Midland Railway in EM gauge

[queensquare]

Another wonderful post. That M class is beautiful and I suspect the the magnificent paint job looks even better now than when first done having acquired a lovely patina with age. I have a part built M class in 2mm for my Bath layout but it will be black as I model the early 1920s. I sometimes wish I had opted for an Edwardian period but I couldnt go without my 7Fs!

Truly inspiring stuff inspiring.

 

Jerry

[Allegheny1600]

Hello Derek,

Well done on another series of fascinating posts and many happy returns for your birthday!

I had a much less significant birthday last Sunday (I'm 30 years behind you!) and I too was thinking about time passing. When I turned 15, I thought about turning 35 in the year 2000 and that seemed so OLD then!

I can only hope that I'm still modelling when/if I'm your age!

All the best,

John E.

[Mrkirtley800]

Thanks for the good wishes.  I certainly do not feel my age, apart from cranky knees, I feel pretty good and still raring to go on Kirkby Malham.  As they say, 80 is the new 30,40,50 etc and there is plenty of living to do yet (I hope).

This afternoon, all being well, is when I rescue locos from the boxes, clean the wheels and set them to work.  My period of testing and proving the layout starts today, providing Olga hasn't got things for me to do.

Derek

[coachmann]

Blimey, that 0-6-0 took me back to the days before Methfix/HMRS transfers and all that and everything had to be hand written. Nearly 50 years ago now Derek? As you said, where have all those years gone. Anyway, a belated Happy 80th.

 

Larry

[Jock67B]

Derek,

Sorry I've been missing for a few days and so missed your birthday. Many Happy Returns, and many more of them! The latest images show modelling of the highest order, made all the more inspirational by the fact of your age - you are obviously young at heart and in mind!

Thank you for sharing with us once again,

Kind regards,

Jock.

[Mrkirtley800]

Thanks for your good wishes, fellas.  Nice to see you back, Jock.  Hope you are feeling a bit better.

Thursday was a very good day, going out for lunch and meeting friends.  Friday and Saturday were busy as well, so little or no modelling done.  Today I was back in the swing of things.  Took some locos out of hibernation but did not do any running.  Instead, I started to make the loco cassettes, to fit on the end of the fiddle yard sidings.  I made one to establish the dimensions and the pattern.  So, while the glue was setting, did some more on the turntable.  Couple of weeks ago, I sent for some bits of mecanno and today started to get the table - (just a piece of wood at the moment)  -  to turn without binding.

Will write a proper description and post some pics  in a day or two.

Derek

Edited June 28, 2015 by Mrkirtley800

[Jock67B]

Evening Derek,

That is indeed good news as I have to accommodate a turntable in the first module of the layout I am still planning so one of your superb tutorials will be very useful!

Kind regards,

Jock.

[islandbridgejct]

Belated birthday wishes from one who had his knees well and truly banjaxed by the age of 32 (too much running and cycling), is closing in on 50, and will probably still be building his first layout when he's 80 at current rates of progress.

 

The quality of modelling in this thread is truly exquisite. Thank you for posting it, and I look forward to seeing the rebuild continue.

 

Alan

[ChrisN]

Derek,

Just caught up on your thread so it is a late happy 80th birthday greeting.  I had you as a few years younger from when you did your finals but I assume that you did National Service first.

 

Glad to see that you have got the layout to a point where it is working.  Hopefully, although it is not fully 'scenic'd it will be downhill from now on and a pleasure rather than a chore.

 

All the best.

[Mrkirtley800]

Thank you again, fellas.  Chris, I never got to do my National Service.  I started in work after getting my 'A' levels at the tender age of 17, actually not much before my 18th birthday.  I was 'allowed' part time day release, which meant an afternoon at college and three evenings (6.30 to 9.30) a week.  At one stage I was doing a bit of shift work and on the 11pm to 7am shift I didn't get a lot of sleep.  Later we were allowed a full day release, but sill had to do two evenings.  I studied chemistry and went through the Ordinary National Certificate then Higher N.C before getting a scholarship for two years full time at the local 'tech' for the degree.  I don't suppose young folks have any idea about ONC and HNC now, but at the time it was the way to do it.  The whole course took seven years.  I got a prize for my ONC which covered the course fee for the following year.  It amounted to 12/6d  or in modern terms 62.5 pence.  Not bad eh!!

By the time I had finished, National Service was on it's way out and I never got the call.

Just a couple of pics today.  I have already mentioned getting some bits of mecanno to build the mech. to turn the table.  First one is what I got.  Missing are two more  bushed discs, which have already been used.  Of course I forgot to get some nuts and bolts doh!!.  Some of the pieces are second hand, but they will still work.

I thought it might be an idea to sketch out the layout.  This is in the second pic, a bit crude I'm afraid, but it should give some idea.

Been busy today with the loco cradles and will show a photo of one, perhaps, tomorrow when the glue has set.

Derek

[Mrkirtley800]

Despite the super weather over the last few days, some progress has been made on Kirkby Malham.

I want some loco cradles to fit on the end of the fiddle sidings to allow engines to be turned easily and without handling them.  I made one as a test piece, to see how it would fit, and pic 1 is the nearly completed cradle.  I require some 1.5mm rod and 1.5mm inside diameter tube to form plug and sockets.  This will enable the cradle to line up correctly with the siding and also will carry power.  I don't have any rod or tube so am having to put this job on one side for a while.

Now to get on with the turn table.  To recap, I wanted to install a Midland 50' turn table at Kirkby Malham.

The base is a piece of MDF.  A circle was drawn an a piece of thick card stuck with evostick, following the pencil line.   Brick plastikard was stuck to the inside of the card and a rim, to be scribed stonework fitted.

At this stage, I had intended to put a cobbled base and pic 2, and 3 show the start of laying them.  However, on looking at a fair few photographs of turn tables, I did not see any with a cobbled pit.  So the cobbles were taken up and scrapped.

Meanwhile I cut a hole in the baseboard to fit and pic 5 shows the table fitted.  The turn table is to fit from the bottom of the base board and will be held by screws.  When completed I will glue it in place.  Sorry if I have posted this previously, but I thought a complete account of the turn table all in one place would be better than bits spread all over the place.

This and making loco cradles will probably occupy me for quite some time.

Derek 

[Mrkirtley800]

Carrying on with the turn table.  My wife tells me I carry on too much, but we'll let that pass.

The next part to make was the base for the rail on which the carrying wheels on the deck will run.

The first pic is of this part, cut out of ply.  Thinking back to my school days, and in the geometry class, we would call this shape an annulus.  How about that for getting technical!!.

If you look closely you will see a line drawn round in pencil which marks the position of the rail.  I stuck short pieces of 6mm square balsa round the bottom of the sides, so that the "annulus" would sit squarely and stuck in place using good old Evostick.  A strip of Plastikard formed the wall, then a strip of 'brick' Plastikard.

A series of 0.5mm holes was drilled around the 'shelf' on the pencil line and brass pins tapped in.  Then came a tricky bit, soldering rail to the pins without melting the Plastikard brickwork.  Actually the rail is in two halves, and I will explain why later on  Pics 2 and 3 show this done and dusted.

Having posted this missive, I see the piccies have got out of kilter.  Sorry about that.  Weren't me guv!!.

Derek

Edited July 2, 2015 by Mrkirtley800

[Donw]

Very useful I have one to make.

Don

[Mrkirtley800]

Had a couple of days off, now started again on the turn table with renewed vigour.

I wanted a 'dished' base to the table well.  First was to stick a couple of strips of 2mm square plastruct around the base of the wall.

While that was setting, I cut out a disc of 40 thou plastikard just a smidgeon bigger in diameter than the turn table well.  Also cut out a circle from the middle to clear a bushed disc wheel from the meccano parts.

Note also, the holes hacked out of the base.  These are to equalise the air pressure inside and out, and let out the solvent vapour from the space within the dished base. 

This is in pic 1

The plastikard disc is then pushed into place, the outside fixed with solvent, the inside rim with evostick,

then I could drill out the centre and fit the meccano bearing.  Also fitted a bushed disc to the strip of wood which will be the deck.  The hieroglyphics on the base is my way of making sure I had the exact centre.  Couldn't do with an off centre turn table.  It would never do!!

All this is seen in pic 2

Now for the central bearing support.  This is from a piece of (I think) 80 thou plastikard.  I cut it out using a pair of dividers.  First drill a small hole in the centre, say 1.5mm.  Then using a pair of dividers, with one point filed to a sharp knife edge, cut out the disc  It takes a bit of time to do this, but having a hole through the plastic, the scribing can be done from both sides.  Most of you will be well aware, but someone somewhere might find it interesting.. 

Once the disc is cut, we need to cut out a hole to clear the meccano bearing.

All this in pic3

Pic 4 shows how it fitted.

Tomorrow will get on with the turn table deck

Derek

Edited July 6, 2015 by Mrkirtley800

[Mrkirtley800]

Before I started on the table deck, I looked closely at the rail running round the well of the turn table.  To me, it did not look concentric with the bearing in the centre.  So, I made the gadget shown in pic 1.  The rod (or in this case - tube) fitted closely in the centre bearing and the notch on the rail.  I was right, in one or two places the rail wandered off.  A quick touch with the soldering iron soon sorted things out.

Now to the decking.  It was, basically, a piece of wood with a section of 1 3/8" by 3/8" (35 by 9 mm).  Marking out one side, which will be the top, I soldered two pieces of rail to brass pins tapped in at the correct distance apart.

The deck was to run on wheels - for stability.  Of course, the wheels would not fit without some modification,  so notches were cut out on the underside to clear the wheel bearings..  Should have done that before laying the rails -- doh!!.  This is in pic 2.

The bearings for the supporting wheels are short pieces of brass tube soldered, originally to nickel silver sheet, but this proved to be too thin and bendy.  So, a strip of copper clad fibre glass was used instead.

This is shown in pic 3.  The units are made to be secured with small brass screws, and the screw holes slotted for ease of adjustment.

Four slots were cut in the sides of the deck (two at each end) to clear the wheels, and the bearings screwed in place. Pics 4 and 5 show this. 

Pics 6 and 7 are of the turn table temporarily assembled.

I tried a loco on the table, and it seemed to me the deck was a bit too narrow.  I don't have a drawing, so I am building this from photographs, so everything is estimated.  Just you see, when the thing is finished and in place, a drawing will suddenly emerge showing my turn table to be completely wrong.  Such is life!

Derek

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Andrew P]

Turntables looking good Derek, I wish I could incorporate one in my New Plan somewhere.

[coachmann]

Turntables looking good Derek, I wish I could incorporate one in my New Plan somewhere.

I agree. Space permitting, lazies like me would plump for an automatic ready-to-plonk haha. 

[Mrkirtley800]

Yes Larry, I see in the latest MRJ an advert for a turntable kit which looks very good, and at something like £48 for the kit is quite good value bearing in mind the amount of work required to build a reliable one.

Still pressing on and will write up the progress later.  Must admit I am enjoying the exercise.

Derek

[Mrkirtley800]

Still on with the turn table, the deck seems a bit narrow, looking at old photographs and putting an engine on mine, I think I could do with it a bit wider.  As I have already admitted, I cannot find a drawing, and I have a massive pile of mags and books on all things Midland.  So I stuck a couple of strips of wood down each side.

Seems to improve things, but see pics 1 and 2.

The side girders are made out of 40thou plastikard - pic 3

When I was putting in the rail in the table well, I said it was in two halves.  This was so it would allow power to be picked up by the rails on the deck.  Connections are taken from the approach track to the two halves of this rail.

The rails on the deck are then energised by 'picking up' from this rail and to do this I fixed a 'skate' at each end of the underside of the deck. The skates are just pieces of brass soldered to strips of phosphor bronze, and arranged to lightly rub on the rail. This is in pic 4 and 5.  My apologies if all this is very elementary.

It seemed to work OK so I could now think about detailing and fixing the side girders.  The rivets - and there are quite a lot of them - are represented by little squares of plastikard, cut from 20 thou square microstrip. See pic 6

Once the rivets were on and everything set and dry, I stuck the girders in place, and temporarily put the thing together -  pics 7 and 8.

All this seems to have been a long slog, so thank you for being patient. 

The next job will be to fix the table in place on the base board, and to do this I will have to dismantle part of the layout so I can take the board down and work on it, on my bench.  At the same time I will install the mechanism, to be made out of meccano.

Olga, I think, is getting a bit fed up with me thumbing through books and talking turn tables, but it does, to some extent, counteract  her talking about tennis.

Derek

[Donw]

Keep up the posting on this I am finding it very interesting.

Don

[cambriancoaster]

Derek

 

A really fascinating topic and read - please keep the posts coming.

 

It seems that we have quite a lot in common too.  Like you I took an ONC/HNC in Chemistry and then did a degree in the subject at about the same point in time (I started my career as a Lab Assistant at ICI in 1955).

 

We are also currently facing an identical challenge in constructing a turntable for our layouts.   Mine is a GWR 55ft table - the deck of which has been built from a Mercian Models brass kit.  If you are interested you can view it on my own topic: Pwllheli next stop.  My wife thinks I am spending far too much time on it!

 

So I am looking forward to your updates and experiences with keen anticipation.

 

Best wishes

 

CC

[Mrkirtley800]

Hello CC.  Yes the way to a chemistry degree via ONC and HNC was the long way round, but I think the better way, especially as I had to work for a living.  The hard part was doing a bit of shift work.  The laboratory worked days, but I was classed as a trainee and as such worked in a few departments where working round the clock was the norm.

Weren't the G.W turntables boarded over as a rule.  If yours is one of those you can hide a multitude of sins under the boards.

Derek

[Mrkirtley800]

If anyone is coming to our little show at Goathland next weekend, be sure to make yourselves known.  I will be sharing duties "on the door", doing what I do best --- taking folks' money off them. 

Derek

[Mrkirtley800]

Board 4 - that's the one with the loco shed and turn table - was taken down so I could work on it on my bench.

Had a long look and think about loco facilities and decided the shed road and turn table approach should be swapped round.

The turn table was fitted in place and the track laid to it from the yard.  Then a length of "half track" made for the new line to the re-sited shed.

The two pics show what has been done - taken from either end.  The new site for the ash pit has been marked out.  The original site for the ash pit can be seen on the right and will have to be filled in.

Regarding the turn table, I have started to add the planks on the top, just the longitudinal planks to be laid down the centre of the rails.  Also required is the stone slabs round the edge of the well, which will hide my inaccurate hacking out of the baseboard.

Beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel - so to speak.

Derek

[aberdare]

Evening Derek

 

I have just enjoyed reading your latest posts on the turntable as it is something I may have to face later. There was one at Tiverton Junc at the beginning of the 20th century but removed later and I had virtually decided to choose that option for an easy life, but now I am rethinking that after seeing your excellent work so a bit more research regarding size is needed before I commit to the build.

 

Mind you I've just seen how yours looks on the post just made and it's already swaying me in favour, oh dear, yet another project.

 

I will make myself known as I hand over my fee at Goathland to whoever is manning the door, if not you I'm sure you will soon be pointed out.

 

Jim