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eldavo
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Well it would be rude not to have a go so here goes nothing. Not much chance of work starting until well into the new year as I have a bunch of stuff to finish off on Cramdin before it's next outing in March. Of course if my dear employer forces me into early retirement in the next couple of months I will have lots of time!

Current thinking:

Time for a little foray into 2mm N gauge I think. I've acquired a few bits of stock so I need something to run them on. That's my excuse anyway. the setting is somewhere in the Midlands and it is based on a location well known to several forum members. Era will be present day(ish). That's about all I know so far.

Here's an early draft track plan:

post-7010-0-87723700-1504210208.jpg

All routes end in cassette storage and I think this is comfortably less than 2010 square inches so far. Should be a bit of spare area available for refining the central area as currently it's a bit thin at 1 foot wide. Should be able to run a train of 3ft or so which is not wonderful but probably adequate. There's a lot more work required to get this into something that will "work" in terms of scenery and operational.

My current thinking is that I will build my own track as I don't like the look of the peco N gauge track at all.

Cheers
Dave (N gauge, I must be mad!)

Edited by eldavo
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Having said I wouldn't start work on this till the New Year it was obvious I would have to do something sooner than that. My excuse is that it was too bloomin' cold out in the garage to do much on Cramdin! A bit more planning was in order.

I have little experience of N gauge so I felt I needed to see what the track plan would look like full size. A one foot wide baseboard sounds awfully narrow so I'm concerned it won't really work. I've laid out the basic plan in Trax2 and refined it a little so I set up to print out a set of templates for the scenic area, pretty much the entire 10 foot length.

So how big is that exactly?

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Well it certainly takes up a fair amount of the kitchen! The righthand long edge is the viewing side and there is almost my entire N gauge rollingstock collection lost somewhere in the middle. In fact that is a pair of 66s and some wagons that look awfully small. Still amazes me how much detail is on these Dapol models.

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Looking from the rear of the baseboard the locos are sat at the two platform faces of Waton station.

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This location is the juction of 4 lines. Looking from East to West there is a point complex as two double tracks converge.

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At the other end looking West to East there is another point complex where a single track and double track converge. If someone had carefully smoothed out the plan the rather strange set-up would be a bit more obvious. unsure.gif

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It's when you come to look at the plans with an eye to building the trackwork that you realise this stuff is pretty small. One and a half points in the width of an A4 sheet of paper and these are B8s I think!

post-7010-0-00016100-1504210532.jpg

Oh well it is supposed to be a challenge I guess.

Cheers
Dave

Edited by eldavo
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I thought you didn't like little wheels ? You sly old fox you! So the ebay O gauge stuff was a bit of a curve ball then..? Seriously having seen your other efforts this will be good. I'll have to get some new glasses though..

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Too cold to go out to the garage and do any work on Cramdin Yard so spent a few hours this weekend experimenting with track contruction. I've built track using copperclad sleepers and bullhead rail before, in fact all the turnouts on Cramdin are constructed in this manner. This time though it's flat bottom rail and in N!

Knocked together a rough section of straight(ish) track then painted and ballasted it. I'm trying to get the effect of concrete sleepers and this experiment didn't really work. The ballast colour is yuk as well!

post-7010-0-47280400-1504211109.jpg


You'll have to forgive the fact that the rail alignment with the sleepers is out, it was a rush job! Doesn't look too bad with a train on it.

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Also had a crack at some pointwork. The soldering looks pretty crude doesn't it?

post-7010-0-57025500-1504211144.jpg


This stuff is seriously small though especially for someone who really isn't good at precision

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I may have to invest in a smaller soldering iron methinks, at least one with a nice sharp bit. The plain track is code 40 rail laid to 2mm finescale gauge but the pointwork is adjusted to allow use with unmodified RTR N gauge stock. Well that's the plan anyway.

The point is actually one of a pair of B6 righthanders forming a facing crossing that can be seen in the 4th of the plan pictures above.

Cheers
Dave

Edited by eldavo
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Yup thought about Easitrack but the flat bottom bits aren't available yet so I'm kinda stuck with copperclad. The upside is I am able to build custom pointwork for the locations rather than being stuck with B6, 7, or 8.

 

Cheers

Dave

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Bit more work done on the experimental crossover. It's now as compete as it can be until it's laid on a baseboard. I've added temporary tiebars so I can test things and amazingly stock seems to run through very smoothly in all directions. I haven't done a complete electrical test as I don't have connections to the frogs but locos seem to amble around OK. Bit surprised to be honest.

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Following on from comments I've made some modifications to the wing and check rails on the first point to make them look more like planed rail rather than the bends that are seen in bullhead turnouts. The modifications are partially successful but I suspect I may replace the check rails completely. The second turnout has no bends in either wing or check rails and they have just planed ends. The check rails should have more of a curved profile as has been pointed out but that is tricky in this scale (at least for me it is).

You can just about see the difference in the shot below.

post-7010-0-73324900-1504211711.jpg


The flangeway gaps are a little larger than I would like especially on the curved routes. I may be able to tighten these up with a few more small adjustments and I think I can do better on the next turnout. From a normal viewing distance the gaps are not so obvious and things may improve with paint and ballast. Here is an extreme close up which is pretty cruel. I'm going to have to improve my macro camera technique if I'm going to work in this scale!

post-7010-0-94248400-1504211806.jpg


Not going to get much done on this project for a while as I have a booking for Cramdin Yard in two weeks time and there is a serious amount of stuff to sort out before then!

Cheers
Dave

Edited by eldavo
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Fantastic looking pointwork - some of us stuggle to get it that good in 4mm, never mind 2.

 

As I am building points at the moment and looking at a drawing of an NER point I have also noticed that check rails only have a short bit of straight in the middle and are mostly tapered, not just the bit at the end.

 

Look forward to seeing it laid and trains running over it.

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  • 2 months later...
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Having got Cramdin's first show out of the way last week this weekend has been the first chance to do anything serious about my 2010 challenge entry. I've thought about lots just not found the time to do anything. So it was time to cut some timber and build some baseboards. It's taken the best part of two days and caused horrendous suffering to innocent trees but the "basic baseboard bodging" is now complete. The scenic boards measure 10 feet by 14 inches which I calculate as 1680 square inches leaving just enough for cassettes.

Here's the set of 4 boards with sundry weights and clamps still in place.

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The construction follows my normal practices i.e. it's crude. Basically it's an open framework of 5.5 mm ply with softwood blocks glued and pinned at the corners. Cross bracing, if you can call it that, is at approximately 12 inch intervals. The end plates are a double skin of 5.5mm ply, to allow mounting of alignment dowels, with a softwood batten across the top to allow brass screws to be inserted to which rail ends will be soldered.

The track bed is more 5.5mm ply raised about 11mm above the framework surface to allow some more interesting topology and to improve the view of the trains for those who are vertically challenged or seated. There are 4 baseboards, two 3ft long and two 2ft long. These will be bolted together face to face using MDF end boards for transportation/storage.

Here's a closer view. Those of a delicate disposition or competent in woodwork should probably look away at this point!

post-7010-0-08895500-1504212256.jpg

Of course nothing is straight or square but that's normal for me. Lots to do...

Cheers
Dave

Edited by eldavo
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A bit more progress over the last week though there isn't much evidence of it. As I am building all the plain track as well as pointwork from copperclad I need a jig to help speed construction. Out with a bit of scrap MDF, some card and glue and we have this...

post-7010-0-74019600-1504212499.jpg

The sleeper spacing is pretty approximate but it will probably do. Basically the sleepers are slotted into the gaps (a truly tedious job) and then one rail is soldered in place. The assembly is then removed and laid on the baseboards with whatever curvature is required and the second rail is soldered in place. Here's a shot with a length of half completed track in the jig.

post-7010-0-26541500-1504212511.jpg

A close-up shows this is a pretty crude piece of work.

post-7010-0-33897800-1504212532.jpg

In preparation for track laying the baseboard ends have all been drilled for assembly bolts and alignment dowels. The simple bullet style dowels have been fitted with epoxy and then the boards assembled and the track bed planed to get smooth inter-baseboard transitions. All the timber work has then had a coat of polyurethane varnish help keep out any damp. Baseboards will be stored/transported in pairs bolted face to face between two MDF end boards. Here's the first one bolted to the end of one of the smaller 2ft boards.

post-7010-0-78556200-1504212482.jpg

Yesterday track laying began. The crosspver I constructed a couple of months ago was laid along with the first section of plain track. As always I started with something simple NOT! Here we have a crossover that is fed off a curve with a baseboard join right by the toe. I guess if this works the rest should be simple. The rail ends are soldered to brass screws at the baseboard join.

post-7010-0-34214500-1504212491.jpg

Having spent some time on this small bit I realise there is a heck of a lot of track on this layout. Ho hum let's hope my speed of track building increases dramatically!

Cheers
Dave

Edited by eldavo
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Hello Dave smile.gif

 

I have just stumbled across this and it looks really good so far. The whole track plan comes across as nice and flowing, plus you are making your own track too, thats definately a huge bonus.

 

Im a bit surprised about your comment on the easitrack though, when I was at Ally Pally on Saturday I saw both bullhead and flatbottomed rail with wooden and concrete sleepers, the concrete sleepers are amazing as they even have 'dowmac' embossed on them! Even with soldering track together in 2mm/N its a vast improvement on the PECO stuff. Your soldering looks fine to me, I think you are being a bit too critical as once its all painted it will look great.

 

I will look out for this one, shame its diesels though tongue.gif

 

Missy smile.gif

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Hello Dave,

Thanks to Missy, for i too have now "discovered" your entry and wow! Am i impressed!

Your woodworking skills are nothing to be ashamed of - at all, as you've done a very nice job on your boards and as for your track building skills, good grief! I could only dream of doing something like that, your points and crossovers are lovely!

2mm/N gauge is not my chosen scale but i am involved with "Daleside Parkway" so it is an interest of mine and i will watch your progress with interest!

Cheers,

John E.

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Hello,

Just thought I'd pop by and add my praise for a job well done! The baseboards look great, not over-engineered yet they look good and look to do the job well. I have now realised why my track quality is below sub-standard - the track was glued directly onto unstable polystyrene. Had I put a ply trackbed down like yours, I doubt I would be redoing my layout! I hope you don't mind but I've saved two of the images to help me with baseboard construction when I get round to it? Not my era, nor prototype, but the trackwork and baseboards are brilliant ;)

 

Cheers,

Jam :)

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Small progress, As I have now started to lay track and I don't currently have anywhere to keep the boards set up permanently, I needed to sort out the end storage/transport boards. A spare moment today and they were cut and drilled. Of course I then found I hadn't got enough M6 wingnuts or washers! These boards are certainly somewhat smaller than the Cramdin main board (6' 3") even when bolted together in pairs.

post-7010-0-33362600-1504212818.jpg

Just goes to show a bit of forward planning helps. When the backscene boards are added each pair of boards will form an almost sealed up crate. I've also wired up the track that has been laid so far to try and avoid having to do a ton of wiring all in one go.

If the plain track flat-bottom Easitrac bases are in the 2mmSA catalogue this time round I might well bang in an order. The prospect of building this much plain track with copperclad is looking much less appealing now! The original decision was based on the fact that the flat bottom components weren't available.

Cheers
Dave

Edited by eldavo
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As a big fan of Cramdin I am looking forward to seeing this take shape ; early signs are promising indeed.

 

Vaguely wondering whether you are going to start suffering from agoraphobia after producing something as compact as Cramdin! Whatever are you going to do with all that space…

 

George

 

 

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Slow progress. After two days of modelling time I don't seem to have made a huge impression on the trackwork. I've built another point and Waton East junction is starting to take shape. Building plain track seems to take an age. I know, should have used Easitrack! Here's a shot of the East end of the layout with two of the boards bolted together to give a 5 foot length.

post-7010-0-44695800-1504212984.jpg

Looking closer the track doesn't look that special but with a bit of tinkering, ballasting and painting I think it will be fine. The curves get a bit tight as the track heads off the boards to the cassettes but these will be hidden/disguised somehow. This small section is over 500 sleepers and about 8 metres of rail!

post-7010-0-04809300-1504213023.jpg

One for the "doh don't do that" file. You can straighten brass wire by running it between your thumb and index finger. Don't try it with code 40 flat bottom rail, the edge of the flat bottom is bloomin' sharp!

post-7010-0-31184700-1504213046.jpg

Cheers
Dave

Edited by eldavo
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Bit more progress. Trackwork completed for the righthand end 2ft board and most of the adjacent 3ft board. Run out of brass screws so track laying has stopped until I pick up some more tomorrow. As all the track is down and wired on one board I thought it was time for some paint and ballast experiments. Here's a cruel close-up of the track with a Dapol 66 in fading daylight.

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The track has been sprayed with Halfords grey primer then given a light dusting of Plasticote Suede effect. The rails sides have been painted a rusty brown colour and Woodland Scenics fine grey ballast has been fixed with Klear. Here's another shot in artificial light.

post-7010-0-00228200-1504213212.jpg

I think this will probably work with a bit of weathering but I'll have to have a peer at a few more prototype shots to make up my mind.

post-7010-0-31051000-1504213225.jpg

Cheers
Dave

Edited by eldavo
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Yet more track laid today but unfortunately not as much as I would have liked. Board 2 now has all its track and Waton East junction is now complete.

post-7010-0-77094500-1504213427.jpg

The odd looking rationalised track plan is starting to emerge now. A lot of time today was taken up with doing a bit of "on board" replanning. As ever with my projects what fits nicely in the track planning software doesn't quite fit in reality. The platform area seemed too short and in trying to extend that the pointwork at the western end had to be adjusted. I think it will all fit now but time will tell. This shot looking from the western end shows the outline of the platform on board 3. The road overbridge will sit on board 2 tight up against the board join with board 3 and the station building, which will be on board 3, will have to be made removable. This should(!) disguise the board join somewhat.

post-7010-0-33118800-1504213454.jpg

After spending the best part of 3 days just laying track I am now starting to seriously doubt whether this will be in any kind of a decent state by September. Lot of work to do.

Cheers
Dave

Edited by eldavo
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After spending the best part of 3 days just laying track I am now starting to seriously doubt whether this will be in any kind of a decent state by September. Lot of work to do.

 

Cheers

Dave

 

Glad to know I am not the only member of the 'track laying is taking ages and September is coming up faster than expected' club!

 

Jealous that you are able to spend 'the best part of three days' laying track; I get two or three hours a night, at mostsad.gif

 

Keep at it,

 

George

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  • 2 weeks later...
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Last weekend I was given gardening task by the authorities so that slowed things down a bit. During the week I've spent the odd hour or two tinkering and I think I'm making progress though nowhere near enough!

As per normal I'm using the best quality materials available. Can you see what it is yet?

post-7010-0-53752200-1504213661.jpg


This is the start of work on one of the major scenic features of the layout, the road overbridge and attached station building. I started roughing things out in some old gash card from the recycling bin and now I'm undecided whether this will turn into the actual model. I originally intended to build it in plasticard but having looked at the 2mm brick sheets available I'm not convinced. I think it may end up as card with brick paper, probably custom printed in the trusty PC.

Here's the structure, as far as it is, balanced on the end of the East junction board. 2mm buildings are rather on the small side!

post-7010-0-14855300-1504213649.jpg

This shot also shows that the track has been painted and mostly ballasted. Also some detailing has started. It would all be ballasted except that one section has developed a dead short! I'm going to have to lift it and relay I think as there is nothing obviously wrong. B****r!

Here's a cruel close-up to show more of what's been done. There's obviously still some fettling and then weathering to do but it's getting there.

post-7010-0-11650300-1504213640.jpg

Cheers
Dave

Edited by eldavo
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