SteveyDee68 Posted May 30, 2021 Author Share Posted May 30, 2021 (edited) Have been re-reading the inspirational White Peak Limestone & Tarmacadam layout thread by @Rustonand the thought has occured to me that these could be exchange sidings to that layout... Hmmm... I need to make four wagon trains the "standard" length to match his operations. Head scratching and perhaps adjustment of track layout required. Maybe! HOURS OF FUN!. Edited July 27, 2022 by SteveyDee68 typos!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 Have you seen this plan? It's from Ian Rice, may be a tad bigger than you want but might give you some ideas. It's part of a series of three all on shelves. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted June 21, 2021 Author Share Posted June 21, 2021 (edited) On 31/05/2021 at 20:23, sb67 said: Have you seen this plan? It's from Ian Rice, may be a tad bigger than you want but might give you some ideas. It's part of a series of three all on shelves. Hi, Steve @sb67 - thanks for the plan, which is exactly the kind of small industrial layout that the Pecketts would look right at home upon! I only have three feet and a tiny bit on the existing board, which begs the question "Would it make more sense to ditch the offcut baseboard and make something bespoke instead?" Hmmmmm? Wonder how many wagons the loop would hold? And how many fit into the exchange siding? Am also pondering whether I could print out the plan and then photocopy it to actual size using a photocopier? HOURS OF FUN! Edited July 27, 2022 by SteveyDee68 Added a couple of questions! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted June 22, 2021 Author Share Posted June 22, 2021 (edited) Take one Iain Rice plan… Apply to existing 3 foot long baseboard and using existing points … Not a great photo, and not very clear!! The rear siding is now longer, due to the loop lengthening and the access point moving further across the board. The loop itself now holds four wagons, as does the lower siding. However, the headhunt only holds a loco plus one wagon... the improvements of loop and siding length are negated by their shorter headshunt. This retains the loco spur and the brake van siding in the same orientation as the original plan. I could also lose the loco spur and use that point at the near end of the loop (at the right hand end) to bring the exit tracks closer together and exiting parallel. The brake van siding would then have a kick back to a loco spur in front of the loop (or simply leave it off) I may try the second option tomorrow and see how it looks. There is not a lot of room for scenery front or rear, either. Hmmm… At this point I am starting to think that a longer board may be required - this photo actually shows an interim development (the original images for this post are gone!) HOURS OF FUN!! Edited August 1, 2022 by SteveyDee68 Jiggery pokery photo stuff! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted June 22, 2021 Author Share Posted June 22, 2021 (edited) As mentioned in my last post, I've tried another alignment and put some stock on to get an idea of siding lengths etc... I am limited to only three wagons in the loop with this design, but it does allow a scenic treatment that is a half way house between Iain Rice's suggestion and my own desire to have the lines diving between houses! X Missing photo In the above, the "mainline" also passes between a house at the rear and the pub ... if, instead, there was a bank and trees there instead, and similarly build up at the rear with the road rising ... X Missing photo Another option I tried was a "double straight" in the lower part of the loop, moving the single straight to the upper part of the loop before the point to the "mainline". This allows four wagons in the loop, and also into the headshunt, but pushes the loop point to the edge of the board (no headshunt) - if I put the shop/pub as blockers as planned, the road would need to cross over the point blades (with associated gaps for movement), which rules out that option. The over bridges as shown on Rice's plan would then be required to act as a scenic block... Oh, for another six inches length! X Missing photo This semi cropped photo shows the extent of the board with the longer loop, plus the extra six inches at the end to allow a headshunt/scenic treatment at the right hand end. Thoughts crossing my mind at the moment - extend the baseboard six inches at the right hand end, but also extending a few inches front and rear using foamboard scenic extensions which would also allow some contouring (falling away at the front and rising at the rear). HOURS OF FUN!* * Except when the edits you made showing your propose scenics are lost when the photo app crashes whilst editing! Sadly, all images pertaining to this post are lost. This post also refers to interim developments Edited August 25, 2023 by SteveyDee68 Images lost - rewritten post reflects this 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted June 23, 2021 Author Share Posted June 23, 2021 (edited) Well, I've had a think and a scour around the bits of leftover wood knocking about the loft ... The Permanent Way Gaffer has approved the new track plan, but has insisted that the civil engineers get a move on and prepare the site prior to laying tracks, vis a vis a supported trackbed. They are also responsible for adding 4 inches to the back of the baseboard and 2 inches at the front, utilising a lightweight foamboard structure capable of supporting scenics to both front and rear, which will be in the capable hands of Ground Force and the local Planning Department. Erection of both back and end boards has been scheduled concurrent to creating the new scenic areas, to act as bracing from the new extensions back to the original baseboard. A facia from mounting board will both neaten and further strengthen the foamboard extensions. If possible, a curved backscene will be incorporated to disguise 'corners'. The trackwork would look better with streamline points, but will nonetheless stubbornly remain as set track! I took the decision to lose one of the points and forego a separate servicing area for locos, instead providing coal, water and diesel fuel at the end of the loop headshunt. There's no need for an engine shed - there's one at the quarry end of the line! Scenic treatment planned; I want the road to rise behind the rear track and "crest" the rise to disguise that it is heading straight into the backscene! The pub and shop both act as scenic breaks for the two exiting lines, the rear to the "main line" and the front to "White Peak Limestone and Macadam". X Missing photo Stockwise, I've picked up a few small hopper wagons and intend to upgrade/paint some old private owner liveried wagons from Airfix and Mainline, and maybe build a few Dapol mineral wagon kits. I've also picked up a couple of tar wagons off eBay matching those seen in photos of "White Peak" to represent that traffic. A gunpowder wagon* and a couple of vans for general stores should be enough to play with to run an appropriate service. I suppose I should get a suitable loco for mainline traffic - currently I have a J72 whereas perhaps a "Jinty" would be more appropriate? I have more than enough industrial locos to service the layout! Meanwhile, what to do with the spare point? Hmmmm ... head on over to DRS Engineering!! HOURS OF FUN! * Picked up at a toy fair for a silly price (£3?) I didn’t actually want or need a gunpowder wagon at the time I bought it - I mistook it for a standard van! Images lost for this post Edited August 25, 2023 by SteveyDee68 Images lost 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted June 25, 2021 Author Share Posted June 25, 2021 Thought for the day … extend the baseboard at the end that won’t be needed to attach to another board. That makes more sense, surely? Hmmm… HOURS OF FUN! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted June 25, 2021 Author Share Posted June 25, 2021 (edited) Screw it...* Trip to B&Q resulted in a piece of 4x2 9mm plywood having three 2 inch strips cut off lengthwise ... So now I have a piece of board 4 feet long by ~1'6" (~18") wide ... The track design now fits on easily lengthwise, so much so that I am able to sacrifice a little bit of the length of the loco release and slip a short piece of track at the right hand end to widen the exit points of the two lines. All I have to do now is set up the table saw that I rashly purchased at the same time, and cut some blocks and cross pieces for the baseboard frame work! But, what of the smaller board you have been toying with for so long, I hear you cry... I've decided that I'm going to use that as the fiddleyard board for Burnstow Dock (from whence it originally came forth, like Eve from Adam's rib!) and I just need to design and build a suitable traverser on it now! HOURS OF FUN (AND ANOTHER BASEBOARD!) * Was that my reaction to trying to extend the original board using foamboard, or simply the first part of the instructions to myself, the second part being "Glue it"?** ** Or was that first footnote simply a way of avoiding a reprimand from the forum's moderators?! Steve S Edited July 27, 2022 by SteveyDee68 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted June 26, 2021 Share Posted June 26, 2021 Good stuff! Will you use the Ian Rice plan now or keep your alternafive idea? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted June 26, 2021 Author Share Posted June 26, 2021 (edited) On 26/06/2021 at 10:40, sb67 said: Good stuff! Will you use the Ian Rice plan now or keep your alternafive idea? Well, Steve, the Iain Rice plan has provided the stimulus to re-think the exchange sidings! My last photo shows the adapted plan I am running with; it is essentially the Ian Rice plan but without the separate spur to service locos, and access to the "brake van" siding reversed. This is only because of the set track points I had to hand - and one of those has migrated over to DRS Engineering! The new board is exactly 4 feet long, so slightly shorter than the plan you suggested. I can handle 4 wagon trains easily in the loop, and the rear "exchange siding" takes 6 wagons plus brake van. Right hand end of the board now has more room for structures as sight blockers - I may even be able to get a curved backscene in place too! My impulse buy yesterday was a table saw! Having created a base from MDF for it to screw to, and then in turn screw to my Bl*ck & D*ck*r workbench, I've had fun quickly working out how to use my new bench saw to rip and cross cut wood! The blocks are identical and will act as strengtheners for the corners of the baseboard. Best £55 spent on a tool in a while! HOURS OF FUN IN THE SUN! Edited August 1, 2022 by SteveyDee68 Image lost 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechnicArrow Posted June 26, 2021 Share Posted June 26, 2021 It sounds like you've got a good plan formed now - I think I'm going to enjoy watching this one come together! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted June 26, 2021 Author Share Posted June 26, 2021 (edited) On 26/06/2021 at 21:33, TechnicArrow said: It sounds like you've got a good plan formed now - I think I'm going to enjoy watching this one come together! Don't hold your breath, whatever you do! Tomorrow I hope to do several things, layout and layout-related - Glue and screw the new baseboard together! The two long supports (9mm ply) were trimmed at B&Q to be 2 inches deep, and they are almost exactly right (they had broken a vital part on their huge saw machine, so could not guarantee that the cuts would be 100% accurate). The ends supports were trimmed to size on my new bench saw from the third strip (as cut by the nice chaps at B&Q) An MDF offcut in the scrap bin at B&Q was also exactly 4 feet long and slightly less than 2" deep, so I acquired it for a donation of £1. I intend this to run as a spine along the length, slightly off from centre in order to clear the point tie bar positions! I had previously hand sawn some ply panels to act as end stops in the Music Centre Library, but trimmed them using my bench saw in order to get the edges parallel. The offcuts from these are less than 2" wide and so will make ideal additional bracing struts (the straight edge from the trimming cut will be against the board surface, the other edge doesn't matter! I am also trimming down some previously built MDF storage units from the loft in order to fit Scale Model Scenery stock trays; this will make better use of a "dead" area next to my modelling table in the loft. I also need to do some reconfiguring of the loftspace to better store stuff (not just railway related!) and intend to free up space in the centre for working on Burnstow Dock, as the tall buildings will not let it sit under the eaves! I don't expect to lay track tomorrow, but hopefully will be able to spray up the new pieces to match the others (Halfords spray cans, including their "camouflage" paint!) and maybe even trim track to size. However, a couple of new jobs have just been advertised that I will be applying for, so modelling time this coming week may be quite restricted. Fingers crossed! HOURS OF FUN! Edited July 27, 2022 by SteveyDee68 Formatting! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted June 27, 2021 Author Share Posted June 27, 2021 (edited) Damn! Not a single one of the things I had planned has been achieved. Instead, ploughed through two full job applications! What is annoying is that in the Education sector everybody wants you to fill their job application form in, and simply don't accept CVs. You would think it would be a simple matter of 'cut and paste' but oh no! Not a chance! Form A wants your previous job roles listed in reverse order, date started, date finished, employer (and address), job role, description of duties, salary, reason for leaving, and include any gaps within the timeline. Form B, however, wants previous jobs listed separately for teaching and non-teaching roles, only wants school names but wants to know the number of pupils on the roll, what LEA they belong to, what key stage groups you taught, your pay rate listed according to grade and points not annual pay, any time not working listed in a separate section, and for non-teaching roles wants job title and a brief description of the roles and responsibilities of each post, and list what you feel was your greatest achievement or accomplishment in that [each] role ... That's just the Previous Employment section of the form! When it comes to qualifications, they all want the same information presented in different ways, grouping information together in a multitude of combinations which means you cannot simply paste in the relevant information! And just when you think you have finished, you spot that this form wants you to list everything in chronological order, and not reversed like all the other forms! Don't get me started about bl@@dy online forms either, with their unreadable fixed type size because whoever set it up doesn't know how to code to allow for higher resolution monitors! (Serves me right for having a 27" iMac I suppose, but why do I end up needing a magnifying glass to read the d*mn thing on screen when it could be programmed to be adjustable?!) And let's not mention those that set their text fields so fl@ming wide that you are typing into the void before it eventually wraps back around on screen again, with no means to see what you are typing!! It's a necessary evil, of course. I need a permanent job (rather than zero hours supply teaching) to ensure I have adequate virtual beer tokens to fund my model railway habit, amongst other more mundane things like go-go juice for the car, or food for the rabbit! HOURS OF NOT-FUN-AT-ALL FORM FILLING! Edited June 27, 2021 by SteveyDee68 Speelink miztaykes 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bandit Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 Good luck with the job hunting. I’m afraid that everything is made long-winded and complex in the education sector. Someone somewhere thinks if you keep it simple it means you aren’t doing a thorough/good job. Keeping it simple to my mind means there will be less mistakes made and people are more likely to respond more positively to what they are being asked to do. Mind you, what do I know - I was only in the system for 40 years! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepyrider Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 Think I preferred getting teaching jobs in the 80s - turn up for a chat with the Head after school, fill the form in afterwards if they liked you and offered the job. But then I always did gravitate towards the kind of establishments where people weren't queuing up to work! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted June 30, 2021 Author Share Posted June 30, 2021 (edited) On 26/06/2021 at 23:46, SteveyDee68 said: I am also trimming down some previously built MDF storage units And I actually managed to get that done last night! I now have a "kit" of parts to reassemble into a floor unit, to hold eight ScaleModelScenery stock trays (each of which can hold four coaches/bogie wagons or 12 swb wagons). I have even cut spacers to sit each shelf on before fixing, to ensure accuracy. Gosh - how did I survive without a table saw?! That will be the extent of tonight's "modelling", firstly because I am working until 7:30pm to cover a colleague having to self isolate due to Covid, and I also need to prepare for an interview tomorrow! Another application needs finishing for Friday, too - and as job adverts will dry up PDQ (with the impending school summer holidays) I need to do as many as possible! Maybe, just maybe, I might get the baseboard sorted on Friday night! HOURS OF FUN! Edited June 30, 2021 by SteveyDee68 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManofKent Posted June 30, 2021 Share Posted June 30, 2021 Good luck with he layout and job hunting. Don't overlook your local FE colleges - pay isn't school standards but can be rewarding in a different way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted July 1, 2021 Author Share Posted July 1, 2021 (edited) On 30/06/2021 at 19:43, ManofKent said: Good luck with he layout and job hunting. Don't overlook your local FE colleges - pay isn't school standards but can be rewarding in a different way. Many thanks - Zoom interview today for a music service admin post! I actually trained and am qualified to teach in FE - but an appalling experience of the sector has left a very very sour taste (my depression, break-down, collapse of my marriage etc can all be traced back to that job at that particular college, and that particular HR department!) Anyway - upwards and onwards!! HOURS TO INTERVIEW! Edited July 27, 2022 by SteveyDee68 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted July 3, 2021 Author Share Posted July 3, 2021 (edited) The layout has sort of progressed, in that I previously managed to cut the wood up for the storage unit and, tonight, after a late finish at Music Centre covering for a colleague self-isolating for Covid, I assembled the unit! I had cut spacers to act as temporary supports to ensure the shelves were correctly spaced for the ScaleModelScenery stock trays, and that helped keep everything lined up and square. Now in position awaiting a quick touch up of paint on the visible edges/surfaces and the top trimming to size and fastening down. I just need to assemble the other three stock trays I currently possess, order another four and sort out some suitable "drawer pulls" to allow them to be removed from the unit. As mentioned, each tray is divided into four sections, each of which hold 3 x swb wagons, so 8 x 4 x 3 = 96 swb wagons; although the trays will also hold 2 x lwb* wagons + 1 x swb wagon in each section. * Oil tankers, large hopper wagons, cattle wagons etc I think the trays are excellent value for money, and intend buying a fair few more for stock storage purposes. Tomorrow, maybe, just maybe, I'll get the baseboard assembled and the track sprayed! HOURS OF FUN! Edited July 3, 2021 by SteveyDee68 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted July 4, 2021 Author Share Posted July 4, 2021 (edited) Yeah, well, track laying and modelling type stuff kind of went by the wayside! Today was spent building a new central work area in the centre of the loft, utilising a drawer and a cupboard unit as supporting ends, and building shelves to join them on one side and leaving space for another set of ex-bedroom drawers (on castors) on the other. A visit to B&Q and purchased an 8’ x 4’ sheet of 18mm MDF to cut down for the top surface … last time I bought some, it was £22 a sheet - now a whopping £38!! I can only assume this is Brexit at work?! Got the nice man to cut it for me (plus the other bits for shelves etc). After getting everything in place, hoisted the top up and … Silly b@ggers have only gone and cut it 100mm short!! Checked my piece of paper with the measurements on that I gave them to work from - yep, correct. Measured the wood - yep, 100mm short!! I could go back and make a fuss. Instead, I am going to bodge an extra bit for the end and hope multiple screws and No More Nails helps keep it in place! What I effectively now have, in the centre of the loft, is a work bench upon which I can assemble 4 foot long baseboards, with plenty of height and access all around. Baseboards for Blackford Wharf will be assembled here once all the alterations are finished and the loft tidied up, before the board for Burnford Dock takes position in order to work on the scenic/tall buildings. So although no modelling as such, it still feels like big steps forward to making future progress easier! Will put up photos when finished! Steve S Edited July 27, 2022 by SteveyDee68 Updated layout references 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted July 18, 2021 Author Share Posted July 18, 2021 (edited) Has it been so long since I last posted here?! Wow! How the time flies! Well, the interview came and went and the following day I learnt I had just missed out on it due to another candidate scoring a couple more points in the interview. Thank you once again, HR Department, for providing a series of tick boxes against key words for the interviewers to listen out for! So instead of pressing on with the modelling I drowned my sorrows before filling in another batch of applications! What I have managed to do with the odd spare minute is gradually reconfigure the IKEA bookcase unit at the end of the loft to fit next to my table, and build onto it some cover pieces etc using 5mm MDF board, two large pieces of which I had picked up from the scraps bin at B&Q for the princely sum of £2 each! One end has been trimmed to fit into the angle of the roof - one more piece to cut tomorrow and I can glue/screw it into place and paint it up. Reading from left to right I have bookshelves, stock storage unit and then my work table. At right angles coming towards me at the left hand end is a LIDL model display cabinet and then a filing drawer unit. As the display cabinet is taller than the lowest part of the roof, it stands off from the wall necessitating a deeper top surface on the filing drawers next to it to reach the wall. The gap behind both units (and the end if the shelves) will be used to store my mic stands, keyboard stand and music stand and - hopefully - my portable stool. To ensure nothing falls off into the void, the gaps between units/shelving and the ceiling/walls has all been boxed in too. The central "island" unit still needs the shelf fixing below it on the right hand side, before it too receives a lick of paint. Slowly but surely the space is transforming. Meanwhile the other end of the loft - my office - has seen a whirlwind of activity, with applications completed and submitted in the hope of a result. And finally I had one! Following a teaching observation and an hour long Zoom interview, late Friday night I got a call offering me a position with a(nother) local music service! So, in September, I shall finally no longer be wondering where (or if) I am working every day, and some form of 'normality' will return to my life! Schools finish next week, so no more opportunities of work over the summer (unless I go veg picking!) so maybe, at last, some actual modelling progress might be seen here! Now, please excuse me whilst I sort out this hangover from two days of celebrating!! HOURS OF DRINKING FUN! Edited July 27, 2022 by SteveyDee68 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzer42 Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 Congratulations on the job, comes in threes! Eldest got a new job Friday and relocated the youngest for his new job on Monday. Enjoying the thread but a hit hot for lofts today? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted July 18, 2021 Author Share Posted July 18, 2021 (edited) On 18/07/2021 at 10:44, bazzer42 said: Congratulations on the job, comes in threes! Eldest got a new job Friday and relocated the youngest for his new job on Monday. Enjoying the thread but a hit hot for lofts today? Cheers! One of the pit falls of working for an agency doing supply work is that when you get a bit of good news like a new job, you don't have any colleagues to share it with! (Probably why I mentioned it here, come to think of it!) I was in the loft earlier today, before it started getting warmer. Current temperature outside - according to my car thermostat - is 28 degrees, so I have no plans of going back up there today unless I want a DIY sweat bath! Plus side is that any filler I have applied has set rock solid in a matter of minutes and I guess that would be the same for paint! Now you've said that things come in threes, I think I had better buy a couple of tickets for the National Lottery! Steve S "It's bludden 'ot, oop North!" Edited July 27, 2022 by SteveyDee68 Spotted random extra spaces! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted July 24, 2021 Author Share Posted July 24, 2021 (edited) Following on from my previous post, it has been way too hot to be in the loft this past week. Have had the velux window and trap door wide open to allow hot air to flow up and out of the house, and it did make some difference although still pretty d@mn hot. The car thermostat reported an outside temperature of 32 degrees on Wednesday afternoon, and the same again Thursday afternoon. Thursday evening we thought we were going to get some rain when the sky went black to the South and thunder was heard approaching ... but no - not a solitary drop! Have just read that the "tropical downpour" that occured just a couple of miles away brought trees down on the Metrolink line, and passengers had to walk along the tracks to reach the nearest station as the overhead power was disrupted. In the past, that would have meant staying away from the third rail, as the Metrolink replaced the old Manchester-Bury line! (Having said that, the third rail was boxed in, unlike on the Southern, so possibly not quite as dangerous as it seems on paper.) This morning, the heat wave has broken, so at some point today I shall trim that last piece of wood for the bookshelves, fasten up the shelf and break out the paint. With luck and a following (warm) wind I should have photos of progress tomorrow. (At the moment, the contents of the bookshelves are stacked ceiling high on the centre unit and boxes are piled randomly about - a health and safety inspector would have a hissy fit looking at the "working" conditions I am constructing the furniture in!) HOURS OF FUN! Edited July 24, 2021 by SteveyDee68 Removed excessive exclamation marks! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted July 26, 2021 Author Share Posted July 26, 2021 Quick update - shelves finished and painted. Moved display cabinet back into place and basically discovered I needn't have bothered boxing in the left side, as it basically covers the left upright of the shelves! Was waylaid today by garden jobs (including digging out and cementing in a socket for a rotary washing line - or whirlygig, as we've always called them) so still need to fix lower shelves for the central island, but hopefully tomorrow will see those completed and books back in their rightful places. Onwards and upwards! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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