Brian D Posted January 14, 2019 Author Share Posted January 14, 2019 My cunning plan for the platform canopy support columns has moved to the prototype stage. For a while now I have been aware that some styrene rod fits nicely within similar tubes as these do (apologies for grainy phone pic) so it is possible to make non-plain columns. The plan involves supporting the canopy modules on the Scalescenes island platform building and styrene column modules. The various parts were laid out... ...and the usual detailed drawing prepared The rods and tubes were cut to produce 41 mm long "architectural" columns fitted to a styrene sheet "header plate" to form a module as below... ...which thus supports the canopy units shown thus... ...and on the layout thus. I am "well pleased" as they say hereabouts with this prototype which has been a quick and easy build (aided by the guillotine) so I will continue with the rest of these modules which obviously includes painting them. Regards, Brian. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 (edited) Very nice and when painted or highlighted in the BR regional colours will really cement the location How did you cut them so well? Edited January 15, 2019 by danstercivicman Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toftwood Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 I have seen in the past someone use nuts, (from nuts and bolts) of a suitable size to provide the base of the column and smaller ones at the top. The flat side is the base withe the slightly domed top is uppermost. ?? Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted January 15, 2019 Author Share Posted January 15, 2019 Very nice and when painted or highlighted in the BR regional colours will really cement the location How did you cut them so well? Thanks, Dan. The header sheet plasticard was cut using a Draper 9mm wide snap-off blade knife (and a steel straight edge), about three strokes was enough to cut right through. I have a guillotine for cutting plastic strip which I used to cut the rod and tube taking care to "field" the cut parts which if left to their own devices tend to fly off across the room Regards, Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 Cheers 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37Oban Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 Signal work continues. By tomorrow hopefully all of the starter signals will be working. Two more feathered signals are in hand, just waiting on some more wire and switches to arrive. Meanwhile, a Clayton approaches from the north on a coastal tank train complete with diesel brake tender. It needs reversal to continue its journey south... 20190104_171608copy.jpg 20190104_171701 copy.jpg ...so the shunter first removes the train to the head-shunt... 20190104_172355copy.jpg ...so that the Clayton can be released. 20190104_172659copy.jpg I have read that the NE Region favoured diesels pushing their brake tenders so the Clayton runs round the brake tender... 20190104_172858copy.jpg ...while the shunter pushes back the train into the arrival/departure road and returns to the head-shunt... 20190104_173159copy.jpg ...enabling the Clayton and tender to back down on to the train to await... 20190104_173601 copy.jpg ...its departure slot... 20190104_173704 copy.jpg ...and continues its journey south. 20190104_174132 copy.jpg 20190104_174330 copy.jpg 20190104_174414copy.jpg Bye for now. Regards, Brian. Hi, I love the layout, and your modelling of the station! I was looking back through your posts and something niggled at me, and now I've seen it I cannot un-see it, if you know what I mean! It's regarding the signal guarding the junction to the mine. The feather be on the left instead of the right! I believe a feather is used to indicate a diverging route from a main route, which, as signalled, means your mine branch has precedence over any train leaving the departure road heading for the mainline. Sorry if I seem a bit of a pedant! it's any easy fix, but then Rule 1 can be applied! Regards, Roja As reported yesterday, all of the starters are now wired and switched. 20190105_164907 copy.jpg I am conscious that nothing on the layout is completely finished, the station area being perhaps more "finished" than elsewhere on the layout, so I will concentrate I think on finishing the station so I need to..... provide proper support to the station canopies - they are currently supported on rolled up card tubes. provide running in boards which will at last give the station a visible name. add tangerine NE BR signage in the station (platform numbers etc). possibly upgrade the footbridge to make it look more NER. The Hornby Scaledale footbridge would be ideal but I am unsure of the span and whether it would fit my platforms. ditto the goods shed (maybe replace the Scalescenes kit with the Smart Models Beamish shed). So, still plenty to do. Regards, Brian. I am still awaiting a delivery of switches and wire so signalling is paused at the moment and proper support for the platform canopies is being targeted in the form of... 20190109_162152.jpg ...more Scalescenes' island platform buildings, one large one as complete top left and two smaller ones. I also need to make some supporting columns etc from styrene tubes, rods and other sections. Meanwhile, mainline steam has... 20190109_162540.jpg ...given way to... 20190109_172839.jpg ...mainline diesel and the corresponding service departs. 20190109_173238.jpg It may interest those who follow my ramblings that I happened to just check the age and how much I paid for the two diesels. They both date from 2005 and I paid £62 for the Peak and £56.50 for the EE Type 4. How times and prices have changed. Both stil superb and powerful runners. Regards, Brian. y train leaving the station Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted January 16, 2019 Author Share Posted January 16, 2019 Hi, I love the layout, and your modelling of the station! I was looking back through your posts and something niggled at me, and now I've seen it I cannot un-see it, if you know what I mean! It's regarding the signal guarding the junction to the mine. The feather be on the left instead of the right! I believe a feather is used to indicate a diverging route from a main route, which, as signalled, means your mine branch has precedence over any train leaving the departure road heading for the mainline. Sorry if I seem a bit of a pedant! it's any easy fix, but then Rule 1 can be applied! Regards, Roja y train leaving the station Hi Roja, Thanks for your comments. I think I understand the point you are making but please accept my apologies if I have misunderstood. The signal to which you refer in the Clayton/brake tender sequence of pics is actually the starter for the goods departure road (green only gives access to the headshunt, green + right feather gives access to the mainline). Another signal will be placed nearer the colliery junction having the required left feather controlling access to the colliery branch (green + feather) or progress on the mainline (green only). Probably not correct to proper railway signalling standards but I like it. I trust this clarifies matters, if not please come back. Regards, Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37Oban Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 Hi Roja, Thanks for your comments. I think I understand the point you are making but please accept my apologies if I have misunderstood. The signal to which you refer in the Clayton/brake tender sequence of pics is actually the starter for the goods departure road (green only gives access to the headshunt, green + right feather gives access to the mainline). Another signal will be placed nearer the colliery junction having the required left feather controlling access to the colliery branch (green + feather) or progress on the mainline (green only). Probably not correct to proper railway signalling standards but I like it. I trust this clarifies matters, if not please come back. Regards, Brian. Hi Brian, I can see what you're doing now! I'd still change the feather on that signal, though, as a head shunt wouldn't be considered the main route. An alternative would be to use a shunt signal access the head shunt and a standard signal to control access to the main. But, as I said earlier, Rule 1 applies, and changing it means more work! Regards, Roja Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted January 18, 2019 Author Share Posted January 18, 2019 Hi Brian, I can see what you're doing now! I'd still change the feather on that signal, though, as a head shunt wouldn't be considered the main route. An alternative would be to use a shunt signal access the head shunt and a standard signal to control access to the main. But, as I said earlier, Rule 1 applies, and changing it means more work! Regards, Roja Hi Roja, Now you mention it and having looked at it again I tend to agree with you about the feather leaning the wrong way. The point just beyond this signal is in fact a Peco large radius Y point so the "main line" swings right before entering the long left turn of the layout's U bend which is probably why I thought the right feather was required. I fully agree with you that the main line should have the simple green light. The signals are fixed down with Blue-tac so they are easily swapped around. I'll probably replace the signal with a left leaning feather. Thanks very much for the spot - greatly appreciated. Regards, Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted January 19, 2019 Author Share Posted January 19, 2019 Further progress has been made on the platform canopy supports as below. This completes (bar painting and signage) platforms 3 and 4, platforms 1 and 2 are nearly complete but I have run out of 3.2 mm Evergreen rod so some more has been ordered. Regards, Brian. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted January 19, 2019 Share Posted January 19, 2019 Wow that looks splendid! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted January 19, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 19, 2019 Looking very good indeed. Have you ever thought of putting the plastic tube in a pencil sharpener and giving it a couple of light twists. Puts a nice bevel on the base of your posts. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted January 19, 2019 Share Posted January 19, 2019 Haha no way. That’s quite a useful suggestion. I don’t know whether the creator of this amazing layout is past that point but that’s an awesome tip! Looking very good indeed. Have you ever thought of putting the plastic tube in a pencil sharpener and giving it a couple of light twists. Puts a nice bevel on the base of your posts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toftwood Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 The station is looking impressive now Brian. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted January 20, 2019 Author Share Posted January 20, 2019 Looking very good indeed. Have you ever thought of putting the plastic tube in a pencil sharpener and giving it a couple of light twists. Puts a nice bevel on the base of your posts. Hi BoD, Thanks for the suggestion but a bit late now I'm afraid. I did experiment as you suggested though on a spare tube off cut with unfortunately not very promising results. The tube was much smaller in diameter than a pencil so the bevel was not very smooth - perhaps I used too much force. I think a better idea might be to mount the tube in a mini drill and then hold it against sand paper while the drill rotates the tube but I have not tried this though. Thanks again for your interest. Regards, Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted January 20, 2019 Author Share Posted January 20, 2019 This afternoon, I finished off the Scalescenes Island Platform buildings by making the required number of chimney pots thus. The actual chimney pots are made by my tried a tested method of cutting cotton bud shanks into 8 mm long (scale 2 foot) lengths having previously painted said shanks with brown paint. The chimney pots are located on the canopy roofs in line with the fire places in the buildings immediately below as shown in the following pics. Note to self: Must do something about those pink roofs in the background (more cheapo photo paper still "developing") and add the chimney pots to the main station building. Regards, Brian. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share Posted January 23, 2019 The station now officially has a name! This afternoon I made a pair of running in boards for platforms 1 and 2 using Scalescenes' tangerine signs and various Evergreen styrene sections shown here... ...where you can just about see the strip of clear report cover stuff it sits on and here on the platform... ...where hopefully it is less noticeable. I have used this technique as I am loath to glue anything down to the platform so everything can be recycled for reuse on any future layout. I am hoping to get the other pair of running in boards for platforms 3 and 4 done tomorrow. Regards, Brian. 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Nice Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted January 24, 2019 Author Share Posted January 24, 2019 As hoped for yesterday, in between grandchild minding today, I managed to complete the running in boards for platforms 3 and 4. Regards, Brian. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted January 27, 2019 Author Share Posted January 27, 2019 The column modules have been painted pale blue and platform numbers added... ...and replaced on the layout. I had planned to upgrade the station footbridge which is a cut and shuffle of the commonly available Dapol (ex Airfix) kit. The more I look at it, the more I think how crude the plastic sections represent the various steel angles and other footbridge structural members The Hornby Scaledale footbridge is a proper NER footbridge but the span is too great. I might actually remove it altogether or make one from scratch. With... ...or without? Decisions, decisions Regards, Brian. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 Looks better without the footbridge and would it be needed? Seems like passengers would walk to the station building then cross on such a terminus? (Just my idea) Keep up the great progress Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 TOTALLY AGREE, with Dan above, do away with any footbridge Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted January 28, 2019 Author Share Posted January 28, 2019 Looks better without the footbridge and would it be needed? Seems like passengers would walk to the station building then cross on such a terminus? (Just my idea) Keep up the great progress TOTALLY AGREE, with Dan above, do away with any footbridge Brian. I tend to agree with you, Dan and Andy. The platforms are looking a bit too cluttered with the footbridge now that the station platform canopies have been added. The platforms look longer as well without the footbridge and the locos are more visible on platforms 3 and 4. Motion carried then Thanks again for your interest guys. Best Regards, Brian. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsforever Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Definitely no footbridge you have a concourse for movement between platforms.like the layout track looks excellent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 The bridge emphasised how narrow the platforms are. Definitely a good idea to lose it. The light blue looks quite odd to my eyes, but I assume it's the right kind of colour. It's all coming together nicely. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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