Castle Aching

[Donw]

Stationmaster Mike recommended some close foam stuff but that will probably cost a bit.  I am not a great believer in floating track as usually once ballasted and fixed with PVA it is pretty solid. I have seen copydex recommended. I have used it to fix things down. It is I assume latex based as it is rather rubbery. If you are building your own track I think a good flat base is ideal. Ply is fine to raise the track a little thick card can be used. To raise it more something thicker with thin ply on top would be good. Mind you my portable layout has the track mounted on polystyrene packing from new flat pack units about 20mm thick as it started as a test track using odd bits of peco track I didn't bother with the ply but to be honest just some decent card would be good enough.

I am surprised at Jim's problems with balsa partly I suppose because 2mm is a bit more sensitive and 3/8ths is quite thick so perhaps can compress more I just think someones been a bit heavy handed. you shouldn't need much pressure building track and it is normal to use something to spread the load and keep things flat if placing on weights while the pva sets. Incidently one of my concerns with copydex is whether the rubbery stuff causes bumps anyway. 

Foam board is to my mind is perhaps too easy to compress so not my first choice although 5mm topped with 2mm ply would be ideal I think. 

 

Don

[corneliuslundie]

For my yard on Sarn I have used well sieved wood ash kindly supplied by a friend and therefore free. I took out the white bits and only used the very fine particles as the yard would probably have been ballasted in the first place with ash anyway. I haven't got around to photographing it but to my mind it looks fine, not too tidy and suitably grey and dirty. I just used a 50/50 water/Resin W mix with a little washing up liquid, applied generously and left to dry out. For the very short length of running line on the layout (a few inches) I am as yet undecided but I am sure that a Cambrian twig would not have used best granite. Indeed, for a while the Cambrian used waste from the Van lead mines, until it was realised what a good abrasive it was and the effect it was therefore having on the rolling stock.

I use cork as an underlay, on top of the ply substructure. But then I don't have yards of shoulder to shape. But I agree that once ballasting, wiring etc are complete the track is not very flexible whatever it is laid on.

Jonathan

[Edwardian]

Generally speaking, photographs suggest that, at least up to the turn of century, the typical M&GN station showed FB with ash ballast over the sleepers. When replaced by BH, this tends to be accompanied by some form of gravel ballast.

 

The GER seems to have had more BH earlier on in the County, and in station areas this can often be seem with deep ash ballast, but, again, there seems to be a transition to gravel ballast on running lines.

 

This, admittedly brief and unscientific, survey, suggests that the WN's newly upgraded running lines and loop should be chaired BH with gravel ballast, and everywhere else spiked FB rail with ash ballast. 

 

But, further information and thoughts welcome!

[Compound2632]

Are the local beaches more sand than shingle? I believe it was the South Eastern's use of Dungeness shingle that was a contributory factor to the blanket 60 mph speed limit - though with the greatest respect, I cannot imagine that that would be a consideration for the West Norfolk.

 

West Norfolk: now as you know, my LNWR wagon modelling is in the diamonds-only period, so I have a surfeit of WNR wagon lettering, should you be interested...

Edited September 25, 2017 by Compound2632

[Edwardian]

Are the local beaches more sand than shingle? I believe it was the South Eastern's use of Dungeness shingle that was a contributory factor to the blanket 60 mph speed limit - though with the greatest respect, I cannot imagine that that would be a consideration for the West Norfolk.

 

West Norfolk: now as you know, my LNWR wagon modelling is in the diamonds-only period, so I have a surfeit of WNR wagon lettering, should you be interested...

 

Sand, at least Burnham Overy and Holkham, where we used to go.  I am assuming the gravel was imported when the mainline was upgraded at the turn of the century.

 

Lettering, now there's a thought!  Thank you.

 

I think the WN would have followed the trend to larger initials, following the GE in particular, so c. 1903.  That gives me scope to have a few new/newly lettered WN wagons with the large letters, for which the W N of LNWR would be perfect.

 

A sample of the earlier livery below...

[teaky]

A quick search of the web turned up this description:

 

"Green Scene ballast is made from granulated fruit stones and is then coated with a waterproof plasticised paint. It is therefore lightweight and colour-fast.
As it is made from a wood material, damage to wheel flanges is not a problem, and unlike granite, this product will retain its colour even when wetted with PVA and water."

 

 

Incidentally, it seems they cannot agree on the company name.  The above came from the DCC Supplies website and shows pictures of the packaging clearly labelled "Green Scene" yet on their own website they call themselves "Green Scenes".  It's playing havoc with my apostrophe sensitivities. 

Edited September 25, 2017 by teaky

[Edwardian]

I do not know the material, but I do know that its colour-fast unlike other ballasts I have tried. Maybe a quick e-mail to them would answer your question?

 

A quick search of the web turned up this description:

 

"Green Scene ballast is made from granulated fruit stones and is then coated with a waterproof plasticised paint. It is therefore lightweight and colour-fast.

As it is made from a wood material, damage to wheel flanges is not a problem, and unlike granite, this product will retain its colour even when wetted with PVA and water."

 

 

Incidentally, it seems they cannot agree on the company name.  The above came from the DCC Supplies website and shows pictures of the packaging clearly labelled "Green Scene" yet on their own website they call themselves "Green Scenes".  It's playing havoc with my apostrophe sensitivities. 

 

Thanks to you both.

 

After Ian's post, I emailed Green Scene(s).  Mr Green Scene is one John Lloyd, who sent me a very prompt response from his 'phone:

 

 Hi James

 

Thank you for your enquiry

It is made from crushed and graded walnut shells

Which is then painted with waterproof paint

  Best regards

John

 

That's good customer service, and I look forward to becoming one of his customers in due course.

[Nearholmer]

The LBSCR, SER, IoWRys, and I think the LC&D were all shingle users, and the SR persisted with it in these areas until the Sevenoaks derailment. I'm not sure how the development of Meldon quarry relates to the changeover to decently shaped stones, but I think it was partly driven by bad experience with shingle.

 

Always go back to primary sources ........ see below for the strange 'jumble sale' of ballast that was described in the Sevenoaks derailment inquiry report.

Edited September 25, 2017 by Nearholmer

[mullie]

If you suffer from subsidence due to the use of foam board, all you need is to build in a bit of coastal erosion and you have a real Norfolk layout!

 

Hat...... coat.....................gone!

[uax6]

My thoughts on your roads are this:

 

I'd lay on something hardish and if you get drumming shove sound deadening under the boards. You want something that is going to be consistently flat, and non-squashable, and if you are going to pva your 'ballast' it may as well be hard too.

 

Track: Pick your date and work out how hard up the company is at any one time. Do you really need Bull head in the platform road? Your trains here are going to be moving at slow speed, so high quality track is not a concern here (Look at the amount of terminal stations now that have what is frankly pi*s poor P-way!).

 

Nick the running head every 35 or 45 feet, as that would be about the sort of length of the rails or the period (Oh, and make sure all vehicles have metal wheels)

 

Ballast. Again all the yard and station can have the cheapest quality ballast, so will probably be ash (It's central heating season, so if you want ash let me know and you can have anthracite ash from my rayburn. I can keep differing colours in differing bags if required!), the bullhead bits my have ash or gravel or stone.

 

Andy G

[corneliuslundie]

Precisely - hence the recent HST derailment at Paddington!

Newtown station still has bullhead in the platforms but the runnings lines either side have long been modern FB.

Jonathan

[TheQ]

Being a impecunious, country line I suspect that the line would have used something local like carrstone for ballast, which is often a nice golden colour, and convieniently could be replicated with sand and just a little over painting. Carrstone may be soft, but it's at least better than chalk which the line I'm modelling started off with...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrstone

[Edwardian]

Track components?

 

I am pretty much sorted for plain track.  I have plain BH track (SMP/Marcway) as seen in some of the pictures.  I also FB rail and PCB sleepers.

 

FB Points

 

The FB rail can also be used for the 2 yard points.  I need some longer pieces of PCB for the point sleepering.  SMP supply http://www.marcway.net/list3.php?col=head&name=PCB, and C&L supply http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=346_347_359_649&product_id=3476

 

BH Points

 

I need to acquire some BH rail, SMP (http://www.marcway.net/list3.php?col=head&name=RAILS), which offers a price advantage, or C&L (http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=346_347_350_351&product_id=3287)

 

For the 3 BH points, C&L supply the plastic components, sleepereing with chairs, leaving the modeller to form the 'V's, blades and checkrails for themselves.  These contain "approx 20 slide chairs, 140 running rail chairs and 50 timbers" and cost £14.40 per point, http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=346_347_358

 

The plastic sleepering (apparently without chairs) can also be bought separately: http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=346_347_359_648&product_id=3474; http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=346_347_359_648&product_id=4186. Not sure which pack would be best.

 

Could I simply use PCB sleepering on the BH points with added chairs?

 

Chairs (3 bolt to match the SMP track) are C&L, http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=346_347_348&product_id=3238.  I don't see that SMP supply chairs.

 

The 'V's and blades can be bought pre-formed from C&L, but would be prohibitively expensive for me, so I will have to form my own.  I suppose that I do this using either BH or FB rail depending upon the point in question.

 

I suppose I need other things, such as tie-bars, and rail-joiners.  No real ideas about this yet, or how to operate the points.

 

Cutting the rail to represent short lengths, as Andy G says, and applying cosmetic fish-plates would also seem necessary. While something like 30'-45' seems suitable for the BH, the older FB track could be as little as 20'-25' long. I intended to have only metal wheels, so I should have non-DCC sound in the form of a nice clickerty-clack.

 

Any further thoughts or suggestions most welcome.

[St Enodoc]

Track components?

 

I am pretty much sorted for plain track.  I have plain BH track (SMP/Marcway) as seen in some of the pictures.  I also FB rail and PCB sleepers.

 

FB Points

 

The FB rail can also be used for the 2 yard points.  I need some longer pieces of PCB for the point sleepering.  SMP supply http://www.marcway.net/list3.php?col=head&name=PCB, and C&L supply http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=346_347_359_649&product_id=3476

 

BH Points

 

I need to acquire some BH rail, SMP (http://www.marcway.net/list3.php?col=head&name=RAILS), which offers a price advantage, or C&L (http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=346_347_350_351&product_id=3287)

 

For the 3 BH points, C&L supply the plastic components, sleepereing with chairs, leaving the modeller to form the 'V's, blades and checkrails for themselves.  These contain "approx 20 slide chairs, 140 running rail chairs and 50 timbers" and cost £14.40 per point, http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=346_347_358

 

The plastic sleepering (apparently without chairs) can also be bought separately: http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=346_347_359_648&product_id=3474; http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=346_347_359_648&product_id=4186. Not sure which pack would be best.

 

Could I simply use PCB sleepering on the BH points with added chairs?

 

Chairs (3 bolt to match the SMP track) are C&L, http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=346_347_348&product_id=3238.  I don't see that SMP supply chairs.

 

The 'V's and blades can be bought pre-formed from C&L, but would be prohibitively expensive for me, so I will have to form my own.  I suppose that I do this using either BH or FB rail depending upon the point in question.

 

I suppose I need other things, such as tie-bars, and rail-joiners.  No real ideas about this yet, or how to operate the points.

 

Cutting the rail to represent short lengths, as Andy G says, and applying cosmetic fish-plates would also seem necessary. While something like 30'-45' seems suitable for the BH, the older FB track could be as little as 20'-25' long. I intended to have only metal wheels, so I should have non-DCC sound in the form of a nice clickerty-clack.

 

Any further thoughts or suggestions most welcome.

You just need to watch out for different thicknesses of sleepers/timbers. SMP copperclad is 1.2 mm thick - not sure about C&L.

[Edwardian]

You just need to watch out for different thicknesses of sleepers/timbers. SMP copperclad is 1.2 mm thick - not sure about C&L.

 

Thanks, I did not realise.  I think for rails and PCB sleepers I will stick to SMP.

 

C&L for chairs and query whether I should also have C&L plastic sleepering for the BH points?  Probably not if the difference in depth applies to plastic sleepers.

 

As for the rest - how to make them and make them work - well, it's a mystery wrapped in an enigma placed in a screw top jar with a stuck-fast lid on a high shelf out of reach in a place without steps.

 

Now I come to think about it, WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?!?

Edited September 26, 2017 by Edwardian

[Edwardian]

My head is starting to hurt as I try to think through what comes next.

 

Electrickery

 

Every time I see an article that seeks to explain how to wire a point, or "change the polarity", I do, honestly, try to follow it.  Unfortunately, I can derive no sense from any writings on the subject, as, so far as I am concerned, I am a peasant from the Dark Ages and electricity is magic.

 

Do any wiring issues influence how the points are constructed?

 

Point operation?

 

This seems to require some measure of forward planning, as a hole of some dimension or other must be provided below the point.

 

Motors?  This would add considerably to the cost and complexity, and, of course, they are operated by magic, so I should probably just forget about them.

 

But then, do hand-built points need a motor to keep the blades in position?

 

I often hear of "wire and tube" and, while the basic concept is simple enough for me to grasp, this method is more often referred to than described in the sort of detail that permits of practical emulation.

 

My wood butchery is not exactly what you would call "precision carpentry", and the points will not be at right angles to the board (not that, truth be told, the boards feature many right angles), so lining up a rod to operate them from the front of the board seems ambitious.

 

Ballast

 

If we ever get that far, I quite like the look of this as gravel ballast for the running lines:  http://www.green-scenes.co.uk/store/product/gs-406. 

 

This is the 4mm scale version.  Every layout article I have ever rad states that they used "N gauge" ballast for 4mil/OO. Which rather begs a question of manufacturers of scale ballast .... .   So, I would naturally have plumped for their 2mm scale ballast, however, IanLMS stated above (post 5326) that "I use their "scale sized" OO gauge ballast and I am very happy with it. Supposedly, they actually went to various sites, measured the actual ballast stones in the location and graded chippings to match the scale".  Thank you Ian.

 

The ballast pictured below is Green Scenes' brown and "light grey" ballast (http://www.green-scenes.co.uk/store/product/gs-409).  The latter looks to me to be a fairly yellow grey, rather than white grey (which I wanted to avoid), and so I wonder if mixing the two might be OK?

 

Mikkel of this parish has considered C&L foam underlay, and Edwardian ballasting practice and a comparison of gravel ballast and Carr's Ash, here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/75/entry-713-cl-underlay-and-carrs-ballast/

 

Carr's ballast is available from Phoenix/Precision, and the ash ballast is the assumed choice for all non-upgraded WN track, which will include all sidings and some or all of the branches that are still laid to FB. On the Precision site that product illustrations are still "coming soon", so here is a picture of a layout called "Bacup", featured on another forum site, New Railway Modellers.  Apologies for the appropriation.

 

 

[corneliuslundie]

Yes, definitely two thickness of PCB sleeper strip. One is 1 mm. I don't know about the other.

Filing crossing Vees is not hard, but remember that at the point of the Vee, the filed part,of each rail is bent, not straight. There are various articles about this around. If you are stuck say so and I'll try to do a drawing. It is not difficult if you have the track gauges. But make sure also you have a suitable check rail gauge.

You need strength for the BH pointwork so i suggest that you use PCB here as well, with cosmetic chairs (half-chairs stuck on afterwards, nearly as much fun as adding bolt heads to PO wagons).

For the FB track, what is holding the rail down (and I don't mean the solder)? There should be the heads of the spikes, but this is also very tedious.

And don't cut the rail right through at the joints just a nick. Then add cosmetic etched fishplates. And no Peco rail joiners please!

Finally, it is really best to make sure that each length of rail has a dropper added before installation as it is unwise to rely on rail joiners for electrical continuity. And adding them later is not good for the soul.

Does all this sound like the voice of experience?!

Jonathan

[Les le Breton]

Stationmaster Mike recommended some close foam stuff but that will probably cost a bit.  I am not a great believer in floating track as usually once ballasted and fixed with PVA it is pretty solid. I have seen copydex recommended. I have used it to fix things down. It is I assume latex based as it is rather rubbery. If you are building your own track I think a good flat base is ideal. Ply is fine to raise the track a little thick card can be used. To raise it more something thicker with thin ply on top would be good. Mind you my portable layout has the track mounted on polystyrene packing from new flat pack units about 20mm thick as it started as a test track using odd bits of peco track I didn't bother with the ply but to be honest just some decent card would be good enough.

I am surprised at Jim's problems with balsa partly I suppose because 2mm is a bit more sensitive and 3/8ths is quite thick so perhaps can compress more I just think someones been a bit heavy handed. you shouldn't need much pressure building track and it is normal to use something to spread the load and keep things flat if placing on weights while the pva sets. Incidently one of my concerns with copydex is whether the rubbery stuff causes bumps anyway. 

Foam board is to my mind is perhaps too easy to compress so not my first choice although 5mm topped with 2mm ply would be ideal I think. 

 

Don

 

I have used Woodland Scenics, track underlay on my Aberaeron layout http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/115981-aberaeron-station/page-3. I used Woodland Scenics own adhesive which seemed to behave like a cross between PVA and Copydex. My reasoning came as a result of my loco test track, which is a baseboard of 6mm ply. It resonates to all train traffic in the same way that a guitar does! Aberaeron has the same baseboard structure and the Woodland Scenics, track underlay seems to work well. I have yet to add a coat of ballast but the depth of the track positioning in the underlay looks suitable for a reasonable covering of ballast.

I have followed Castle Aching for some time and enjoyed the banter between knowledgeable railway modellers. You have brightened many a difficult day with family health issues, a real tonic. Thank you all.

[Edwardian]

Thank you Gentlemen.  Must to consider and absorb.

 

 

 

I'd lay on something hardish and if you get drumming shove sound deadening under the boards. You want something that is going to be consistently flat, and non-squashable, and if you are going to pva your 'ballast' it may as well be hard too.

 

 

 

Fair point.  Iain Rice implies that if you use school PVA with non-stone ballast, you obtain a more flexible mixture.

 

 

 

Track: Pick your date and work out how hard up the company is at any one time. Do you really need Bull head in the platform road? Your trains here are going to be moving at slow speed, so high quality track is not a concern here (Look at the amount of terminal stations now that have what is frankly pi*s poor P-way!).

 

 

 

Fair point.  It is not a through station.  It might look odd, though, if, outside the station, the running line suddenly turned to BH.

 

There is a case for retaining FB (and ash ballast) throughout.  I could box up the SMP BH plain track for a future project and just build all the plain track with FB/PCB.  Oh, the agony of indecision!

 

 

 

 

Nick the running head every 35 or 45 feet, as that would be about the sort of length of the rails or the period (Oh, and make sure all vehicles have metal wheels)

 

 

 

Or, perhaps, even shorter lengths (20'-25') for older FB rail?

 

 

 

Ballast. Again all the yard and station can have the cheapest quality ballast, so will probably be ash (It's central heating season, so if you want ash let me know and you can have anthracite ash from my rayburn. I can keep differing colours in differing bags if required!), the bullhead bits my have ash or gravel or stone.

 

 

 

 

And to think, our old unsold hose had a wood-burning boiler! 

 

Have burnt coal (filthy stuff to have in the house!), but not knowingly specifically anthracite. That is a kind offer and I would be interested, thank you.

 

 

Being a impecunious, country line I suspect that the line would have used something local like carrstone for ballast, which is often a nice golden colour, and convieniently could be replicated with sand and just a little over painting. Carrstone may be soft, but it's at least better than chalk which the line I'm modelling started off with...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrstone

 

That would seem to fit well with the Green Scene brown ballast.

 

 

You just need to watch out for different thicknesses of sleepers/timbers. SMP copperclad is 1.2 mm thick - not sure about C&L.

 

 

Yes, definitely two thickness of PCB sleeper strip. One is 1 mm. I don't know about the other.

 

 

 

Good, thanks both, will stick with SMP then.

 

 

 

Filing crossing Vees is not hard, but remember that at the point of the Vee, the filed part,of each rail is bent, not straight. There are various articles about this around. If you are stuck say so and I'll try to do a drawing. It is not difficult if you have the track gauges. But make sure also you have a suitable check rail gauge.

 

 

Noted, thanks

 

 

 

You need strength for the BH pointwork so i suggest that you use PCB here as well, with cosmetic chairs (half-chairs stuck on afterwards, nearly as much fun as adding bolt heads to PO wagons).

 

 

Understood.  That makes sense and that is what I will do.  With aforesaid SMP PCB, to be purchased in longer strips.

 

 

 

For the FB track, what is holding the rail down (and I don't mean the solder)? There should be the heads of the spikes, but this is also very tedious.

 

 

 

Yes, the Elephant in the Four Foot.  It should have spikes.  Have you found anything suitable for said spikes in 4mil?

 

 

 

And don't cut the rail right through at the joints just a nick. Then add cosmetic etched fishplates. And no Peco rail joiners please!

 

 

Understood.  You will be pleased to know that the use of Peco rail-joining "fishplates" has never been under consideration!

 

 

 

Finally, it is really best to make sure that each length of rail has a dropper added before installation as it is unwise to rely on rail joiners for electrical continuity. And adding them later is not good for the soul.

 

 

Ah, I knew magic would come into this somewhere.

 

2 wires, one to each rail? No, I'm not joking here. 

 

 

 

Does all this sound like the voice of experience?!

 

 

Yes

 

 

Edited September 26, 2017 by Edwardian

[Edwardian]

I have used Woodland Scenics, track underlay on my Aberaeron layout http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/115981-aberaeron-station/page-3. I used Woodland Scenics own adhesive which seemed to behave like a cross between PVA and Copydex.

 

That is worth considering.  Mikkel has used a C&L foam underlay.

 

I like the sound of the glue, which might dry more flexibly than straight PVA - to be investigated further.

 

 

 

I have followed Castle Aching for some time and enjoyed the banter between knowledgeable railway modellers. You have brightened many a difficult day with family health issues, a real tonic. Thank you all.

 

Glad to hear it, and thanks for being here; this lot and their knowledgeable banter certainly keep me going! 

 

EDIT: Something weird happened and this post ended up split into two - Part one is on the previous page!

Edited September 26, 2017 by Edwardian

[ianLMS]

Here are pictures of the ballast on my layout using the "scale 4mm" stuff - it has a reddish brown tint to it which I quite like and probably suitable for layouts in North Yorks/Cumbria area. I will check tonight and let you know what colour I purchased. Fixed it down using the standard pva/water/washing up liquid mix - however, I have found that Duluxe Materials Ballast Bond is superb stuff!! Ready mixed, just spray water on the ballast and dribble the solution over it and walk away for a few hours. Very strong and no issues with mixing a solution that's too weak, allowing the ballast to become loose again! trust me - been there, done that!

 

As with all my ballast, ground cover I weather it using a variety of weathering powders, pigments, washes and ash/coal dust.

 

The wagon sidings was ballasted using ash from my open fire covered over a DAS clay layer pushed in between the sleepers and across the tracks. This may be more suitable for CA and the period you are modeling. Stone in this part of the country tends to be flint or chalk - neither much use for ballasting track with but great for buildings. Any granite/limestone type materials had to be shipped/carted in I guess.

 

A few pics here might help with your search: http://www.suffolktouristguide.com/Lost-Railways-of-Suffolk-and-East-Anglia.asp - the one of Worstead (nr Norwich/Wroxham) looks like it is ballasted with stone chippings and the pic circa's around 1905.

Edited September 26, 2017 by ianLMS

[runs as required]

Sorry but a pretty baubble just distracted me from ballasting:

I do think you need this as a Dandified occasional visitor to the WNR (with a Sandringham bound VIP)

dh

[Compound2632]

Sorry but a pretty baubble just distracted me from ballasting:

I do think you need this as a Dandified occasional visitor to the WNR (with a Sandringham bound VIP)

dh

 

That's a challenge - combining as it does the early glimmerings of Johnsonian elegance with the slotted splashers and Alexander Allan-type front end that are being addressed elsewhere...

[ianLMS]

here is a link to a picture of Swaffham Prior station I believe, just down the road from Castle Acre, so probably suitable for CA. Uniform suggest Edwardian so may be around the right era. Note the ballast appears quite fine etc. Several other good pics in Bing Images or Google Images if you search Swaffham Railway.

 

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=4J7FyPgZ&id=6CAD13EFF4FFBA82FB1E2A9BC9C379A7AC6F272F&thid=OIP.4J7FyPgZw-7nMBRubFus9gEsDH&q=pictures+of+swaffham+railway+station&simid=607986797586091028&selectedindex=31&mode=overlay&first=1

 

Ian

Edited September 26, 2017 by ianLMS

[scotcent]

A  few  points  made  have  resonance  for  me.  I  was  much  involved  in  our  "Bonnybridge"  layout  many  years  ago.  The  main  lines  were  ballasted  with  (I  think)  some  granite  stuff;  but  the  goods  yard  was  presumed  to  have  been  ash  ballast  laid  about  30  years  previously.  I  got  some  coarse  "Pollyfilla"  or  equivalent,  well  diluted  with  water,  and  coloured  with  powder  paint,  and  sploshed  it  around  with  a  1"  paint  brush,  which  left  the  sleepers  visible,  but  virtually  flush  with  the  ballast.  (This  was  an  impecunious  secondary  line  built  in  the  1880's).  A  bit  of  paint  detailing  finished  it  off.

On  my  own  layout  I  used  (on  someone's  recommendation)  5mm  camping  mat  as  underlay,  mostly  laid  with  carpet  adhesive.  It  is  very  prone  to  permanent  deformation,  eg  by  a  careless  elbow,  and  it  gives  no  improvement  in  sound  insulation.  The  track  is  fixed  down  variously  with  carpet  adhesive,  PVA,  and  Copydex,  and  a  few  sections  are  only  pinned  loosely  down.  Interestingly  these  latter  are  the  only  bits  which  don't  transmit  any  loco  noise,  and  the  difference  when  a  loco  is  running  along  is  most  striking.

 

Allan  F