BWsTrains Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 Unfortunately, the Glenfinnan monument has done an Atlantis... Sorry! Thoughts and opinions welcome as usual! As seen from the viaduct, water coming much closer in is totally plausible as the land appeared to me rather like an ancient flood plain. Great idea, Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike140 Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 As seen from the viaduct, water coming much closer in is totally plausible as the land appeared to me rather like an ancient flood plain. Great idea, Colin Cheers, Colin. Yes as I was flooding the land I did notice that the surrounding hills do make it seem that the water level was once much higher than it is now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike140 Posted February 13, 2018 Author Share Posted February 13, 2018 (edited) After two trips to the tip with a Vauxhall Corsa filled to the brim and slammed to the ground, the loft is looking slightly cleaner... But, it seems that chucking bags of rubbish in to a skip doesn't scratch the modelling itch! Tired again from work, I didn't fancy another round in the loft today. So, when I got home I had a dig around in the 'drawer of later' and found a few Ratio semaphore signals and decided to put one together. You can actually get the signal up with only a single pin. You need glue for all of the other little bits. The bracket actually moved on the pin... I had to get it working... and succeeded! After a few experiments, I bent a bit of wire that came with the wire-in-tube kit I ordered last week to use as a rod. This is what I ended up with... And tested it... Success! The light from my phone makes the wire noticeable, but to the eye it is practically invisible. The bottom bends stop the bar from going too far down and pulling the signal and I've since fitted a terminal block on the underside to stop it going up too far. I'm more than happy with the result, though the bottom bends would be better bent off to the side at 90 degrees - That'll stop the rod from fouling the ladder. I don't fancy paying £25 a go for a signal - I'd need five and then one bracket, and that's only around the station area. I will probably have a few dotted around the line. Hopefully, one day it'll be operated automatically by a servo! Next challenge is a bracket signal for the branch line exiting the station. I'm already working on a way to illuminate it... and think I have it figured out!Just a bit more cleaning and I can make a start on the frame for the layout! Edit - Oh, and the plan has changed again The station is now back on the other side and has been flipped. It looks a lot better as that side is slightly smaller, it gives the station its own scene, while the longer stretch on the opposite side allows the long run through the moorland to be.. well.. longer! Edited February 13, 2018 by Mike140 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWsTrains Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Hi Mike, were they lower quadrant in that part of the world, I thought it was only GWR? Colin 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike140 Posted February 14, 2018 Author Share Posted February 14, 2018 (edited) Hi Mike, were they lower quadrant in that part of the world, I thought it was only GWR? Colin Sadly not, Colin. This one is just a prototype to see if I could get them working. I assume upper quadrant would work, too... or I hope so! For some reason the signals you get in the bracket pack (pretty much two signals that you bash together) are GWR and, as far as I know, Ratio don't make an upper quadrant version. Though, the home / distant signals they make are upper quadrant... It's an odd one! It would take quite a bit of botching, but I think combining the two kits would create a convincing signal. The GWR signals match the shape of those I've found on the WHL, only on the WHL they have a metal lattice construction. Impossible in N, I reckon! Some links to signals on the WHL... http://photos.signalling.org/picture?/9175/category/777-dalmally http://photos.signalling.org/picture?/9181/category/778-crianlarich The bracket here is throwing me off. Is it just me, or does it look lower quadrant? http://photos.signalling.org/picture?/25195/category/3114-1970_june Edited February 14, 2018 by Mike140 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signaller69 Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Sadly not, Colin. This one is just a prototype to see if I could get them working. I assume upper quadrant would work, too... or I hope so! For some reason the signals you get in the bracket pack (pretty much two signals that you bash together) are GWR and, as far as I know, Ratio don't make an upper quadrant version. Though, the home / distant signals they make are upper quadrant... It's an odd one! It would take quite a bit of botching, but I think combining the two kits would create a convincing signal. The GWR signals match the shape of those I've found on the WHL, only on the WHL they have a metal lattice construction. Impossible in N, I reckon! Some links to signals on the WHL... http://photos.signalling.org/picture?/9175/category/777-dalmally http://photos.signalling.org/picture?/9181/category/778-crianlarich The bracket here is throwing me off. Is it just me, or does it look lower quadrant? http://photos.signalling.org/picture?/25195/category/3114-1970_june The last photo certainly appears to show lower quadrants; from photos I have seen it appears it was later fitted with upper quadrant arms. Nice work! If using Ratio signals the LNER lattice kits are the closest to WHL practice, I have used these on "Crinan", but I used Alan Gibson etched brass signal arms to replace the moving parts instead of the Ratio plastic ones. They are a little more fiddly to assemble compared to the solid post versions but are quite versatile. Martyn 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike140 Posted February 14, 2018 Author Share Posted February 14, 2018 The last photo certainly appears to show lower quadrants; from photos I have seen it appears it was later fitted with upper quadrant arms. Nice work! If using Ratio signals the LNER lattice kits are the closest to WHL practice, I have used these on "Crinan", but I used Alan Gibson etched brass signal arms to replace the moving parts instead of the Ratio plastic ones. They are a little more fiddly to assemble compared to the solid post versions but are quite versatile. IMG_20160830_202532.jpgIMG_20170511_215013.jpg Martyn Your signals are a work of art, Martyn! I haven't ventured in to soldering brass yet, but have found some N gauge etched brass signal kits. I think I'll try and get the layout built before making signals, though! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signaller69 Posted February 14, 2018 Share Posted February 14, 2018 Your signals are a work of art, Martyn! I haven't ventured in to soldering brass yet, but have found some N gauge etched brass signal kits. I think I'll try and get the layout built before making signals, though! Thank for your kind words Mike, yes its a good idea to leave adding signals to the latter stages of construction as they are easily damaged when working on the layout, I can vouch for this! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meanach Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 Love the box and that swing bridge , sublime! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signaller69 Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 Love the box and that swing bridge , sublime! Thanks, the swing bridge is based on Banavie and the Signal Box on Arisaig. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike140 Posted February 23, 2018 Author Share Posted February 23, 2018 (edited) Hi all. Lots of progress as of late in the form of cleaning. I am but one trip to the loft away from it being ready for baseboards! Speaking of which.. I'm after a bit of advice. I've been looking up different ways to put the frames together and think I've decided to use the Plywood box method. Similar to this... I like the looks of this method as it looks sturdy and strong, while also looking quite professional. I would have opted for a simple 2x1" frame, but everywhere I went to find wood while building Banks Hill had lengths as straight as the M6. No one seemed at all interested in cutting anything to size either, hence why Banks Hill and the Glenshiel station prototype were built on shelves. I'm a bit stumped as to what thickness to use and how deep the strips of ply should be (the bits with the holes in them.) I was thinking of using strips with a thickness of 15mm (would 12mm do?) by 50mm deep, with 9mm on top for the baseboard. Would that be enough to support the whole thing, and would the 15mm (or 12) thickness accept a screw without splitting? I'll be adding extra support with strips of 1x1" running diagonally under the board if needed. I'm walking a fine line between it having to be strong enough for a model railway but light weight enough to handle. The sections will bolt together, hopefully that adds a bit more support, and I was thinking of using connector blocks to transfer power across the gaps. Like so... So I've had a quick look online for prices, and have come up with this shopping list. I have no idea if this is a good price or not. What do you think? The baseboards are the most expensive part, bringing that total to around £240! It does seem fair to me, seeing as that's the cost of practically my entire layout. I may have a drive around some local merchants and see how much my list comes to with them. A few trips in a Corsa is probably cheaper than a pallet delivery fee! ... Though, a pallet might come in handy... hmm. Edited February 23, 2018 by Mike140 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted February 23, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 23, 2018 (edited) Hi all. Lots of progress as of late in the form of cleaning. I am but one trip to the loft away from it being ready for baseboards! Speaking of which.. I'm after a bit of advice. I've been looking up different ways to put the frames together and think I've decided to use the Plywood box method. Similar to this... Eastcombe 2011_Elite_board.jpg I like the looks of this method as it looks sturdy and strong, while also looking quite professional. I would have opted for a simple 2x1" frame, but everywhere I went to find wood while building Banks Hill had lengths as straight as the M6. No one seemed at all interested in cutting anything to size either, hence why Banks Hill and the Glenshiel station prototype were built on shelves. I'm a bit stumped as to what thickness to use and how deep the strips of ply should be (the bits with the holes in them.) I was thinking of using strips with a thickness of 15mm (would 12mm do?) by 50mm deep, with 9mm on top for the baseboard. Would that be enough to support the whole thing, and would the 15mm (or 12) thickness accept a screw without splitting? I'll be adding extra support with strips of 1x1" running diagonally under the board if needed. I'm walking a fine line between it having to be strong enough for a model railway but light weight enough to handle. The sections will bolt together, hopefully that adds a bit more support, and I was thinking of using connector blocks to transfer power across the gaps. Like so... Electrical Connectors.jpg So I've had a quick look online for prices, and have come up with this shopping list. I have no idea if this is a good price or not. What do you think? woodprice1.jpg woodprice3.jpg woodprice2.jpg The baseboards are the most expensive part, bringing that total to around £240! It does seem fair to me, seeing as that's the cost of practically my entire layout. I may have a drive around some local merchants and see how much my list comes to with them. A few trips in a Corsa is probably cheaper than a pallet delivery fee! ... Though, a pallet might come in handy... hmm. With timber prices being what they are, and unreliable cutting at many merchants, it will probably cost you no more to get some baseboard kits from the likes of Tim Horn, White Rose,..... and save a lot of work. Edited February 23, 2018 by Joseph_Pestell Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marly51 Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 I like your board connector idea, Mike. Look forward to seeing your layout as it evolves. Marlyn Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWsTrains Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Mike, What is the application intended for your connector as shown? If it's for main power then a single bus line should be sufficient with offtakes as required so inter-board connectors can be much simpler, just 2 wire. If its for points / signals then you might need a lot more than 12 pins, my modest layout with 11 points needed 23 connections, 2 positives to each point motor + 1 single common return (at the plug). It's not clear from the photo how robust electrical contact is made on the other side of the connector strip. Could that be an issue? There are many types of make / break plugs or strips available, mostly for PC use, think bigger versions of the various plugs dangling off a PC power supply. They're not that expensive but rather tedious to assemble. I used 2 heavy duty 12 pin pairs for the point wiring and a much lighter weight strip for LED lighting and that was just to have my control panel removable from the main board for safe stowage. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike140 Posted February 23, 2018 Author Share Posted February 23, 2018 With timber prices being what they are, and unreliable cutting at many merchants, it will probably cost you no more to get some baseboard kits from the likes of Tim Horn, White Rose,..... and save a lot of work. Had a look on White Rose and used their baseboard configuration page. I managed to get roughly the same sizes, minus 5cm here and there, and would have to butcher one kit to get it to fit around the chimney breast. A few gaps between boards where the set sizes didn't match up, but they could be solved with a custom build. Using the configuration, the overall price came to a whopping £830!! That's flatpack! Mike, What is the application intended for your connector as shown? If it's for main power then a single bus line should be sufficient with offtakes as required so inter-board connectors can be much simpler, just 2 wire. If its for points / signals then you might need a lot more than 12 pins, my modest layout with 11 points needed 23 connections, 2 positives to each point motor + 1 single common return (at the plug). It's not clear from the photo how robust electrical contact is made on the other side of the connector strip. Could that be an issue? There are many types of make / break plugs or strips available, mostly for PC use, think bigger versions of the various plugs dangling off a PC power supply. They're not that expensive but rather tedious to assemble. I used 2 heavy duty 12 pin pairs for the point wiring and a much lighter weight strip for LED lighting and that was just to have my control panel removable from the main board for safe stowage. Colin For the majority of the layout, only a bus wire. Like you say, only a simple connection needed for the most part. As far as I can tell the connection is made by simply shoving a wire in to the block and then tightening the screws to hold it. I have toyed with the idea of using PC connections, I'll look in to that nearer the time. The station area will need a second supply for station lamps, interior lights and signals. Crossing two joins. Speaking of signals... The point rodding and semaphore signal ideas may be scrapped for simplicity. As much as I would love to have that massive array of switches on a control board, getting the rods across all of those joins may prove too tedious as each would need dis/connecting every time the boards are moved - which isn't likely to be often but still. Fitting DCC accessory decoders will be much simpler, although more expensive. The wiring from a couple of the decoders will have to pass through joins in the board, hence the block connectors. If my quick glances at the plan are accurate, I'd only need three blocks, each to carry six wires for the points they operate. The other decoders will sit under the boards that all of their points are laid on - eight at each throat for the fiddle yard and five for the branch yard. For signals I am juggling with the idea of either RETB, a more prototypical approach, or going all-out on colour light signals with route indicators - pretty lights! Leaning more towards the RETB, though. A question I have to ask regarding the flashing light - Is that permanent, or does it stop flashing when the route is clear? Cheers for now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike140 Posted February 24, 2018 Author Share Posted February 24, 2018 I've been using my brain way too early for my liking today and have realized that I can make the entire frame, everything, from just a single sheet of Ply costing £30, including delivery I've drawn up the plan and this is what I've got. I've even got enough left over to use for a decent chunk of the track bed or backscene! All I have to do is cut along the lines and screw it all together! Drawing out every single piece would have taken hours, so the sections in this plan show the over all sizes of all of the various pieces combined. There is one piece per section to show their size. The 60cm wide pieces have been reduced to 57cm to allow for the 12mm thickness of the ply. Honestly I am shocked and amazed that all of the sizes measured up perfectly to an 8ft length. That wasn't planned! Pure chance! Destiny? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWsTrains Posted February 24, 2018 Share Posted February 24, 2018 (edited) I've been using my brain way too early for my liking today and have realized that I can make the entire frame, everything, from just a single sheet of Ply costing £30, including delivery I've drawn up the plan and this is what I've got. I've even got enough left over to use for a decent chunk of the track bed or backscene!..... Hi Mike, That seems more like it! The earlier cost number beggared belief given your layout size is not much more than mine and you're using the same material. Re the connectors, I'd rule out tightening those screw type connectors, IMO it'll drive you crazy in situ. Here are my plug connectors which are 100% good contact and immediate to join. Larger types fine for the high current required for solenoid motors. Colin Edited February 24, 2018 by BWsTrains Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike140 Posted February 25, 2018 Author Share Posted February 25, 2018 Hi Mike, That seems more like it! The earlier cost number beggared belief given your layout size is not much more than mine and you're using the same material. Re the connectors, I'd rule out tightening those screw type connectors, IMO it'll drive you crazy in situ. Here are my plug connectors which are 100% good contact and immediate to join. Larger types fine for the high current required for solenoid motors. IMG_0297.JPG Colin Cheers, Colin. Just goes to show the cost of labour these days, eh? I'm hoping to get down to the wood yard this coming Thursday to see about their cutting service. They say it's free, but I can't see them cutting 60-odd times for 24 quid I'll be happy if they can make six cuts for me, that will get the 8x4' down to the various frame lengths that will fit in to a Corsa. From there I can easily cut each length out myself. The PC plugs certainly look ideal. I think I will go with using them. On a completely different note - Has anyone had any trouble with the Dapol Easi-Shunt magnetic couplings? All of a sudden mine are uncoupling on left-hand curves and for the life of me I can't figure out why. They simply drift apart. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWsTrains Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) Cheers, Colin. Just goes to show the cost of labour these days, eh? I'm hoping to get down to the wood yard this coming Thursday to see about their cutting service. They say it's free, but I can't see them cutting 60-odd times for 24 quid I'll be happy if they can make six cuts for me, that will get the 8x4' down to the various frame lengths that will fit in to a Corsa. From there I can easily cut each length out myself. The PC plugs certainly look ideal. I think I will go with using them. On a completely different note - Has anyone had any trouble with the Dapol Easi-Shunt magnetic couplings? All of a sudden mine are uncoupling on left-hand curves and for the life of me I can't figure out why. They simply drift apart. It'll be worth every penny for it if their cuts are made professionally on a proper sawing bed versus your hand cut alternative with a circular saw. I think my local place charges $0.50 or $1.00 per cut beyond the first and result is way beyond anything I could achieve. Getting the long cuts would be ideal as you don't need every edge to be dead true on the support beams, just leading edges. Colin Edited February 25, 2018 by BWsTrains 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike140 Posted May 29, 2018 Author Share Posted May 29, 2018 Morning all. Apologies for the lack of updates. Due to uncertainties for the near future, a possible house move looming, plans for Glenshiel have been put on the back burner. Well, the loft layout at least - that's becoming the dream attic/basement/shed/portacabin/steel container (20'x8' for £2,200!) layout. I've taken things back to my original plans and will be modelling two 7'x1' (possibly four 3.5'x1' for storage) lengths that can easily be stacked on top of each other for display/storage and connecting them with 180 degree curves of at least third radius at either end. Glenshiel will be compressed some, allowing four-coach trains to sit snugly in its platforms. I will be blatantly copying the track plan of another layout that inspired me to get back in to the hobby way back in Dec 2012 but will mirror it and change the surrounding scenery as to not completely rip it off. The other side will feature the open highland scene I was looking forward to, although a bit shorter, with a single line running along an embankment and over some bridges. I'm going for simplicity yet again - A two-platform station with two sidings on one side and a run with subtle curves on the other. Still inspired by the West Highland Line, of course. DCC is still a must. I am still a bit disappointed and was absolutely put off for a while in all honesty. I'd lost all motivation to go in to the loft and do anything after months of clearing it out. But the silver lining is a much smaller layout means much less work! Motivation for the layout is now at an all-time high, evident by my watching of a Cl.31 shunting back and forth along a 3ft length of track for two hours! I had actually started building the station out of shelves last summer, but they warped and were too heavy. They will make perfect legs, though. I'll be going with the ply box method. I have plenty of time off work coming up in June and July - garden modelling season! and I am aiming to blitz it and get it up and running by the end of July. I'll spend June working on the boards and then track laying in July. Hopefully some actual progress updates in the near future!Ta for now. Mike. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike140 Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 (edited) Good evening all. Finally, construction has started on Glenshiel in its much rationalized form. As soon as I got home with the timber I felt the sudden urge to grab a pen and start measuring up and marking down. Then I realized the jigsaw was in the loft and put it off for a day. After measuring and marking, I had to address the bug niggling at the back of my mind that was asking me "Are you really happy with that plan?" The answer was a simple "No." As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've decided to base my layout on the very one that inspired me back in to the hobby, but my plan was a blatant rip-off, an exact replica. This is the plan in question. I hope it's okay to post it. Invermoriston Station by Ian Stock. Featuring in RM Dec 2012. It just didn't feel right to simply copy / paste Ian's plan. So, back to the planning stage I went and started throwing down some different points to see what lined up, and this is what I ended up with. Edit: Updated scenics. I have modified Ian's plan, hopefully dulling the 'copy / paste' sense. At first I had completely mirrored it but it just did not look right to the eye. Using a three-way point I've managed to claw back a few centimeters in point work and having an extra 8 inches in length to work with has allowed me to stretch the train lengths out to five coaches and some very decently lengthy mixed goods. Speaking of goods, I've rotated the goods yard, which will most likely be a simple logging yard. Hopefully I can find some wagon kits as no one seems interested in making them RTR! A loss of about 6 inches in width meant I lost the second siding. It looked much too cramped with it, so away it went. Rationalized yet again! And converted the lower siding to a passing loop. Theoretically, this will allow faster passenger trains to over-take slower goods on rare occasions. Waiting for a line token will be a bit of a pain for the driver of the goods train! Using a curved point allowed me to throw the viaduct in a completely different direction at a much steeper angle. I think this will look very pleasing to the eye when done. This leads in to a tunnel, hiding the exit from the scene on to third-radius curves which will take the line to the second scene. The points leading in to the goods loop and yard are both large radius. With the goods yard rotated, I ended up with a large unused area above the station, so naturally a pub will be built there!Here are some photos from tonight's running session. I have to point out that the curved station line is too tight in the photos. I took them before realizing it needed adjusting, so that line will have a really nice subtle curve to it. Of course they only show half of the layout and only the station end now. The track is pinned to the lower base board so I can eye things up for now. The track will be elevated by two inches, which will allow the land to drop down for the valley and viaduct. Hopefully tomorrow the boards will be done!There had also been a new addition to the fleet! Edited June 27, 2018 by Mike140 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWsTrains Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 (edited) Morning all. Apologies for the lack of updates. Due to uncertainties for the near future, a possible house move looming, plans for Glenshiel have been put on the back burner. Well, the loft layout at least - that's becoming the dream attic/basement/shed/portacabin/steel container (20'x8' for £2,200!) layout. I've taken things back to my original plans and will be modelling two 7'x1' (possibly four 3.5'x1' for storage) lengths that can easily be stacked on top of each other for display/storage and connecting them with 180 degree curves of at least third radius at either end. Glenshiel will be compressed some, allowing four-coach trains to sit snugly in its platforms. I will be blatantly copying the track plan of another layout that inspired me to get back in to the hobby way back in Dec 2012 but will mirror it and change the surrounding scenery as to not completely rip it off. The other side will feature the open highland scene I was looking forward to, although a bit shorter, with a single line running along an embankment and over some bridges. I'm going for simplicity yet again - A two-platform station with two sidings on one side and a run with subtle curves on the other. Still inspired by the West Highland Line, of course. DCC is still a must. I am still a bit disappointed and was absolutely put off for a while in all honesty. I'd lost all motivation to go in to the loft and do anything after months of clearing it out. But the silver lining is a much smaller layout means much less work! Motivation for the layout is now at an all-time high, evident by my watching of a Cl.31 shunting back and forth along a 3ft length of track for two hours! I had actually started building the station out of shelves last summer, but they warped and were too heavy. They will make perfect legs, though. I'll be going with the ply box method. I have plenty of time off work coming up in June and July - garden modelling season! and I am aiming to blitz it and get it up and running by the end of July. I'll spend June working on the boards and then track laying in July. Hopefully some actual progress updates in the near future! Ta for now. Mike. Hi Mike, nice to see things moving again. Your change in plans may be a blessing in disguise, it was an old and true maxim from my work life that "I'll know what I want when I see what I don't want!". Grand plans have a habit of being 1 or 2 steps too far too fast, I ripped up all my track and relaid it once I saw what I didn't want and now with others' guidance am now much better off. There is a good Topic elsewhere here on building a modular baseboard that you might have seen and which could be helpful. It uses L Girders and "Fixit" blocks to assemble. regards, Colin Edited June 27, 2018 by BWsTrains Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike140 Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 (edited) A blessing in disguise I think they are indeed, Colin. Only after seeing the trains on the actual boards I realized how much space I had, something the plans didn't show very well. The tracks are nicely spaced and the curves are subtle. The track plan offers some complicated running for a single line and some shunting ability. I think it'll keep me occupied long enough! It's been a productive day. The baseboards are done! They won't win me any carpentry awards but they'll do for a model railway. They don't look like much, but it dawned on me that these are the first boards I've actually made in over ten years! I've been working with shelves since. So I'm pretty proud of my handiwork. Here they are; The simplest of builds. 2x1 with 9mm ply on top. Everything needs planing down a bit as there are some nasty edges here and there. I just need to find the sander. The two boards will be connected with two nuts and bolts. Holes still need to be drilled in the cross members for wires etc, but that's an easy enough job for later. Tomorrow will see the station side of the track bed go on top of the base board. This one doesn't need cutting at all as that entire side will be at track height. Large holes will be cut in to the baseboard to allow access for wiring etc. I'm holding off on the other end until the track arrives. I'm a few points short and need to make sure everything is positioned correctly before cutting wood. Don't want to get that viaduct wrong! For now I've mocked up the track again, they are roughly in line in these photos; The fish seem to like it! I also had some new arrivals come today! 37027 with a rake of Speedlink vans gives way to a passenger service while 27032 leaves some tankers in the rear siding for pick up later today. Freight trains that are too long to fit in Glenshiel's loop will be given the right-away over passenger services until they reach the next station down the line, which conveniently has a larger loop! The vans will see some heavy weathering and some of their Speedlink boards removed as I believe these fell off or went missing on the prototypes, adding a bit of variety. I'm made up with the Peco tank wagons. They don't offer NEM pockets, but the detail and weathering on them is amazing, especially for the price! And finally to show off the five coachers sitting happily in the station lines; I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out the width for the platform and curve for the station line as I don't know the measurements for the station building. It'll be a typical highland building. I have seen plans on here, but they show feet (or yards?) and I am terrible at converting those, so if anyone could drop those measurements in that'd be a massive help. Ta for now.Mike.Edit: I've uploaded a more detailed version of my plan which can be seen in my previous post. Edited June 27, 2018 by Mike140 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Smeeton Posted June 27, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 27, 2018 How about putting a bit of a curve (it needn't be much) in your lower platform line & loop. That would give you the platform width, and also ease the curve on the upper patform line. Otherwise, looks great, following with interest. Regards Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike140 Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 How about putting a bit of a curve (it needn't be much) in your lower platform line & loop. That would give you the platform width, and also ease the curve on the upper patform line. Otherwise, looks great, following with interest. Regards Ian Thanks, Ian. That's a good idea I will have a look at that! Thoughts and opinions regarding the goods loop please. I've been giving it a think and have realized the station lines can accommodate most of my goods trains with ease, and it complicates things a bit with the line token system in mind. So, I'm juggling with the idea of cutting it and having a siding like the Invermoriston plan. It'd allow me to shunt goods from the yard in to the siding ready to be collected. What do we think? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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