The Nutley, Crowborough and Groombridge Light Railway - Fictional Narrow Gauge in East Sussex

[RedGemAlchemist]

Nice to see you returning to Nutley, Gary. Looking forward to seeing how the Barclay turns out. 

[BlueLightning]

Thanks Red,

 

It's been exciting to start work on the baseboards, it feels like real progress being made, and I am itching to get going properly!

[sem34090]

I dare say that the buffers also have the disadvantage as marking these out as Talyllyn Railway vehicles.

[BlueLightning]

I think you are right there Sem, they must go!! and when I rebuild them I will, once of the other items I got in the job lot with them (a white metal traction engine) fell apart as the glue is rather poor, so they shouldn't be to bad to dismantle, and then solder back together!

 

Gary

Edited November 4, 2019 by BlueLightning

[BlueLightning]

A post on the NC&GLR?!?!?! I know I'm full of surprises recently!!

 

This weeks video was a look at my 009 stock, most of which is for this layout! So check it out here!!

 

Hope you enjoy!

 

 

[BlueLightning]

Hello Everybody!

 

Isn't this Lockdown thing great fun? Yeah I'm not enjoying it that much either, in fact it has been so boring this week that I got some saws, and things out, and suddenly the NC&GLR has a baseboard!! and I even have a rough idea in my head for a trackplan based around a logging camp in the Ashdown Forrest, I am assuming that with this being wartime, and the logs going to the front, these would be temporary structures, and so I even have a basic idea for how the layout will look scenicly in my head!! I'll get a trackplan drawn up soon. For now I have been watching the trains go round!

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Gary

 

EDIT: the top isn't actually screwed down yet, I don't have any screws small enough, so that will have to wait until I can go to Wickes
 

Edited March 26, 2020 by BlueLightning

[BlueLightning]

Well that was quick! It's amazing what lockdown can do!!

 

So here is a trackplan Idea I had. It's based on another layout I had seen, except bigger. Thoughts and feedback greatly appreciated!

 

This plan gives me the ability to set a train running and watch it go, which I have been missing since getting rid of my roundy. It also has some shunting should I want to do that, and a bit of visual interest with the t levels (hopefully)

 

Edited March 26, 2020 by BlueLightning

[ChrisN]

Gary,

Questions:

1) Is it only going to be logging and no passengers?

2) What will the incline be?  Have to be very careful with the gradients.

3) Did you want to shunt and have a train running at the same time as with this layout they look mutually exclusive?

[BlueLightning]

Chris,

 

Answers:

1) It will certainly be primarily logging, I will probably run passengers as I have some coaching stock (admittedly not much), something had to move the workers around. The original promoters of the real idea were timber merchants, so logging would have been the primary traffic for the line.

2) I will have a proper play with gradients at some point on the layout, the positions of them can be adjusted, I don't want to bring the second level to high, I imagine the bridge at the front only just clearing the loading gauge.

3) No, I wouldn't be paying any attention to a running train while shunting, so I see no need to be able to have both.

 

Gary

[Nearholmer]

I'd definitely make the gradients start as far back as you can, start the climb as soon at the lower section pops out from under those two bridges, and only end the climbs just short of the two bridges.

 

009 will cope with steep gradients, and real forestry railways included some horrendous gradients*, not all of them cable-worked, but its always wise to keep things as gentle as space permits, and your plan is good, because it puts the two 'shunty' bits on the level, which is better than the real thing managed in a lot of places!

 

*I've got a few industrial narrow gauge loco data sheets, provided by loco builders, and they include haulage figures for locos on gradients up to 1:20, and short bursts of 1:15 or even steeper aren't unusual on temporary lines, which is why US logging railways used all those weird geared locos, Shays, Climaxes, Heislers etc. The Leighton Buzzard LR "main line" includes a good long slog of 1:25 against loaded sand trains (Marley's Bank).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 26, 2020 by Nearholmer

[BlueLightning]

Thanks Kevin,

 

I will make them as long as possible, Once I have a bit more track I will have a proper play doing so in 3D.

 

Gary

[ChrisN]

9 hours ago, BlueLightning said:

Thanks Kevin,

 

I will make them as long as possible, Once I have a bit more track I will have a proper play doing so in 3D.

 

Gary

 

Gary,

You probably know this but I will say it anyway.  If your gradient extends to the curves it needs to be less than on the straight as there is already more drag on the train from the curve.

 

Having a play is a good idea as you can test each loco with each type of train.  If the locos differ in their capabilities then that just adds to the realism.

 

[BlueLightning]

Thanks Chris,

 

Yes I was aware of that, but this will be my first attempt at building an inclined track, so every tip helps!

 

Did a quick bit of measuring this morning, I think I want to have the track raising about 2.5" maybe a bit less.

 

Gary

[webbcompound]

Presumably a passing loop would be useful somewhere on the circuit?

[BlueLightning]

Yes you're right, it probably would. I suppose the upper area where I have a platform marked would make the most sense.

 

Gary

[BlueLightning]

passing loop added where the "platform" will be

 

[BlueLightning]

I've been playing in full size, including a bit of testing on the incline, using all the straight track I currently have. All but one loco can happily haul a train up this rather steep angle, the last on being my Die Cast George England that can't even get it's tender up (although it can mange it loco only)

 

 

Once I have some more track I will initially try doubling the length of the incline, there is more than enough room for this.

 

The good news is that everything fits within the slope under the stairs as I had planned (I'm glad to have my ability to measure confirmed!!)

 

This bits coloured in blue in the following photo are the bits I will be testing as the incline in the next attempt, to see if I can keep the curves on the level, depending on how this goes I may also incline the curves.

 

 

 

Thanks for looking, hope you enjoyed,

 

Gary

[Nearholmer]

I’d still say go back much further than the blue, beyond the yellow, easing on the curve, with the gradient.

 

You’ll find an extreme hill limiting in the long run (!).

[Nearholmer]

PS: how do you embed videos? I was trying it yesterday, and even a few moments of video exceeded the 10Mb limit.

[BlueLightning]

24 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

I’d still say go back much further than the blue, beyond the yellow, easing on the curve, with the gradient.

 

That is in the plan of testing, the next thing I will be testing is all the straights as inclines, Once I have done that I will add the curves to the test, albeit at a reduced angle.

 

Current tests are limited by the fact my entire collection of 9mm track came with my Roco stater set, and includes 4 short straights and 6 curves, which make a nice oval, but not much else.

 

I have also noticed that the rear wheel on the England tender isn't turning, guess I'd best have a look at that too

 

23 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

PS: how do you embed videos? I was trying it yesterday, and even a few moments of video exceeded the 10Mb limit.

 

The video is on my YouTube channel, set as "unlisted" which means it doesn't show up there, the link to the video is then pasted into the editor here, and the forum software does the rest

[BlueLightning]

I'm sure it will come as a suprise to no one to discover that this weeks video on my YouTube channel has focused on the NC&GLR!

 

Check it out here

 

 

[Annie]

On 29/03/2020 at 03:47, BlueLightning said:

I have also noticed that the rear wheel on the England tender isn't turning, guess I'd best have a look at that too

If that wheels not turning it would have been like the engine was trying to climb the hill with the tender brakes on.

Edited April 2, 2020 by Annie
Left a word out

[BlueLightning]

Well things have been quiet here, mainly as throughout lockdown I have been helping my son with his layout, which is coming along really nicely!! New video coming this Tuesday on my YouTube channel!!

 

but while working on my Peckett, I decided I would apply some lining to my 009 stock, unfortunately after doing all the reverse curves on the Peckett, I ran out of corners before I even finished 2 locos, but they look much better for it, work is now underway on a crest for the railway which will be made into transfers to apply to the locos, then once the world starts up again, I had best get some name and number plates ordered for these, as well as some more lining for the rest of the fleet!

 

 

Thanks for looking, hope you enjoyed,

 

Gary

[Caley Jim]

Blue with black and white lining is the only proper livery for passenger locomotives, though they should have crimson lake valences and cylinders!  Oval brass number plates are also essential along with the companies initials in gold, shaded black and a suitable heraldic coat of arms (stolen  borrowed, preferably, from a royal source).  

 

Jim

[BlueLightning]

Well Jim, You'll be glad to know that your description very closely matches the locomotive stock of my sons railway, although most other things are reasonably generic, but he is only 10, we can't expect everything of him just yet. His current project is restoring his Triang 123, which has seen better days, but he has taken it from having no wheels to working, just cosmetics to go!

 

Gary