Thats a lot of work done! Do you run any freight or parcels trains or is it all passenger? Its a belting layout - look forward to seeing your progress!

Really glad you have sorted out the helix, lovely to watch a steam train pulling a full rake up the incline with no problems whatsoever. Am I right to say that to get into the centre section of the layout you have to climb underneath? If so are you thinking about extending the fiddle yard as its a lot of space either wasted or just not being used for goods traffic etc.

Another great video Andy. We'll done. Only recently subscribed so not viewed all your videos yet. Are your engine sheds scratch built or bought, as I'm about to start on my turntable project and need engine sheds. Cheers Alan

Hi Andy, Your efforts were definitely worthwhile, your layout is developing into a fantastic model railway

Well done, and so much in so little time! Your layout is very impressive, with good use of space. I may have to add a loop to my helix as you did, but the time involved is daunting to me. I used code 100 and 83 set track for the helix, but all visible trackwork is Bullhead, both Peco and Legacy. Looks great, but it is picky! My fiddle yard uses the same diamond concept as in your version 4, even to the stub tracks for loco or wagon storage. Good choice. I have sold off my uninstalled Cobalt IP Digital motors and have gone to the MP-10's just because I can surface mount - and maintain - them. They fit well inside a reasonable trackside shack or bush clumps. Also, all the MP line shuts off completely at the end of two seconds, rather than having a little drain all the time. Some of my motors are up to 500mm away from the operated points, with the throw rod simply a long piece of piano wire inside a brass tube, all easily concealed. The MegaPoints controllers work well for the twenty-four in the lower level fiddle yard, but I built an illuminated track plan panel with simple DPDT switches and LED's for the visible mainline. I have just added the deluxe Hunt couplings to a long rake of vans. These are the ones with a swiveling head, so they do not tend to make a rigid four-wheel bogie out of two van ends. Now the Dapol wagons stay on the track.

Well done Andy with improvements to your helix. If you make too much storage space you're have to invest in more running stock (lol). Regards and best wishes Barry..

Hi I have a box full of gaugemaster seep pm 1 point motors(20 ) taken off my layout been replaced with surface mounted, only thing is they are cut for 9mm baseboard, you can get extension for the arm.these are FREE to a good home just pay for postage ,some have various lengths of wire soldered on,if any good let me know

Looking really good i can see your making a lot of progress 😊😊😊😊

I do love how much extra running time a helix seems to add - the sheer extra distance that trains can travel, plus that option for them to disappear from the layout for a while then reappear. I'm entirely sure I could never build a reliable one but I think yours is looking great. I'm a total advocate for as much storage track as possible too! Regards, Chris

Oh no, you haven't done much. Not much to show for it. Only put a whole new loop in the helix, which is a magnificent achievement and will make running of steam trains so much more reliable. Only put new couplings on a whole set of coaches and made the set look much better. Haven't done much-only a fantastic week's work which has improved the railway immensely. An excellent video altogether. Lovely to see long trains running. Lovely to hear a Lincolnshire accent

Shaving a big 15mm chamfer off the corner of the awkward post will not affect it's strength. But will increase coach clearance passing the post.

I think your marvellous and wish I had that amount of space for my model railway.👍

Hi as they say it’s all in the planning that can save you time and money then experimenting until you are happy with it. I have spent many an hour on mine and done loads of little projects that I know need doing but are not obvious to others but I know there done and that’s what matters. Keep up the god work I really enjoy the videos you’re doing as it’s hard work making the model as well as the videos (as I well know.)

Think you doing yourself a disservice you have loads to show have you looked at the MTB MP1 point motors which I believe you can surface mount. I have had no issues myself with radius 2 good to see you experimented which seems worth while, if you have a class 50 I would try that on the loop as the bogies have slightly restricted movements there is one section of my layout where class 50s don’t go so just like the real thing with restrictions due to route availability. I think you will find many uses for the dead end roads. If you do build the fiddle yard suggest putting in points at either end so you can extend at a later date without ripping track up. We did this at the new Banbury depot and when HS2 came to add in some sidings they were able to just join onto the ready installed set of points (on the network points are known as switches). I have changed all my stock over to Hornby magnetic couplings which look like vacuum pipe, these replace tension lock couplings in NEM pockets although with some close coupling coaches they need a bit of a tweak to extend slightly. The Hornby magnetic couplings are more moulded whereas the hunt couplings are 3D printed and one packet I brought had a broken coupling although this may be a fluke. One thing to look out for with any magnetic couplings is that if the coupling is mounted to a bogie and not the body you will effectively make both bogies will effectively become fixed to each other and being solid can cause issues on some curves and points. Is the back-scene new looks very good

Seems like you have done a lot, just apart from the extra layer on the helix, not immediately visible! Big thing is you seem to have made a lot of decisions so can plan where you go next. Interesting with the couplings as that is a big project for me too. Not so worried about the gap, more to see if I can standardise as I have everything from early Triang, through Lima, Mainline, Airfix up to NEM stuff! Appreciate the tip about Dragon Junction. I take it you have checked that the Hunt Couplings allow running around rad 2 curves? Whilst a major improvement, I got caught by going too tight on my Brighton Belle and had to go a spacing up as she was derailing on the rad 2 curves I have hidden in tunnels!

fiddle yard looks way better, and that helix is a work of art

Thank you so much for the shout out and am so pleased you like the Hunts couplings . The main thing they work and looks far better and reliable. And so easy to get on and off the layout.. I do like how you have done the Helix and got the slope down to 1-1/2 % nice one . Plus the layout looks fabulous . Have fun . Regards Lord Al.

It's all the little things which add up .

1.48% will allow really long trains like 7 coaches or very long goods trains well done on putting in the effort to get the gradient down, good job and well worth the fiddly work with no room😊. The final version of your storage yards look terrific. I used magnetic couplings on a rake of new coaches that kept on uncoupling themselves every time they got out of sight! I got the shortest ones first but had to change to intermediates to get round a single piece of r2 curve in one tunnel😊

👍 everything is looking good.

Stellar effort - now go drink one !

Great update mate I can spend all day in train room sometimes and looks like I’ve done nothing but all part of it great job with the helix.

Looking pretty good. You should put a basic under counter lamp over the fiddle yard for when you need to work under there.

Helix improvement will be great long term. Your new parallelogram storage yard looks good too. Cheers Peter from downunder.

I believe you're selling yourself short by saying that you have little to show for your busy week. Modifying the helix and reducing the severity of the gradient is a major achievement that will yield long term benefits. It has also been interesting following the evolution of your thinking on the yard track plan. Hopefully the latest (version 4) is the optimum for your operational needs and maximum train lengths. It is far better to thoroughly exercise the mind and get it right before you start the actual build.

Great effort... Best of luck with the plans. The replacement carriage sides will help and I think you only had 5 tracks. increasing the size of your loop will be the biggest bonus.... The Modelled area is large and almost finished now its time to sit back and enjoy.

About 7 minutes in you were talking about the radius of the fiddle yard loop and said that all locos and rolling stock say “minimum radius 3” - they don’t! They all state minimum radius *2*. You will be fine with a r2 curve connecting the fiddle yard halves.

Hello, Use 3rd radius curves for your yard if you can. Please use Streamline points not set track. Have you consider in using a camera in your yard. Regards, Michael

Layout is looking awesome as ever ,just an idea how about purchasing a white board and then writing down things to do on the layout . Put it in priority order . Just a thought . Keep up the good work 👍

Have you thought about using set track points, they have a radius of 438mm (3rd radius) and an angle of 12.5 degrees, and they are shorter,and cheaper, than medium radius points. That means you have more money to buy yourself a Multi-tool, Shhh! Mum’s the word. Good luck. Bill.

Hi there. Regarding figures and painting them, Charle at Chadwick Parkway released a video fairly recently that interviewed a chap who paints and supplies model figures. Sorry I can’t remember the chaps name or company, but if they’re within your budget, they might fit the bill and save you the trouble. All the best. Simon

Hi there, at about 8 minutes in you describe using Peco curved points at the right hand end of your fiddle yard. In my experience, these are okay if they are trailing points i.e. the trains run through them from left to right, but not in the other direction. You will get derailments with some steam locos, particularly modern ones with finer flanges. They also involve second radius curves, so if possible, I would avoid them and compromise by having shorter loops and peco streamline curves.

Great vid by the way, keep up the great work.

I put some dropper wires the wrong way round so I put red heat shrink on the black wire and black heat shrink on the red, my OCD was happy with that 😂.

Do like your layout and glad to see helix worked well on that climb. Can I suggest - Plan rhs outer loop - how about breaking out earlier with curved LH point (before LH 90 degree curve and before the blue horizontal upper deck boundary line), and fan to left much earlier with LH points? I think should give loads more storage. R2 will be fine - my test track has both R1 and R2 - most locos (new and old) get round that alright, it’s only the R1 that shows up the limits - usually CO - CO diesels when trailing and leading wheels catch the body shell. Rolling stock no problems. Just R2 doesn’t look as good as R3, but hey it’s hidden storage so who cares? Hope helps, all the best Stephen.

One tip Andy , i did something simular a couple of years ago using Peco curved points ,,,,,ripped them up as they were nothing but trouble ..Layouts looking great ..

If you lay the exit fiddle yard as a parallelogram, i.e. left hand points at both ends, you will have 6 equal length sidings. This will require removing most of the straight section after the 4th radius 90 degree curve. You could save initial outlay by only laying the entry yard with temporary straight through track and then add that yard at a later date. Agree with others re setrack curved points - best avoided.

ACCCESSORY PACKS - AND VANISHING PARTS ! Note: If you attach the Hornby detailing parts to their steam locos, the locos will no longer fit back in their package ! I had to alter the packages to suit. Further many of the detail parts are made of a high nylon content plastic, to make them more flexible. Which means there are few glues that will keep these parts in place. Again I ended up replacing many of these accessories, by making them from Brass wire (0.5mm or 1mm brass wire available from GOOD Model Railways shops !) Such as the Cylinder drain cock pipes, and even Bulleid Pacific steps. In Brass of course I was able to "Superglue" them in place, so they don't go "Walkabout" like Crocodile Dundee, somewhere in the Northern Territory !

The image of the Duchess climbing the helix pulling 6 coaches was nice to see, is that at the 1.92% gradient? If it is than that is very impressive and I eat my words from your last video😉 With regard to the older locos, you could consider using a banking loco to assist with the climb, alternatively consider adding weight inside the loco above the driving wheels. Keep up the good work Ian

Just started looking at the project and love everything about it. A lot of activity and interest is on display here. May I ask what the dimensions of the layout are? Judging from the camera panning movement around the layout does not appear very large yet I get the impression that it’s larger than actual.

Sounds like you need to make a list matey! Cost vs time as well so if for instance you need to build up some cash for one major project, you can get some other cheaper projects off the list! I have used radius 2 curves on my layout but only hidden in tunnels on my layout and not had any major running problems, but trains don’t look great running on them! On my version 2 layout it will be radius 3 minimum and would advise the same for you. I have also used a number of Peco small radius points and whilst ok, aren’t comfortable for some locos and a bit “trainset” if you get what I mean? Not the smoothest for running but adequate however would this matter in a fiddle yard? Snag is they are great space savers and sooo tempting to use! I have used their Setrack small radius points however I think Peco now sell a Streamline version which may be better points anyway? Extra sidings are worth having to store spare locos, DMUs etc so you could easily run these off the shortest siding to the back set of loops which at something like 1.5m, may be a better use for it anyway rather than short storage? My other great thought for today is the width of the curves which at radius 3 is going to be at least 4 foot 6 in old money. The yard itself naturally narrows and you can access one side from the outside of the layout (if I have understood your room properly) but the other end might be a bit of reach and crouch for track cleaning, rescuing derailed stock etc? Not something you avoid but have you considered this?

Very good progress. Glad the helix is working out well. It's lovely to see lots of decent-length trains running. A very enjoyable video.

Thank you for another enjoyable video.

yes even yourflex t rack is expensive 250 GBP 437.44 CAD * Happy Rails *

Good work, you should be very proud of the job so far. Work in progress but with enough done to allow meaningful running sessions.

thanks for share on the channel keep up the great vlogs

Looking really smart... enjoyed the running shots with multiple lines in operation.... gives a real sense of balance.

The extension of the hill side looks good, but I think you missed a trick by filling in the dip. A slight pooling of water and then a small trickling stream in between the two areas would have broken them up, so the visual differences wouldn't be noticed. That said, everything looks to be coming on a treat!

Looks AMAZING, very high end, you can see how much work has gone into i, cheers, Pete.👍

Re the Black wires in a red socket, you can paint them or wrap the ends in red electrical tape.