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phase one - check...


bcnPete

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Happy New Year all,

 

Quick update on progress and perhaps the point to draw a line underneath it...for the moment.

 

To recap, following my track building incapabilities on Thurso, I decided to build the track for Meeth to act as a test bed for a way forward. After experiments I decided I would return to build turnouts in PCB and use easitrac for the plain track areas. The goal was to try and have the layout wired by 2018 ;)

 

After a flurry of activity in the last few days, I am pleased to have hit my target. It might be a simple layout to wire, but wiring comes a close second to my track building abilities :rolleyes:

 

This time I have tried to use bus wires as the underside of Kyle is not too dissimilar to that well known road junction outside Birmingham :jester:
I have probably introduced more feeds than required and also wired the working catch point so as not to rely on blade contact alone. The main turnout is controlled by my usual low tech wire in tube and a dpdt slide switch. I was trying to link it with the catch point so one throw did both...but having two omega loops gave problems so I will introduce a separate switch for that one.

 

My latest thoughts are to not have enclosed Fiddleyards as at 600mm long each, it will be a bit overkill for the layout - a 66.6 v 33.3 % ratio of non scenic to scenic on display :no: For testing purposes I have made a 450mm long stick which can be offered up as required whilst I ponder this one some more.

 

I have run it with DC using one of those battery controllers and yesterday connected it to the Daisy DCC. Some minor fettling of the turnout is required but locos seem to run through ok...in reality probably only a 25 and 31 will be used.

 

Of more concern is the wagons as they suffer from being too light to propel. This will be one of the main movements of the layout so I think I will have to address this when I build the clay wagons by stuffing some lead beneath the flat tarps.

 

Here’s a few pics of what has been described above:

 

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Overall set up...

 

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Temporary 450mm stick cassette...

 

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Underside showing wiring...

 

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Wire in tube for turnout operation...

 

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Looking towards the shed end...apertures will be cut once shed is built...

 

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Other end mainly for run off and run around...

 

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Class 25 needs its wheels turned down...but it already looks the part on the layout...;)

 

And that’s about it for the moment on this project. I might spray the track brown and pick out the chairs ready for ballasting but I do need to get back on Thurso as that is now behind programme. The slight excursion to get this to a state where I can restart straight on the scenics has not been regretted though and hopefully I can launch into rebuilding the Thurso track ready for say Easter.

 

As always, comments welcomed,

 

Pete

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  • RMweb Gold

Nice progress Pete ;)

 

Good to see it coming together and glad to hear it all works nicely too.

 

Regarding the clay wagons would the Graham Farish variants fit the bill and speed things up a bit if they were re-wheeled? Kernow do a nice three wagon set by the looks of things: 

 

http://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/40806/377-475Z-WSL-Graham-Farish-China-Clay-5-Plank-Wagon-Flat-Triple

 

Your Class 25 is looking good as well ;)

 

I'm looking forwards to seeing the scenics and buildings get underway.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

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Adding weight is easy enough but what exactly do you mean by 'too light to propel' ?

 

Do you mean they fall off the track? ... in which case I'd check the back to backs very carefully first (at several points around each wheel just in case it is 'wobbly') and then have a real close look at the track.

 

Another issue is that wagons with pinpoint bearings can be so free running that they can run away from the propelling loco by a few mm while on the DG 'delay latch'... the loco then catches up again and re-couples. The answer to this one (which I nicked from Jerry Clifford) is brakes (yes, really!) - some 36 SWG phosphor bronze wire arranged to rub on one axle (axle, not wheel) is usually enough to persuade the most free running of vehicles to behave itself.

 

HTH.

 

And Happy New Year.

 

Regards, Andy

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  • RMweb Gold
Nice progress Pete ;) Good to see it coming together and glad to hear it all works nicely too. Regarding the clay wagons would the Graham Farish variants fit the bill and speed things up a bit if they were re-wheeled? Kernow do a nice three wagon set by the looks of things:  http://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/40806/377-475Z-WSL-Graham-Farish-China-Clay-5-Plank-Wagon-Flat-Triple Your Class 25 is looking good as well ;) I'm looking forwards to seeing the scenics and buildings get underway. Cheers, Mark
Thanks Mark - Didn’t know they did those...was aware about the set of hoodies they also did. Only problem I recall is they use a 10ft chassis whereas the UCV’s were 9ft wheelbase - I do have a set of Parkwood kits for a short rake bought for CJM so I need to dig those out the gloat box ;)

 

Adding weight is easy enough but what exactly do you mean by 'too light to propel' ? Do you mean they fall off the track? ... in which case I'd check the back to backs very carefully first (at several points around each wheel just in case it is 'wobbly') and then have a real close look at the track. Another issue is that wagons with pinpoint bearings can be so free running that they can run away from the propelling loco by a few mm while on the DG 'delay latch'... the loco then catches up again and re-couples. The answer to this one (which I nicked from Jerry Clifford) is brakes (yes, really!) - some 36 SWG phosphor bronze wire arranged to rub on one axle (axle, not wheel) is usually enough to persuade the most free running of vehicles to behave itself. HTH. And Happy New Year. Regards, Andy
Thanks Andy - a mixture I think. I will check the back to backs as sometimes I have the same problem backing the wagons in to the Kyle siding but I also think it could be the way the DG’s buffing plates and hooks are meshing with each other - some close inspection required I think...

 

Nice progress unlike my own stalled efforts is the 25 sound chipped ? Nick
Thanks Nick - no the 25 needs wheels turned down and chipping. I will definitely sound chip this as I think this adds a lot on a small basic layout such as this - I was testing with one of my sound chipped 24’s and despite the simplicity it added a lot to the operations...
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  • RMweb Gold

Looks good Pete.

 

I agree that a 66% fiddle yard would be a bit much if enclosed. There's the option of having it open. If points are used in the fiddle yard, the shunting fun can be extended for the benefit of all. But I know I'm a bit different there: I actually like having the scenic and off-scenic sections visible together - as long as it's clear where one begins and the other ends.

 

Or are you thinking of just sticking (ha!) with the fiddle stick? Visually I see no problem with that, it looks as neat as all your work. 

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  • RMweb Gold

Looks good Pete.

 

I agree that a 66% fiddle yard would be a bit much if enclosed. There's the option of having it open. If points are used in the fiddle yard, the shunting fun can be extended for the benefit of all. But I know I'm a bit different there: I actually like having the scenic and off-scenic sections visible together - as long as it's clear where one begins and the other ends.

 

Or are you thinking of just sticking (ha!) with the fiddle stick? Visually I see no problem with that, it looks as neat as all your work.

 

Thanks Mikkel - Yes I do like to see a clear separation too between scenic and non scenic - I think I will stick with sticks :jester: as having more turnouts in the non scenic than the scenic is equally unbalanced for me.

 

That stick is just a tester thrown together though - I have a cunning plan for laser cut clear perspex sticks which am just contemplating illuminating too - more on this next time...;)

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