Moor Street Station Traverser

[melmerby]

Hi all

 

I am currently making a traverser along the lines of Birmingham Moor Street

I'm interested as to what the top deck is. It appears to be plain steel sheets rivetted at the edges/joints see here:

 

http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrms1697.htm

 

How can I get this effect? I was hoping to use Wills sheets but can't find anything like that.

I've got plenty of Plasticard.

As an alternative what about using checker plate?

 

All suggestions welcome

 

Cheers

 

Keith

[melmerby]

This is my version with the construction so far

It is scale 75 feet rather than 60 to allow full size tender locos

 

The base which is faced expanded foam 10mm thick:

 

The support for the deck with the mechanism which is screw driven:

 

The brass tubes slide on the steel bars

 

Early trial assembly:

 

As I progressed more brass for the support was added to carry the adjustable microswitch actuators (4mm screws!) and the brass tubes reduced

 

It's is to be DCC controlled so I used a TT300 circuit board and motor and using large microswitches under the traverser:

 

I then needed a deck for the track so I used 6mm ply with angled brass to keep it flat:

 

Deck in place for testing:

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Joseph_Pestell]

ScaleLink do an etch of strips of brass with rivets. Could be an answer.

[melmerby]

The real thing has a chequer plate deck so I think I'll try Plasticard chequer plate for that, the Wills one isn't right and only comes in small bits!

 

Keith

[peter220950]

If you want both chequer plate and bolts there are at least 3 alternatives to think about,

 

Use a rivetting press on the plastic sheet to emboss rivets.

 

Use Archer transfers rivet detail

http://www.archertransfers.com/PAGE_Rivetpic.html

 

Or if you really want fine detail befor matron comes around with medication, try drilling and inserting Grandt Line bolts or rivets

http://www.grandtline.com/products/mrr/mrr%20details/augmentables.html

 

If you choose the former I have a rivet tool you could borrow.

 

If you choose the latter I can come and help during visiting hours as I'm not that far away

 

Having seen them in use I would probably go for the resin rivet transfers, they stock them at DCC Supplies so are available locally.

 

Peter

[melmerby]

Those resin rivets look a good way to do it.

I could pop into DCC Supplies, I've been there a few times

 

Unfortunately some of the rivets are OOS just now. I would need a look to see what would suit.

 

Cheers

 

Keith

 

EDIT

There is a good photo of the traverser here:

http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrms1735.htm

[bazjones1711]

regarding the traverser you could use a CD drive , as its ready built! as per the one i done on my BSC shepcote lane layout , using two micro switches from a mouse to set the limits.Its powered by a cheap geared motor from Squires (£3.99) keeping all the gears already in the cd and runnig off 3 - 6 volts 

not the best pic but may give you an idea what i've done, this was inspired by a model of moor street? in rail express  a few years ago which mentioned a working traverser. any questions just ask !

regards Baz

[melmerby]

Interesting way to do it.

 

I opted for the Traintronics TT300  (circuit board, motor and most of the gears) as I already had one which had stopped working properly as a point motor.

The gears are standard 1mm pitch on 2mm axles so a couple more from a bag of various gears bought for the spares box completed the line up.

A couple of bigger microswitches were used for the limit switches, the originals being too small.

Using the TT300 also means it was DCC from the start so it can be controlled by TrainController.

It works a treat, the traverse being realistically slow.

 

Incidentally the motor used is virtually the same as the tray motor in a CD drive.

 

Cheers

 

Keith

[DCB]

Melmerby. As the Gods Wonderful Railway only had one loco with a wheelbase exceeding 60 feet and none exceeding 61 feet I am wondering what these "Full Size" tender locos are?  It always annoys me that Ready to use turntables tend to be 75 foot when I only need a 60 or 65 for my King etc.

[melmerby]

Melmerby. As the Gods Wonderful Railway only had one loco with a wheelbase exceeding 60 feet and none exceeding 61 feet I am wondering what these "Full Size" tender locos are?  It always annoys me that Ready to use turntables tend to be 75 foot when I only need a 60 or 65 for my King etc.

Well I'm not modelling the GWR accurately only taking inspiration from it.

When the P2 arrives in Moor Street on a Cross Country train from the LNER it will need a long enough traverser as will A Princess on a working from the LMS!

 

As it will operate automatically using TrainController it does need a little extra length as loco positioning is not always more accurate than about 25mm or so. (a scale 6' 3")

Using a scale 75' doesn't look over long and will be easier to operate.

 

Keith