Aston On Clun. A forgotten Great Western outpost.

[Nick Gough]

3 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Thanks Rob, it's still in the 'too clean' queue, but it's going to have to wait until I finish ballasting. 

Although  I suspect that will probably also be done in stages in between wagon builds...

 

The signal box end of the point rodding is coming together now.

 

 

 

 

Looks like someone has been drawing up a scientific equation on your baseboard.

 

I assume the signal box will end up a couple of inches nearer the track, next to the walkway?

[Worsdell forever]

1 hour ago, Nick Gough said:

 

I assume the signal box will end up a couple of inches nearer the track, next to the walkway?

 

I was thinking he might be able to connect with Bluetooth, it's a reasonably short distance. 

[MrWolf]

2 hours ago, Nick Gough said:

 

Looks like someone has been drawing up a scientific equation on your baseboard.

 

I was just roughing out a few ideas for my doomsday machine, codename "Gotterdammerung"...

 

2 hours ago, Nick Gough said:

 

I assume the signal box will end up a couple of inches nearer the track, next to the walkway?

 

Yes, it got shoved off its foundations somewhat due to a a small miscalculation with the above.

 

1 hour ago, Worsdell forever said:

 

I was thinking he might be able to connect with Bluetooth, it's a reasonably short distance. 

 

Bluetooth? All of our teeth are white in this house, any unnatural colouring and it's off to the dentist!

[Alister_G]

1 minute ago, MrWolf said:

All of our teeth are white in this house

 

And my, what big teeth they are, Grandma...

 

 

 

Al.

[MrWolf]

[Stubby47]

3 hours ago, Alister_G said:

 

And my, what big teeth they are, Grandma...

 

 

 

Al.

 

13 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

 

Er, there aren't any teeth in that picture.

 

Just sayin'.

[MrWolf]

51 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

 

 

Er, there aren't any teeth in that picture.

 

Just sayin'.

 

 

No kiddin!?! 

[NHY 581]

1 hour ago, MrWolf said:

 

 

No kiddin!?! 

 

 

[Nick Gough]

2 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

 

 

Er, there aren't any teeth in that picture.

 

Just sayin'.

 

It's the ones you can't see that you need to worry about!

[MrWolf]

 

[chuffinghell]

[MrWolf]

I think that I have snapped more bits of rodding than I have installed tonight....

[NHY 581]

58 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

I think that I have snapped more bits of rodding than I have installed tonight....

 

 

 

Probably much the same as George, The Mischievous Apprentice, who has days when his paws are upside down. 

Edited November 19, 2021 by NHY 581

[Donw]

On 17/11/2021 at 17:44, Northroader said:

Charlie has recently commented how the point becomes longer because of the increase in width, and this is the biggest factor to bear in mind if you start to design a small BLT type of layout for broad gauge. Otherwise, have a look on the Broad Gauge Society site (https://www.broadgauge.org.uk) and look at what’s available in their shop, it’s a very tasty range.

 

It also works the other way turnouts are shorter for NG. For BG it is effectively running 7mm models on G1 sized track. If you look at Ian Smith's Modbury he used Bulk road for standard gauge very effective.

Don

[Tortuga]

23 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Thanks Rob, it's still in the 'too clean' queue, but it's going to have to wait until I finish ballasting. 

Although  I suspect that will probably also be done in stages in between wagon builds...

 

The signal box end of the point rodding is coming together now.

 

 

 

I don’t think it is too clean. Isn’t the real thing made of galvanised rod? That tends to weather to a dull grey colour and yours looks spot on to my mind.

See what it looks like with ballast down; it might look too bright then and need a slight tone down.

 

By the way, I’m holding you personally responsible for my current dilemma as to whether to scrap my idea of hand built track in favour of using Peco code 75 on Alsop; if I can get it to look like yours, will it matter that it’s not bullhead with the correct chairs and sleeper spacing?

[MrWolf]

I was thinking about the station and signal box being a bit too clean as yet. Although the paintwork wouldn't have been too grubby in the 30s. 

 

The track is good old Peco code 100 for purely practical reasons.

 

1. I have never built my own track before and had enough problems making certain that the train set stuff works properly.

 

2. Some of my locos are older than I am.

 

I think that the choice of track is a purely personal one. What do you want to achieve? Do you want to be able to say that you have built everything yourself and it's as accurate as it can be? Or would you feel more confident knowing that someone else has worked out all of the potential permanent way problems before you start and it will run smoothly provided that you install it as instructed? 

Or go to the halfway point, install commercial bullhead rail and kit build the points that aren't available off the shelf?

That might be the best of both worlds.

It's down to time money and skills as well as intent and only you have the answer to those four.

 

All that aside, it's not the worst thing that I have been held responsible for! 

 

[JustinDean]

I think the halfway house between off the shelf and hand built points are those fancy new PECO points…. but they do cost mega bucks. 
 

It’s quite evident on here that track some folk would sneer at actually looks very very good. Personally I’d only go down the handbuilt route if I was modelling a prototype location that demands it. 
 

Jay

Edited November 19, 2021 by JustinDean

[MrWolf]

I really like the idea of handbuilt track to be honest. But, if I went down that route, I might as well correct the gauge to P4. At which point, I would be building my own compensated chassis locos and stock.

It's a slippery slope man....

[Tortuga]

16 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

I was thinking about the station and signal box being a bit too clean as yet. Although the paintwork wouldn't have been too grubby in the 30s. 

 

The track is good old Peco code 100 for purely practical reasons.

 

1. I have never built my own track before and had enough problems making certain that the train set stuff works properly.

 

2. Some of my locos are older than I am.

 

I think that the choice of track is a purely personal one. What do you want to achieve? Do you want to be able to say that you have built everything yourself and it's as accurate as it can be? Or would you feel more confident knowing that someone else has worked out all of the potential permanent way problems before you start and it will run smoothly provided that you install it as instructed? 

Or go to the halfway point, install commercial bullhead rail and kit build the points that aren't available off the shelf?

That might be the best of both worlds.

It's down to time money and skills as well as intent and only you have the answer to those four.

 

All that aside, it's not the worst thing that I have been held responsible for! 

 

Short answer: yes

Slightly more honest answer: I’m just getting a bit down on not having the opportunity to do any work on Alsop. I want the appearance hand built track will bring, but equally I want quicker progress than the geological pace things are currently moving at due to extremely limited modelling time (read practically none due to work, toddler, baby, other projects, etc).

Ultimately using Peco track would produce an Alsop I could run trains on and start developing scenically, but would also result in a model I wouldn’t be happy with - I’d look at it and say “yeah, but…” and eventually that would lead to it being scrapped.

[MrWolf]

A sudden bout of lunchtime inspiration had the rodding complete. I now need to tidy up the ends and throw some paint about.

That will have to wait though. I have actual work to do.

 

 

Edited August 24, 2022 by MrWolf

[MrWolf]

27 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

Short answer: yes

Slightly more honest answer: I’m just getting a bit down on not having the opportunity to do any work on Alsop. I want the appearance hand built track will bring, but equally I want quicker progress than the geological pace things are currently moving at due to extremely limited modelling time (read practically none due to work, toddler, baby, other projects, etc).

Ultimately using Peco track would produce an Alsop I could run trains on and start developing scenically, but would also result in a model I wouldn’t be happy with - I’d look at it and say “yeah, but…” and eventually that would lead to it being scrapped.

 

I can understand that completely, I spent twenty years or so coming up with ideas, buying odd things, making sketches, (Quite a few in hotel rooms in some of the world's less desirable tourist destinations.) but actually getting something running? No. Not a bit of it. 

What I realise I could have done is build a quick couple of sidings goods depot or similar in the style of The Sheep Chronicles, to keep my hand in, practice my modelling skills and actually run some trains...

It would certainly have maintained the enthusiasm and honed my skills for The Big Project. Also, you can reuse a lot of the bits.

You may even find you prefer it.

[MrWolf]

@Tortuga, you might want to take a look at this, it's undergoing a finescale transformation.

 

Ruyton Road Revisited. What to do with an old classic

 

[Nick C]

1 hour ago, MrWolf said:

I was thinking about the station and signal box being a bit too clean as yet. Although the paintwork wouldn't have been too grubby in the 30s. 

 

The track is good old Peco code 100 for purely practical reasons.

 

1. I have never built my own track before and had enough problems making certain that the train set stuff works properly.

 

2. Some of my locos are older than I am.

 

I think that the choice of track is a purely personal one. What do you want to achieve? Do you want to be able to say that you have built everything yourself and it's as accurate as it can be? Or would you feel more confident knowing that someone else has worked out all of the potential permanent way problems before you start and it will run smoothly provided that you install it as instructed? 

Or go to the halfway point, install commercial bullhead rail and kit build the points that aren't available off the shelf?

That might be the best of both worlds.

It's down to time money and skills as well as intent and only you have the answer to those four.

 

All that aside, it's not the worst thing that I have been held responsible for! 

 

I'm going for the halfway approach for mine - bullhead flexi, with kitbuilt points. For me, the geometry of a B7 looks much better than even the large-radius Peco, and the new BF kits take all the hard work out of making pointwork. Definitley agree it's a personal preference thing though, and there are several threads on here that show just how good the Peco track can be made to look with a bit of effort.

[Nick C]

22 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

What I realise I could have done is build a quick couple of sidings goods depot or similar in the style of The Sheep Chronicles, to keep my hand in, practice my modelling skills and actually run some trains...

It would certainly have maintained the enthusiasm and honed my skills for The Big Project. Also, you can reuse a lot of the bits.

You may even find you prefer it.

 

I've found that even with just building a practice plank (see Hurst Lane Halt, below) - seeing some scenics actually appear, even in just small patches, has brought back my enthusiasm comapred with just seeing a huge expanse of bare baseboard. So much so that I've dug out an old 5' x 18" baseboard from the garage for a sheepy-style cameo layout...

[MrWolf]

I have also been tempted by the idea of a practice plank. Although it will get built after my current layout, a much simpler 5ft X 1ft based around this:

 

 

 

At least I know how to build the crossing house.

 

 

Edited August 24, 2022 by MrWolf