Tetbury

[Chris Chewter]

Well Tetbury has been in BRM, and punched above its weight to appear on telly. However it was never intended to be a layout to take to exhibitions. It was built insitu over three boards and never meant to be moved. However several exhibition organisers have requested it. To put the layout on the exhibition circuit, some work has to be done, and as it’s had its heyday, it seems that the next stage should be to make it transportable.

Let operation Tetbury commence!

 

Let me explain the problem. Because the wiring was fitted with myself laying on my back under the layout, the wiring is untidy and is hanging like spaghetti.

 

 

That’s ok for a permanent layout, but asking for trouble on an exhibition layout! So mission 1 is to tidy it up. To do that properly, the boards need to be split to allow these to be turned onto their sides to be worked on.

 

So it’s time to cut the layout. Out with the oscillating cutting tool and dremel, and today’s mission is to split the layout into three.

 

 

I’m sure that damage can be buffed out! 

[Harlequin]

😮 I bet you took some deep breaths before starting that!

 

[57xx]

I didn't know Tetbury was on a tectonic fault line!

[Chris Chewter]

 

Day one and the boards were cleared of anything loose and pulled apart. Really strange seeing the Layout from the other side and split into pieces.

 

 

It was decided to start with the easy board. It was upended and work commenced.

 

 

By 3pm, the board looked more like this.  The bus wire was replaced. The uncoupler had its wiring replaced to prevent it being confused with the red and black for the bus wires, and a board fitted so that jumper cables can be used between the boards.

 

We just started the middle board when we ran out of time. 

 

 

You can see why a re-wire is overdue.

 

 With a week booked off work, myself and my not-so-glamorous assistant have a few more days to try to tame the chaos.

Edited May 6 by Chris Chewter

[MrWolf]

No words needed:

 

[Chris Chewter]

The middle board has put up a fight today, however it was to be expected. With five points, frog and track feeds, it was going to take longer than the headshunt board.

 

A reminder of where myself and my not-so-glamorous assistant were at the end of yesterday:

 

 

And where we are just before I had to head off to pick up the kids from school:

 

[Chris Chewter]

Well I couldn’t rest knowing that board 2 wasn’t done. After dinner I set about finishing as much of the board as possible whilst waiting for some additional connector to turn up tomorrow. Four hours later and I’m as far as I can go until I get some deliveries.

 

Onto board 3, but that’s definitely a job for tomorrow!

[The Fatadder]

Finding this an interesting process, as I’ve been having similar thoughts around the fiddle yard on Brent and the possibility of using it as dual use for future exhibition layouts.  
 

Look forward to seeing Tetbury in the flesh sometime in the future 

[Chris Chewter]

I thought I’d hold off todays update until the very end.

 

I didn’t take a ‘before’ photo because I think you’ve got an idea of the gravity of the situation.

 

A quick photo part of the way through the morning, and the rats nest is starting to diminish.

 

 

By 10pm, and after deliveries from numerous couriers, the board was looking like this:

 

 

I do enjoy a good session with the label printer, as I hate sitting below a layout tracing faults, so loads of labels were run off.

 

 

I haven’t tidied up the cables to the timer and point boards as they can be detached and dealt with at a later date sat at the comfort of a workbench.

 

At the end of the day, the layout looks like this:
 

 

At 10pm and feeling very much like a telecoms engineer, it’s all fitted and ready for testing tomorrow morning.

 

Fingers crossed…

Edited May 8 by Chris Chewter

[Chris Chewter]

Well the layout was tested this morning and apart from a disconnected uncoupler, all worked well. No short circuit notifications from the controller and all point motors working.
 

The point indicator board had accidentally been powered back to front, so once the polarity had been reversed, it started working again.

 

 So with all testing as far as possible being positive, the layout can be put back on its feet.

 

 

To allow the layout to be disassembled and re erected, the layout joints are being changed to bolt together with M6 bolts and tee nuts. Also some DCC concepts locator dowels are to be fitted. 
 

We worked through the join at the goods yard, and that went together ok. There’s been damage to the track by the cattle dock, but some damage is sadly inevitable.

 

However, despite working through the station join in the same process, disaster struck. 
 

When bolted together, the board rose upwards and out of alignment. Sadly we’ll have to look at that tomorrow. No 10PM working tonight! We’ll look at that tomorrow with some stronger clamps.

Edited May 9 by Chris Chewter

[Chris Chewter]

What a battle! Following yesterdays alignment mishap, it has taken us 4 hours to sort out the bolts on the platform board. Unfortunately the tee nuts that go into the wood to hold the bolts in place cross threaded… twice! Out came the Dremel when the last cutting disk shattered.  So another set has to be purchased. However, the layout is back together with all point to motors and uncouplers working. We ran out of time to fit the alignment dowels. A job for another day sadly.

 

 

The layout now needs a test. With Carterton at an exhibition this weekend, any testing shall have to wait. Perhaps not a bad thing after the frustrations on the layout recently!