Charlton Bridge - 4mm BR(S) - Building Bridges

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, ikcdab said:

Blades are handed and my main mistake is to make two of the same hand.

I feel your pain.

 

5 hours ago, ikcdab said:

No more than ten strokes to just break into the web of the rail at the toe.

Like you I always use a big file.

 

5 hours ago, ikcdab said:

I turn the blade over and file the inner edge.

Funny isn't it. I always do the inner edge first.

[ikcdab]

5 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Funny isn't it. I always do the inner edge first

On the inner edge you obviously retain the rail foot. When you then turn over to do the full planing, how do you hold the rail flat?

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, ikcdab said:

On the inner edge you obviously retain the rail foot. When you then turn over to do the full planing, how do you hold the rail flat?

Ian, I've sawn a narrow groove in my building board for the foot to sit in.

[ikcdab]

7 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Ian, I've sawn a narrow groove in my building board for the foot to sit in.

Ok that makes sense

[ikcdab]

After a hectic few days, all the track except for the three-way point is laid in Charlton Bridge. It works and we have operated it ok.

So now I need to build the three-way.

Last time I did one of these was 30 years ago and it never worked. 

I have my templot diagram and I think I will start by making the three vees.

I am going to build this on the workbench rather than in situ so that I can see it better.

If anyone has any advice on building a three-way, please let know!!

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by ikcdab

[hayfield]

Ian

 

I have found that by using a check rail gauge to set  the two common crossings which make up the central road, issues are ironed out rather than just relying on roller gauges. Also testing with a rolling chassis as soon as practicable is also recommended

[ISW]

19 minutes ago, ikcdab said:

If anyone has any advice on building a three-way, please let know!!

Ian C,

 

I used a couple of Peco Code-100 3-way turnouts and the biggest problem I had was with wiring of the frogs and their connection to a pair of microswitches for frog polarity.

 

If it helps, here are photos of the top and underside of said 3-way:

 

 

Good luck with the building of your 3-way although, based on your previous efforts, I think you'll have no big problems.

 

Ian

[ikcdab]

2 hours ago, hayfield said:

Ian

 

I have found that by using a check rail gauge to set  the two common crossings which make up the central road, issues are ironed out rather than just relying on roller gauges. Also testing with a rolling chassis as soon as practicable is also recommended

Hi John, that's helpful. Thanks.

[hayfield]

The plan could be a lot worse to build as you have quite a bit of separation between the common crossings, its when two common crossings are closer together where there is an issue.

 

I like to give a last test of the track track with my worst performing stock, but during the build a 6 coupled free rolling chassis is useful, plus I try and get a powered chassis working ASAP during the build. Nothing like finding the faults early

[NFWEM57]

On 11/08/2020 at 08:51, ikcdab said:

Ah well yes.  There are some 12 large  rolls of wool fibre insulation in the walls and roof. 

The walls are all made of 3 x 2 framing. Lined on inside with 12mm osb. Then stuffed with woolfibre. Outside is wrapped in moisture proof membrane, then clad. The roof is the same but 18mm osb and covered in coroline sheets. Have done a lot of testing on the temperatures recently. Last weekend it was 30c in the garden, shed interior stayed around a max of 25c. 

I'll post interior shots later.

No chance yet of testing cold temperatures of course,  but will have heating. 

Ian

Curious, just how did it get on in the cold weather? And what about physical security?

Edited April 8, 2021 by NFWEM57

[Enterprisingwestern]

On 06/04/2021 at 11:25, ikcdab said:

After a hectic few days, all the track except for the three-way point is laid in Charlton Bridge. It works and we have operated it ok.

So now I need to build the three-way.

Last time I did one of these was 30 years ago and it never worked. 

I have my templot diagram and I think I will start by making the three vees.

I am going to build this on the workbench rather than in situ so that I can see it better.

If anyone has any advice on building a three-way, please let know!!

 

 

If you make the vees extra long you can put one of the top ones in position first, and then using track gauges, work downwards through the assembly gauging as you go, then just add the missing bits of rail.

 

Mike.

[ikcdab]

8 hours ago, NFWEM57 said:

Curious, just how did it get on in the cold weather? And what about physical security?

I left an oil filter radiator on on the shed set to a timer. On medium setting, the coldest it got down to was around 7C in the shed on frosty mornings. Ten to fifteen  minutes with a fan heater brought it up to a comfortable working temperature. 

If I had put the heater on a higher setting no doubt it works have been warmer, but I am balancing it against the electric bill.

As for security. We do live in a very secluded location in a rural area which has pros and cons. The shed has uPVC windows which are secure. I made a strong door and I have a good quality 5 -lever lock. I have a PIR light outside. I think it's as secure as it can be and it's difficult to see how you might break in. It would be a tough and noisy job which would wake me.....

[ikcdab]

Just now, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

If you make the vees extra long you can put one of the top ones in position first, and then using track gauges, work downwards through the assembly gauging as you go, then just add the missing bits of rail.

 

Mike.

Thanks, that sounds good. I pretty much did that, finding the solution by trial and error... I'll post some pics later....

[hayfield]

17 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

If you make the vees extra long you can put one of the top ones in position first, and then using track gauges, work downwards through the assembly gauging as you go, then just add the missing bits of rail.

 

Mike.

 

I am about to start on a 3 way myself, in my case the shortest switch rail may be an issue.

 

The 1st job is to make all 3 common crossings as sub assemblies

[ikcdab]

1 hour ago, hayfield said:

 

I am about to start on a 3 way myself, in my case the shortest switch rail may be an issue.

 

The 1st job is to make all 3 common crossings as sub assemblies

Yes been there! My shortest switch rail is held by two full chairs. Seems ok though

[ikcdab]

Well, after a couple of full days, we now have this..

 

Overall, I am pleased with it. Stock seems to run through it ok. The main problem i had was fixing the right hand short switch blade to it's tiebar. Not much room to get in with the soldering iron and then make it neat enough for the tiebar to slide under the rails.

The other issue is the left hand wing rail of the central crossing. Not enough room for it to be flared so I have chamfered it. That's ok, but stock coming through in the trailing direction along the centre road might strike the end of the chamfer. I might have to shorten it a little more.

Hope to get this in over the weekend.

Edited December 29, 2022 by ikcdab

[ISW]

4 hours ago, ikcdab said:

Overall, I am pleased with it. Stock seems to run through it ok.

Ian C,

 

And so you should be, very impressive work. The top-left crossing does 'look' to have quite a distance from the knuckle to the vee though. However, if it runs correctly then no issue.

 

Ian

[ikcdab]

1 hour ago, ISW said:

Ian C,

 

And so you should be, very impressive work. The top-left crossing does 'look' to have quite a distance from the knuckle to the vee though. However, if it runs correctly then no issue.

 

Ian

Ian, yes your right. I thought about this quite a lot. Without digging out the templot file, I can't check what it is, but I think its a 1 in 10 crossing. The vee matches the templot template and my wheels don't drop into the gap, so I'm ok. But I have only pushed a wagon through it so far. The real test will come when it's all powered up....

[hayfield]

10 hours ago, ikcdab said:

Ian, yes your right. I thought about this quite a lot. Without digging out the templot file, I can't check what it is, but I think its a 1 in 10 crossing. The vee matches the templot template and my wheels don't drop into the gap, so I'm ok. But I have only pushed a wagon through it so far. The real test will come when it's all powered up....

 

If it is a 1-10 the gap will be bigger !!

[ikcdab]

well that made me go and fire up templot!

Looking at my photo, the left hand vee is 1 in 10.

 

the right hand one is 1 in 7.5 and the middle one is 1 in 6.17. 

I am paranoid about getting this right so will be giving it a very close examination before installation!

 

[hayfield]

With a 1-10 plus 00 gauge all the numbers working against you. As the gap is calculated by multiplying the wing rail gap by the crossing angle

 

00  1.25 x 10 =12.5 mm

EM/00SF  1x 10 = 10mm

P4  0.68  x 10 6.8 mm

[martin_wynne]

Bear in mind that in terms of running quality, the length of the gap is irrelevant.

 

It is the width of the gap which determines whether wheels drop into it. The width is the same regardless of the crossing angle. At its widest, just in front of the nose, it is 2 flangeway gaps plus the blunt nose width of the vee, for all crossing angles.

 

Providing your wheels are wider than this, as they should be, they can't fall into the gap. The length of the gap doesn't come into it.

 

Of course, if your wheels are narrower than they should be for your chosen track standard (such as using kit wheels on 00-BF, Standard 00) they will be able to fall into the gap. And in that circumstance a longer gap does make the effect worse.

 

That's why folks adopt 00-SF when wanting to use kit wheels in 00. The narrower flangeway gap fully supports the kit wheels and they can't drop into it, regardless of the length of the gap.

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

Edited April 10, 2021 by martin_wynne
typo

[ikcdab]

Finally got the three-way that leads to the goods sidings completed and installed.

This one I built "off-site". This meant that I could ballast it before installation. 

It's all wired up and working ok.

 

 

 

 

Just now to connect it to the goods sidings.

I thought I might weather the check rails when I ballasted. This was only moderately successful. It's looks as if I have just painted them and some has rubbed off already.  I need to redo that...

 

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by ikcdab

[down the sdjr]

That looks great. Nice bit of track work.

[ikcdab]

I may not have posted on here for a while, but things on the layout have progressed. I have a lot of updating to do.

If I haven't told you before, my interests lie in trackwork, signalling, electrics and buildings. I am not excited by landscaping and all the scenic titivations! So while i know i have to build embankments and lay grass, it isnt something I will get round to quickly!

Here is a quick model for Foxhole Junction Signalbox. This is based on  Broad Clyst in Devon. Fitted with lights, but no interior yet...