A visit to Birlstone

[Nearholmer]

BGJ

 

Had thought about that, but I want to use a combination of the built-in backsecene, and the baseboard, to create a rigid structure, using as little framing as I can get away with. The idea is that the two board will fit together to form a box for transport (it will need an off-stage fiddling zone too).

 

I built similar in 009 in 1983 ( http://www.carendt.com/small-layout-scrapbook/page-57-january-2007/) and it lasted years, because it was self-protecting; in the end I junked it only because the points refused to conduct electricity after about five years in an unseated garage loft.

 

However, it ain't over 'til it's over, and I'm still too post-flu-weedy to feel like actual woodwork today.

 

Kevin

[BG John]

I agree with the box idea. My first two exhibition layouts closed up into a box, with the backscene on the sides and one end, and a loose piece of ply at the other. They did quite a lot of travelling with no damage.

[Nearholmer]

Having spent far too much of my life loitering on London stations, it is no surprise that my tiny terminus has a subconscious prototype.

 

Having realised what it is, two photographic clues.

 

The layout of the station building at this site was, I think, unique, and it is now a coffee shop.

 

K

[Metropolitan H]

Shoreditch. In the days of Terriers etc., it wasn't a terminal - goods trains ran through towards Liverpool Street till circa 1960.

 

Still I like the idea and will be round for a natter over the weekend.

 

Regards

Chris H

[Nearholmer]

Shoreditch, East London Railway station, indeed.

 

Terminus of the LBSCR services to/from Peckham Rye and New Cross. through station for the GER services between Liverpool Street and Croydon.

 

So, what was the purpose of the building standing on arches, and having louvres all along the top, that was joined to the station building? I have an inkling, but I'm not sure.

 

K

[Metropolitan H]

Part of Truman's Brewery??

 

CH

[mervyn]

Are your Y points made by maldon Kevin? only cant see any reference to them on Ron's website are they a special order.

[Nearholmer]

Mervyn

 

They are, and I think they are on his website, somewhere, if you search very closely. IIRC, they cost the same as the standard points, but I can't remember whether or not that includes the little curves that go with them or not. With one Y and two of the special curves, the track spacing comes out equal (well, very nearly equal) to that from a crossover using standard points.

 

Kevin

[BG John]

Wow, the prices aren't exactly a 1930s replica! And I thought Peco O gauge track was too expensive!

[Nearholmer]

See now why I don't want to buy any more points for this little exercise?

 

I effectively saved-up for the track for my main layout over a span of 10+ years, by collecting various LGB things to build an indoor layout "one day". When I changed my mind and went 0, I sold nearly everything, and used the funds to buy my track.

 

To be fair to Ron, everything is hand-built, the prices are better than equivalent Atlas track from the USA, and he has to be the most helpful guy ever put on the planet. And, code 200 NS rail on its own is not exactly free with a packet of cornflakes.

 

K

[BG John]

With your steamroller wheels, you can't take the cheapskate's option of converting Peco OO code 100 track, that us finescalers can!!

[Nearholmer]

The other option that I seriously considered was SM32 points, because SM32 uses 0 scale coarse wheel profile, and adding a third rail, by soldering upside down Code 100 rail to brass screws, isn't mega-difficult. But, (when not malingering) I am very short of modelling time, and the quick option won. I have spent many evenings threading sleepers onto rail though.

 

K

 

(Currently doing the usual Saturday thing, which is watching son play sport - badminton today, rather than footy, so indoors, which is a mercy!)

[Metropolitan H]

K -

 

Since our chat yesterday I've been thinking - I know it is dangerous.

 

If you were to put a 1 foot long sector plate at the terminal end of the loop, you would give yourself a slightly longer loop / platform road and save a turnout. We have the technology and it will be a lot simpler than the Birlstone turntable - with no need for sliding or latch contacts, a pair of flexible feed wires will do, and the bearing can be a lot simpler without the need for a big hole in the baseboard surface.

 

Do you want me to create a deck for trial? 

 

Chris H

[Nearholmer]

Chris

 

I pondered both sector-plate and traverser, and I'm pretty sure there are precedents at cramped termini in Victorian London, maybe on the PLA railway or the London & Blackwall (I get deeply confused between the two), but I think I'm going to stick with point-work, partly because I bought the two Y's for a tiny-terminus, and I can't think of any other use for them!

 

So, good offer, but I don't think so.

 

There is, of course, a FY to think about ........

 

K

[Metropolitan H]

K,

 

I wasn't thinking of you not using the three turnouts, just not having to procure any more. I rather liked the sketch with short siding between platform and entry bridge - so thought that using a sector plate and a turnout for a siding at the other end of the platform gave a little more operation in the same space. 

 

How many roads on the FY sector / traverser and what length are thinking of?

 

If only a couple of roads, the entry end siding could be at the front of the board and run under the bridge to a loading platform / door on the view blocking factory / abattoir / dairy / brewery / what have you (Messrs. Hugtites glue works??) frontage that hides the FY at exhibitions - i.e. A full frontal layout. Think on.

 

Regards

Chris H 

[Nearholmer]

Action has overtaken thought!

 

First baseboard nearly finished, although the end board is only clamped in place, because I need to cut an orifice.

 

This contains a number of serious crimes against woodwork, but meets the "no new wood" specification, and has taken <2hrs to build, with "help" from small son. To speed things up, I made the design fit the off-cuts, rather than the other way round, as far as possible. Size 1200x360.

 

The other board should take less time, because it doesn't involve several little bits.

 

Track plan still highly flexible, and the "full frontal" approach had already crossed my mind,me specially since I've decided that I might "cadge" another RH point out of the main layout FY, without compromising things.

 

K

[Metropolitan H]

Very good. You must be feeling a bit better.

 

I look forward to running the N7 on the new layout next w/e.

 

You had better sketch out the requirements for the FY traverser / sector plate and get them to me ASAP - I will then make a start.

 

Regards

CH

[Nearholmer]

Don't get too excited - points I have; plain track I don't, so parts to be ordered, and threading-together to be done.

 

FY thoughts will follow.

 

Woodwork now suspended in favour of holding breath and peeping between fingers (watching the great match on the telly).

 

K

[Nearholmer]

Latest news from the front:

 

- second board knocked together;

 

- some work to do on the baseboard join area, because one of the off-cuts of 2"x1" that I used seems not to be rectangular in cross-section. This will have to be planed or sanded to get the baseboard joint a bit less " gappy";

 

- track-plan firming-up; I think I like the one shown below best, and it permits 300mm clear of the switches at each end;

 

- all it needs now is an incomprehensible Swedish name, and I can sell it in Ikea.

 

Which, all helps compensate for the football result.

 

K

[Nearholmer]

Pondering the topic of ludicrously small termini in London, reminded me of the London & Blackwall Railway (well Millwall Extension Railway, really) Terminus at North Greenwich (a stiff walk/swim away from the present North Greenwich station), and the short-lived Docklands Light Railway Terminus that was built on part of the site.

 

THe L&B is here: http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/n/north_greenwich/

 

the DLR version can be found a few pictures down here https://wharferj.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/

 

And, the map proves that this was a very simple BLT. What lived in the shed on one siding, I'm not sure, possibly the locos, which made Terriers look giant.

 

K

[Northroader]

I haven't visited your thread for over a week, and when I do get here, what do I find? A brand new minimum space suburban terminus in full flow, that's what! It looks really promising, great inspiration, and as you say, it's got good show potential. Good luck with the progress, I'm glad to see you've made found a board a bit wider than the first scheme you drew up, I'm finding in minimum space layouts, width is even more important than length, funnily enough.

[Edwardian]

Millwall Extension Rly smallest Standard Gauge locos ever made, or so some reckon.  You can get a 3Dprint in 4mm scale if you have the nouse to motorise!  Would look great in 7mm!

 

"points I have; plain track I don't" - so, opposite problem to Peco's, then.

[Nearholmer]

Edwardian

 

The MER locos were pretty small, but "smallest" I don't buy, unless surrounded by terms like "in traffic on a public railway in GB, hauling passenger trains at XYZ date". The S&M loco 'Gazelle' was almost certainly smaller, for instance.

 

But, the MER had even better motive power:

 

https://isleofdogslife.wordpress.com/2015/03/24/the-story-of-ariels-girdle-and-the-millwall-extension-railway/

 

And, an ex-GWR steam rail-motor.

 

But, I don't think it is a railway that would work well in Coarse-0, where small locos start to look "heavy footed", and the giant rails look even less sensible than usual when representing light track. No, better left to fine-wheelers, ideally S7, where the spindlyness would come across. And, no, that would be a diversion too far!

 

K

[Nearholmer]

As suggested by BGJ, I have moved the tiny terminus to its own thread under "Boxfiles and Micros"; see new link below.

 

Kevin

[Nearholmer]

Back on the main line, the 7:29am to Victoria seems to have entered a time warp, and decided to be the 7:29am to Waterloo instead.

 

The loco is the latest from Ace, made for them by ETS, and the coaches are Darstaed. These LSWR bogie coaches are quite rare at the moment, because the one small batch made nearly ten years ago has a varnishing fault - even now, the varnish is sort of soft, so they have to be handled with immense care.

 

K