Eastwood Town - A tribute to Gordon's modelling.

[BWsTrains]

 

Two boxes arrived yesterday.  One was the turntable and the other a square panel with a hole cut out that will allow you to remove the turntable without having to lift all the approach tracks.  A very worth while extra that will simplify installation and servicing.

 

I've yet to fire it up, but first impressions are certainly one of quality.  The Peco turntable comes without the handrails fitted, so I have that to do.  I also chose the unpainted version deliberately as I want to paint and weather this one myself.

Looks superb but does it play the old 78rpm? 

 

BTW Gordon, on a more serious note I've a few questions sent via PM

 

Colin

[Ian_H]

Two boxes arrived yesterday.  One was the turntable and the other a square panel with a hole cut out that will allow you to remove the turntable without having to lift all the approach tracks.  A very worth while extra that will simplify installation and servicing.

 

The square panel with a hole in it, is this what the turntable sits in, or is it something else? I'd assummed that you would just cut a hole with a jig saw at the correct diameter for the turntable .... is it just a plywood square, for clarity, next time you have your camera out could you take a photograph of it?

 

Thanks

Ian

[Rowsley17D]

The square panel with a hole in it, is this what the turntable sits in, or is it something else? I'd assummed that you would just cut a hole with a jig saw at the correct diameter for the turntable .... is it just a plywood square, for clarity, next time you have your camera out could you take a photograph of it?

 

Thanks

Ian

Hope Gordon doesn't mind, but so he can continue on his build (or play golf), this is an adaptor unit so that if you need to remove the drive mechanism, you don't have to remove the turntable well and so disturb the approach tracks. The circular hole in the baseboard is still needed to sit the well in. More information and photos here:

 

http://www.admturntables.com/product-information/

 

There're very helpful people and have what you need if you wish to have a smaller turntable like those sold by London Road Models.

Edited February 16, 2018 by Rowsley17D

[gordon s]

Thanks guys.  You're all pretty spot on.  I ordered some rail back in December and thought I had paid for it, so waited patiently.  It wasn't until I'd spoken to Phil again and he had done a Bank reconciliation did we realise my payment had not gone through.  Of course it might have been operator error at my end or the issues John referred to earlier.  I've since paid again and am now back in the queue again.  Problem for me is that I had plenty of rail in Dec/Jan but that has now gone and I'm doing other things whilst track building is on hold.  It not the end of the world and I'm sure some rail will arrive in the next few days.

 

Spot on again with the 'toilet seat' from ADM.  The turntable itself sits in the hole and this means you can drop the turntable out from below and not disturb any of the connecting tracks above.  It also means you can accurately align all the tracks height wise to prevent step ups or down as you enter or leave the turntable.

 

Thanks for your PM Colin, I'll get back to you later today.

[tender]

I am sure you will not be disappointed with your ADM turntable but you may want to replace the Peco handrails as they are rather chunky.

North London Models produce brass Turntable stanchions, single or double rail versions.

I think you mean London Road Models? According to their website, North London Models closed several years ago.

[St Enodoc]

Check the account you paid with, if its gone through its Phil's problem. However a known problem is Phil has had some issues with emails, if its not been debited from your account pay over the phone and all will be sorted

 

Good luck

John, the problem is actually paying in the first place. For overseas orders you have to get an invoice with total price including shipping before you can pay.

 

That is what has proved elusive so far. Here is an extract from my email:

 

"Phil -

 

I selected "Cheque/Money Order/Cash" as per the instructions on the checkout

page as I wish to pay by credit card. How do I do this please?

 

Alternatively, I could transfer the funds direct from my UK bank account if

you let me have the details.

 

Look forward to hearing from you.

 

Thanks."

 

[St Enodoc]

What are you chasing, Aardvark/St Ednoc?

 

I have some surplus boxes of C+L flex from when I rationalised my layout plans.

 

(I sourced mine from a distributor in New Zealand a few years back, and can pass those details on, too, if you want to try that avenue)

 

Cheers

 

Scott

I'm after some 4 mm wide ply timbering, thin type (0.8 mm), catalogue no E4SL 302D. I only need one pack. If anyone out there has one they don't need I would be happy to take it off your hands.

[gordon s]

John, the problem is actually paying in the first place. For overseas orders you have to get an invoice with total price including shipping before you can pay.

 

That is what has proved elusive so far. Here is an extract from my email:

 

"Phil -

 

I selected "Cheque/Money Order/Cash" as per the instructions on the checkout

page as I wish to pay by credit card. How do I do this please?

 

Alternatively, I could transfer the funds direct from my UK bank account if

you let me have the details.

 

Look forward to hearing from you.

 

Thanks."

 

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the only option is to pay via BACS transfer and not a credit card.  This is from the order I placed.

 

Edited February 17, 2018 by gordon s

[hayfield]

John, the problem is actually paying in the first place. For overseas orders you have to get an invoice with total price including shipping before you can pay.

 

That is what has proved elusive so far. Here is an extract from my email:

 

"Phil -

 

I selected "Cheque/Money Order/Cash" as per the instructions on the checkout

page as I wish to pay by credit card. How do I do this please?

 

Alternatively, I could transfer the funds direct from my UK bank account if

you let me have the details.

 

Look forward to hearing from you.

 

Thanks."

 

 

Phil is still struggling getting through his emails, now can accept payment over the phone for credit cards and it seems this now is the quicker route

[St Enodoc]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the only option is to pay via BACS transfer and not a credit card.  This is from the order I placed.

 

Screen Shot 2018-02-17 at 08.15.19.png

 

Phil is still struggling getting through his emails, now can accept payment over the phone for credit cards and it seems this now is the quicker route

Thanks Gordon and John. I think a phone call is the best next step towards unblocking this.

[hayfield]

Thanks Gordon and John. I think a phone call is the best next step towards unblocking this.

 

Phil is a nice chap, struggling a bit with these new challenges in learning how to prioritise etc. Also had awful issues with a glitch when the email and web site was transferred over.

 

Now has the facility to take credit & debit card payments over the telephone 

[Philou]

@ gordon s

 

Well! What can I say? I've only just started reading up on your layout (page 2 at the moment) - it truly is mouthwatering. I can see that I'm going to have to up my game by a yuuuuuuge amount once I get started . Bravo!

 

Regards,

 

Philip

[aardvark]

@ gordon s

 

Well! What can I say? I've only just started reading up on your layout (page 2 at the moment) - it truly is mouthwatering. I can see that I'm going to have to up my game by a yuuuuuuge amount once I get started . Bravo!

 

Regards,

 

Philip

 

Page 2? LOL.  Enjoy the ride - and it's quite some ride

[gordon s]

Welcome to the madhouse, Philou.....

 

Work has ground to a halt right now as I'm waiting for some rail.  Spoken to Phil several times at C & L and have every faith it will be with me in the next few days.  

 

The enforced rest has probably done me some good anyway.  No golf either, so been tootling around the house doing all those jobs that should have been done months ago.

[Philou]

@ gordon s

 

Well, you were kind enough to provide some ideas for my own proposals and I thought I ought to have a look at what you were doing ............... I haven't yet been able to put my eyeballs back in yet!!! I can now see the constructional details of the framework - good job you did there (BTW only on Page 7 so a lot of catching up to do) and the trackwork is amazing - I hadn't really considered doing DIY as I wanted to get on with things fairly quickly - but now I'm having a rethink - especially as there are some areas where the pointwork shan't be able to be laid simply using using RTR.

 

I hope you'll be able to get your hands on some rail soon - it seems a pity to stop for the want of materials.

 

I did like your comments of being 'retired' - same here since 2003 (but got called back on a 3-monthly contract to help out ........... it lasted 7 1/2 years!) officially put out to grass in 2011 and still haven't found the time to get started!

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[aardvark]

Work has ground to a halt right now as I'm waiting for some rail.  Spoken to Phil several times at C & L and have every faith it will be with me in the next few days. 

 

Mine arrived today: yours can't be far behind.

[gordon s]

Spot on!  It arrived on Saturday morning, so at last I can get going again.....if domestic duties and golf don't get in the way...

[aardvark]

Now golf, I understand ...

[polybear]

..... at last I can get going again.....if domestic duties and golf don't get in the way...

 

 

Now now....no excuses..... 

[gordon s]

Well at least I've made a start.  Today was a first.  These sleepers were all hand cut from PCB sheet on my KS230 with a diamond blade.  If I'm hypercritical the cut is not as clean as the pre bought strips from C & L, so they needed a few seconds each with a scraper to take of any obvious burrs.  I probably cut 50 strips of 1mm thick material with little sign of the diamond blade refusing to cut.  I suspect that once cleaned and painted, they will be fine, particularly after ballasting.

 

I'm lucky enough to have built 50-60% of the total number of turnouts required, but even then I can't ignore the costs savings of cutting your own strips, so will push on and see how it goes. I've yet to see how they solder, but don't really expect any massive issues if the material is cleaned and everything is the same as my usual soldering technique.  The unknown might be the bond between the fibre glass and the copper and how that stands up to the sudden increase in temperature when soldering.

 

The other issue at this time is the ongoing delivery situation from C & L which is an unknown.  It might mean a few days or run out into several weeks depending on stock and workload. Hopefully it will improve considerably as Phil gets to grips with it.

 

In case your wondering where these fit, they are the entry into the brewery/industrial area in the top left of the plan off the goods relief road.  Those of you with high observation skills may notice that the shed approach road has suddenly become double track.  Just an idea I'm kicking around which may or may not happen.

 

 

 

 

Oh well, a quick break for lunch then it's back in the saddle....

Edited March 5, 2018 by gordon s

[hayfield]

Gordon

 

I have found even on C&L strips there is a slight burr, I always run a very fine polishing file over each strip prior to cutting, I guess the heat from soldering will flatten the burrs anyway

 

Good to hear you have your rail

[Philou]

WHAT?!!!!! I'm at the bottom of page 14 and you're going to rip it up? Say it cannot so be? (I realise backs can be very dodgy things).

 

This is nail-biting stuff and I shall have to wait 'til much later this evening before turning the page ..................oh noes!

[The Stationmaster]

WHAT?!!!!! I'm at the bottom of page 14 and you're going to rip it up? Say it cannot so be? (I realise backs can be very dodgy things).

 

This is nail-biting stuff and I shall have to wait 'til much later this evening before turning the page ..................oh noes!

 

Alas Gordon's visits to the local tip with various past part incarnations of Eastwood Town are the stuff of legend on RMweb; the good thing about it is that a better plan emerges every time that happens.  You might find it slightly less disconcerting to read backwards from the final page of the thread.

 

PS Count youself very lucky that notwithstanding various efforts on the part of us contributors to your layout planning thread you have managed to get to a pretty good, thoroughly workable, plan before you've even finished the stairs

Edited March 5, 2018 by The Stationmaster

[Philou]

Yay! Thank you Mike. I was concerned that I had bitten off too much and time will tell no doubt! No, I'm going to read forwards until I get to page 151 (or it may be that by the time I get there!). I am now most intrigued ................

 

Regards,

 

Philip

[gordon s]

WHAT?!!!!! I'm at the bottom of page 14 and you're going to rip it up? Say it cannot so be? (I realise backs can be very dodgy things).

 

This is nail-biting stuff and I shall have to wait 'til much later this evening before turning the page ..................oh noes!

 

 

Good grief, this is like catch up TV....

 

Needless to say I had to go back to page 14.  Waiting on back surgery that has now been and gone.  I went from hardly walking 50 yards to playing golf three or four times a week.  I have nothing but gratitude for our NHS.

 

It's strange reading someone's diary.  Even stranger when it's your own...

 

Stand by for a large US loco running round the dining room table....

 

 

I'm not responsible for the awful wallpaper and the heated food cabinet.  Thankfully the wallpaper has gone (with the wall) as have the dining table and chairs and the Hostess trolley went to the Charity shop.

 

A snapshot of surburban life in the 2010's.......

Edited March 5, 2018 by gordon s