Oak Road - 2013 to present (a fictitious place somewhere in Somerset) - Raising Money for Meningitis Research

[Revolution Mike B]

Until joining my local model railway club two years ago I'd never embarked on building a layout before and then promptly jumped in at the deep end by building an 18' x 9' N gauge modern image club layout (which is still on going). I've learned quite a lot since, mainly through trial and error and due to the fact that we've got a few large OO gauge layouts I started collecting more 'large' trains. I should at this stage point out that I'm a), a bit of an HST nut and b), really like the Dynamic Lines FGW livery which in turn saw me buying some HSTs, a 57 and a 158 and having to rely on the club layouts being operational to run them. As a distraction from the N Gauge stuff and speaking to guys on some forums and at various exhibitions, I decided to have a go at building my own layout which I could maybe take along to an exhibition when finished and hence Oak Road became more reality than just a pipe dream.

 

For any purists, my idea will probably have you banging your head against the wall because it's not really based on anything factual. Basically, we have a double track mainline running between Westbury / Bridgwater and Plymouth that passes through a village / town called Oak Road somewhere in either Somerset or Devon and to the side of the station is a single road virtual quarry with a run round loop. The vague location allows me to run XC HSTs and Voyagers, along with my FGW stuff and also some 66s / 59s with IOAs. I've kept the track plan simple because building a huge layout with over 80 points just seems to take forever and whilst it seemed a good idea at the time (and it'll look good when it's finished), it's hard work.

 

The overall size is 20' x 2' made up of 4 boards constructed from 9mm ply and the track work is Peco code 75. I'd have liked to have built my own track but this is already a step up for me and my present skills aren't really up to the job. Operation is DCC via an NCE system.

 

Once I can work out how to post pictures I'll hopefully make things a little clearer 

Edited November 29, 2018 by scoobyra

[Revolution Mike B]

Right, after a quick search of the index I've worked out how to add images 

 

Here's the plan (excuse the dodgy artwork)

Edited May 6, 2016 by scoobyra

[vulcan product fan]

Lookin forward to more mate .....

[Revolution Mike B]

I had a play around with some Code 75 the other day and respaced the sleepers to see how much I could get it to look like the C&L stuff and to be honest, I'm pretty pleased with the results. Just for comparison, I bought a length of C&Ls track and decided it wasn't worth paying double the price for something that I still needed to respace the sleepers on! Ok, my Peco track doesn't have Costain on it and the sleepers are a gnats nadger narrower but I'm sure I'll have much more serious issues to worry about.

 

 

I've also had a play around with modifying some Peco points to get a convincing looking cross over. It actually flows quite nicely and looks fairly prototypical except the sleepers on the Y point which unfortunately don't run at 90 degrees to the running line, which is something I'll just have to live with.

 

 

Since taking this picture I've chopped out the hideous spring arrangement and replaced the sleepers. Just need to change the tie bars next and things will start to look a bit cleaner. In hindsight, I should have used Tillig points because I think they look considerably better but as the saying goes....I've started so I'll finish... 

Edited May 6, 2016 by scoobyra

[Heinz57]

I'm a bit of an HST nut myself, I've got 8 full sets! 

 

Will be watching this project with interest!

[vulcan product fan]

I'm a bit of an HST nut myself, I've got 8 full sets! 

 

Will be watching this project with interest!

wow 8 sets that must be every livery going ? 

[Revolution Mike B]

wow 8 sets that must be every livery going ? 

 

I'm not far behind that....although I've only got three different TOCs - FGW, XC and Virgin......and a few more sets in N Gauge. As my signature says......you can NEVER have enough :-)

[bensanchez43310]

00 gauge or N gauge, and definitely following this

[Revolution Mike B]

00 gauge or N gauge, and definitely following this

 

It's OO Gauge Ben

[vulcan product fan]

I'm not far behind that....although I've only got three different TOCs - FGW, XC and Virgin......and a few more sets in N Gauge. As my signature says......you can NEVER have enough :-)

Even at there current age the new liveries look great on FGW XC HST . i am a massive fan of loco hauled stock but have to addmit that without HST todays railways would be very poor indeed and i  spent lots of happy hours stood on ends of platforms with lots of screeming Paxmans wizzing by.

[Heinz57]

wow 8 sets that must be every livery going ? 

 

I've got two Midland Mainline teal sets, two Midland Mainline blue sets, two East Midlands Trains sets, Arriva Cross Country and East Coast. I also have a set of Virgin power cars but no coaches

 

The new also Virgin East Coast set is on my wants list when it comes out!

[Revolution Mike B]

Today I acquired some copper clad to finish off the point mods and to fix the track to at the board joints. After spending what seemed like a decade sticking the plain track sleepers down with superglue I may take it back up because I want to add some super elevation to the curves. I was already planning to do it to the tunnel end and through the station but thought it was a bit of a waste of time if I couldn't do it at the other end. If there's any PWay guys looking in on this they may wish to correct me but my understanding is that the diverging part of the crossover would be flat, and the outside line would be laid higher than the inner one (which completely ignores the 'both lines laid on the same plane' rule). I'm sure this would be a lot easier with hand built points but given that I'm using modified Peco ones I'm expecting to be ruining a few in the process! Watch this space.......

Edited May 9, 2016 by scoobyra

[Melangoose]

Hi, I like your chosen location and era to model. I see FGW/GWR stock everyday with work, also a big fan of the HST's (saw 43002 at Bristol TM over the weekend). I will follow your progress with much interest.

[Revolution Mike B]

Tonight I lifted the track and added some superelevation, which isn't overly visible to the eye at first glance but with a MK3 coach sat on it gives a good representation of a 75 mph line speed. I decided against changing the point tie bars to copper clad ones because now that I've filed the large oversize sleeper down it doesn't become that apparent.....the blades look much worse than my modifications!

 

Once I've finished laying the rest of the track I'll get some pictures up.

Edited May 10, 2016 by scoobyra

[Revolution Mike B]

Here's the pictures from last nights antics (excuse the quality - taken with my phone)

 

The toe of the curved point has now been lined up and the track checked to make sure nothing derails. To be honest, I know it's a lot of messing around when I'm effectively trying to make RTR track like hand built stuff but I'm really enjoying experimenting with it. Whilst it's never going to look like the same as EM, P4 or even good OO gauge hand built stuff, it's a cheap way (if not time consuming) of finding some middle ground.

 

 

Unfortunately, this picture doesn't really do the elevation much justice but in reality, it looks about right for the line speed.

 

 

A bit easier to see here even though the picture isn't as clear

 

 

Tonight's job will be to lay the rest of the track and then make a start on the next board.

 

 

[bensanchez43310]

what did you use to make the superelevation

[Revolution Mike B]

what did you use to make the superelevation

 

Just strips of plasticard - remembering to make sure that the height decreases gradually towards the end of the curve.

[Revolution Mike B]

Note to self: OO track is HO and narrower than it would be in real life......therefore when measuring the 6ft way don't make it 24mm.....158s and MK3s will be dangerously close to each other going round curves!!! ARRRRRRGH!!!!!

[Revolution Mike B]

Here's a picture of two 158 cars next to each other. The gap is approximately 1 scale foot at the nearest point which is really too close. Why on earth I didn't realise that going with a 6ft plus 4ft track centre would be wrong due to the overhang on the bodies I'll never know! ​  It does look pretty good when they're parallel though 

 

 

Another thing that I've noticed is that although the crossover looks right, the long coaches look awful traversing it. Luckily enough, it'll only have stone trains using it but it's going to rule out using the bay platform for passenger trains if I wanted to.

[Revolution Mike B]

Not much done this weekend because I was out looking at model railways courtesy of Victory MRC in Portsmouth (must be the only exhibition I can walk to from my house!) but I did manage to finish laying the track on the end board (except the escape road for the virtual quarry due to needing the next board).

 

I need to give the rails another coat of paint and then I'll start on the next board. 2 hours to lay one 3ft length of track is probably overkill for most people but I'm getting to the stage whereby I don't need to use my sleeper spacer now as I've done so many I can now guess the distance.

 

Rivet counters please look away now.......

 

Edited May 15, 2016 by scoobyra

[Revolution Mike B]

Things are moving on, albeit very slowly.

 

I got the airbrush out at the weekend and gave the wooden sleepered track a bit of a blast. Interestingly enough, this is straight forward burnt umber acrylic from the Range store - £1.25 and 6 times the size of the Humbrol / Railmatch stuff. The rails are painted with a mix of burnt umber and burnt sienna.....it's not quite right but I'm sure I'll get there in the end. 

 

 

Looking at the picture this morning, I've noticed that I should've removed the end sleeper from the heel because the lack of chairs on it stick out like a sore thumb.

 

I'm a bit happier with the branch track - the next job is to make the sleepers slightly grey (not the best description ever but I know what I mean) and add some cosmetic fishplates to the 60ft lengths.

 

 

 

So far, my use of budget track is working out pretty well, although it takes forever to lay it.....hopefully, it'll be worth it in the end.

[Wrighty]

Looks fab so far and will be following with much interest as I too am a HST fan.

 

Chris

[Revolution Mike B]

Time for an update I think as things have moved on a little. 

 

I've managed to wire up the right hand end board and everything is working ok - always a bonus! I've now started on the other board and have laid most of the track apart from the virtual quarry. I've also marked out the platforms and a few other bits and pieces. I was intending to use servos for the point control along with Dave Fenton's excellent megapoints controllers but we had a load of old Conrad motors left over from the club's N Gauge layout so I wired them up to a 5v power supply and they operate really well. I'm going to try and drop the voltage a bit more to see if I can slow them right down. Whilst it would be good to go down the DDC route for the points, I've only got 8 and 6 of them throw in pairs so there's very little wiring back to the control panel and I'll save myself some money in the process.

 

In keeping with my theme of 'lets see how good I can make RTR stuff look with a few modifications", I've acquired a Ratio station building which funnily enough is based on Castle Cary and looks easy kitbash into something resembling a modern version. Looking at the real building, it's lost its chimneys and the doors are blue (I guess they'll be green soon with the switch to GWR) so fairly straight forward I think!

 

It was only after I'd done a bit more research on Castle Cary itself that I realised Oak Road isn't too dissimilar, if not in reverse - quite surprising as I've never been there except passing through on an HST down to Devon!

 

Anyway, watch this space as I think I'll have a few more ideas based on it.

Edited June 7, 2016 by scoobyra

[bensanchez43310]

Nice, hoping to see some pictures soon then

[Revolution Mike B]

Here's a few pictures of some progress on the second board.

 

Here's the station building.......looking remarkably like ....er Castle Cary   There's a few mistakes, mainly the ridge tiles that wouldn't stick and melted with the glue. I'll sort this out later, along with some of the dodgy painting.

 

 

This is the bay platform

 

 

And here's the rather rusty looking mainline (it needs weathering)

 

Edited June 13, 2016 by scoobyra