Inspired by Brent June 1947

[The Fatadder]

Just now, kandc_au said:

Rich,

Would it be possible to have the start of the tunnel there ( where you propose) with the branch into a cutting on the tunnel side?
I'll try to explain:

Approach the whole area with a cutting. the cutting disipates away to the front while the hill actually gets rather steep towards the back, so the tunnel works and the branch only goes through a small section of cutting.

 

Khris

That is sort of what I had in my head, I think a mock up should show if it will work or not. It helps that Marley tunnel was built purely to hide the railway from the land owner, and is not particularly deep.

[The Fatadder]

A late DPD delivery from Hattons held up the lunchtime modelling today, as I couldnt head out until it arrived.  This was quite important as the parcel contained my track order with 8 yards of DCC concepts bullhead track (and a pack of their fishplates).  I hadnt really done my research on this, other than seeing Hattons were selling it off at a fair discount vs Peco.  Its a little disappointing that they have not moulded a full chair on the inside rail.  More of an issue is that it uses thin sleepers, I had been planning to reuse surplus exactoscale sleepers along with a few copperclad ones which needed to be purchased.  Instead I now need to buy a a lot more (thin) copperclad strip to use as a basis for the points before I can start on track laying.  

 

Instead I finished off last nights ballasting, I had a bit of a problem here as well in that some of the track started lifting.  All of the track is glued (evostick) on top of Templot print outs.  These were glued to the baseboard with an aerosol impact adhesive.  Ballast is then glued in place with a liberal application of Klear.  Until today I have never had an issue with track moving, but today a 10 inch section started to lift.  I have covered it with the usual Lima ballast weights to hopefully secure it in place until the Klear sets and holds it all down...

 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by The Fatadder

[checkrail]

58 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

Its a little disappointing that they have not moulded a full chair on the inside rail.  More of an issue is that it uses thin sleepers,

Sounds like another over-hyped "best thing since sliced bread" from that notable purveyor of capital letters and exclamation marks.

[The Fatadder]

Just now, checkrail said:

Sounds like another over-hyped "best thing since sliced bread" from that notable purveyor of capital letters and exclamation marks.

I knew that Peco used a half depth inner chair, hence avoiding their product, while I didnt want to go down the C&L route due to the thin sleepers (and a slight concern over the delivery issues many have highlighted).   If the Excactoscale product was still available I would have gone with that once again.

 

The odd thing is that I cant understand why on earth both Peco and DCC Concepts have gone down this route.  I have ran my daughters Thomas & Percy on Brent, along with testing the Lima GWR railcar all with no problems and full thickness chairs.  

 

 

[Siberian Snooper]

Could you cut plasticard strips to pack up each sleeper, to the correct height? A bit of  a long winded way to go about it, of course that's if you can live with the chair problem.

 

 

[Stephen Freeman]

Most Exactoscale is still available from EMGS or Scalefour, though you do have to be a member of both to access everything. 

[The Fatadder]

My understanding (from old C&L) was that the tooling for the OO flex track was getting life expired, so I’d be surprised if S4 / EM society’s would have continued with it.  Either way I’m stuck with what I have now so will have to make do.  At the end of the day it is just a glorified fiddleyard even if I do plan to add point rodding and signals etc.

 

I’ve found a supplier of 1mm thick copper clad sleepers so will get some ordered tomorrow (and hope for rapid delivery).  
tonight I made a start on the track laying.  Normally I don’t bother with functional fishplates (and just glue on scale cosmetic ones after laying) but this time given the stainless steel rail I figured soldering to DCC concepts fishplate should be easier.  But it means i need to build points before moving onto the next section so that the rails can join up.   It also leaves a potential difficulty as I need to solder the rail to a length of existing copper clad at the baseboard joint and don’t have the fancy solder they recomend.  (I’m hoping a ton of heat /flux/ solder will do the job!)

with the track glued down I checked I had enough to do the layout (thankfully i got it right  with one length spare as planned). And moved on to building a scenic core for the ramp from station road into the yard. A length of brick will be added to the joint between yard and raised area, while the retaining wall will be clad in stone.  Tomorrow once all the glue has set I can add the mesh over the rest, and potentially start plastering.

 

 

ivs also given more thought to the lifting board, I think the plan will work with the tunnel mouths in purple and an inverted v shaped bank between the down main and branch. The in being that at the tunnel from the garage door side you can’t see the branch and vice versa from inside the layout.  That way there are photo ops for both.   

[Stephen Freeman]

SKU: 4FT104A (sleeper bases for BH rail 16.5mm gauge) -EMGS have 6 packs in stock. Not sure what length that equates to but I have seen mention of 2 metres per pack, you need to supply your own rail.

[The Fatadder]

27 minutes ago, Stephen Freeman said:

SKU: 4FT104A (sleeper bases for BH rail 16.5mm gauge) -EMGS have 6 packs in stock. Not sure what length that equates to but I have seen mention of 2 metres per pack, you need to supply your own rail.

Thanks, I will make a note of that for the future and look into it before I next start building a layout. 

[The Fatadder]

A little more progress over lunch and the bank between the east access road, the Kingsbridge branch and Station Road is now covered in mesh ready for plastering this evening.  I have also added a run of cork edging which will form the basis of the retaining wall along the edge of the layout.  A brick wall will be added to the front of this, but the cork gives me a rough approximation as to the grass height (the wall will of course go higher).  It means that the core can be built up and blended in to the two ends,  I dont intend to go much further here until the station buildings and goods shed are installed, and the platform and yard surfaces finished, as it poses a higher risk for damage.   Likewise I dont really want to start adding grass to the ramp area until I have a road bridge in place.

 

Following that I laid the cess and infill between tracks for the first third of the mainline that was ballasted over the past few days, the rest will follow this evening, seeing as it is colder than I would like for adding the modroc.  

 

Edited March 19, 2021 by The Fatadder

[The Fatadder]

The fill in ballast for the cess etc is now finished, despite my best efforts to remove it in advance of ballasting I got bleed through of the red marker pen quite badly in a few areas.  A touch up and weathering will resolve...

 

 

I also got the new hill covered in modroc, which makes a big difference.  I think I will try and get the banks sorted around the curve the other side of the bridge next.

[The Fatadder]

One thing I forgot to add last night, the DCC concepts track and its stainless steel rail is proving a pain in the backside.  First it did solder ok with normal electrical solder and a 20w iron applying lots of carrs green label, lots of heat and lots of solder.  So the rail is now attached for the end sleeper and the joint works nicely (something that didn’t work previously with the old code75 as the board height had a slight mismatch.

 

I need to add a short straight section between the first length and the first point.  Unfortunately my trusty old Xurons can’t handle the stainless rail (and were damaged in the process) so I need to remove the dremel from its pillar attachment and have a proper go at it today...

[The Fatadder]

Well done to Railroom electronics  for really rapid turn around in the copperclad order, less well done to me for mixing up metric and imperial measurements and ordering 120cm rather than 120 inches.  So instead of fitting the sleepers today, I had enough for one point and a couple of sleepers for the next.)

 

Will get these glued down later...

[The Fatadder]

The cutting disk made short work of the rail cutting, although a bit of a silly on my part:  I built up a barrier between the area where I was working to protect the rolling stock in the fiddleyard of a disk broke, but didn’t ware any PPE...

 

I then ran out of glue (with a new one not due until Wednesday via Amazon).  There’s still plenty to do with lots of Vees needing to be soldered up (while I also need to find some more rail).   As an aside I have lots of steel rail but naturally I’m reluctant to use it on soldered track so I am hopeful I still have some nickel silver stuff left...

 

With  that done, it was moved onto more scenic prep work.  Expanding the baseboard slightly to the right of the bridge to use wasted space in the corner between the side and end board.   This will give me more space to fit in the houses along the far side of Station Road (and further compounds my lack of space issue)

[The Fatadder]

After a few evenings with no work on the layout, I’ve got on with the next step of the scenic core of the eastern hills.

 

Having previously built up a base of timber and scrap polystyrene.  The next step was to cover in advance of the modroc top coat.   Normally I use the plaster mesh, but with a large area to cover it felt a waste.   However while continuing with the clear up I found some old hand towels, these were stapled over the polystyrene formers to provide a base to work from.  The slope down to the track was made in the usual way with the mesh.  I used up the last of my modroc covering the first 18 inches or so with a first coat.

 

I have rather done this in the wrong order as the rear of the layout would have made sense to do first.  That will be one of the next jobs.   I also really need to get the bridge retaining walls in place as they are critical for getting the final plaster coat laid.

 

 

moving on I found some more scrap wood, to save effort on my visit to the tip next month I have used it as a base for the bank along the front edge.  This will eventually need to be built up further wi the polystyrene or the mesh/modroc mix.

the mesh is pretty crudely applied, stapled at top and bottom.  The cess is touched up after plaster is finished.  Before applying modroc the strips where there is a gap are pulled together to blend in 

the off white towel looks further on than it is here, the whole area still needs plaster

 

the green foam in the foreground will eventually have two semi detached houses added  (at the very least they need designing before I start adding the grass). The road has also been left off for now until I sort the bridge design and determine the final road thickness.

 

 
a view further round the corner giving an indication of the future angles

this should make for a very good photo angle once the bridge is in place along with the other bank 

[Denbridge]

On 18/03/2021 at 15:41, The Fatadder said:

I knew that Peco used a half depth inner chair, hence avoiding their product, while I didnt want to go down the C&L route due to the thin sleepers (and a slight concern over the delivery issues many have highlighted).   If the Excactoscale product was still available I would have gone with that once again.

 

The odd thing is that I cant understand why on earth both Peco and DCC Concepts have gone down this route.  I have ran my daughters Thomas & Percy on Brent, along with testing the Lima GWR railcar all with no problems and full thickness chairs.  

 

 

Don't C&L do thick sleepered track as well as thin? Pretty sure i saw it when costing parts for my new layout

[The Fatadder]

3 minutes ago, Denbridge said:

Don't C&L do thick sleepered track as well as thin? Pretty sure i saw it when costing parts for my new layout

They never used to sell it (just the Exactoscale one) , but I haven’t looked since I the company was broken up.  To be honest with all the talk of long waits, I have been trying to avoid needing to place an order there for anything I can source elsewhere.  Lesson learned to do proper research next time and not just rely on memory!

[Stephen Freeman]

I believe  that the new current C&L product does have thick (scale thickness) sleepers. Supply issues may be about to change for better with any luck. The only thing I have needed to buy from C&L recently has been some 9ft plastic sleepers as I can't get them from anywhere elsewhere and they were specifically requested. Anything other than plastic sleepers can be obtained elsewhere.

[The Fatadder]

Tonight’s modelling started with some more work on the bank along the front of the layout.  Of course I ran out of staples half way along so couldn’t complete the job, I also found out that my order for more modroc has been delayed and could be May before delivery!  Hopefully it will be enough to finish the hills...  (lots of stock boxes in the background which were stored under the fiddleyard and are awaiting being moved into the garage roof).

 

a little more on the end board as well, planning out some heights prior to starting on the hills.  Given the risk of damage here I am planning to make them solid using pink insulation foam.  

 

Speaking of which, I have dismantled the first half of Kites Croft.  The 4inch plywood frame will form the the backscene for “Kingsbridge” to which it also provided a road bridge, wire, a bufferstop  and some more rail (including two pairs of switch rails).  A number of complete lengths of straight P4 track were lifted intact and were put aside for the Wheal Imogen extension (as were 3 Exactoscale Vee assemblies.)   There is some rust to clear up on the steel rail, but it’s all unpainted at least.  The ballasting was done with Klear in 2013 or so, and while its held up very well, it was also very easy to remove.  
 

 

Board 2 (above) will follow tomorrow, this has previously lost its bufferstop (now kn Wheal Imogen) but there were some nice bushes which will be reused on Brent along with other scenic materials removed for reuse.    I am going to investigate as to whether the platform surface can be removed for reuse on Brent (seeing as I have ran out of Slaters slabs and havent enough for the down platform). 

 

I still have two more boards to strip down, both from Blackcombe Torr.  The first (to the right in the above shot) needs the ply deck removing and cutting down for reuse as the Wheal Imogen extension.  It should also provide more track recovery (although the ballasting was glued instead of Klear (and again has steel rail) and is a lot harder to lift the track without damaging.  I think there are still a couple of vees / switch rails to remove for reuse 

 

Amazon should be delivering a new ski rack tomorrow to fit on the wall above the fiddleyard so I can get my old powder skis out the way at last!

Edited March 25, 2021 by The Fatadder

[The Fatadder]

In dismantling Kite's Croft I have given some thought to the lessons learned.

• First up the baseboard design; this was a first attempt at a foam core baseboard with plywood frame, the backscene / end plates were integrated as part of the frame.  While this made the initial construction a lot easier (given my hate of woodwork), it caused more problems than it solved with the thick board a lot more difficult to install point motors and board interconnects.   I had one glue joint fail in storage, with a backscene end plate falling off (not an issue with a solid baseboard.)   So in future the aim would be to go down the lasercut baseboard route (although for the Wheal Imogen extension I intend to use the last of my 9mm ply deck / 4 by 1 softwood boards from Blackcombe).
• Having the backscene integrated as part of the baseboard also caused issues, restricting construction from only one side (and limiting access from the ends).  I think things worked a lot better on Wheal Imogen where the backscene was added after building and testing the track.  
• Structures; this was the last project undertaken before I switched to Lemonine for laminating plasticard.  there is some significant bowing that has occurred.  it looks like it should be cured with some wood reinforcement as I want to reuse the bridge...  The platform / banks etc have held up very well despite being dumped on the floor under Brent's fiddleyard for several years.
• Track; First up the Klear ballasting held up really well (although it was very easy to brake up and remove to lift the track).  Track where the sleeper webbing was a lot easier to remove than the track under the bridge where it was left in place.  Track building itself was a bit of a failure.  While it used high quality components (Exactoscale Vee  assemblies and switch rails), I tried a different building approach laying the sleepers, ballasting and then adding rails.  I think the quality struggled a little thanks to not being able to see the templates to align things line the tip of the vee / switch rail.  Strangely enough I havent been tempted to go down that route again!
• Plan; The original concept was for a simple highly detailed station with a small fleet of highly detailed locos.  In practice my ability at the time wasnt sufficient and while I built up the confidence to build the planned Finney and Mitchell kits, converted RTR was bought in to fill the gaps.  This slipped further with purchases of big engines which theoretically "could" have ran on the branch, before slipping further into locos which had no chance of running there.  Looking back I dont think the planned operation really suited me, while the design (8ft scenic + two 4ft fiddleyards) took up a massive amount of space for not a lot of operational interest.  Much like Wheal Imogen it suffered from needing to use the fiddleyard (which was never built) to do operational moves on both ends of the station.   Its an odd one, with my 1998 modelling my interest (other than locos) is focused towards wagons, whereas with my 1940s modelling it is more focused towards coaches (so a branch line this didnt offer quite the range of stock). 
• Stock: most has now been either converted back to OO (the freight stock and coaches), in progress being converted to OO (2251, 43xx, 38xx).  Three locos remain with P4 wheels, a 2251 (which is my prime tester for initial P4 track testing), a 58xx and pair of 45xx (one of which needs new crank pins the other has a part built chassis).  These are mostly kept with the intention of use on my planned next big project (in another 4 or 5 years time) for a layout based around Bodmin Parkway in 1998.  Though one of the 45xx is likely to end up on Brent

[The Fatadder]

Splitting my time between tidying and layout work this evening.  I am stuck once again waiting for deliveries (staples, modroc, a Dapol gantry signal and more copperclad).  So I have started work on the first point, filing and soldering up the 1:6 vee.  I was about to solder in place when I realised there is a height difference (my sleepers match that of the flex track but I forgot to allow for the chair thickness.  Must remember to bring my scrap fret out tomorrow to use as spacers.

test fitting the vee showed up another issue,  The DCC concepts track is not to gauge, despite clearly saying 16.5mm gauge on the packet.   Im assuming the track is actually to the so called OOSF (though why on earth you would want to make track that’s already too narrow even worse I don’t know.   Never again with this product!

I will have to put a slight taper on the ends of the points to blend into the adjoining flex track.

 

I think I can re use the switch rails from the mk2 double slip (having saved the scrap rail) this also provided the material for the vee.  Once the rest of the copper clad arrives in an get on with adding the rest of the rail, as the plan is for the outer rails to be continuous over the two points.   The first (which will eventually serve the goods shed will be pinned in position until point motors are finally added in order that I can have at least one complete fiddleyard road.

 

other work included moving the foam board core from Kites Croft up into the roof, and finally putting up some brackets so my skis are no longer leaning against the layout.  (Though it’s bugging me that the slalom skis are upside down, so that will need fixing tomorrow.)

Another thing that’s bugging me is the ceiling, so soon I will try and finish painting it white.  

[The Fatadder]

a start on the framing for the banks / tunnel on the lifting board, the rear is fixed in place while the nearer bits are again testing sight lines.  I think the solution is a retaining wall on the main to give more of an angle on the bank to the branch.   (Again to be clear this is supposed to be two views rather than the unprototypical arrangement if you look at it as a whole.)

 

 

Using some old fret I have soldered spacers in place to lift the rail to match the flex track.  Followed by soldering in the vee.  I need the next point timbers fitted before I can add the remaining rail as the outer rails will extend onto the next point.

with that done I could add the track to the goods shed (after soldering one wire to rail

and one to a fishplate.

[The Fatadder]

A little more done this morning after a dupe delivery from railroom electronics (thanks for the rapid delivery of more sleeper strip) and eBay for a LH Dapol gantry signal.  The sleepers for the next point and the start of the slip have now been glued down, ready for soldering more rail and the next lengths of flex track tonight.   

The signal has been temporarily fitted, lots of scenic work needed before it can be properly installed.  Given the risk of damage removing the signal from the base I don’t want to test it until It’s ready for final install.  The key is getting the modroc for the bank fitted, which of course I’m stuck waiting for a delivery...

 

speaking of signals I’m not quite sure what to do here,  as there is insufficient sight lines to fit a signal between the tunnel exit and the point.  Would the  signal be in the tunnel, or before it?

lots more framing in place to form the scenics around the tunnel, there will be a brick retaining wall for the mainline and a bank up to the wood formers for the branch.  I need to add a better former on the lower branch to blend in with the hill on the next board.

 

 

really pleased with how this end is progressing, it’s such a big improvement slowly getting rid of the vast expanse of plywood

[TrevorP1]

Re the signal/tunnel issue. I vaguely remember a similar situation at Dainton on the down side. I think the signal was in the tunnel mouth but I’m not sure...  Somebody on here will know 

[Siberian Snooper]

You might be able to have the signal before the turnout, but it would need a banner repeater before the the tunnel to indicate the signals aspect. Devizes is a similar location, modelling wise and the signal is just before the station throat and if I remember correctly from reading the article in the GWJ, I'm pretty sure it had a repeater before the tunnel.