Chuffnell Regis

[Graham T]

Yes, it does look like it would be a tight squeeze to fit it there.  Thanks for the advice!

[Graham T]

And then there were two.  Now I'll build the ground signals.  As you might have noticed, I'm trying to put off assembling the point rodding for as long as possible...

 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Graham T

[5BarVT]

26 minutes ago, Graham T said:

As you might have noticed, I'm trying to put off assembling the point rodding for as long as possible...

Have you see Rowsley17D’s point rodding?  He mixes and matches parts and gets a good result.

Paul.

[Graham T]

I have seen it, yes, and it looks superb.  But I don't think my sanity (what remains of it) would survive handling those Modelu parts, so I've opted for Wills.  And have already realised that I need another kit, as the one supplied only has two facing point locks in it.

[Graham T]

Only managed to get one ground signal built this afternoon, unfortunately the real world interfered and stopped play.

 

I believe these would normally be mounted on blocks, or an extended sleeper from the adjacent point, is that right?

 

 

 

 

I still need to remove that redundant bridge as well ...

Edited April 7, 2022 by Graham T

[5BarVT]

Not an extended sleeper.  Mounted on a concrete block known as a stool.

I think!

Paul.

[Graham T]

I'm going for the concrete block option, as the Peco sleepers are just a touch narrower than the base plates of the ground signals (although I could reduce them a little I suppose - now there's a thought).  But it does look as though the GW did mount some on the end of sleepers:

 

 

Photo from gwr.org.uk - I'll remove if this isn't allowed.

 

So, thinking out loud - I might go for a mix.  One or two mounted on concrete blocks and the other(s) on an extended sleeper from the point.

[5BarVT]

For mounting on stools see 1:47 on the EMGS video of Elmore.  

As John says in an earlier post, this is what he does professionally so his modelling is spot on.

Paul.

[Graham T]

Very useful, thanks again Paul.

[Graham T]

Another ground signal question to kick off the weekend

 

I assume that the ground signals were also controlled from the signal box, so they usually would have have a signal wire pulley somewhere close by?  Except perhaps for the disc at the far end of the platform - would that be interlocked with the point on the runround crossover?

 

Well that's already more than one question, so I might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.

 

Compensators would be placed in the middle of "long" piece of rodding?  What counts as long?!  I know I've seen that answered somewhere on RMWeb, but can't remember where.  I think the rods running to the points for the crossover would need compensators (they're about 3 and 4.5 feet long), but not any of the other runs?

[Graham T]

The ground discs are now built.  I decided to mount them on card to simulate the concrete stools that they sit on.  As I mentioned, I was tempted to have one or two of them on extended sleepers from a point, but I decided against this as I thought it would be difficult to get the arrangement to look like it was one complete sleeper, and not some plasticard tacked onto the end.  That would have looked wrong - and hence bothered me until I decided to rip it out!

 

 

 

 

I'll paint them later today once the glue has hardened, and then can put them in place on the layout.  Where I will have to try not to knock them over when I'm being ham-fisted....

Edited April 7, 2022 by Graham T

[5BarVT]

56 minutes ago, Graham T said:

I assume that the ground signals were also controlled from the signal box, so they usually would have have a signal wire pulley somewhere close by? 

Yes, you need a wire run to each of the ground signals. Personally, I think the wire would be almost too small to see (approx 6mm in real life from memory) so just put in the pulleys.  (As with fence wire etc.)

 

59 minutes ago, Graham T said:

Except perhaps for the disc at the far end of the platform - would that be interlocked with the point on the runround crossover?

If the point is worked from the signalbox then the signal will be too.

 

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

Compensators would be placed in the middle of "long" piece of rodding?  What counts as long?!  I know I've seen that answered somewhere on RMWeb, but can't remember where.  I think the rods running to the points for the crossover would need compensators (they're about 3 and 4.5 feet long), but not any of the other runs?

Each ‘separate’ section needs its own compensation, roughly in the centre of the run.  So, taking the run round points as an example, one half way between the box and the closer end (i.e. the loop end) then another midway along the crossover.  The FPL rod will also need one midway between the box and the FPL - thus not in the same place as to compensator for the point drive rod.

 

You’ve opened yourself a big can of worms here . . . !

 

Paul.

[Graham T]

58 minutes ago, 5BarVT said:

 

You’ve opened yourself a big can of worms here . . . !

 

Paul.

 

I thought I might have done...

 

[Graham T]

Ok, thanks once again Paul.  Let's see if I've grasped it...

 

Signal wire pulleys are needed to change the direction of the wire run, like in the picture below.  I already have some pulleys and signal wire posts from MSE, but I'm guessing that for the ground disc controlling entry to the crossover that the wire would probably be clipped to the platform face, rather than strung on posts?  So I would just need a pulley there.

 

 

Onto the compensators.  Three are required for the rodding runs along the front of the platform (one for each of the crossover points and one for the FPL on the main running line).  What about the points at the station throat?  The one feeding into the bay will be more or less in front of the signal box, so no compensator required; the toe of the outermost point - the one immediately after the bridge - will be about 18 inches from the signal box; so about 100 feet in real life.  Would that need a compensator?

 

Finally (well for now at least!) what about the rodding linking that outermost point to the two trap points?  That run will also be about 18 inches long.

 

Thanks again!

[Graham T]

I also painted the trap points this morning.  The paint's still a little wet in this photo, but I think I might need to tone down the ramps.  They look a bit too dark?

 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Graham T

[5BarVT]

Ah!  Terminology mismatch!

Pulleys are the small wheels at the top of the post on a signal wire run.  Indeed, they can be clipped to the platform face.

The devices in your photo to change the wire direction are called wheels. Since your ground signal is on the right of the line (‘cos the platform gets in the way) you will need two wheels, one each side of the track.  (In the photo they get away with one because they have moved the crank round the base of the signal post, I don’t think you can do that with a disc signal.)

 

Compensators

Yes, the point and FPL just outside the box won’t need any.

The entry point and its FPL will.

The traps will, but . . .

Compensation is all about equalising push and pull, so where you have suitable cranks it is possible to convert push to pull and I think that might be the way to do it for the traps.  Imagine the crank opposite the box where the rod turns to run along the track.  If it is a backwards L pull remains pull, however, if it is a forwards L pull becomes push.  So the distance from the box across the track is automatically compensated by the same distance run along the track.

 

Told you it was a can of worms.

Paul.

 

P.S. There won’t be many people who would know whether it was right or wrong, and even fewer who would notice or say.

[Graham T]

I'm going to focus on your PS (and Rule 1...)

[Graham T]

Right then, I've got some signal wire wheels put on blocks and mounted on the layout.  Station building still needs a bit of work, obviously...

 

 

 

 

  

And now I can't avoid it any longer.  The bullet has been bitten and I'm making a start on the rodding itself.  Wish me luck...

Edited April 7, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

I think that's enough of point rodding for a little while - time for a break.  I have figured out how to construct the connections to the tie rods and facing point locks, and also where to place the compensators.  But I haven't looked at the signal box end of the runs yet - I imagine that will be rather interesting to work out!

 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

I couldn't resist just a bit more tinkering around   

 

I think I need to figure out the arrangement of everything in front of the signal box before I go much further though.

 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Graham T

[5BarVT]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

But I haven't looked at the signal box end of the runs yet - I imagine that will be rather interesting to work out!

The leading off bed can be the most difficult part!  That’s where you get different height cranks so as rodding can go over or under other rodding.

Have fun.

Paul.

[Graham T]

2 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

 

Have fun.

Paul.

 

I am, in a masochistic sort of way!  Learning a lot too.  I'll sketch out a plan before I start on the leading off bed though...

[Graham T]

I started nailing together the parts for the first point this morning.  Some of the FPL mechanism at the bottom of the pic, and the take-off crank to the tie rod on the left (as you can tell I have no idea what all these bits and pieces should actually be called).  So far the Wills stuff is proving quite pleasant to work with.  It's a slightly flexible plastic that cuts easily and cleanly, and the parts have virtually no flash.  And glues quickly and well with Revell liquid cement.

 

 

 

I had to rip out a little bit of the "scenery" to ensure a flat base for the rodding to sit on (didn't want to make things any more difficult than they probably will be anyway).  And I still need to get rid of the bridge that was supposed to carry the famous disappearing branch line...

 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Graham T

[MrWolf]

There is a simple method for disposal of unwanted bridges.

 

Stick a bus on it and wait....

[MrWolf]

I am going to have to make some point rodding myself before too long, so keep the pictures coming!