasting was completed and glued with 50% PVA; and left to dry overnight.20 August 2025

Vacuumed up Excessive ballast before I air brushed a light coat of black acrylic paint to darken and stain the track and ballast; 

Continuing with the landscaping by blending static grass. Work on hold whist I get fresh supplies of static grass.

Continuing on with the landscaping with a new batch of static grass 4mm Wild Meadow, 6mm

Wild Meadow and 6mm Autumn Mix a smattering of soil (dried teabag) and ballast shows though. a small Ratio hut with the front remove conceals the point switch. All that is needed now is suitable ‘junk’ for set dressing LOL.

Accurascale Hill J68

 

Pix Valley announces their latest arrival, in pristine condition after another extensive overhaul into full running order straight from the factory is an Accurascale Hill J68. BR Late crest Plain Black; what a delightful little locomotive, stunning detail dynamic sound smooth running right out of the box.

Bachmann / Model Rail USATC S100 Tank sound fitting

 This is a very straight forward installation; 2 screws long one the front short one to the back hold the body in place. The Zimo MS500N sound chip and a Minnow4 15x8x4.5 speaker from https://www.youchoos.co.uk/ only have the speaker wires (purple) the remaining wires were removed. The Minnow4 slips in-between the gear tower and PCB riser, it is necessary to shorten the pins on the MS500 to 4 millimetres long pin 1 is to the right as you look down it is marked, and wrap the chip with 20 mm Kapton tape other than that it’s plug and play.

SECR P Class 0-6-0T 323 'Bluebell' sound fitting.

 My Hatton’s now Accurascale ‘Bluebell’ is now fitted with a Zimo MS500N sound chip and a Minnow 4speaker from https://www.youchoos.co.uk/. Except for the speaker wires (purple) the remaining wires were removed.

Remove 4 screws from the chassis to release the body there 2 at the front 2 at the rear. The speaker fits in the Left hand side of the chassis after removing the small weight I stuck a sliver of 1 mm plastic card to insulate the speaker from the cast chassis.

 

It was necessary to remove approximately 3 millimetres from the cast chassis where the chip would fit this was to enable sufficient clearance I also deepened the slot where the interface board sits pin 1 is to the top of the board. I machined mine in a milling machine and deepened the slot with a hacksaw; the casting is quite robust holding it in a vice gently was not an issue so carefully cut it away with a hacksaw is a possibility. 

Finally I lined newly milled area with 1 mm plastic card to insulate the chip from the chassis. It is necessary to shorten the pins on the MS500 to 4 millimetres long and wrap the chip with 20 mm Kapton tape. The Minnow4 15x8x4.5 is held in place on the plastic card with double sided tape.

Hornby Sentinel 0-6-0 sound fitting.

 Hornby Sentinel 0-6-0 sound fitting.

Another straight forward conversion first remove the 4 body fixing screws, the body just pulls away mine was a little tight. I trimmed the orange and white wires again sealing the end with a short length of heat shrink tube.

This time I chose the Zimo MS500N sound chip and a Microcube 12x8x7 speaker this fits nicely behind the motor held with double sided tape. Wrapping the chip with 20mm wide Kapton tape. Carefully position the wrapped chip on top of the motor again secured using Kapton tape, once again no major surgery to the model.

Bachmann GWR Class 56xx sound fitting

This is a quite straight forward exercise first remove the NEM pockets to reveal the body fixing screws, the body just pulls away.

I opted for firebox glow this time the backhead is glued to the chassis you need to gently prise the backhead away off the chassis mine broke off the locating pins (easy fix just drill out the broken part in the chassis and fit a new pin into the back head of course you will have to carefully drill a hole for it I used a 1.5 mm drill) make a hole in the firebox doors I suggest 2.5mm to allow the glow from the LED to show. Glue to cables to the back of the back head and cover the LED with blacktack and reattach to the chassis.

I chose the Zimo MS480R sound chip and a Sugarstrand 25x09x06 speaker. It is necessary to unsolder the green and blue wires from the 8 pin plug these are connected to the fire box glow LED with a 1K resistor in the blue wire. Due to the limited space cut back the stayalive wires sealing the end with a short length of heat shrink tube. Attach the speaker to the flat plate in front of the backhead with double sided tape. 

Plug in the chip and tidy the wires over the chip and secure with Kapton tape. A simple and elegant installation with no major surgery to the model except the 2.5 mm hole!

Dapol Class 121Slipping Drive

 18/12/2024

This is the second time the drive shafts have failed! The knuckle on the end of the shaft just slips. Unfortunately there are no spare parts available at the time of writing. Fortunately I have the old set from the previous failure I cleaned the parts in isopropyl alcohol run a triangular needle file across the mating portion of the shaft and glued the knuckle with cyanoacrylate. That didn’t work Dapol will supply them on an exchange basis. So the loco and the defective drive shafts are going back after the holidays

 UPDATE

Replacement drive shafts have arrived back; I’m glad to see that the design has been changed. To my mind this is a much better design.