Entry posted by Knuckles
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The Knapford Junction plan is still a location I very much want to model but so is Tidmouth MPD and after literally over 5 years of constantly re-planning these two locations due to space restraints (planning started way before I joined Scale4) I feel strongly that my hand is forced to backslide a wee. Because my ambitions are big and I ultimately do know what I want for the 'proper' layouts I'm going to have to do them in 00.
I didn't want to believe me, I mentally have been kicking and screaming over it but truth is unless I manage to somehow buy a house with a big enough room one day it's either do it in 00 or never bother hoping situations will change and it not happening. I'm working on the latter but who knows in today's world.
Anyway, I'm not 'going back to 00' in the classical sense. It was always my plan to try out P4 and see how I get on and that has been accomplished with the 6ft x 1ft test plank I got half way through. I concluded that I'm capable of modelling in P4 and like it very much so I have a series of end to end P4 layouts in the planning that I can build on top of the 00 ones in the loft. To that end, for anyone who may be getting worried or thinking I'm now a heretic, relax! P4 is staying. It has also been my plan for a while to make a 00 layout anyway as I have zero desire to convert everything in my 00 collection and it would be nice to still run what I have again.
For the big layout I have to do it in 00 or I can't do it at all, it's as simple as that. The tighter curves and points are sadly mandatory for me to fit everything in.
Now, to still make the big layout hopefully better than normal 00 I will be building the majority of the turnouts with C&L templates to 00-SF, Peco's new Bullhead track may be used and the points look ok but at the price point I can't realistically use them because for the past 8 months I have only been working 2 days most weeks for Best Connection, give or take. Some weeks it is nothing or 1 day or 3 or 5, but my stipulation is 2-3 most weeks and that has been working out so far. I'm literally 'floating' my savings and scraping by. Self imposed so I can actually do stuff in life and give more time to things that I enjoy or find important and to give SCC a boost.
So, cost is a major major consideration. I already have the P4 gauges but for the 00 stuff it'll be £60-70 at least for initial outlay according to the C&L website, plus I will be buying the point blade filing jig from our S4 stores, add rail, sleepers, timbers and chairs and I'm looking at around £150-200 for initial costs at least. Not a lot I know but when you are not even making that in a week it is a lot. I want to use full depth sleepers/timbers by the way, 1.6 or 1.5mm.
So, progress likely won't be quick. Neither am I kidding myself, I know 10-20 years or more is likely what a project this big may take if I don't want it to look and operate like a bag of nails.
To that end progress has been made in the loft doing the framework for the biggy plans. So far we are about 35% complete. I have added some brackets for extra strength. Maybe not needed but I feel better with the extra security. Carpentry isn't my skill so feel free to cringe.
The plan is not (emphasis on not) to build the whole layout in one shot. The plan is to build just the tunnel section on the width and operate it as a stand alone layout by itself. Only if/when operation is satisfactory will I even consider moving on. Assuming the tunnels are built the rest of the baseboards will still be built but they will form a massive 'train set' fiddle yard area for the time being.
So if I move on then I will proceed to the top of the plan to Knapford Junction that is more complex. I may build the double slips (I built a working single one after all, doubles bit trickier) or I may fag out and save up for Peco bullhead ones when they come out. Undecided.) So if I build Knapford the same applies, only if/when operation is good enough and I'm happy will I even think of proceeding so then Knapford and the tunnels will be 'the layout' and the rest of the baseboards again will be a fiddle yard and roundy roundy loop all plugged in train set style.
Assuming I don't throw big Knux wobbily again I'll proceed on to Tidmouth MPD. Rather complex though so...yeah we'll see.
But remember the 4ft x 1ft board I salvaged from the N layout I did? It can be extended to 4' 3". It has to be so small if it is to fit in my room.
This I want to do before I do anything in 00 and I'm thinking to do it in P4 as yet another test plank.
I need to revise my track building skills AND I want to try some new methods. I tried Tortoise point motors with the built in polarity switches and I have tried Gaugemaster PM1 solenoids for Peco track and concluded I like them both. However mixing them could be awkward if I wire the CDU to the Tortoises, I imagine barbecued shelled animals stuck to the baseboard. So, I want to try wire-in-tube or maybe similar method. I've always liked real feel signal box lever frames and I could try this, or try a slide switch for polarity with a mechanical linkage - would certainly save up on a TON of wiring and it could be used with RTP track or hand built simultaniously.
Point rodding I have always wanted to model and so I want to do this too, maybe only cosmetically but I want at least some of it to work like on Minories or Brettel Road. I find this most inspiring and interesting. Despite me maybe being a glutton for punishment and asking for trouble I feel I'm already half way there as the previous P4 plank had two working angle cranks on. One was over scale and cranked the wrong way and the second was a scale Brassmasters one. Both operated the turnouts flawlessly with side acting rods. However it was a bodge and the pressures were not right.
Either way I know if I want to even consider any of these options as is normal I can't research forever and I need to get on with it. The 4" 3' board then will be a test bed for this evaluation. If it goes tits up then not a major issue.
Due to the space restraints I'm thinking of grabbing the bull by the horns and attempting a 3 tandem turnout. Would provide good revision and practice all in one and the new operating methods could be tried. Point rods again would be modelled one way or another. Operating if possible.
I understand I am potentially setting myself up for yet more frustrating and painful falls but the heart wants to get on with it. Any help, suggestions or anything appreciated. If you bothered and endured this whole ready my gratitude goes out to you.
Will scrape a small loco and few wagons to shunt.
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