Beer & Branscombe

[P.C.M]

Hi Rick,

Looking good, it looks like you will have plenty of shunting and loco moves to keep you busy. 

 

What are the coaches behind the Ivatt ?

 

Cheers Peter.

[Gwiwer]

Thanks Peter.

 

The coaches behind the Ivatt tank are a pair of Hornby Maunsells in a rather unauthentic (to my mind) shade of green.  I have three in total forming a representation of a typical set used by the SR.

 

There should indeed be enough shunting to keep me and any onlookers occupied.  I can see that loco-release being quite well used provided I can guarantee a level baseboard to prevent the coaching stock rolling!   Uncoupling would also need to be arranged.  I have in mind to perhaps fit a suitable device concealed in the four-foot.  

 

Large steam locos will not have couplers on the leading end and as there is no turntable they will have to shunt off scene to turn adding to the moves.  Most of my tanks are already coupler-fitted at both ends.

[P.C.M]

Thanks Rick,

I think the early Bachmann Bulleid coaches were the wrong green too. The Maunsells do look like a good model though. 

 

Have you thought about using Kadee's for auto uncoupling?

 

Cheers Peter.

[TT3]

Now that's progress, are you planning on exhibiting this new layout? Would be good to see something new out and about.

[Gwiwer]

I agree on the Bulleids also.  It seems to be something of a holy grail for manufacturers to produce the right green (and remembering the shade also varied over many years) for SR stock.  The best representation I have is the Kernow 2H 'thumper" unit closely matched by the 4Cep units which also came from Bachmann.  Which makes it a frustration that they can't get the Mk1 carriage livery anywhere near right nor the earlier Bulleid shade.

 

Hornby repeated the Maunsell colour error on the 2Bil.  Both are too blue.

 

Kadees are a possibility for this layout as there won't be much - if any - overlap of traction between the layouts.  I can always have locos and lead coaches fitted with Kadees and retain hook and loop down the train if needs be.  I'd need a Kadee which could cope with train-set curves; as you can see the run-off is something like a second radius job on the inner (up) track.

[Gwiwer]

Now that's progress, are you planning on exhibiting this new layout? Would be good to see something new out and about.

 

Hi - I do hope that this layout will be finished to exhibition standards and that in due course it may be invited to at least one or two of the major events.  We are probably talking three years from now before it's in a position to offer but if progress is as good as it has been in recent months I might get that down to two.

 

Two technical aspects continue to exercise my mind.  One is how to achieve realistic power pick-up from a conductor rail for SR third-rail stock and the other is how to operate semaphore signals with a board join effectively preventing wire-in-tube from a single control point.  

 

For the former I'm working on various options including copper tape connections beneath the rolling stock and a phosphor-bronze pick-up shoe; for the signals I'm waiting to see what Dapol offer in their motored range as the Ration "working" kits are too fragile when built to withstand much actual use.  All the points are electrically powered with plug-in connections across the board join - that bit is easy!

[Gwiwer]

 Moving this build along slowly but surely I had the two boards inverted today and added some green paint though there wasn't quite enough in the tin to finish the job 



This is all underneath so doesn't have to look perfect but I have tried to keep the wiring fairly organised this time.



I have also managed to rationalise the tangle of wires beneath the station approach point work by shortening everything to a more manageable length including re-soldering some joints as required.



All the numbers refer to the matching turnout which will be numbered on the lever frame and signalling diagram.  Those marked with A and B are wired to co-act as pairs; this includes the loco-release crossover and the trap points and matching access points which can only be used together - I cannot set a route through a trap point without also setting the correct route beyond the trap.

 

 

The two boards are still at this stage joined temporarily with long screws but holes have been bored out today for DCC concepts alignment dowels which will align the tow boards perfectly in the future.  The permanent fixing between them has yet to be decided as they have to remain demountable if the layout is to be offered for exhibition.

[DougN]

Looking good there Rick. I think that the overall painting of the layout stabilises the timber and the chip board. It also makes the scenic work quicker as the glues don't soak into the timber underneath which will mean you use less glue.

[Gwiwer]

In my opinion paint on the "top deck" is a mixed blessing Doug as any glues only then stick your work to the veneer of paint and not to the more solid timber beneath it but there's merit in both approaches.

[cromptonnut]

Just catching up and liking the idea of the two L shaped pieces of card to cover the point motor hole - so obvious yet I've never thought of it, I've usually ended up cutting card about 10 times to make it fit properly.

 

Something for the next time I use Peco point motors, that's for sure.

[Gwiwer]

Just dropping in to place a few notes on record.

 

This project has not progressed so far during 2014 for a number of reasons but is still - in the words of our major manufacturers - "awaiting a production slot".

 

The existing layout Penhayle Bay which it was intended to partially replace with the Beer & Branscombe project is likely to be around in its present form for another year or three yet as it is still proving immensely popular with myself, with the modelling community and with friends who otherwise have no interest in such things.  It will reach its tenth anniversary (of the first boards going in and shuttle trains being run on them) next year.  As such it would seem like an act of wanton destruction to start cutting it up now.

 

That means Beer has no permanent home for the time being and the existing temporary storage racks are just that - temporary.  They are not suitable for permanent storage of a layout with wiring and scenery added and it still has nowhere to be set up and run.  I can adjust the racks to improve access but that will still not improve the working environment for construction and will not allow the land to be built up.

 

I have to investigate a number of technical steps none of which should be particularly difficult but all of which will add to the time and cost.  Live third rail is one - trials so far have been inconclusive and I haven't had time to set up the next stage.  Auto-uncouplers in the terminal roads are desirable and it seems that these work best matched with kadee couplers so there might be a need to coupler-change an amount of rolling stock.  That will also mean it becomes incompatible with the larger part of my collection though again that is not an insuperable problem.

 

Once I can erect and connect the boards in a satisfactory manner I need to check why there seems to be shorting across some points - the favoured option is to reverse the frog polarity which isn't hard but does need the full layout to be up and tested rather than attempted piecemeal point by point.

 

I can assure everyone that there is a good deal of "Stuff" here ready and waiting to go once storage and electrical matters are resolved.  The workroom feels rather like a kit of parts waiting to be assembled if only a couple of pieces were already in place.

[Gwiwer]

This project is now officially stalled.  

 

It is however still going to be built as I am too far advanced and too financially committed to abandon it.  Plus I want to see it built as much as anyone else.

 

Owing to a number of other commitments, financial, personal and otherwise, it is unlikely any further work will now take place until November this year but I have in the past few days powered up the tracks and run a few test moves to ensure all is well.  It is, although the track could have done with a clean first!

[P.C.M]

Sorry to hear that Rick, Hope all is well and it's just a momentary halt in proceedings.

 

All the Best Peter.

[Gwiwer]

Thanks Peter.

 

Yes I regard this as a temporary halt, or an extended pause, in proceedings.

 

There are numerous factors which have brought this about.

 

Despite good early progress - as you would know the track is all down and powered movements have been made - the layout still lacks a suitable home.  It was intended from the outset to be fitted where sections of Penhayle Bay would have to be removed as that aged.  Penhayle Bay has not aged as quickly nor as badly as I had anticipated and still has a lot of interest being shown in it.  I have therefore made every effort to keep it in good order and it looks as though it may have several more years life in its present form.

 

It may now prove to be the age of the garden fence which determines the ultimate closure of Penhayle Bay.  It's showing signs of age (as is the Laserlite roof over the layout) and if the neighbour wants it fixed we have no choice.  It would be possible, but difficult and potentially damaging, to rebuild the fence with the layout in situ.  But it is more likely that it would have to be removed.  If that happens I would take it apart in such a way as to keep the better scenes in some form.

 

My personal circumstances after medical treatment five years ago meant I have never been able to return to full-time work.  That has had an effect on the modelling budget and specifically on the ability to build the Beer & Branscombe control panel.  All the wiring is done on the boards however including power feeds for the yet-to-be-installed third rails.

 

I shall also be back in the UK for several months in the later part of the year and the entire modelling area will be packed up and sheeted over until I return.  

 

As no work has taken place on the new boards since they were shown at the last Penhayle Bay open day I have taken the decision that they will be carefully wrapped and stored until I am ready to use them at some future time rather than leave them exposed outside for several more months doing nothing.

[P.C.M]

Hi Rick,

I think while Penhayle Bay is still in good condition and working well taking it down would be real pity. 

Having done a few fences back in the day it might be ok depending on what side  the pailings are on. If you have the posts and rails on your side you should be ok. Even then if not you can ask next door to swap and they can have the good side. If you know what I mean.

 

Cheers Peter,

[Gwiwer]

The posts are our side Peter.   The layout is resting on the railings in places.

 

 

 

while Penhayle Bay is still in good condition and working well taking it down would be real pity. 

 

That is the message I am getting across the board.  Next year marks the tenth anniversary of construction starting.  I had thought that ten years outdoors might be the best case scenario but it looks as though there's rather more life in the layout than that.

[Gwiwer]

It's been nine months since I visited this topic.

 

The boards remain in good order and are stored on racks in the layout area.  Currently they get used as shelves to accommodate the plastic rolling stock boxes required for Penhayle Bay when that is in operation.  It saves parking them on the ground!

 

As the majority of everything required is already purchased other than the frame and controller I still intend to proceed with this at some future time.  Resin buildings, kits and rolling stock are stored in the workroom, there's plenty of foam blocks on hand to build the land and I've tinkered from time to time with how to power from a live third rail.  

 

So far as I can tell the track and wiring remains in good order though the rails would now need a good clean before use!  

 

Penhayle Bay shows no signs of waning popularity, though the woodwork and scenery is ageing, and I also have a small N-gauge project in build for the RMweb / SWAG Member's Day at the end of April.  I'll keep this topic on the back-burner until Beer & Branscombe has a home and becomes a work actually in progress once more.