Castle Aching

[Hroth]

2 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

 

I was being ironic at that point in the post!

 

An incompetent uncaring State can take most things away from me, but not my wry urbanity, I'm keeping that!

 

 

 

 

 

I feel your pain.

 

I've just had a year long battle with the lazy, self important jobsworths at HMRC to get a simple matter sorted out. Its not just that they couldn't organise a pissup at a brewery,  but that the brewery would be bankrupted by time they got around to it.

 

[Schooner]

14 hours ago, Martin S-C said:

In my painful experience you need 36"

11 hours ago, Edwardian said:

I have always wanted 3' aisles

Noted, and agreed. Just laziness on my part whilst trialling changes. I'm confident this is attainable once the plan settles down again.

 

2 hours ago, Edwardian said:

Annie has one of these knocking about

Ideal, just the thing.

 

15 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

I'm keeping that!

Modesty likewise? Glad to hear it!

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, Edwardian said:

I think we need to have our own organ

 

How about this one?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_George's_Hall,_Liverpool

Its a very mighty organ too!!!

 

To keep on-topic, its situated close to a statue of George Stephenson

 

 

Though he doesn't look too impressed...

 

[Martin S-C]

17 minutes ago, Hroth said:

a statue of George Stephenson

 

 

Though he doesn't look too impressed...

 

Probably because the sculptor made him sit after he'd just come out of the bath. Poor old geezer must have been freezing.

[Edwardian]

16 hours ago, Schooner said:

Oops! I haven't done a good enough job of pointing out the negatives then, I fear. All the downsides, which came from many quarters when a similar scheme for the WNR was previously proposed, still stand. Accurate design, accurate construction, access, maintenance, reach, visibility, increased risk of frustrating running...all those things which made @Martin S-C choose the brave, but correct, option to start again with his NM&GSR little empire, for a recent example.

 

 

Honestly, I don't know what all the fuss is about. It seemed a perfectly reasonable plan to me ...

 

 

 

Just so long as I don't get too carried away:

 

[Edwardian]

1 hour ago, Schooner said:

Noted, and agreed. Just laziness on my part whilst trialling changes. I'm confident this is attainable once the plan settles down again.

 

 

 

 

The 3' aisle is part of the Edwardian Layout Project (Castles in the Air) Standard Regulations (as amended) 2013, rather than a specific requirement for CA.

 

Under these guidelines, 3' is recommended as the minimum width in which to work solo in a layout operating well. 

 

Assume the continuous run mainline layout with a station on one long side and a FY on at least part of t'other.

 

The parameters I work to for theoretical schemes derive from my partibular notions of presenting steam age mainlines. This is that the railway runs very much within the countryside centred on a 3' deep boardt in order to give plenty of real estate either side of the line. The minimum desired radius is 6', thus, on the line being centred on the long boards, there is a minimum 3' between the baseboards, more, of course, where the FY section uses a shallower board. 

 

The ideal for the CA scheme would be a standard internal door width of 2 1/2" or 30" between baseboards in order to allow ease of solo passage, opening up to a minimum of 3' for operating spaces. That seems a particularly difficult proposition for the Birchoverham Market operating space. 

 

 

 

[Andy Hayter]

2 hours ago, Hroth said:

HMRC?

 

So the publication would aspire to

 

Insane demands

Pettifogging rules

Little or no communication with contributors

Eccentric publication dates

An unanswered telephone helpline

 

Its not auspicious!

 

 

Sounds positively cooperative compared with their French counterparts.

[Annie]

On 23/02/2023 at 23:45, Edwardian said:

See HaT Industrie 1/72 Zulu War British Infantry and British Infantry Command. These are a soft plastic, which is not the best, but the detail and accuracy are good. 

Before painting this type of soft plastic military figure give them a coat of PVA first and let it dry out completely to form a thin skin over the plastic.  Once this is done you won't have any problems with painting this kind of soft plastic figure and the paint will stay in place and won't flake off.  I did this with with a whole bunch of soft plastic Persians for Ancients wargaming so I know the method works.

[ianathompson]

Re the latest iteration of the track plan.

 

From experience I would be wary of such a long hidden run to the cassette and the hidden point.

There are one or two similar places on my own empire and guess where most trrouble occurs?!

 

I recently spent a couple of days re-jigging some hidden pointwork which began to play up.

It had been in place for twenty plus years and had worked fairly well.

Part of the new works included placing a "window" on the workbench so that the points are now visible and can be monitored.

 

I know that removable sections can be installed to retrieve derailments but, having beeen there, seen it, done it etc., is this how you want to spend your modelling time?

 

One other point (no pun intended).

If you are going to have sharp curves using flexi tack in hidden trackwork can I suggest that you solder the curves together before laying.

This will stop kinks developing.

Also I insert copper clad sleepers at the joints so that the rails can easily be adjusted if needed.

 

This paid dividends when my 2-10-2T intermittenlty derailed.

The fault was traced to a slight tightening of the gauge and was easily remedied once diagnosed.

 

Set track avoids these problems, of course, but then you are restricted to whatever radius is available.

I don't suppose that the WNR will see too many 2-10-2Ts.

 

Ian T

[Nearholmer]

2 minutes ago, ianathompson said:

If you are going to have sharp curves using flexi tack in hidden trackwork can I suggest that you solder the curves together before laying.

This will stop kinks developing.

Also I insert copper clad sleepers at the joints so that the rails can easily be adjusted if needed.

Or, use set track, and solder the joints up on that, which is certainly what I would do in this case. As I noted above, six-wheelers will be especially sensitive to kinks.

[Edwardian]

44 minutes ago, ianathompson said:

Re the latest iteration of the track plan.

 

From experience I would be wary of such a long hidden run to the cassette and the hidden point.

There are one or two similar places on my own empire and guess where most trrouble occurs?!

 

I recently spent a couple of days re-jigging some hidden pointwork which began to play up.

It had been in place for twenty plus years and had worked fairly well.

Part of the new works included placing a "window" on the workbench so that the points are now visible and can be monitored.

 

I know that removable sections can be installed to retrieve derailments but, having beeen there, seen it, done it etc., is this how you want to spend your modelling time?

 

One other point (no pun intended).

If you are going to have sharp curves using flexi tack in hidden trackwork can I suggest that you solder the curves together before laying.

This will stop kinks developing.

Also I insert copper clad sleepers at the joints so that the rails can easily be adjusted if needed.

 

This paid dividends when my 2-10-2T intermittenlty derailed.

The fault was traced to a slight tightening of the gauge and was easily remedied once diagnosed.

 

Set track avoids these problems, of course, but then you are restricted to whatever radius is available.

I don't suppose that the WNR will see too many 2-10-2Ts.

 

Ian T

 

40 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Or, use set track, and solder the joints up on that, which is certainly what I would do in this case. As I noted above, six-wheelers will be especially sensitive to kinks.

 

This idea is strengthening its hold ....

 

In response to these very sensible points, I can say that I am minded to continue the double track under the hidden section.

 

If, and a big if, but if 6-wheelers can cope with 3rd Radius (21") I can make that the inner radius and lay 4th Radius (24") as the outer and have all in Code 100 set-track, using a transition piece at each end to join to Code 75. I believe Peco produces such a thing.

 

Thus there would be no turnounts to the hidden section, just plain track, and all the track could be robust set-track long curves, soldered as advised. 

 

I am also considering taking the line back to the rear to pass behind the river section.  

 

I can carpet under the CA boards with room enough to assume the lotus position for track cleaning or maintenance. I am thinking of mounting a LED trip above the hidden track to ensure it is well illuminated and I'll make sure there is a handy socket for a soldering iron, perhaps a reading lamp and a selection of vintage railway magazines!  

 

It will be an entirely serene experience, I am sure.

 

[Hroth]

19 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

It will be an entirely serene experience, I am sure.

 

A shaven head and saffron robes an optional extra, Lobsang?

 

[Martin S-C]

5 hours ago, Annie said:

Before painting this type of soft plastic military figure give them a coat of PVA first and let it dry out completely to form a thin skin over the plastic.  Once this is done you won't have any problems with painting this kind of soft plastic figure and the paint will stay in place and won't flake off.  I did this with with a whole bunch of soft plastic Persians for Ancients wargaming so I know the method works.

Good gracious, you are a wargamer too! How tragic we've never met!

With soft plastics also remember to give them a good bath in a bowl of warm soapy water to get rid of any traces of the release agent used to ease their removal from their moulds. I scrub them with a redundant toothbrush at this stage.

Wargame figures are odd things though with often cartoon levels of over-emphasized detail and depending on the manufacturer and how long ago they were made, some distinctly non-human proportions. Metal figures seem to be worse in this regard than plastics. Not the best ranges to look at for model railways.

[Martin S-C]

31 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

A shaven head and saffron robes an optional extra, Lobsang?

 

Standard M&GNR livery!

[Edwardian]

2 minutes ago, Martin S-C said:

Good gracious, you are a wargamer too! How tragic we've never met!

With soft plastics also remember to give them a good bath in a bowl of warm soapy water to get rid of any traces of the release agent used to ease their removal from their moulds. I scrub them with a redundant toothbrush at this stage.

Wargame figures are odd things though with often cartoon levels of over-emphasized detail and depending on the manufacturer and how long ago they were made, some distinctly non-human proportions. Metal figures seem to be worse in this regard than plastics. Not the best ranges to look at for model railways.

 

There is a nice stack of War of Spanish Succession 1/72nd scale plastics urging me to give up model railwaying!

 

Those below not mine, I hasten to add...

 

[Schooner]

9 hours ago, Edwardian said:

Honestly, I don't know what all the fuss is about. It seemed a perfectly reasonable plan to me ...

I feel the same way, but have no experience and can only report what others have said (loudly and frequently) when such schemes were floated before. It's no Crewlisle! I can't see any of the issues mentioned are insurmountable, and your cunning plan to have the cassettes there opens up the whole layout. I think it's a really good idea, just one that I've been lead to believe will need to be thoroughly checked. So, what's new?!

 

9 hours ago, Edwardian said:

That seems a particularly difficult proposition for the Birchoverham Market operating space. 

Oh, I dunno:

The aisle has two pinch points of 24" as drawn, but both easily are widened if desired.

 

Otherwise largely as discussed. 22 1/2" and 34" set track for the tightest curves. A continuous 1/75 gradient on the hidden run (the turnout at the juntion of which should be comfortably reachable from the rear aisle) gives plenty of clearance under CA, the river at DA and the back of AM if you wanted to extend the baseboard over the cassette board.

 

On double track hidden run, doesn't that just double the cost, workload and failure risk? Assuming the main line singles again between the junction and Aching Constable then that could be on-scene, but as it stands the turnout is reachable. No more than an inch below the level of the main line run into CA, and less than 3' from the aisle.

 

On cleaning, using graphite on the tracks has improved running on Ingleford immeasurably, and I'm assured by those who've used it for a while that track maintenance/cleaning consists of the occasional rub-down of any troublesome spots and an annual once-over of the whole lot. Seeing the results I've been getting, I can well believe it. Side benefit of single track at the back is that it would see twice the traffic, so twice the polishing.

 

What do we reckon?

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by Schooner
Pps. To confirm, the 'hidden' line doesn't have to be beneath anything until it goes under the goods yard at CA, 3" down and right alongside the aisle

[Martin S-C]

5 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

 

There is a nice stack of War of Spanish Succession 1/72nd scale plastics urging me to give up model railwaying!

 

Those are the latest range by Strelets I think? They are producing some great stuff these days but sadly since they are a Russian company I won't buy them. I am still using a bunch of old Airfix and Matchbox plastics from the 1980s. Still going strong - they get their bendy rifles repainted every once in a while.

[Caley Jim]

Instead of a reading lamp, invest in a wind up, led headlamp. That way the light will always be shining in the direction you are looking and, being wind up you don't have to worry about batteries. 

 

Jim (on the train home from Model Rail) 

Edited February 24, 2023 by Caley Jim
Typo

[Edwardian]

1 hour ago, Martin S-C said:

Those are the latest range by Strelets I think? They are producing some great stuff these days but sadly since they are a Russian company I won't buy them. I am still using a bunch of old Airfix and Matchbox plastics from the 1980s. Still going strong - they get their bendy rifles repainted every once in a while.

 

Actually,Strelets are/were made in Ukraine.

 

One of the business owners is Russian. In anu case I have not bought any since 24/02/2022.

 

I'm more concerned about purchasing Chinese produced RTR that Strelets to be frank. 

[Martin S-C]

27 minutes ago, Edwardian said:

 

Actually,Strelets are/were made in Ukraine.

Goodness, you are absolutely correct. I see they carry the blue and yellow banner on their packaging. I stand corrected - I must be thinking of another company. Maybe Zvezda?

[Edwardian]

51 minutes ago, Martin S-C said:

Goodness, you are absolutely correct. I see they carry the blue and yellow banner on their packaging. I stand corrected - I must be thinking of another company. Maybe Zvezda?

 

Yes, Zvezda are Russian, so I won't buy them. Their old French Napoleonic artillery set was one of the finest artillery sets ever made. 

[Annie]

2 hours ago, Martin S-C said:

Good gracious, you are a wargamer too! How tragic we've never met!

With soft plastics also remember to give them a good bath in a bowl of warm soapy water to get rid of any traces of the release agent used to ease their removal from their moulds. I scrub them with a redundant toothbrush at this stage.

Oh darn, - I forgot to mention washing the figures first, - so thanks for that Martin.

 

I haven't been involved in wargaming for some years now.  One of the unfortunate side effects of moving to the rural countryside was a total lack of wargaming societies unless I wanted to make a 400 Km round trip on a regular basis.  I gave away all my soft plastic Ancients, but I think I still have some of the late 19th century soft plastic figures I purchased for Victorian Sci-Fi wargaming.  I made various paper kits for steam powered walking machines, aerial gunboats and steam powered flying saucers and the like, but I don't have them anymore and the files got lost in a hard drive failure.

I still have a lot of fantasy wargaming figures packed away as well, - mostly Elves of various kinds, Hobbits and Goblins.

[Donw]

When I was editor of the Gauge 0 Gazette I remember a comment for CJF about looking at articles/layouts from the builders point of view. I also tried to keep my preferences out of it.  It seemed to work I got praises for an issues from people with opposing views. The had been something in the issue to please both just not the same stuff.

 

Don

[Flying Fox 34F]

To Edwardian and Schooner,

 

With regard to the track plan and the hidden line to the cassette storage.  Would it be possible to alter the destination of the tracks from AC Junction, with the line that went down the gradient, heading for Castle Aching instead?  Without resorting to drawing tools, I feel you could turn the other line through 180 degrees, behind Doughton Abbey and hidden in the woodland.  The position of the cassette would have to move towards the Maltings building at Achingham.  In fact, the cassette could be partly hidden within the building.  The cassette storage could remain in the same area as is currently.

 

My apologies if this upsets any progress.

 

Paul

[Schooner]

Not at all, ideas very welcome! Very happy to try to draw things out to aid discussion and decision making. Interesting and fundamentally possible, yes, but comes with what's likely to be a significant caveat.

 

Such a format would be Not Right, although the route maps are no longer visible in the opening post to illustrate. The line CA-BM runs North/South. Achingham to the East, Aching Constable to the West. For adhesion to reality (see @Nearholmer, above), AC Jnc should split in a way which shows this. Shy of some novel geography, I can't think why the line to AC would come off to the 'wrong' side to then have to cross the line to CA.