dave_long Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Can I ask did you use a plain old Jigsaw to cut the wavey side pieces for the landscaping, as you've got some really nice curves (ooh err missus ) something I never managed with a jigsaw. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Coming on well Max. Wish I had 1/100th of your woodworking skill. (where's the jealousy smiley?) See you @ Ayr. B) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks522 Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Hi Max Only just found this, what a great model it will be, will be following with much interest. Graham. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grid56104 Posted August 14, 2011 Author Share Posted August 14, 2011 managed to find some time from work today to develop the loading tower further. While my card mock up worked reasonably well away back, the real thing with a wide plasticard shute didn't. After much mulling over the problem decided that a 'funnel' type arrangement as the coal would drop into the wagons seemed a possibility. The attached photos shows what I have come up with. It is cumbersome in the tower itself but as the faces will be clad the public will not see the gubbins within. The plasticard over the funnel is to ensure no coal escapes from the funnel. The hardboard backscene will be replaced with 3 or 6mm ply (for this board only) to ensure rigidity and the height of the backscene will be less high elsewhere on the layout. The new tower arrangement was tested and there appeared to be little spillage but operators will have to master when and how much coal to drop at any one time. As there will be an enclosure at the sides of the tower (to the backscene) I will need some form of lighting within the tower to let the 'loading person' behind the backscene see where the wagons are relative to the loading opening!! Fun and games will ensue. There are also a couple of photos showing a locomotive and the wagons relative to the tower and the opening for same. Max 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
artizen Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Have you ever seen this layout? Glen uses home-made cardboard buildings and funnels to till wagons by hand at exhibitions. http://forum.gn15.info/viewtopic.php?t=2779&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=275 At this point in the storyline, the entire layout was completely operated by hand. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
26power Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Hello Max. Good progress being made! If, as in the last picture, the tower is going to be tight to the backscene, couldn't the back of the hopper tower just be open to the operator? Thus allow almost direct "get your hand in above the wagon" type access? Either to load loose coal or dummy loads. Just a thought or two. Cheers, 26power Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grid56104 Posted September 3, 2011 Author Share Posted September 3, 2011 a week off work has seen a start on the wiring of the layout boards. Main effort has been on the fiddle yard boards including point motors but today has seen the completion of the headshunt board and the half completion of the curved board. Having now decided on dcc I had to make some modifications to the code 100 insulfrog points in the fiddle yard (these were installed on the basis of the layout originally being dc) which appears to have been successful. more photos to follow but yesterday saw the first train over any of the tracks - recorded on his phone by DEMU member Mike Bartle who gave me some helpful assistance yesterday afternoon - it was much appreciated. my photo of the event Max 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
big T Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 Quality layout Max very original. Hope your locos are SSF!! Looking forward to further developments. Trev Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Scottish Modeller Posted September 4, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 4, 2011 Hi Max, Bring a long a bit of layout to work on at the next DEMU Scottish Area outing.... Ayr MRG Exhibition Even if it sits there and looks good whilst you play with St Annes - that will be fine! Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpleymodeller Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Now that the coal bunker is well under constrction and the trackwork is laid the layout is getting very interesting to follow,when the bunker is finished will you post a video of it in operation? Nice variety of traction with the 26 and 56,will any 60s be seen? Regards Lewis Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grid56104 Posted September 4, 2011 Author Share Posted September 4, 2011 Now that the coal bunker is well under constrction and the trackwork is laid the layout is getting very interesting to follow,when the bunker is finished will you post a video of it in operation? Nice variety of traction with the 26 and 56,will any 60s be seen? Regards Lewis while I don't have a video someone will no doubt record it when its ready. The intention is to have a 56, 60 and the 2 26s with (if money permits) 2 37s all in trainload coal. Max Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpleymodeller Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Hello Max Can't wait to see it in operation,it will look superb. Your loco roster sounds great too,nice variety. Regards Lewis Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grid56104 Posted September 4, 2011 Author Share Posted September 4, 2011 some more photos of wiring progress - these are 2 of the 3 fiddle yard boards. As the layout will be quite large (I am, as noted previously, working on a shortened version at present) I have opted to go for a bus wire arrangment and while the wiring works, I am sure the DCC purists would have some comment on the actual installation and tidyness etc but as this is my 1st attempt at DCC then I am happy enough with it and it does appear to work - so far! as the layout is for exhibition purposes only, I have learnt from our club layouts at exhibitions that the fiddle yard points never get changed by the cross bar that runs through the points but by members (including myself) simply pushing the switch rail which results in these rails being twisted and losing proper contact with the main track or even breaking off altogether. Bearing this in mind I have fitted point motors to all the fiddle yard points and all but one are surface mounted and I have built a little conventional panel to operate same. As a DCC novice I have not yet got the experience to start working with accessory chips for the points - who knows what will happen in a few years though! as a novice on DCC, I must record my thanks to the various posters who have taken the time to put their questions or answers in the DCC section of the site. This has proved useful to me and persuaded me - along with various members of DEMU - to go DCC on this layout. Max 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpleymodeller Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Quality construction work on the boards, track and wiring B) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grid56104 Posted September 5, 2011 Author Share Posted September 5, 2011 first 2 main boards now wired (Saturday/Sunday 3rd/4th Sept) and 26 and some haa's used to test. Main board wiring connectors need to be purchased at Ayr Show to eliminate temporary wiring between boards. Other work on hold to allow me to check St Ann's Depot next weekend for trip to the Ayr Show in less than 2 weeks time. obligatory 'irn-bru' below boards - keeps one going!!!!!!! Max 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
26power Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 Quality traction for the testing. See http://6lda.wordpress.com/ to help the real thing get restored! Cheers, 26power Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grid56104 Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 due to all sorts of excuses (including really depressing wet weather) work on the layout had stalled recently but a few weekends ago I managed to get some aspects of the fiddle yard boards carried out - timber blocks to protect point motors from flailing hands and arms and the public side 'frontscene' boards ie stopping them seeing the fiddle yard roads and the weekend just gone saw some more progress albeit of the boring type in respect of wiring board 3 which is the tower board but also the intended location of the controller therefore everything comes back to this board. I have attached 3 shots of this board. Board 2 (the curved one) joins on the left and Board 4 (the one with the road underbridge) to the right. I have included the wiring for the points that will be on the eventual extended version - conventional point control at present I am afraid - hence why there are more wires than just the bus bars which are the blue and brown wires. I am sure the ddc purists ll have a field ay withhe wiring standardbut as long as it eventually works I can live with it. really need to start picking up the pace again at weekends as the layout (the shortened version at present) will be making its debut at the Ayr Model Railway Show in September next year. Sounds a long way off but its coming round in less than 11 months! a brief thanks for all the positive comments to date. It does help to keep you going. I have also added a photo of the wiring on Board 1 - the headshunt. Max 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grid56104 Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 I am sure the ddc purists ll have a field ay withhe wiring standardbut as long as it eventually works I can live with it. sorry for the shocking typing in the last post. It was meant to read 'I am sure the DCC purists will have a field day with the wiring standard but as long as it eventually works I can live with it' Max Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpleymodeller Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Any new progress with the Maxwell Colliery Max? With my Monks Siding layout now at the stage of tracklaying and first trains running I am very interested in seeing your MGR layout progress. Regards Lewis (Arpleymodeller) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grid56104 Posted December 21, 2011 Author Share Posted December 21, 2011 Any new progress with the Maxwell Colliery Max? With my Monks Siding layout now at the stage of tracklaying and first trains running I am very interested in seeing your MGR layout progress. Regards Lewis (Arpleymodeller) Lewis - sorry I didn't notice ur posting until this evening. Thank you for your interest. Progress is slow at present as I have been working at the real job almost every weekend recently. However a week and a half off at Christmas and New Year will help move things forward as the layout will make its debut at the Ayr Model Rail Show in September 2012. I had wired up 3 boards but was not happy with the standard of the droppers and bus wire so I will be redoing these over this period. Board 4 was wired last weekend and tested and the only problems appear to be the fact that the peco point motors with the accessory switch fitted don't throw well (if at all) but hopefully a CDU fitted at the controller end may help - hope so - and my class 60 does not like very slow speed as the sound keeps cutting out and having to restart itself over certain bits of track. roll on Friday afternoon when I finish the real work and the modelling can re-commence. hopefully will have more of an update in 2 weeks time (or less). Max Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpleymodeller Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Great to know the layout is still progressing,I too hope to get some work done over the Christmas break. Regards Lewis Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Very interesting layout. Looking at the fun you've been having getting wagon loading working in OO makes me more determined that when I start my colliery layout in N next year the wagon loading in the screens will be cheated...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dave.C Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Very interesting layout. Just seen it for the first time tonight, and thought that too Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grid56104 Posted December 31, 2011 Author Share Posted December 31, 2011 Sometime off from real work has allowed me to make some progress on my layout. Boards 1 and 2 have been rewired in terms of new droppers and bus wires (photo of one end of board 2 attached) and board 4 wired for the 1st time. Board 3 to be re-wired on Monday/Tuesday. Board 1 has now had some plywood formers and chicken wire added to start the scenics and Board 4 has had a couple of plywood formers installed and the road underbridge started to be incorporated. I have also widened the road end on the outside of board 3 as it was a bit narrow. Hope the attached photos show the progress I have made. Given todays date, can I take this opportunity to wish all RM Webbers all the best for 2012 and hopefully will see some of you at Ayr (where this layout makes its debut in mid September under my own steam - opps sorry that should be diesel!!) and then at Falkirk in November when it represents my club - the Glasgow and West of Scotland MRC. all the best as I am now away out to join the New Year Celebrations at our local hotel. Max Unfortunately the photos have not uploaded. I will add them as soon as the techniissues have been resolved. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRDBLUE17 Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 All the best to you too Max! Will certaily see you at Ayr but I'm sure we will meet up again before then at Glasgow and other exotic places on the DEMU tour! Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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