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Vertical fiddleyard - first track laid

Fen End Pit

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The weekend gave me the opportunity to remake the ends of the bridge corner boards which I had to shorten to make space for the extra 10cm of fiddle yard. A short length at the end of the baseboard is built up with MDF and ply to a height which allows for a solid length of copper-clad PCB to go underneath the rails. This gives something solid to solder the rail onto and hopefully keeps everything from moving. I had to put an additional bit of bracing onto one of the main baseboards to stop it from moving (a good idea from my eldest Son was to re-use the original timber brackets which previously supported the old fiddleyard.

 

The first length of MDF deck got bolted into the aluminium frame and then the first fiddleyard tracks soldered down to align with the bridge-board across the door. With a little bit of fiddling it runs ok. There is probably a slightly larger gap in the rails than I'd and I may go back at adjust that a bit. However the important thing is that I can push and pull stock into the fiddleyard without it derailing. I can also move the fiddleyard up and down and still run stock in and out without it derailing after returning to the same level.

 

I've now started work on the other end so hopefully it won't be too long before I can at least run some trains around again!

 

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According to the counter this is my 100th blog entry, Hope some people are still finding this interesting, I find it good to look back and see what I've done previously

 

David

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Jan

Very nice, David. It's an excellent solution, and well crafted.

 

I hope none of your stock is freewheeling enough to do a Tom Daley from the higher boards (I'm guessing most of the roads will be occupied with stock?)

 

Cheers

 

Jan

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  • RMweb Gold
Fen End Pit
  • RMweb Gold

Hi Jan

 

The previous version didn't have the problem. The runners hold the yard horizontally quite nicely so there isn't much gradient on the shelves. Even my most free running stock doesn't roll about. I am considering how to switch the DCC power off to the unselected levels. The chance of selecting a loco not aligned with the exit road and driving it off is probably a more likely risk than the rolling loose vehicle.

 

David

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kiwinewt

Hi Jan

 

The previous version didn't have the problem. The runners hold the yard horizontally quite nicely so there isn't much gradient on the shelves. Even my most free running stock doesn't roll about. I am considering how to switch the DCC power off to the unselected levels. The chance of selecting a loco not aligned with the exit road and driving it off is probably a more likely risk than the rolling loose vehicle.

 

David

 

Could you not mount end-boards for the non-track-level stock?

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  • RMweb Gold
Fen End Pit
  • RMweb Gold

yes, I could fit a side with just a 'hole' at the exist level. It would also have the advantage of keeping the dust out. I might think about that too. Cutting the power to the non-aligned tracks still seems like a good idea though.

David

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