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Warrington Bank Quay - The Northern Approach - OO DCC


Wild Boar Fell
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Slight progress update, all boards have now had the track centrelines added, I am still in two minds over whether to lay cork beneath the track. I have always used cork previously, but looking at the prototype, there doesn't appear to be a noticeable ballast shoulder (See above photos), what do you folks reckon then?

 

Also whilst flicking through my photos, I spotted this little oddity, now does anyone know why this has been done (the point blades appear to have been clamped in place using old fishplates)?

attachicon.gifDSC01353s Pointwork.jpg

 

Puzzled

 

Wild Boar Fell

Hi Wild Boar Fell

There's a few like this in Bescot Yard. It's just away of securing the points leading to an out of use siding. Normally they use a point clip but this appears to be a more permanent arrangement or a quick fix whichever way you look at it.

Cheers

Marcus

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Cheers Marcus,

Thought it would be something along those lines, I can only presume that the rails to either side are replacement blades and stock rails waiting to be fitted (maybe this is why the point is out of use). I can't imagine you would replace it, then clip it.

 

Wild Boar Fell

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Hi Wild Boar Fell

There's a few like this in Bescot Yard. It's just away of securing the points leading to an out of use siding. Normally they use a point clip but this appears to be a more permanent arrangement or a quick fix whichever way you look at it.

Cheers

Marcus

 

Turns out, the points (certainly one of them anyway) has a point clip fitted as well. Don't believe I have ever seen one of these devices before, I only spotted it now because of the padlock.

post-13109-0-87653100-1467150061_thumb.jpg

 

As these points will be fitted with a motor/servo on the layout, I think these details will be omitted for now.

 

Wild Boar Fell

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Look closer at the photos and you can see the point clips too (sorry I can't think how to describe them for those that don't recognise them). The near point has a scotch to hold the open switch blade open (wedge shaped piece of wood just at the toes) but that for the further set of points appears to have fallen out. Standard way of securing a siding out of use.

 

AWS magnets can't be mounted on steel sleepers, they affect the magnetic field, so one of the pains with steel sleepers is putting in the wooden ones in the right place.

 

Paul.

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Ok, so the progress wasn't quite as rapid as had been hoped, so the layout will be moved to its new home as just the plain boards, devoid of legs, catches and without the platform edges. However the trackplan has been marked out & painting track should keep me busy for a while to come.

 

Thanks Paul, I should have realised that regarding the AWS. Fortunately I have just found that SJP Models of this forum do the correct double ended AWS ramps as seen on the two easternmost lines, along with point motor heaters. I can see myself getting some of those with my next Shapeways order. One thing I may end up drawing as a 3D print for myself are the Luminaires as pictured below, as the these litter the north end of the station. 

Can anyone 'in the know' please explain the purpose of these (beyond the obvious), as they seem to be popping up in more and more locations.

 

Luminaire and point heater (top right)

post-13109-0-25680700-1467236095_thumb.jpg

 

Are they the modern replacement for weeds, they seem to be everywhere? 

post-13109-0-57573600-1467236466_thumb.jpg

 

Wild Boar Fell

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They are all part of NRs drive to do on track maintenance when no trains are running, that means at night, and these are the way of illuminating the site. I think that they are designed so that they do not cause problems for drivers on adjacent open lines.

 

Paul.

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Fortunately Mick, I managed to get the DVT when Hornby had it in their 'Last Chance to Buy' sales (Albeit an impulse purchase after seeing a great photo of it at WBQ in BigJim's blog). I have actually seen this set a few times, at least once on Stockport Viaduct on my way back from the Midlands, also last summer I saw the set in Bank Quay (with an EWS 67) when I was heading out to meet a Chirk based company. The set to me does look very smart indeed (if only the loco had some branding too).

attachicon.gif20160627_113037s.jpg

Some photos of South & South Mid, yep the lighting is awful.

attachicon.gif20160627_113104s.jpg

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The large gap in the boards is due to them not currently being sat at the same height.

Other modellable common trains into Bank Quay (apologies if I miss any);

390 - Hornby

350 - Bachmann (not for much longer)

221 - Bachmann

220 - Bachmann

158 - Bachmann (old & new)

156 - Hornby

150 - Bachmann

Windhoff MPV - Bachmann

319 - Bratchell Models

 

Shame no one does a 325 kit.

 

Wild Boar Fell

 

As for a 325 I have most of the bodies almost ready for casting.....

 

Regards

 

Ian

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(To be read in the voice of Monty Burns): Excellent!

 

These are to fit onto the Bachmann 150s if I remember?

Will have to keep an eye out for these then.

 

Wild Boar Fell

 

Hi WBF,

 

They I'm sure could be made to fit a Bachmann 150 but I haven't tried. that was the other lad who did them!

 

I have been trying a few ideas for the finer detail on my 325's with many hours of pondering possible routes, but the big part the bodyshells are done and have been done for over a year now just plucking up the courage to finally sink them and create some moulds.

 

Thanks for the interest

 

Ian

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So whilst the layout is packed away ready for transit, today has seen a bit of 'Virtual' modelling, I have made a start on drawing up the platform buildings so that they can either be scratch built, laser cut, or drawn up for 3D printing. My first starter project is the small building at the North End of Platform 1&2 which I will now refer to as 'Building 1A' With the platform 3&4 buildings being 3A etc, with the letter increasing the further south it is located. 

It can just be seen at the far end in the photo below, between the red lines.

post-13109-0-49681200-1467330147_thumb.jpg

 

It appears this building is now used as an office, I am not planning to add the window or door details to the drawing just yet. I am more concerned with the size and layout of the bricks (to match the photos).

 

post-13109-0-96516800-1467330142_thumb.jpg

 

post-13109-0-30381500-1467330142_thumb.jpg

 

The plan is to do this for all the buildings on the station. There is a nice contrast in the station itself, Platform 1&2 feature mainly the original LNWR & LMS yellow brick structures (albeit with 1/2 of the canopy rebuilt and it all reclad). Whilst platforms 3&4 feature a more modern (60s/70s) design of modular sections of regularly sized and shaped blue brick, with panels filling between them as required. More on both of these to follow.

 

Wild Boar Fell

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Think you could make quite a nice N gauge layout of it, could even do the full station?

 

Little update, all the boards have survived the relocation and have been fitted with a set of temporary short legs for ease of working/ wiring (before a proper heavy duty set are made). The catches between the boards have also been fitted and tested. Finally having the space to put all 4 boards together this has been tested (and worked!).  I will post some photos when I have access to a proper internet connection. One baseboard join is 'sub optimal' but will be fettled before scenic work commences. 

 

The next plan of attack is to start preparing the boards and trackwork for laying. As mentioned before, I am unsure whether to lay cork or not, what are your opinions on this having seen some of the photos of the prototype?

 

Wild Boar Fell

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Slight update, I have decided to bite the bullet and start laying cork for the track bed. In the end it came down to 'doing what has been done previously', South & South Mid boards have been done this evening. Taking about 9 square feet of cork. Next up the boards will be moved around to allow North Mid and South Mid to be put together to allow the cork to be placed on North Mid, and eventually repeated for North. Once fixed, the final track location will be identified, before the point holes are drilled. Then it will either be track laying or putting in the platform edges.

 

Wild Boar Fell

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Further to the laying of cork underlay on South & South Mid yesterday, today has seen North Mid subject to the same treatment. The photo below shows the two mid boards positioned together. A little shuffling of the boards will allow North board to be completed next. 

post-13109-0-81303400-1467840145_thumb.jpg

I am not sure why, but the boards appear a lot smaller in the photo, that is 8ft of board.

The cork has certainly made it easier to see the trackplan.

 

Wild Boar Fell

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Hurrah! After a quick reshuffle of the boards, cork laying has now been completed (with the exception of the Low Level which will be work on at a later stage). Attention has now turned to weathering the track, although the odds were against this tonight as the paint ran out after 5 points and 1 yard of track (only 50 odd to go), so tonight has seen me trial some weathering techniques on each type of sleeper. Hopefully I will be able to post photos of the results when there is natural light again.

 

Wild Boar Fell

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Afternoon all,

This weekend has seen the start of track laying on Bank Quay, this began with North Mid & South Mid joined in an effort to get things in roughly the right place. It has then been possible to work outward with South & South Mid now joined and North & North Mid joined removing the need to have all 4 set up together. This is the first layout where I have glued the track down rather than pinned it, which has been a learning curve. The main difference I have noticed is the speed, this way is far slower!

 

For the first time I have also modified some of the points to alter the angle at which the track leaves to allow the geometry to better suit the prototype. Admittedly this has not been possible everywhere so the cross over between the Down Slow and the Down Loop is bit of a compromise, but should work. The two catch points have also been made from the Peco Medium Radius left hand points, both of these being slightly different (the Down Catch Point is illustrated below).

 

Down Catch Point

post-13109-0-80676000-1468166516_thumb.jpg

Modified Peco Point

post-13109-0-09035100-1468166496_thumb.jpg

 

South & South Mid

Most of the track on South Mid (RHS) has been fixed and since the photo has been taken the Down Slow has been fixed in place along both these boards.

post-13109-0-49366700-1468166502_thumb.jpg

 

North & North Mid 

Track laying on these two boards has mainly concentrated on getting the points in place, although I need to wait for an alternative point to finish the Up Fast to Up Slow link.

post-13109-0-49518400-1468166510_thumb.jpg

 

Hopefully I should be able to add a few extra panels during the week.

 

Wild Boar Fell

 

Wild Boar Fell

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Further track laying tonight has seen all the trackwork on the North board completed with the exception of a 2ft length on Up Slow, as mentioned above this is due to me changing what type of point I am going to use on the other end of this section. A quick count puts progress as about 50/58ft of track on the two northmost boards complete.

The Down Bay Siding has also been laid (South Mid). Once the remaining point is fitted North & North Mid will be separated to allow the Down Loop to be completed using the Down Slow as a template. After that, the remaining parts consist of the straight sections along the South board. This may sound simple, but I need to work out how I am going to represent the track over the bridge, as well having to swap out sleepers in the concrete and steel sections as previously shown.

 

Wild Boar Fell

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Just a quick update to hopefully show a bit more clearly what has been achieved so far, the photo below shows all the permanently fixed track as finished last night. This is the first time since track laying began that all 4 boards have been together. Since the photo has been taken the remaining 10ft of the Down Loop (very right hand side) has been laid in one go. I really should use a better camera next time as my phone one is awful when the lighting isn't perfect. As can be seen though, track laying is quite literally on the home straight.

post-13109-0-61656700-1468352010_thumb.jpg

Wild Boar Fell 

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Thanks, finding a suitable area to work from helps and to be honest, a lot of the layout is plain track which helps speed things up. The slow part will be wiring it up. 

As the camera was working slightly better tonight under artificial light, here is a photo looking at a similar angle to some of my photos from Liverpool Road. The trackwork is not as rough as the photo makes out (the weathering and glue stains don't help), But it does highlight the compromise needed for the link between the Down Loop and Down Slow, unfortunately I don't think could have done much better with any other off the shelf points.

post-13109-0-57532400-1468357554_thumb.jpg

Wild Boar Fell

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For the first time I have also modified some of the points to alter the angle at which the track leaves to allow the geometry to better suit the prototype.

Hi there. First of all let me commend you on your excellent work so far.

 

Would you be able to go into detail of how you modified your points please? And I noticed earlier on you had what looked like some Code 83 points as well? Do you have any close ups of how the appearance compares between the Code 83 track and the Code 75?

 

Thanks very much.

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Thanks both of you for your kind comments.

 

Yes I will try and grab some proper photos tomorrow, the modifications were mainly to make the catch points but I have altered one or two of the others slightly.

I have indeed used a mix of Code 75 & 83 to make something that looks closer to the high speed points in length and shape. The sleepers are noticeably different when compared directly, but hopefully when ballasted and covered in grime the difference will be less obvious.

 

Wild Boar Fell

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