WCML 4mm Electrification

[Richie Kynaston]

Evening all,

I’m in the early stages of layout planning including actually nailing down what it is I want to achieve. but one aim is to create a realistic four-track electrified WCML layout based somewhere between Warrington and Stafford.

 

It will be 4mm or OOSF Gauge trackwork and having read the excellent Ravensclyffe thread I’m looking at using the NBrass OHL structures. It will obviously be some time before I get to the OHL itself, but is there anything when planning the four-track countryside section, crossovers or station layout that I need to give thought to? Ie are there any OHL items or tips that I need to consider with the track plan?

 

The layout will be around 20’ x 10’ in size, is permanent, not portable and the fiddle yards will not be electrified so I need to find some way to introduce the pans onto/off of the OHL. It’s also set mid-1980s if that affects anything.

 

Any pointers or thoughts to consider would be welcome.

 

Cheers

Richie

[Pete the Elaner]

I have attempted scratchbuilding OHLE before from brass & Piano wire, building masts, not portals.

I considered my efforts crude.

I will have another attempt with my current layout which, like yours, is WCML. The location I am modelling has a mixture of masts, cantilevers & portals so I have the challenge of modelling the lot.

I have seen the range produced by N Brass Locos & I will defnintely be buying some of their portals when I am ready to model the OLE.

Clive Mortimore has done plenty of research to produce some 4mm drawings of OLE equipment. You may have seen some of them on here & I am sure you will find them useful.

Have you studied the area which you want to model, taking lots of photos & made a rough plan of the area tio mark where all the masts & portals should go. I have done for mine & found doing this was quite enjoyable.

[Richie Kynaston]

Hi Pete,

Thanks for the input.  I've been studying but the area changed quite significantly in the mid-1980s, and trying to find earlier photographs is proving a little difficult, but im still plodding on!  I think most of the area would have been wide portals.  

 

At this point I am considering the OHL, I know Andy said about portals every 30" on Ravensclyffe, and want to know more about how the various parts are made and go onto the NBrass portals, but really I'm concentrating on the track plan, then getting the track down.  What I don't want to do is come to do the OHL and discover that I should have allowed for something i haven't when i designed the track plan!

 

Still with the proposed layout having countryside, station and a small yard area, it should hopefully provide some variety in OHL and structures.

 

Richie

[Dagworth]

Hi Pete,

Thanks for the input.  I've been studying but the area changed quite significantly in the mid-1980s, and trying to find earlier photographs is proving a little difficult, but im still plodding on!  I think most of the area would have been wide portals.  

 

At this point I am considering the OHL, I know Andy said about portals every 30" on Ravensclyffe, and want to know more about how the various parts are made and go onto the NBrass portals, but really I'm concentrating on the track plan, then getting the track down.  What I don't want to do is come to do the OHL and discover that I should have allowed for something i haven't when i designed the track plan!

 

Still with the proposed layout having countryside, station and a small yard area, it should hopefully provide some variety in OHL and structures.

 

Richie

Biggest hint I can give you is simple, leave enough room either side of the track for portal legs! As you will know from my Ravens thread I've had to do some serious rebuilding of parts where I hadn't left enough room. 

 

I am very jealous that you are able to build a permanent layout, OLE will be so much easier without having to make it sectional.

 

I'm happy to share my experience of building OLE, lots of what I have done has been photographed with a view to writing up how it was done, now I need to do the writing part...

 

Andi

[Richie Kynaston]

Thanks Andi.

 

Your jealous of my situation! Wow lol! I’m jealous of your layout hehe! If I can get half as good I’ll be very happy. I’ll take your comment about space either side of the track into account.

 

I’m planning a small shunting plank/photo diorama thing first, just to get to grips with building OO-sf trackwork and ironing out the wrinkles before Station on the full thing, hopefully a little later this year, a;though I’m already trying to plan things. I’ve got the thought of a Stafford or Lancaster like Station along one side, with countryside style (a la Crawford on Beattock) down the other for the big layout. That’s the thoughts anyway!

 

Richie