Hemerdon Bank

[kiwinewt]

I like the autumn colours idea

Out of curiosity have you thought of changing the ends (where you put the expansion points) to a T? So you can run trains right round the shed without having to go through the fiddle yard...

Nate

[pirouets]

Nate - Can you do a simple sketch of what you mean? I think i'm with you and that is where the terminus comes in. I would then have what I think you mean by a T at one end of the layout so a train could run all the way round and then to the Terminus, or just run from the Fiddle yard to the terminus if that was the move needed.

 

A BIG MOMENT AS WELL. WE HAVE POWER!!!!!!

 

Well 1 fiddle yard track now works. With a bit of jiggery pokery and the realisation that 1 wire was connect to the wrong place, a class 24 ran for a whole 6ft. Just 9 more tracks to connect, then the point work and then the connections for the main line to go before I think about starting on the scenic area, slow progress, but progress none the less.

[kiwinewt]

Something like this

 

[Kris]

Good progress on getting the first train running.

[pirouets]

Nate, that is what I thought you meant and if I add a terminus in year to come on the other side of the shed, that is how to get their, but for now, me, a pile of wires and a bucket of ibuprofen for back ache is the order of the day.

 

Good news is either end can be adapted to that in a matter of hours.

 

I am going to set my self a target of getting the main ovals complete by Christmas as fingers crossed I will have a nice new blue & gray HST to run as my first steps in to the BR Blue era. I'll worry about the passing loops after that.

 

One key piece of research at Warley on Sunday will be trees and what colours do they come in, though I probably should think about learning to make my own.

[pirouets]

Whats wrong with me. Connected each end of the layouts, plus the next 4 fiidle yard loops and IT ALL WORKED. No tracing or re-wiring. Just turn on the controller and go.

 

No point in putting an pictures up as its all a mess at the moment, but this thinking ahead and planning does seem to work. I may have to try it in one or two other parts of my life.

[Kris]

Something is obviously majorly wrong, it's obviously not a proper layout you need at least one short to have one of those.

[pirouets]

"Braving the cold, the modeller stepped forth from his back door to attempt the journey to the shed. After a struggling through the frost bitten wasteland that is the back garden, he arrived to find its warmth and the pleasent sounds of Planet Rock echoing in the air.

 

Oh the joy of being able to switch the shed on/off from within the house.

 

Yet more issues over the last week as I have completed the following with no trouble

 

- Connected and tested the rest of the fiddle yard

- replaced the failed working point

- connected the 2nd controller and found all sections work off that as well

- Added in the CDU for the points and connected the common feed

- Added a test wire and check all points worked, and then that all the feed to the points worked.

 

Luckily I then stumbled back to normality as I started to think about the diode matrix needed to fire the points correctly, and lo and behold, I could not flippin remember how to do this. I spent last night revising via the web and have knocked up a drawing of what I need, so off to Maplins at Lunchtime to get some new diodes. I'll post that up later for comments to check I am correct before I start soldering.

[Kris]

Sounds like it's all coming on well. Your shed is obviously not to cold.

[pirouets]

So heres my layout for the diode matrix. Any comments or errors, please let me know. The reason for 1R and 2R being next to ech other, rather than 2N, is because of the change from a left hand point to open the fiddle yard up

 

Hopefully a pile of diodes will be here tomorrow so I can start work.

[Shadow]

Not sure if you've got that right there.

 

Assuming that "N" is for straight through, and "R" is for turning off (Route?)

 

Then I think that the following is correct.

 

Extra Diode added, connections for switch 5 moved from switch 4, and point position naming reversed.

 

Best get someone else to confirm though !!

 

[pirouets]

Thanks for spotting the error Shadow. Its a shame you did not realise I am a muppet. if you look back at the point design for the fiddlle yard entry, it does not work the way i put it on the diagram.

 

If you look at the pictures in post 11 (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/topic/20236-hemerdon-bank/page__view__findpost__p__238785), the fan to open the fiddle yard is very different, hence my stupidity of drawing something I have not built.

 

I'll need to get some new strip board as I don't have enough to build the matrix for both sets of loops on 1 piece, which would fit the control panel better.

[pirouets]

Well after a couple of tries I have both the diode matrix's working now and the point work at one end of the fiddle yard firing correctly. I just need to add the wiring loom to connect the other points and all the hidden track and electrics will be done.

 

So time to build the front and run trains. NO

 

I got and idea at the weekend after taking my youngest to prospect Park in reading, which is the home of the Reading Society of Model Engineers. As well as the outdoor ride on trains they always have their OO gauge layout running for kids to watch and on this the fiddle yard is in the scenary so the kids can see all the trains.

 

So this got me thinking that my next job is that I need to create a backscene that can be easily removed. The main reason is that it will make maintaing the fiddle yard easier, but if the kids come in to play trains, I can remove it and they can see all the trains, rather than waiting for it to appear.

 

So my plan is this. I have a big lump of 9mm MDF and will add a strip at the bottom edge of the base board frame all the way along the back of the scenic section. I'll then create a second piece that will screw on the front and set the height for the back edge of the scenary. I can then drop 4ft * 1ft pieces of mdf to sit firmly in the 9mm gap that has been created. Off the back will be screwed a piece of 1"*1" wood that will go from the back of the MDF to the frame of the shed where it will hook on to stop the MDF warping.

 

This then gives me a simple lift out backscene that can be removed whilst all the land shapes are created and scatter flies every where plus I can the add the back scene of choice once the main scenics are done to help it blend.

 

I hate doing things in a planned out way like this as what I really want to do is PLAY TRAINS :-)

[Kris]

Good point about the fuddle yard, and it's not just children after all how many adults want to see whats in there.

[pirouets]

The fiddle yard is wired, the points work and the track is cleaned.

 

I tested all of this last night and found 1 track section where a wire had worked loose, but it is now time to start on the rest of the layout.

 

No, about my comment the other day about setting the back scene first. What RUBBISH. I do need to lay the tracks first so I can the correctly set the backscene at either end to get the holes correct. I also figured out that with 18 inches of scenic width, I can lean over to add this esily with out risk of doing any damage to the track.

 

I have Friday morning and Monday morning off so hopefully the frame will be in place by then. I am going to remove my cumberland road layout which is running down the other side of the shed at the same time as I need the points that are on there, plus I want the extra space back for now so I can create a work bench area and get the heater in a better position.

[pirouets]

A very useful link I found on the web by is this Signalling plan. I'm going to order a copy as I am not 100% sure of the year this drawing represents and there will be more detail that a full sized version will show.

 

One thing it showed is that there was a pair of points on the line up from Plymouth before the bridge. I am not sure whether I will include these yet, but all the other point work is on my christmas list.

 

I have now laid the track oath across the front and will post a picture later, but I could not resist adding somw track so I could run a couple of trains and get an idea of how long a 10 coach train headed by a class 52 is.

[Kris]

but I could not resist adding somw track so I could run a couple of trains and get an idea of how long a 10 coach train headed by a class 52 is.

 

 

About 5 1/2 ft I'm going for. Does it look good on the layout?

 

 

[R A Watson]

The two crossovers on the S R S drawing are for returning movements for the banking engines, the assisting engine on the back of a (normally goods) train was not coupled and came to a stand by the box while the rest of the train continued down the bank on the other side. The loco then crossed over and returned to base to wait for the next train. Pilot engines on passenger trains went onto the next station before detatching.

 

If you are not modelling this type of operation there is no need to put them in.

 

Wally

[pirouets]

Wally, thanks for the info. As Green Diesel is the earliest period I wonder if bankiong had gone by then. Gets me thinking whether I do put this pair in should I go all steamy again at some stage though.

 

Finally got a couple of photos to share of the chaos. The first 2 show the single line I put in to check the board runs OK (Honest). In the first picture the train is sitting between the points at either end, and 9 coaches plus a class 52 is the longest that will fit in.

 

The hill behind the track will climb around 2 to 2/12 inches at the highest point when it gets to the backscene. Along the front will have a change of around 1 1/2 inches as the trains come from the door end, the line in in a shallow cutting and then the land falls away towards where I will stand and operate the layout. I think i'm going to need to keep a lot of cereal packets to make the lattice under-surface of those hills.

 

 

 

3rd shot shows that a 9 coach train looks small in the fiddle yard and hopefully I will not end up regretting its design in 2 years time.

 

[Kris]

Looks Good Steve. I like using chicken wire to form the support for the landscape. Gives a stiff yet light and easily shaped former that is generally self supporting.

[pirouets]

I have settled on how to create the land form and bought 3 large sheets of 6mm MDF for this. The front side of the layout will be really simple to do and I cut the first 3 pieces last night.

 

Behind the track to the backscene will take a little bit more thought as it will not simply sit on the base board frame. I am thinging of fitting a couple of 2inch boards across the existing frame that the shaped MDF can then sit on.

 

Having looked at chicken wire, im not sure yet as its seems you have to buy fairly large rolls of it and I wont need 25M of it. On the other hand with 2 ceral monsters in the house (My kids) I know that there will be a steady supply of card tio create a lattice structure with that can then be covered plus, reccylce the christmas cards and boxes all the presents come in.

 

Also had my first modelling injury of the layout. Nothing major but just enough pain to tell me to slow down.

 

Anyway, back to my last days of work before Santa comes.

[D1072]

Some comments from a Janner [i.e. a Plymouthian, albeit one in exile!]

 

Hemerdon box would have closed in 1973 when the Plymouth MAS scheme was extended east to Interface with Totnes box. I suspect it was demolished shortly after, definately gone by 1982. The loops - not sure when the down loop was lifted. The up loop is probably still in place, and could see occasional use for detaching banking engines still - hence the trailing crossover is needed to return a locomotive down the bank.

With a maroon Western you would see semaphores at Hemerdon.

 

Next to the catch point at the rear of the catch point at the west end of the up loop was (is?) a gradient board - a shallow up gradient as far as the road bridge (a farm track) which marks the summit. The gradient drops gradually to the flying bridge

 

I've read of trains of 32 Presflo's (loaded, from Plymstock cement works, now closed) being banked up in the diesel era. Quite possible it was common into the 80's with eastbound ABS clay trains such as the afternoon St Blazey - Severn Tunnel Junction which regularly passed Plymouth with over 500 tons on, so would need a pilot or banker. Someone will know which!

 

Looks like you will have a nice layout!

[Kris]

Looking forward to seeing pics of the landscape developing. Free landscape formers are always better than ones you have to pay for.

[pirouets]

Santa and his little helpers sent me the point work that was needed so all the track work is in place. I have left out the cross over points by the farm bridge for simplicity as banking moves are something I will need to think about carefully.

 

As the shots below show, I have also been putting in the land shapes down the front of the layout, and from these angles you start to get an idea. Along the back of the layout the highest point will be around around 3 inches up from the track height.

 

 

 

I have the week off but not sure when I will make a start on the landformers for the back part.

[Kris]

Good to see the progress Steve. I think that you might want to ease the slope on the cutting a little and push it a little further away from the track, it looks a fraction steep and once you add the landform covering this will push towards the track reducing the room that you have for the ballast.