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Hendra


treggyman
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Hi

 

Welcome to my new thread.....

 

Yet another China clay layout....This'll be my third !!!

 

The idea is to be able to run it as either sectorisation or as 2000 onwards to current day operations.....

 

My last three layouts have been roundy roundy......

The advantage of that format is being able to run through trains as well as shunting the yard....& longer trains.....

It's nice to just watch the trains go by....

 

However,setting up at exhibitions can be a pain getting all the joints (a lot of which were on corners)set up.....

Especially as at the moment I have to exhibit as a one man band....

 

So I've gone back to an end to end configuration.....

Three 4ft boards end to end giving a total viewing area of 12ft......

It will be a bit more limiting but hopefully there will be lots of operational interest with shunting etc....

 

Previously I used cassettes.....

This time I've built in a traverser which will be hidden by the Clay buildings.....

 

No finalised track plan yet but it will end up being similar to that of Penhallick Junction's layout & I shall draw it out over the next few days.....

 

The thought is of a branch line truncated followed  by the removal of a low road bridge....(like Gunnislake)

A China Clay facility (Parkandillack/Treviscoe ) with aggregate loading facility (Burngullow ,though working hopper loading rather than bucket loader) & single passenger platform......

This time more 'urban'...Ie within or on the edge of a villiage (like St Dennis)......

Plenty of shunting & a regular passenger service operated by First/Wessex trains/Provincial depending on era chosen to run....

Got all the stock I need to run it.....

Baseboards made & today I laid most of the track in the traverser fiddle yard.....

 

I'll try to post a couple of pics of the baseboards tomorrow for any one interested....

 

This might take a while building as domestic issues have rather taken over my modelling time,& rather than build to a deadline I would rather take my time & enjoy building it....

After all it's my hobby & is meant to be enjoyable !!!!!!!

 

Cheers for now

 

Bill

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Hi

 

Just a quick update...

These two show the baseboards with the built in traverser at one end....

 

post-7844-0-42797000-1516126356_thumb.jpg

 

post-7844-0-17430800-1516126385_thumb.jpg

 

Then a few of the proposed track layout with the track loose laid to give an idea of how it will look.....

 

post-7844-0-97607900-1516126476_thumb.jpg

 

post-7844-0-26094500-1516126508_thumb.jpg

 

post-7844-0-84097200-1516126541_thumb.jpg

 

The two bits of pipe are to give an idea of height as it is planned to model a bank of slurry tanks to help disguise the entry to the layout....

 

Hopefully over the next couple of days I can draw up a proposed track plan & add it....

 

Cheers Bill

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Hi Melangoose & Ray

 

Thanks for the above posts.....

 

It was thinking about how your layout works Melangoose that gave me the idea for Hendra....

It won't look anything like but the idea of a station area & works got me thinking....

I would also agree that you can't have too many China Clay layouts.....

 

As previously said progress might be patchy....Life has to come first......

 

Cheers Bill

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Hi

 

A quick half hour today got some cork glued to the baseboards.....

Nearly all done but ran out of sprayglue.....

 

I've put a general layer down rather than following the track plan.....

Partly because the plan isn't finalised & partly because a lot of the yard area will be level or set in concrete so would need building up....

 

Hopefully get more glue tomorrow & maybe fix down some track......

 

Cheers Bill

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Hi

 

A bit of progress today...

 

Finished the fiddle yard/traverser trackwork.....

 

post-7844-0-09621400-1516482214_thumb.jpg

 

post-7844-0-85122300-1516482243_thumb.jpg

 

On my other traverser the power is fed by the copperclad strip to which the brass tube is soldered.....

I have had issues in that the tube has broken away from the copperclad strip.....

As the copper layer is quite thin this has sometimes caused the copper to come adrift from the backing material.....

So this time I soldered the tube to some copper strip which is screwed to the baseboard  & then soldered the tube to the copperclad strip as well....A much stronger connection ....

 

'Buffer stops' added to the ends of the tracks....

 

post-7844-0-26385300-1516482838_thumb.jpg

 

A general view of the traverser.....

The idea is that the two right hand tracks will hold a train of CDA's  & a mixed train of wagons for clay transport.

The middle track the stone train & the two left hand & kickback siding 153/150/158 DMU'S.....

 

post-7844-0-16122400-1516482897_thumb.jpg

 

I also started laying the track in the yard......

 

post-7844-0-31672100-1516483296_thumb.jpg

 

Took ages to get something I was happy with....

Not completely convinced but we'll see.....

 

Might get a bit done tomorrow but other things may take priority....We'll see....

 

Cheers Bill

 

 

 

 

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Is the traverses running on draw runners. Looking fab Bill. Keep up the good work.

Hi Ray

 

Yes the traverser is running on drawer runners....

 

They are Screwfix ones....The shortes they do (usual disclaimer)

They use ball bearings so run freely with little or no slop.....

On the previous traverser I fitted them upright....These I fitted flat....

They don't run quite as freely like this but freely enough....

I'll try & post a picture later...

Also rather than fix them on the ends of the traverser board they are set in from each end to try & reduce the risk of the board sagging which was a problem on the first one I built for Penhallic et al.....

 

Cheers Bill

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Hi

 

A bit of progress over the last couple of days....

 

The majority of the track is laid....Just the other bit of the runaround loop,head shunt at the station end & finalising the stone loading facility siding....

 

Will then be able to post a track plan......

A bit a## about face ...But that's how I tend to do things......

 

Then wire it up see if it works.....

 

The yard layout is in fact very similar to that of Penhallick Junction....

The good thing with that is I found it fun to shunt.....

Though I had at first envisaged a different plan this is how it turned out......

 

Anyway hopefully get more done over the next couple of days....

 

Cheers Bill

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Hi

 

Well more progress.....

 

The track is now all laid bar finalising the stone siding....

Probably needs to be a bit longer....But we'll see....

 

First a couple of pictures looking towards the station end....

 

post-7844-0-36235600-1517076033_thumb.jpg

 

post-7844-0-21043500-1517076060_thumb.jpg

 

When I came to lay the headshunt at the station end I had only a right hand point left....

The trouble with that was it took the track too far away from the station & in my opinion didn't look right....

So last night I made another Left hand point....

I had started to lay it & the track beyond with a section isolated for loco storage.....

But the headshunt was then too short to run a loco & wagon in...

So inspiration....

By using the right hand & left hand to make a crossover I then had a head shunt & loco storage spur....

It does mean I've got to buy another point motor but will make operation more fun I hope....

 

Then a view looking the other way....

 

post-7844-0-20076600-1517076605_thumb.jpg

 

Just a couple of views....

 

150 at the 'platform'..... 

 

post-7844-0-41349300-1517076732_thumb.jpg

 

& the stone hoppers await loading.....

 

post-7844-0-50442400-1517076796_thumb.jpg

 

I still may change this to a scrap loading terminal or a cement terminal but I like the challenge of making a working stone loader....

I have the stock for whichever I choose.....

 

Next job is to fix copperclad strip to the rails at the baseboard joints & cut the track.....

One point will need to be done.....

 

post-7844-0-10989900-1517077008_thumb.jpg

 

But fortunately it shouldn't be too bad......

At one stage I had a point that would have to be cut in half over a joint !!!!!

 

Well it's getting there....

Watch this space....Progress may be spasmodic as it depends on what time I have as other things will take priority...

 

Cheers

 

Bill

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Hi

Prior to going to work today I soldered copperclad sleepers either side of the board joint at the works end & cut the rails...

 

Hopefully get the other board join done tomorrow....

 

Looks OK but more importantly will it be OK....

 

Time will tell....

 

post-7844-0-22944600-1517174117_thumb.jpg

 

Cheers Bill

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Hi

 

All copperclad sleepers now in place & boards separated.....

 

Wired up the the works board but not connected to the power supply yet to test it....

Probably wired up the frog the wrong way round on the only point but the motor works OK, but....We'll see

 

Last night made up 5 'slurry' silos to help hide the entrance to the fiddle yard.....

They are only basic at the moment just to see how they'll fit.....

Just a bit of tube with a top at the moment....

Looking at them I might only need three of them....But we'll see.....

 

Hopefully get a bit done tomorrow morning before work....

 

Cheers Bill

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For someone who is taking their time, you are certainly cracking on with this Bill 

Hi

 

Thanks for the comment.....

 

Fortunately the weather is poor at the moment so outdoor jobs are on hold....

Though SWMBO has plenty of indoor ones lined up.....

 

Cheers Bill

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Hi

 

Just a quick update....

 

Wired up a bit of the middle board before work.....

Hopefully will be able to run test trains soon once that's wired up......

 

Also a few pics of the 'Slurry Silo's' in their basic form.....

 

post-7844-0-53642700-1517781043_thumb.jpg

 

post-7844-0-77981300-1517781105_thumb.jpg

 

post-7844-0-32624100-1517781140_thumb.jpg

 

The gap in front of the silo's to the front of the baseboard will be filled with the end of a Clay bulk loading building....

Hopefully that will hide the entrance to the traverser....

 

Time will tell

 

post-7844-0-32463400-1517781181_thumb.jpg

 

 

As you can see from the last pic they are offcuts of plastic rainwater pipe with a plasticard square top glued on & cut to shape then sanded smooth....

The top should be slightly conical but hopefully once the walkways/steps etc are in place it won't be noticeable

 

The weather forecast is good for tomorrow so outdoor jobs call....

Then back to work Tuesday so only odds & ends will be done....

 

Cheers

Bill

 

 

 

 

 

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Hi

 

A bit of progress.....

 

Made the control panel.....An offcut of 10mm thick plastic soffit strip.....

 

Drew on it the track plan ,drilled out the holes for the switches & fitted them.....

 

post-7844-0-49461400-1518291983_thumb.jpg

 

post-7844-0-21193600-1518292008_thumb.jpg

 

Purists look away now.....

Then fitted the spaghetti (wiring)....

I never was very neat....It will tidy up a bit later.....Hopefully.

 

post-7844-0-02214000-1518296608_thumb.jpg

 

This time I wired all the switches up leaving just the connections to the track/points to be done.....

Took a while....

 

Then this evening was able to run the first train into the station area to test all worked.....

The idea is to be able to run DMU's in & out of the station while shunting takes place in the yard....

Couldn't get one of the controllers to work....

One of the solder joints had come apart in the power box....

It's not been touched so how the joint broke I don't know but a quick solder & both control ports work.....

 

Hopefully get a bit more wired up tomorrow...

 

Cheers Bill

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I will keep my eye on this new layout should be a good one like the rest of your layouts!

Many Thanks

Hi Cornwall

 

Thanks for the above comment.......

 

Hopefully you won't be disappointed.....

 

Been away for a few days catching up with the Granddaughter& family so no progress to report

 

Cheers Bill

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Hi

 

Slow progress with the wiring.....

 

Two boards now done & all seems to work fine after a few initial problems....

Dry solder joint...Dead short caused by a trace of copperclad I couldn't see on a point......

 

The last bo0ard has been started & shouldn't take too long.....

Famous last words!!!!!!!

 

Then a lot of running to iron out any problems while I start the scenics......

 

One thing I haven't decided yet is whether to have signals.....

There's no direct equivalent on todays railway the nearest being Goonbarrow which has a working box & semaphore signals but is a passing place on a branch line to a single line terminus....

To give the layout more operational interest I am tempted to signal it.....

And there's always rule 1.

 

Cheers Bill

 

We'll see as I don't have to decide just yet.....

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Hi

 

Well all wired up & working.....

Ran an 08 over all the track & through the pointwork & all went well though some of the joints need adjusting/smoothing & there are one or two tight spots through the points wing rails.....

Next job will to be try the wagons etc to iron out any problems....

 

Hours of fun testing then buildings/scenics etc.....

 

 

Cheers Bill

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Hi

Had an hour before work today (yesterday was spent doing jobs for SWMBO )

 

Spent an enjoyable time running different loco's/stock in various combinations around the layout.....

Really pleased that there were few problems.....

One out of gauge point ,one not quite aligned track joint & one missing point check rail that only caused a problem for the class 60 loco!!!!!!

The only other issue was one point wouldn't completely throw fully.....

This was rectified by removing the point motor (Cobalt) & slightly widening the hole in the baseboard.

I have a mixture of point motors on this layout....Mainly because I'm using what I have to save cost........

So I've Tortoise & two versions of Cobalt.....

Personally although bigger & you have to solder the connections I much prefer the Tortoise motor...

Far more flexible ,quieter & I feel more powerful....

THe other thing is that a Tortoise motor is as it always has been....

The Cobalt motor has been upgraded & has DC & DCC versions...Which I found out to my cost.....

Even though I wired up the DCC versions as specified they all three died......

 

One disappointing issue is that my Dapol Freightliner stone hoppers buffer lock with the class 66.....

OK with the shunter/brake van/barrier wagon....Didn't try with a '60 as they are EWS.....

I didn't try the other wagons with the '66 but hopefully they'll be OK.......

The wagon buffers look a tad small so I may need to make new heads for them....

Next need to make sure the CDA's are OK.......

It's just one curve that I thought might be a problem......

 

Hopefully get more tested tomorrow.....

 

Cheers Bill

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