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Thanks for looking, it's seems to be a hard slog moving forward at the moment but once in a while I think, I'm pleased with that. Yeah I'm pretty chuffed with my fiddle yard.

 

It's a bit of a weird one as I'm suggesting the lines that terminate on the outside of the shed are at the Exeter end of the layout and those on the inside are near Penzance. I've deliberately left one line running through the middle so I can run loco's continuously for running in/testing purposes.........well that's my logic

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Not so much as a model railway related post but one that hopefully others could learn from.

 

Lessons learned.........don't trust anybody!!!!!!

 

So we moved into our new house in the middle of winter and of course I'm keen to get the shed ordered and the base made for it. Shed was duly ordered from Olympian Garden Buildings (awesome) and a local landscaper booked to build the base. As per Olympian's instructions "make the base flat, no run off". So the base was built, looked fab but of course being winter and cold, wet and dark, did I ever check the level..........of course I didn't!!!!! So Olympian came to erect the shed and the slope was duly found, fortunately it was at least flat. Olympian said they had installed on worse slopes and so the installation went ahead. If I'd have had time and money I would have paused the build but that would have meant paying for another installation day and an argument with a landscaper with no idea how that would end. 

 

The result is I've had to make the railway level in a sloping shed.............Thank goodness for a Laser Level and my trusted camera tripod last used at Paddington in the 1990's :laugh_mini:

 

549076070_Level1.jpg.78635484615f3dc8495ea42fbc5ec3d0.jpg

 

277502288_Level2.jpg.3120b37e5487fb6a645373cefebcbc5e.jpg

 

1194753818_Level3.jpg.b341c438bde9c892aed6ab11ecd0c779.jpg

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So another brief update of random progress! 

 

As I have previously mentioned, earlier on in the year before all the levelling was done I could turn the layout easily on its side and so I took the opportunity to make sure there was a reasonable bus for accessory lighting and so I thought I would have a quick go and get something in the depot

 

 

1328233001_ShedLight1.jpg.c5f808faaf348442ba690c0fbdb6f51e.jpg

 

 

49656504_ShedLight2.jpg.e3d0494bf98ec0ad6b7a194a86a1fd7b.jpg

 

1269478851_ShedLight3.jpg.2507da7a559fd29110100d376acee18e.jpg

 

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So here's a big question amongst the pictures of what I have been up to, before the move I had always been against doing point motors as I felt it was beyond my capabilities. That said they make the railway look so much better and after a chat with a few people I was convinced to give them a go. Now I would have loved to have gone down the cobalt route but costs and being out of work last year sadly took me down the cheaper route.

 

Now, here's the question, is it just me having problems with Seep point motors. I seem to have 2 issues.

 

1. The actual rod that goes through the point isn't at a right angle to the polished bar that runs through the solenoid, as a result the solenoid fires and it becomes hit or miss as to whether the point moves or the rod just rotates within the polished bar

 

2. I think combined with issue 1. things become even more of an issue with the Seep with switch for electrofrog points...........don't get me started on that one with an additional GM500 to help

 

Am I doing something fundamentally wrong, if others have had similar issue what have you done or should I be looking at other point motors please? Too many of you out there still seem to be using solenoids so I'm guessing they can be reliable?

 

Help!!!!!!!!!!! Please...................

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5 hours ago, Iron Horse said:

..... after a chat with a few people .....

 

I guess I'm included in that, but sadly I can't help, all ours are surface mounted, and work a treat ! :P

 

Cheers,

Phil.

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11 hours ago, Iron Horse said:

1. The actual rod that goes through the point isn't at a right angle to the polished bar that runs through the solenoid, as a result the solenoid fires and it becomes hit or miss as to whether the point moves or the rod just rotates within the polished bar

Something to try if the rod is rotating in the solenoid is to put some glue on to hold it in place.  Others may be able to suggest something suitable, and care will be needed to make sure it doesn’t go too far and glue the solenoid solid.

Paul.

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  • 1 month later...

So a slight teaser of an update, earlier in the year I joined the original 2 boards together

 

246870506_BoardsTogether.jpg.d72b4f0af29c343dd225e88a92bc0cf6.jpg

 

And then had an idea to use the small space above where the bin is in the corner by the door, so I did a bit of digging up on the current board

 

1271020316_BranchDigup.jpg.7b34835186cbbfc933cdd771f552f96a.jpg

 

And built an inclined branch line fiddle yard board. perfect for a couple of DMU's. I felt this was great use of space that I probably wasn't going to use and will give me a little more operational interest........more pics to follow

 

1662515224_BranchFootings.jpg.bd3d210dd4a586c8468ac21b1f72ad23.jpg

 

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More pictures as promised. The fiddle yard and the rough shape of the trackwork

 

1905787986_BranchFiddleyard.jpg.f0cfe79fb1dcd718fcf6e9544fe1ac9a.jpg

 

 

37707607_BranchRoughShape.jpg.3466337caf065794e13aff570b81ba98.jpg

 

 

The a bit of a look into the affect of the incline

 

1448661053_BranchLineEffect.jpg.5d4f508ef549f57095558976bbf78a30.jpg

 

 

Followed by track down and even local trip freight could go up it......

 

235891124_BranchLineTrackwork.jpg.3f7edaf18665066aa6acb1ce81f71ac1.jpg

 

 

 

75459885_BranchLineFirstworking.jpg.fd69bae444e98a85e7a91d42e84c2631.jpg

 

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Good to see your project in the new building. I'm just a tiny bit envious of 16' x 12'! :) 

 

Unfortunately we have one of the smallest gardens in the street so I'm 'only' 12 x 10'. Never mind, it's 12' x 10' more than I've ever had  before. Doesn't stop me enviously looking across the road though at gardens three times the size of ours!

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Oh Trevor thanks for popping by, the modelling skills aren't in your league but I have fun all the same.

 

The Olympian sheds are amazing aren't they? Like yourself it's a bigger area than I ever imagined I'd have for a railway and I'm probably under utlilising it but I'm happy with the content and looking forward to some serious running sessions in the not too distant future.......best update this thread a bit more I reckon. I'm sure I could have done a lot more with the model railway but I think it's just about at the limit of my current capabilities.

 

I do also have the added bonus of the garden backing onto the local railway line, I hear a train and it just makes me smile :sungum:

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So as the summer progressed so too did the track work and this little post concentrates on the mainline going South of the station. The single track mainline is still a remnant of the initial railway way back when I started but with various sections of single track in Cornwall it's something that I am quite happy with. In my head at the moment the removed line is that of a branch to a disused clay works swinging off to the front of the layout. That said it has also been suggested it was originally a double mainline that had to be realigned going south through what will be the scenic break so any thoughts or comments welcome

 

So the first couple of photo's show a bit of planning

 

1714731617_Mainlinesouthplanning.jpg.efc79e5830ded4a2998b6eb333a00067.jpg

 

963784171_Mainlinesouthplanning2.jpg.d20083ac032923b6a7470dc8f2a69a26.jpg

 

Any thoughts on this scenic break would be welcome, I'm liking the branch but not quite feeling the landscape around the main

 

601422012_Mainlinesouthplanning3.jpg.1677eaf1b89776433c1be5478b170a2a.jpg

 

Then we have some track pinned down

 

1918298076_Mainlinesouthplanning4.jpg.b04f33097ac2c194b62756a8ee42d7a6.jpg

 

And now the motorail moves Southwards

 

1375152328_Mainlinesouthplanning5.jpg.e5944c7d334e956a3e4ec7bad5063245.jpg

 

 

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So then I needed a lift out section.........never done one of those before!!!!!

 

1413177409_Liftout1.jpg.29eddb62d4b91d0132b77de9c8fb1291.jpg

 

544094362_Liftout2.jpg.0abf96acdb3ecc9c2fa6e4e8a8e7a5ea.jpg

 

 

 

296455509_Liftout3.jpg.ce7880fc597c206ca6191977f3013ee6.jpg

 

 

 

Painted some rail sides with sleeper grime......

 

2037216456_Mainlinesouthplanning6.jpg.9b732ad2c0f416a1380a68ed6149e9fb.jpg

 

Then............what to do with this end?

 

350579183_Leavingthis.jpg.5ff3b02ae6ccd6938ebdd6bd41e1dcb4.jpg

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14 hours ago, Iron Horse said:

So then I needed a lift out section.........never done one of those before!!!!!

 

1003235532_Liftout1.jpg.02ffb52fd0f80a10e9eccdcc6edf7d54.jpg

 

1409041485_Liftout2.jpg.a68d9dac9dece45443f39b36d0301b4f.jpg

 

1409041485_Liftout2.jpg.a68d9dac9dece45443f39b36d0301b4f.jpg

 

1666107194_Liftout3.jpg.7b500a2b1af08d32d72fe54cd0dd7cdc.jpg

 

1798501607_Liftout4.jpg.3d05051cdee84bc3dbb21f6fbaa65521.jpg

 

Painted some rail sides with sleeper grime......

 

315653190_Mainlinesouthplanning6.jpg.66b222030a3774a6056fcc61f98ce5f1.jpg

 

Then............what to do with this end?

 

1017986279_Leavingthis.jpg.776e9a772f7e01e547a28dc1decbbd17.jpg

Could the track on the lift out section be aligned to allow a double track. You could keep the branch going off scene but have set of points by the tunnel entrance to continue the double track on and round onto and past the lift out section. By the looks of the lift out section photo you’ve got two tracks perfectly aligned on the fixed section to allow it. 

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Thanks Phil for taking the time to comment and the simple answer is yes it could have been double track and it is a mixture of laziness and a little bit of reasoning that it isn't!

 

When I moved everything into the shed I was out of work and decided rather than start again which was the original plan I should just develop what I already had and the exit from the original tunnel was already single track. On top of that I also wanted to run a 7 coach HST which as you know puts limitations on fiddle yard sizes.  As a result the layout is really a U shaped to maximise the siding lengths in the fiddle yard, The sidings towards the outside of the shed at at the Exeter end and the internal sidings are at the Penzance end. What I have done is allowed one centre track to run all the way through the fiddle yard just for running in purposes, testing and if I just want to leave a train running whilst I do other things. I'll try and add some more pictures of the fiddle yard in the near future.

 

Fundamentally though you are right and probably laziness and scared to dig even more up prevented me from going down the double track route although the fiddle yard issues would still have remained.

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21 hours ago, Iron Horse said:

So then I needed a lift out section.........never done one of those before!!!!!

 

1003235532_Liftout1.jpg.02ffb52fd0f80a10e9eccdcc6edf7d54.jpg

 

1409041485_Liftout2.jpg.a68d9dac9dece45443f39b36d0301b4f.jpg

 

1409041485_Liftout2.jpg.a68d9dac9dece45443f39b36d0301b4f.jpg

 

1666107194_Liftout3.jpg.7b500a2b1af08d32d72fe54cd0dd7cdc.jpg

 

1798501607_Liftout4.jpg.3d05051cdee84bc3dbb21f6fbaa65521.jpg

 

Painted some rail sides with sleeper grime......

 

315653190_Mainlinesouthplanning6.jpg.66b222030a3774a6056fcc61f98ce5f1.jpg

 

Then............what to do with this end?

 

1017986279_Leavingthis.jpg.776e9a772f7e01e547a28dc1decbbd17.jpg

I'd be tempted to put a footbridge from just left of the red rock to the street outside the house to break the scene up a little maybe 

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Nice thoughts Rob, like it. I'm going to have a bit of a winter clean over the next few weeks and I'll take a few more uncluttered photos trying to leave bits that I definitely am intending on doing and leaving bits that I have no idea about. A footbridge hadn't even crossed my mind so thanks for the input

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So waste not want not..........

 

The first model railway I built in the corner of my daughters bedroom had a 3x2ish storage board which had been a useful storage/workbench in the shed

 

1275508851_Wastenotwantnot.jpg.f4df07d022e598ac41ec377276a34e22.jpg

 

And then I realised it was the perfect width for bolting on and extending the station area

 

267581884_Wastenotwantnot2.jpg.1972fc4ac299a5434888ff83b7e802d9.jpg

 

Then do a bit of planning

 

1485747851_Wastenotwantnot3.jpg.f9c6c269cd9bbbf0e03bdef900ded4b3.jpg

 

And get some track down

 

302154158_Wastenotwantnot5.jpg.2b8256bcc7a0992380f27604966a62f2.jpg

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So nearly a year later and I'm not sure where to begin really.

 

Progress has been steady but with losing the photos from the thread earlier in the year and with a number of personal issues to deal with I wasn't too sure if to continue the topic. Well having realised that it isn't actually too difficult to repopulate the pictures (which I have began doing) I thought I would share a bit of an update.

 

Firstly I made a bridge

 

73498367_Bridge1.jpg.fe2360361cd2db8ad507e37949224610.jpg

 

Built a sea/river bed

 

222590363_SeaBed.jpg.ebdf9a77984ee6c1696d09001aaf90fa.jpg

 

And then began some serious planning for the end board

 

19070019_EndBoardPlanning2.jpg.97dafee469b4d4ed0d52b0ff5bcd3e9d.jpg

 

With the intermediate result being this

 

1848665143_EndBoard.jpg.4bf92485500457cd4d7001f0ef3e3378.jpg

 

Now I have hundreds of photo's showing the points being installed and adding some elevation to the track and if anyone would like to see them I would be more than prepared to share them. There is no way that what I've done is the right way and I have learnt from a lot of mistakes but I have taken quite a few step by step images along the way and so if you would like them shared please just ask.

 

My aim is to keep this post quite brief and to say that things are moving again and over the coming weeks hopefully I can update you to where we are now. Thanks to those of you out there that have kept in touch and anyone who reads this and thinks "perhaps I should put my photos back up" please do as there is a lot of my original inspiration missing from the forum and it isn't drastically difficult

 

Cheers everyone 

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23 hours ago, Iron Horse said:

So nearly a year later and I'm not sure where to begin really.

 

 

Now I have hundreds of photo's showing the points being installed and adding some elevation to the track and if anyone would like to see them I would be more than prepared to share them.

 

Stop waffling and get on with it.....😜

It'd be nice to see the pics bigger than on my phone.....😉

 

Cheers,

Phil.

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