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North Welsh Coast Railway - Welsh Dragon Rail


Anthony Ashley
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  • RMweb Gold

 

 

Stu I shall have a look at your videos tonight and hope to learn a great deal form them. I have only created the switchboards to date but have not tested them with running anything. I intend to buy the full TC Gold program eventually, but given sojourn in Sydney intended to leave it until I get back..

 

Hi Anthony

 

I hadnt realised that you had a much fuller description of your project on this forum........I am looking forward to catching up by reading all the back pages.

 

Nor had I realised how far you had advanced with your RR&Co switchboard........it looks very impressive.

 

It makes sense not to actually buy the software until you are back from Sydney but could I suggest that it is a perfect time to start the learning curve by setting up a schedule and testing it using the simulator..........something you can do in the evening when you want a break from making the buildings!

 

The more you can learn about TC before the wiring is finalised then the easier life will be.  With a layout that size I imagine finding space for a profiling track will not be too difficult.......have you given any thought to this?

 

Kind Regards from Vancouver

 

John

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Dear John,

 

Thank you for your comments and interest. I thought the profiling track could be the lowest section of the Conwy goods area as shown on the diagram below. The piece of track is marked CG 37.

 

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Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi Anthony

 

CG37 will be fine for the DCC Programming Track but not for the RR&Co Profiling Track. For that you will need 3 contiguous (ie no intervening gaps or turnouts) detected blocks. The track must be level and ideally straight. The start and finish blocks should be about 2' long......the centre profiling block at least 4' long and ideally longer (mine is 6')..........edited: Just realised these distances are for an 00 layout.......I guess you could halve them for N gauge

 

It can either be part of the layout or a separate run but it does need to be both accessible and visible.

 

To ensure accurate stopping each loco must be profiled......you can read about it in the manual 3.5 Page 118

 

I mention it now because its far easier to set up now in the planning stage than retro fit.......as I did

 

Kind Regards

 

John

Edited by john dew
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Dear John,

 

You are correct. I had identified the programming track. Given your advice which is always spot on I shall hunt around the layout wiring track and identify an area for the profiling track. I shall add the relevant section of the plan to a reply once identified. Thanks again for the assistance as I may need to adjust my blocks.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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Dear John,

 

I have identified the appropriate profiling area. It comprises the bottom of the hidden loop level with most of the scenic track but hidden by hills and mountains. The plan below is the section which I have rotated clockwise.

 

This area of track should be little used. The stretch of track is flexi track with no points or junctions consisting of 3 blocks with a minimum of 6 feet in length. This should fit the bill. Thanks for the tips.

 

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Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

Profiling track.docx

Profiling track.pdf

Edited by Anthony Ashley
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  • RMweb Gold

Good Morning Anthony

 

I am afraid I am a poor correspondent.......I had the wrong update on my "follow topic" set up.......and the time difference doesnt help

 

They look fine provided the centre profiling block is straight and subject to the caveat about visibility and accessibility.

 

Juergen Freiwald has simplified the process but it still takes about 30 minutes per loco and is mind numbingly boring.......I find the best antidote is a glass of red wine and some cool jazz! 

 

At the completion of the profile you have to carry out a series of brake tests which is another reason for visibility and accessibility..

 

Regards.

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Dear John,

 

Thanks for the comments. I shall have about 50 locos to profile once I get organised so that may take quite a while.. Progress is unfortunately very slow in Sydney.

 

I have been assisting with another layout by the name of Tootinbec Motive Power Depot. It is fictitious and set in the UK. Era is dependent of the locos running. It will also have an engine shed,

a station and a quay. It is basically an oval comprising a main line. A branch Line off it. On the right of the layout on an approximately 12 foot board, joining into the right end of the layout is the main station. Joining onto the left side of the oval on another board yet to be constructed (about 12 feet long) will be a quay. There is branch line station and a motor depot. Some photos below on our attempts to add scenery at the loco shed.

 

We spent the last 2 days adding scenic effects in front of the engine shed and tried to ballast some lines at the rear of the layout. 

 

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Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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Edited by Anthony Ashley
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WELSH DRAGON RAIL - LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear All,

 

Finally finished the George and dragon Pub minus the sign which I have designed but not yet printed. It is the pub in Conwy in Castle. The actual pub is in the photo below. OI apologise for the quality of the photos but my good camera is in Brisbane.

 

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Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

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Edited by Anthony Ashley
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Dear Simon,

 

Thanks for the positive comment. I am happier that I Have managed to workout my second camera and take some in focus photos. I am working on the Tootinbec layout again this weekend and should have lots of great photos showing the development of that layout. Probably more ballasting and hopefully an area requiring some earth colours from woodland scenic overlaid with more engine filth!!

 

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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TOOTINBEC MOTOR POWER DEPOT LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear All,

 

A busy weekend at Tootinbec with Mark. This is a OO gauge layout and provides a different aspect of the hobby from the N gauge layot I have in Brisbane. We focussed on finishing the ballasting at the back of the layout. We also finished creating a texture for the engine shed area using a powder called filth. This was attached using PVA and then sprayed with an air gun to change the colour from a green to a dark grey. Photos are below.

 

Various views of the engine shed

 

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Regards,

 

anthony

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Edited by Anthony Ashley
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Hi Anthony - been away for a while...

 

Seems you are plodding on with your layout and it looks great - such space!!!!

 

Picking up John Drew's comments on Profiling in T/C - there is a video on my site showing it's setup and operation - yawn yawn.  The profile per engine is saved within T/C so remember to save the program after each completion.

 

Happy modeling..

 

Stu

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dear Stu,

 

Thanks for the above video. It is very informative and I shall use it when I start profiling my locos.

 

I have been helping with the OO gauge layout Tootinbec last week end. We completed shaping and painting some mounds at the back of the layout against the back scene. We also painted a concreted area after using card as the base. We then weathered the sides of rails. next rip will be much more exciting with considerable progress on visible scenic.

 

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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  • 2 weeks later...

TOOTINBEC MOTOR POWER DEPOT LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

PLEASE NOTE THE PHOTOS BELOW ARE NOT OF MY N GAUGE LAYOUT BUT OF TOOTINBEC, A OO GAUGE LAYOUT I AM HELPING TO BUILD WHILE RESIDIING IN SYDNEY

 

We worked on the Tootinbec layout last night completing a range of scenic tasks. The mayor development was adding flok to the mound against the back scene and the concreted section in the depot area. Photos are below.

 

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I am not happy with the quality of the photos and will get my better camera from Brisbane for future efforts.

Rgards,

Anthony Ashley

 

 
 

Edited by Anthony Ashley
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WELSH DRAGON RAIL

 

I have spent the day sorting elevations for the bottom of the layout. My plan with heights marked are shown with a photo of the area to show you the area to be modelled. All comments are appreciated. All of the elevations have now been calculated. The maximum height is approx 1.1 metres above the base board height the furthest distance from the viaduct.

Photos are below.

 

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I am after another 90 MK1 maroon BR coaches including SK, BSK, CK and BG. If anyone knows of a good second hand supply I am interested in knowing.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

Edited by Anthony Ashley
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  • 2 weeks later...

TOOTINBEC MOTOR POWER DEPOT LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

I have done some  more work on the OO layout in Sydney. Please be aware this is not my Welsh Dragon Rail layout set in the north Welsh coast.

Photos are below taken with my new I Phone 6. It does a much better job then the small camera I have been using in Sydney.

 

The engine shed with ash piles in evidence.

 

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Crane and refuelling area

 

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Locos at the entrance to the engine shed

 

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Diesel power depot

 

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Other end of the engine shed

 

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DMU Shed with concrete base

 

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Storage Area

 

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Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

 

 

 

 

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TOOTINBEC MOTOR POWER DEPOT LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Further photos on the Sydney OO gauge layout I am assisting with. Welsh Dragon Rail is taking an extended break. I am back to Brisbane at the end of Jul. The photos were taken with my better camera.

 

All of the photos are on the back scene area.

 

An unidentified loco on the right and a DMU on the left

 

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A Fowler 2-8-0 with mermaids containing ballast.

 

 

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Anthony

 

the pedestrian bridge is going to be a challenge in any scale, but my approach would be etched brass.  I suspect I would make the deck and side fences from a single piece (if you can, I guess it is less than 400mm long?) and add the hangers from wire and the cross girders below from etched "U" channel.

 

This leaves the chains which might also be reasonably etched.

 

I suspect I would want to build the whole thing on a jig, and would want to solder the etchings to foundation plates at each end - these could then be dropped into the towers, perhaps.

 

an alternative would be to 3D print the thing, (possibly including the towers) but to get the kind of delicacy you would want (and the size) might prove rather expensive - maybe the thick end of £500

 

either way, you'll need CAD of the bridge.

 

HTH

Simon

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Dear Simon,

 

Thanks very much for your reply. The bridge in the photo above on the left will be about 900ml long. I think the base will probably be a bar of aluminium or steel. Given the length it will need to be quite strong. I thought the rails and diamond shape mesh should be a brass etch. The vertical cables will be very thin wire which I can solder to the etched hand rails. Simon I am not sure which part are cross girders you mentioned above. Can you please explain which piece you are talking about.It looks as if the vertical cables go through the drooping top supports. I am not sure what to make those long drooping supports at the top of the bridge from. Can any one advise. If possible I should get a material that can be drilled through to poke the vertical supports through. The supports at the very bottom of the bridge will probably be made from thin wood, as I think the cables go all the way through the bottom supports.

 

Any further ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

 

Anthony Ashley

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Anthony,

 

the bottom supports to which you refer appear to be a wide-ish, square-ish "U" channel, open side down. These are the cross girders that I meant. Each one is suspended from the chains by a pair of the vertical rods, and the bridge deck rests on them.

 

I'm not sure that using steel for the deck would be a good plan. If you can do etching or can get it done, the fences and deck will fold up to form a U channel which will be both light and stiff (you don't need "strong", you need "stiff"!), particularly if you solder thin wire along the top of the fences to simulate the handrails.

 

I think the chains will be the challenge, but if you can get them etched so that they can be laminated with holes through which the vertical rods can pass, you can line everything up, and then just tack solder the rods, and nip off the ends.

 

HTH

Simon

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Dear Simon,

 

Thanks for the second reply. I shall have to see what I can find by way of etching. I think the wire I use for the vertical supports will be very thin. I have worked out that there needs to be one every 10 ml. That is a lot of rods!!! The whole bridge is going to be difficult. The tubular bridge was relatively easy, but I should add a little more detail to it.

 

Thanks again for your comments they are greatly appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

Edited by Anthony Ashley
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The chains appear to be square in section so could you use some type of plastic strips (eg Styrene 2 mm by 1 mm?)  The joins could be 3D printed as a hollow box section then threaded on and glued in place.  The top steel rope could perhaps be guitar string again with 3D printed pieces threaded onto it.  You can get a wound guitar string of 0.022 inch gauge.

 

Good luck

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WELSH DRAGON RAIL - LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Jon,

 

Thanks for the great reply. I think the styrene strips are the way to go for the hanging supports at the top of the structure with guitar strings on the top level. Using a 3d printed shape for the "buckle" areas is also a great idea as I can match the size of the hole to the size of the other hanging supports. Again thankyou for the comments they are appreciated in assisting with my first layout.

 

Please see below some more photos form the Sydney layout "Tootinbec" I am assisting with.

 

Motor Depot and washing shed

 

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Engine Shed with assorted locos

 

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Fuel wash point and Motor Power Depot

 

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Bicycle shed and Toilet

 

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Other side of the engine shed

 

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The next lot of work on the Tootinbec layout will be finishing the mounds at the back of the layout with flocking. Ballasting and adding point rodding to the track at the front of the layout.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley   

 

 

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