Apologies for the slow reply! Many thanks for the lovely comment, glad you enjoyed! 👍

Thanks Christoper ... that period of sectorisation was really interesting with a large variety of stock and liveries along the WCML ... great to be able to capture the atmosphere in model form. Regards, Mark

The best period imo

Many thanks, glad you enjoyed the views … (hopefully even better views soon with an improved camera!) 🤞

Many thanks, glad you enjoyed! 👍

Thanks Paul … it’s nice to operate it in ‘roundy roundy’ mode to watch the trains go by. The terminus station along with the depot and fiddle yards also allow it to have some operational interest or end-to-end mode as well … 👍

Many thanks .... glad you enjoyed and thanks for the support! 👍

Thanks David for the kind comments and glad you enjoyed .... there’s still a long list of jobs to do around the layout for detailing and upgrades to do with the stock ... but it’s getting there! And nice to be able to record and show the progress ... 👍

Thanks Jason! Glad you enjoyed .... and yes, the main line curves have some subtle superelevation/cant applied .... also geometry transitions to smooth the alignments and reduce the risk of derailments ... Regards, Mark

Many thanks! It’s great to be able to try to recreate the WCML from the 1980’s and 90s ... such an interesting era ... although I might need to upgrade to a better quality cube camera in the future! 👍

Many thanks Roy! Yes ... has taken a while to build but on and off ... when modelling mojo and time has allowed! Plenty of jobs still on the do list and have already progressed a few since recording the clip ... watch this space! 👍

Many thanks for the kind compliment Charlie! 👍

Many thanks for the lovely comment. We really enjoyed the visit to Chester during Friday and admired your handiwork … the tensioners are amazing! Also interesting to see all the components for the gantries attached on the display board. Good luck with your layout; will you be creating a layout thread on RMWeb or perhaps uploading a few videos? Always good to see AC / WCML layouts! Great work by you and the team and was pleasing to see a steady flow of visitors and varied demographics; hopefully inspiring a few new modellers. Also good to see some of your pantographs in action … my OLE is purely cosmetic; coincidentally I’ve commenced setting a few pantograph heights to just below the lowest wire today and so far so good … no catastrophic failures so far! I’ve used 0.2mm enamelled black wire to restrict the pan height … can’t see it from normal viewing distance. Meanwhile I tried to use tacky-wax on the pivot points of the Hornby plastic 87 pantographs but vibrations kept lowering them; so may try small blobs of soft/flexi glue instead. Kinds regards, Mark

Ps It’s on the to-do list to retro-fit some additional OLE detailing items such as tensioners, terminal posts etc, also to wire some roads of the TMD!

Thanks for your comments, I like pantographs to work so I do change a lot of manufactures plastic or oversized metal ones, Bachmanns 85s work well as do their 90s , Hornby and Heljan are just not good enough. I will post a thread on my new layout when I get to start it.👍

Thanks Paul! 👍

Thanks Bob ... glad you enjoyed! Yes, it’s taken about 14yrs to build so far ... steady progress along the way ... an enjoyable hobby with many different skills ... 👍 Regards, Mark

Thanks Jim for the kind comment ... glad you enjoyed the cab ride 👍

Many thanks ... and my pleasure! Glad you enjoyed and enhanced your weekend 👍

Many thanks David ... glad you enjoyed the views of the layout! 👍

Many thanks Matthew, glad you enjoyed the cab ride 👍

Thanks Chris for the comment … glad you enjoyed 👍

Many thanks! 👍 Yes ... the view from the cab is interesting to see and something different! Glad you enjoyed!

Thanks Darrell ... glad you enjoyed the cab ride and tour! 👍

Thanks Steve ... glad you enjoyed the tour 👍

Many thanks! It’s interesting seeing the layout from the drivers eye view ... just need to upgrade to a better cube camera at some stage!

Hi Andy, Glad you enjoyed and that the videos have been useful and helped your layout as well. The new yards have given me greater flexibility in terms of storing rakes, also operating the layout ... as I can operate the layout as a long end-to-end layout from the terminus to the new yards and back ... utilising the reverse loop. I know what you mean about space ... I think most layouts could always do with a bit more space ... including mine! Could do with a lottery win ... 😜 Regards, Mark

Many thanks Peter, glad you enjoyed the cab ride 👍

Many thanks! 👍

Many thanks! 👍

Thanks Susannah ... glad you enjoyed! 👍

Many thanks for the comment David and compliment. I use Peco track around the layout (Code 100). For fixed rake stock I use the Hunt Elite magnetic couplers within rakes. For the end vehicles and loco’s I currently use the small tension lock couplers. A key thing is to make them consistent (as some have slightly longer hooks than others); also check the heights. Regarding the uncoupling ramps … I use clear plastic strips pinned within the 4ft (from the clear packaging of Metcalfe kits) … they’re flexible enough to allow stock to pass over without uncoupling; but when stationary they allow uncoupling. I’ll include closeups and details of these in a future video. Hope this helps 👍

Thanks Brian! 👍

Many thanks for the message and compliment! In an ideal world I would love to model somewhere like Euston and Crewe … the through station (Davidson Parkway) inspired a bit by Stafford … also Lancaster … so loop platforms off the Fast lines, junctions at each end etc. The terminus is a bit generic as space was limited, but I wanted to make sure each platform was long enough to accommodate a typical full length West Coast intercity rake (Loco + 8 MK3 + DVT). Kind regards, Mark 👍

Hi Chris, many thanks for the kind comments .... I have one layout track plan loaded onto the first page of the thread on RMWeb (linked below) ... there was also a track plan drawn for the Model Rail article published last year (I think it was the September 2020 issue). Hope this helps ... I’ll try and include an overall view of the shed/layout in a future video and perhaps an updated track plan ... watch this space! Regards, Mark www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/137453-davidson-parkway-wcml-1980s-2000s-oo-gauge/

Many thanks Oliver! A previous video shows how I designed the new Yard 3 ... using lining paper, PECO point templates and tracksetta curve templates, railway curves and rulers. This allowed me to tweak and optimise the design. The main layout was designed using this technique ... a few tweaks along the way. I also tried not to cram too much track into the layout to give my some spare room ... and that allowed the addition of the ramp down to the new storage yards under the layout (these were an add-on to the main layout). Computer design software (CAD) can also be used to design and optimise a layout ... there’s also plenty of books and magazines with ideas for track plans .... hope this helps! Regards, Mark

@@ModelRailway whenever i see a layout of this size and detail it must have took some time. The signals, power lines, ballast look, the buildings. How much track would u say you used. Its really impressive. Very skilled work. Must give you so much joy

Many thanks for the compliment … the overall layout size is approx 25ft by 13ft. Regarding the incline, I’m pleased with how the incline has worked out and the heavyweight chassis of the modern loco’s are able to haul longer trains up the incline with ease. Some of the cam coupling stock require a bit of care, especially around the curves … but overall very pleased! 👍

Thanks for the compliment! I must admit I do follow and like Dean Park though! 😊

Many thanks! The shed and layout are approx 7.5m by 4.5m .... still plenty more details to add ... but pretty happy with the progress so far!

Many thanks ... glad you enjoyed! I used a video editor called ‘VN’ and the first song is a generic music clip ... called ‘The Sky Above Us’ by Arthur Bosov. Hope that helps. Regarding the view ... at the end of the video is a picture to show the small cube camera that I used (to keep within gauge) mounted to a Mark 1 bogie then coupled to the loco. 👍

@@ModelRailway Thank you very much :)

Thanks again Charlie! Still some work to do and plenty of details to add .... glad you enjoyed 👍

Thanks Paul! 👍

Haha! Well .... VHS technology from the 1980’s wasn’t that great! 😜🤪 Thanks for the compliment regarding the layout (I think it’s a compliment anyway!) ... and I hope Santa brings a better quality cube camera this Christmas! Watch this space ...

I was thinking exactly the same. A better quality camera would be huge advantage to this amazing layout.