Tewkesbury Shed and Quay Branch Exhibition Layout in EM Gauge.

[DLT]

A very interesting project.

Thanks, Dave

[lezz01]

Thanks Dave.

Yes I've wanted to do this layout for around 25 years now as it's one of the two shed layouts in LMS Engine Sheds vol II that is realistically buildable in a home environment. From the face of the old terminus overall roof on the far side of the Oldbury Rd to the end of the water tank is 400 feet. Even if you throw in the taller part of the maltings it's only 436 feet. So it's a nice compact layout that will fit on two 6' tables in an exhibition hall. If it's well received and I get bookings for it I might extend it in 6 foot modules right down to the quay. Then I can offer whatever exhibition managers have room for. That's for the future though, first things first which is the shed and fiddle yards. One of the other attractions is that it won't need huge amounts of stock either.

Lez.       

[lezz01]

As I thought I'm totally unable to attempt anything involving my hands today. My right hand is so sore I can't even close it properly. So I thought I would list the locos and loco kits I have amassed so far.

1. Craftsman 1F full cab belpaire. This is to EM gauge and a runner. I built it many years ago and it was my first etched brass kit. It is currently in in Midland crimson and will be stripped and repainted in LMS plane black.

2. MPD 1F half cab round top. Scored on ebay in part built condition for not a lot. 

3. Bachmann  3F belpaire. LMS plane black. Awaiting conversion pack from Gibson.

4. Craftsman 1P round top. Also from ebay in part built condition. The chassis has been very badly built using glue. Fortunately it came with another chassis that is untouched so if I can't disassemble the chassis I have another one. It came with Romford wheels but I will build it with Gibsons.

5. Wills 0-6-4T Flatiron. Also from ebay for an absolute song. Needs a chassis and wheels. Gibson does milled frames for this and I'm not going with a RTR chassis as suggested in the kit so Gibbo it is.  

6. Wills 4F another ebay purchase, part built but unlike the 1P the boiler and tender have been very well constructed. A comet chassis and maybe Brassmasters motion kit if I feel brave enough

7. K's 8F, ebay once again. Completely untouched. I also scored a Comet chassis and motion kit. Will be fitted with Gibsons and a better motor.

8. K's Johnson 0-4-0 dock tank in Midland crimson that was in the process of having a new chassis built to P4 standards. I will now rebuild it back to EM gauge.

9. Scratch built unfinished MR Kirtley 156 class that I will finish to EM gauge.

I will be documenting the builds and conversions on here. I need wheels for everything apart from the 1F half cab and the dock tank and will start getting them in from AG at the end of the month.

I also have a bid in for a 4F tender and if I win I'll be buying a Brassmasters 4F kit to go with this. More inside motion. As I said if I feel brave enough. I would also like a SDJR 7F and another 8F maybe a Comet or a DJH kit for this one. I also have another 3F and 1P Belpaire, maybe the Bachmann one, on the wish list. All of these can be used on both Tewkesbury and the proposed new home layout. So I guess I'm going to be a busy boy.  

Lez.  

       

 

Edited January 21, 2021 by lezz01

[lezz01]

Sorry about the lack of progress. The injection in my hand and the plague vaccine left me a little rung out and not feeling like modeling. 

So on with the track building. Although I'm not entirely happy with the B8R as it's probably going to be buried up to the rails in muck I will either use it for Tewkesbury or on a test track and build another for Tewkesbury. So it's on with the tandem.

I started by repositioning the timber more accurately on the plate glass. The problem with the plate glass method is accuracy of timber placement. Depending on the angle you look at it things you think are in the right place over the template just simply aren't. It's very important to be directly over the work looking straight down on it and don't be afraid to move things a bit as you start to solder the rails to the timbers.

As with any other turnouts you start with the crossings and work from there.

So I've fixed the 1:8 and the 1:6 vees first. The hard bit comes next as I've made the 1:5 vee and the and the two attached closure/wing rails all of a piece.

During the first session I have to report that my favorite flux dibber has gone to the great soldering station in the sky. Oh well! I suppose I will have to choose a new victim to abuse. I wonder if the next one will last as long. The old one has been in use for around 25 years. Ok the bristles went years and years ago but that left a void that worked as a reservoir and was much more effective than the length of BH rail it replaced. So all in all the new one has very big boots to fill.

On another note this arrived the other day.

In absolutely mint condition with the etches still wrapped in the original tissue. I got it for a very reasonable price on ebay. The only thing wrong with it is that one of the EM gauge axles has one of the 1/8-2 mm shoulders missing which is a bit of a shame but as the soc. has 9k of them in stock for the princely sum of 10p a pop I'm not going to cry about it. You can bet that if I was going to build it in 00 then it would be an 00 axle that was duff but hey ho!

More soon.

Lez.        

Edited April 3, 2022 by lezz01

[lezz01]

Well it's just taken me 2 hours to fit the next two bits of rail. I much prefer building slips to these so and so's they really are a pain. 

 Not very pretty but my test van runs through well. I think it need a tiny bit of tweaking but as I say the van runs through the straight road well. 

I'm gonna leave it now until tomorrow as it's given me a really bad headache already and the closure rails and wing rails on the 1:5 crossing are a total mare but once they're in place I can fit the stock rails which will make the whole thing much more stable.

More soon.

Lez.

  

Edited April 3, 2022 by lezz01

[KeithHC]

Is it me it looks like the nose on sleeper 29 looks bent to the right in the picture.

 

Keith

[lezz01]

4 hours ago, KeithHC said:

Is it me it looks like the nose on sleeper 29 looks bent to the right in the picture.

 

Keith

Yes Keith. I had spotted that. 

It's the reason I said I thought it needed a bit of tweaking. As always photos, especially close ups show any errors. In this case it was almost impossible to see that with the naked eye. What I'm going to do is put the flangeway gauge in on the straight road, apply the iron to the tip and nudge it over a tad. Then I can see where I'm at with the right hand closure rail as it may well be out of alignment as well. The good thing about ply and rivet construction is that it's easy to make adjustments.

Lez.      

[lezz01]

After further investigation the crossing nose is not bent. It seems to be an optical illusion.

It does look a little bent but having run a straight edge down it and using the flangeway gauges it all lines up.

With that checked I continued this afternoon and fitted 3 more rails.

It's coming on nicely although it's given me another headache so I've stopped until later when I will fit the other stock rail and make a start on the switch and check rails.

More soon.

Lez. 

Edited April 3, 2022 by lezz01

[lezz01]

Well I've fitted the other stock rail and cleaned it all up.

It's cleaned up rather well I think.

So now it's just switch and check rails. I need to be a bit careful with that as one of the switch rails gets in the way of one of the check rails and I may have to fit the check rail first I usually fit all the check rails last. Anyway more tomorrow guys.

Lez. 

Edited April 3, 2022 by lezz01

[KeithHC]

No matter what Lez I need a drool button. There is just something about hand built track.................... The more I see EM the more I am being drawn to it.

 

Keith

[lezz01]

2 hours ago, KeithHC said:

No matter what Lez I need a drool button. There is just something about hand built track.................... The more I see EM the more I am being drawn to it.

 

Keith

Why thank you Keith. Yes EM is a very good compromise and not difficult to manage at all. It's less of a faff than P4, mainly because you don't need to do anything other than change the wheels stock wise. The tolerances with the track are much more forgiving and it will even go around bends as opposed to driving you round one. You can even buy RTR track and points through the Soc. although only B6 atm. Having said all that there is something about P4 track that has the edge on EM visually. I've really missed modeling in finescale and it's nice to be about it once again. 

Lez. 

[lezz01]

So after a bit of faffing around with the pond and other real life issues I've been working on the tandem, fitted all of the check rails and cleaned it up a bit. There was an issue with the 1:5 crossing as the nose of the vee was too high and derailing my test van. After leaning on it heavily with a hot iron it's seated down properly and the van runs through very nicely. 

and a closer shot of the crossings.I intend to remake the switchblades as I'm not totally happy with the ones made on the combined jig. I'm going to strip the blade planing side off the combined jig and rebuild it incorporating the EM/S4 Soc. blade filing jig. I just need to find an appropriate bolt and drill a hole in the table of the combined jig to hold it in place properly. Once I've done that I'll remake the blades and fit them and the tie bars.

More soon.

Lez.    

Edited April 3, 2022 by lezz01

[lezz01]

I've modified the Combined filing jig by replacing the original blade planing part of the jig with the EM/S4 Soc. hardened steel bunny. I may modify it further by adding Vee soldering jigs and a tie bar soldering jig there is enough free "land" on it for these without causing overcrowding in fact there may even be space for a buffer stop soldering jig as well. The tie bar bit won't take up much room. 

This is it in action make the new blades for the tandem.

I'll fit them later this evening and post more.

Lez.     

Edited April 3, 2022 by lezz01

[lezz01]

I've fitted the switchblades to the tandem.

Now it's just a case of fitting some tie bars I'm going to try a different method and see how that works. I've been waiting on supplies and now there here I'm have a go at that tomorrow and and I might on the combined jig and see what else I can usabley get on there if nothing else I'll need a jig to assemble the tie bars for consistency. Then I'll do everything else I'm gonna do with an iron on both the B8 and tandem including making a decision on which method of tie bars I'm going with. One of the switchblades is a tad short so I may do something about that and once I've done everything I can do without them being laid, then I can do the 2 B6s and make a bit of straight track. Then I'm gonna have to start on the actual layout itself..........

Lez. 

Edited April 3, 2022 by lezz01

[lezz01]

No further progress on the tandem as yet. This is in the way of an appeal for information.

I have just received a MPD 3F kit that I bought on ebay in part built condition. Sadly there are no instructions. I'm hoping that someone on here has built this kit and has a copy of the said instructions they could email to me. Many thanks in advance!

Lez. 

[lezz01]

Well I have been given a set of destructions for the 3F by an awfully nice chap Steve in Canada. So that's one headache sorted.

Sorry about the lack of progress, I've had another steroid injection in my hand, the left this time, and it's still a little sore and impeding any sort of modeling right now. I have however found my 00 gauge rolling road rollers and on inspection they appear to be easily convertible to EM. The plan is to convert my programming/running in/test track to EM so I can make a start on loco building/refurbishing. The first victim will be a craftsman 1F belpare tank that is currently in crimson lake and has been ruined by the application of too much satin varnish, not my finest work but hey ho. Not my first or last issue with varnish malfunctions. It will be refinished in LMS plane black once I'm happy with the way it runs and have stripped it back to bare metal. I hope to post a bit  more trackwork this week but have to see how the hand is.

More soon.

Lez.

     

[lezz01]

So after a good dose of painkillers I managed to get my hand working long enough to get some work done this evening. I've produced my tie bar 2.0. It's based on the method Dave, AKA Kipford, posted in a photo on page 2. I've substituted the NS wire he uses with 1mm sq NS rod. I've also built a jig to form them on my combined filing jig between the blade filing jig and the vee filing jig. It's now a piece of cake to make them consistently. 

The tie bars in place. They consist of two pieces of 0.4mm thick double sided PCB board 4mm long and 2mm wide soldered to a 21mm long 1mm x 1mm NS bar. It seems to work really well.

So this is the jig in place on the combined jig.

and this is the jig in use.

There is still room on the jig for more so I will be developing this further as I progress with both Tewkesbury and Dudbridge junction and Nailsworth which will be my new home layout.

More soon as my hand improves.

Lez.

  

Edited April 3, 2022 by lezz01

[kipford]

Les

I like the idea of the square N/S rod, makes it much easier to assemble. Will store that for the future.

[lezz01]

37 minutes ago, kipford said:

Les

I like the idea of the square N/S rod, makes it much easier to assemble. Will store that for the future.

Thanks Dave. 

I think it looks good too. The fact that it's square combined with the little jig I built makes the manufacture of the tie bars a doddle. It's also very easy to fit them as well. I made a little packing piece by filing down the thickness of a bit of crossing timber that slides under the rail and holds everything in place while you solder it to the switchblade. I just set the end of the tie bar flush with the outside of the rail, put the crossing flangeway gauge between the inside of the rail and the switchblade and solder it to the tie bar then just repeat the process on the other side. It takes about 15 mins to make and fit 2 tie bars to a turnout now with almost no fuss at all.    

Regards Lez.

[lezz01]

Well I've refitted the B8 with the mk2 tie bar and finished fitting them to the tandem as well. I had trouble getting the tip of the iron in the right place and ended up having to partially remove a closure rail so I could fit it properly but it's all good now.

So that's it for the B8 and the tandem for now everything else will get done once they are planted.

I have to decide what's next. Whether to build the 2 B6's or start the rebuild of the test track so I can start loco building/renovation. 

More soon guys.

Lez.

Edited April 3, 2022 by lezz01

[KeithHC]

Hi Lez,

The track work looks great. Just a thought might it be easier to produce the blades first with the tie bar done place them roughly in position on the plan and build the turnout around them.

 

Keith

[lezz01]

Hi Keith.

Well it's not quite that bad but you do need to watch the sequence that you build more complicated turnouts in that's for sure. Tandems are quite hard to build in the first place due to clearances. I find slips a doddle compared to tandems. It does seem to me that the accepted, and indeed published, build sequence is not correct in either of the society manuels for this type of tandem, so I may do a paper on it or at the least an article for the newsletters for both the EM and S4 socs. 

Lez.   

[kipford]

Les totally agree with you, there is no one correct way to build points. I build all mine in a sequence I find easiest for that particular installation. EG some people say you have to start with the common crossing. I normally start with straighter of the stock rails and work my way across the point. If I have a fan of points or a cross over then they will probably be built as a unit. The photo shows the fan of 3 points and station approach scissors for Brighton showing how they were built as single units, with in the case of the scissors the board joints also built into it  

 

Keep up the good work.

 

[lezz01]

 

4 hours ago, kipford said:

Les totally agree with you, there is no one correct way to build points. I build all mine in a sequence I find easiest for that particular installation. EG some people say you have to start with the common crossing. I normally start with straighter of the stock rails and work my way across the point. If I have a fan of points or a cross over then they will probably be built as a unit. The photo shows the fan of 3 points and station approach scissors for Brighton showing how they were built as single units, with in the case of the scissors the board joints also built into it  

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Thanks Dave.

I usually start with the crossing then the straight closure rail. Then the straight stock rail. 

I guess it's just what you're used to. As you say there isn't really a right or wrong way to build points and crossings just what works for you. Real life is getting in the way of progress at the moment but I hope to do a bit more this week.

Lez.

[Donw]

My preference has always been to start with the crossings. Start with the most awkward bit of pointwork typically a double slip  once you have those crossing marked you can align the crossings leading up to it. So in your example I would start with the diamond and work my way outward. As you say it is a personal choice.

 

Don