Pelton Level in P4

[johndon]

I've decided to build a new small layout based on Pelton Level, an outstation of Tyne Dock shed on the Stanhope and Tyne Railway.

 

The layout is designed to fit within the Scalefour Society's 'Standard Gauge Workbench' which stipulates a maximum length of 4' 8.5" and a minimum of two turnouts.  Templot track plan is below and is a simplified version of the real thing which had another two lines at the front and an additional in front of the rearmost line.  The orange box represents the engine shed and the blue box what was, I believe, a water tower.

 

 

The site has a number of different levels with the land falling away on either side of the line, the rearmost is the beginning of Eden Hill incline, the shed itself is at a lower level that the lines in front of it and the short siding behind the shed climbs towards the water tower but as, we don't have working brakes on our models I'll be modelling it flat.

 

The 'main line's at the front led, to the left Craghead, Burnhope and West Pelton Collieries while to the right led to Waldridge Incline, the head of which would make an interesting model in itself. 

 

One very interesting feature which I'd love to model, is that an overhead cable line ran almost directly over the top of the shed taking coal from local collieries to the washer at High Handenhold.

 

Coal obviously dominates while motive power was N8, N9 and N10s and various colliery engines with 03 and 08 shunters in later years with some records indicating the closure of the shed in 1951 albeit it was still in partial use until 1960.

 

Nothing remains at the site now which is now Roseberry Grange golf course near Grange Villa for those who know the area...

 

So, that's the plan, now for the execution...

 

John

 

[johndon]

The layout languished at the planning stage for quite some time but in the last week I've got cracking on the baseboard and trackwork.  Trackwork is all Exactoscale components and turnouts will be controlled by Cobalt motors.

 

 

As of last night, all the trackwork has been laid and droppers added to all parts, next job is to get the turnouts working.

 

 

 

John

Edited September 16, 2016 by johndon

[Mallard60022]

When I was a lad in sunny Devon in the late 50s and early 60s, 'Tyne Dock Pelton Level', as in the Locoshed Directory and Locoshed ABC, was like a far away land that I would never ever get to visit, even though I had relatives in Consett until late 1962.

So thank you John for creating this, as I never did get to see it except in pictures in books. However I did mange to visit the abandoned Consett Station for some spotting sessions on a few occasions in 1961 and 1962.

Phil

[johndon]

Here is an aerial view of the site with the shed almost dead centre:

 

http://www.photomemoriesarchive.org.uk/PhotoInformation/19806272865

 

John

[martin_wynne]

...Templot track plan is below

 

 

 

 

 

Hi John,

 

The line of the two sidings in the centre would flow much better if you changed both turnouts to curviform V-crossings.

 

This is very often the case where turnouts with contraflexure (negative curving) lead to yard sidings.

 

And perhaps also roam the first turnout forward a little way. The result might look like this overlay:

 

 

I realise this information may have come too late if you have already laid the track.

 

regards,

 

Martin.

Edited September 16, 2016 by martin_wynne

[johndon]

Martin,

 

Thanks for that but too late this time but I shall bear it in mind for the future.

 

John

[johndon]

DCC bus wires have been added and the droppers soldered to them so the whole layout now has power.

 

I've made the first of the turnout operating units - basically, two brass tubes pass up to just below the baseboard where wire that passes through them is soldered to the switchblades.  The square section that they are fitted to then slides in the square tube.  The hole in the centre is for the operating rod of the Cobalt motors I'll be using.

 

 

John

[johndon]

The first of the Cobalts has been installed and wired, just two feeds from the DCC bus bars and one from a wire soldered to the frog, all terminals are spring loaded so no need for the soldering iron to get anywhere near the motor.

 

 

And with a DCC Concepts lever temporarily wired:

 

 

Again, just 3 wires from the switch to the motor and I have the first operational turnout.  There is something very satisfying about operating a turnout from a 'proper' lever...

 

John

[johndon]

Wiring is complete, all the turnout operating units are built and fitted and the track has had it's first coat of 'rust'

 

 

Note that, although the loco runs perfectly backwards, it is rather 'lumpy' when it is going forwards - if anyone has any ideas why this might be, I'm all ears...

 

John

[inglenookfan]

More he cries! More!

 

Am really looking forward to seeing this develop.

 

Ingelnookfan

[Mallard60022]

 

Wiring is complete, all the turnout operating units are built and fitted and the track has had it's first coat of 'rust'

 

 

Note that, although the loco runs perfectly backwards, it is rather 'lumpy' when it is going forwards - if anyone has any ideas why this might be, I'm all ears...

 

John

 

John, the only experience of 08 'lumpiness' I have had has been to do with the coupling rods, their articulation (quite sloppy knuckle joints) and the quartering.

probably no help to you at all.

Phil

[dhjgreen]

Wiring is complete, all the turnout operating units are built and fitted and the track has had it's first coat of 'rust'

 

https://youtu.be/Li8D1rHulpc

 

Note that, although the loco runs perfectly backwards, it is rather 'lumpy' when it is going forwards - if anyone has any ideas why this might be, I'm all ears...

 

John

Is this a worm drive? There is another thread with this problem, it was end float causing rubbing, one way OK, other way rubbing.

[inglenookfan]

Bufferstops are handy

 

Inglenookfan

[johndon]

Thanks for the input gents.  I'm going to take the loco to Scaleforum and see if I can run it on the test track and see if anyone can find the problem.

 

In the meantime, the last two Cobalts have been fitted and the wires back to the level frame for all three turnouts have been terminated at one end of the board.

 

 

 

 

Next up, I want to get the right hand fiddle yard board built as that will allow me to fully test the track work before I start on the scenics...

[rob D2]

Looking good , P4 looks great, wish I had the time and patience !

[Yan]

Excellent project. It's good to see another P4 layout being developed.

[johndon]

This evening has seen the right hand fiddle yard build complete with a traverser that will have four roads which should be sufficient for the planned traffic on the layout...

 

 

John

[lezz01]

Hi there.

The lumpy running 08 could be one or more of several things. What I would do is take out the motor and then put the chassis on a bit of track and lift one end of the track until the chassis starts to move then if it stops or won't start to move you have something binding. If it does move freely then lift the other end of the track so it starts to roll the other way. If it moves freely in each direction then it's the gears not meshing properly. If it stops on its own or won't roll then it is either a coupling rod binding or the cranks out of quater. If one of the later then take off the rods and put the motor back in and run in both directions. If it moves fine in both direction then you will have confirmed that the gear meshing is correct. Put the rods back on the driving wheel and first coupled wheelset and run back and forward. If all is good then put the other half of the rods back on and run again if the problem is back then check the quartering of the last wheelset you connected and the crank pin/rod to see if its binding. If its the quartering requater the wheelset and try it all again if the rods are binding on the crank pin you need to open the hole out in the rod with a taper broach a tiny bit at a time till the rod moves freely on the crank pin.

Hop this helps.

Regards Lez.Z. 

[johndon]

Thanks to Gaugemaster, I now have a 3 lever, lever frame for the layout:

 

 

Tonight has seen all the track laid on the left hand fiddle yard and traverser with wiring well under way:

 

 

John

[Guest Q663368]

Wiring is complete, all the turnout operating units are built and fitted and the track has had it's first coat of 'rust'

 

https://youtu.be/Li8D1rHulpc

 

Note that, although the loco runs perfectly backwards, it is rather 'lumpy' when it is going forwards - if anyone has any ideas why this might be, I'm all ears...

 

John

Good hand brake though !.

[PjKing1]

Looking good John.

 

Cheers

[Arthur]

John, I posted some pages from a Mitchell Engineering catalogue showing some details of aerial ropeways in this thread;

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/92405-colliery-drawings-in-4mm-scale/?p=1660997

 

Might be of some interest if you decide to try and incorporate one.

Edited September 30, 2016 by Arthur

[johndon]

Thanks for that Arthur.  In reality, the overhead from High Handhold washery passed off scene to the left but I am tempted to move it so that it can be incorporated.

 

John

[johndon]

With the lever frame and traverser temporarily wired up, playing, sorry testing, of the layout has begun with a completely inappropriate loco but never mind...

 

 

 

So far so good, I've had to change the polarity on one of the Cobalts but, other than that, all is working as it should.

 

John

[johndon]

The landscapers are working fast:

 

 

 

The grass is a mat that I picked up at Scaleforum, it has static grass already applied along with some scatter material.  It wasn't cheap (£40 for a roll 4' * 18" which will be enough for both embankments) but, for me, it gives a much more realistic starting point than the hanging basket liner that I've used in the past...

 

John