Fat Controller Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I couldn't say how common they were but I can think of examples at Valletort, St Austell (goods yard), Liskeard, St Columb, Bugle, and I'm sure there were quite a few others (I don't know much outside of Cornwall). Brent (Devon), Buckfastleigh (2 side-loading docks, with a third track serving an end-loading dock between), Challow, and that's only a quick look at Clark. The reason behind them would vary from area to area. The Cornish ones were largely to do with vegetable traffic, where farm vehicles would unload on to the platform. In other areas they could be there because there was a lot of horse traffic (I've seen some labelled as 'horse landings')- this wouldn't just be in rural areas, but in urban areas and ports if there was a barracks near-by. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender Posted August 12, 2013 Author Share Posted August 12, 2013 finally making some progress. first of all I have (pretty much) finalised the plan, having turned it upside down so that the back is now the front, and improved the general look of it (I think): this new plan will allow me to model the semi-detached villas that are actually on the South side of the yard (they are still there, and Google Earth will be frequented!), and the front part of the baseboard will have an embankment, a fence, and little else. plus, this way round I'll be able to model the inside of the goods shed a little more. I've also added the weigh bridge. the smallest radius is now 1194mm (47in). and secondly, and showing that this thread will not just be an endless series of layout revisions, I have started on the baseboard frame here: my first attempt at the ply sandwich design. it is 1827mm long (or something, as that's how long the B&Q board was), 500mm wide and 150mm deep (so tortoises are on the cards if I decide to motorise everything). there will be three stretchers at regular intervals, but I have to analyse the track plan before installing those. I can't believe how light this is! great design anyway. it will only be for transporting to another room when guests come, but at six feet in length it needed to be light. separate fiddle yard board to come later. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 Looking good. Not so sure about the wagon weigh bridge though???? Keep going. it looks like an interesting yard to shunt. Gordon A Bristol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 Looking good. Not so sure about the wagon weigh bridge though???? Keep going. it looks like an interesting yard to shunt. Gordon A Bristol Agreed; wagon weighbridges were largely confined to industrial premises, such as mines and steelworks. At goods yards, the road weighbridge would weigh the incoming road vehicle and its return to know how much had been loaded on to a wagon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted August 12, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 12, 2013 Looking good, I shall be watching with interest. What thickness of ply have you used, is it 6mm? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender Posted August 12, 2013 Author Share Posted August 12, 2013 thanks for the support. well I don't know what it is about this place (with the weigh bridge, overhead crane, and loading dock) but they're all there! if you have a copy of the Middleton Press 'Plymouth to St Austell', picture 27 shows it all. maybe I'll send them an email and see if I can upload the photo here. actually I only put the weigh bridge in because I was reading a short piece on them in Model Rail recently which mentioned that they are often overlooked on layouts, and then I noticed I had overlooked the one on Valletort Road. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender Posted August 12, 2013 Author Share Posted August 12, 2013 Looking good, I shall be watching with interest. What thickness of ply have you used, is it 6mm? thanks. the sides and inside ends are 6mm and the ends themselves are 9mm, as will be the stretchers. I haven't bought the top wood yet but I think it will be 9mm again. the span is 42.5cm between the inside of the two lengths so perhaps 12mm will be better, plus a couple of stretchers. I'm inclined to go for 9mm with three stretchers to save weight, cost and making any slight adjustments easier, but I don't want to risk any sagging... edit: btw, I should mention that the above picture was taken with the wood in place but not glued and screwed (apart from the sides). I've now glued everything and put four screws in each end for good measure to tie it all together. the top will be held down with screws only. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender Posted August 14, 2013 Author Share Posted August 14, 2013 scanned and posted with permission: Photo#7 "Western Main Lines: Plymouth to St Austell" www.middletonpress.co.uk (also on Facebook) this is the only image I have found of the goods yard in action as a goods yard. it dates from February 1957 and it stopped functioning as such only a couple of months later. anyway, hopefully I will be able to capture the flavour of the place. seems quite unique in terms of all the things on show. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 Nice photo. Now I can see where you are comeing from. Do youknow what traffic required a wagon weigh bridge? Gordon A Bristol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender Posted August 14, 2013 Author Share Posted August 14, 2013 nope. in fact I haven't found any info about any of the operation here. if anyone has any idea where to look I'd be very grateful! (google has been tried in every way I can imagine.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 Nice pic, especially the goods shed canopy. 20' in 4mm would do it justice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender Posted September 7, 2013 Author Share Posted September 7, 2013 finished the 'box' for scenic part of the layout, although I haven't taken a picture of it. however, more importantly, I have made my first common crossing and stuck it on the template. I'm quite proud of this minor achievement, having had to cross many bridges for the first time: it has numerous failings: 1) the wing rails are too short (which will hinder putting fishplates on later) 2) I had to manhandle the crossing a little as it was bent (although it seems flat now and sits on the sleepers ok) 3) the V was very difficult to make given that both the roads are on a curve, and although one looks dead-on, the other road looks a little wonky. 4) I'm a little worried that the two ends of the vee are not quite at the angle I need (although the difference is slight) 5) further problems will undoubtedly be uncovered... however, I have built my first common crossing! the vee design was difficult given the curved nature of the turnout, but the mechanics of actually making it were much easier than I thought. I realised it wasn't perfect when finished, but decided to press ahead and use it anyway. I'm hopeful that I will be able to correct all the problems by very careful positioning of the other rails and use of the check gauges. this turnout (along with the others) will be very low-speed, so perhaps I can get this one to work. if not, I'm sure I will have made numerous other mistakes and I will be able to rectify all/most of them at the next attempt. next, I'm going to read up on how to make joggles/sets in the stock rails. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David41283 Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Really interested in is thread. Living in Plymouth and trying to build a convincing small layout of my own this is (almost literally) right up my street! I do think that finding a suitable prototype to build a realistic layout within the limits those of us with families, no 'railway room' and a modern shoebox/house have to work within is a great challenge. There's nothing worse than a two-coach "express"! Looking forward to seeing this develop. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 thanks for the support. well I don't know what it is about this place (with the weigh bridge, overhead crane, and loading dock) but they're all there! if you have a copy of the Middleton Press 'Plymouth to St Austell', picture 27 shows it all. maybe I'll send them an email and see if I can upload the photo here. actually I only put the weigh bridge in because I was reading a short piece on them in Model Rail recently which mentioned that they are often overlooked on layouts, and then I noticed I had overlooked the one on Valletort Road. Weighbridges are another item of interest. There was one in the Down Sidings at Dagenham Dock, not sure of the traffic that was weighed. I also have some pictures of a small weighbridge that was located next to the wagon shops at Toton. If you are interested I have pictures of both. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 There was also a weighbridge at Ramsgate. In the early 80s I was a guard at Ashford and we had a turn that was shown as a "Y service" in the timetable. It could go to Dover or Ramsgate. I remember going to Ramsgate to collect a wagon loaded with scrap brake blocks from the EMU depot. The wagon was weighed before release to TOPS. Thinking about it wagons would be weighed after loading, not before unloading. So normally used with some bulk loading that would reach maximum load before it bulked out. this would prevent dangerous overloading. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 Thanks Ernie. When I get to the weighbridge I'll let you know. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 more progress and I have fashioned my first switch blade! very chuffed. not the greatest example yet but it appears to function correctly with the one wagon I have thrown through the turnout so far. even more amazingly, the wagon does not derail at the common crossing. the check rail gauge is very tight (too tight!) on that side and I feared for the worst. I'm not sure it could handle a main-line express but for my purposes it may in fact work out, and I may be able to use this one on the layout. I used the clamp-to-board-and-gauge-by-eye method to do the switch blade, so hopefully that's 31 quid I've saved out of not having to buy a jig (surely my future attempts will be better!), and you can see my attempt at a set bend on the left. to add to point 5 in post #38 above (list of failings), I have noted I put the chairs in the wrong way round at the heel end of the crossing, I did not plan the chairs very well on the stock rails where they are close to the switch rails (you can see the gap on the left above), I left space for more than the number of slide chairs than I would need, and pre-bending the rails is proving troublesome. I am most worried by the last point. everything else is poor planning, but that one...more practice I suppose... however, I have managed to put two copper-clad strips between the switch and stock rails (positions S6 and S7), which had filled me with trepidation. so far, very happy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender Posted September 16, 2013 Author Share Posted September 16, 2013 now, even happier! I've managed to make the tie bar. I've used the tiny-pins-through-a-piece-of-copperclad method, which I've read about somewhere on this fine site. the pins were very fragile, and broke when I tried to bend them, but a couple of seconds in the gas flame on the kitchen hob allowed them to be bent quite easily. just a few cosmetic chairs and fishplates to be added, as well as the wiring, and then this one will be done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender Posted September 30, 2013 Author Share Posted September 30, 2013 progress update: I've glued down the siding for the cattle dock and the turnout to be used for running round. as you can see, I'm not bothering with any underlay, just PVA'd straight on to the wood. there will be some noise, but this will only be from very slow shunting movements mostly. I've made a few mistakes but nothing that I don't think can be hidden, and the trackwork tests ok so far. I had found surprisingly little information on how best to connect droppers to the underside of the track. everyone just says "solder to sides, or the bottom", but neither seemed satisfactory to me. so I did some searching and found a reference to what seems to be this idea (as far as I can make it out): pins through holes in the sleepers and then soldered to the underside of the track, to be hidden later by some form of cosmetic chairs. here's a view of the rail soldered down to the pin: I've also got some brass chairs, which I suppose would work, but at four-droppers per track piece it would cost too much. wiring is my least favourite task on track-building, and so I've decided that this goods yard will have a rule on no locos in the goods shed or over the weighbridge, which will cut down on the wiring nicely! edit: see post 61 (below) for feedback on this technique..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender Posted November 6, 2013 Author Share Posted November 6, 2013 making slow but steady progress on the track laying. three of the four turnouts are done now so shouldn't be too long for the rest of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender Posted January 10, 2014 Author Share Posted January 10, 2014 track is done! well, virtually. last bit of track to go on is on the right in this not-very-well-lit photo: but track is at least 'built' anyway. tiny control panel is on the left. just a few bits and bobs to do with the wiring, loads of cosmetic chairs to go on, then it will be on to the various tracky items (point levers, three more buffer stops to do, concrete section by the cattle dock, weighbridge section) and then ballasting. the track has taken a few months to do, and I've had to replace a couple of sections, but I've enjoyed doing it. hopefully the end result will be worth the effort. I'm going to be using the Ratio cattle dock and after some lengthy research on weighbridges (a very thinly covered field) I've got the plans ready to go on that as well. also just received my airbrush and compressor set (the AS-186 one) and my spray booth should be here next week. so hopefully lots of modelling on the horizon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack00 Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Fender, im very impressed with the track work. Lovely concept for a layout too. Look forward to seeing more developments. Cheers Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
treggyman Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Hi Fender Ditto above.....Will watch with interest..... Cheers Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted January 10, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 10, 2014 Very interesting and definitely one to watch! I remember there being an engineers depot in Valletort Road until comparatively recently... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWales Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Glad I've stumbled upon this topic. Top trackwork sir! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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