Health warning : it's not that interesting Glad I put the year in the blog updates... So, I have at least started the wiring of board 4. I do this with the board on end so I can see what I'm doing and more importantly, have access to the CD player to take away the monotony. Palatine droppers are soldered to the rail and tails soldered through. Most of the TOU's are in place and I can start wiring it all up. The single slip and double rail catch point makes the wiring logic interesting. There's g
OK, so things haven't progressed as far or as fast as I'd hoped. I blame the distractions of the Collett Goods and one or two other diversions. Still, a rare day off today after a weekend up North has allowed me a little time at the work bench. 4 months on from the last blog post and all that's happened on Cheddar is another board now has power. It does have 4 point motors and now includes the catch point I forgot to install the first time round protecting the up line from the stone sidings at
With the second board now wired and working, I've been building Five Ways bridge this week. I'm now sold on the 'Green World Stuff' embossed ABS sheet for the correct stone type and I've been trying to faithfully recreate the prototype bridge, which still stands today. I've had to make a couple of guesstimates in respect of dimensions but otherwise it's a close enough representation to my eyes anyway. I dragged an assorted collection of stock to gauge clearances (and to have another play!). With
Afternoon I've been wiring. I'd forgotten how long it takes and just how many mistakes you can make along the way! But on the plus side, I now have the first board powered up and working. The only track left to build is the run off to the (as yet unconstructed fiddle yard). It's on DC at the moment but wire sized and installed for eventual DCC. The water works siding is in and you can see the prairie shuffling back and forwards on the attached video. I'm not turning the board over yet to photogr
Evening all after a summer recess and the always wonderful Wells exhibition, the modelling season is well and truly back with us and I'm looking forward to the annual pilgrimage to Scaleforum next weekend. After one or two distractions (more of that later) and by way of a release from the travails with my Lima 55xx, I've returned to the track building on Cheddar. The good news is I'm on the last board now and fiddle yard notwithstanding, have built the (hopefully) final turnout. You can see prog
I've had a bit of success with my quest for Mendip Stone. I've found a Spanish supplier that does, what I think anyway, is a reasonable representation of Mendip Limestone. http://www.greenstuffworld.com/en/textured-sheets/155-abs-plasticard-smooth-rock-wall-sheet-a4.html I'd ordered some previously and finally got round to having a play with it, once I realised that the present incarnation of the 45xx chassis wasn't going anywhere (literally). More of that later. So rather than cut the chassis i
Morning all just a bit of an update on Cheddar. I hadn't realised it's been 3 months since I last updated, but then progress has slowed a bit (mainly as a result of other distractions!), but in between making track for a friend's layout and tinkering away with the prairie I've stuck the odd bit of track down for the 7th board. You can see in the picture what I mean; the line on the left is the stone loading siding which rose up towards the bridge. I think ultimately I'll need one of the High Le
Afternoon all Not much to report this month. We had a great time at the Southampton show and I ended up coming away with another delightful little loco from CSP. More of that anon. Having had a bit of a break from Cheddar, it has been good to crack on with some more of the track work and I can see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, scenic section at least, now that the Axbridge end crossover is done. Whisper it quietly but that only leaves the water works siding turnout... Once again
Evening all
not much by way of an update as my Christmas project, pannier 5757 hasn't quite been finished and I'm off to Southampton this weekend with one of my other layouts.
The next board beckons and as usual, ply trackbed and laminate flooring underlay have been applied. This board has the main Axbridge end cross over/end loop and the entry into the down yard. It also sees the start of the Callow Hill quarry stone loading siding which rose away towards the Five Ways bridge. Not entirely su
Couldn't resist taking a few piccies of the up yard on Cheddar. I've built a bit more track for this and as you can see made a mock up of the goods shed to check clearances into the down yard. I think I'll shorten the shed by 50mm or so as this is one of the areas where I put a bit of compression into the track plan. Still need to lay the track through the shed itself but need to check if this was inset or chaired first.
The up yard sidings rose in level to that of the platform surfaces from wh
Evening all
Another update and surprise surprise I'm still building track.
Moving on to the sidings on the up side (South side) of the station. There were three sidings on this side along with the permanent way hut. I picked up a book at Warley a couple of weeks ago called 'Quarry Faces', the story of Mendip Stone Quarrying. There's a rather nifty photograph on p252 of the loading bank complete with Dodge tipper lorry. something to acquire from Road Transport Images I feel.
Anyhow, the siding
Only just, but here it is...
In all truthfulness I've been getting Wheal Elizabeth ready for Warley this weekend and as the layout hasn't been out since the RMWeb members day at Taunton it's taken up the majority of my modelling time, along with one or two associated items of rolling stock I hope to run at the NEC.
However I've returned to track building on Cheddar, finally lifting the turnouts from the bench and placing them onto the layout boards proper. These are for the down yard. There is
You might have been thinking it'd all gone rather quiet and that I wouldn't be putting any update this month.
Or you might think that I'd actually forgotten all about it.
One of the above statements is true but I'm not telling you which. Ahem...
I finally took the plunge and made a start on the single slip that gives access to the down yard and stone loading point. Over the course of the last week, I've been slowly making progress. I use a mixture of rivets and plastic chairs all on staine
Another month another update!
As I've had some time off I've been playing with the Palight sheets I bought and I have to say I'm really impressed with this stuff.
It's a foamed pvc sheet, denser than foam board and no skin as such, the material being the same consistency all the way through. It cuts with a scalpel, can be sanded, scribes really nicely and can be glued with Loctite 401.
I've used an artists scraper board blade ( no idea what the technical term is) much the same way I scribe D
I can never quite believe how long it is between blogs. Doesn't seem like 5 minutes since I posted the last one. Mind you I suppose it isn't 5 minutes is it?
I must say thanks to the gent who sought me out at Wells last weekend and kindly gave me a load of photos of Cheddar goods shed taken in the 1970's. Must have been just after the branch finally closed in 1969, by then nothing more than a long siding operated from Wells. I didn't get your name but the photos have wealth of information, espe
Evening all
Time for an update, even if it's not all that interesting.
Modelling does slow down in the summer. Must be all those long sunny evenings (looks out window at rain and damp seagulls flying backwards in the wind)...
Inbetween the golf and the odd walk or two, I've found a little time to make a bit of progress on Cheddar.
We're on to board 5 which is where things start to get interesting track wise. This is bar far the 'busiest' board, as the tracks fan out into the up and down sidi
Afternoon all
It's been a few weeks so I thought I'd put an update on here.
Progress has slowed, due to other pressures, shows etc, but in between I have been soldiering away mainly with the overbridge at the Wells end. This has caused a bit of head scratching since the underside of the turnout needs to be accessible should it ever need adjusting/fixing etc.
Therefore I've build the bridge on a ply base that can be lifted off the layout and separated into two sections. Originally I chose to h
Well it's been a few weeks since my last confession, so I thought I'd post an update.
It's quite useful seeing where I was at the beginning of March because to me progress is glacial. When I look back at the last entry I can see that I've done more than I realise!
Board 8 (the one at the Wells end of the layout) has seen the contours formed with a mixture of foam board and one strike light weight filler from my local diy emporium (Proper Job - other retail outlets are available) which can be a
Some 46 years since the track as lifted in this quiet corner of Somerset, the permanent way gangs have returned once again.
After having expressed a desire to go down the flexi-track route, I have persevered with the original ply and plastic option as intended, for the time being at least.
Step 1 was to make a suitable jig from offcuts of plasticard.Pre-stained sleepers are then slotted in and the first rail added, the chairs having been threaded on.
I've printed off templates from Templot an
I'm presently trying to remember how to make track. It's coming back to me slowly.
Ply sleepers stained with Indian ink and C&L chairs. All works so far.
Layout is also coming on. Boards 1 & 2 now have topography.
Two updates in as many weeks?
As I mentioned in the last update, I'm infilling the baseboard tops with 15mm model foam acquired from Panel Systems. For the two embankment boards the foam is cut to fit between the ply stiffeners. For the 'flat' boards it will sit on top alongside the ply track bed. It's glued on with 'No More Nails' - actually the local Proper Job version 'Instant Nails' at £1 per tube.
Lots of photos that probably explain things a bit better. I'm using off cuts to make up the
Evening all
Just a bit of a progress report on Cheddar.
All 8 boards are now built and I'm getting ready to start building the track.
The last two boards are a little different as they will have the embankment and overbridge on Station Road on the Wells end of the station.
I've just about finalised the final layout plan and have started to mark up the various features. Next step will be printing the entire plan at full size and laying out on the boards.
Each board is a 6mm frame aroun
Like I said in the last post, progress will be slow but steady. 4 board carcasses done. 4 to do.
Jig is working well. Not very exciting I know!
Took a load of track photos at Didcot last week and will hopefully start building it in the autumn.
Sorry...
It's been a long time since I've posted anything on this blog, but plans have developing and the game is most definitely afoot.
Clevedon's now out and about on the circuit which means it's time to start building the next one. Well there's no point in hanging around is there?
So what's happened since the last post? Well, the track plan has been tweaked and twiddled so that all in all, the layout plus fiddle yards is no more than 32ft a ruling dimension stipulated by an exhibition m
Evening all
My birthday present to myself this year was the Home Edition of Coreldraw. It is quite simple to use and as promised last time I've managed to put together the plans and elevations for Cheddar Station. The building scales out at just over 2ft long. At the moment I've allowed for the building to continue below ground level, but I may well end up removing this.
My plan is to use a MDF carcass for the buildings with overlays for the Bath stone quoins, door and window surrounds. These
