Fryers Lane - Speedlink in the '80s (P4)

[Mark Forrest]

Over the last few years while exhibiting my EM gauge shunting plank Foundry Lane I’ve enjoyed the benefit of exhibiting a small layout which fits in the back of the car and is quick and simple to set up (and more importantly break down) at a show. For a while now I’ve been considering whether I should build a test track to practise my P4 aspirations. With FL retiring from the exhibition circuit after its appearance at the Leamington & Warwick show in March, my logic is that a scenic "test track" would allow me to keep a small layout on the circuit while giving me somewhere to run the new P4 stock I'm building for my Wolverhampton Low Level project.

By following the guidelines of the Scalefour Society’s Standard Gauge Workbench I hope to ensure that this project remains small and (hopefully) manageable. I’ve taken inspiration from a couple of prototype locations, although I’m trying to avoid tying it to particular region; the resulting plan looks a little like this:

 

 

Overall dimensions are 1435mm by 450mm and, in the interest of keeping it simple, has just two turnouts (although one is a tandem – which I’ve not yet drawn properly in Templot). In exhibition format there will (probably) be a 1200mm fiddle yard at either end; at home it might just be at the right hand end. Operationally the exhibition format is intended to resemble a single track version of Bloxwich, while the "home" version will be more like an inglenook.

 

This doesn’t mean I’ll be turning my back on my Wolverhampton Low Level project. One of the main things I’m looking for is a test track to allow me to ensure that stock I’m building for WLL performs as well as I want it to. However, current space limitations are such that I’m not really in a position to start building baseboards for WLL, although I will continue to build up the rolling stock and construct the station buildings – it was always going to be a long term project! There are also a few things I want to try out (like servos for turnout operation) before committing to them on WLL.

[wagonbasher]

Ok, the name is a work in progress and is subject to change....

 

Over the last few years while exhibiting my EM gauge shunting plank Foundry Lane I’ve enjoyed the benefit exhibiting a small layout which fits in the back of the car and is quick and simple to set up (and more importantly break down) at a show. For a while now I’ve been considering whether I should build a test track to practise my P4 aspirations.  With FL retiring from the exhibition circuit after its appearance at the Leamington & Warwick show in March, my logic is that a scenic "test track" would allow me to keep a small layout on the circuit while giving me somewhere to run the new P4 stock I'm building for my Wolverhampton Low Level project.

By following the guidelines of the Scalefour Society’s Standard Gauge Workbench I hope to ensure that this project remains small and (hopefully) manageable.  I’ve taken inspiration from a couple of prototype locations, although I’m trying to avoid tying it to particular region; the resulting plan looks a little like this:

 

trackpad_screenshot_2013_11_11_2148_20.png

 

 

 

Overall dimensions are 1435mm by 450mm and, in the interest of keeping it simple, has just two turnouts (although one is a tandem – which I’ve not yet drawn properly in Templot).  I exhibition format there will (probably) be a 1200mm fiddle yard at either end; at home it might just be at the right hand end.  Operationally the exhibition format is intended to resemble a single track version of Bloxwich, while the "home" version will be more like an inglenook.

 

This doesn’t mean I’ll be turning my back on my Wolverhampton Low Level project.  One of the main things I’m looking for is a test track to allow me to ensure that stock I’m building for WLL performs as well as I want it to.  However, current space limitations are such that I’m not really in a position to start building baseboards for WLL, although I will continue to build up the rolling stock and construct the station buildings – it was always going to be a long term project!  There are also a few things I want to try out (like servos for turnout operation) before committing to them on WLL.

 

Space limitations, like a garage full of Black Country blues? Plans look good, I wish you the very best of modelling, let me know if I can help?

 

andy

[Mark Forrest]

Space limitations, like a garage full of Black Country blues? Plans look good, I wish you the very best of modelling, let me know if I can help?

 

Cheers Andy.  Trying to keep the garage for the car and do the modelling in the shed - or at least that's the plan.  I'm sure there be plenty you can help with even on such a small layout! 

 

 

 

Some of the prototype inspiration I've been drawing on; imagine this without the track on the left:

South View from Bloxwich Signal Box by Kevin R Boyd, on Flickr

 

and looking the other way; my fiddle yard will start where the level crossing is:

Bloxwich Level Crossing by Kevin R Boyd, on Flickr

 

the rear siding will (probably) cross an ungated crossing, a bit like this:

STOP FOR THE LOLLIPOP by onthebeast, on Flickr

 

The other siding might be a smaller, mirror image of this scene: http://www.flickr.com/photos/westmidlandsrailways/5863942686/

[MartinWales]

Mark-I shall look forward to seeing this one develop- A definate 'watch this space'!

 

Anyway I can help too..................

[Old Gringo]

Nice plan Mark, but an unusual length, sort of a bit Stephensonian waggonway in concept?

 

Why not go the full monte and add another 149mm, or is 1584mm too long for the new motor?

 

Let me know if you need any fencing and point rodding!

[Mark Forrest]

Nice plan Mark, but an unusual length, sort of a bit Stephensonian waggonway in concept?

 

Why not go the full monte and add another 149mm, or is 1584mm too long for the new motor?

 

Let me know if you need any fencing and point rodding!

 

1435mm is too long for the current motor; hopefully getting mine back on Thursday so I can check the board I'm building for this will fit.

Will put your name down for point rodding and fencing then!

[ELTEL]

Hi Mark

 

Good luck with your new project, I am sure when you are ready to exhibit you will be more than welcome to exhib it at Stafford.

 

I note on one of the photographs what I think is a type 15 signal box, as you will know your dad recently built such a box for Whiteacres.

 

Should you need the BR plans for the box let me know as I should be able loan them again.

 

All the best

 

Terry

[Mark Forrest]

Cheers Terry, the box is (currently) out of scope, as it's positioned the other side of the level crossing and so would be in my fiddle yard; thanks for the offer though.  Interestingly an earlier box was positioned the other side of the crossing, adjacent to the tandem I gather - although my current plan is to avoid the temptation to include it, so that I might get away with running stock from other regions as and when the mood takes me.

[Mark Forrest]

Tonight I printed out the rough draft of the Templot plan to have a look at how it flows.  It looked ok, but I wasn't happy with my (bodged) tandem turnout and with the curvature of the rear siding (which, at Bloxwich, lead to a smelter).

I placed a template from the Scalefour Society website in place of the one I had drawn, which effectively shortens the overall length of the formation (excuse the poor photos):

 

Once happy with the paper copy of the plan, I updated the electronic version to match:

[Enterprisingwestern]

Oh dear, another EM modeller seduced by the dark side. Soon there won't be many of us left

Hope Foundry Lane is going to a good home?

 

Mike.

[Jason T]

Good grief; BCB gets to a completed state and you all go bonkers building new layouts. You did a cracking job on Foundry Lane, no.2 will be a cracker too I'm sure.

 

If you need any buildings, give me a shout mate

[iak]

Welcome to the dark side then  

Small but tasteful sums this up mon.

Onwards!!! B)

[Mark Forrest]

Good grief; BCB gets to a completed state and you all go bonkers building new layouts. You did a cracking job on Foundry Lane, no.2 will be a cracker too I'm sure.

 

If you need any buildings, give me a shout mate

I think what we are seeing is a number of projects that were being put off while the BCB build was in full swing now being allowed the time they need to progress past the "back of a fag packet" stage of the layout design process.  Thanks for the offer, much appreciated, with all these offers of help we'll have this little project finished before Foundry Lane's last show! 

 

Oh dear, another EM modeller seduced by the dark side. Soon there won't be many of us left

Welcome to the dark side then

Not sure if it's seduced by the dark side or seeing the light - I guess time will tell!

 

I've not really given much thought to what to do with the "old" FL, probably store it away for a rainy day.

[Mark Forrest]

Looking at the plan and mulling this over I think that space is a little tight between the siding and the rear siding which goes off scene.  My original plan was a T shaped layout which would be closer to the real layout at Bloxwich, but I had ruled that out as being impossible to operate at home:

 

 

A possible compromise, taking the track off scene earlier (giving more room), but retaining a fiddle yard at the end might be this:

 

 

Although I'm not sure I have room for both fiddle yards in the "home" format anyway so maybe I'm worrying about nothing and should stick with the original plan, but possibly with more of a shark's fin extension at the rear rather than the full on T shape.

 

Either way I'll have to make my mind up soon; there's wood to be chopped!

[dave_long]

Mark

I like the idea, narrowing down to one track. Probably one of the reasons I stalled on building on Bloxwich was having a 3rd fiddle yard to cover the siding to the smelters yard. That a long with fitting it in the space I have always played on my mind, so I do like the compromise you've come up with.

 

regards

[puck]

I don't suppose you'd gain the necessary space for siding if plan is rotated 180 degrees? Signalbox could be used as view blocker.

 

Andy

[Mark Forrest]

I don't suppose you'd gain the necessary space for siding if plan is rotated 180 degrees? Signalbox could be used as view blocker.

 

Andy

Good idea, I'm quite surprised how much of a difference rotating the plan makes to the look of the layout, putting the mainline in the background and the sidings to the front does make more sense. 

 

I did consider a deeper board, maybe even an irregular shape 600mm deep at one end, narrowing down to 450mm at the other, but I think that in the interest of storage and transport I try to keep it as narrow as possible; have to keep reminding myself - it is only meant to be a test track!  So, latest version of the plan looks like this:

 

The dark grey blocks in the siding represent the approximate size of an air braked van (VDA etc), looks like I should be able to fit three of these (or two bogie Cargowaggons).  The ungated crossing will give access to the unloading area between the sidings.

I'm not sure about the signal box as a view blocker, although it would work very well, I think it would tie the scene to one particular region, whereas I'm trying to keep it reasonably generic and let the rolling stock tell the story of where the scene is located.

[Mark Forrest]

A bit of progress; I've built a baseboard....

 

[Gordon A]

The ground signal on the main line could be an indication of area and era.

You cold have changeable plug in signal boxes to match the stock.

This looks like an interesting project.

 

Gordon A

Bristol

[MartinWales]

A bit of progress; I've built a baseboard....

WP_20131112_007.jpg

COR   ! You've not wasted any time Mark (nice work by the way wanna do my next lot of baseboards!) 

[Mark Forrest]

Cheers guys.

 

A quick check to make sure it still fits:

 

Then some holes cut in the end boards to give access to the fiddleyards:

 

Had a bit of a false start on the track work, I decided I'd use the templates from Scalefour Society rather than draw up the tandem in Templot, unfortunately after gluing down most of the timbers I found out there are some dimensional inaccuracies with the templates I was using.  I've now abandoned this and spent last night reminding myself how to do it in Templot.

 

Added another wagon to the fleet on a visit to Alsager exhibition this morning; this Bachmann POA now has P4 wheels with S Kits disc brake inserts (that factory weathering needs sorting out!).

[Mark Forrest]

I think I've finalised the Templot plan:

 

It took me a while to get my head around the drawing the tandem turnout, but I think (hope) I'm there now, but would appreciate feedback on whether this looks ok:

[Indomitable026]

I think I've finalised the Templot plan:

trackpad_screenshot_2013_11_17_1123_31.png

 

It took me a while to get my head around the drawing the tandem turnout, but I think (hope) I'm there now, but would appreciate feedback on whether this looks ok:

trackpad_screenshot_2013_11_17_1115_00.png

 

I'm impressed!

[wagonbasher]

Cheers guys.

 

A quick check to make sure it still fits:

WP_20131113_007.jpg

 

Then some holes cut in the end boards to give access to the fiddleyards:

WP_20131115_005.jpg

 

Had a bit of a false start on the track work, I decided I'd use the templates from Scalefour Society rather than draw up the tandem in Templot, unfortunately after gluing down most of the timbers I found out there are some dimensional inaccuracies with the templates I was using.  I've now abandoned this and spent last night reminding myself how to do it in Templot.

 

Added another wagon to the fleet on a visit to Alsager exhibition this morning; this Bachmann POA now has P4 wheels with S Kits disc brake inserts (that factory weathering needs sorting out!).

WP_20131116_009.jpg

 

That is a marked change from the super light construction of your low level project. Learnt something?

 

Andy

[Mark Forrest]

That is a marked change from the super light construction of your low level project. Learnt something?

Hoping to learn something, a bit of an experiment.  Couple of reasons for the change in direction where baseboard material is concerned.

1. I had a couple of 8'x4' sheets of 12mm ply left over from lining the garage, so it made sense to make use one of them for this
2. I've seen from the BCB boards which Damian made that a light weight board does not nescessarily have to mean "Barry Norman style" thin ply beams and softwood blocks

During contruction of this board I put one of the cross members (12mm ply, about 450mm x 80mm, with three 50mm holes drilled) on the kitchen scales; it weighed in at about 190g.  I also had a cross member from the kit of parts which will one day become the WLL boards (two lengths of 3.6mm ply with softwood blocks sandwiched between, similar dimensions, no holes drilled) and this weighed approx 260g.  So once you allow for a couple of blocks at either end of the 12mm crossmembers (to fix to the board front/back) I don't think there is much in it.  And besides, I think ply baseboards with holes drilled in them look cool and the discs from the hole cutter go ok in the wood burner.

 

Further experimentation comes from the structural backscene/ends (which are also in 12mm ply) which I'm hoping will form a sort of monocoque structure in the style that Iain Rice might describe as a "cameo" board.  The track bed is likely to be more 12mm ply, but with polystrene for the non-track areas.  Hopefully cutting the track bed later today.