Trelothen - a Cornish fishing harbour

[5BarVT]

FYI, I will admit to enjoying wiring, disliking scenery and therefore being biased in my recommendations.

:-)

Paul.

[Stubby47]

I enjoy all aspects of the build (even ballasting), what I'm lacking is the opportunity to play.  The other layouts I've built have all been small enough to take to an exhibition, but don't have the interest factor for home use.

 

This will be far more biased towards a home layout, with the option to take out on the road should the occasion arise.

[Stubby47]

Yard Control Panel

 

Control Panel wiring - possibly:

As the Point Motors and the Uncouplers both need a 12vDC feed, I might just loop the wires around both set of switches.

 

[Donw]

5 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

Thinking about points and possible improvements thereof.

 

I have some new Y and curved points which don't have the under-rail tabs on the blades as seen on older points, which suggest the electrical connection at the hinge has been improved. As all the frog & blades are the same polarity,  I'm tempted to leave the points alone. Breaking the links and joining the rails as Mick shows is not going to bring any benefit, other than potentially avoiding a short if a wheel were to touch an open blade.

On the few older points I'll be using, there is a benefit in hard-wiring the blades.

Again Mick has these as droppers, but as I won't have an underboard power bus, as such, it makes more sense to me to repeat the rail to rail link used for the stock rails, but using a spring 'S' shape wire to not restrict the blade's movement. 

 

Thus in both cases the only wire dropper will be for the frog.

 

As for droppers on every piece of rail, as a kid, Dad & I would just solder rail ends together, not using fishplates. Whilst I will use fishplates, any future possible poor connection could be resolved by introducing solder into the fishplate.

 

I've not heard any evidence that not having droppers impedes performance in anyway, especially on such a short layout.

 

I built a test track in 7mm and just relied on PECO blade contact for the frog switching all went well until it was needed for a club exhibition so I added scenics including ballasting the track with granite and PVA . After that I had problems with the blade contact and some fishplates. 

If you do get trouble soldering the fishplates should be ok on a short layout you shouldn't have too much trouble with expansion. One thing you will avoid is the PVA used for ballasting running through the holes alongside the droppers onto whatever is underneath. For those using droppers remember to place something under the basboards before dribbling PVA onto the ballast.

PS you can always add droppers afterwards if you have access to the underside of the baseboards. The time I would suggest adding wires is essential is where the is no access to the underside and anywire will end up burried in the scenery in which case I would bring the wire out front make connections there and then cover with removeable access paltes in the fascia (you can tell I am getting to old and stiff with arthritis to want to clamber underneath baseboards).

 

Don

 

[Siberian Snooper]

For droppers, I use lace making pins,  I  drill a hole slightly under the diameter of the pin, tap the pin in until it's about 3 or 4mm proud of the track bed, put the rail on top and solder it, tap the rail down,  turn the board,  snip off the pin around 6mm from the baseboard and solder a length of wire to it and repeat until all the track is down and droppered. Connect the wires as required.

 

 

[Stubby47]

1st baseboard top cut to shape.

 

 

This shows the possible height difference.

[5BarVT]

1 hour ago, Stubby47 said:

This shows the possible height difference.

That’s gonna be steep!  What’s your load limit on the incline?

Paul.

Edited July 22, 2021 by 5BarVT
Haste

[NHY 581]

What does it look like lower, say 2/3rds? 

[Stubby47]

I just grabbed two lengths of wood to balance the upper board on, they are not necessarily the final height.

 

I have 1500mm on the 2nd board, less the length of a point and the vertical transition curves.

 

So 75mm in c1200mm is 1:16.

 

Which halved, as both lines will be inclined, makes it 1:8.

 

Which for a train of 2 coaches or 4 or 5 wagons is fine.

[Andrew P]

5 hours ago, Donw said:

 

I built a test track in 7mm and just relied on PECO blade contact for the frog switching all went well until it was needed for a club exhibition so I added scenics including ballasting the track with granite and PVA . After that I had problems with the blade contact and some fishplates. 

If you do get trouble soldering the fishplates should be ok on a short layout you shouldn't have too much trouble with expansion. One thing you will avoid is the PVA used for ballasting running through the holes alongside the droppers onto whatever is underneath. For those using droppers remember to place something under the basboards before dribbling PVA onto the ballast.

PS you can always add droppers afterwards if you have access to the underside of the baseboards. The time I would suggest adding wires is essential is where the is no access to the underside and anywire will end up burried in the scenery in which case I would bring the wire out front make connections there and then cover with removeable access paltes in the fascia (you can tell I am getting to old and stiff with arthritis to want to clamber underneath baseboards).

 

Don

 

Hot Glue Gun, (my favourite tool) or putty around the wire  when you put it through the hole Don.

[Donw]

1 hour ago, Stubby47 said:

I just grabbed two lengths of wood to balance the upper board on, they are not necessarily the final height.

 

I have 1500mm on the 2nd board, less the length of a point and the vertical transition curves.

 

So 75mm in c1200mm is 1:16.

 

Which halved, as both lines will be inclined, makes it 1:8.

 

Which for a train of 2 coaches or 4 or 5 wagons is fine.

 

Do you actuallymean 1:8 or did you mean 1:32 If the lower risesby 37.5 and the upper drops by 37.5 over the same 1200mm the slope will be 1:32. I in 8 is more rack and pinion line territory

 

Don

[Mick Bonwick]

1 hour ago, Stubby47 said:

Which for a train of 2 coaches or 4 or 5 wagons is fine.

 

If you haven't already done it, I strongly recommend trying that out on a plank of wood before you commit to it.

[Stubby47]

1 minute ago, Donw said:

 

Do you actuallymean 1:8 or did you mean 1:32 If the lower risesby 37.5 and the upper drops by 37.5 over the same 1200mm the slope will be 1:32. I in 8 is more rack and pinion line territory

 

Don

 

I've obviously had a complete failure in simple maths...

Yes, 1:16 halved is of course 1:32.

 

Thank you

[Stubby47]

2 minutes ago, Mick Bonwick said:

 

If you haven't already done it, I strongly recommend trying that out on a plank of wood before you commit to it.

 

I will certainly be testing the yard incline before making any rash decisions on the height differential. 

 

I know the incline from Shepherds to Treamble was much steeper than recommended,  but again the locos were only pulling a very short train.

[Mikkel]

This 'ere moderator business is making you look younger. 

 

Anyway, even if the incline is physically possible there is the visual impression. I think I'd agree with Rob that it would look more natural if the two levels were closer together. But you're the King of Your Country.

[NHY 581]

7 hours ago, Mikkel said:

This 'ere moderator business is making you look younger.

 

You do realise he's sat on the bench behind the young whippersnapper.............

[Stubby47]

Ahem.

That was me winning the local Crown Green Bowling Club's annual competition,  back in 1980.

 

Meanwhile,  I have actually measured the height difference and found it to be 60mm. As my preference is for the passenger line incline to be shallower, a split of 25mm/35mm gives slopes of 1:48 and 1:34.

 

Both lines will have gentle curves, but I think they are acceptable,  at least until proven otherwise.

 

Edit: Apparently the Holywell branch was 1:27.  (Useless trivia, I was born in Holywell).

Edited July 23, 2021 by Stubby47
Additional info

[St Enodoc]

15 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

Meanwhile,  I have actually measured the height difference and found it to be 60mm. As my preference is for the passenger line incline to be shallower, a split of 25mm/35mm gives slopes of 1:48 and 1:34.

 

Both lines will have gentle curves, but I think they are acceptable,  at least until proven otherwise.

I think you will be fine with the length of the trains you will be running - but do a trial anyway!

[Stubby47]

9 hours ago, Mikkel said:

Anyway, even if the incline is physically possible there is the visual impression. I think I'd agree with Rob that it would look more natural if the two levels were closer together. But you're the King of Your Country.

 

Even though the station is supposed to be all one site, albeit split on to two levels, if possible I'd like the two approach lines to be split, with some countryside in between.  So the difference in slopes will be both emphasised and disguised by the cuttings, embankments, etc., used. 

 

The station track won't be laid until the two slopes are built, so the horizontal angle of approach and the points to be used is still very flexible.  Board 2 will only have a carriage siding,  the two inclines and junction, and a factory front left, so quite a large space to spread the lines apart.

[Mallard60022]

4 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

Ahem.

That was me winning the local Crown Green Bowling Club's annual competition,  back in 1980.

 

Meanwhile,  I have actually measured the height difference and found it to be 60mm. As my preference is for the passenger line incline to be shallower, a split of 25mm/35mm gives slopes of 1:48 and 1:34.

 

Both lines will have gentle curves, but I think they are acceptable,  at least until proven otherwise.

 

Edit: Apparently the Holywell branch was 1:27.  (Useless trivia, I was born in Holywell).

Dear Helpline,

Since I adopted the Stubby method of Bowling I have been thrown out of a dozen Alleys. What am I doing wrong?

F. Drake. 

[Alister_G]

3 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

Dear Helpline,

Since I adopted the Stubby method of Bowling I have been thrown out of a dozen Alleys. What am I doing wrong?

F. Drake. 

 

Well Mr Drake, you have to swing your armada...

 

Al.

[MrWolf]

3 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

Dear Helpline,

Since I adopted the Stubby method of Bowling I have been thrown out of a dozen Alleys. What am I doing wrong?

F. Drake. 

 

Same way that the memsahib and I got banned from clay pigeon shooting. 

 

Apparently, using a 37mm Flak gun is cheating.

[Stubby47]

19 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

Dear Helpline,

Since I adopted the Stubby method of Bowling I have been thrown out of a dozen Alleys. What am I doing wrong?

F. Drake. 

 

You need bigger balls for 10-pin bowling...

 

[Worsdell forever]

2 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

Same way that the memsahib and I got banned from clay pigeon shooting. 

 

Apparently, using a 37mm Flak gun is cheating.

 

Is one of these allowed?

 

[Stubby47]

First 3 points in position, with dropper holes for the frog wires and holes for the tiebar pins all done too.

 

Just need to stick them down now.

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by Stubby47