Planning and plotting Staplegrove Road - 2mm FS
Entry posted by Steve Stubbs
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Todays effort has been to print up a full size Templot run of the revised trackplan and UHU it all together. This is because I need to check that the under-board turnout operation units, which will replace the wire-in-tube of the original, will fit in the spaces available; also to plan where isolation breaks, electrical sectioning, track feeds and the additional three uncouplers to go with the orignal ten will go. Here you can see board three printout, and for perspective I have placed on it seven of Mr Farish's vehicles which arrived in a box today from Messrs Hattons. They are sitting (approximately) on the main platform road, well at least the five maroons ones are. The other two blue GUVs are sitting on the bay platform road. Those of you of a quick mind will realise the platform runs down between the two groups as far as the heavy black line, which is the board join onto the middle board. Next to the blue guvs, a brakevan sits on the end-load spur, which will also be the brake van storage road. The two vans are sitting on the cattle dock road. The brown one is a Parkside body on an Association chassis, the other a Peco van which had the chassis cut in half down the middle length-wise and narrowed to reduce the overwidth of the axleboxes (old technology here!) The brake lever has been replaced with an etched one. This wagon and the other 22 currently like it will eventually get fully etched chassis and then be happy little things.
The board actually extends to the right past the end of the paper printouts by a whole two inches, every inch in 2mm FS being important. The station building is by the last of the maroon machines and the forecourt towards you. You are looking from the operating side here by the way. A set of low relief scenic lightweight boards will attach onto the nearer side of the layout, probably all of four inches deep.
Turnout actuation will be by rods, hopefully decent ones from the radio-controllect aircraft world, or if I am broke at that point straightened out wire coathangers, operating Blue Point units by pull-push. These are like a mini mechanical tortoise or cobalt motor, with a springy steel wire to give positive locking, running up through a slider to control the amount of movement / force applied to the tiebars. They have an integral double-pole changeover switch which you can see at the base in the photo below. That gives vee switching plus LED route indication if wanted, or even operation of a relay to allow electrical interlocking of track and signals. I have some experience in that field, as in another life I am the electics gaffer for Bath Green Park ( OK it's OO and at Warley again this year - but don't miss it! ) and may not be able to resist doing it all again in 2mm. The layout will be fully signalled.
Now I need to get back to turnout construction .................
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