Ruston Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 You've got the wrong jar for track laying there. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry lamb Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 (edited) Excellent work 5050 and very neatly done. Very interesting. I did consider a similar point and switch control using slide switches but as my 'planks' never last more than a twelve month and with scenics being completely out of the question I thought it was pointless! Superb effort! Edited May 15, 2019 by harry lamb Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 5944 Posted May 14, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 14, 2019 Nevermind the jar, I've never seen anyone iron their track flat before! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 6 hours ago, 5944 said: Nevermind the jar, I've never seen anyone iron their track flat before! I'd never had believed that you could do it with a flat-iron and not a steam-iron too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted May 16, 2019 Author Share Posted May 16, 2019 The last couple of days have (intermittantly) been spent laying the loop lines and the ends. I have also been having to fettle some of the pointwork - especially the diamomds - because what seemed to work OK in the building didn't perform so well after laying. I'll be very honest and say that I feel I am pushing the boundaries of P4 trackwork (the purists wouldn't like it you know) and am hoping that locos will run OK once I have wired it up. Getting a couple of wagons to run throughout doesn't necessarily mean that a loco will. Only time will tell. I've got a steam iron but as most of the locs that will work on here are diesels I thought it might be a bit out of place.................... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 Looking forward to seeing this layout grow, fantastic plan and trackwork. Some great engineering to operate the points as well. One question, what are the switches fixed to at the front of the layout? I've always wanted to use slide switches but as my layouts are always front operated I've never been able to find a way. Steve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted May 16, 2019 Author Share Posted May 16, 2019 2 hours ago, sb67 said: Looking forward to seeing this layout grow, fantastic plan and trackwork. Some great engineering to operate the points as well. One question, what are the switches fixed to at the front of the layout? I've always wanted to use slide switches but as my layouts are always front operated I've never been able to find a way. Steve. It's 30 x 30mm aluminium angle from B&Q, drilled, sawn out and filed to fit the switches and then screwed to a length of 25 x 25mm wood that is a longitudinal part of the baseboard. The angle is drilled and tapped either 8BA or 10BA, depending on the switch, to secure the switches to the angle. They will have to be removed and refitted a few times while I'm wiring up! Having the sloping front helps with this as the switches don't overhang the front of the board as a whole. I will make some 'walls' to go round them when it's all complete. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandhole Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 2 hours ago, 5050 said: The last couple of days have (intermittantly) been spent laying the loop lines and the ends. I have also been having to fettle some of the pointwork - especially the diamomds - because what seemed to work OK in the building didn't perform so well after laying. I'll be very honest and say that I feel I am pushing the boundaries of P4 trackwork (the purists wouldn't like it you know) and am hoping that locos will run OK once I have wired it up. Getting a couple of wagons to run throughout doesn't necessarily mean that a loco will. Only time will tell. I've got a steam iron but as most of the locs that will work on here are diesels I thought it might be a bit out of place.................... Screw the purists mate!!! your trainset your rules!! I hope it really works right!! chris. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted May 18, 2019 Author Share Posted May 18, 2019 More progress to report. Main trackwork, as mentioned before, is now complete and I have moved on to fitting point operating parts such as tie-bars and rodding. Tie bars are copper-clad sleepers on edge with two short lengths of brass tube soldered on (using a jig to solder all on at once and then cutting off) and a pair of 'L' shape brass wires (bent at right angles and flattened with vice and hammer) to fit into the tubes. These are soldered to the ends of the blades with the ends of the wires going under the stock rail to prevent the blads from lifting. perhaps a bit heavy and (slightly) crude - but I like things to be solid and strong rather than delicate and potentially weak. The track now laid - Tie bar and one laid in position almost ready for soldering to the tips of the blades - Tie bar in position and temporarily attached to switch to test operation. I set the blades equidistant from centre with a couple of wood sleepers and then, with the switch centred, finally solder the operating wire into the brass tube and spring. The spring takes up the excess movement at the extremes of the switch's action and holds the blades against their stock rails - One of the more 'remote' sets of blades showing the long operating rod running through brass tube to keep muck, scenic dressings, ballast etc. out. This will be covered up with some paper etc. when all is satisfactory. I've now run out of the gauge of wire I am using and should be able to stock up on supplies next weekend at Railex. I foresee a significant wallet bashing occuring. Once I've got all the tiebars fitted the next job will be finishing cutting the necessary rail breaks and sticking pieces of microstrip into them for insulation (with proper Araldite). Wiring will then be next - a process I'm not to enthusiastic about................ 4 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted May 18, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 18, 2019 One question about the overall design, but what sort of industry do you envisage here? With 2 fiddle yards and 5 sidings to service, I am wondering what sort of traffic you are planning to have, and if (as part of the shunting challenge) certain sidings will only be served by specific wagon types or if it will be purely random? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted May 18, 2019 Share Posted May 18, 2019 Looks interesting. Ideal for an industrial Garratt. The wiring will be fun. Will be following with interest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted May 18, 2019 Author Share Posted May 18, 2019 4 minutes ago, Regularity said: One question about the overall design, but what sort of industry do you envisage here? With 2 fiddle yards and 5 sidings to service, I am wondering what sort of traffic you are planning to have, and if (as part of the shunting challenge) certain sidings will only be served by specific wagon types or if it will be purely random? At the moment it's all a bit 'nebulous'. It'll probably end up a bit like 'Enigma' in that any wagon could go into any siding depending on what the cards say. Having a dedicated 'industry' with specific wagons for specific sidings could make it a bit limiting and I do like a bit of variety. Anyone remember 'Peter Allens' on P D Hancock's 'Craig and Mertonford'? That was never given a precise raison'd'etre and I think this will be similar with perhaps several non-specific 'industries' dotted about. However, the siding leading from the loop across the left hand diamond is intended to lead to a loco shed so coal and fuel oil will have to go there. I am working towards a title for the layout which may be revealed soon - so keep watching! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted May 18, 2019 Author Share Posted May 18, 2019 12 minutes ago, Gordon A said: Looks interesting. Ideal for an industrial Garratt. The wiring will be fun. Will be following with interest. A Garrat may well be a bit to long! I was thinking of something like a Peckett.............. Or a 'Baldrick'........... Wiring will NOT be 'fun'. It's the one bit of layout building that always confuses me, even a small one like this! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted May 18, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 18, 2019 16 minutes ago, 5050 said: At the moment it's all a bit 'nebulous'. It'll probably end up a bit like 'Enigma' in that any wagon could go into any siding depending on what the cards say. Having a dedicated 'industry' with specific wagons for specific sidings could make it a bit limiting and I do like a bit of variety. Anyone remember 'Peter Allens' on P D Hancock's 'Craig and Mertonford'? That was never given a precise raison'd'etre and I think this will be similar with perhaps several non-specific 'industries' dotted about. However, the siding leading from the loop across the left hand diamond is intended to lead to a loco shed so coal and fuel oil will have to go there. I am working towards a title for the layout which may be revealed soon - so keep watching! Fair enough. Just wondered 13 minutes ago, 5050 said: A Garrat may well be a bit to long! I was thinking of something like a Peckett.............. Or a 'Baldrick'........... Wiring will NOT be 'fun'. It's the one bit of layout building that always confuses me, even a small one like this! As it is one engine in steam, it can be quite simple. 2 out of your 3 diamonds can (if you so wish) be electrically switched via adjacent turnouts, provided that both are not set to use it. This is one area where DCC has a definite advantage: you wire up the common rails and K crossings to near and far busbars, and V crossings to “frog juicers” (fast-acting electronic switches which detect a short and flip the supply). One day, not too far away, on-board battery power will be the norm and this won’t be an issue! I don’t mind drawing up a basic scheme for you, but I need to know a few things, like if you wish to have have dpdt switches for your diamond crossings, switch them via pointwork (you can install some very simple mechanical interlocking to help, if you wish, requiring not much more than a couple of bars and some non-elastic string) or even fire-up a relay to fo this based on very short sections of “dead” rail, in the manner of Peter Denny and the Automatic Crispin... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted May 18, 2019 Author Share Posted May 18, 2019 Thanks for the offer Simon but I've already got the basics sorted for the electrical side. It's the actual 'doing' that I find a pain. I'm using the switches hanging off the front to move blades, change polarities, switch frogs etc. The two diamonds on the left are controlled by the extreme left hand set of blades and the right hand one by the simple point on the right. I have triple pole double throw switches for these but I'm not sure that they are 'stiff' enough for the job. As an alternative I might 'gang' 2 DPDT switches together as I know they are OK for the job. Having started to make the rodding for the remote point that operates the RH diamond I've discovered that I have a lot of play in the cranks etc. and the movement in the TPDT switch isn't getting through to the blades. I probably also need some heavier gauge wire for the rodding as the stuff I've used tends to bend rather than push. I'll get it working eventually. He said in hope................. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted May 20, 2019 Author Share Posted May 20, 2019 (edited) I've now got the points operating reasonably well - but haven't used the 'spring things' on the remote points needing the angle cranks etc. I discovered that the friction in the linkages and flexibility in the thinnish wire I was using was resulting in the springs just compressing and not pushing the rods as required. I removed the 'spring things', fitted heavier gauge wire and rigid rods - and they work OK. I reckon the 'slack' in the angle cranks is taking up the excess movement from the slide switches. The 'direct drive' blades on the two end 3-ways will need springs as the wires are short and stiff. In the photo you can see the very narrow angle crank I made for the tie bar top right. The TPDT switches do seem to be working OK so I'll be wiring these up. I searched 'tinterweb for TPDT switches and can't find any so are the ones I've got very rare and worth a substantial amount................. Next job is fitting microstrip into the rail breaks. Edited May 20, 2019 by 5050 Add photo etc. 7 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 Some fantastic engineering there 5050, great stuff! Steve. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted May 21, 2019 Author Share Posted May 21, 2019 Thanks to everyone for the 'Likes' etc. I have decided to reveal a working title for the layout. It will be named - 'Braynerts Sidings'. As in 'my braynerts sidings'. Followers of Monty Python may notice a nod to a sketch.......... So the thread title will, in due course, be amended to - 'The Chronicles of Braynerts Sidings'. I hope Ruston will be impressed as his bible is 'The Chronicles of Boultons Sidings'.................................... 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted May 21, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 21, 2019 Ah, written by Neville Shunt, perchance? (In this case, the irony is not in a box in the corner, but being used to keep pressure on the track whilst the glue/solvent sets...) 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted May 24, 2019 Author Share Posted May 24, 2019 (edited) Today I have been fitting wire droppers to the track in preparation for the actual wiring. These are 0.45mm brass handrail wire bent to a right angle and then 'kinked slightly to fit into the web of the rail. These are fitted through a small hole drilled adjacent to the rail, bent at 90degrees under the board and the tail soldered to a small brass screw. This gives an appreciable amount of strength to the wire and provides a secure fixing for the feeds and other leads that may be necessary to lead off somewhere else. The wires. These had been fitted but turned out to be to short when I came to bend them over. The underside with wires bent over and soldered to small round head brass screws. Identification of the application of each wire is written adjacent. I know what they mean! The wires soldered to the rails on the side away from the viewing unless absolutely unable to do this. Only one so far! The soldered attachment of the tie bar to the blade will be tidied up in due course. Once ballasting, painting etc. is complete wires fitted like this are hardly noticable. The markings on the sleepers is a degree of 'distressing' as often found in poorly maintained industrial trackwork. Now for the actual wiring. Gulp! Edited May 24, 2019 by 5050 6 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted May 31, 2019 Author Share Posted May 31, 2019 This afternoon I 'jury rigged' some wires to the right hand end 3-way to allow a loco to travel up to and across the diamond. IT WORKED!! Both 'Baldrick' and the YE 02 went through fine which is a great relief. There was a bit of bumping and rolling (which a tad of filing will probably sort out) but this is typical of industrial trackage anyway. (Isn't it?) I also tried a couple more wagons which worked OK - but the best running one was a Mainline Tank Wagon still with its rigid chassis and P4 wheels fitted. Hmmmm...................... Now to wire it up properly. Once I get the table back after Mrs 5050 has finished her dress making 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted June 6, 2019 Author Share Posted June 6, 2019 'Naked' sleepers have been painted and wiring has commenced. I'm trying to colour code and various wiring diagrams have been drawn to ensure I'm getting feeds to the right places. I just hope that when I plug it in it doesn't go BANG! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 Hi PG, Did you see these? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-PAIR-Miniature-Slide-Switch-5-Volt-0-3A-SPDT-Single-Pole-Double-Throw/272513984372?hash=item3f73196774:g:lEcAAOSwZQRYcXWt Gordon A Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted June 6, 2019 Author Share Posted June 6, 2019 3 hours ago, Gordon A said: Hi PG, Did you see these? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-PAIR-Miniature-Slide-Switch-5-Volt-0-3A-SPDT-Single-Pole-Double-Throw/272513984372?hash=item3f73196774:g:lEcAAOSwZQRYcXWt Gordon A Thanks for the link Gordon but I've got several DPDT switches surplus. It's the Triple Pole version I can't seem to find but as I still have a spare one then hopefully I should be OK into the future. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 Sorry I copied the link for the wrong switch. This one should be for a 4 pole 2 way slide switch: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4P2W-4-Pole-2-Way-Miniature-Slide-Switch-Model-Railway-Hobby-SS1-024-EX23/361936816695?epid=706921881&hash=item54451d8a37:g:wZsAAOSwsW9Y1sko Four pole seems easier to find than three pole, I cannot find the three pole I thought I had found.. Gordon A Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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