Kirkby Luneside

[freebs]

The Wills Kit would be great for just the Stools and other gismoes in the Kit, if only there was another GOOD use for the Rods so that half the Kit wasn't wasted.

 

Andy, would you say that it's just the rods that are out of scale in the kit then? 

[Reorte]

Simon, what did you use to make the stools to hold the rodding? Looks like a plastic base but what's the metal bit on top that the rod goes through?

The stools are Brassmasters rodding stools, fiddly little things to assemble (although easier once I'd figured I'd been trying to put the wrong bit in the slot). The plastic bases are just offcuts of plasticard to bring them up to the same level as the ones on the underlay, they'll eventually get buried.

 

As for the eclipse I was in Ivybridge, and lugged a telescope up to the top of a nearby tor. The day had started sunny too...

Edited August 22, 2017 by Reorte

[Andrew P]

Andy, would you say that it's just the rods that are out of scale in the kit then? 

Maybe not, just looking at the pics on my thread and comparing to the Wills bits, it's all a bit large.

 

Back to basics, and make my own.

[Physicsman]

I haven't got a vernier caliper, but the Wills rods look around 0.6mm wide. Not TOO overscale. My main concern though is the amount of rodding needed compared to the amount in the kit. It'd cost a fortune to buy kits to make up the metres of rodding I need.

 

This work isn't imminent - I need to have some enthusiasm before I start such a tedious task. As Andy says, a bit of imagination and creativity will be needed to "do it yourself".

 

Jeff

[Donw]

I don't know about the Midland but the GWR originally used round rodding later they used the square stuff. I suspect by BR days most of the old round stuff had long been replaced but perhaps someone knows more. Where's Stationmaster he is bound to know more.

 

Regarding the next total eclipse in the UK probably rather too late for me. We did get to see some of the 1999 one but it wasn't total for us.

 

Don

[Reorte]

I don't know about the Midland but the GWR originally used round rodding later they used the square stuff. I suspect by BR days most of the old round stuff had long been replaced but perhaps someone knows more. Where's Stationmaster he is bound to know more.

 

Regarding the next total eclipse in the UK probably rather too late for me. We did get to see some of the 1999 one but it wasn't total for us.

 

I think the Midland used round rodding, but I'm pretty sure I've not seen a BR era photo of the Settle-Carlisle with round rodding.

[Andrew P]

In OO / EM Gauge does it really matter whether it's round or square from 3 ft / scale 72 yards away?

Edited August 22, 2017 by Andrew P

[Rowsley17D]

Hi Jeff, the following link may be useful when you come to do your rodding and they also have some lovely S&C windows, doors, screens and bargeboards when you come to do your station.

 

http://ambisengineering.co.uk/

Edited August 22, 2017 by Rowsley17D

[Donw]

In OO / EM Gauge does it really matter whether it's round or square from 3 ft / scale 72 yards away?

 

From 3ft I doubt it but let the camera get in for a close up and it will be visible. To me round rodding instead of square would be better than no rodding at all. But I suppose if one were to fit overscale chunky rodding it could draw attention to itself whereas no rodding might not show up. I am not suggesting Jeff would fit something grossly overscale just arguing the principle. For many of the years I have been modelling few people bothered with adding point rodding and few commented on the lack of it. Once you start adding it the fact that it has been missing makes you wonder why it was ignored.

Who knows, in the future rodding that actually moves when the turnout is activated together with a sound chip in the signal box to give typical sounds will become de rigueur for 'finescale' layouts. Probably beyond my abilities to make.

 

Don

[Reorte]

Who knows, in the future rodding that actually moves when the turnout is activated together with a sound chip in the signal box to give typical sounds will become de rigueur for 'finescale' layouts. Probably beyond my abilities to make.

I've seen it done... At least on a short demonstration plank (without the sound). The lengths in the picture above moved more freely than I expected, but they aren't attached to any cranks yet (which certainly won't be moveable!), and making reliable cranks and compensators is beyond me.

[Donw]

There are of course those who seem to be able to do things the rest of us cannot. I don't think the rodding actually works

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/100693-modbury/page-3 Post 66. The bright red colour was correct for the period. In case you don't realise this is 2mm

 

Don

[Andrew P]

From 3ft I doubt it but let the camera get in for a close up and it will be visible. To me round rodding instead of square would be better than no rodding at all. But I suppose if one were to fit overscale chunky rodding it could draw attention to itself whereas no rodding might not show up. I am not suggesting Jeff would fit something grossly overscale just arguing the principle. For many of the years I have been modelling few people bothered with adding point rodding and few commented on the lack of it. Once you start adding it the fact that it has been missing makes you wonder why it was ignored.

Who knows, in the future rodding that actually moves when the turnout is activated together with a sound chip in the signal box to give typical sounds will become de rigueur for 'finescale' layouts. Probably beyond my abilities to make.

 

Don

Yes Don, and how many Layouts have we seen at Shows in the past with No Signals, No Crew in Steam Locos and Passengers at Platforms standing on plastic bases, luckily we have or are moving on from all that.

 

I did some silly dummy rodding on Trebudoc, and was pleased I did, it was crude, but from a distance it showed up. my KM will be my first serious attempt at some decent dummy rodding, (although I used Wills on Trewithen) but it did look chunky to me.

 

So today I've picked up some K & S Music Wire at 0.32, 1/32 Part No 501, and will start the KM rodding in a few days.

Edited August 23, 2017 by Andrew P

[Physicsman]

Apologies for the lack of updates on here.

 

I'm taking a bit of a break and I'm also flitting backwards and forwards to dad's, depending on his hospital appointments etc.

 

I'll post any railway news, as and when.

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

[MarshLane]

Hi Jeff,

You'll be raring to get back to it when you have chance! Hope all is ok with your Dad.

 

Rich

[Physicsman]

Evening everyone.

 

I can see that people are clearly looking-in to see if anything's happening on this thread. The answer is currently no. I'm still in Cumbria, helping dad, enjoying the heavy downpours and catching up on plenty of books I promised myself I would read.

 

I should be home by this time next week and able to do some small tasks in the Bunker to re-fire my enthusiasm.

 

I think I'll go back to the beginning and re-read this thread as a means to kick-start my interest!

 

Jeff

[MarshLane]

Evening everyone.

 

I can see that people are clearly looking-in to see if anything's happening on this thread. The answer is currently no. I'm still in Cumbria, helping dad, enjoying the heavy downpours and catching up on plenty of books I promised myself I would read.

 

I should be home by this time next week and able to do some small tasks in the Bunker to re-fire my enthusiasm.

 

I think I'll go back to the beginning and re-read this thread as a means to kick-start my interest!

 

Jeff

 

 

Glad to hear your reading and relaxing .. I trust the books involved are "A Navvies guide to railway building" and "Those Magnificent Men and their Viaducts?" ... enjoy the break in Cumbria ... if your going to go back and re-read the whole thread, well, we'll see you in 2021!! . Does make fascinating reading tho - ever given any thought as to how to build stone walls?? 

 

Rich

[Physicsman]

A short update on what's happening at the moment.

 

I've been out of the Bunker for over 2 weeks now; a combination of filial duties and lack of inspiration being the cause of this. However, I spent a couple of hours in there yesterday doing some prep. work for fitting some point rodding. I should have something to show in a couple of days time, so progress on the layout can resume.

 

Jeff

[Rowsley17D]

Welcome back, Jeff. Hope all is well with Dad and that mojo has returned.

 

These may be of use to you.

 

https://www.modelu3d.co.uk/product-category/detailing-components/infrastructure-detailing/point-rodding/

[Physicsman]

Welcome back, Jeff. Hope all is well with Dad and that mojo has returned.

 

These may be of use to you.

 

https://www.modelu3d.co.uk/product-category/detailing-components/infrastructure-detailing/point-rodding/

Thanks Jonathan.

 

Not sure about the mojo. I've enjoyed messing around in the Bunker over the last day or so - stories to tell in a couple of days when there's something worth photographing.

 

I will also have to get back to the shed scratch builds. As for the rodding, I've already sourced a solution...details on Monday-ish!

 

Jeff

[Ramrig]

Good to see you back Jeff. Been missing the updates. Looking forward to the next chapter of KL2.

 

Steve

[Physicsman]

Good to see you back Jeff. Been missing the updates. Looking forward to the next chapter of KL2.

 

Steve

 

Hi Steve.

 

I'll try to get something on here tomorrow. The stuff I'm doing is a bit tricky to photograph well, so we'll see.

 

And one day I'll get round to building that sample bit of wall for you!!

 

Jeff

[Physicsman]

I've just come out of the Bunker. As I already have a few of the pics I'll be posting, I may as well get started now.

 

First, I need to offer a very large "thank you" to John Wardle (Old Gringo on this forum). John very kindly produced a detailed point rodding plan (at 12" to the foot scale - in response to the 1:5 plan of KL2 I sent to him). This was way back in March, so he's been very patient with me given the speed of his own response in producing the plans!

 

Here's a small section of said plan, showing the rods emerging from the signal box:

 

 

I decided I'd use 0.4mm Nickel Silver wire for the rodding runs. MSE provide reasonable sets of rodding stools and breass etchings, along with the wire. Here's an example of the stools and etches:

 

 

The stools were cut into lengths according to whether they'd hold one, two or three adjacent rods, and then stuck onto a plastic base. This was generally a piece of thin sleeper obtained from SMP track, though initially I did stick them onto 40thou plastikard. Here's a few of the little beasties:

 

 

At the end of August I set-to to provide a "channel" through which the box rods could run. After which I kind of lost interest for 3 weeks - as well as spending a fair while with my dad (FAR more important than any of this railway stuff!!):

 

 

So there you have it. I'll put the next post up tomorrow and recount stories from the many "pleasant" hours I've spent over the last 4 days pratting about with the beasties....

 

Jeff

 

Edit for spelling.

Edited September 18, 2017 by Physicsman

[Physicsman]

Having got myself into the right frame of mind I headed for the Bunker on Thursday with the aim to fix a load of rodding stools in place.....

 

Rod runs have to look half-decent, and getting the little rodding stools to the place you want them was a bit tricky! Especially as I've been using some fairly vigorous superglue to fix things in place. I've lost count of the number of times my fingers have stuck together or the side of my hand has found itself attached to a spill on the baseboard! The white-metal stools need "opening" slightly with a scalpel blade to better accommodate the rodding wire. Of course, I should have done this task before gluing them down (you learn by your mistakes), so the damn things pulled up, stuck on the scalpel, my fingers, the wall (after I started swearing and throwing them across the room...).....

 

Anyway, I really enjoyed myself, frustration aside! And you're not interested in my woffle, you want pics, so here's a few from Thursday showing rodding stools and some wire being fixed into place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff

[Rowsley17D]

Those wires/rods are really fine, Jeff. No wonder you're so stuck up (as opposed to stuck-up.)   

[Physicsman]

Here's the last batch of pics for today, showing the state of the rodding as of late yesterday evening.

 

I'm currently doing some ballasting and I'll show some more images once the ballast has been weathered and the rodding painted. I'm only proceeding as far as the signal box rods for the present. Which is fine, as this is where most of the rodding runs are fitted.

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff