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Elbow Lane. Having a rest while I build board 4.


dasatcopthorne
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Work recently on Elbow Lane has been the process of gluing down the track in a number of small areas. This is just to keep it in place until the ballasting is carried out. Up until now the track has retained some 'flex' so that curves and rail joints could be perfected. The gluing involves the cork being sprayed in places with 95% water/5% IPA mix(same as used to wet ballast) and running small amounts of PVA around some of the sleepers. I also found a tendency for the turnouts to slightly bow upwards in the centre area, so some glue applied here as well.

 

 

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Edited by dasatcopthorne
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The layout now has a scenic break at the fiddleyard end to try to disguise it a bit.Great service from LCut Creative.

Ordered in the afternoon and arrived next morning. Because I wanted a skew bridge in low relief it has taken a fair amount of time.

Best part of two days as most parts needed to be built in a differing order from the instructions.

It's just about finished and now needs colouring in.

 

 

 

 

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Edited by dasatcopthorne
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  • 2 weeks later...

Work has been continuing on Elbow Lane at a leisurely pace mostly because I've been waiting to obtain bits and pieces and waiting for delivery.

 

Additional ballast and some aerosol track paint was needed. I had some Woodland Scenics Medium ballast but only a sample of their Fine grade. Following a test of these I decided to use a 50/50 mix of the two so more Fine Grade was required. Waited to attend the Erith Club's show to get these.

 

Part of using the Megapoints Servo control board is that there is a 'remote option' for setting and adjusting the servos/points. Being the MERG Kit version of the board there is the opportunity of a remote setting box connected by Cat5/6 cable. As the connection is under the board this made it very awkward to plug in when the layout is on a shelf. (not that the servos need much adjustment once set). I decided to have a permanently connected Cat 5 Port (RJ45) on the layout facia so all I need to do is plug the box into this. The problem with this idea was that there seemed to be very few RJ45 sockets available that are designed to be fitted through a facia, thus having a socket at the rear as well as the front. In the end the only kind I found was a 'waterproof' one on eBay from China. Ordered and arrived in six days, not bad I suppose. Also a Cat 6 short cable ordered to connect  to the board.

 

 

Cat5/6 cable in red.

 

 

 

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Edited by dasatcopthorne
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Following the test for fitting check rails to the Peco Bullhead track I decided to go with the Copperclad sleeper method.

 

Needed to remove the bold heads from the inside of the chairs so that the check rail sits on the foot of the chair but also butting against the against the part of the moulding that holds the rail. This gives a flangeway of 1.5mm.

Maintaining this flangeway was assisted by the insertion of a couple of pieces of 1.5mm think plastic strip whilst soldering.

 

I would prefer a narrower flangeway but I decided to cater for almost anything in 00 and H0 and besides, the track will be inlaid in a level surface.

 

EL

 

 

 

 

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Edited by dasatcopthorne
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This morning we've gone from track on baseboards to painted track and baseboard tops before ballasting.

 

The black are is where the track will be inlaid so the black is to disguise the fact that there are sleepers and chairs underneath.

Also the double slip has been left unpainted as I am hoping the Bullhead one will be available soon so I can replace and sell the unwanted item.

 

The colour used is Precision Underframe Dirt only because the trader had no track colours in stock. Still, they're all much of a muchness.

I'm surprised that this is the first ever occasion I've managed to get a Precision aerosol to work twice.

 

Bring on the ballasting.

 

EL

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited by dasatcopthorne
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It's been a bit quiet at Elbow Lane recently.

 

The bad news is that the Peco Bullhead Double Slip is not now expected until Easter time. Who knows when it will actually be with us?

I've had to wire up its frogs as it was making testing very tedious.

 

I have also been painting the Tim Horn boards using Dulux Easy Care. Nice paint but at least two coats are needed with a rub down in between.

 

Up until now I've always used 'pink finishing plaster' to infill track but I am trying something different this time.

After reading someone else's post on the same subject (sorry I cannot remember who it was, but thank you) I've bought a small tub of 'No Nonesense Lightweight Filler' from Screwfix.

When I collected it, the tub felt so light I thought it was empty. Using my 'checkrail test piece', I've filled a short section between the rails and am currently waiting for it to sure.

The overspill in the flangeway was removed with a tooth pick whilst still soft. Next time I shall push a length of telephone wire into the gap and pull it out when spreading is finished.

 

EL

 

 

 

 

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Edited by dasatcopthorne
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On 25/02/2020 at 13:39, ElbowLane00 said:

It's been a bit quiet at Elbow Lane recently.

 

The bad news is that the Peco Bullhead Double Slip is not now expected until Easter time. Who knows when it will actually be with us?

I've had to wire up its frogs as it was making testing very tedious.

 

I have also been painting the Tim Horn boards using Dulux Easy Care. Nice paint but at least two coats are needed with a rub down in between.

 

Up until now I've always used 'pink finishing plaster' to infill track but I am trying something different this time.

After reading someone else's post on the same subject (sorry I cannot remember who it was, but thank you) I've bought a small tub of 'No Nonesense Lightweight Filler' from Screwfix.

When I collected it, the tub felt so light I thought it was empty. Using my 'checkrail test piece', I've filled a short section between the rails and am currently waiting for it to sure.

The overspill in the flangeway was removed with a tooth pick whilst still soft. Next time I shall push a length of telephone wire into the gap and pull it out when spreading is finished.

 

EL

 

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That looks like interesting stuff.

 

Is it water based please?

 

Dave

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Today I decided that I would move (or maybe, add) the platform to the rear track.

Having obtained some Peco Concrete edging I decided that I needed to 'see' it, so to the back it went. Remembering the number of these I've seen in a derelict state around disused sidings, I've been working on giving it a distressed look.

I also tried some of the Games Workshop' Roughcote aerosol paint.

You may be able to just see the effect on a test piece below.

 

EL

 

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Today I added a platform top and covered it with 240grade wet&dry paper.

This whole platform is built on a removable (for the time being) base so is a stand alone module. This is because I quickly realised that if I built in situ it would be very difficult fitting the rear wall and any other fittings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited by dasatcopthorne
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