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Brighton 75A: Today's post: Desk developments


NorthHighlander

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I have always wanted to play jazz piano like Oscar Petersen or Dudley Moore and somehow never managed to, for two good reasons: I am too lazy and too impatient to practise! And the same goes for modelling - too impatient and expecting instant results. But with the will to get Brighton right I realise that I have to put the time in and this weekend and past few days I have had to face the inevitable - learn how to use Templot properly so that the trackwork bears some resemblance to the actual layout. And guess what? I've done it!

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The double slips were a doddle following the excellent tutorials and members' write ups (I can't attribute them as they don't seem to have put their names on their guidenotes :O . You know who you are, so my thanks for your efforts!).

I got the scissors crossover at the end of platform 2 absolutely right on the 1:2500 plan (which, unfortunately I can't show here for copyright reasons) and when I printed out the templates, the curves through it are sensuous and look just right. It took me three attempts, though. The two sets of three way points to the shed were another matter. After ten attempts, carefully following Martin's video tutorial, I succeeded! And they too form the graceful curves that are just begging for a couple of West Countries and Maunsell moguls to sit on, tender outwards, of course! As I mentioned on the Templot forum, the trackwork at the bottom right corner isn't complete as it isn't needed in this first phase.

So now all that is needed is to

  • clear out unwanted templates from the storage box,
  • rename unnamed templates,
  • make sure all the switches at the slips are later in the storage box than the stock rails and crossings
  • make sure all the track joints line up
  • shove timbers where needed (i.e. where Templot has done the job already) at the track joints
  • change all the platform running rails from bullhead to 109lb flat bottom
  • shove and extend/shorten sleepers where necessary
  • ............what have I forgotten??

One little knotty problem is the question of timber lengths to accommodate the third rail insulators (which I have also raised on the Templot forum (http://85a.co.uk/forum/view_topic.php?id=2232&forum_id=1)). Any guidance would be gratefully received.

 

Although I'd already printed out the templates in existing state to get an idea of the size and shape of the baseboards, I knew I had to tidy them up for trackbuilding/laying sometime. I hope I've got them right by now!

Hopefully by the end of the week, it's back on the baseboards!

 

TH

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I never thought I could but taught myself guitar - Templot still a mystery so well done to you! This should be a very impressive project and well worth persevering with!

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Well done, you! My mate taught himself guitar and can't read music but plays a mean hand...  Thanks for your words of encouragement!

I have found that the way to master Templot is to forget that track comes in sections and remember that track is designed to follow the trackbed. Think of points and crossings as nuisances that are necessary evils to get a train going in a different direction. If you want a point in your nice long plain track, just stick it in and then work out where the track bed wants to take you. Everything else is a refinement to make sure that the track does what the traffic department wants and that the Civil Engineer responds accordingly.

If you think of Templot like a Hornby track planner you won't master it.

And unlike many products bought from the net or in this case free to download, the support you get is fantastic. Just play and remember to store as background every nanosecond... or is it just me that forgets?!

Regards

Tony

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