[exhibition help]

When?  Bill

[My mojo rose- beginnings of a TT layout set in 21st century Saxony]

Is this an exhibition layout?

 

Bill

[Further planning]

Guys,

 

I like this plan.

 

A couple of options with the signal diagram, although there is nothing wrong with version 6.

 

The Southern Region may have had only one ground disk permitting reversal on the Up line to either the Down line or into the Sidings. It depends how close the points were.

 

The second is that the West Country main line could be very busy. Your plan will not permit the signalman to accept another train on the Up line whilst there is shunting into the Exchange sidings (it's the ¼ mile rule). So there could be an outer home signal back in the Salisbury direction, so the signalman could accept a train to that signal whilst shunting was going on. Probably no impact on your modelled area other than another signal wire leading off stage. There would be less shunting across to the Down line so they probably wouldn't have bothered with an outer home in that direction.

 

By the way, have you considered the architecture of your signal box? The LSWR might have provided a block post with perhaps six levers, so the box would have been replaced when the sidings were installed. You could consider a brick building with flat concrete roof.

 

Bill

 

Bill

[Further planning]

Kelly,

 

One niggle about your trackplan. Whilst the South Western wasn't phobic about facing points on running lines, they were unusual leading into dead end sidings. A more likely design would be a single slip opposite the signal box and a trailing point opposite the distant signal. Oh and a second niggle, the distant signals are far too close to the home signals, I think they should be ¼ mile away.

 

Bill

[Setting up my RSU.]

I have soldered a second wire to my baseplate, ending in a crocodile clip. I rarely use the baseplate any more.

 

Bill

[Starting with brass (and white metal)]

Kelly,

 

I use a variable temperature iron for most of my soldering, turned right down for whitemetal. The problem with the 18W Antex is that it doesn't provide much heat so there is a risk of melting the whitemetal before it forms a joint. The secret of whitemetal soldering is "straight in - straight out".

 

There is a subtle difference between 188 and 145 solder. 188 has a low surface tension so it makes a neat joint but is no good as a filler. 145 has a high surface tension so will form big blobs and is better at filling gaps.

 

I've never got on with liquid fluxes. My favourite flux is powerflow (comes in yellow tubs). It's very good with whitemetal but it is corrosive and must be washed off immediately. If I can't clean my work immediately, and for any electrical jobs, then I'll use Fry's Fluxite.

 

Bill