Hemerdon Bank

[pirouets]

I have been spending a lot of time recently looking at the Hemerdon Bank following the article in Model Rail 146. I have been thinking for some time as to the follow up to my past Wycliffe layouts and have decided I want a layout that allows me to watch the trains go by. I have a 12*6 shed and the layout will take 12*2'6" of that shed whilst the other side of the shed is left for other modelling. (Currently Cumberland Road is there and my attempt to build Alvescot for the 2010 challenge)

 

The area I plan to base the model on is Here

 

The right hand end of the layout will be the bridge at Ledgate Lane (Scroll past the HST on the map, progressing through the loops, and the left hand end being the end of the passing loops.

 

So why does this appeal so much? I love Western region diesels such as Hymeks, Westerns and Warships, but as well as modelling the 60's era, I can also use this back in time to steam, or come forward to the 80's and have HSTs running through which Dapol are planning. I could even go current scene should I win the lottery  

 

One thing that will help me is that I cannot start on the layout until Mid Sept at the earliest as the boards are currently being stress tested by storing piles of glass and kitchen stuff whilst we have the builders in.

 

 

The plan is to create a raised board on this from plywood which will then allow me to create the slopes around the area

 

So in the mean time that means I can get on with 2 key things of Research and creating a plan that fits. For the latter I am playing around with XTrackCAD to get this right as my last layout died because the fiddle yard was so badly designed. I am starting to get to grips with it and so far have come up with a fiddle yard layout that allows maximum length and the ability to fit all the point motors on the surface without gtting the track to fit around the motors which was the mistake I made last time.

 

Hemerdon Bank.xtc

 

 

As far as the research goes, I missed getting issue 649 of Rail so have pinged an email to Bauer to try and get a back issue. If any one has any other recommended reading, especially about freight formations I would be grateful. In the mean time, back to playing with XTrackCAD.

[mezzoman253]

Hi Steve, Just a thought, you'll not have the full 12x6 ft inside the shed due to the framing. Unless the outside dimensions are larger. I've a 12x8 shed, and once you get the insulation and boarding on it goes down to about 11ft 6in by 7ft 6 in approx. So use that as you plan dimension, otherwise your plan might not fit.

 

HTH

 

Rob

[pirouets]

Thanks for the observation.

 

I will be able to at one end as its n gauge and the frame is at 2ft intervals and I was planning to fill in the gap between the frame for the curve. However I will need to check at the door end as I think i only have 15 inches and that may not work. If that does happen i'll just chop 2inches out of the middle of the plan.

 

I have had the shed for just shy of 5 years and it has not been insulated and so far this has never proved a problem. I will have a think as to whether this is the point that happens, but I was wondering if I can leave a small gap in the insulation above the end to allow a full 12ft run. We shall see.

 

Since creating the fiddle yard, my coments on learning XtrackCAD are along the lines of huh, oh cack, oh that's how you do that and where's my pen and compass. I am getting their slowly.

[pirouets]

Building work still going on, but I am due to get the baseboards back in 2 weeks now, so in the mean time I carried on playing with XtrackCAD. I did make one big mistake and drew the plan the wrong way round at first, but I guess this gave me practice in editing the plan, so I now have this.

 

 

Once I get the boards back, though the first job will be a good tidy of the shed, and the removal of Cumberalnd Road from the other side of the shed. This will mean I can have Alvescot up to work on, and that will probably be my focus till the end of the challenge. (Which I am not going to make in any shape or form)

 

By the way, does anyone know how to get rid of that Model railroader header?

[pirouets]

Hmm. Thought I had got rid of the model railroad header. oh well.

 

I get my shed back in 7 days time as the kitchen should be in so have been doing a bit more thinking about the long term of this. As a result I am adding points at either end so I can potentially send trains off to the other side of the shed. This way, if I get the building urge in a few years time, rather than rip it up and start again, I can plan a station or something on the other side.

 

 

I am also thinking of adding the same point work at the front of each end of the layout as future proofing, which would give me the option of running a train through the hemerdon side, over to the other side of the shed and the running it the other way through the Hemrdon side which give me the ability to reverese trains on the layout and swap their direction which will add operating interest in a trains going round scenario.

 

Now I just need to decide whether to go to the exhibition that reading Society of Model Engineers have on today, or do some work on Alvescot this afternoon as I really need to get the ballasting done.

[Flying Pig]

By the way, does anyone know how to get rid of that Model railroader header?

On the "Options" menu, click "Layout..." and the offending text should appear on the title fields: delete or amend as desired. Alternatively, when you export to bitmap, make sure the "Print titles" box is not ticked.

[pirouets]

Thanks for the advice. I will go and check that as I thought I had done that.

 

With only 48hrs to go now till i get the shed back, I have started thinking about the process for laying the track.

 

1. Should I build raised boards on top of the flat surface I already have, or do I strip off the boards that are laid, and then using spare wood I have lay them so the fiddle yard sits on 2*2 wood, and the front of the layout is open frame construction. I am tending towards the 2nd here as it means it will be easier to build the fiddle yard with out stretching

 

2. Do I lay all the wiring in the fiddle yard on the surface. i.e. track connections and point motor wiring. This way I will not have to grovel under the boards to wire it up, and I can run the multicore in a more accessible location.

 

3. For the front of the layout, can I make all the electrical connections by soldering to the fishplates used to connect the track, so I do not have any wire visible soldered to the side of the track. Open frame will also make wiring easier as I can do all of it without grovelling underneath so thats another plus towards how to lay the track.

 

4. Do I make the backscene removalable so should I ever have to service the fiddle yard I can get easier access? Not sure on this one yet.

 

To be honest there is one other job to do before I start and that is give the shed a full sort out before I do anything.

[Kris]

I would be tempted to keep the fiddle yard with a flat solid base with the easy access point motors. For the scenic sections however I would be looking for a more open frame approach to allow for the land to dip below track level (It's hard to tell from Google if it does this or not and I can't remember that section of the line).

If you can get easy access to the fiddle yard area then I would be making the back scene a fixed feature. If access is likely to be a pain i.e the boards are pushed up against the shed wall then the back scene should be removable. If it is not the recovering stock that has derailed could become interesting possibly leading to damage on the scenic parts of the layout.

 

On your track plan it looks like you are going for the original layout of two loops rather than the current layout of a down loop and pair of crossovers, am I right in thinking this. I Feel that the cross overs could add operational interest through the potential of single line workings. This would obviously mean adding cross overs in the fiddle yard as well.

[pirouets]

Thanks kris. The diddle yard will be on a flat solid base. I will just put some 2*1 to raise it up of the existing frame and it will be 12 inches wide so cross bracing won't be a huge problem. Unfortunatly the fiddle yard will be at the back, hence my thoughts on a removable backscene but I have another idea up my sleave to think about.

 

Do you know when they took the up loop? i am planning green diesels, may be venturing in to blue with HSTs, but will that work, or is the single loop a more recent addition?

 

My other dillema is around ballasting, but with only 4 points on the scenic section I am not to worried about point work getting gummed up.

[Kris]

I don't have a clue when it came up. Sorry about that. I'm sure there are others on the forum who do though. I recon a question in prototype section should do it.

[pirouets]

Finally some progress. I stripped the tops of the existing boards and then raised up the fiddle yard area and return curves at each end using 50*50mm wood, and then put the boards back over this. Across the front the boards are just resting there for now as the plan will be to simply run a 50*50 wood strip down the track line and then top that, thus leaving the rest of the space open.

 

Before I get on with the front though, I am making the most of the fact I can have access to the fiddle yard to get it laid with out having to stretch. So having laid the curves and point work at either end

 

 

 

I then started on all the fiddle yard tracks. I have 5 per side, with lengths ranging from 5ft to 8 1/2 ft, so plenty of storage, given that 10 coaches will be the longest train (probably)

 

 

Once all of the track is laid, I will wire up the points and the track work and test it all before I make a start on the main line.]

 

One thing that is clear. The board and trackwork will not take that long. I reckon by Christmas that should be ready. The scenary on the other hand will take time as I plan to may some small off layout cameos to test out other ways to ballast and put the scenary in. Having seen Dave's trees in Waton I do fancy having a crack at some myself.

[Kris]

Good to see some progress on this.

[pirouets]

Just noticed something whilst having lunch. There is a road at the Exeter end of the loop which I have not factored in. I've never build a line over a road so will have a go at this as it will help with the shape of the land as the layout disappears through the backscene.

 

I just need to figure out whether I shorten the loops, or the gap between ledgate lane bridge and the loops.

 

One other question is in my mind. How do I make the layout work in a late 90's onward scenario as well, given for the Green & Blue diesel era's Semaphore signals and point roding were in place? I guess it may stop me being a spend thrift and I just have a Virgin Voyager running through the layout as a visitor.

 

Anyway, back to work.

[ColinW]

Just noticed something whilst having lunch. There is a road at the Exeter end of the loop which I have not factored in. I've never build a line over a road so will have a go at this as it will help with the shape of the land as the layout disappears through the backscene.

 

I just need to figure out whether I shorten the loops, or the gap between ledgate lane bridge and the loops.

 

One other question is in my mind. How do I make the layout work in a late 90's onward scenario as well, given for the Green & Blue diesel era's Semaphore signals and point roding were in place? I guess it may stop me being a spend thrift and I just have a Virgin Voyager running through the layout as a visitor.

 

Anyway, back to work.

Hi, To answer your question about how to make the layout work with sixties diesels/steam and late 90's Voyager, just say you are awaiting a re-signalling scheme, there are still semaphores on the network today (and listed no doubt).

 

Colin

[pirouets]

I can't add any pictures at the moment as my PC at home has died, and my work laptop is locked up tightly so I can't connect the camera to it but I have been busy

 

I have laid all the fiddle yard and the curves at each end. Before I start on the track for the loops themselves I am working on all the wiring for the fiddle yard as I have easy access to it at the moment. I have put all the wires in and have run them back to the centre of the layout where the control panel will be.

 

The control panel for this layout is using an old Ikea plywood hifi rack, so I have the panel on the top shelf, and I can put the power supplies out of the way on the next shelf down. On the back of the top section i've screwed a lod of 3 amp 12 way connectors and will drill ho;es through the back of the cabinet to allow the control planel to connected up. I have left around 45cm of slack in the wiring to allow the panel to be moved around both for wiring up, and for when it is in use.

 

One challenge I do have is that I drew all the tracks with 1cm gaps between them, and then drilled a nice straight line of holes for the point switches. What I did not realise was that the push button switches are 10.5mm in diameter? Not sure how i'll deal with that yet, or whether I have to make a new panel and start again.

[Kris]

Sounds like you have been making some good progress. Look forward to the time that you can get the pictures done.

[pirouets]

So a couple of quick shots of the track if you can find it in the mess

 

 

I've been watching The West Wing as I work which has helped distract me from what can be a bit of a chore at times.

 

 

A shot of the control panel. With this layout it is nice and simple. I have left some space should I add a connection to boards on the other side of the shed in the future.

 

 

Something I have not thought of before is to use a single strand of thick copper wire to connect power between swithes. This I hope will mean simpler access to thge central pin for the track feeds.

 

 

I reckon I have about 2/3 weeks of work to get this all finished before I start installing the track for the scenic section of the layout. Who knows, I may be actually applying some learning from the past here.

[Kris]

That looks very neat.

[pirouets]

I need to sit down with the plan again tonight. I had a quick look on Google Maps during a call today and the area I want to model is just under 1/2 a mile in lenght, and I have a scale 1/2 mile to play with so it looks as though I should be able to fit the road that goes under line in as trains exit the loop towards London and create a scenic break just after that.

 

I've also got an idea of what will go on the other side of the shed. I am thinking of building a fictional terminus that trains can run to, and the seed was sown as I was flicking through The Buckingham Great Central the otherday and looking at the Terminus plan for the TT layout that his eldest son built.

 

I was thinking of expanding it by at most 2 platforms, and having some form of parcels depot and a couple of carriage sidings. This however is something that would not get started on until Hemerdon is pretty much done.

[Penrhos1920]

How are you going to represent the gradient? Hemerdon bank fourth steepest main line bank on the British mainland, with a constant 1 in 42 for 2½ miles. So for approximately 10' of scenic section you ought to have a 3" rise?

[pirouets]

Penrhos1920 - I'm doing the loops at the top of the climb from Plymouth. With the 200M between Ledgate Lane bridge and the bridge at the start of the loops (Plymouth to london direction) I am still working out whether to have a small climb there or use some licence.

 

Does make me wonder if I should re-title this Hemerdon Bank Loops to help nail the location better. Thanks for the comment and thoughts it has sown.

[pirouets]

Had a quick play to sketch out the other side of the shed tonight.

 

 

The tracks at the back of the layout will be a large parcels depot, and then 3 platforms. Platforms 1 & 3 will take DMU's, local and 6/7 coach semi fast trains, and platform 2 will take main expresses.

 

I also have an idea that this should have a couple of carriage sidings with a shunter used to move so the engines can run around on platforms 1 & 2, but maybe that will be a line that is added that then goes off the layout.

[Kris]

For your station plan, you could base this on the old Plymouth Friary layout. You would need some rationalisation of the freight side, but it would give you something similar.

[pirouets]

Not been in the shed lately, but have had one thought. An Autumn setting if I can pull it off would look good, with the trees behind the loops in various shades of colours. This would help break up what could otherwise be a very green layout.

[Kris]

Not been in the shed lately, but have had one thought. An Autumn setting if I can pull it off would look good, with the trees behind the loops in various shades of colours. This would help break up what could otherwise be a very green layout.

 

Must be the time of year, thoughts of autumnal settings were in my mind earlier this month, to the extent of purchasing some autumn colours. As to being a sea of green, remember there are lots of different shades of green.