West Yard - A Timesaver

[Corbs]

Thanks!

 

I thought I should post on how the layout operates now I've finally got enough stock and uncouplers to make it work.

 

 

There should be 1 loco, 8 wagons and 1 brake van.

The wagons are in pairs, each with a full and empty version, so:

Mogo and Banana van

Coal wagons (full and empty)

Cattle vans

Standard ventilated van

 

The photo shows the layout posed in it's 'finished' state.

 

There are 4 'locations' on the layout, each of the empty wagons starts off in one of these locations.

 

The loco brings the train of full wagons up to the yard gates, and must put each of the full wagons into its appropriate location, and assemble a train of empties at the yard gates for the main line loco to take away (as pictured).

The brake van has to be swapped from one end to the other so it is always at the back of the train.

 

It makes for quite an interesting operation!

My method so far has usually been to put all the empties into the bottom left siding, then pull the full ones into the yard, and shuffle them all around so I can assemble the empty train ready to go, and only then distribute the full wagons to the locations. It takes quite a long time and I'm sure there must be a cleverer way, but it is fun.

Edited December 29, 2017 by Corbs

[Corbs]

You know when you know you should do something, and you don't want to, so you try and persuade yourself you don't need to?

 

Basically, I think I've set my kadee uncouplers too low into the sleepers. They are at about rail height. 

 

Here's a question - when you plonk your kadee uncoupler magnet down on the track, is that the height it should be? i.e. no need to dig out the sleepers to set the magnet lower?

 

I feel I'm going to have to dig them all out, and space them out, then adjust the trip pins on all my wagons. This is fine, I just have too much inconsistency between wagons at the moment.

Edited November 7, 2016 by Corbs

[Corbs]

A few building projects...

Picked this point motor cover up from Peter's Spares for a pound, not bad! A touch of paint and some weathering, looks alright I think.

 

and two others. The retaining wall for the 'high level' tracks representing the NWR main line, which went rather well, and the iron shed, which didn't. While the retaining wall is a Wills kit, I took a gamble on a 3D printed kit from ebay. It wasn't expensive, which was good, but showed up bent to buggery, loads of flash and bad prints, and would the darn thing take some glue? Took a lot of weighing down to get it to stick together. Ah well. A touch of weathering and toning down and it looks OK I think.

Edited December 29, 2017 by Corbs

[Corbs]

I asked my sister (a graphic designer) to make a suitably period-esque logo for one of the many industries that will abound in this area. Think she did a nice job!

 

Points awarded to anyone who can guess the reference correctly...

Edited December 29, 2017 by Corbs

[Corbs]

For a long time now, I've been unable to enjoy the layout properly as one of the point blades on the loop had broken. No amount of glue would remedy this. Trains also frequently derailed going over it (some reverse grades were the cause of this it seems, along with the misaligned points.

I had had enough, so yesterday set to with the chisel and hammer and tore out the offending section.

 

 

I didn't want to have to flip the whole layout, remove the legs, only to access the point motor so I cut an inspection hatch.

 

 

Much swearing and some help later, and it's installed. I've had to add another dropper but am still getting short circuits when the track is aligned a certain way, but crucially the layout is useable again and I can shunt once more

 

[Corbs]

This wooden goods shed helps to fill in the rather bland area in the corner. It's a Wills kit, the platform and metal shed are from Ratio.

[Corbs]

So, as explained on the cobbling thread, all of the point switches are colour coded, and rather than having coloured stickers on the points, I'm changing them for appropriately coloured objects. I have a yellow SCC truck, green van, and red car. This is the 'white' one, a new water tower. It looks better to have more 3D objects in the foreground to avoid the 'auditorium' effect.

 

A few weeds have sprouted, courtesy of a multipack of self adhesive weeds from eBay (one of the wargaming scenery sellers).

[Corbs]

Two cranes (both alike in dignity) on the workbench. The hand crane has a home on the loading dock. The large Dapol crane was in a drawer for ages and I just wanted to get it built so I could work out what to do with it. I have some ideas about motorising it but that can wait for another day. Needs some details, lighting and glazing adding, and a cable.

 

The small crane is mounted on a 2P coin covered in filler and paint, with a hole drilled through the middle.

[Saulm]

wasnt slugworth Willy Wonkas competitor?!

[Corbs]

wasnt slugworth Willy Wonkas competitor?!

Yes! You're the first person to guess it!

[Corbs]

I splashed out and bought a display cabinet.

Much nicer than hiding everything away in drawers!

 

This gave me some more space in the room, so I was able to cobble an extension together at the back of the layout. I've always wanted to add a raised mainline to pose stock on. The back wall will be warehouses and factories, adding some depth.

 

[Corbs]

Well this layout thread may not have been updated much, I did post a lot on my cobblin' thread though. Since it has now left my ownership I thought I'd give it a good send-off with some shunting.