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The Chronicles of Braynerts Sidings'


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On 17/03/2019 at 01:46, south_tyne said:

 that trackwork is superb. 

You haven't seen it close up!  Lots of compromises to cover up the non-prototypical radius etc.  The trouble is that I can't tell if it works OK until it's laid and wired.  It's fine pushing a couple of wagons around but its only when I can run a loco under power that we'll know for sure.

 

It'll be some sort of industrial 'complex' with a variety of buildings 'borrowed' from different locations and adapted to suit.  I've got some candidates in mind and there will be much perusing of books to find some more.  A card system again for operating and restrictions on siding length etc. to make it 'interesting'.

 

Still deciding on a name.  I've got a few ideas but it'll be a secret for a while:taunt:

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  • 2 weeks later...

A bit of an update.  Here is the baseboard with cork laid and a set of point templates fixed down (with spray adhesive not PVA) so that I can lay the trackwork in the correct place!  As it will come off the building board in 3 sections I will need some sort of registration to ensure it all lines up.  Pointwork is (more or less) finished with chairs etc. fitted.  Next stop will be lifting it off the template without it breaking or falling apart!  I think some lighter fuel to dissolve the double-sided tape sticky may be in order.

 

Baseboard.2.A.jpg.b6acdf7aecc55d307c757a6b8bffca35.jpg

 

The angled 'top section' lifts off for storage and will have some of the lighting, a backscene of some sort and also possibly scenery/low relief buildings.  The big hole in the front is for my AGW controller although I may blank it off to fit a DIN socket for a wander lead controller instead.  The little hole is for 'personal items'.  Holes in the ends will lead out to small fiddle sticks/yards, still to be 'designed' (!) and built.  A coat of paint will disguise all the varied shades of wood.

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16 minutes ago, 5050 said:

Next stop will be lifting it off the template without it breaking or falling apart!  I think some lighter fuel to dissolve the double-sided tape sticky may be in order.

Ah. Thank you.

I had always wondered how people who use this method of construction solved that problem.

(In the past, I have simply drawn the rail inner faces and sleeper centre-lines onto the underlay.)

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Well, I've managed to lift the points from the template without to much damage using a thin 6" steel rule and an application of lighter fuel.  A couple of soldered joints came loose and one sleeper hadn't actually been soldered at all!  I've given the copperclad ones a scrub to try and clean off the excess flux and given the ply sleepers a minimal brushing likewise but I'm not to happy with soaking them even if it is supposed to be waterproof ply that is used in their manufacture.  I'm rather surprised that one section has come up with a bit of a twist to it.  As it is held down onto a flat surface etc. I wonder why.  I'll have to make sure it is well weighted down when I lay it.  I also made sure that the 'bottoms' of the rivets are flush with the surface of the underside of the sleepers using a small flat file so that any uneveness is eradicated as much as possible.

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You may 'do down' your pointwork but I think it looks great and greatly admire your skill... you're too modest! It's such an interesting trackplan and so different to the norm, which can only be a good thing. The baseboard looks like a work of art too! 

 

I am looking forward to reading about the operating schedule/procedure you develop for the layout in due course, and how you will use the card system. I was fascinated by Enigma and really enjoyed your article about the operation of it in RM a few years ago :good_mini:

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23 minutes ago, Middlepeak said:

Paul,

 

Go on, I dare you ….. set this up on your demo table at Scalefour North this weekend and prove that your locos will go round those curves!

 

See you on Saturday,

 

Geraint

All I know is that 9' wheelbase wagons will go round!  I'm just hoping that similarly dimensioned locos do the same - but I won't know until I've laid and wired it so there may be a lot of wasted time if they don't.

 

Won't have room at S4N - although I could sneak a point in I suppose....................................:rolleyes:

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6 hours ago, enginelane said:

Interesting set set up and am sure it will create lots of naughty words when people are trying to solve the shunting problems 

You can have first go then!

 

I don't know any naughty words - but I'm always willing to learn............................:)

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1 hour ago, 5050 said:

I don't know any naughty words - but I'm always willing to learn............................:)

Cheeky.

Rude.

 

That’s two naughty words for you.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some progress can be reported.  The pointwork being basically complete and ready for laying, I decided I should electrically test it to avoid disappointment at a later date.  I therefore bodged the rail gaps with little bits of wire underneath so that the tightest curve on the left hand 3-way was usable by a loco and, with bated breath, turned the knob with one of my 4-wheel diesels on the track - and it ran through without any problem, including the diamonds.  Phew!  It also propelled a couple of wagons likewise so I'm reasonably confident that the whole thing should work OK.

 

Having got (via the goodwill of one of our members) a tube of Evostik I am now almost able to start laying the track but before I do, I need to cut 'troughs' for the point tie-bars and associated 'rodding' which will be old lengths of Code 100 rail.  This is virtually the same height as the cork thickness so a layer of paper will be laid over it once in position to disguise it.  Actual operation will be by slide switches on brackets along the front edge of the baseboard.  These will also change the polarities of the point and diamond frogs.

 

Photos to come!

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  • 4 weeks later...

As promised (a month ago!) I have been fitting the point operating 'system'.  Slide switches on aluminium angle brackets along the front.  The two 'left' diamonds will both be switched by the extreme left hand set of point blades and the right hand diamond by the single point above the right hand 3-way.  To enable both diamond switching and crossing-vee switching I am using some triple pole double throw switches that I discovered I had in my 'stash of useful items'.  2 sets of contacts will power the diamonds and the third the vee.

 

You will see some 'spring things' attached to the switches.  These are made from the innards of Schrader car tyre valves, a short length of brass tube and some brass wire that is a sliding fit into the tube.  The spring takes up the excess movement of the switch compared to the tiebar (like an omega loop) and this system worked well on 'Lower Pandy' 20+ years ago so I'm trying it again.

 

In places, the switches couldn't be positioned directly opposite the relative points so I have had to introduce angle cranks to reverse direction.  These were made from the excess parts left over when building High Level  gearboxes (the bits that look like London Underground symbols), soldered at 90 degrees and two 'legs' cut off.  A little tag of brass (etch kit waste) is rivetted to each arm for the operating wires to be attached and provide a swivel.

 

1505814246_PointOp.1.A.jpg.4df4eb46d446093be4f651acf38817a5.jpg

 

The track is drawing pinned down to ensure accurate location and I intend to spray a mist of matt grey to show the sleeper positions for sticking it down.

 

1598048170_PointOp.2.A.jpg.941d93eaf0cd7f5f7a4056f7f8015374.jpg

 

The pair of switches for the left hand 3 way.  I will build 'walls' around the aluminium in due course.  Swiches are attached to the aluminium with small BA screws into drilled and tapped holes.

 

1090210476_PointOp.3.A.jpg.b86f27d32d136f9590018b17cf51da62.jpg

 

The switches for the 2 'middle' points showing the angle cranks for reversing the throw.

 

1255342464_PointOp.4.A.jpg.9f48249be0ff0e9ca153ae595c2c19ec.jpg

 

This is the point that will control polarity of the diamond next to it.

 

It's all taking a lot longer than I expected - but life keeps getting in the way!

 

 

Edited by 5050
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Looks good - that point control set up is similar to mine, except about a thousand times classier looking and better built !

What do you do about couplings? I was thinking about that as I shunted the one siding on my layout that has a similar radius to yours, because I can't couple up the 3-links on that for love nor money. Mind you they mostly aren't sprung, and neither are the buffers....

 

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I've always used 3-link with iron wire bottom links for magnetic coupling and uncoupling.  With having the 2 sidings facing away from the operator I am a bit concerned about being able to access them and was thinking about fitting Dinghams but I don't think they are to happy with tight curves.  Hopefully most of the coupling should be done on straighter bits but it is a subject I'm a bit concerned about.

 

Mind you, I wasn't before you mentioned it..................................:unsure:

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2 hours ago, 5050 said:

I've always used 3-link with iron wire bottom links for magnetic coupling and uncoupling.  With having the 2 sidings facing away from the operator I am a bit concerned about being able to access them and was thinking about fitting Dinghams but I don't think they are to happy with tight curves.  Hopefully most of the coupling should be done on straighter bits but it is a subject I'm a bit concerned about.

 

Mind you, I wasn't before you mentioned it..................................:unsure:

The Dinghams are OK with tight curves as long as there are no long overhangs on stock and locomotives, as you saw earlier on my layout.

 

By the way, I fixed the coach by using a Kadee, modified by pulling out the pin for the knuckle, removing it and by filing and fixing a Dingham hook and latch on. Now the coupling is free to swing off the centre line and go round the tight point without pulling the coach off the rails. I don't suppose you're going to be using long wheelbase 4-wheel coaches on here anyway.

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Track laying has started!  Here is a shot of the baseboard after the quick blast of grey/brown to leave a template of the track positions.

 

211542835_TrackLay.1.A.jpg.fdb45ea76450ba442721663bc741a9b2.jpg

 

And here is the first point stuck with Evostik and weighted down so it can't escape.

 

2101913083_TrackLay.2.A.jpg.64cd71d50c2618fe591abf40ddf05bed.jpg

 

I just hope that all the sections line up OK when I finish!

 

 

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