Silver Sidelines

I recently added my two-pennies-worth to an RMweb question about motorising Peco points. As a consequence and after some thirty years of playing with model trains I have now installed a couple of Capacitor Discharge Units (CDUs). What do I think? Well I have mixed feelings.  First some pictures (scanned images) going back in time to earlier layouts. Control panels with push buttons Bracken Ridge This was the Bracken Ridge layout from the early 1980s. I cannot remember but I don’t think model railways had heard of CDUs in the early 80s. Certainly I didn’t use a CDU and the Peco solenoids attached to my points were operated by momentary contact switches wired in parallel directly from the 16v auxiliary AC supply from my Hammant and Morgan controllers. Control panel Park View NB Hi-tech wire connectors to controller By the 1990s we had moved house and all the track, point motors and switches were reused in the new Park View layout. Again it never occurred to me...

The recent appearance in the shops of some Hornby super detail Pullman Cars at half the recommended price had me thinking. When I used to go ‘Train Spotting’ to Darlington I might be lucky and get there in time to see the ‘up’ Tees-Tyne Pullman when it called at Darlington just after 10:00am.   Queen of Scots and Tees-Tyne Pullman Times 1961/62 However I seem to have clearer memories of the down Queen of Scots creeping in from the south towards five o’clock in the evening. The best of the day would be over and the train of elderly Pullmam cars would be headed by an equally old and probably dowdy A3. I would model the Queen of Scots Pullman. Queen of Scots c1961 (Hornby Super Detail Pullman Cars fitted with Roco 40270 couplers and hauled (in the shadows) by Hornby A3 Coronach.) Previously I had used a pair of Hornby Brakes to top and tail my Bachmann Mk1 Pullmans to recreate a Deltic hauled Tees Tyne Pullman. One I made earlier ...

I grew up in Middlesbrough and for a couple of years around 1960 I used to go ‘train spotting’, mostly to Darlington but occasionally up to Newcastle and even sometimes across to Carlisle (age about 12ish!). When it was announced that Bachmann would be producing a green whiskered Metro-Cammell DMU destinations Newcastle/Middlesbrough I would have to buy one. Bachmann Class 101 with whiskers My DMU has arrived and I am delighted. Bachmann Class 101 arrived I might even have travelled on the Prototype. Metro-Cammel DMUs resting at Darlington c 1961 Bachmann Class 101 in the north east Out of the box I would have preferred the units to be coupled together more closely. Using the Bachmann Class 101 drawbar However Alun Hughes (RMweb) suggested that I replace the Class 101 coupling bar with a Class 150 bar (Bachmann part number 36-062) – thank you Alun. Using the Bachmann Class 150 drawbar The improvement is immediate – and yes the DMU...

I was asked this weekend how both my Bachmann Dukedog (9017) and my City performed on gradients. Straight out of the box, the answer is 'With difficulty'. Bachmann Dukedog (9017) on local train 9017 is a recent addition to the layout and after marvelling at the detailing and the super smooth performance I was prepared to overlook the fact that my model seemed incapable of hauling any load uphill. 9017 was relegated to shuttling between two stations on my branch line - on the level. I would investigate further. The front bogie detail Standing the locomotive on a flat surface highlights the likely problem. I haven’t counted the rivets but I am guessing that Bachmann have made a very good attempt at modelling the outside frame to the front bogie with the result that the clearance between the bogie and mainframe is really rather tight. Underside of 9017 showing the mounting for the front bogie Removing the bogie reveals the mounting boss on the unde...

My first Bachmann Portholes have been unpacked and are installed on the layout, topped and tailed with a pair of Hornby Stanier brakes. Bachmann Portholes topped and tailed with Hornby Stanier brake coaches My first impressions were very positive, good looking light weight and free running coaches. However I had issues with the couplers and the ride height. Bachmann Portholes straight out of the box Straight out of the box I was disappointed with the large gap between coupled coaches. I tried my usual trick of swapping to Hornby R8220 couplers as used on my BR Mk1s but the gap in my opinion was still unacceptably large. Undersides – Bachmann Porthole left, Bachmann Mk1 sleeper right Comparing the underside of the Bachmann Porthole with the underside of their Mk1 sleeper provides the answer. Bachmann appear to have used the same coupling extension crank for both the Porthole and the Mk1 coaches with the result that the coupling pocket for the Porthole coach p...