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West Kirby Town: Parcels traffic has increased.


Dmudriver
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Hi all

I've been a member of RMweb for a while now and have gained a lot of useful information. So I thought it appropriate that I contribute something and as I am building a new layout, that will be it. I hope others will find this useful.

The layout is in 0 gauge and will be DCC controlled. The track layout is based very closely on West Kirby on the Wirral: West Kirby itself is electrified - third rail - and has been so since the late 1930s. The station track layout has changed (well, been simplified!) over the years, but my model will be based on the late 1970s/early 80s. As I have yet to find any models of, or kits for, Class 502s, the services will be diesel operated and there will be no 3rd rail.

Why West Kirby? I was born and bred in Liverpool and we had relatives in the Hoylake/West Kirby area, so we would go "over the water" on the train to see them. [strictly speaking, we went under the water but "over the water" was the expression used!] The track layout has always fascinated me and as the time had come for a new layout, I thought I would go for it.

Previously, I had an 0 gauge layout named "Woodside Park", (also DCC controlled) based roughly in the Birkenhead area, but the track plan had echoes of Bath Green Park. This is a photo of it:

post-7571-0-36955500-1333832161_thumb.jpg

The layout was in a 10' long shed, and ran outside, before doing a right angle turn and down towards the house to a fiddle yard. Although the outside tracks were under covers, it was very unpleasant to operate in the rain and cold and not easy in the dark. This is a photo of the shed and part of the outside track:

post-7571-0-38418500-1333832719_thumb.jpg

The shed and outside layout, having been erected up to 20 years ago, were beginning to suffer from the weather, so a decision was made to restart. I had a large collection of 0 gauge LNWR stock, as well as blue diesels, and after a lot of soul searching, decided to sell the LNWR collection to finance a new shed and a new layout. The new shed is now erected - photo:

post-7571-0-36954100-1333832629_thumb.jpg

It is 23' long x 6'6" wide outside: the track will exit at the right hand end and go down alongside the fence to a new fiddle yard. The baseboard (22' 6" x 2'9") has been erected and I've started setting out the track - checking the concept, if you like! Here are a couple of pictures to show progress so far: this is the track layout leading into the platforms (the grey card shows where the platform will be (all 8' of it!!):

post-7571-0-66110600-1333833198_thumb.jpg

The next is looking in the opposite direction (I've not cut the hole in the shed wall yet!):

post-7571-0-77022300-1333833302_thumb.jpg

Finally, when the hole is cut, this is where the outside board will go, ending at the fiddle yard:

post-7571-0-09707300-1333833404_thumb.jpg

Those who know the station and the 70s layout will notice there are 2 more sidings to the left of the platforms. The third left is to help with reversing and storage of parcels trains destined for a depot further up the line which has no access in the down direction. The 4th siding is a private siding and a preserved railway site will come back off this (away from the station). That site, though is for a later date!

Progress today has involved gluing down some of the cork underlay - I aim to do the rest tomorrow.

I'll update this thread at regular intervals, but progess will be slow by virtue of the layout's size. 22'6" x 2'9"" is a large plank!!!!

Hope this is of interest. More soon.

Rod

Edited by Dmudriver
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Just a quick update on work done today. First job was to re-check I'd made the platform long enough - I had!! It also gave me a chance to photograph some stock!! 2 pictiures here:

 

post-7571-0-72140000-1333914504_thumb.jpg

 

post-7571-0-27638200-1333914593_thumb.jpg

 

I then got on with laying the cork but found I'd not measured the track centres properly when I laid the track out and hence the cork was under width. However, that is sorted now - it's drying overnight.

 

If anyone has any comments or questions, don't hesitate to make them or ask them!! They're more than welcome.

 

Rod

Edited by Dmudriver
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Hi Rod,

 

Pity its 'O' gauge, I have a 20 year old scratchbuilt model of West Kirby in 'OO'. This was from an old project long dismantled. The trackplan is quite interesting as you say and now much rationalised more's the pity.

Best wishes for your project.

Mike

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Blimey, there's some traffic on this forum!! 5 days since I was last on and I end up on page 5!! Due to various external events - football match v Sunderland (I'm of the Blue persuasion on Merseyside!), fixing my son's washing machine and a bout of food poisoning - not much has visibly progressed.

 

However, I've had 2 electricians in to give me quotes for supplying heat, light and power to the shed; I've had 12 Tortoise motors delivered; I've measured out and drilled the holes for said motors on the baseboard; I've titivated and thoroughly checked the pointwork I've had built - and found 4 minor problems (2 continuity, 1 loose frog and 1 loose tiebar) - all due to soldered joints that weren't any more!! - all fixed with no problems other than waiting for the rain to stop so that I could run an extension cable through the garden. I've completed laying the cork in the station area so everything is ready for track laying to commence. I've also been told tonight that my signal box diagram for the layout is finished - I've just got to collect it now.

 

I don't think much will be done in the next couple of days - there's the small matter of an FA Cup Semi Final to watch and recover from, together with route learning on the extension on the Llangollen Railway (all 1 mile of it!!) but I've got to be able to sign it for the DMU Gala in June. Any work in the time left will consist of wiring up the Tortoise motors.

 

No photos today - I don't think holes in a baseboard are that interesting!!

 

Back soon. One thing about starting a thread like this is that it gives you some incentive to make sure things keep progressing on the layout, so more will be done and reported on next week.

 

Rod

Edited by Dmudriver
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  • RMweb Gold

there's the small matter of an FA Cup Semi Final to watch and recover from

 

My son was lucky enough to get a ticket, he's off to London as I type, and he's a blue too

 

Looking forward to seeing the diagram.

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A bit more progress this weekend. I took delivery of the signal box diagram today and I am absolutely over the moon about it. Here's a picture of it:

 

post-7571-0-57266200-1334520656_thumb.jpg

 

It's obviously not West Kirby, but a close replica and was drawn for my model. I'll get it framed locally this week, all being well.

 

After the disappointment of the result on Saturday, I needed something to lift my spirits a bit so I set about glueing some track down. I've laid, referring to the photo above, Siding 1, Down siding and Private siding, together with point 27 and the cross over to the private siding: these points will be operated by lever 23, in spite of the notification on the diagram!!

 

I've not photographed this track yet as you can't actually see much progress. Once it's all laid, I'll photograph it.

 

All for now, more soon.

 

Rod

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Very nice, I can't say I was disappointed by the result though, although my son was very unhappy. (I didn't say I was a blue!)

 

Hi beast. That just shows how the written word can be interpreted different ways. I read your original comment to mean you weren't interested in football, full stop. Now it turns out you're of the red persuasion!! At least that's how I interpret this last message!! I hope you were sympathetic to your son!!!!

 

More on the layout soon!

 

Rod

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  • 2 weeks later...

Evening all.

 

Over a week since I posted anything, but I've got some work done, so here's an update. The track in the station area is now all laid - I've glued it down with PVA. I've used track pins before, but not this time.

 

This is a photo looking towards the buffer stops:

 

post-7571-0-15147400-1335305916_thumb.jpg

 

And one looking away - the sidings are laid to main line standards!!

 

post-7571-0-24945700-1335306146_thumb.jpg

 

I've started fitting the bus bars for the DCC power and have drilled the holes for the dropper wires. The Tortoise motors are not fitted yet as I need to get some stronger wire to move the point blades!! I've also started laying the cork base for the track away from the station to the trailing crossover and to the exit from the shed - but the hole's not cut yet!!

 

I've collected the control panel from the sign maker and here are a couple of photos:

 

post-7571-0-53644500-1335306339_thumb.jpg

 

post-7571-0-25427200-1335306455_thumb.jpg A friend is building me an enclosure for it.

 

Finally, the signal box diagram has been framed and is now hanging above the layout! A couple more photos:

 

post-7571-0-29532300-1335306587_thumb.jpg

 

post-7571-0-87383100-1335306654_thumb.jpg

 

The picture framers were quite bemused, having never seen a signal box diagram before - even more so when I told them I was going to hang it in the shed!!

 

That's it for now. Hope to get more done this week, will update when I have.

 

As before, comments and/or questions always welcome.

 

Rod

Edited by Dmudriver
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So - some questions.

 

The old layout ran out of the shed around the garden and you found it uncomfortable operating in the rain and cold. The new layout runs out of the shed to a fiddle yard. How are you going to enjoy this new variant in the rain and the cold? Especially as it appears the fiddle yard is so far away that you will need to rely on the electrics to tell you where the stock is? Is it not possible to run the track outside around a loop and back into the shed to an indoor fiddle yard?

 

Liking what you have done so far though. Wish I had the room. Oh, wait, yes I have the room but I work in it!!!!!

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So - some questions.

 

The old layout ran out of the shed around the garden and you found it uncomfortable operating in the rain and cold. The new layout runs out of the shed to a fiddle yard. How are you going to enjoy this new variant in the rain and the cold? Especially as it appears the fiddle yard is so far away that you will need to rely on the electrics to tell you where the stock is? Is it not possible to run the track outside around a loop and back into the shed to an indoor fiddle yard?

 

Liking what you have done so far though. Wish I had the room. Oh, wait, yes I have the room but I work in it!!!!!

 

Hi artizen. Thanks for the reply. The main advantage of the new shed is that I'll have more of the layout in the shed so I can operate station shunting manoeuvres. I'll have covers over the outside track (more substantial than the original ones). Also, because I'll be using mainly DMUs and a push-pull steam set and the fiddle yard points will be operated from the shed, I won't need to go out of the shed to store and/or reverse them. The track length from shed to house is about 22' (including 9' fiddle yard) so I'll be able to see down the track from the end window in the shed and I am thinking about putting lights in the fiddle yard any way. Loco hauled stock will be more of a problem, I admit but, as I say, I can still shunt in station limits. As the prevailing wind comes from over the right hand fence I could add an extra roof to cover me, but I'll look at that possibility later.

 

Add to that I've loads of scenery work to do - I've resisted the temptation to fill the available space with track - so that will keep me occupied when I can't get outside.

 

I'd love to have a loop out in the garden back into an inside fiddle yard: the garden would accomodate it physically but it would take up 50% of the space and I don't want to go that far. Apart from which, as the garden slopes down towards the house, the track would be about 6' above ground level and would cut right across the outlook from the dining room window - I'd look out at the garden underneath it!! So I'll stick with the track down the fence line and see how things go!

 

Glad you like it so far. I'll add more in a few days.

 

Rod

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Hi all. Just a brief update. The electrician's in the shed doing the electrics, so I've not done anything on the layout today. Nor will I be doing anything for a few days as I'm out and about - including operating on Oldham King Street Parcels at Liverpool show on Sunday!

 

The enclosure for the control panel is complete and delivered but I couldn't get a decent picture of it. That will have to wait for a few days. Back soon.

 

Rod

 

PS Here are a couple of photos of a possible layout for the preseved railway yard - using used Peco points and track - got to keep the spirit of preservation going!!

 

post-7571-0-90264500-1335564269_thumb.jpg

 

post-7571-0-93209100-1335564328_thumb.jpg

Edited by Dmudriver
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Another O gauge outsider good man will follow this topic with interest. Am surprised you have'nt insultated your new shed though - I have lined minewith kingspan insultation board and finished it off with plysheeting including the floor area - it really does make one hell of a difference, but know how it is ,once the sheds up the layout has to be built, !!!!!

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Hi all. Just a brief update. The electrician's in the shed doing the electrics, so I've not done anything on the layout today. Nor will I be doing anything for a few days as I'm out and about - including operating on Oldham King Street Parcels at Liverpool show on Sunday!

 

The enclosure for the control panel is complete and delivered but I couldn't get a decent picture of it. That will have to wait for a few days. Back soon.

 

Rod

 

PS Here are a couple of photos of a possible layout for the preseved railway yard - using used Peco points and track - got to keep the spirit of preservation going!!

 

post-7571-0-90264500-1335564269_thumb.jpg

 

post-7571-0-93209100-1335564328_thumb.jpg

You could always have the preservation people re-open the joint line back to Hooton..... :locomotive:

JF

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Another O gauge outsider good man will follow this topic with interest. Am surprised you have'nt insultated your new shed though - I have lined minewith kingspan insultation board and finished it off with plysheeting including the floor area - it really does make one hell of a difference, but know how it is ,once the sheds up the layout has to be built, !!!!!

 

 

Hi gismorail. I agree there's always the desire to get the track down quickly and I don't deny I had that desire but I did actually give a lot of thought to "to insulate or not to insulate" between ordering the shed and it being delivered and built. I went on a number of shed building sites, Googled "insulation in sheds" and ended up on some forums for gardeners and others who use sheds. Opinion seemed to be divided roughly 50/50. Those who didn't either did nothing at all, or used dehumidifiers or heaters. So, on the basis of cost and previous experience, I decided not to.

 

I started pricing up insulating materials and the price was getting rather high (it's a big shed!!) and the money I had (and still have) is limited. My previous shed hadn't really caused any problems: it was ventilated and I had a heater for when I wanted to work in it. It was waterproof and nothing got damp in it. OK, I got the usual spiders galore and the occasional beginnings of a wasps' nest and the track would need a quick wipe over with a track rubber, but nothing that caused me any problems. I had the floor carpeted in the old one (scrap bits not Axminster!!) and am going to put carpet tiles and underlay in this one. I've got a dehumidifier and a heater in mind as fallbacks if necessary. The new one doesn't have ventilators, but there is a slight airflow through it (no, that doesn't mean it's very draughty!!) so I'll stick with it. Time will tell!!

 

What is your layout going to be? How big is your shed?

 

Rod

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all. It's been a week since Ive posted and I don't seem to have done much on the layout, with other things cropping up. Including coming out of retirement after 9 years to do a couple of days' work!! Voluntary, but I proved to myself I can still do it!! However, the electrician has been in and i've now got decent fluorescent lights and plenty of sockets, together with an MCB board in the shed and a new MCB/RCD board in the house.

 

I have now got the control panel fitted to the edge of the base board under the signal diagram: the panel numbers correspond to the point and signal numbers on the diagram. Photo here: (This was taken through the window!!)

 

post-7571-0-10048200-1336341874_thumb.jpg

 

The front of the control panel hinges down so that I can get at the switches for wiring. Picture here:

 

post-7571-0-45987600-1336342007_thumb.jpg

 

I've done some work under the board, adding a leg and taking away some of the horizontal support so that I can get a Tortoise point motor and a couple of signals, with servos, in place. Most of today's work has been fine tuning the pointwork, which I had made for me. Heljan wheels - even reprofiled - and 31.5 mm gauge track don't go together too well, so I've been sorting out a few tight spots, etc. I took a picture tonight of the shed with the new lights on: they really are good - right over the layout and out of my eyeline when I'm standing in front of it.

 

post-7571-0-07721800-1336342409_thumb.jpg

 

Hope to get more done this week, starting tomorrow, but after I've been to the club room to finish wiring up some Tortoise motors we've just fitted, ready for the club night running session tomorrow evening.

 

Rod

 

Edit: PS The upside-down coach is missing a bogie - that's being used to test the pointwork!! Also on the board is a Heljan axle, also being used to test the pointwork, but it's not easy to see!!

Edited by Dmudriver
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Hi Rod,

 

just caught up with your project - very interesting as it was one of the station layouts that we at Wirral OGG considered for our next project, we have settled on New Brighton 1950s/70s and again like you, no third rail and no curve in the platform.

 

We have a 38' x 15' four track continuous run 'test track' with the outer pair of lines wired for DC and the inner pair for DCC. It is our intention to have 'New Brighton' to run off of the DCC lines into the centre of the layout, thus taking up no additional floorspace in the Cub room, but to also make two additional boards which would include the sand sidings plus an 8' traverser type fiddle yard which would then form a terminus layout for us to take out to exhibitions.

 

Good luck with your project, I'm looking forward to the progress reports.

 

cheers

 

Mike

Edited by Ressaldar
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Hi Rod,

 

Just a quick note to say how much I am enjoying your thread and looking forward to the updates, I model the Western region in the 50's but anything 7mm grabs my attention. My layout is still at the planning stage and will just manage to fit a continuous loop in the space I have and still manage to keep to a minimum radius of 6ft, thanks to a good friend of mine who's a dab hand at Templot.

 

Although I will not have any stock made by Heljan it's interesting to know their wheels are a bit tight through the turnouts, as I will also be building my turnouts to 31.5mm and may have to reprofile some of my stock. Keep up the good work.

 

ATB,

 

Martyn.

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Hi Rod,

 

just caught up with your project - very interesting as it was one of the station layouts that we at Wirral OGG considered for our next project, we have settled on New Brighton 1950s/70s and again like you, no third rail and no curve in the platform.

 

We have a 38' x 15' four track continuous run 'test track' with the outer pair of lines wired for DC and the inner pair for DCC. It is our intention to have 'New Brighton' to run off of the DCC lines into the centre of the layout, thus taking up no additional floorspace in the Cub room, but to also make two additional boards which would include the sand sidings plus an 8' traverser type fiddle yard which would then form a terminus layout for us to take out to exhibitions.

 

Good luck with your project, I'm looking forward to the progress reports.

 

cheers

 

Mike

Hi Mike

 

Can you let me know when the club will be starting the open days: I'd like to see the layout - and to run on a continuous DCC layout. I see from the Guild News magazine that you're in a new clubroom: is the decorating finished yet?

 

Do you ever come over to Preston Group's Open Days?

 

Rod

Edited by Dmudriver
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Hi Rod,

 

Just a quick note to say how much I am enjoying your thread and looking forward to the updates, I model the Western region in the 50's but anything 7mm grabs my attention. My layout is still at the planning stage and will just manage to fit a continuous loop in the space I have and still manage to keep to a minimum radius of 6ft, thanks to a good friend of mine who's a dab hand at Templot.

 

Although I will not have any stock made by Heljan it's interesting to know their wheels are a bit tight through the turnouts, as I will also be building my turnouts to 31.5mm and may have to reprofile some of my stock. Keep up the good work.

 

ATB,

 

Martyn.

Hi Martyn.

 

About the Heljan wheels and 31.5 mm track. I started a short thread some time ago. The link is here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/50489-Heljan-loco-wheels-for-315mm-gauge-track/page__fromsearch__1

 

There's also an article in the May 2012 edition of the Gauge 0 Guild Gazette: it's written by Jim Snowdon who I think is a regular on the Guild forum. I've certainly seen posts from him on this subject.

 

Rod

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Hi Mike

 

Can you let me know when the club will be starting the open days: I'd like to see the layout - and to run on a continuous DCC layout. I see from the Guild News magazine that you're in a new cubroom: is the decorating finished yet?

 

Do you ever come over to Preston Group's Open Days?

 

Rod

 

Hi Rod,

 

I will certainly let you know, it should not be too long now

 

post-6951-0-81754400-1336415584.jpg

 

we have finished the decorating, just waiting for the landlord to complete a few things then we will be posting notices.

 

I have not been to Preston for some time now, but other members of the Group are regular visitors, so they will also pass on information about our open days.

 

cheers

 

Mike

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Hi Rod,

 

It is a small world, Richard owner of Heyside is a good friend of mine and I was fortunate enough last year to see and try to operate his layout myself.

 

I notice on reading Jim's article that Heljan seem to have sorted the problem now and I am not surprised being that their back to back was only 28.5mm, so maybe for all those folk who have not got the use of a lathe they might get away with just opening up the back to back if there is enough length on the axle.

 

Like I said I am still at the planning stage at present but it's good to be forewarned of any possible hiccups along the way :) .

 

ATB,

 

Martyn.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all. I've made progress of sorts, but my garden is being landscaped, so getting to the shed isn't that easy!! Plus things like driving trains on 12" : 1ft and 7mm : 1 ft, going to the last PL game of the season, have meant that not much progress has been made. Some has, however: I've now laid the trailing crossover on the approach to the station. Photos here:

 

post-7571-0-94784600-1337119143_thumb.jpg

 

post-7571-0-41077300-1337119200_thumb.jpg

 

The second one shows where the hole through the wall will be: cutting due in the next few days.

 

I've taken delivery of a new DMU: photo here:

 

post-7571-0-65797400-1337119478_thumb.jpg

 

Built for me by a friend, Dave Hampson (of Oldham King St Parcels fame). Still a few things to do - the most obvious being handrails on the cab fronts and destination blinds. I am well pleased with it.

 

It does raise a question, however, that I wonder if anyone could answer. Would diesels have been allowed to run in the Mersey Tunnels on a regular basis? If not, it'll have to go to Chester (via a cut-off at Birkenhead Central - change for Liverpool!) Maybe even Manchester!

 

More soon. Rod

Edited by Dmudriver
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