This 'weekly update' is somewhat delayed - mainly by the inability of the timber merchants to deliver the ply on time - however, the time was not wasted - more later...

The last update mentioned the 'tea trolley' fiddleyard, designed to be moved into and out of the operating well to allow access. This has been constructed from 9mm birch ply (good quality & worth the wait). The deck is 5' x 2' and has 3" 'lead-in' at each end - the cassette length will therefor be 4'-6''..

The legs were also constructed from ply, with each side being 3" wide. The ends were also blocked by ply - the upper end to provide support for the board and the lower to provide a mounting for the castors. Additionally of course they keep the legs straight!.

The legs were then strengthened by more 3" deep ply at the bottom & mid-height. These will also act a supports for internal shelving for cassette storage

The legs were then attached to the underside of the deck,

and longditudinal stringers added at the base. The final step was to add the castors. A days work, a sheet of 8x4 ply and I have the biggest tea-trolley in the street!

As I mentioned earlier, the delay in delviery wasn't wasted. In addidtion to decorating the downstairs cloakroom, the lobby & upstairs bathroom, I also completed the basics of the test track.

Two of the parameters for track construction were 1) to use 'ply & rivet' construction, and 2) in the scenic sections to fit cosmetic chairs. My reasoning was, that having had experience of both 'ply & rivet' & 'plastic chairs & sleepers', I have to say I prefer the former for two reasons a) during construction (& testing) 'ply & rivet' allows a certain amount of adjustment, and B), as this layout will have to last me out, I'm not convinced as to the longetivity of solvent-based joints - the technology doesn't have that long a history!

So that meant slicing up 'C&L' chairs... First find a suitable container - (my wifes old contact lens holder comes handily marked 'L' & 'R'!)

- the 'chairs' are then sliced up whilst attached to 'double sided tape', then individually lifted off & glued to the sleeper covering the rivet head. Here I found the only serious problem. Some of the rivets (really old stock) are 2.5mm against the modern 2mm. Therefore some rivets wern't treated. time would tell if they would notice. Lesson learned - use 2mm variant only!

The switch blades do need to be supported between heel & tie-bar. 'C&L' do them (I've got some!) but I decided that small squares of brass strip would be better..

The chairing-up took a couple of evenings & the untreated sleepers were then brushed with a solution of Potassium Permanganate (cheers 'Black Rat'), and finally the rails were painted...

As stated in an earlier blog entry, the intention is for this piece to be a bench-mark test bed based on the smallest radii pointwork. To that end it's been mounted on 4"-deep ply (courtesy of the timber merchant!) & will also contain a 'Tortoise' PM and a 'Dingham' uncoupling magnet whilst I evaluate the couplings.

This will also be 'scenicked' WHEN my 'Grassmaster 2 arrives (but thats another story!).

Oh yes I also (half-built) a Ratio 'Toad' with a compensated chassis. I'll finish that in the next couple of days (someone else is currently running a blog entry with similar conversion) http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/853/entry-8452-gwr-toad-pt1/.

Next job - order more timber for the main scenic area - about 3 sheets of 8x4 should do it! Whilst waiting for that - build some 'half-track' lengths (using 2mm rivets!).

Regs

Ian