Portsea Town

[lash]

I have messed around with model railways for years and actually built an inglenook which was a great experience. There is nothing quite like actually modelling rather than thinking about modelling and learning from your mistakes ,so many in that tiny layout I should be a genius.

 

Portsea Town will be a secondary terminus somewhere around Portsmouth or Gosport with passenger ,parcel and suitable freight traffic. Time is the early sixties with memories of waiting for my dad to come back from his London commute in the car park opposite the old signal box at Fratton. So steam and electric maybe if I can model the third rail.

 

I have adopted the discipline of limited size for “completeability†and portability so we are looking at 6ft by 1ft, a bit bigger than a micro but not much. My inspirations include Ian Futers and the wonderful and sadly missed Carl Ardent, but I suspect I want more than three turnouts for Portsea.

 

The frame for the baseboard is done and the top should go on tomorrow.

 

I have never blogged anything but RMweb is great fun and I met such a friendly crowd at the members day last year I hope I get inspiration and encouragement to make something of my ideas

[ColinW]

As someone who was born in Portsmouth, this sounds like the sort of layout I will enjoy following as it progresses. Have you designed your trackplan yet?

 

Colin

[Bibby Line]

As you said, better to try something rather than delay and get nothing built. Something i have found out for myself ! Luckily i have had a great deal of help from an esteemed RM Web Member !

 

Look forward to seeing progress, good luck.

 

Eddie

[georgeT]

Hello Lash, l too was born in Portsmouth, (Fratton in fact in 1952) so in by 1963 l was a train spotter, l remember the town station had a metal walk over bridge just outside called Jacob's ladder, and if you stood on the handrail's you could see over the wall where there was a turntable, (the circular wall is still there, but nothing else remain's), we used to get quite a bit of action with loco's being turned to take train's back out of Portsmouth & Southsea, mainly N's U's and standard's, l even remember we used to cop a western engine which came from Plymouth (l think it was something to do with the navy),

 

On school day's we used to walk to past Victoria park, about 08:15 every morning you might catch the dockyard good's train coming across the gate's holding all the rush hour traffic up going through to the town station via the park usually an M7, and if you were really lucky could cop a Q1, (Happy Days).

 

Good luck with your venture, l will be watching and dreaming of days long gone.........georgeT

Edited April 4, 2012 by georgeT

[lash]

Thank you for the encouraging comments.

George you are a bit older than me ,born 56 ,so I was too young for spotting in steam days but I have a clear memory of goods trains on the dockyard branch,

Colin as to track plan I am thinking of something like the mock up in the photos which owes quite a bit to Ian Futer’s Victoria Park. I don’t do Templot and other computer generated magic but rough ideas out on lining paper cut to baseboard size with a supply of turnouts and bits of track largely acquired at the regular toy and collectors fairs in Stafford .

Hoping to complete the baseboard tonight so must get on with it now

[ColinW]

Hi Lash,

 

looks to be interesting. In regards to your query about using third rail, Portsmouth has had third rail operation since 1937, so to set your layout in the 60's will mean you will probably want it, even if only for the mainline/passenger services and leave a goods line as being used by steam or early diesel operation.

 

Colin

[lash]

 

The scenic baseboard is complete . Very traditional 2x1 timber and 12mm chipboard top . I used plastic corner joiners , screwed and glued the top with pvc glue and added 1/8 cork stuck down with Copydex (maybe not the best choice for the job on reflection) . The basic construction is the same as I used about 30 years ago for a couple of boards that have been used and abused ,in and out of storage and are still solid and flat if a bit heavy .

 

Pictures of baseboards aren’t exactly riveting in themselves , but they do hint at endless possibilities ,which is my problem at the moment . My mind is wandering on what I can fit in , drifting away from the original simple idea and not getting on with any track laying. So with fresh determination I will keep it simple and remember Ian Futer’s wonderful layouts with 3 or 4 turnouts and the other examples on RMweb.

[Pacific231G]

At six feet, you're a bit short for Minories- that needs about three feet to a metre for the throat pointwork so wouldn't leave much for train length but John Charman's original Charford plan with an extra platform instead of the short parcels might be a candidate. That was 5'6" long. Are you looking for the "main line" to be single or double track?

[phixer64]

Looking forward, on how this goes, I currently live across the water in Gosport, and use Pompey Harbour station quite a bit.

[lash]

I have been messing about with the track design using bits of track and peco templates but I think I am there now and have pinned out the turnouts and cut track roughly to length to test it all hangs together. I think it does . Comments very welcome before I start drilling hole for point motors !

 

The idea is three platform faces of unequal lengths. At the back platform 1 will take a 3 coach dmu or emu or 4 coaches with an extension to the baseboard under what will be an overall canopy at the end . There will be an island platform with 2 faces with minimum accommodation for a 2 car emu or dmu, and again these could be extended .

 

The pics show what I have in mind but there will be two long tracks/sidings parallel with the single track main line to give the appearance of multitracks

 

It will all be in a cutting with retaining walls ( think Fratton to Portsmouth and Southsea where the line follows the old Portsmouth Canal) with a road bridge over about half way as a visual break before the platforms and the tracks disappearing under another at the far end .

 

I had a go at building a Ratio LNER latticed bracket signal kit for the end of the island platform and have got some MSE Stevens LSWR style finials to finish it off . All quite fiddly but these are still nice kits even though I think they have been around since the 70s.

 

[lash]

Busy week at work and visited the Derby exhibition yesterday so not much progress. However I realised during the week I could make the design double track without losing platform length and with not a lot of extra work, so here it is in playing trains mode.

 

And yes I realise what it looks very like but it uses different turnouts to a classic Minories , the approach curves the wrong way and loads more I’m sure. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprise that if you want to model a three platform urban terminus in a city short of land you end up with something loads of modellers have done before .

 

 

 

 

I’m still having fun building Ratio lattice signals and intend to get a little closer to insanity doing that this evening . Help in this please , were the oil lamps white , black or what ?

[lash]

Not much time for modelling with domestic and work commitments , but hopefully that will change this week and serious track laying will commence .

 

I have been amusing myself trying to make working Ratio lattice signals , very fiddly and I suspect I shouldn’t have started with a bracket involving cranks and pushing and pulling bits of wire . My sanity is just about intact.

 

I visited the toy fair in Stafford today and found myself a lovely pristine DCC ready late BR M7 ,push pull fitted and ready for the new Hornby Maunsell push pull set due out later this year. I often visit fairs and find them great for decent second hand track and electrics in particular. I love a bargain and the M7 was just £50.

Next time I will report some proper modelling and progress I hope . I am totally in awe of the rate of progress others seem to be capable of

[Guest Jim Read]

Hello Lash,

 

I hope you don't mind me pointing this out to you, I also follow the ideas of Ian Futers, one of his first ones being the use of diagonals under a baseboard. Please do try this, stand your boards on end and twist them you will be surprised how far they move. Then spend some time adding some diagonals and when the glue is dry try to twist it again, you won't be able to. Not doing this will result in a warped baseboard in a matter of a few months.

 

Cheers - Jim

[lash]

It’s been a long time since my last post and progress has been minimal but I am back in harness and have learnt a few lessons or rather relearnt a very big one ,for goodness sake keep it simple. So :

 

Forget a double track terminus and go back to my original single track plan with a double track look

Forget trying DCC, money is tight and time is precious at the moment and all my resources are better spent on the basics of completing the layout . I have everything I need for DC wiring and control without spending a penny.

Third rail can be installed later

Find some proper space to erect the layout and achieve some continuity of work

 

That’s it, no excuses . The track is laid loosely to check clearances laying wiring and some test running will commence this weekend .

 

Finally on base boards and twists, Jim you are probably correct but the board has not twisted and two boards built with similar methods in about 1984 and since used , abused, stored scraped and sanded are still perfectly true and flat. I did then and do now make sure I use decent quality timber and chipboard so maybe that has helped .

[lash]

I had checked clearances on the three platform roads and all seemed ok after a bit of jigging and jogging. I loosely pinned the track with drawing and map pins , traced the outline onto the cork track bed and marked the position of point tie bars so I could drill through the base board for point motor connections.

 

Problem, the first hole I drilled was over the central cross member , so everything is moved an inch to the left and start again

 

All ok this time and four holes are drilled and then the four points positioned and checked as one unit with appropriate live and insulate rail joiners. After a trial run the final track position was marked and then Copydex used to stick down the track. Having commented on its lack of stickiness before its great for this job and track can be gently adjusted while it dries.

Plain tracks were laid in the same way using Peco track gauges, tracksettas, rulers and pins to achieve a smooth alignment .

I even got to play trains with some temporary wiring

Next job is last bits of track laying and then wiring so that I can thoroughly check everything before painting and ballasting

[lash]

And I meant to say I had a good weekend’s work. Track laying is pretty well complete and I am quite chuffed with the results

[lash]

Here is a pic of my efforts so far with my Compton and some parcels stock I have been running with temporary wiring to check track laying. All ok so far

Pins mark the position of electric feeds and breaks, my next job

 

[Barnaby]

Coming on good Lash.

I see what you mean about the track plan and "keeping it simple" not something I follow but I am trying too.

 

Off topic a bit my aged eyes struggle with your very reduced font size, why not leave it at the normal set size?

I notice some others do it too, not sure why?

 

As the saying goes BIGGER is better.

 

Regards

[lash]

I’m using Peco switches for points and sections and thought I had loads I had picked up for very little at toy fairs only to discover I’ve about twenty passing contact switches and just one on off switch. I hate paying full price for these items and located three at a decent price on ebay so hopefully in a couple of days its all systems go with the wiring . I’m going to do the track first to get on with test running before painting rails and ballasting. Point motors can come later

 

 

In the mean time I have been checking out soldering techniques on line and putting in some practice on spare bits of track, Think I’m getting there , well at least I have now soldered wire to rails with a strong joint and no melted sleepers . Early attempts produced dry joints and a nasty smell of melting plastic. I picked up the tip of using damp cotton wool on the reail either side of the join to act as a heat sink, seems to work.

[lash]

Barnaby ,many thanks . I too have aged eyes so I hope this is better. As well as aged eyes I also have an infinite capacity to cock up anything to do with a computer, like accidently changing the font size …….

 

I just had a look at your King St Goods thread ,nice ideas, ok there’s plenty of track but it’s very compact . So in the spirit of mutual encouragement cape diem , seize the day ,get building and have fun

[lash]

Been soldering droppers to the track after a lot of practice and am really quite pleased . Not a melted sleeper in sight ( well not very ) and neat joints . I tried using flux and it made a lot of difference , the solder seemed to run onto the rail more easily meaning less contact time from the iron and less nasty stringy sticky accidents with sleepers. Cotton wool heat sinks in action too.

 

I hope to complete final joints tomorrow and see if they actually conduct electricity.

[Danemouth]

Been soldering droppers to the track after a lot of practice and am really quite pleased . Not a melted sleeper in sight ( well not very ) and neat joints . I tried using flux and it made a lot of difference , the solder seemed to run onto the rail more easily meaning less contact time from the iron and less nasty stringy sticky accidents with sleepers. Cotton wool heat sinks in action too.

 

Can I ask which flux you use please?

 

Thanks,

 

Dave

[Gruffalo]

If anyone needs switches, I bought some from Sinolec Components (just google them). Not only was it cost effective but they have a vast range and speedy service. Usual disclaimer, I have no interest in the company, they just provided me with what I needed.

[lash]

Dave, I’m using Carr’s green flux . As I said it does them job fine and I love the name, which sounds like an Elizabethan medical diagnoses only curable by the liberal use of leaches , four a day taken after meals ( and yes I know the joke is borrowed from Blackadder )

All the track droppers are in place now. One I did yesterday had to be redone as it was a dry joint .but all sorted now .

Next job is to flip the base board and complete the wiring for the tracks so I can do some comprehensive test running …..or to put it another way playing trains

[lash]

Just seen the announcement of the 2BIL from Hornby. Number one on my wish list ,now will Bachmann surprise me with a 4 COR, too much to ask I one year I suspect

 

Portsea Town may be getting its third rail sooner than I planned