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Eastwood Town - A tribute to Gordon's modelling.


gordon s
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Only just discovered this thread: looks marvellous, a proper 'railway'. Added to watch list.

 

Your comments about being a slow worker amuse me: I started planning my layout over 20 years ago, and haven't laid any track yetsad.gif (soon, soon, honest).

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Thanks for all your inputs guys. After Martin's suggestion, I had some great input from Phil H regarding access to the shed and the general layout. Several replans later, I think I have arrived at a plan, which still has one or two compromises, but overall, meets the space/minimum radii requirements (36") that I set for Eastwood. Seems one or two loco's couldn't wait to put their feet up and must have crept in via the back door.

 

Hopefully that's the planning bit over and fingers crossed, I hope to start construction later this week. These paper prints really are a great help in seeing how things hang together before cutting any wood and building track. Even Mrs S is pleased with the reduced scrapage....

 

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Happy to help out with Templot. I struggled at the beginning, (my failing not the software), until I learned some very basic commands and then it all fell into place. I use it exclusively for my train set and can certainly help with the basics, but can't help re protypical use. Mind you there are plenty of users on here that can....

 

I have compiled some very basic Jing videos to help a few people. They really only cover the basics, but if you are struggling, let me know.

 

Thanks for the offer... ;)

This project gets more inspiring as it goes on - bravo!

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Nice flowing trackwork Gordon, should look really good. You do realise, however, that you'll have to build an ash plant to match the quality of the coal stage? biggrin.gif

 

Not now. Andy has just told us about a Scenecraft one....

 

Good grief, it's just as big as a Coaling Stage..blink.gif

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Hi to Eastwood Town... & Co

 

Man... I have only just came across this tread... and I have to say all the Photos look dam impressive...

 

This is truly a Beast of a layout... love the way it’s on smaller wooden curves/Straight...etc in part and then open out to something more Scenic... Is there a Master Track plan...?

 

I know there are several Templot Plans...

 

How much time does it take to go round before it gets back to where it started...?

 

How many different routes can be taken before repeating itself...?

 

Due to the nature of the layout and impossible Track Plan as such... What I’d the total length of track to a circuit or however many times it has to go round before you repeat yourself in Meters or Yards...Etc (or is it miles...LoL)...?

 

Brilliant... lot of time and effort and planning as gone into this layout... I'll be watch with excitement regarding future updates and Photos...

Well Done either Team or One Man Job...

Highly impressive

Regards

Jamie

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Hi to Eastwood Town... & Co

 

Man... I have only just came across this tread... and I have to say all the Photos look dam impressive...

 

This is truly a Beast of a layout... love the way it’s on smaller wooden curves/Straight...etc in part and then open out to something more Scenic... Is there a Master Track plan...?

 

I know there are several Templot Plans...

 

How much time does it take to go round before it gets back to where it started...?

 

How many different routes can be taken before repeating itself...?

 

Due to the nature of the layout and impossible Track Plan as such... What I’d the total length of track to a circuit or however many times it has to go round before you repeat yourself in Meters or Yards...Etc (or is it miles...LoL)...?

 

Brilliant... lot of time and effort and planning as gone into this layout... I'll be watch with excitement regarding future updates and Photos...

Well Done either Team or One Man Job...

Highly impressive

Regards

Jamie

 

 

Thanks for your kind comments Jamie. I'll try to answer some of your questions.

 

I'm just working on my own, hence the erratic progress over the last year or so. I've had several abortive attempts of trying to build a multi level layout, but they have all proved an invaluable, if expensive learning exercise. It's very difficult to convert a two dimensional idea into three dimensional reality. Radii and gradients are killers, hence the need to go back to square one and work to drawings. These days everything is done on Templot before even attempting to build.

 

The layout plan is on page 1 of this thread although I have added the loco shed complex and redesigned the terminus.

 

No of routes? In essence it is a lower level storage area plus a reverse loop. The mid section is a folded eight and the terminus takes the top level. It will be possible to leave the terminus and travel all the way to the bottom and then return via the reverse loop.

 

When build is complete, the total length of run will be around 600'. Earlier efforts tooks about 15 mins to do an out and back trip.

 

Thanks for your interest. I'll keep posting updates as progress is made.

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The last week has seen some progress on the next board away from the stairwell. This one is quite complex with four levels coming together and the lowest one tunnelling under the other three. This corner will also form the access to the new shed complex which has necessitated a redesign of the existing double junction and the addition of a trailing crossover to allow access to and from the shed area to the main lines up to Eastwood Town terminus. Bit of a pain to have to rebuild a double junction, but I would rather have a nice smooth flow to the main lines rather than a kink or step in the line, no matter how small.

 

Once I got the cat off the plan, I found I could reduce the number of sections on the main trackbed from four down to two, so that was an improvement. I've added a couple more pics to show whats going on behind and under the scenic boards. The first shows the spiral which sits under and behind the scenic boards and shows the relatively clear access to sections that were previously inaccessible. This track is also just pinned in position whereas all visible track is glued.

 

The pic from underneath shows the construction of the C or H section track bed. Three of the four trackbeds will be visible so they simply have 60mm mdf sections on the underside only. One of them will be in a tunnel so that has 30mm safety rails on the top surface as well. The long piece of 3 x 2 in the pics is simply a temporary support and will removed once I have finished adding the mdf side sections. I am hopeful this form of construction will do away with cross bracing and will allow an open area beneath the boards. The 12mm dual beam outer frames are very solid and form a very solid base for all the trackbed sections.

 

Next stage will to to print new templates, make all the pointwork, lay, wire and paint the module before fixing in position. I'm hoping to build one module a month, so with any luck, should have the mid levels complete by the end of the year.

 

Onward and upward....smile.gif

 

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No I don't Alan. I usually start the blade using the 1:12 angle of the jig which gives the first 15-20mm and forms the knife edge. Using a pair of fine pliers I then gently ease the filed section into the straight position and using a needle file, form the feathered edge over about 60mm. Turn it over and then remove most of the fluting on the bullhead rail for about 40mm.

 

With switch blades, I usually leave about 120-130mm unsoldered, which gives a very flexible blade. I use Tortoise motors to actuate them as they considerably reduce the mechanical stress on the blades.

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Hi Gordon,

 

I have just discovered your thread and have spent over an hour catching up! Your layout is very impressive and like others have appreciated your step-by-step photos and explanations. I am also a very satisfied user of Templot but hadn't thought of using printouts to use as templates for cutting the trackbed. I am especially interested in your construction methods for your baseboard and trackbed with its rising and lowering tracks. Can 12mm ply be used as a trackbed without any bracing? I realise that on the single tracks and double-deck tracks that you have used a double-sided stripwood brace but on some of your other boards the 12mm ply base is not braced with wood.

 

I would like to build a model of Plymouth Friary and Laira MPD (excluding the freight yards!) in the steam age in OO and have found Templot invaluable, in particular the ability to place track onto a scanned prototype trackplan - even down to being able to draw a turntable with 28 exit roads each placed 12.84 degrees apart as per the prototype in the Laira roundhouse - giving virtual tracklaying!. As you say, these can then be printed onto several sheets of A4 and placed together on the floor to get an idea of size and optimum baseboard shape - Friary MPD should be achievable in 14' by 2' in OO. There are rising and lowering gradients here as well so I shall take a leaf out of your book and arrange baseboard construction in a similar manner to yours.

 

I had also never considered building the layout in smaller modules (moving away from 4' x 2' baseboards) and using a router and biscuits to connect them together - is this reasonably simple to do? I also liked your upside down T baseboard support legs - simple but effective.

 

Please keep posting so I can keep learning.....

 

Regards,

 

Steve

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I'm really quite a newbie to actually building a layout Stephen, so Eastwood is very much a work in progress for the techniques that experienced modellers have kindly passed on to me. Because this layout will never leave home and weight wasn't an issue, I thought 12mm ply would be the way to go as it would be much stronger and not suffer from warping or need large amounts of cross bracing.

 

My early build attempts used a 12mm ply trackbed with open plan construction, similar to that I use now. The track bed was mounted on 50 x 50 softwood blocks that proved easy to use and construct the various gradients. All was well until I noticed that even with blocks on 300mm centres, the ply trackbed had taken on a wavy outline with rise and fall between the blocks. That started me thinking about I girder construction and the need for total support along the whole length of the trackbed. At this stage I should admit that whereas some modellers want perfection in their stock, locos or scenery my goal is to have flat boards on which to place your track. Flat boards and well laid track are the basis for everything, yet I still see exhibition layouts of the highest standard re stock and scenery that have frequent derailments due to poorly constructed boards or badly laid track. Mine is still not perfect, but I'm working on it...

 

I played around with various techniques and you will see that some of the straight sections of the hidden spiral used 12mm side pieces. This was fine with straight sections but could not be used on curves where I wanted to provide the same continual support. It was then that I started using 4mm mdf sides of varying depth to solve the issue. Of course the jury is still out on this one, but the results after a year or so are very encouraging.

 

Taking this one step further, I decided to adopt the same principle on the scenic boards and go for open top construction with 60mm rails mounted to the underside only. This is a new development and I will make all new modules this way. The stairwell board is a hybrid of several methods. The lowest level is 12mm ply with conventional bracing underneath. The side tiers are 12mm ply again but use 70mm mdf sides in a C section to keep them flat. Once they are screwed up to the base, they form their own bracing on the lower section to form a kind of monocoque construction. It's considerably easier to make than to explain, perhaps these pics will help.

 

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Using Templot to make the trackbed is really quite simple. Martin has shown how to generate the trackbed lines which can be set to whatever width you require. I print these off and then cut to the trackbed width. Once stuck onto the ply, just cut the shape out with a jigsaw. I have a small router table which is set up permanently with a cutter that is set to cut a slot midway in 12mm ply.

 

Make an alignment mark on both boards with a pencil and then use the router to cut the various biscuit slots in the pencil marked positions. You cut a slot large enough to take the biscuit, not a slot right across. Make sure you have the top surface facing down on the router table as this will ensure a nice flat join when you come to glue the trackbed together with the biscuits in place.

 

As I said at the beginning this is very much a test bed/learning curve for the various techniques I have learned over the past couple of years. So far so good, but I'm sure as the build progresses other techniques will be brought into play if they make construction simpler or provide a better end product.

 

Thanks for your comments. It's heartening to know people are following this thread.

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First post here.

Thank you for an inspiring thread.

I'm English but live in the 'States. When I lived in England I modelled American; now I live over here I want to start a British layout somewhere in GER land - Oh, well!

I'm a musician which usually means that I have a lot of time on my hands so I'm interested to start building my own trackwork too - many thanks for such detailed explanations.

 

Best, Pete.

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Thanks for your advice on using the router - I have one but have not really used it although I did note that it might prove useful for drilling inspection pits in an MPD - and must investigate using a router table.

 

For baseboard framing I was proposing to use a 4mm ply and softwood block sandwich with softwood risers (as recommended by Barry Norman) but was unsure about what thickness to use for the trackbed. Having seen your thread, I think I will go for a 12mm trackbed with a stripwood edging to the underneath to form the "C". The softwood risers should fit nicely into the "C". I will also be using your T shaped legs to support it.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

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Can you tell me if you joggle your stock rails for the point blades. I could not tell from the photos. I will be starting to build my points soon and want to know if it is best to joggle or not.

Hi Alan,

 

There are some detailed notes about joggled stock rails on the Templot web site at:

 

http://www.templot.c...rack.htm#joggle

 

Creating a correct prototypical joggle is quite tricky, especially for the main-side stock rail. Generally a plain "set" (bend) only in the turnout-side stock rail is easier to do -- see the diagrams in the above link.

 

regards,

 

Martin.

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Flipping 'eck!

 

I'm going to echo what previous posters have said - wow! This is just how we want our layouts to be like.

 

Completely inspiring! - Where do I start - the woodworking/trackwork/electrics are all top drawer.

 

The photo of the DMU by the signal box is superb - you have captured the very essence of the railway in that shot.

 

The BNSF loco by the jocko also sets it off (joke!).

 

Please keep the updates coming Gordon.

 

By the way - the cat looked very smug with himself! - why do they always sit on what you are working on?

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Had a couple of days away from carpentry and sat at the kitchen table putting the new pointwork together. Bit of a bummer having to rip up good work, but the shed complex was a new addition, so it's got to be done. The trailing crossover fits in no problem. I also took the opportunity to redesign the double junction. For some reason I find crossings more difficult than turnouts, so changed the angle of the turnouts and have replaced the old diamond with a new 8.25 switched crossing. It means another motor to change the blades, but with continual wheel support right through the crossing, stock runs much more smoothly across the junction.

 

Still loads to do in this particular corner with another four turnouts to provide shed access. Thanks for the encouragement to keep posting updates as it is forcing me to push ahead, whereas I was really demotivated last year and very little got done

 

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