Andy R

I’m sure with your standards of modelling the interior will be great! Regards Andy R

Hey Les- sorry I missed the Hamilton show due to having medical checks. Just finished the three way point so dived into the single slip next along- challenging I can tell you! Regards Andy

Point making progress... Before we head to UK for my sons wedding to a lovely english lady I have managed some time down in the man-cave with point making for the new station terminus. One photo shows how I am trying to get the track to flow from one point to another through using one length of rail for the stock rails flowing from one point to another and /or into each frog (I think you will get what I mean?). Another shows the little pinch device I have made that helps me file the SMP c.75 BH rail for blades and/or frogs. Just place the rail into the slot under the wood, screw down the coach bolts and file away! Easy and effective. Another shows the tie bar system I use- SMP tie bars have ordinary dress makers pins inserted and then bent 90 degrees and cut to length so that the point blades can be soldered to them. This gives max flexibilty and places no strain on the point blades movement. Again simple and effective. regards Andy R

Andy P - cheers for your encouragement and I like the Gordon S test! I will remember that as I grind rail and set up points. At least copperclad is a little forgiving and able to be reworked if needed. It fun doing this in a macabre sort of way.... Back to the man cave! Liking your scenery Andy. Regards Andy R

Progress update on new point work As commented earlier the progress will I fear, be rather slow but steady (in a tortise sense..) and have managed several quite periods of work in the man-cave amongst other things. The photo attached shows my method of gluing down the PCB sleepers material, cut to size using the paper templates as the guide. I will proceed to lay out all the PCB in the station throat area as can be seen and then start with the c75 BH rail matching and soldering as required to get the right bits in the right places. I try to get as much flowing rail as possible with minimum joins through the points sequence. I have to confess dreading the prospect of hand filing all the point blades and frogs etc.. but Ive done it before and can do it again. It just takes time and patience! The new station baseboard is in two sections (it sits above but on the main baseboard structure) which enables me to raise them up individually as and when I want to work underneath on wiring and eventually point motors (Im thinking tortise motors when the time comes so they can be operated from the portable control panel (as outlined in earlier posts) I will post next photos as and when there is some legitimate progress to be shared. Regards Andy R

Just perfect Les - see you at Hamilton- I'm there Sunday and Monday Andy

Hi Les- re Hamilton no invite for my BLT Dymstock, but likely to be helping on the o gauge as usual. See you one of the days no doubt. regards Andy R

Slow progress on new terminus side... I have started to transfer my track plan sketch onto the new terminus baseboard today. My approach hinges around: a) taping the sketch plan to the top of the baseboard as a temporary measure b) using the SMP point paper templates (I photocopied a whole range several years ago so they can be used for Hawkinsfield) and gradually setting them out in the desired configuration, closely following my sketch. I am moving along the sketch from the station platform/good yard end back towards the station approaches and engine shed. I started with the single slip as its alignment really dictates the position of all the other points in this general location -either into platform 4/goods reception or into the goods yard, and also back the other way into the marshalling yard. (see photos) c) Once I have set out the point templates and taped them all together where they are 'joined' or flow from one to the other, I make small holes through the paper templates (centre line of each) at suitable spots onto the baseboard proper. The idea is to literally 'join the dots' up later when I remove the sketch by drawing lines between all the dots and resetting out all the paper templates in their correct position. d) as I move along the sketch there are several combinations of points that once tapped together may lend themselves to being constructed together on the workbench, then brought back to the layout, which is a different approach from the construction all in-situ approach I employed over at Hawkinsfield Junction station. I think the jury is still out on this- last time I found the in-situ approach hard on the back, but good for alignment and track 'flow', and easy to make slight adjustments as required. My extra SMP code 75 BH flexible track lengths, rail, tie-bars, joiners and copperclad sleeper materials have all been recieved in the mail yesterday and so I can start the daunting process of hand-made points again...I think 18 this time but now a single slip and three-way in that lot....lets see how it goes!!

Andy P- really liking the fields scenery with that farm lane- nice modelling. regards Andy R

Hey Les- great to see you still modelling and wonderful photos again. Atmosphere... that's what your layout has in spades mate. See you at Hamilton Gardens in late October. We head to uk for older sons wedding early November. Slowly working on new hawkinsfield terminus- awaiting parcel from uk of new track making components now. Regards Andy R

Many thanks for your reply. I am assumin from your description that each magnet is located on the inside of the rail but obviously seperated by a couple of mm of ballast. I think your experiences and photos back up several you-tube clips that also show that with the careful choice of magnet and right positioning of them, this can work and assist in aesthetics and operation - particularly after track has been laid- great for retrofitting it seems to me. Really appreciate your photos thanks regards Andy R

Andy P- Many thanks for your praise and support Andrew -coming from such a prolific modeller such as yourself it is very encouraging. regards Andy R

Ben -if you dont mind me asking and if coachman doesnt mind me using his thread to ask, what specs of neodyminum magnets do you use and do you have any photos of how you laid them on your layout? Many thanks, Andy R

New terminus station progress Over the last 2 weeks my friend Rob, who is a good carpenter, has been helping construct the new station baseboard frame and top that sits nicely on the original double beam frame. There are two new boards that will be joined by bolts after the main track has been laid and the electrical wiring work and point motors attached- they can be turned on their sides and lifted up to make this easier before fixing down to the underframe. The photos below hopefully show progress as of today. Now I will glue down cork floor tiles over the 9mm ply then draw the station track layout onto the cork in pencil. You will note the turntable hole has been cut out now as it was easier to do this before fixing down the ply. It is likely, given the cross members below, that I will have to make minor adjustments to the location of points so that colbolt motors can be secured beneath without constraint. But, I know there will be issues with one or two spots and above board motors might need some thought. Anyway, the challenge will be to work with the scaleway point templates I have photocopied to achieve the best-fit into the overall track plan, the best geometry and avoiding the timber frame underneath. I have ordered SMP track, copperclad sleeper strip and point accessories from UK needed to start the new station track work. Hopefully these are on the highseas/airways at present and will arrive soon- so work and begin. As with Hawkinsfield Junction before, I find it best to work along the board and sketched track plan from right to left, so that each peice of track or point geometry flows from one to another. I just use eyeball and a mirror to get the track flow about right with track/templates before using the template to cut sleepers to length and offer up the code 75 BH rail and soldering the point components carefully together- trial and error (copperclad method is fairly forgiving in that regard for minor adjustments). And in preparing the rail for point blades, frogs etc I file this all by hand! I have 16 points and a single slip to construct....it will take me time ...theres no hurry! So, the next stage of this journey is underway. Join me for the ride.

Nice work here - the SMP track looks smart. I have ordered mine from Marcway after your advice. Thanks for that assistance regards Andy R

And one more of John Agnews layout - one of the small intermediate stations enroute up to Otira. regards Andy R

Les and other interested members. Went to Auckland yesterday and saw several great layouts. One was John Agnews fantastic Greymouth to Otira layout. Set in the south island of NZ the layout depicts the single line route from the small port town of Greymouth up through the river valleys and gorges into the alpine station of Otira (from here the line goes through the southern alps and down into Christchurch (not in the layout). Hope you like the two photos -superb modelling over 50 years of layout building. Regards Andy R

Hey Les-- thanks for your support. Hope this approach bears fruit- in theory it seems sensible. We had a tauranga club day visit to North Shore MRC premises yesterday. They have a great setup. Also visited one of the best NZR private layouts I have ever seen- JOhn Agnews Greymouth to Otira line- amazing!! I will post a photo later. Google it and see if it's on there. Regards Andy R

My thanks to Andrew P, Richard M and John F for their encouraging remarks on my concept and plan of attack. Lets get into it and enjoy the ride. As said Buckingham Branch remains the inspiration (as it has for many many modelers) in design approach but I am not trying to 'copy' it- just draw on its good ideas of layout design to support meaningful operations in my reasonably intimate man-cave space. Because of the smaller and geographically challenging (in terms of numbers of modellers spread thinly over our country) modelling scene here in NZ, and especially in my local area, this layout is evolving with only occassional help from friends, and reading many inspirational articles and posts on here and in magazines. There are only a couple of friends modelling oo gauge british locally for example. Hence my labouring of the point in my main post above that the layout has to be practicably worked by one person (me) without moving all over the layout room, but also have some scope for operating the two individual stations with others who might come to 'play trains'. In this later scenario the off-scene branch line station (actually the small, second storage yard) will be operated by the junction operator. This has driven me to the decisions outlined above and I feel it is a goer...and worth investing time and energy in making trackwork, etc etc. If it doesnt work according to plan then I take heart from other members of this forum who feel quite comfortable about ripping things up or changing things -its ok to do so if it doesnt work out first time. regards Andy R

Have a pint for me...Im still in NZ! regards Andy R

New phase begins...new terminus planning..... Out with the old...in with the new The old six track storage yard has been cleared away with PECO code 75 points and track saved for the evenual new rotating storage yard in the centre peninsula. I have placed a peice of 12 inch wide plywood in the space the new storage yard will be occupying in the long term. Rotating storage yard concept and design One of the attached photos shows this general set up from the layout door. Obviously the 'temporary' peninsula shown will be replaced by a solidly built peninsula baseboard frame to withstand knocks and hold the train turntable steady on its pivot. I need extra storage/bookcase type space in the room so the peninsula give me this with storage shelves built in below the baseboard. I am satisfied after having it there for many weeks deliberately, and having got robust feedback from some of my regular viewers with thanks, that there is sufficient room (albeit tight) for normal operations to be possible when I am on my own operating - which will be most of the time of course. When mates come around for an operating session there is still sufficient room for a person to operate the terminus, the junction station and move the rotating storage yard as and when required (we just move to the door area and turn it by hand then return to operating positions). The rotating storage yard is to be fed from a new single line junction at the far end of the layout room (after trains leave Hawkinsfield Junction station the double main line becomes single at the new junction), hence through PECO c.75 curved points fanning out on the peninsula and hence feeding the six new storage yard tracks, which when turned (as required) will reverse whole trains. The rotating bit is planned as 1.45 m in length which can accommodate a tender engine and five coaches - this being the same maximum length as the longest terminus platform, and can rotate within the space available. Construction approach I intend to construct the new terminus first and only construct the rotating storage yard after getting all the track work for the new terminus completed and wired up. As stated in earlier posts this new terminus will be hand laid c.75 bullhead SMP track with copperclad c.75 points in-situ, as I did for Hawkinsfield Junction station. This approach allows me to build the track geometry to 'fit' the space available while seeking to get the best possible radius within the confines of the site. The new terminus will sit at the same height datum as the rest of the layout so no gradients will be involved. A new terminus baseboard will be constructed to sit on top of the current plywood beam baseboard that is the solid foundation for the layout now (see pictures). I think keeping it all level is the best way forward for operating performance. The new terminus design The proposed terminus station is a expanded version of the CJ Freezer classic 'minories' but reversed from how he had planned it, with a few add-ons in my case. Several of the photos below try to show the general layout as sketched by me roughly. This layout plan will be accurately transferred onto the new terminus baseboard when that is constructed and then track laid in-situ. The station design, working from left to right of the sketch photos, has a milk/parcels bay closest to the wall, then main platform 2 (the longest at loco and 5 coaches), then platorm 3 (another long platform at loco and 4 coaches), then a goods reception road/platform, and then the small goods yard fanning from that road. Working back towards the camera spot is a long station throat with several cross-overs to allow running around and a small three track marshalling yard to hold good trains or possibly coaches as required. This is accessed from the single-slip which also connects with the single line continuous run to the far right of the sketch photos. Having just completed the new hand operated point levers for Hawkinsfield junction station with them all operating fine, I do not plan to use this mechanism again for the new terminus. Why? -because when operating the layout by myself I intend to be able to operate the new terminus points remotely from the Hawkinsfield junction side via a new, portable, control panel. The aim here is to be able to run trains from the termnus via the junction to the storage yard when standing at the junction. The terminus will have servo-type points installed. But when mates are in to help operate this panel will be wired to the layout via a multi plug at junction or at terminus so the panel can be shifted across to the terminus side and plugged in to control the terminus points without both operators standing at Hawkinsfield junction area. A visit last night by my good electronic frend has convinced me this is entirely practicable and as I am hopeless at electronics, who am I to argue with Kevin- he will do it for me! So, thats the latest thinking for Hawkinsfield. I hope people find it interesting. Its a challenge but someone has to do it! regards Andy R

Alan - In looking at these wonderful photos you are posting, and the many positive responses, I wonder whether we could start a 'save Kingsbridge- Regis' campaign , like what happened in the 50s or 60s through the Railway Modeller when Peter Denny was looking at removing the old canal scene from the old Buckingham! The RM web could be a powerful tool for saving this wonderful layout... Anyway, thank you for posting these wonderful photos, it gives many of us great modelling inspiration. regards Andy R

St Enodoc; The whole competition seems to have been a weird journey with the conference system and the Lions not even playing outside SA until the semi- how does that work? Anyway, the cream always rises to the top and the two teams with most points play final. While wanting NZ crusaders to win (of course) my moneys on the Lions this time. AB-Aussie test coming up soon- lets see how aussie side is now- they usually rise to the AB test occasion regards Andy R

New phase begins: Finally, after much thought and ...procrastination on my part, the storage yard side has been disconnected from the main line circuit today and the yard baseboard and track will be lifted away in the next while. This will create space for the new 'slim-line' terminus station that will be connected back to the mainline circuit where the picture below shows track recently uplifted, and stretch back along the wall the full length to the far end corner. This design makes the most of this wall of the train room for the station approach and marshalling yard area with the main station buildings/platforms and small goods yard area making the most of the far corner end which widens out (see earlier post of possible track plan). There will be a single line connection from the station throat back to the main line at this far end to enable continous running (watching the trains go by...) I will post further phots as the rebuild starts to unfold. New storage yard will be junctioned into a narrow (12 inch max) peninsula. Regards Andy R

St Enodoc - absolutely brilliant straight forward answer to my simple question for which I am most grateful. Yes I apologise to Gordon for the late night time query- which he may see tomorrow, but which you have clarified for me. By the way, as we are both from 'downunder'- do you order SMP/point components through Marcway and if so by phone/email or some other modern communication from aussie? thanks and regards Andy R