ColinW Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Some people who have followed the exhibition threads for the recent East Grinstead(2011) & Folkestone (2010) shows will know that I have said I will be behind a layout called Avon Junction. I thought that I would put a couple of pics on here, after all who really wants to see a GWR through station! and a little bit about the layout itself, as I did not build it or even involved in the building of it, it is not from the beginning though. Apologies for some of the pics, they were taken with my mobile. The layout is set in Wiltshire in the 1930's/40's and is a ficticious secondary line between Swindon and Bristol. It is also diversionary route for the Southern railway. The track is SMP and the pointwork is made by Marchway, stock used is R-T-R, although we like to encourage kit built stock for it. The layout itself was actually going to be broken up by the person who built it, as he had had no offers for it since putting it up for sale at the 2007 Tonbridge MRC exhibition, so a group of 5 club members got together and purchased it from him, as we believed that it as too good to be dismantled, it also gave us a layout that was able to go to exhibitions, and get club members used to operating at shows! Hope you enjoy Colin 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbishop Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 I have said I will be behind a layout called Avon Junction. IColin Hang on Colin, I have seen Avon Junction at several shows and have never seen you behind it. Underneath maybe, but never behind. What I don't know is whether you were recovering from a hangover, sleeping off an all night shift or sorting out the electrics. Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burkitt Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 I remember Avon Junction from East Grinstead, it's a very good model. Here's the video I took of it there, hope you don't mind me adding it to this thread. Paul 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted May 25, 2011 Author Share Posted May 25, 2011 Hang on Colin, I have seen Avon Junction at several shows and have never seen you behind it. Underneath maybe, but never behind. What I don't know is whether you were recovering from a hangover, sleeping off an all night shift or sorting out the electrics. Bill Thanks Bill, this is also a layout that I haven't seen you behind either It may have possibly been I had been doing a nightshift, East Grinstead & Woolwich Arsenal in 2009 come to mind, The electrics aren't too bad on Avon Jcn, just the odd pulled wire from a point motor recently The hangover bit I wouldn't of thought as I would have been delivering it to the show. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted May 25, 2011 Author Share Posted May 25, 2011 I remember Avon Junction from East Grinstead, it's a very good model. Here's the video I took of it there, hope you don't mind me adding it to this thread. Paul Thank you for putting your film on Paul,and glad you enjoyed viewing the layout. Your film certainly shows what we try to capture by having the various trains arriving, departing and just trundling through. Colin 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted May 29, 2011 Author Share Posted May 29, 2011 We are putting the layout up tomorrow to have a working/playing session on it, as it is going out in the next month to its next exhibition so will try and get some more photo's of it to put on here in the next few days. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 Had a good day yesterday, basically just doing some tidying up and those little touch up jobs that needed to be done, as well as some maintenance on some of the stock that we use. I have managed to get a couple of photo's during the day, showing a bit more of the layout. Colin 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 Managed to get one of the jobs done tonight that I couldn't do yesterday, as it required the centre board to be placed on its side so that I could work properly underneath. We have some uncouplers sighted at sights on the layout that are operated by Seep point motors, and unfortunately they weren't raising correctly, so this mean't placing board on itside, hand moving the point motor so that the uncouplers were raised, then adjusting the motors until they were level, before soldering the balance wires to the main lifting wire thats attached to the point motor solenoid. This will allow us to do our various uncoupling movements without worrying where the tension lock couplings are sighted over the uncouplers. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 Ok time to give you a bit more info about the layout and show you all the trackplan. The layout is 21'x18", this breaks down into 5 boards 4'x18" and two 'bolt on' sections of 6" were made to fit onto the three road fiddle yards so that we could have a 4-6-0 loco and three coaches, we have two such trains in our sequence one GWR on which we use a Hornby Grange, and a Southern express, which was originally a King Arthur being used, but we have now started using either a T9 or N mogul and the Hornby Maunsell coaches. The two road fiddleyard from the branch tends to hold a GWR diesel railcar and 14xx and Autocoach, this fiddleyard is harder to get to so these are the only trains that use it. The board that hold the second three road fiddleyard (the right hand one) was an add on and the fiddleyard is hidden behind the cottages, including the thatched one in the photo's, and this board was built about 5 years ago to make the layout into a through station, where as before it more of a terminus although depicted as a through station. Colin 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 Just to let people know, Avon junction is due to appear at the Basildon show on July 02-03. This will be the first time the layout has appeared in Essex, so if anyone is going to the show, come and say Hi, I will be the tall one behind the layout (hopefully not under it or holding a soldering iron ) Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 As said in the previous post, Avon Junction is going to Basildon this weekend, so will try and get some more pics to put on here. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted July 4, 2011 Author Share Posted July 4, 2011 We had a good weekend at Basildon with the layout, only a couple of minor faults occurring with broken point blades, and getting lots of compliments coming from the public and a possible two more shows to do in the future. Have got some more photos to put on here once I have them off my phone. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted July 5, 2011 Author Share Posted July 5, 2011 Here are some pics I got of the layout at the weekend, more will be added later this week. Pic 1 is the view over the cattle dock towards the station whilst the grange awaits the signal to depart. Pic 2 is of a brakedown crane sat in the siding. This is a cambrian kit that was made by one of the other owners of the layout. Pic 3 has a T9 with Southern passenger service waiting whilst the GWR passenger departs in the other direction. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted July 6, 2011 Author Share Posted July 6, 2011 Some more pics for you. Pic 1. A busy scene on Avon Junction with the Southern passenger entering the station while the Grange and two panniers await to depart. Pic 2. A pannier shunts the local goods while another sits quietly in the siding. Pic 3. Panniers wait to depart Avon Junction Pic 4. Small prarie hauling heavy goods through Avon Junction platform. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted July 25, 2011 Author Share Posted July 25, 2011 Managed to get one of the jobs done tonight that I couldn't do yesterday, as it required the centre board to be placed on its side so that I could work properly underneath. We have some uncouplers sighted at sights on the layout that are operated by Seep point motors, and unfortunately they weren't raising correctly, so this mean't placing board on itside, hand moving the point motor so that the uncouplers were raised, then adjusting the motors until they were level, before soldering the balance wires to the main lifting wire thats attached to the point motor solenoid. This will allow us to do our various uncoupling movements without worrying where the tension lock couplings are sighted over the uncouplers. Colin As I have mentioned we have a couple of automatic uncouplers in use on the layout, currently 3 but more may be added soon. In the first pic you can see 2 of the uncouplers in the grounded position and cicled, while in the second pic you can see one in the raised position (apologies for the photo, was done on my mobile). The uncouplers are small pieces of brass that have been cut to sit inside the track and drilled to allow a main wire to be soldered to the top then dropped down to a seep point motor. This wire is then wrapped around the locating rod on the point motor until the optimum height to allow tension lock couplings be raised. Two counter balance wires are then dropped down, I have had to solder these in position to make sure the whole plate raises to the same level. When the stock is in the correct position it uncouples smoothly, if in the wrong position or wagons aren't weighted they can get thrown into the air Colin 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
devondynosoar118 Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Have you considered changing to servos? They are a bit slower and can be set to throw a set distance. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted July 25, 2011 Author Share Posted July 25, 2011 Thanks for the comment devondynosoar, the gentleman who built the layout built and fitted the uncouplers that are on the layout at the moment. We are considering fitting some more in the future and when that happens we will consider various options as to how to operate them and then we may change the current ones over as well. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted August 12, 2011 Author Share Posted August 12, 2011 As I have mentioned before Marcway points are used on Avon Junction, using Seep or Peco point motors. However we have had some point failures with the blades coming away from the tiebars due to the harshness of the movement of the pointmotors, especially after continual useage, the 3 way points in the fiddleyards most common. Luckily for us we have a retired signalling engineer in the club, who has looked into and has come up with a solution that will hopefully solve this problem. It is a diode matrix, using Fulgrex point motors to control the pressure used by the motors when being activated, and also a rotary switch to provide sequential movement of the motors to set the track required, along with illuminated panel for the operator to see what track has been selelcted. At the moment this system has not yet been fitted to the layout, but will be fitted to one of the fiddleyards before it is due out again in November. Should this prove to be successful, the other fiddleyard 3 way point will probably also receive a similar system. In the pics below, the 3 way point to rceive the system and the system itself. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted August 22, 2011 Author Share Posted August 22, 2011 Have started the preparation work on the fiddleyard that will take the new point motors and track selecting control this week, we will be looking to fit it in October when we put the layout up next, we will be doing this to get it ready for its next outing which will be at Brighton in November. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted August 23, 2011 Author Share Posted August 23, 2011 Can I just say that I like this new format on the RM Web as it allows us to see who has clicked the like button, for whatever has been put on here and I would just like to say thank you, as it can be hard to decide what to put on here as we aren't doing major work to the layout(the fiddleyard points being the first since we acquired the layout) If anyone would like to know more about the layout, let me know and I will try and come up with the answer to the best of my knowledge! Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Not sure how I missed this one - always good to see more chocolate and cream 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 Not sure how I missed this one - always good to see more chocolate and cream Thanks Jules. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 Avon Junction is being put up this weekend to allow for the new point motors and track selection mechanism to be fitted to a fiddleyard, and also to allow us to carry out any minor repairs and stock testing, as it will be due to go to the Brighton MRC exhibition on the weekend of November 12-13. Will try and get some more pictures when it is up. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted October 10, 2011 Author Share Posted October 10, 2011 We had a good day yesterday working on Avon Junction, the point motors and track selection mechanism is now fitted in one of our fiddleyard's (the one with the thatched cottage on it.) and was tested and proved to be very successful (another may be fitted at the the other end.) We also highlighted several other areas where we can 'improve' the layout, this includes lighting for exhibitions, increasing the size of the bolt-on additions to each 3 track fiddleyard area, to 12", and several more uncouplers in the goods yard area. We have the ability to seperate the goods yard area from the main line controller and use a hand held controller to run the goods yard, so at future shows more shunting may be taking place. Will add some photo's later this week. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted October 12, 2011 Author Share Posted October 12, 2011 (edited) As promised, here are some pictures of the work that was being done on Sunday. showing the prepared space for the track selection switch. The push buttons you can see have now been withdrawn. This shows the electrics for the track selection switch and the Fulgrex point motors before fitting. the 3 way point after the peco point motors have been removed and before the Fulgrex motors are installed. The Grange is the biggest loco we use on Avon Junction, so if that can clear the motors all the stock should. Having installed everything, the fiddleyard was attached to the rest of the layout for full testing. To confirm that the point motors are in the correct position for each track, there are 2 LEDs and both have to be lit to confirm track ( a lot easier than operators pressing push buttons several times and then looking to see if points are correct. This is just an overall view of the layout. Well it is a Sunday with works being carried out, so a quiet day in the station. The 3 wagons that can be seen beside the cattle dock were helping us decide where an uncoupler would be located in that area. Colin Edited October 14, 2011 by ColinW 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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