Was only out to get some track....

Being in the area of a Horny shop, I decided to get the track i needed for the second layer.

Of course I checked a local model shop first and noticed this gorgeous 'cock-o' the north.

When browsing through the Hornby shop, i noticed the breakdown crane in a corner.

And a crane has to be towed, right? So in came a British Railways Diesel Electric Class 31.

So my trip to get some track (which I got, trust me) ended up being a little bit more expensive than planned. A well, what else is new....

Now I need to add these to the rolling stock pages. A nice job for next year. Oh wait, that's tomorrow.

The Helix - First Layer

Using SCARM, a freeware model railway designer, I came up with a design that will allow me to add multiple levels to the layout. Each level will have room for parking 14 trains. that should do the trick. well, for a while anyway.

Still working on some kind of suspension mechanism that will allow me to extend the layout with additional layers. Thinking of adding 3 layers in total. In the drawings you can see the connecting points for next levels.

3 levels with 14 trains each. That will give me 42 trains. Add the current sidings and it will bring the total to 45+ parked trains. Good, now all there is left to do is to build it.

But for now, having a plan already gives me good reason to start collecting additional stock.

Far Cry 4 - good fun

After a bit of a slump in gaming (mind you, a slump by my definition is starting 1 game a month), I grabbed the opportunity called Xmas to start Far Cry 4 in co-op. And I have to say, I am impressed.

First a bit of background. The story can be compared to the previous instalments. This time situated somewhere on the subcontinent, a small country is being run by a villain and his helpers. You, as a player, are the son of a famous hero and are asked to help with the rebellion against the self crowned king. In this free roaming shooter you will find yourself riding elephants, shooting tigers,  liberating outposts and hijacking military vehicles.

There is a campaign string of quests and a load of side quests. Most of them will have you go somewhere, get something or shoot something and report back for a reward. Basic stuff really. But it has been done in a very well manor. The stories fit together and part of the story is based on your own choices.

Where Far Cry used to be brilliant in just shooting and creating your own maps that you can play on-line with friends, this one has cooperative play properly integrated. Not sure why this is limited to side missions only but that only some room for improvement.

The graphics - I played the game on Xbox One - are stunning and the sound is perfect. Being not much of a shooter - i tend to hit everything but the opponents most of the time - the game is nice to play. Already done 20 hours of gameplay (most of it in co-op) and the counter still says 30% finished.

Downsides you ask ?

Yes, had a few disconnects while in a mission. But 1 or 2 glitches aside, this is a good reason to get through the Xmas period.

Have not really started the map editor but if previous versions are anything to go by, that will be brilliant. Far Cry 2 and 3 had the best and most extensive map editors I have seen and what I have seen of this one, it will be no different. Now all that needs to be improved is the online matchmaking and user created content search and validating. Will let you know if that has been done.

To be honest, Far Cry 4 is one of the first games that makes it worth it to switch to the new platform (especially playstation 4 game offerings where terrible i.e. non-existing really).

My rating so far:

graphics	9
gameplay	8
sound	8
(re-)play value	9
story	7
total	8.2

Available on xbox one, x360, ps3, ps4 and pc.

Preparations for the next step: a double Helix

The basic layout is done. Digital Control has been added. Everything seems to work fine. It is time to prepare for the next step.

One of the reasons I wanted to do all this, was to start a collection of nice trains to look at (and a train is only a train if you can actually run it). Having spent a few hours online browsing through ebay, online retailers, hornby and what not, it is obvious that my collection will grow beyond 4 locomotives.

In the current layout, the number of sidings will only accommodate part of this future rolling stock. So we need to add. And what better than to add a Helix. You know, one of those merry-go-rounds that bridges heights. Better yet, lets have two. One of the left of the tv's and one on the right. Have multiple levels going from left to right and back.

So i started drawings on how to construct these things. And I think I found what I would like to do. Will keep me busy for a while.

But I have to. There are so many gorgeous trains to be had.

Here are but a few....

Dapol Class 52 Diesel

Princess Royal Class

20 Ton Mineral Wagon

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		R6528
Livery		Consolidated Fisheries Ltd
Weathered		No
Link		.

5 Plank Wagon

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		R6522
Livery		Winstanley Collieries Co. Ltd
Weathered		No
Link		.

4 Plank Open Wagon

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		R6525
Livery		Scatter Rock MacAdams
Weathered		No
Link		.

End Tipping Wagon

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		R6530
Livery		George Field & Son
Weathered		No
Link		.

5 Plank Wagon

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		R6520
Livery		A. Bramley
Weathered		No
Link		.

7 Plank Wagon

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		R6517
Livery		Coldendale Iron Co
Weathered		Yes
Link		.

7 Plank Wagon

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		R6513
Livery		City of Birmingham Gas Dept
Weathered		No
Link		.

Teak Composite Coach No.22357

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		Part of Train Set R117 and R1171
Livery		LNER
Weathered		No
Link		.

Teak Composite Coach No.22356

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		Part of Train Set R117 and R1171
Livery		LNER
Weathered		No
Link		.

Teak Brake Coach No.4237

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		Part of Train Set R117 and R1171
Livery		LNER
Weathered		No
Link		.

Box Van

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		Part of Train Set R1157
Livery		None
Weathered		No
Link		.

Brown Open Wagon

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		Part of Train Set R1157
Livery		None
Weathered		No
Link		.

DJS Petroleum Tank

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		Part of Train Set R1157
Livery		DJS
Weathered		No
Link		.

Lochgelly Open Wagon

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		Part of Train Set R1157
Livery		Lochgelly
Weathered		No
Link		.

WCR Saddle Tank

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		Part of Train Set R1157
Class		Saddle Tank 0-4-0
Livery		WCR Red
Era		I (1870 - 1920)
DCC		No
Weathered		No
Link		wikipedia

8 Plk Open Wagon

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		Part of Train Set R1173
Livery		W.Laugharne Morgan &Co Swansea
Weathered		No
Link		.

GWR Great Western Holden tank No.101

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		R2304 Special edition for Hornby Collectors Club from 2002
Class		101 Holden Tank No. 101 0-4-0
Livery		GWR Green
Era		I (1870 - 1920)
DCC		No
Weathered		No
Link		wikipedia

Lowmac wagon with load "DJS Tooling"

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		R6130 Part of Train Set R1173
Livery		BR
Weathered		No
Link		.

GWR Toad Brake Van

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		R6693 Part of Train Set R1173
Livery		GWR Black - Glouchester
Weathered		No
Link		.

Class 08 Shunter (Digital Sound)

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		R2977XS
Class		08 Shunter
Number		D3511
Livery		BR Green
Era		III (1945 - 1970)
DCC		Factory Fitted with Sound
Locomotive ID		004
Weathered		No
Link		wikipedia

GWR Class 2721 (The Western Master)

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		Part of Train Set R1173
Class		2721 0-6-0
Number		2732
Livery		GWR Green
Era		I (1870 - 1920)
DCC		Factory Fitted
Locomotive ID		003
Weathered		No
Link		wikipedia

The Mallard

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		Part of Train Set R1171
Class		A4 4-6-2
Number		4468
Livery		LNER Blue
Era		II (1920 - 1945)
DCC		Converted from DCC Ready
Locomotive ID		002
Weathered		No
Link		wikipedia

The Flying Scotsman

Manufacturer		Hornby
Productcode		Part of Train Set R1167
Class		A1 4-6-2
Number		1472
Livery		LNER Green
Era		II (1920 - 1945)
DCC		Converted from DCC Ready
Locomotive ID		001
Weathered		No
Link		wikipedia

Change of plans....lets go digital and modern!

Been busy for a few weeks but progress has been made on my model train project.

Not only that, i moved the landscaping project to a spare room and created a second project in my living. The idea is that it has no landscaping, just trains in design kind off layout.

And i have added digital to the layout. Very cool.

Here is the techie stuff:
- Hornby 00 gauge
- Hornby eLink connected to windows 8.1 laptop
- Handheld software on my phone
- 2 locs DCC fitted
- 2 locs (Mallard and Flying Scotsman) DCC ready and fitted myself with a decoder

move the current project to the spare room

clear the area

add some carpenter skills (that i did not know i had)

have some track go behind tv's to the other side of the living

add some christmas spirit

go digital

Building a frame, twice

Right, track plan is made and some shopping needs to be done.

Starting off with a single level frame. Adding the track and even dreaming of a nice complex bridge.

But this already provides the first challenge: how do you make a proper ramp? 

Browsing the internet, I soon came to the conclusion that polystyrene was the way to go. 

Wish some would have told me the two main issues with this stuff: cutting can not be done with a regular knife (bread knife worked best) and it leaves a mess. A serious mess.

Anyway, after a few hours spent in using various techniques, I finally had something that looked like a bridge. Felt good about myself and placed the Flying Scotsman (yes, another trip to the hornby shop led to this addition to my train collection) only to find the ramp was too steep.

Together with having absolutely no clue how to build nice green sides to the ramp, i decided on a different layout that did not include a ramp.

The first remodeling including taking down all the ramps and adding a second level to the frame. (and yes, because there was another trip to the shop included in this process, another train - The Mallard - was added.

But now my layout is complete and the landscaping can commence.....

getting started

The first choice i have to make is what kind of train do i want? European style, British or even North American?
And what size? There is O (bit too large), there is N (thick fingers, too fiddly) and there is HO/OO.
Seeing that i stumbled upon a Hornby Shop, i decided on British and OO. And steam trains are beautiful so the periode was set to somewhere between 1930 and 1960.

Splendid! Choices have been made so let's get crackin'.

I decided on 2 freight steam trains. One carefully selected in the store and one picked up at a model train show. Yes, a model train event. One of the first things i found is that you need to look around to get a feel of what it is you wish to do.

Knowing me, i would probably set my goal to high so i decided that something small would still be within my reach.

Now all i needed was a plan. Trying to find out what you want on a piece of paper did not help me much so i got anyrail on my computer and a plan was created.

Let's make a list of what else i need and get going. This is when something untimely came along and interrupted my progress: work.

All these new insights had to wait and trains where placed on a table and a few weeks passed. But the hobby was still on and was picked up.

The next post will explain the frame building process.