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Waddlemarsh - somewhere southwest of London sometime before today


Gwiwer
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My previous layout took 35 years from first idea to first train in motion.  This new project has so far taken only two.  There has been a hint in my signature for quite some time that I have a name for the project.  Waddlemarsh nods to Waddon Marsh though is not based upon that location.  It is intended to become a short-term layout in rented accommodation rather than a show piece since it will not be possible to remove it from the room.

 

The initial video, taken on the phone and in the indifferent illumination offered by fixed room lighting and an angle-poise lamp, shows the amount of space I have to work with and how tight it has been to squeeze into a room what will become a working layout rather than a diorama or small shunting puzzle.  It also shows the stone viaduct from Penhayle Bay graced by one of the Kernow Bulleid diesels; this scene now forms the basis of my weathering roadshow which is next booked for Saturday 21st July at the Twickenham MRC Open Day.  Once layout building gets under way this will be stored beneath rather than above the baseboards.

 

The room has to double up as bedroom, workroom, store and layout space with no room to swing a cat - not that he is keen on being swung to prove the point.  It has taken a good deal of effort to even locate and erect the boards while allowing for an L-shape which does not require tramway radii.  There remains a gap which will soon enough be bridged by the corner section and once that is done I can test the wiring and press ahead with more serious construction.  The boards were built quite some time ago for a project which failed to materialise simply because there was too much interest in then Penhayle Bay layout.  So they have been used as shelves beneath that layout for years but have had powered test trains run previously.  The fiddle yard area is the top of my bookshelf which will handle at least seven roads and the equivalent of six passenger coaches (or five plus loco) apiece with manual shunting.

 

The theme will be loosely based upon those freight transfer yards which could once be found in parts of London and with a nod to the south-west suburbs and north-east Surrey for those who remember the likes of Morden milk depot and Feltham yard.  

 

Waddlemarsh will have a nominal passenger service though the more varied part of the operation will be cross-London freights.  That will bring a wide variety of motive power onto the layout including representatives from Stratford, Cricklewood and father afield with trains being exchanged with SR traction.  The time period will be a little flexible but broadly mid-60s allowing late SR steam and early BR blue but under Rule 1 there will be some earlier items appearing from time to time and perhaps some more recent ones too.

 

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The track plan will be arranged.  Track is already laid on the two main boards with the points wired up though some alteration to the plain track is needed to suit the new location.  I don't plan on moving any existing points though a few new ones will be needed.  Of note, perhaps, the fiddle yard cannot have motorised points because a sub-floor unit would require cut-outs in the bookshelf and a surface mount would require the unit somehow pinned to the shelf.  I shall make do with hand-worked points off-scene.

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The missing board has been acquired, shaped and fitted.  This will permit track laying to commence and a few alterations to the existing track already in place.  Those alterations are necessary because the two older boards were built to fit end-to-end but are now the two legs of an L-shape.

 

I have made some decisions regarding Waddlemarsh.  The electrified passenger line will run at the back behind the goods yard in order to offer the best radius curves around the L-shape.  These trains will emerge from a three-road fiddle yard, serve or run through the station and disappear beneath a road bridge.  The double track will become single behind the scenery and around the corner before reaching a hidden two-track turnback facility concealed behind the main goods yard.  This will allow more variety in stock than a simple out-and-back by the same train repeatedly.

 

The goods lines will be independent of, but connected to, the passenger lines and will have their own three-road fiddle yard, four if I can fit an extra one in the space, and will enter the scene as a single track. This again ensures that bogie or coupled-wheel locomotives get the best possible curve radius around the L-shape before entering the reception yard.  Here there is a loco-release facility and there will be sheds and a coal / ash facility.  There will be sharply curved lines worked only by short wheelbase shunting locos acting as headshunts / wagon storage which will be in front of the passenger station.

 

Rolling stock, buildings, signalling and other necessary items are mostly now to hand.  One custom-built piece of pointwork is expected during the week ahead and will save significant space on the electric lines as they enter the fiddle yard.  The rest will be built from standard code 75 items and making use of some code 100 off-scene which I already have and saves the cost of buying near-identical items containing slightly less metal!

 

I am unsure at this stage when I might be able to carry out powered tests as all the points must have their polarity switches fitted and tested as well as there being a need for switched isolation of some sections.  It's not complex but in a very restricted space it could be fiddly.  I am expecting some surface wiring to be needed which can be easily hidden in the ballast.

 

A pencil sketch of the track plan I am working to at present.  This shows the goods line entering as single and doubling immediately; I am not yet committed to this option as I need to establish how tight the radius would be on the inside curve and whether it is a viable option for main line locos.

 

post-3305-0-36403600-1532795419_thumb.jpg

 

And another clip of the modest progress to date which - if nothing else - shows that the gap in the woodwork has been filled in!

 

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-TV2t9RD/0/c8596aa6/1920/i-TV2t9RD-1920.mp4

 

 

 

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A specially-built crossover has arrived. This saves precious space by using slightly cut-down components with standard Peco track spacing. I don’t have the workbench facilities to do this for myself so thanks are due to Pat Nichols.

 

This piece will form the electrified line fiddle yard entry from the station. I’m sorry this is rendered sideways. There is an issue somewhere between IOS on the phone and RMW software which will not permit correct orientation unless edited by a third party

 

post-3305-0-98075000-1533133163_thumb.jpeg

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Mention of Morden milk depot made me look up; our first house/flat was in an art-deco block, Grosvenor Court, right by the Express depot, close to Morden South station. By the time we moved there in 1979 the rail deliveries had finished, everything was by road. The tube depot is still right next door, of course.

 

Anyway, I wanted to ask where your purpose built cross-over came from?

 

Looking forward to seeing more of Waddlemarsh in due course.

 

Mal

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Hi Mal and thanks for your interest

 

The crossover was built by Pat Nichols whose eBay presence is here: https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Peco-Scissor-Crossover-Points-with1-double-slip-left-or-right-OO-gauge/152984752420?hash=item239e9a1124%3Am%3Amv_aWlRH3lrSptnEHu-3aZw&var=452782723453&_nkw=crossover+slip+code+100&_from=R40&rt=nc

 

Mine was done to my own specification. New code 75 items not good code 100. And therefore not at the price dhown on this link. The job is excellent and as shown it comes pre-wired. All I have to do is fit the motors and frog switching which will be Peco PL10 and PL13 to match the rest of the trackwork. The crossover comes supplied with wiring diagrams for PL13 and for PL32 frog switching and the wires used match the colours on the diagram.

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Well remember the Express Diary and the Tube at Morden but the memory stirred is that the tube line used to run beneath the school field and you could feel the vibration.  On one side of the field was the old L&SW line that ran behind Lines Brothers of Triang and Hornby fame, and on another side the 'Merton Dasher' as we called it that ran from Wimbledon to West Croydon ... now I believe a tramway.

 

Rick you seem to have al awful lot in a small space.

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The “Merton Dasher” aka the “2-train” (because it was formed of two coaches, used headcode 2 and ran two times an hour) is indeed now the Wimbledon route of TfL’s Tramlink. And very busy it is too.

 

Speaking of very busy not only is there plenty to create on the railway but the room itself is busy. One day when it’s tidy enough I’ll post a vid showing that everything fits in with just one or two millimetres to spare.

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Progress is being made.

 

I have first-fitted the main fiddle yard and found I can get nine sidings into the space not the six I had expected.  The off-scene areas will use code 100 rail and points as I have a near-full box of yard-lengths and several points bought from a friend years ago which can be used.  This saves on costs and the need to continue storing these items.  All that has been required is a few of the nifty SL-113 connector tracks which will link the code 75 main boards to the code 100 off scene.

 

I continue to be guided by this rough track plan but am making changes as I go in particular to minimise the effect of a right-angle corner mid-layout.  

 

post-3305-0-66059000-1534352005_thumb.jpg

 

And some views of progress, albeit not permanently laid and fixed track - yet.  But soon.  The Brighton Belle trailers are the brand-new 1967-style just released while on road 9 a Maunsell twin-set awaits connection to the layout and some sort of haulage.  The 4TC sits at the future site of Waddlemarsh Halt while some representative freight action is portrayed on the goods lines

 

post-3305-0-29006000-1534352151_thumb.jpg

 

post-3305-0-93251900-1534352201_thumb.jpg

 

post-3305-0-12056700-1534352215_thumb.jpg

 

What appears to be a n angle-poise lamp is in fact just that.  This is positioned to illuminate my office and work area, which is beneath the elevated bed, and will now also light the fiddle yard which will eventually have a scenic break fitted where the three-way and crossover points are.

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There has been progress.  Not all of it forwards.  I have started wiring the new points and crossover which required the purchase of a new soldering iron.  It worked perfectly for 30 minutes and then died.  I have not been able to return to the shop and exchange it until today but exchange it they did without question.  More wiring can now take place over the Bank Holiday weekend.

 

The track plan has been modified slightly from the original sketch and no doubt will continue to be modified as I fit things in.  The two-road shed area on the goods yard board will now be a single road serving the merchant's store as had been intended when I first designed and built this board for another project years ago.  It will instead gain a kick-back siding to a small servicing shed.

 

The goods line has been pinned into its final position and has the N-class standing on it in the photo below.  The goods headshunt remains in its final position, as built previously, but now singled. This has the Warwell leading the freight parked on it in the picture.

 

post-3305-0-57184100-1535041304_thumb.jpg

 

Another view looking into the office / workstation area with the fiddle yard on the shelf behind the computer and the bed base above.  This will not be the layout operating area however - that will be installed on the edge of the baseboard in front of Waddlemarsh Halt.

 

post-3305-0-94362500-1535042207_thumb.jpg

 

And another video clip which shows that some progress is indeed being made even if it looks like spaghetti everywhere.  It's at that stage of things!  This is also a full 360-degree view around the room and gives perhaps a better idea of how everything is squeezed in both on the layout and in the room in what has been generously described by a respected modeller as "Masterful use of space".

 

i-26dQmfL-X2.jpg

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A specially-built crossover has arrived. This saves precious space by using slightly cut-down components with standard Peco track spacing. I don’t have the workbench facilities to do this for myself so thanks are due to Pat Nichols.

 

This piece will form the electrified line fiddle yard entry from the station. I’m sorry this is rendered sideways. There is an issue somewhere between IOS on the phone and RMW software which will not permit correct orientation unless edited by a third party

 

attachicon.gif92F9CEAC-4934-422F-8040-F3EF0125E4A4.jpeg

 

Does this help ?

 

post-20303-0-28624200-1535043640.jpeg

 

I too use an iPhone which creates the same issues when put through the RMW software.

 

I can edit other photographs on my MacBook without any problems, what I've started to do with mine is take a screen shot of the original then import into back into Photos and edit again. Bit of a "faf" but seems to work.

 

Grahame 

Edited by bgman
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Thanks Grahame.

 

I too can run the photos through the iMac Photos software or the Canon editing suite but as you say it's a bit of a faff.  No other site that I use has issues with orientation of iPhone images.

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There has been progress.  Not all of it forwards.  I have started wiring the new points and crossover which required the purchase of a new soldering iron.  It worked perfectly for 30 minutes and then died.  I have not been able to return to the shop and exchange it until today but exchange it they did without question.  More wiring can now take place over the Bank Holiday weekend.

 

The track plan has been modified slightly from the original sketch and no doubt will continue to be modified as I fit things in.  The two-road shed area on the goods yard board will now be a single road serving the merchant's store as had been intended when I first designed and built this board for another project years ago.  It will instead gain a kick-back siding to a small servicing shed.

 

The goods line has been pinned into its final position and has the N-class standing on it in the photo below.  The goods headshunt remains in its final position, as built previously, but now singled. This has the Warwell leading the freight parked on it in the picture.

 

attachicon.gifIMG_6958.jpg

 

Another view looking into the office / workstation area with the fiddle yard on the shelf behind the computer and the bed base above.  This will not be the layout operating area however - that will be installed on the edge of the baseboard in front of Waddlemarsh Halt.

 

attachicon.gifIMG_6966.JPG

 

And another video clip which shows that some progress is indeed being made even if it looks like spaghetti everywhere.  It's at that stage of things!  This is also a full 360-degree view around the room and gives perhaps a better idea of how everything is squeezed in both on the layout and in the room in what has been generously described by a respected modeller as "Masterful use of space".

 

 

"I had taken furnished lodgings down at Durrington-on-Sea..." - with apologies to Flanders and Swann.

 

Looking good Rick.

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What to do on a wet Bank Holiday weekend?  Fix the two hidden sidings which will form the run-off for the electric passenger trains.  These two sidings will be concealed behind the backscene of the freight facility and will give the impression of a through route without the need to run the same train out and back every time.

 

The required length was for a five-car unit or loco-plus-four which as can be seen has been achieved.  The closely spaced tracks and the very tight clearance behind the upright posts are of no consequence as these are hidden sidings.  

 

Four views which show the overall track plan taking shape on this board and which is surprisingly close to being completed, the twin run-off tracks for electric trains which are occupied here by the three trailer cars of the Brighton Belle (the motor coaches are due for release any day now) and a 4TC unit with a class 33/1 loco tucked away at the far end.  Apart from the length of the board it is these two 5-vehicle trains which require the given length of siding though for the most part 2-car or 4-car trains will be the rule on passenger workings.

 

The proximity to the window is apparent and trains moving along the outer siding will brush the net curtain but in tests have not snagged it.  The back scene will be a pre-printed photographic panel mounted on MDF and simply slotted into position.  Of the three posts only the two outer ones are fixed while the third will be glued to the MDF and allow the back scene to be lifted in or out as required and located between the outer posts.  As this layout is being built almost entirely from materials already to hand the posts are simply random offcuts from the baseboard legs and their differing heights will not matter in this situation.

 

The slim pole, visible where the net has been drawn back in order to show it, which alters the angle of dangle for the venetian blind must be accessible limiting the height of the backscene but not severely so.  I will also need access to those hidden sidings should anything go awry.

 

post-3305-0-25876600-1535285784_thumb.jpg

 

post-3305-0-67347400-1535285798_thumb.jpg

 

post-3305-0-66071700-1535285808_thumb.jpg

 

post-3305-0-15667200-1535285714_thumb.jpeg

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What to do on a wet Bank Holiday weekend?  Fix the two hidden sidings which will form the run-off for the electric passenger trains.  These two sidings will be concealed behind the backscene of the freight facility and will give the impression of a through route without the need to run the same train out and back every time.

 

The required length was for a five-car unit or loco-plus-four which as can be seen has been achieved.  The closely spaced tracks and the very tight clearance behind the upright posts are of no consequence as these are hidden sidings.  

 

Four views which show the overall track plan taking shape on this board and which is surprisingly close to being completed, the twin run-off tracks for electric trains which are occupied here by the three trailer cars of the Brighton Belle (the motor coaches are due for release any day now) and a 4TC unit with a class 33/1 loco tucked away at the far end.  Apart from the length of the board it is these two 5-vehicle trains which require the given length of siding though for the most part 2-car or 4-car trains will be the rule on passenger workings.

 

The proximity to the window is apparent and trains moving along the outer siding will brush the net curtain but in tests have not snagged it.  The back scene will be a pre-printed photographic panel mounted on MDF and simply slotted into position.  Of the three posts only the two outer ones are fixed while the third will be glued to the MDF and allow the back scene to be lifted in or out as required and located between the outer posts.  As this layout is being built almost entirely from materials already to hand the posts are simply random offcuts from the baseboard legs and their differing heights will not matter in this situation.

 

The slim pole, visible where the net has been drawn back in order to show it, which alters the angle of dangle for the venetian blind must be accessible limiting the height of the backscene but not severely so.  I will also need access to those hidden sidings should anything go awry.

 

attachicon.gifimage1.jpg

 

attachicon.gifimage2.jpg

 

attachicon.gifimage3.jpg

 

attachicon.gifimage4.jpeg

Rick, a thin "fence", card for example, between the trains and the curtains would eliminate the snagging risk.

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Thank you gents.

 

No conversion involved with the bed - it’s an IKEA one and the only double cabin bed available. Strictly speaking it has been modified slightly as it was a little too close to the ceiling as built so had one step cut off the ladder and 10cms or so from the legs. Lucky it’s wood!

 

I too though about pinning a strip of card between train and curtain last night when the cat hopped up onto the window ledge. The prospect of cat versus train with a net curtain between brings all sorts of horrible scenarios to mind. A cat-astrophe is not what I want!

 

Peter I questioned whether the Garratt would get around Penhayle Bay but it did. So it should cope with the outer (large radius) curves on this layout. The inner curve is the shunting neck and restricted to short wheelbase locos. All curves are a flexible radius of several guesstimetres ;)

 

And how much is a guesstimetre? Your guess is as good as mine. It is what it is.

Edited by Gwiwer
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That first moment at which the tracks are connected end to end. Only this inner curve for now and nothing is yet firmly fixed until the electrics can be tested.

 

This will be the shunting line and theoretically open only to short wheelbase locos. However with a radius of slightly more guesstimetres than I had anticipated it seems even a Merchant Navy can cope.

 

post-3305-0-99616200-1535473472_thumb.jpeg

 

Although the bogie swing on the Bulleid diesel is a bit unrealistic this too happily runs through the curve. It’s green and never wore that livery while based on the Southern but it will appear at times on freights to or from the LMR. As such it has its headsignal discs set for the route via Kew Junctions and Acton (one end) and via the West London Line and Willesden (other end).

 

post-3305-0-58702300-1535473390_thumb.jpeg

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Track laying on this board is now complete and as such this is the final plan for the goods area and with the two "electric" sidings which will be hidden to the right of the posts.  The wiring is incomplete so powered tests are not yet possible but I have arranged the track such that the kick-back siding (which will lead to a shed) has three insulated sections allowing me to make realistic shed moves.  Likewise the siding closest to the uprights / hidden roads has an insulated section at its far end in order to make loco-swap moves on a dead-end road.  The main arrivals road however already has a loco-release with its small headshunt for storage.

 

post-3305-0-38676100-1535647699_thumb.jpg

 

post-3305-0-95842900-1535647722_thumb.jpg

 

It's coming along steadily.

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post-21098-0-23360200-1535655067.jpg

 

Good to see you're back in business, Rick.  The Window, always a problem with layouts; I have the same situation having to have a walkway for access for cleaning or adjusting the blinds.  Over the years they do accumulate a lot of dust and other deleterious from the layout as well as the inevitable spiders or dead flies.  We do keep a tidy house, by the way!  The reachover on your layout looks about the same, 2'6"(?) and even that is barely adequate.  Needless to say only the outside gets washed!

 

Brian.

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Thanks Grahame.

 

I too can run the photos through the iMac Photos software or the Canon editing suite but as you say it's a bit of a faff.  No other site that I use has issues with orientation of iPhone images.

 

 

Going off at a slight tangent. My iPhone is unpredictable when it comes to image orientation. I can take several photos which are ok, but if I stop for a few seconds and exit the camera app, then re-start it and carry on with the phone orientated as before - the second set of images will often appear upside-down on my MacBook when uploaded to it. 

 

I can't fathom this out either, but it seems to be a fault with how the image is saved, as all the images are correct when displayed on my phone. 

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