37114 Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 I'd have to say I'd agree with your club member as it's the conclusion I came to before I started building Longcarse West and if I can do P4 anyone can. However, it's your train set and not mine so I'll happily sit back and enjoy reading how you get on with the build. Cheers David P.S. 100 items of stock isn't all that much and you don't have to convert it all at once. Hi David, I will never say never when it comes to going into P4, I haven't built my own points before so wanted to see how I get on in 00 before throwing myself headlong into P4. I intend to lay the track on the lower yard first, so there is always the option of doing P4 on the upper level only and doing a phased conversion as the stock will invariably only be used on one not both levels. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 (edited) Of course, converting to P4 would mean that the stock couldn't be run on other OO layouts, such as Pallet Lane! Regards, Jack Correct, although Pallet Lane is up for sale.. I managed to get this evening's DIY done early so cracked out the liquid Poly and the Wills Vari-Girders. A great product the only complaint is there is not enough flitch plates for the girder section,luckily I had some flitch plates spare from when I did Pallet Lane's bridges. The girders are also only detailed on one side but as the layout is only viewed from the front this is less of an issue As Rivercider mentioned the real Avon Street branch was only worked with 03's due to weight restrictions, but I am keen to use some of my type 2's so the bridge over the culvert is a bit more robust and uses the deep girder sides: A visit is planned on Saturday to Bristol on Saturday with the kids so I may swing by what is left of Avon Street, which has changed massively since the photos posted earlier in this thread. Edited February 27, 2014 by 37114 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 An enjoyable day to day, my wife was working so I took the kids to Bristol for the morning, ostensibly to have a wander around the harbour, but with a little deviation into Modelmania in St George (excellent shop, Brian and Judith the proprietors are very friendly and welcoming) on the way for some supplies. Top of the shopping list were the stone arches for the upper level, as these are required to calculate the height for the wooden framework. Thankfully they had the 2 Wills packs I needed so I have made a start on the woodwork (not my strong point) and backscene. The picture below shows todays progress, the holes in the backscene are for access to underneath the points and any wiring. The arches to the left will have an office/workshop for the scrpayard, those on the right will be full depth to the backscene with some picture placed at the back of "the other side" On the right hand side of the board I had given some consideration to how I would fill the corner of the board. My initial thoughts (read dreams) were of part of the Royal Mail sorting office which was connected to Temple Mead by an overhead conveyor and would have formed an ideal scenic brake to the fiddle yard. As the plan has developed it quickly dawned on me this isn't that practical and my preference is to model part of the Redscaff building and Avon street itself, with the road going under the right hand arch in the picture below. Not 100% nailed on this as the run round loop is effectively on the crossing so will get the stock out and see how it fits. Next job is to order the point kits as I want to crack on with Track laying 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Looking Good Rob, I like the arches, nice. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rods_of_Revolution Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Now you have the arches and the start of the woodwork for the upper level in place, I've got a much better grasp of what you're doing; it looks great! Cheers, Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Realy looking good!! great job so far... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobster Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Coming along Rob - Looks good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeroken1 Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Nice modeling here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 Thanks for all the positive comments and suggestions so far,the points for the lower level have been ordered tonight so I am looking forward to cracking on with making them and laying the track. In the meantime I have been making some progress with the arches under the viaduct. I am going to model a scrap metal merchant as Rivercider suggested in the area in front of the viaduct so decided the area under the arches would be utilised by this business: The brick work comes with the kit while the curved windows are work in progress and will be made from plastic strip. 2 of the arches are "workshop" areas with wide doors, one of which will have a weighing plate for non ferrous/high value metals, the other for storage of reclaimed car parts. The 3rd arch will be an office. The doors are left overs that I have had in the loft for years from an old Peco Engine shed. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 More super modeling!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waveydavey Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Of course, converting to P4 would mean that the stock couldn't be run on other OO layouts, such as Pallet Lane! Regards, Jack Not strictly true Jack. Wagons and coaches built to P4 standards can easily run on EM or OO track with a quick swap of wheelsets due to the standard 26mm long axle but it doesn't always work the other way if brake gear has been set for OO wheels. When I went P4 I had quite a few OO Gibson wheelsets left spare which I've reset to EM back to backs so that my stock can also run on the EM layout I'm involved with 'Roundtrees Sidings'. Even the diesels are easily swapped although I will concede it may be a bit more involved for steamers. Cheers David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 My points arrived today (nice prompt service from C&L/Royal Mail), and have just spent the last hour digesting the instructions. Having overcome the initial "Oh my god, what have I done!" moment of being presented with a template and hundreds of components, I am looking forward to cracking on with the first one, but need to get my hands on a suitable board and also some low melt solder. There are a couple of areas where I am going to research further, chiefly the best solution for the tie bars. By their own admission the tie bars in the kit are more cosmetic and will potentially give problems on a layout with a lot of use. The instructions recommend soldering L shaped wire to the switch rails which go down through the board to some copper clad strip, an approach that was taken by my EM colleagues on "Burntwood Lane", however in exhibition use this approach has proved to be a little fragile. Looking at the trackwork on our EM gauge Scottish layout the switch blades are soldered to a surface mounted strip of copper clad which seems stronger and more appropriate to my needs albeit a little less realistic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Good luck with the Points Rob, I wouldn't even dare to try a bit of strait track hahha. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 Good luck with the Points Rob, I wouldn't even dare to try a bit of strait track hahha. Andy Thanks Andy, I always wanted to push myself a bit with this layout, thanks to the good RMweb folk posting tips and pictures I am sure I will be fine Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rods_of_Revolution Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 It's looking good Rob, I'm glad to see you've got RSJs/lintels in there, simple engineering yet many people forget them! I'm sure copper clad would work for the points and I'm sure a strip of copper clad can be worked to look a little more prototypical for the tiebars. Cheers, Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted March 8, 2014 Author Share Posted March 8, 2014 It's looking good Rob, I'm glad to see you've got RSJs/lintels in there, simple engineering yet many people forget them! Indeed, especially since things like RSJ's are fresh in my mind since the work on the house. One of the outstanding tasks on the house is insulating and fire boarding the garage ceiling which is required for building control sign off, and I also want to get my Land Rover in the garage, the upshot of which is I need to clear the layouts out of the garage while I do this, hence focus has switched to the points (no pun intended) First up I secured a suitable piece of hardboard to put the point template on, my preference being to build the points off the layout as there is better light in the house, its warmer and more importantly I can work out where the various holes need to go. I have used Hobbycraft double sided tape to secure the sleepers to the template then took a deep breadth and thread the chairs on to the first stock rail. The stock rail has been glued down and so far everything has been straightforward with care and taking my time. The missing chairs are deliberate as there will be slide chairs glued in later: 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold mudmagnet Posted March 9, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 9, 2014 Good start Rob! The C&L points are a great place to start building your track. I assume that you are using the kit c/w machined blades / assembled vee? Once you've built the first one, you'll think what was all the fuss about! Plus, the satisfaction of building your own! Then you'll be filing your own blades! One question, have you thought about operating the points - e.g. wire-in-tube / electric? The only comment I would make is that the SEEP / Peco solenoid point motors can be a bit severe or may not fully switch the blades across. Also, don't forget to wire the vee and adjacent rails before fixing down onto the baseboard! I know from experience ...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 Good start Rob! The C&L points are a great place to start building your track. I assume that you are using the kit c/w machined blades / assembled vee? Once you've built the first one, you'll think what was all the fuss about! Plus, the satisfaction of building your own! Then you'll be filing your own blades! One question, have you thought about operating the points - e.g. wire-in-tube / electric? The only comment I would make is that the SEEP / Peco solenoid point motors can be a bit severe or may not fully switch the blades across. Also, don't forget to wire the vee and adjacent rails before fixing down onto the baseboard! I know from experience ...... Hi Richard, Yes they are the ones with the machined blades and assembled vee, I didn't have the confidence to make my own vee and this is an area where we have issues on our club layout where the vee's were made from scratch so it was an easy decision to play safe. Re operating them I am going to go for mechanical control precisely for the reason you mention, although I may experiment with a tortoise motor for the upper level as these seem to be less violent than the SEEP's etc. Just noticed Orchard Road is at the same show as Peafore Yard in Cheltenham next year, a bit of forward planning and we could join the 2 layouts up! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold mudmagnet Posted March 9, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 9, 2014 The tortoise or servo drive type point motors are a much better option. We've (well Ray) has been fitting servos onto the club layout (Tawbridge) using MERG servo boards, which allow setting up using a PC program. Looking forward to Cheltenham. Mike booked me about two years ago! I do have quite a few exhibitions this year as well. Will see you are Melksham as I'm helping DLT with Bridport Town! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 (edited) The tortoise or servo drive type point motors are a much better option. We've (well Ray) has been fitting servos onto the club layout (Tawbridge) using MERG servo boards, which allow setting up using a PC program. Looking forward to Cheltenham. Mike booked me about two years ago! I do have quite a few exhibitions this year as well. Will see you are Melksham as I'm helping DLT with Bridport Town! Thanks Richard, that seems to be the general consensus of opinion form those I have spoken to who have used tortoises, The club layout I am working on came with tortoises but as yet we havent powered them up. A tortoise would be the ideal solution for the upper level of Peafore Yard, the layout is being built as a bit of a test bed then I would like to give at least 1 a go and the side rails of the base board are too shallow to contemplate them for the lower level. Mike does like to book up in advance, I think he is 4 years ahead at the minute! Sadly I won't make it to Melksham this year as we are booked to go away, shame as I was down to be the bus conductor on the Saturday which I was looking forward to. Edited March 9, 2014 by 37114 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Some minor progress tonight, first job of the night was a coat of paint on the doors of the workshop under the arches, an easy non precision job, to let the effects of the beer consumed with dinner to wear off. I chose a chocolate brown colour on the basis that it was in the paint box, I very rarely use it and it would give good coverage over the wasp stripes. I also decided to crack on with a couple of the road vehicles for the layout. First up is the Blue Circle cement tanker. Some years ago I built the Scammell 8 wheel version for Pallet Lane, these vehicles being a very distinctive and relatively common sight, but never produced in RTR form. The model attracted many positive comments and a number of offers, the most bizarre being "will you leave it to me in your will?!!" The 6 wheel version were built on the Leyland Bison chassis and were less common but still warranted modelling. I also decided to try and address a few of the areas which weren't quite right on my Scammell model, mostly focussed around the tank barrel. The Barrel is a Road Transport Images casting but with new walk ways, scratchbuilt tipping ram and steps. The cab is also RTI but mounted on an Oxford Diecast wheels and chassis. The Body left over from the Oxford donor model got me thinking as it bore a striking resemblance to the Bedford KM tipper lorry in the pictures. Some surgery was required to remove 2 "bays" from the body, with scratchbuilt tipping rams and a cab sourced from RTI. The chassis is scratchbuilt and awaits further detailing and wheels: 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Some very nice modeling here!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted March 15, 2014 Author Share Posted March 15, 2014 I managed to get to the excellent Nailsea show today and pick up the low melt solder and flux which were holding up constructing the point as the feed for the common crossing needed fitting. That done it was time to crack out the gauges and glue it down. So far so good, next job is to fit the other stock rail at some point next week. I also managed to get my hands on an old EFE lorry today which has donated the wheels for the Bedford KM tipper. A dig in the scrap box threw up an old diesel tank which has been fitted, I will also make up some air tanks from some plastic rod. Hopefully this model and the Blue circle cement tanker will get sprayed in first coat of primer shortly. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 Slow progress of late but the point is nearing completion with predominantly cosmetic things left to do. Following on from an earlier post I have had a good look around at what others have been doing for stretcher bars and in the interests of reliability I have chosen to go down the route of soldering the switch blades to a piece of copper clad for the first point at least. Having had experience of Burntwood Lane and The Scottish Layout we bought with Track work in place I am more comfortable with reliability over looks on this. For the next point I will contemplate replacing a sleeper instead of having a separate bar to see how I can improve things: The road vehicles for the layout are coming on too, most of which benefit from Road Transport images cab to make them that bit different. The picture below shows the current projects: - Sherpa Van - This will be in Budget rent a Van colours - Leyland Bison (Green cab) - This is going on to a Best Choose models concrete Mixer chassis (not pictured) - Bedford KM tipper (Red Cab/Silver body) - Blue Circle Cement tanker. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompeydave Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Big fan of Pallet Lane.Interested to see how the vehicles come along.Mr Waller makes some nice resin kits. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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