Abbotswood and Norton Junctions - layout build

[Phil Bullock]

2 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi Phil

 

G clamps to hold the boards together. No woodwork involved.

Hope power driving the bolts might be quicker Mr M ! 

[lezz01]

The problem with bolts through the end of the boards is that if the boards flex it will introduce tension to the joint between the end and sides of a board. If you use over centre latches on the sides, the joints between the boards and the internal joints at the ends of the board remain in compression at all times and are stronger even if the boards twist or flex and it isn't that much of a faff either. It will add a little weight but not that much.

Regards Lez.  

[RBAGE]

42 minutes ago, Phil Bullock said:

Cheers Paul was contemplating that but desperately trying to avoid adding extra timber to limit weight gain... it all adds up!

 

 

Cheers Rob would they have to sit above the board tops? 
 

Hi Rich Tim made them up for me and a damn fine job too. Yes the boards are paired , happy sack truck will do the job and hopefully with big soft tyres not too many shocks transmitted to boards. 
 

Will be doing a check list I think as did forget box of bolts once but luckily we were only at Toddington....! And we won’t be mixing our metrics and imperials either....

 

With captive nuts am going to use electric screwdrivers to drive the bolts, Allen key head rather than hex bolt heads to avoid over tightening. 
 

Will let you all know how that pans out, bolts and buts on order and trial assembly next weekend weather permitting 

Hello Phil,

Hinges on the sides of the boards. Front and back.

Bob

 

 

[Phil Bullock]

It’s taken long enough but now I have finished work track laying has started working in the fiddle yard… and why do Photos post upside down????

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by Phil Bullock

[mullie]

There aren't enough Australian layouts on RM Web!!!!!!!!

 

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

[Phil Bullock]

So further progress! Realised it is vital to clearly identify @Tim Horns excellent boards for ease of assembly and storage …. This should do the trick! S for scenic F for fiddle. 
 

Track laying started on board F1 … as you look at layout from front that is rear left board … with the low level tracks for the north end of the B&G fiddle yard, including the south end reversing loop. Track laying Now progressed and completed on board F2 , needs wiring up before @Pierre Le Brun comes up to help on Wednesday when hopefully we can get track laid on to board F3 …. Only 3 points on the low level on that board then it’s plain track for all the loops till board F8 ….. 15ft loops should hopefully hold two trains each, loop 1 will be nearer 25ft specifically for northbound motorails which load up to 16 vehicles …. Assuming a Bachmann Peak or Brush 4 will take that over 1/60 gradients. We will see…. 
 

Also impressed with cobalt Digitals …. Far less wiring. Have also grouped track feeds to local hubs which then connects to the bus rather than taking every one back to the main bus …. Saves on wiring and connectors! 

Hope this makes sense …. More to follow

Edited September 19, 2021 by Phil Bullock

[RBAGE]

47 minutes ago, Phil Bullock said:

So further progress! Realised it is vital to clearly identify @Tim Horns excellent boards for ease of assembly and storage …. This should do the trick! S for scenic F for fiddle. 
 

Track laying started on board F1 … as you look at layout from front that is rear left board … with the low level tracks for the north end of the B&G fiddle yard, including the south end reversing loop. Track laying Now progressed and completed on board F2 , needs wiring up before @Pierre Le Brun comes up to help on Wednesday when hopefully we can get track laid on to board F3 …. Only 3 points on the low level on that board then it’s plain track for all the loops till board F8 ….. 15ft loops should hopefully hold two trains each, loop 1 will be nearer 25ft specifically for northbound motorails which load up to 16 vehicles …. Assuming a Bachmann Peak or Brush 4 will take that over 1/60 gradients. We will see…. 
 

Also impressed with cobalt Digitals …. Far less wiring. Have also grouped track feeds to local hubs which then connects to the bus rather than taking every one back to the main bus …. Saves on wiring and connectors! 

Hope this makes sense …. More to follow

Hello Phil,

Great progress, but do you know there's a shortage of HGV drivers to get it to shows?

Bob

[Phil Bullock]

29 minutes ago, RBAGE said:

Hello Phil,

Great progress, but do you know there's a shortage of HGV drivers to get it to shows?

Bob

A Luton will take the load Bob …. Checked that one out….. 

[Clive Mortimore]

5 hours ago, Phil Bullock said:

So further progress! Realised it is vital to clearly identify @Tim Horns excellent boards for ease of assembly and storage …. This should do the trick! S for scenic F for fiddle. 
 

Track laying started on board F1 … as you look at layout from front that is rear left board … with the low level tracks for the north end of the B&G fiddle yard, including the south end reversing loop. Track laying Now progressed and completed on board F2 , needs wiring up before @Pierre Le Brun comes up to help on Wednesday when hopefully we can get track laid on to board F3 …. Only 3 points on the low level on that board then it’s plain track for all the loops till board F8 ….. 15ft loops should hopefully hold two trains each, loop 1 will be nearer 25ft specifically for northbound motorails which load up to 16 vehicles …. Assuming a Bachmann Peak or Brush 4 will take that over 1/60 gradients. We will see…. 
 

Also impressed with cobalt Digitals …. Far less wiring. Have also grouped track feeds to local hubs which then connects to the bus rather than taking every one back to the main bus …. Saves on wiring and connectors! 

Hope this makes sense …. More to follow

 

Good Evening Lord Bullock of Abbotswood,

 

I notice that there is no photograph of the electrical wiring illustrating to so us lesser mortals, still relying on direct current, how marvelous only two wires can be.

 

3 hours ago, Phil Bullock said:

A Luton will take the load Bob …. Checked that one out….. 

Bob's concern was the lack of drivers not where you are going.

[Phil Bullock]

31 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Good Evening Lord Bullock of Abbotswood,

 

I notice that there is no photograph of the electrical wiring illustrating to so us lesser mortals, still relying on direct current, how marvelous only two wires can be.

 

Bob's concern was the lack of drivers not where you are going.

Good evening Clive. Always had a soft spot for Luton it’s the only league football ground where I have actually scored in a game !!! Luton vans designed to carry hats…..

 

And here you go….

[The Stationmaster]

15 hours ago, Phil Bullock said:

Good evening Clive. Always had a soft spot for Luton it’s the only league football ground where I have actually scored in a game !!! Luton vans designed to carry hats…..

 

And here you go….

I bet Clive is now counting - very carefully.

[Phil Bullock]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

I bet Clive is now counting - very carefully.

For sure Mike And that is the simplest board….. will send him another one when completed! 

[Phil Bullock]

Today’s job is programming the cobalt digitals. Easy to do on the bench (or dining table!) directly from ECoS. 
 

Hopefully by giving them logical names (well to me any way!) and accessory codes life will be easier when it comes to grouping them in to routes 

[RBAGE]

31 minutes ago, Phil Bullock said:

Today’s job is programming the cobalt digitals. Easy to do on the bench (or dining table!) directly from ECoS. 
 

Hopefully by giving them logical names (well to me any way!) and accessory codes life will be easier when it comes to grouping them in to routes 

Nice job. Mind you, that's a strange looking Western.

[Phil Bullock]

9 minutes ago, RBAGE said:

Nice job. Mind you, that's a strange looking Western.

Certainly is! One of many recent additions to the fleet need to take more loco photos…. 

[RBAGE]

1 hour ago, Phil Bullock said:

Certainly is! One of many recent additions to the fleet need to take more loco photos…. 

Phil,

It really is good to see you back in the saddle again. For me, this is the most exciting part of the process. Construction and track laying.

I've been stuck in this part of the process for decades so I must love it.

Bob

[Phil Bullock]

7 minutes ago, RBAGE said:

Phil,

It really is good to see you back in the saddle again. For me, this is the most exciting part of the process. Construction and track laying.

I've been stuck in this part of the process for decades so I must love it.

Bob

Cheers Bob retirement has it’s benefits! I do like track laying too … and wiring. A good job I think… there’s lots to do! Much more scenic work too once we get to track competition, looking forwards to those challenges especially as we hope to integrate Magnorail circuits.

 

Great to have you along for the ride….

[Phil Bullock]

Today’s first job is to suss this little beastie out. 
 

If I have it correct it’s two separate 1amp switches controlled by separate addresses …. Aber alles papier ist Deutsch!

 

Intention is to use for dead sections so each fiddle yard loop will have two routes…. One with dead section just in front of exit points to stop a train which is doing a single run past once the relevant main line reset route is selected …. The other with dead section live for running through the loop when we are not operating seriously.

 

Other possibilities include triggering sound decoders as part of routes as some will pass no signals and hence will not give operators an indication that a route is set eg in to goods loops which begin behind the back scene and do not have entry signals. Likely sounds are bird song! Pheasants and woodpeckers come to mind ….

Edited September 21, 2021 by Phil Bullock
Clarity I hope!

[Phil Bullock]

Being retired I have had the chance to read back through this thread and have been humbled again by the engagement and helpful advice offered - thanks everyone.

 

The lack of a detailed track plan does imply the truth - I am making up the fiddle yard as we go along! Keep watching for further developments but on a layout of this size I can chose exactly where I site a point and which point to use for greatest ease when I actually get to that point.

 

Planning has taken place elsewhere however. The layout is planned to accomodate both the size and variety of trains we like to run. Attached is a starting set up for a show where we are not running a timetable.... information has come from many sources, not least those already on this thread and on RMweb in general but also from the South Wales Brians - Rolley and Tucker - @The Stationmaster, @TheSignalEngineer, @Rivercider, @Downendian and many facebook groups .... and thanks to @robertcwpfor making the carriage working notices available. All has gone in to forming this attached starting plan but there are a lot of trains we will run that dont appear on this starting list..... 

 

Phil

Train sequence.xlsx

[gismorail]

On 19/09/2021 at 18:14, Phil Bullock said:

A Luton will take the load Bob …. Checked that one out….. 

oh no not another white van man on the road getting in the way of proper truckers 

[Phil Bullock]

On 20/09/2021 at 14:18, The Stationmaster said:

I bet Clive is now counting - very carefully.

Better not show this to the Lincolnshire branch of the model railway wiring police then! 
 

In my defence m’lud there are only 3 wires…. Blue brown and red. And preprogramming the cobalts was a great success too …. Each board is electrically independent and only connected by the bus…. When I plugged this one in no shorts, every point motor worked and the stalwart D5401 test ran on all tracks.

 

Happy bunny!

Edited September 21, 2021 by Phil Bullock

[Clive Mortimore]

On 20/09/2021 at 14:18, The Stationmaster said:

I bet Clive is now counting - very carefully.

I ran out of fingers.

[5BarVT]

1 minute ago, Clive Mortimore said:

I ran out of fingers.

You only need hands to check.

Left,

Right,

More = Fail!

Paul.

[Clive Mortimore]

1 hour ago, 5BarVT said:

You only need hands to check.

Left,

Right,

More = Fail!

Paul.

Oi I might live in the middle of nowhere Lincolnshire but they haven't built the nuclear dump near us yet so I haven't grown a third hand.

[Andrew P]

42 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Oi I might live in the middle of nowhere Lincolnshire but they haven't built the nuclear dump near us yet so I haven't grown a third hand.

A third hand would be a bonus with all the switches on your control panel Young Clive.