Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
I take it the roof/hood/lighting cover and fiddle stick/yard are universal to all your 'lack' micro layouts.
Tales from The Room of Doom. Dipping a toe in various bucolic backwaters.
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Morning Dave,
This is the first time I've made the roof like this. The lighting/roof thing sold with Bleat did fit all and went out with whichever of the then three layouts I took to a show.
Had Bleat not been sold then I would not have done the rebuild at this time. Going forward though, this will be how I do it. It's much neater.
The fiddle stick is unique to Ewe due to the track layout. Again, the fiddle yard which went with Bleat was common to Sheep Dip but I prefer taking the optional ridiculously small fiddly yard ( below ) I built for that anyway........
Rob
This is the first time I've made the roof like this. The lighting/roof thing sold with Bleat did fit all and went out with whichever of the then three layouts I took to a show.
Had Bleat not been sold then I would not have done the rebuild at this time. Going forward though, this will be how I do it. It's much neater.
The fiddle stick is unique to Ewe due to the track layout. Again, the fiddle yard which went with Bleat was common to Sheep Dip but I prefer taking the optional ridiculously small fiddly yard ( below ) I built for that anyway........
Rob
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Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
Wishing you safe travelling and a great show, Rob.
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Morning all,
Well, yesterday was rather interesting. Left Chateau Sheep shortly after 10:00hrs and arrived at Uckfield a smidge after 17:00.
Sadly, I found myself caught up in the aftermath of the tragic events on the M4 and inevitably, there was much congestion and diversions to be taken.
The venue is smashing and the chaps from the Uckfield club are lovely.
Ewe is set up and I'm looking forward to meeting a few familar and a few not so familiar faces today. Do pop in and introduce yourself.
Rob
Well, yesterday was rather interesting. Left Chateau Sheep shortly after 10:00hrs and arrived at Uckfield a smidge after 17:00.
Sadly, I found myself caught up in the aftermath of the tragic events on the M4 and inevitably, there was much congestion and diversions to be taken.
The venue is smashing and the chaps from the Uckfield club are lovely.
Ewe is set up and I'm looking forward to meeting a few familar and a few not so familiar faces today. Do pop in and introduce yourself.
Rob
Marc Dobson
Western Thunderer
Rob
Found this in our local Smyth's toy shop.
Why a goat?
Found this in our local Smyth's toy shop.
Why a goat?
chigley
Western Thunderer
had good chat with ewe, and missed you again Simond, i asked every one in a pink shirt
Ken
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Morning all,
Lovely day yesterday and great to meet up with Ken, Simon and Terry. Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement.
I was a bit hoarse by the end of it !
Ewe has been well received at what is an excellent show and one I feel privileged to be part of.
Obviously looking forward to doing it all again today.
Rob
Lovely day yesterday and great to meet up with Ken, Simon and Terry. Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement.
I was a bit hoarse by the end of it !
Ewe has been well received at what is an excellent show and one I feel privileged to be part of.
Obviously looking forward to doing it all again today.
Rob
Northroader
Western Thunderer
Nice to say hello and see Ewe at work, I was really glad to be able to see it.
Lyndhurstman
Western Thunderer
Alan
Western Thunderer
Good to meat you, the shepherd, for the first time. Ewe looked as good or even better in the mutton. Now do I mean the owner of the layout or the layout itself? To be honest both. As you've already said it was an excellent exhibition and to my eyes EWE was up there with the best.
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NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Morning all,
Now that the dust has settled post-Uckfield, time to catch up.
It was a great weekend and lovely to meet everyone. So many faces were put to names and it turned into a really good social rather than simply an exhibition. It was great to be part of something so special.
I had the opportunity to look over the assembled Iain Rice layouts, most of which were seen for the first time by me. Stunning and for someone so inspired by Iain's writing over the years, it was a real joy to see these.
Ewe itself performed pretty well and well received. The running on DCC was, on the whole, very good. The occasional stutter, put down to grubby track over the course of the day ( despite time spent cleaning) was personally irritating but visitors were very kind.
The journey home was far more straightforward but it was a tired Sheep that arrived at Chateau Sheep around 22.30 on Sunday.
Ewe was unpacked the following morning then into work for a couple of days.
Wednesday saw a return to the garden project and a concerted effort by myself and the Memsahib saw the longest part of the fencing completed ( and a skip filled with excess soil and assorted detritus ).
Piccie above shows about 75% of the completed fence.
With that project pretty much completed, thoughts have now turned to a revamp of the Room of Doom which will probably commence next weekend with it being emptied out before a refresh and new shelving etc is installed.
And once that's done......
I can start on the new layout. This is a good thing as it's already potentially got at least two invites to shows next year and taking it in an incomplete state is not an option.
So, I'm really looking forward to what looks like being a busy end to 2023.
Rob.
Now that the dust has settled post-Uckfield, time to catch up.
It was a great weekend and lovely to meet everyone. So many faces were put to names and it turned into a really good social rather than simply an exhibition. It was great to be part of something so special.
I had the opportunity to look over the assembled Iain Rice layouts, most of which were seen for the first time by me. Stunning and for someone so inspired by Iain's writing over the years, it was a real joy to see these.
Ewe itself performed pretty well and well received. The running on DCC was, on the whole, very good. The occasional stutter, put down to grubby track over the course of the day ( despite time spent cleaning) was personally irritating but visitors were very kind.
The journey home was far more straightforward but it was a tired Sheep that arrived at Chateau Sheep around 22.30 on Sunday.
Ewe was unpacked the following morning then into work for a couple of days.
Wednesday saw a return to the garden project and a concerted effort by myself and the Memsahib saw the longest part of the fencing completed ( and a skip filled with excess soil and assorted detritus ).
Piccie above shows about 75% of the completed fence.
With that project pretty much completed, thoughts have now turned to a revamp of the Room of Doom which will probably commence next weekend with it being emptied out before a refresh and new shelving etc is installed.
And once that's done......
I can start on the new layout. This is a good thing as it's already potentially got at least two invites to shows next year and taking it in an incomplete state is not an option.
So, I'm really looking forward to what looks like being a busy end to 2023.
Rob.
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
However, it's not all work and no play. Ewe is DCC controlled. It was originally envisaged as a DC layout but very early on I decided to try DCC and as such a NCE Powercab system was installed. I kept it simple. I am after all a novice. There are no isolating fish plates, no sections just feeds to the track
It was a success with really good running from the outset, especially from the J70s which simply glide about the place ( which is why the occasional stutter last weekend was annoying ).
Key to this is the decision, following good advice, to standardise on Zimo decoders. In my case, with lots of my locos taking 6 pin decoders, I use those they supply to Bachmann. They're excellent and give me running to the required F.S.S. ( Fussy Sheep Standard).
However, now safe in the knowledge that Bachmann source their decoders from the more accomplished manufacturers, I bought an 8 pin and a 21 pin Bachmann decoder last week. These decoders are supplied by ESU, hence the time spent testing potential motive power for both of the the new projects on Ewe yesterday.
My J15s are fitted with six pin decoders plumbed in using an 8 pin to 6 pin harness, again by Bachmann. One of these was swapped for the new 8 pin decoder. With no tweaking of the settings, it ran beautifully, matching the 6 pin installation and nothing else was needed.
The displaced 6 pin decoder was then fitted to a Hattons SE&CR P Class. As expected, excellent running. A spare 6 pin decoder was popped into a second P class, same result. A Dapol SE&CR Terrier had a Bachmann Next 18 decoder added and this again is a lovely runner.
The 21 pin decoder is destined for a Bachmann SE&CR liveried C class which I'll pop in this afternoon and report back.
The only issue is the size of the Bachmann/ESU 8 pin decoders and this prevented it's fitting to a Hornby H class. That said, I only had a cursory glance and I need to revisit this. It may well fit into the side tank with a bit of double sided tape
In summary then, the J15s still fitted with Bachmann/Zimo 6 pin decoders will have them replaced with Bachmann/ESU 8 pin decoders so that will be the motive power for the Mid Suffolk project sorted.
The SE&CR project really only needs the P Class and the Terrier to run the intended services but a H and a C Class will both clearly be 'needed'........
Updates will of course follow.
Rob.
It was a success with really good running from the outset, especially from the J70s which simply glide about the place ( which is why the occasional stutter last weekend was annoying ).
Key to this is the decision, following good advice, to standardise on Zimo decoders. In my case, with lots of my locos taking 6 pin decoders, I use those they supply to Bachmann. They're excellent and give me running to the required F.S.S. ( Fussy Sheep Standard).
However, now safe in the knowledge that Bachmann source their decoders from the more accomplished manufacturers, I bought an 8 pin and a 21 pin Bachmann decoder last week. These decoders are supplied by ESU, hence the time spent testing potential motive power for both of the the new projects on Ewe yesterday.
My J15s are fitted with six pin decoders plumbed in using an 8 pin to 6 pin harness, again by Bachmann. One of these was swapped for the new 8 pin decoder. With no tweaking of the settings, it ran beautifully, matching the 6 pin installation and nothing else was needed.
The displaced 6 pin decoder was then fitted to a Hattons SE&CR P Class. As expected, excellent running. A spare 6 pin decoder was popped into a second P class, same result. A Dapol SE&CR Terrier had a Bachmann Next 18 decoder added and this again is a lovely runner.
The 21 pin decoder is destined for a Bachmann SE&CR liveried C class which I'll pop in this afternoon and report back.
The only issue is the size of the Bachmann/ESU 8 pin decoders and this prevented it's fitting to a Hornby H class. That said, I only had a cursory glance and I need to revisit this. It may well fit into the side tank with a bit of double sided tape
In summary then, the J15s still fitted with Bachmann/Zimo 6 pin decoders will have them replaced with Bachmann/ESU 8 pin decoders so that will be the motive power for the Mid Suffolk project sorted.
The SE&CR project really only needs the P Class and the Terrier to run the intended services but a H and a C Class will both clearly be 'needed'........
Updates will of course follow.
Rob.
