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Dinfield and Norton Rd - Will Pwllheli solve all my problems?


pirouets
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  • RMweb Gold

So the shed has been cleared and the new boards are now in. The plan for the layout is 2 parts. On the wider boards there will be a fiddle yard area under the window of 4-5 roads with Norton Rd in front. At this point I don't know what the Norton rd side will be and have a few thoughts such as Minories or a simple through station in a more urban setting. However the other side on the 18 inch boards will have Dinfield which is based on Oldshaw. Before any thing else though there is lots more sorting but in 2 weeks time I do have a week off and hope to get the track down for Dinfield and the fiddle yard. Hidden area's will be code 100 as that means I can use set track points to open out, but I am thinking of code 75 in the scenic areas.

 

The shed as of today

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Main Plan

 

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Dinfield Sketch

 

I have cut out room in the board for a canal to run part way along the front as though originally the local industries were served by that. The sidings themselves are used to hold VDA, oil, Clay and HAA wagons depending on which industry was being served. As for passenger services it will be DMU with the occasional service made up of Mk1 coaches. 

Dinfield.jpg.92f27d21ef07651ebc2c78663917ced5.jpg

 

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  • RMweb Gold

So day 2 has seen more tidying up and the start of track laying ( because I am impatient ). I have lots of code 100 so 3 of the main fiddle yard lines have been laid along with the run round at the far end of the shed to Dinfield. I measured everything out before laying to ensure each road in the yard is 4ft.

 

I also realised that I can fit in 2 extra roads at that far end, 1 which can take 4 Mk2 coaches plus loco and the other a 3 car DMU. It doesn't mean I have settle on Norton Rd station being a terminus but it does make thinks simpler to operate as it can run from the terminus, through Dinfield and then be stored till time to send it back. I guess with 8ft by 1ft 4in to play with Minories would be a good option and if so, I would set it with a road bridge at the entrance to the layout and that road then runs along the back of the layout which would give me plenty of buildings to work on.

 

The other piece Minories would give is the ability to run modern day as my eldest is much more interested in that so I can picture this with DMU's and a 4 car Voyager set. Who knows, that's a long way off.

 

For now though that will be it as I need to work out all the points I need plus whether the stations will be code 100 or code 75. I do have an old Wrenn Castle and some Hornby coaches from lord knows when and it might be nice if that can run occasionally in which case its code 100.

 

 

15032020_1.jpg

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  • RMweb Gold

Day 3 and first mistake realised. What kind of Muppet puts the insulated joiners on the far rail closest to the window meaning you have to lean over to solder dropper wire - That would be me. :o

 

Haven't actually done anything today, it just dawned on me as my mind wandered whilst reading a document at work.

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  • RMweb Gold

Day 4 and have Dinfield laid. I decided that large radius points for this side should be used as the flow is so much better. At the moment the track is pinned and the holes for point motors have been made. The piece of MDF is just left there but it does show roughly where the station will be and I reckon the platform would extend a foot closer to the camera

 

 

 

I've also been up on the roof as there was a leak just over the door which needed sealing before I can add that board to complete the loop.

 

In other news going back to the 1st post in Clive's Sheffield Exchange he says -  Sheffield Exchange Mk1 which was fun to operate and if like me at the time you don't have much room by all means copy it and enjoy running it - To which I say don't mind if I do. The throat in this works well as made up of a 3 way point, double slip and single slip. The only question I have is whether I can add an extra siding with a kick back to a yard so I will have a play on Anyrail. That side of the layout is some way off being laid though.

17032020_1.jpg

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  • RMweb Gold

So the last week a fair amount of progress. I have the main circuits complete and wired now as well as Norton Rd now laid but no power to that. I decided to run straight in rather than the kink that is in the Minories plan and to add a siding at the edge. This leaves plenty of room for a scene behind the station. In terms of platform length it will take a class 37 and 4 Mk2 coaches, so hopefully it will take 5 Mk1's and a smaller loco such as a 33 or 25.

 

I also have the option as a siding coming back to the front of the photo and have 2 thoughts for this

- A parcels siding with a Royal Mail warehouse that would be tall enough to then meet up with the roadway that will have a bridge over the entry point to Norton Rd.

- A loco stabling area, the idea being that off scene is some other industries as well as being able to store a loco that can move to the front of an outbound train.

 

Not going to rush from here though.

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Chugging away and have the layout wired now. There is a bit of tidying up needed under the boards but all working. I don't have a huge amount of wire left so not going to worry in the near future about the points.

 

On the Norton Rd side the back scene boards are in. Its simply off cuts from making the main board but it does frame it well. My thinking is that I will either make up or buy a decent photgraphic backscene.

 

 

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Over the other side you can see I have loaded up the fiddle yard and found something I did not back on in planning which is that having Dinfield as a station running round to a couple of extra fiddle yard roads at the end of the shed (see the DMU in the distance of the picture), I can store all the freight stock just about on 3 roads with the 4th used for running round and swapping loco's. The length of a freight train is set at 4ft which is the length of the back 2 sections of the fiddle yard and the passing loop at Norton rd. This means a loco + 8/9 wagons depending on type of wagon is the limit which is fine.

 

As for Dinfield itself I have no plans to start really on this side yet but I need to look at is whether I can make platform 1 cope with 5 Mk1's which it cannot currently. I still debating as to what the space in the foreground will be.

 

28032020_3.jpg.4b7fec2f726ba61cc4e6aa3dc5cf6551.jpg

 

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  • RMweb Gold

So whilst I think about how to ballast the track I have bought a set of cottages of Scalescenes. If you scroll up to the 1st picture in the previous post, the idea is they will run from near the end of the layout towards where you see the cut out for the canal. I've decided that the canal element I will model will be a basin off the edge of the canal, and if I had a wider board the canal would have run all the way along the front, not just the 6ft you can see. This means the 2 sidings are now on the old basin yard which used to serve the industries round here but ceased to be needed many years before.

 

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I have also had the top off my 31 as it started screaming the other day. Gave it some oil and a good run, but I wonder if its the rotating fan bearing that is actually making the noise as its still there.

 

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Fingers crossed I have the last point I need turning up tomorrow which means I can finish the storage roads at the end of the shed and there is also some Railmatch rail grime in the pack. I've been watching loads of ballasting video's so will make up a short plank to try 2 in particular. Its not the laying of the ballast I have an issue with, but more how to weather and enhance the rails, sleepers and ballast once down.

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Thanks Rob and will give that a try. I have a spare 31 I bought as a non runner which I have sort of working that I can try things out on 1st.

 

In other news after a day of proof reading a set of T&Cs followed by a 3hr video call I decided I needed to get out more, so after a stressful 9 yard trek I found the shed where I have expanded the fiddle yard sidings across the end of the shed. This means I can now store most of the trains and if I choose to run Dinfield as a layout on its own.

 

02042020_1_(1).jpg.34385e46726fb30fad3e365788988929.jpg

 

Also time for a new challenge. I mentioned ballasting in the previous post so knocked up a test sheet and for the 1st time I am weathering the track. Each piece will ave a different approach to the ballast and weather so will see how it goes.

 

In terms of approaches the 1st one has the sleeper grime on before the ballast (many videos showing this) , the 2nd will have the grime sprayed over the ballast (Think that was a guy called MarklinofSweden video on youtube) and the 3rd will be once the ballast has been glued, add various other details for dirt and weed whilst the glue is still wet. (Think that was woodland scenics)

 

02042020_2.jpg.0b27a9962bead3b05297094541f296fa.jpg

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  • RMweb Gold

Bit of a rubbish photo but something I am wondering on the Dinfield side of the layout. Its built based on Minories a previously stated but as there is an off scene connection to the rest of the layout, could I / should I take out 1 set of points to make the station longer? That is not from the point of view of a longer train, but just so its not quite such a squeeze.

 

All the sleepers and card of fcuts are in the off scene area and it would be the middle points that would come out. That way you come in on the correct line for platform 1 crossing the points and leave via the correct line going straight out. Any thoughts?

 

03042020_1.jpg.0200f283c90769086034688cdd6a98e3.jpg

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  • RMweb Gold

Hadn't realised from the earlier photo that you’re pretending it’s double track. (I’ve done that too.). I assume that the track will enter a tunnel before going single, so it’s not much more of a step to pretend the double/single connection is actually one of the crossovers and, model it as if it’s in the tunnel.  You will ‘know’ what’s really happening whatever you do, it’s just down to how you want to portray the pretence.

That’s my view anyway, but it’s not my layout!

Paul. 

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  • RMweb Gold

Thanks Paul. My thinking is there will be a bridge on the end of the layout against the backscene so it will hide the fact I may take 2 of the points out, or option 2 but not so keen on is a warehouse on the the inside of the track again blocking what you see. A key consideration is whether I model the road behind the station as I want to ensure I can access the storage loops behind if needed.

 

Overnight the ballast test has dried and I will definitely be going for spray the track then ballast. I will have a little play with the test piece first to see how I can add more weeds down the edges.

 

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One of my kids got out the DAS clay to make a Madalorian head which gave me the idea of trying out something for the yard, so on a small board create the image below. Its a bit cruel close up and needs to dry before I can paint it, plus I need to ballast the track.

 

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The thinking is that I will have cobblestones along side the canal and butting up to the siding closest in the picture below and I don't think I will wrap the cobblestones round both sidings. I think the area between the inner siding and the line will have a couple of huts but be a bit overgrown.

 

04042020_3_small.jpg.0714603a6536fdf85e276adffa7641a0.jpg 

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  • RMweb Gold

So between gardening and card games been having a play with the track sample. I've used a black ballast on this which turned out OK and I think will be used on the layout itself. Down the centre between the 2 tracks is garden brown scatter (aka mud from the garden) and then had a go at trying to do small areas of static grass. I could do with something longer as well but as a start I think this turned out OK.

 

I did learn that you can't put a wash in to the clay as mortar line and wipe it off because even dry clay is still porous so will have a think. Pained 2 areas and this bit does have flint grey dry brushed over the top but if I am not careful the mortar course will disappear.

05042020_3_small.jpg.9f4bae4b04c58d1076329ddea4afeeff.jpg

 

05042020_2_small.jpg.b6227ec8360fafa4880e6d91897b93e8.jpg

 

Also got the wood treatment out and gave most of the door and window side a new coat. They get blasted by the sun and were not in great shape but looking better now.

 

05042020_1_small.jpg.649bcc6c523358b6581dc389195312ea.jpg

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  • RMweb Gold

Electrics do make me wonder sometime. Earlier I had said the point motors were wired in and working and now 2 of the motors are doing nothing. Hmmmm. Hurt my knee so will be w while before I go bending under the boards to investigate.

 

In other news I have now applied the railmatch grime along with a grey overcoat for the boards. As I think there will be a reasonable amount of asphalt surface in places in the layout whilst its a bit dark, it does mean the base layer is better than plain board.

 

Before I get to carried away I am starting to try an list all the main things I need to do, the aim being to try and do things in an order so I don't find myself having to work round problems of my own making by doing something to soon. 

 

07042020_1_small.jpg.8d2834199bfdb68c15532d00dec479ff.jpg

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On ‎05‎/‎04‎/‎2020 at 19:59, pirouets said:

So between gardening and card games been having a play with the track sample. I've used a black ballast on this which turned out OK and I think will be used on the layout itself. Down the centre between the 2 tracks is garden brown scatter (aka mud from the garden) and then had a go at trying to do small areas of static grass. I could do with something longer as well but as a start I think this turned out OK.

 

I did learn that you can't put a wash in to the clay as mortar line and wipe it off because even dry clay is still porous so will have a think. Pained 2 areas and this bit does have flint grey dry brushed over the top but if I am not careful the mortar course will disappear.

05042020_3_small.jpg.9f4bae4b04c58d1076329ddea4afeeff.jpg

 

05042020_2_small.jpg.b6227ec8360fafa4880e6d91897b93e8.jpg

 

Also got the wood treatment out and gave most of the door and window side a new coat. They get blasted by the sun and were not in great shape but looking better now.

 

05042020_1_small.jpg.649bcc6c523358b6581dc389195312ea.jpg

Nice work here Steve:good:

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  • RMweb Gold

Bit more playing around. For some reason rather than bring the kit in to the house where its cooler I have been popping in and out of the shed which peaked at 96F today. On the flip side the glue dries quickly and the cottages are progressing nicely so I have thoughts on how to place them.

 

Option 1 has them across the end of the layout with my thinking that there would be some form of allotment then in front of them, However the issue I realised with this is there is no space for a road to run down the layout.

 

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So option 2 has them running down the layout. The idea here is the road will run along the front and either a 2nd set of cottages will placed next to it, or I have a garage scene before the road arrives at a pub that backs on to the railway and faces the canal. Behind the cottages will be about 30ft of garden backing on to a narrow path by the line side fence.

 

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Anyway, enough for today and I really need to go and create a 1st signal plan which will most likely be wrong and the wisdom of RMweb can correct me.

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  • RMweb Gold

A quick drawing in powerpoint of how I think the signals should be from what I have read so far but I stand to be corrected. Key question whether I have understood how to control the loop correctly with the ground signals and the signal at the left edge of the layout? As the sidings will be on manual levers there will be no signals there. 

 

1501626435_NortonRdSignalling.jpg.f93edcda2c602565ab06986244a814bd.jpg

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  • RMweb Gold

Been thinking about the platform today. I found some Peco components and having seen what can be done in other threads I was thinking do I try this. Instead I went back to various sheets of Scalescene and made a couple of sample pieces.  The one on the right was made 1st and that got me thinking about how to do a better ramp so I knocked that up. I have to say I think it turned out OK given its off-cuts and the surface is an un-used sheet from the bus depot.

 

I decide I will go ahead with this so the platform will be 50 mm wide is the flagstones taking 8 mm and the station building will sit on 80 mm depth. I also learnt lay the main surface, then the flagstones and you get a much better join in the paper. On the left you can now see all the 16 mm strips for the sides which then allows 2 mm for the surface to be added.

 

The only thing that may be an issue is my new supply of card is slightly thicker than mount board so I may will make 1 more sample to see how well it shapes for the ramps

 

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In doing this I also sorted all the Scalescenes instructions I have and spare sheets in to a folder to make things easier to find. If i'm not careful i'm going to end up with a tidy shed.

 

130420_1_small.jpg.3246fb004adf2ab4d2bfa650ebed0178.jpg

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  • RMweb Gold

So various trips out to the shed over the last few days have led to the core of the warehouse unit coming together and lots of detailing needed yet for window sills, etc. I have the scalescenes kit in brown brick so have used all the base sheets from that along with a red brick sheet as that is the core colour of buildings on the layout given the cottages.

 

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I've also got the base of the canal / river in now/. Not sure which it will be yet but the first challenge is to find the right colour for the base. In the background you can also see the platform has come together. I build this a 1 piece and it still needs the back edges which cannot be seen to be added but need to do some research on options. My current thinking is have the classic white fence but I guess it depends what I come up with for the station building itself.

 

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That's all for now and time to go back to cooking Sunday Dinner and trying to work out a timetable for the layout which has a spreadsheet slowly developing.

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  • RMweb Gold

So whilst plodding my way through Monday staring at the same wall as I have for the last 4 weeks or so I came up with an idea for how to fill part of the layout. 

 

The piece of card under the cottages shows roughly the area I will cover with back gardens whilst the road runs along the front past a set of garages that belong to the cottages. Past that the road becomes a gravelly track leading to a couple of old Nissen huts with a couple of local business's.  The line will be separated off from this area with an overgrown fence line.

 

What isn't shown is in the corner on the other side of the track I see a long low relief workshop building that backs on to the track.

 

20042020_1_small.jpg.3b815507c06a433a1a0b36acae34008b.jpg

 

Well, that's that plan and only time will tell.

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  • RMweb Gold

So I am standing here in the shed, slowly but surely running trains and trying to work out an operating plan. I would say a timetable but its more a logical sequence of events so that everything finishes back where it started and building it in a table in XL.

 

That's not the important thing though. Turns out my tablet picks up the Wifi pretty well which means modelling session in the future can have Netflix. I just need to get a good seat now. (Oh and a USB charger so the tablet doesn't't run out) 

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  • RMweb Gold

So whilst not attending the SWAG day in any shape or form I have been popping in and out of the shed continuing to work on the buildings. 

 

Job 1 - put the windows in the factory building and behind it the ground floor has been added. I need to look at what sort of textures I can find for the remaining floors, both in terms of ceilings and floors.

 

25042020_1_small.jpg.d4c8eeeb8dd4dedbf1a3f52ae16144a7.jpg

 

Job 2 - was the workshop building and have fitted some glazing. Not sure whether whether to add a mid cross piece to the windows so will work on roof and other details next.

 

25042020_2_small.jpg.6aa1b6c0414b6ec2512c36f57035bf41.jpg

 

Job 3 - finish the mock up of an Nissen building. I think the principle works so need to come up with some templates on the computer now. Idea I am thinking is there will be 2 or 3 of these backing on to the river with the access road running between the building and railway.

 

26042020_3_small.jpg.ca4764d058cf0866d2b4b7db4b3cae90.jpg

 

Job 4 - Made a start on the garage for the cottages. Again the road will run in between the cottages and the railway leading to the Nissen buildings. This means for the cottages it will be the back gardens leading to the edge of the baseboards

 

26042020_4_small.jpg.d1a6983f1eeff8de8db4707ee456c77f.jpg

 

There only other building I need to look at now is the yard hut between the sidings. I think my aim is to get all the buildings with the exception of the station building completed prior to starting the rest of the scenic's including the ballasting.

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  • RMweb Gold

Nothing to show recently but progress been made with more wiring (I'm not one of those who shows off their layout's underside) and have the fiddle yard points all fired up so saving myself around 16ft of walking each time I want to run something. I also need to investigate how I managed to burn out a seep motor installed under Norton Rd but having removed it everything else works fine again.

 

On the other hand a major headline update is the doubling of Hornby stock on the layout. Up until now just about everything is Bachmann with a mattering of Dapol, Heljan and 3 pieces of Hornby but I have been thinking about exactly when the layout is set and have ordered a set of Mk1 coaches. My thinking is as its a small terminus and a back water branch line in BR Tops era then my Mk2 coaches are out of place as they would be on the mainlines.

 

This in turn also got me thinking about how relevant the rest of my stock is, when exactly is it set and where, so looking at loco's I have and what I might add I found:

 

- Whilst I've always like Hymek's but they were withdrawn by the mid 70s so a bit to early maybe.

- Class 24's were withdrawn in 1980 so not an issue but it appears the most southerly depot was Crewe.

- Class 25's had a good spread and as I am thinking western region, depots from Lara up to Bescott could work.

- Class 31's whilst less common were at Bristol.

- Class 37's had a good number at Cardiff

- My class 33 may not be suitable for this layout and also does need renumbering as its not TOPS.

 

So with the above in mind I am thinking the layout is some where in the west country / welsh boarders for now.

 

I also had a look at my freight stock and whilst it all fits the time frame i'm not sure the clay wagons are right for it so need to look in to what might make up a mixed goods in the 80s.

 

Finally I posted earlier on that I had come up with a basic operating plan and the good news is that with a couple of small tweaks, it works and having run through it, it does make things more focused rather than just randomly running the next thing I want.

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  • RMweb Gold
19 hours ago, pirouets said:

My class 33 may not be suitable for this layout and also does need renumbering as its not TOPS.

From memory, class 33 were used on Waterloo Exeter from c.1971 when Warships were withdrawn until class 50s took over.  They were also used on Cardiff Crewe (not sure if 70s or just 80s).

Paul.

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On ‎26‎/‎04‎/‎2020 at 21:53, pirouets said:

So whilst not attending the SWAG day in any shape or form I have been popping in and out of the shed continuing to work on the buildings. 

 

Job 1 - put the windows in the factory building and behind it the ground floor has been added. I need to look at what sort of textures I can find for the remaining floors, both in terms of ceilings and floors.

 

25042020_1_small.jpg.d4c8eeeb8dd4dedbf1a3f52ae16144a7.jpg

 

Job 2 - was the workshop building and have fitted some glazing. Not sure whether whether to add a mid cross piece to the windows so will work on roof and other details next.

 

25042020_2_small.jpg.6aa1b6c0414b6ec2512c36f57035bf41.jpg

 

Job 3 - finish the mock up of an Nissen building. I think the principle works so need to come up with some templates on the computer now. Idea I am thinking is there will be 2 or 3 of these backing on to the river with the access road running between the building and railway.

 

26042020_3_small.jpg.ca4764d058cf0866d2b4b7db4b3cae90.jpg

 

Job 4 - Made a start on the garage for the cottages. Again the road will run in between the cottages and the railway leading to the Nissen buildings. This means for the cottages it will be the back gardens leading to the edge of the baseboards

 

26042020_4_small.jpg.d1a6983f1eeff8de8db4707ee456c77f.jpg

 

There only other building I need to look at now is the yard hut between the sidings. I think my aim is to get all the buildings with the exception of the station building completed prior to starting the rest of the scenic's including the ballasting.

Starting to come along great now Steve..

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