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Buckingham West


Richard Mawer
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3 hours ago, Mikkel said:

Thanks Richard, I didn't realize there was a lifetime  guarantee on Gaugemaster products. My rolling road is giving me trouble so I might do the same.

 

I like the station building. Incidentally, it's interesting to see the clerestories with dark and white roofs next to each other.  The white looks nicer but the dark more realistic.

 

 

Thanks Mikkel. Its only a standard Metcalf kit, but does the job. I’ll paint the canopy edge.

 

The dark roof coach was second hand. I intend to paint all the white roofs different shades of grey and cream when I weather them. I read that the white lead paint initially aged to a cream colour, but of course there’s then all the soot.

 

Give gaugemaster a call. The guarantee is certainly on controllers.

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9 hours ago, Richard Mawer said:

I also built 12 simple MERG kits. These are train detectors or TOTI. One for each hidden storage loop at Banbury and two for the exit line to monitor progress. They light LEDs when the line is occupied. They are really cheap and easy to make. I already have 2 in the train shed at Buckingham. 

Morning Richard,

In my box of ‘things I haven’t done yet’ are 4 TOTI like yours which are waiting for me to try them out and see how much light they need to work.  Have you added ‘light’ inside the train shed or do they work OK with the ambient light in there?

My alternative is to stop being lazy and do some tests myself :D.

Paul.

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Had inadvertently lost this thread, but it's just magically re-appeared in my 'followed topics' on the revamped RMweb. 

 

This means I've been able to put off modelling tasks in favour of trawling pleasurably through your posts of the last few months.  As ever I'm impressed by the scope and ambition of what you're doing.   You've done a great job with the ballasting, which complements the wonderfully neat tracklaying.  And the loco lamps and crews bring things to life.  Good to reconnect.

 

John C.

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3 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

Morning Richard,

In my box of ‘things I haven’t done yet’ are 4 TOTI like yours which are waiting for me to try them out and see how much light they need to work.  Have you added ‘light’ inside the train shed or do they work OK with the ambient light in there?

My alternative is to stop being lazy and do some tests myself :D.

Paul.

 

Hi Paul.

 

By building some more I’ve realised they have a sensitivity pot. However last time I just installed under the train shed. One worked fine because of the open vent in the roof letting in light. The other was permenantly on, so I added an LED under the roof. No idea why I didn’t tweak the pot.

 

For these in the hidden loops l intend to add LEDs because it will be very dark.

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2 hours ago, checkrail said:

Had inadvertently lost this thread, but it's just magically re-appeared in my 'followed topics' on the revamped RMweb. 

 

This means I've been able to put off modelling tasks in favour of trawling pleasurably through your posts of the last few months.  As ever I'm impressed by the scope and ambition of what you're doing.   You've done a great job with the ballasting, which complements the wonderfully neat tracklaying.  And the loco lamps and crews bring things to life.  Good to reconnect.

 

John C.

 

Nice to have you back on board John.

 

The main issue is how much fun it is to operate - which was the aim! But I operate more than build. There are two frequent teams of operators and quite a few guests. All are welcome.

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1 hour ago, Silver Sidelines said:

Good old Gaugemaster.  Nice and robust, no magic chips that have to be reprogrammed (and sourced)

 

Ray

 

PS Like Mikkel says, white roofs are very splendid but I do rather like the dark finish.

 

Good ol’ fashioned stuff here.

 

Some scenery has to be next, then the coaches.

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MAKING LOADS

 

As well as the 3 new coal wagons I have others where the existing loads didn’t fit well. So I’ve made 10 new coal loads.

 

The coal train comes up loaded, from Severn Tunnel Junc and empties go back. So at the end of a timetable day loads are removed from wagons at the stations and other loads are put in the wagons in the train in the storage loops. The loads are removed using a handle with magnets on the end. Each load has a piece of metal or a magnet in it.

 

I start by cutting polystyrene to shape, then lining the wagon with cling film to prevent the load from being glued to the wagons.

 

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Once the polystyrene is in, I glue the metal on top.

 

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I then pour the coal on top. I use artificial coal. I have no idea what its made of, but it looks the part. I have no link to the company.

 

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I make sure the layer of coal is thin, but covers the polystyrene and the piece of metal. As my coal train is the longest on the layout and has to go up the incline loaded, its important to keep the loads light. The mock coal is quite weighty.

 

When happy with the look, I dribble 50:50 dilute PVA over the loads, making sure there is a drop or two of washing up liquid to break the surface tension and get between the grains. Then I put them in the airing cupboard. The grains quite quickly set, but getting the glue between the coal grains and the polystyrene to set, takes ages due to the lack of air.

 

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After about 24 hours you can normally remove the load carefully using the cling film. I then carefully pull the film off the sides to allow more drying of lower parts. When they are fully dry, remove the cling film and cut off any overhanging excess so the loads fit and are removeable easily.

 

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On 16/03/2019 at 09:09, 5BarVT said:

My alternative is to stop being lazy and do some tests myself :D.

Paul.

I am now the proud owner of a working TOTI.  Thank you for your encouragement.

Paul.

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  • 2 weeks later...

THE LIGHT’S ON BUT.....

 

The TOTIs are now installed and the LEDs are around the rotary selector on the panel.

 

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There is a train in each road which is lit. Its a failsafe so you don’t select a road with a light on. It has been known for operators to misread the timetable. It will also prove the train is fully in when a new LED lights up.

 

The TOTIs work on light but will be under scenery, so I have provided a row of white LEDs above the trains. This is a strip off a roll. It is glued under the first support truss for the lift up scenery. The truss is formed of 2 L shaped plastic strips. 

 

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  • 1 month later...

HOW GREEN IS MY VALLEY?

 

At last some green scenery. 

 

This is City of Bath on the Up Leicester express due into Buckingham West at 9.53am. The train is a cross country service running from Leicester Central up the Great Central and then into Banbury. Here the train splits with the main part running onto Reading via Oxford and a secondary part running to Buckingham. Note the mixed GWR/LNER stock.

 

Above the cutting is Evenley goods yard.

 

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This is the first attempt at some scenery. It is formed of Readygrass Spring grass mat. This has a vinyl backing which can be formed into shapes when warmed by a hairdryer or heat gun. It doesn’t need much support underneath, just the odd ball of screwed up newspaper.

 

Even though cuttings and emankment sides were well tended in the 1930’s and nothing like the tree strewn modern railway, this grass mat is far too uniform to say the least. I am going to try adding some static grass in places as well as bushes. There will certainly be fence posts along the top of the rear cutting side and telegraph posts added.

 

Overall I’m happy with this as a start.

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Yes - a good start.  I have just bought a roll of Woodlands Scenics matting.  Much the same issues.  It has a card backing so not heat gun mouldable.  We are contemplating soaking it.  Perhaps it will mould or we might be able to peel some of the card backing and make it more flexible.

 

Cheers Ray

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  • 1 month later...

BLOCK INSTRUMENTS AND TOKENS

 

Tony Gee, you are right. Somehow you knew I’d go one step further.

 

I’m going to install Block instruments on the mainline.

 

At present we use Block Bells to pass trains between stations, but I’m adding Block instruments which will give us a visual aid to the status. I’m going to use a chicken head knob on a 3 position 2 pole rotary switch to show Normal, Line Clear or Train on Line, operated by the receiving station. This will operate corresponding LEDs on the sending station instrument.

 

The destination drives the train on this layout and track power in the sending station is switched from local to destination “box”, by the sending station pulling off their Advanced Starting Signal. This will remain the same but the second pole of the Block Instrument switch will also be inserted into the circuit so the Instrument will need to be showing Train On Line as well for the power to be connected. This is all very simple to do.

 

The single line branch has always bothered me a bit. Luckily the trains are not too frequent, but there is currently no single line token of any description. Putting in standard Block Instruments will not solve it. But I have devised a simple enough system using push buttons, LEDs and 2 latching 2 pole relays. After accepting a train on the bells, the destination box will press a Release button and the sending box will press a Take Token button. This fires a relay that gives a green light to the sender and a red light to the destination. It mimics taking a token out. The system is locked until the destination presses his Replace Token button. Only then can either end initiate the process again. The second pole of the relay connects power between the 2 stations as well as the Starting Signals.

 

I’ve ordered the parts so I’ll keep you posted.

 

Must do more scenery too.

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Funny you should mention tokens Rich as I've been vaguely wondering how easy it would be to do something like this on my layout.

 

Does your scheme allow either box to replace the token or don't you have a need to shunt onto the single line?

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11 minutes ago, Ray H said:

Funny you should mention tokens Rich as I've been vaguely wondering how easy it would be to do something like this on my layout.

 

Does your scheme allow either box to replace the token or don't you have a need to shunt onto the single line?

Hi Ray

 

The way I have designed it, only the destination can “replace”. But It would be easy to change so either could “replace”. For me though, it changes the track power to the destination when a token is “removed” so I don’t want to remove if shunting up the single line. Yes I know its wrong but I can live with that. I think the circuit could also be altered so the sender can “replace” only with the other end pressing “release” at the same time.

 

I should add that I am fitting an override switch to remove the need to press Release and Remove at the same time for 1 man operation: can’t be in 2 places at once!

 

Rich

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Thanks.

 

I'd love to use bells etc but the two operators, when there are two of them, virtually stand back to back with each facing a (different) wall of the garage so bells would be a bit over the top. Luckily with DCC I don't have to worry about track powering for sections!

 

BTW if you're ever out this way and have some time to spare you're more than welcome to pop-in (if we're home!).

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That embankment looks good, be great to see it with fences and telegraph poles etc.

 

Thankfully though, I also dont have the space / capacity for block instruments - I had enough trouble working out the WTT (still subject to change!)

 

Great to see events at Buckingham. 

Regards, Neal.

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8 hours ago, Richard Mawer said:

BLOCK INSTRUMENTS AND TOKENS

The single line branch has always bothered me a bit. Luckily the trains are not too frequent, but there is currently no single line token of any description. Putting in standard Block Instruments will not solve it.

It can do!

WR had a system of direction levers to control a single line in conjunction with (double Line I think) block instruments. I have a copy of the relevant 70s block regulations somewhere.  Probably ends up similar to what you have done.

Paul.

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26 minutes ago, 5BarVT said:

It can do!

WR had a system of direction levers to control a single line in conjunction with (double Line I think) block instruments. I have a copy of the relevant 70s block regulations somewhere.  Probably ends up similar to what you have done.

Paul.

Hi

 

RM Web is great. Such a pool of knowledge. Thanks for this, I’ll delve further.

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1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

That embankment looks good, be great to see it with fences and telegraph poles etc.

 

Thankfully though, I also dont have the space / capacity for block instruments - I had enough trouble working out the WTT (still subject to change!)

 

Great to see events at Buckingham. 

Regards, Neal.

Hi Neal

 

Good to hear from you - even from Spain! Yes loads to do scenery-wise!

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Why not run the branch on the train staff and ticket principal? You could then have a real staff that has to be handed from one operator to the other as track power is applied...

 

As for returning the token to the issuing box - I believe this wasn't possible with the earlier versions (1-3) of the Tyers tablet machines, so if one of those was in use the tablet would have to pass through the section each time...

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11 hours ago, Richard Mawer said:

The destination drives the train on this layout and track power in the sending station is switched from local to destination “box”, by the sending station pulling off their Advanced Starting Signal. This will remain the same but the second pole of the Block Instrument switch will also be inserted into the circuit so the Instrument will need to be showing Train On Line as well for the power to be connected. This is all very simple to do.

You could also connect the signal itself through the switch, so that the signal could only be pulled off when the line is clear.

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15 hours ago, Nick C said:

Why not run the branch on the train staff and ticket principal? You could then have a real staff that has to be handed from one operator to the other as track power is applied...

 

As for returning the token to the issuing box - I believe this wasn't possible with the earlier versions (1-3) of the Tyers tablet machines, so if one of those was in use the tablet would have to pass through the section each time...

Hi

 

It was the early Tyler principle I was working to. It just adds a visual aspect to the passing of a train from one operator to the next.

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14 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

You could also connect the signal itself through the switch, so that the signal could only be pulled off when the line is clear.

Good to hear from you again John. You seem to be making good progress on Cornwall. Any more video?

 

Anyway, thanks for your comments. I had thought about that. Very protypical of course. There are problems though.

1) if the Instrument was set at Normal the Sending box could still pull off the lever, but the signal would show danger. I’m not sure the sending box would actually notice the arm. True the sender would lose power, but that would happen in the current design.

2) The LC and TOL settings would both have to allow the signal to show clear, but to peg the Instrument from one setting to the other would pass through Normal so very briefly the signal would twitch.

3) its an added complication that probably doesn’t affect operation too much.

 

I am struggling to find a purpose for the LC setting, apart from reminding the operators that they have offered and accepted a train. In itself that can be useful on this layout.

 

At planned both operators need to have taken positive action to drive a train. The Instrument needs to show TOL and the Advanced Starter needs to clear.

 

Cheers

 

Rich

 

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