Leaderboard

As was mentioned before I'd ordered some 'Easy Street' girder rail for the proposed extension to'Grime Street', it's produced in the US and available from http://www.proto87.c...tcar-track.html (usual disclaimer) So what do you get? Well this is a twin left hand points module, as you can see you also need the plain and curved track sections to complete a working point, so I duly ordered some! Also shown is one of the downloadable drawings available on the Proto 87 website, these are available in quite a few figuarations right up to a 'grand junction' crossing and in various formats (oo/ho, proto87 etc). These I found very handy as you can play around with them to your hearts content. So, time to do some track laying, armed with tweezers, super glue gel and bits of wire (used as joiners) this was the result. I've literally built this road section on a plank, 18mmx144 as I had it to hand and wanted a soild base, which I'll let into a baseboard unit when finished, the points on the trailing crossover will be sprung as this is going to be the line terminus, so little in the way of operational flexibility is required. Overall, very happy so far, need to do some soldering and get it wired up to check for any faults, but it's lived up to its' name so far and been very easy and user friendly, I have a feeling that 'Grime Street' will be being relaid in the near future.

For a variety of reasons I've done no modelling for over two years, but yesterday I managed to arrange things so that I could at least test a scratchbuilt OO point, that I'd built prior to that. The aim is to incorporate this and other copper clad OO points that I have available in a small new OO goods yard layout in due course. It's not currently possible to put any of my existing layouts up at home for any length of time, so it would be good to have something a bit smaller, that I can run my existing OO stock on. I tested the point with a variety of locomotives, so here are two examples. Peckett 0-6-0ST 'Plantagenet' tests the point: And Barclay 0-4-0 diesel 'Buntie' does the same: Cosmetic chairs etc. will be added to the point in due course.

My most recent completed model is this Farish Class 08 in EWS livery. No doubt about to begin a hard life shuffling JNAs up and down my test track until I move house again in the new year...and actually build the layout I've been threatening! I've started taking on select comissions after some serious interest in my work in N gauge - you can find out more here, along with more example sof my work - stevejonesweathering.wordpress.com

I previously explained that I ended up making a tunnel into what used to be a dining area. So, as I munch on this sandwich, I will describe what I did with it. Sized at about 8’ by 5’ I realised that I had an effective storage area of about 8’ by 2’. Again, out with the paper and pencils. The design aim was to provide storage for 6 trains of at least 20 wagons which works out at 6’ by 15” . No way I could fit in a fan of pointwork at each end of that, so my thinking moved towards a traverser. I had built a double entry double exit traverser way back; so I decided to have a go in EM. This is how it turned out. Firstly a general shot. Below and above are cupboards for general storage, the tunnel can be seen at the RH end. Three ball bearing heavy duty drawer slides support the structure, it requires surprisingly little force to move it. The locking mechanism is a spring loaded silver steel bar in linear ball bearings which engages with drilled plate. it is unlocked by a cam which is driven by a geared motor from a central heating motorised valve. Yes, its 240 V but if wiring is sheathed properly that is not a problem. The microswitch senses the unlocked state, power cannot be applied to the track until it is properly locked. I will add another locking mechanism at the other end, I get a bit of mispositioning there. The position of the traverser is detected by reed switches. These feed a relay panel so that the correct up or down feed is only fed to the right traverser lines. A repeater panel with a digital readout of the track selected and the lock status is located in the main layout room. The drive mechanism is a geared motor and a toothed rubber belt. A two speed controller allows for local or eventual remote operation, and it is interlocked so that the traverser has to be properly unlocked before it is moved. All the electronics and switching is in a pull out drawer under the traverser. Also contains a local cab controller so that trains can be shunted independently from the main layout. Finally, a view down the traverser towards the tunnel. Slightly wobbly track, it is just EM trackbase. I might ballast it all one day. I really should treat myself to a decent camera, sorry about the quality of the pics but I think they give a general impression of what is going on. Anyway, hope that is of interest. Back to a bit of styrene cutting.

The turnout leading into the yard got laid today, this leads off from the loop back into the double-slip in the yard. Once again I've been able to reclaim the V, switch-blades and tie-bars from the previous layout. The point was built on a copy of the Templot template off the baseboard and then stuck in position on the marks I had previously cut into the cork. You'll see various tools sprinkled around the layout. The original box of 'Brook-Smith' gauges, the 10BA bolts which I'm using to solder the rail ends to at the baseboard edges and just showing your truly, a little mirror I use when aligning track. This is a really useful tool when laying track as it allows you to see along the line. The view from the yard shows quite a pleasing line (along with the end of Fen End Pit!) Progress on the layout is great, but it isn't the kind of thing you can take out on a Friday evening to work on around a kitchen table. I'd followed Marcus' EHertsGER blog and was most impressed with the chassis he was building for his F4 tank. I'd build one of these in about 1985 (gulp) and had several goes at the chassis, none of which I'd been particularly happy with. The original Gibson sprung hornblocks and absence of any 'turn' on the carrying wheels meant that it was a very poor runner and just couldn't get around curves. I'd rebuilt it firstly with a flexichas beam system, one beam at the front and a pair at the rear. I'd also toyed with attempts to make radial axleboxes before finally settling on a 'phony-truck' as Marcus has done (though I never thought up the name, he should patent that). This version using CSB (Continuous Springy Beam) to provide springing so I will be interested to see how it goes. The quality of the etchings (produced and sold by Rumney Models) is superb. The High Level gearbox went together beautifully and the chassis folded up very nicely. In place are the axle jigs, designed to allow the coupling rods to set the position of the hornblock guides. If that wasn't enough I've been drawing up baseboards for the rebuilding of Fen End Pit. David

Time to start on a new layout. After Brafferton, I want a bit of a change; a smaller layout and a different era. Hull Bridge will be a Hull and Barnsley layout set in the early c20th. Hull Bridge itself is a fictitious location and supposes that the H&BR built another small goods yard just east of Sculcoates goods station, on the opposite side of the River Hull. It will be urban in nature with ranges of warehousing and goods handling facilities. I already have a baseboard, built with foamboard, that was originally intended for a BR blue layout subsequently aborted as James lost interest in model railways. I have successfully used this technique for baseboard construction before on Masham. I have also decided to go back to basics, so the trackwork is all copperclad soldered construction and of necessity I will have to scratchbuild/kitbash much of the stock. The buildings will be generally of card construction with brickpaper rendering. So far I have developed a track plan and applied this to the existing baseboard. I have made a start on track work with some lengths of plain track and one crossover manufactured. ] I have yet to finalise the scenic features and would welcome any input on the nature of the buildings and any photographic examples that might help me along. As always, any comments are more than welcome.

Finally got around to numbering the mainline fleet with plates from Narrow Planet.... 805 'Suddery Cathedral' - needs N W letters still. 503 'Colonel Henry Regaby' 704 'Duke of Gordon' Much better I feel!

After much feverish activity Grime Street board 3 made its public debut yesterday at the Festival of Tramway Modelling in Manchester, despite all the recent activity it's not quite finished but nearly there had to be good enough. The Magnorail cyclist performed faultlessly all day, even though I've still not got round to painting the figure yet, seemingly more interesting than the rest of the layout put together! Faller car system needs a little work yet but in general will be ok. Andy Burrows gave me a lift for the day and his build of Leeds post war car was guesting and looking very striking in its 'as brand new' light blue livery. So a few shots which with my usual planning only one shows board 3.....I'll do some more today if I get chance. pics are by myself and Andy....his are the good ones.....