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North Welsh Coast Railway - Welsh Dragon Rail


Anthony Ashley
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Dear Sithlord,

 

I am unsure what I shall bring at this stage. Perhaps some more wire for trees. I have acquired a whole selection from a power distribution board manufacturer. I also have 4 more sea walls as shown on the prior page of the thread. I am very happy with the effect. I wish I could say the same about my attempts at manual switching. Perhaps the polished steel wire will do the trick. I started another tower this evening by making the battlements. Cutting the plastic piping is not very easy and you need a very sharp blade. The sawing is easier although not practical in many places. If I focus on all of the towers and cut the rest of the battlements I might hone my skills in this area.The other issue limiting castle production is the need to mould some more castle stone walls. The weather is not very conducive to such activities.

 

I have now received the three China deliveries including 310 servos and 250 extension cords, 200 terminal blocks and 400 micro switches. I expect I shall use my share by the time I am finished. I also received my Fairburn today. I now have 4 locos to run in.  I shall see you Saturday.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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I am sure I had an email from Stephen Sherwood (now deleted) stating the event on Saturday had been put back to another day. Maybe a phone call to be sure?

N Gauge Group meeting, not the casting thing that Stephen was organising which has indeed been put back. The N Gauge meeting is certainly on! It's at my place :-)

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  • 2 weeks later...

WELSH DRAGON RAIL - LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear All,

 

Progress has again been slow with problems in trying to set up the manual point control using wire and tube. I have now sorted out the correct (I hope ) wire with polished stainless steel 1 ml- I was previously using wire 1.27 ml or .97 ml galvanised iron wire. They did not work. I think I need a second person for this with one above the layout and one below is required. Those in Brisbane will probably get a call.

 

Photos of more sea walls are provided below. I have been doing something I know I can get right.

 

post-15340-0-59768500-1392713812_thumb.jpg

Sea wall added to the left of the road under the rail tracks.

 

post-15340-0-28025800-1392713830_thumb.jpg

 

Some work on the castle has been done. I need to use dremel to get rid of the excess resin and cut the gaps to fit the wall into the tower. The windows should be fairly accurate

 

post-15340-0-42961000-1392713868_thumb.jpg

 

View looking the other way. I have added the plasticard and intricate designs to the bottom of the top of the portcullis through which the rail goes.

 

All replies are welcome.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

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WELSH DRAGON RAIL - DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear All,

 

Very exciting news from my point of view, as I have been able to get a manual point work via wire and tube. I have also set up a micro switch and have achieved automatic frog polarity. 1 down and only 150 more to go for the layout.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony

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WELSH DRAGON RAIL - LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Pictures of my new lever frame and point clutch mechanism installed under a point.

 

12 lever frame. Build but not connected.

 

post-15340-0-85516300-1393071462.jpg

 

post-15340-0-61457800-1393071478.jpg

 

Point clutch for wire and tube manual point operation. The clutch has a piece of plastic between the wire and the screw, keeping a grip of the wire over the range off the point movement, but allowing movement of the wire through the clutch once the point movement has finished. This allows full movement of the lever without damaging any parts.

 

post-15340-0-43153700-1393071516_thumb.jpg

 

The lever is depressed in this photo changing the frog polarity. with the switch thrown the other way the lever will not be depressed changing the polarity.

 

post-15340-0-21961200-1393071545_thumb.jpg

 

Regards,

Anthony

 

 

 

post-15340-0-31584300-1393071574_thumb.jpg

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WELSH DRAGON RAIL - LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear Ian,

 

There are plenty more electronics where the micro switches came from!

 

More photos below as I have completed 1 tower out of 8.

 

post-15340-0-29696800-1393315637.jpg

 

Completed first tower which is the on the south east corner of the castle

 

post-15340-0-00155000-1393315655.jpg

 

aerial view of the tower showing the walkway on the inside of the battlements

 

post-15340-0-29881600-1393315683.jpg

 

Uncompleted bridge, tower and portcullis.

 

post-15340-0-90091000-1393315887.jpg

 

Tower in place with a 3MT hauling goods is front

 

Any replies are very welcome.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony

 

 

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Have to say that the tower looks really good. Better than that piece of shabby timber next to it that you've been hacking at for weeks!  :sungum:

 

This is coming on a treat. Keep posting photos - or we might have to have another meeting at your place.

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WELSH DRAGON RAIL - LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear Ian,

 

There are plenty more electronics where the micro switches came from!

 

More photos below as I have completed 1 tower out of 8.

 

attachicon.gifIMG_5809V2.jpg

 

Completed first tower which is the on the south east corner of the castle

 

attachicon.gifIMG_5810V2.jpg

 

aerial view of the tower showing the walkway on the inside of the battlements

 

attachicon.gifIMG_5808V2.jpg

 

Uncompleted bridge, tower and portcullis.

 

attachicon.gifIMG_5807V2.jpg

 

Tower in place with a 3MT hauling goods is front

 

Any replies are very welcome.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony

 

Bit disappointed you didn't model the spiral staircase inside the wall structure and the floor supports which are visible down the centre of the original :jester:

 

 

But seriously, looking really good...can't wait to see the whole castle made up in due course...

 

 

David

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WELSH DRAGON RAIL - LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

A little more work on the castle. Photos below.

 

post-15340-0-60856100-1393406165.jpg

 

Ian the wood has disappeared. Plasticard has appeared instead!

 

 

post-15340-0-75319500-1393406185.jpg

 

 

Tower with stones inscribed on the battlement.

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Anthony

Edited by Anthony Ashley
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WELSH DRAGON RAIL - LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear All,

 

I have nearly completed the section of castle wall being worked on. I still need to add dirt and vegetation at the bottom of the wall but all the stone work on the wall itself is completed.

Photos below.

 

post-15340-0-70147800-1393419672_thumb.jpg

 

post-15340-0-85086700-1393419704.jpg

 

post-15340-0-96741100-1393419752_thumb.jpg

 

post-15340-0-66383300-1393419851_thumb.jpg

 

Regards,

 

Anthony

 

 

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Dear all,

 

Can anyone tell me if the colour of the foundation stone work at post 265 is close to the prototype. I think it was originally under the foundation stonework still covering the tower to the left , but that material has deteriorated leaving the foundation stone work exposed, with dirt and rubbish partly covering it, but I am unsure. Any reply on this subject would be appreciated.

 

Regards,

Anthony

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On 26/02/2014 at 13:19, Anthony Ashley said:

Dear all,

 

Can anyone tell me if the colour of the foundation stone work at post 265 is close to the prototype. I think it was originally under the foundation stonework still covering the tower to the left , but that material has deteriorated leaving the foundation stone work exposed, with dirt and rubbish partly covering it, but I am unsure. Any reply on this subject would be appreciated.

 

Regards,

Anthony

 

Anthony,

Is this photo any help ? 

 

 

Edited by PGH
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Dear PGH,

 

Thanks for the photo. I don't have it. Of course the trouble with photos is the colour variation. That is why I wondered if any one who has been there can comment. All photos of Conwy, Penmaenmawer and Bangor are most appreciated.

Regards Anthony

 

The colours in real life are also affected by the tine of year, weather, time of day, etc., so who is to say whatever colour you actually use is not correct ?  Obviously it needs to be in the right range of shades, so for instance Devon Red Sandstone would be out, but a general grey, as you've used, looks fine to me.

 

Stu

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Dear PGH,

 

I have reviewed the photos you have provided to this thread and they are all really of outstanding quality. I have found that one photo of a part of a building  or wall may not reveal the subtleties associated with the structure. Depending on the angle of the shot, different features may be more of less apparent. Some particular features I have only seen after reviewing a number of photos of the same structure.  The photos you have provided  will faciltiate much better detail on the model and cover many areas I have not seen in any other photos. For instance the one above has a number of open areas on the right side of the castle next to the tower. I have been unable to see claerly the structures attached to the wall next to the most right placed tower. These may be the Kings toilet area, although I am not sure.  

 

Thank you again for your contribution to the layout as I am striving for accuracy, and given my location in Australia it is difficult to hop down and snap a few pictures. Mind you my wife has suggested on more than one occassion the layout is a good reason for a thorough visit to Wales!

 

Regards,

Anthony

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Stu,

 

I have a question for you. The photo below is one you posted in the thread a while ago.

 

post-15340-0-72490200-1393625826_thumb.jpg

 

How do you access the smaller tower from the interior walkway around the inside of the main tower looking over the ramparts. Does the walkway go around the small tower extension or are there 2 doors in either wall of the small tower extending the walkway through the small tower.

 

I have no photos showing this detail.

 

Thanks for your help.

Regards,

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Hi Anthony,

 

The spiral staircaise is inside the smaller diameter tower - there is a doorway onto the larger tower walkway.  Further down, there are similar doorways into each room (level) within the larger tower.

 

On some of the towers, the walkway can be accessed 360 deg; on others, the doorway only opens on to one side of the walkway, meaning you have to re-trace your path around the tower walkway to get back to the stairs.

 

Hope that makes sense,

 

Stu

 

Edit :

 

See this plan http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GmHh4Rds77M/TskrYBlnwwI/AAAAAAAACKw/1_VjJcjMBvo/s1600/CastleDiagram.jpg

 

You can just make out the spiral staircases as small cirles within the main walls.

Edited by Stubby47
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