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Brighton East - EM Third Rail


kipford
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  • RMweb Gold

Holiday over, Westfield still not fixed (Westfield cock up, and going to be the subject of a phone call tomorrow). However the fiddle yard is finished and running but not painted yet. I have also made sufficient cassettes to store all the stock.

The fiddle yard board is a break with recent tradition for me and is simply a 75mm x 19mm softwood frame with a 6mm MDF top, simple and quick to make. Although some people will disagree with the use of MDF. I have used it before in another layout that did ten years of exhibition work without problem - secret was it was never ever stored outside of the house. At the back of the fiddle yard is a rack system for the cassettes, shamelessly ripped off from Leaford - I am sure Kevin will not mind. Cassettes, three types: Long for long EMU's, Short for Wagons and 2 car EMUs and loco for locos. They are made from 6mm MDF bases with 19swg (1.0mm) thick Aluminium (6082-T6) angles. The angles and joiners were to my own design. The angles with all holes pre-made were CNC laser cut and bent (I am lucky have access at work to some very expensive fabrication kit). Anway the following photos will describe it much better than my ramblings.

 

Overall View of Fiddle yard with racks and cassettes

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Next two Loco cassette detail

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Loco and Short cassettes joined

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Cassette interface

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Finally as all the stock is now on cassettes a quick ground level shot of a lonely Arriva Wessex Class 158 from the west country.

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The next couple of days are hopefully going top be spent getting the WF on the road as I want to be able to combine a god thrash in it with EXPO EM.

 

Regards

 

Dave

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The layout now has an official management approved home in Sons bedroom (he is away at uni anyway and he likes it in his bedroom) It can easily be removed to go to other places. Now the fiddle is complete I can finish the test running properly and also get the kaydees set up properly. To keep myself further amused on the side I bought the NCE usb adaptor and a copy of great bear, we now have multi unit shuttle services running in the back ground while I play with the yard, it also gives me an additional throttle. At present it is running on a spare PC under the layout but I am pondering whether to get a secondhand laptop or a note book to run it on. I could do with another portable computer as work keep further restricting what I can get to run on my work laptop - miserable gits. Apart from test running I now have to face up to the fact the next task is paint/spray the sleepers and rail then the dreaded ballasting. All for now

 

further on the bright side its EXPO EM this weekend!

 

Dave

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  • 5 months later...
  • RMweb Gold

I realised its been a long time since I last posted on this thread. Work, Holidays and getting on with modelling has been a priority rather than posting threads. With its exhibition debut coming up fast (its going as a layout under construction) I am trying to get as much finished as possible BUT without rushing it.

 

Since I last posted, we have proved out the operational side of the layout, the only real change being to put in another un-coupler. The real push has been on the scenic’s. The track has been painted and weathered. This was all done with an airbrush using various Pheonix precision paints, weathered concrete, weathered sleepers, track dirt etc. The weathering is varied according to if it is in the yard or on the main running lines. The next picture shows the result.

 

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The next things to be completed were the main station platform and the feature retaining wall. The platform is a mix of Peco concrete platform side and brick, we assumed the platform had been partially rebuilt, The platform surface is plasticard sprayed with Plasticote suede for the Tarmac area then coloured using Halfords grey primer and matt black (The Chris Nevard method). The white platform edging and the yellow safety line (I drew a line at producing the yellow knobbly bits) were produced by masking off and airbrushing, simple to do but it means one day one colour, you have to be patient. The Peco sides were again airbrushed, here I tried the pre-weathering method, paint the dark weathering colour first, then mist over the light concrete colours afterwards, I must admit it is a neat way of getting basic weathering onto large areas. The brick portion is plasticard with Scalescene brickpaper which has been lightly weathered with Tamiya powders, very quick and very simple to do.

 

The retaining wall was loosely based on that by platform one in Brighton station which the chalk is faced with a brick and concrete blocked retaining wall. The retaining wall is 3mm foam board again faced with Scalescene brick paper which has been lightly weathered. The concrete wall part is scribed plasticard.

 

Next picture shows both items.

 

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What can also be seen in this photo is the first of the buildings in a part finished form. This is the block of flats, based on a building very close to the old Kemp Town site. It is made from laser cut parts in Romark and covered with our old friend the Scalescenes brick paper. The laser cutting was carried out by Great Shefford of this parish who I am sure would be happy to quote anyone for similar parts. The photo below shows some of the parts before assembly. An aside if you are using Romark to make parts use Plastic Weld to glue it together it is 200% more effective than MEK or Butanone (thanks to Great Shefford for sorting that out).

 

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Finally Monday night I started ballasting, since this photo I done quite a lot more and am finding it particularly therapeutic (it must be because its long time since I did any). The ballast has been mixed from various colours to try and match the ballast found on the line Coastal line from Portsmouth to Brighton. Application is bog standard lay it dry, wet it with a spray bottle then glue using 50/50 PVA/Water with a dash of Fairy all applied with a pipette.

 

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That’s all for now. A reminder it debuts at the SHMRC show in Portsmouth on 26th November – see exhibition thread and Calendar for details.

 

Dave

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Hello Dave - fantastic layout you've got there. It really says 'Brighton' to me even now in its current state, only think I would suggest to make it more authentic is to get the white/grey paint out when you've finished and liberally fleck the roof tops to mark out the territory the seagulls perch on. :mosking:

But in all seriousness it is a very nice layout I can see the Kemp Town showing through but rather then copy the plan you've made it your own - fantastic. Making me reconsider my sleepy Hayling Isle based layout and go for something far busier!

 

Will be watching with interest!

~ Gary

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  • RMweb Gold

Simon

Third rail components are Scalefour Society ones, although a bit fiddly they are the dogs..... The conductor rail is from the P4 Track Company. I will fit the third rail after the track is ballasted, I want to get at least one piece in by the time it is exhibited.

 

Gary

Agree lots of white Seagull c!$p required! The standard for this has been set by Les Green on Liverpool Lime Street!

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Hi Kipford!

 

Great layout and a great idea. I do like the touch of the bus (not Brighton Corporation though, it's the old BH&D - I drive for them!) and the double tunnel idea. I do know someone who has photos of the branch, as well as pictures of the last train in 1971, along with demolition pictures. I'll see if he can shed (heh) any light on those two buildings.

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  • RMweb Premium

Looks superb thus far. Do you propose to run a live third rail or power from the track as usual?

 

As someone who has travelled on the Kemp Town branch a couple of times (including the final train) it also brings back a few memories as well as conjuring numerous "what if?" scenarios in the mind.

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  • RMweb Gold
Do you propose to run a live third rail or power from the track as usual?

 

No, its crazy enough wanting to re-wheel everything, but powering the third rail and sorting out an operable shoe system sends shudders down the spine? However what if it was 7mm.....................................................

 

Dave

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  • RMweb Gold

Colin

You have jogged my memory from when I wrote the thread. The track including rail and sleeper was first primed all over using Halfords grey primer. The sleepers and were then painted using an Aztez airbrush with a tan nozzle, not worrying about overspray onto the rails. Colours were all Pheonix Precision paints, weathered concrete for the concrete sleepers, weather sleeper for the wood. The sleepers were then weathered with the airbrush using track dirt colour. In between each coat the tops of the rails were cleaned of paint. The rail sides and tops of the chairs were painted using a rusty rails painter tools, with a bit of care it works really well. Main running lines were oily track colour and yard lines were painted different with rusty rails.

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Colin

Forgot add that I have a workshop and all the spraying was done in there where it will not result in a divorce.

 

I will post more pictures when the ballasting is complete, i recon its gong to take another 5 or 6 sessions so realistically its going to be the middle to end of next week.

 

In between eye strain on the ballast I have also EM'd and chipped a Railtrack liveried MPV, an NSE 4-VEP and a Virgin Class 220. THe 4-VEP needs a bit more work on the non powered cars, but the power car is running very sweetly!

 

Dave

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In between ballasting (I find about an hour at a time is the most I can stand) I have finished the show guide plan, quite pleased with it.

 

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Also worked out where I think the third rail needs to go (based on the S4 Society CLAG recommendations), I have a separate thread in the permanent way section to get comments.

 

post-1359-0-89178600-1319615238.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

Right one week to go to its first exhibition! The layout went back up this afternoon for the first time since I completed ballasting. not to bad but track is still dirty but at least it runs. however it seems when I was unclagging the points I have broken one tie bar and the joint on he operating crank on three others I suppose 8 out of 12 is too bad. The rest of this week will be spent sorting out the points again, making sure its running 100% and making four more cassettes. the photos below show the new MPV running for the first time and my 3-VEP (platform is too short for a 4 coach train) so we have a 3-VEP, not strictly prototypical but what the heck.

 

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Dave

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She as ready as can be, all operational, not full scenic but with mocks ups of building etc to give a flavour what the completed layout will look like. The curtain is borrowed off our club LNWR layout Hope under Dinmore (its 25 ft long and a lot of it hung up around the back of the layout). Just two locos to change couplings and 4 cassettes to make. I am off for glass of wine!

 

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This is for my son!

 

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Well the exhibition is over and I must say it went quite well apart. The only technical issues were couple of back to backs needing adjusting and the failure of a point crank mechanism which need about 20 minutes to fix but my fellow chorts Gary and Son Matt operated a passenger only service. The other problems were all operator from forgetting to set the road and getting the inevitable short to me trying to destroy the layout by standing up when I was not clear of it. The crash of stock falling off the fiddle yard storage rang pound notes in my ears. Luckily nothing was damaged! We got tentatively 2 invites for 2013 (long enough to complete the layout).

 

Chris P it nice to meet you and no you were not a nuisance, good luck with your own layout. Interesting because we operate from the front the amount of people asking questions about DCC. We gave loads of try before your buy drives to all ages from about 5 to 75. A couple of photos from the event, quality is not brilliant because the camera is working against the still mainly white background.

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Having a rest today!

 

Dave

Edited by kipford
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

Time to start the formal buildings and get some of the other scenery done. Matt was home from uni last weekend (his birthday) and decided to start on the sorting out the corner area above the tunnel mouth. As a scenic block he decided to put in a large advertising hording but facing the back of the layout. In addition there is the embryonic stages of an electricity sub-station. Before anyone cries cannot do that! There is one in virtually the same sort of position on the hill surrounding the old Kemp Town site.

 

The photo shows the work in progress. The wall is temporary card one with the ratio fencing. I have drawn some full size (4mm) fencing of the type used in Kemp Town - little job for Matt over Christmas.

 

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Some time ago I had finished all the design work for the yard building so I built that over a couple of evenings last week. Its finished but not painted. Its all plasti-card with the strip sections from evergreen (its all I use now). First photo shows the card mockup used at the show, then its more 3-dimensional replacement.

 

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As Matt wants to continue on with the tunnel mouth corner when he comes home or Christmas, I though I better get on sorting out a proper tunnel mouth. So I had the following parts laser cut in 2mm MDF (MDF is a lot cheaper use than plastic). first photo shows the bits, second how it all goes together, using superglue and a spray accelerator to make sure it goes off quick, to give the basic structure. To finish it (not sure if its going to work on some of the inset bits) I plan to use Scalescenes brick paper.

 

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Finally I also had the basic parts of the main back scene building laser cut. Again this is in 2 mm MDF, the finish will be rendered so using MDF gives an ideal smooth finish. All the windows were also laser cut from plastic at the same time.

 

Time for a plug, presume I am allowed to this? Jonathan Buckie (Great Shefford of this parish) runs a great laser cutting service, that is extremely reasonably priced. He can also (for a fee of course) sort out all the art work for you. Jonathan can be contacted at

 

Jonathan Buckie<jonathanmbuckie@hotmail.co.uk>

 

The building has been designed as a slot and tab kit thats made up from three sub assemblies. The idea here was to produce a self supporting structure that jigged itself and allowed access to put all the windows and doors in. While I was at it we need a number of fire escape staircases and I had a couple of slot and tab jigs lasered as well. The last couple of photos show some the laser cut bits and how the two (outer side assemblies of the building go together.

 

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Dave

Edited by kipford
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Guest oldlugger

Very nice work Dave. I'm looking forward to seeing the first of your third rail in place. This will be an excellent SR layout.

 

Cheers

Simon

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  • 8 months later...
Guest oldlugger

Hello Dave,

 

What's happened to your layout? Have you made any progress lately? It was looking very promising!

 

Cheers

Simon

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