Crossways Wagon Works, an experiment in 7mm

[Sun VI]

September 2017

Sidmouth Model Railway Group has just been set up for railway modellers in the vicinity. We were able to take a table to publicise the group during an exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the closure of the Sidmouth branch line, the centre piece was Richard Harper’s outstanding 4mm model of Sidmouth Station in the early 1960s. I took Crossways to provide some additional interest on our stand. To protect the layout from the over-inquisitive, I made a fascia to hold a removable piece of 2mm Perspex, plus side screens to mask the fiddle yards. Here it is as set up:

 

Michael Pritchard, a chap who knows a bit about model railways stopped for a chat. I think he was disappointed that I’ve used so little in the way of Peco products in the layout. Perhaps it would have cheered him up if I’d remembered to tell him that the traverser runs on four Peco N gauge wagon chassis.

 

By chance I happened to get this photo’ several years ago of him with one of his layouts.

 

I made a start on placing chairs on the narrow gauge rails, though this hasn’t worked as well as I’d hoped. I bought a packet of chairs from C&L at the Wells show recently but these are designed to be slid on to a rail and then glued to a sleeper. As my track is already soldered, I cut some chairs in two to glue them either side of the track. The problem is that the chairs sit too high against the rail, the tops being almost level with the track top. For the chairs on the outside of the rail, this is just about acceptable if you don’t look closely.

On the inside, the chair is high enough to interfere with wheel flanges. It looks as though I’ll have to make a choice from the following options: don’t bother with chairs; only put half chairs on the outside of the track; trim back the chairs to provide the required clearance. This last option is the best visually but the worst to do, as the split chairs are so tiny. Has anyone any other suggestions?

 

Lastly for this post, I’ve varnished the fascia and am pleased with how neat it looks. Shame that the only ply I had to hand for the right hand side has had to be used with the grain running horizontally rather than vertically. Still, I can put a page of information over it and no one should notice.

 

[gateman49]

Having sat with you at our club night on Thursday, you've now got me looking at coffee stirrers when ever I go into a cafe!

 

Keep up the good work

[Sun VI]

Having sat with you at our club night on Thursday, you've now got me looking at coffee stirrers when ever I go into a cafe!

 

Keep up the good work

Thanks Andrew, I do wish they were made to a standard size though!

Cheers

John

[DLT]

Thanks Andrew, I do wish they were made to a standard size though!

Cheers

John

 

It just means you have to do a lot more "field" research and gather a wider sample on the subject....

[DLT]

Michael Pritchard, a chap who knows a bit about model railways stopped for a chat. I think he was disappointed that I’ve used so little in the way of Peco products in the layout. Perhaps it would have cheered him up if I’d remembered to tell him that the traverser runs on four Peco N gauge wagon chassis.

 

Did Mr Pritchard mention a possible photographic session and a bit of a write up to feature in a certain magazine?

Edited September 25, 2017 by DLT

[CME and Bottlewasher]

September 2017Sidmouth Model Railway Group has just been set up for railway modellers in the vicinity. We were able to take a table to publicise the group during an exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the closure of the Sidmouth branch line, the centre piece was Richard Harper’s outstanding 4mm model of Sidmouth Station in the early 1960s. I took Crossways to provide some additional interest on our stand. To protect the layout from the over-inquisitive, I made a fascia to hold a removable piece of 2mm Perspex, plus side screens to mask the fiddle yards. Here it is as set up:2017-08-24 Crossways at Kennaway House (3) (800x594).jpgMichael Pritchard, a chap who knows a bit about model railways stopped for a chat. I think he was disappointed that I’ve used so little in the way of Peco products in the layout. Perhaps it would have cheered him up if I’d remembered to tell him that the traverser runs on four Peco N gauge wagon chassis.2017-08-24 Crossways at Kennaway House (10).jpgBy chance I happened to get this photo’ several years ago of him with one of his layouts.056 (800x616).jpgI made a start on placing chairs on the narrow gauge rails, though this hasn’t worked as well as I’d hoped. I bought a packet of chairs from C&L at the Wells show recently but these are designed to be slid on to a rail and then glued to a sleeper. As my track is already soldered, I cut some chairs in two to glue them either side of the track. The problem is that the chairs sit too high against the rail, the tops being almost level with the track top. For the chairs on the outside of the rail, this is just about acceptable if you don’t look closely.2017-09-04 Crossways progress (5) (800x533).jpgOn the inside, the chair is high enough to interfere with wheel flanges. It looks as though I’ll have to make a choice from the following options: don’t bother with chairs; only put half chairs on the outside of the track; trim back the chairs to provide the required clearance. This last option is the best visually but the worst to do, as the split chairs are so tiny. Has anyone any other suggestions?Lastly for this post, I’ve varnished the fascia and am pleased with how neat it looks. Shame that the only ply I had to hand for the right hand side has had to be used with the grain running horizontally rather than vertically. Still, I can put a page of information over it and no one should notice.2017-09-06 Crossways progress (2) (800x361).jpg2017-09-06 Crossways progress (6) (800x361).jpg2017-09-06 Crossways progress (4) (800x352).jpg

Did Mr Pritchard mention a possible photographic session and a bit of a write up to feature in a certain magazine?

Not Unless lots of Pritchard's Pending (Peco) products have been/used mentioned (and/or dont mention that most the layout is scratch-built ergo little or no Peco products have been used)! I think this wonderful layout is worth a magazine article, yet RTR/RTL commercialism reigns supreme in the pages of many magazines these days?

 

ATVB

 

CME

Edited September 25, 2017 by CME and Bottlewasher

[Sun VI]

Despite omitting any progress update since September 2017, work on Crossways has continued sporadically.  In addition to some local shows, it went to the Bristol 0 Gauge show in 2019 and  to the Wessex Association of Model Railway Clubs (WAMRC) show at Frome on the 4th and 5th January this year, which prompted me to further activity at the end of November and during December. 

 

Here’s the layout as presented at Frome with its newly purchased black table cloth and clip-on LED lamp:

 

 

So, what’s been done since you last saw it?  The traverser has been planked with coffee stirrers and stained with brown ink.  A false wall was inserted at the back of the traverser pit and the pit was lined with brick paper.  Up to this point the traverser had been running quite smoothly, however, just the thickness of the paper was sufficient to cause it to bind at the front, right hand corner and gave me some problems, especially if the temperature in a hall became very high.  I think that I’ve overcome this by careful sanding and, immediately prior to the Frome show, by applying a good dose of talcum powder; all worked well over two days in a warm and stuffy room.

Where track and sleepers are exposed, card sleepers were inserted between the double spaced copper clad and once painted with ‘sleeper grime’ are indistinguishable.    

The ‘concrete’ hard standings and workshop floor have been laid using pale grey card.  All were sprayed with artists’ matt varnish as a sealant.

The narrow gauge loco shed, visitors’ centre, stores and manager’s office have been painted and given appropriate colour washes.  I’ve started to apply some signage.  Doors to the stores and narrow gauge shed were made from … coffee stirrers, of course, and stained with brown ink.  The hinges were bought at a dolls’ house show; they look good but haven’t taken adhesive well, even Superglue, despite being cleaned back to bare metal.

 

 

Ballast has been laid.  I’ve used three distinct grades and shades in an effort to prevent the whole area becoming overwhelmed by dark grey stone.

I’ve made the north light roof of the wagon works.  This was a bit fiddly as I wanted the roof to be detachable.  Also, the north lights would reveal any obtrusive reinforcement that a conventional roof would hide.  I achieved it, in part, by making triangular reinforcing joists out of clear perspex, photo to follow.  There is still capping  and a channel along the roof valley to add – I bought some thin, dark grey card that would be just right but now can’t find it – damn and damn again.  At the Frome show I did find some plastic U channel suitable for rain water gutters, and rain water hoppers by Modelu at the Bristol O Gauge Show, so I should be able to get on with these now.

I’ve made good progress on ‘hands free’ operation by using DG couplings, with the loop only at one end of a wagon and none on the loco’s.  I mentioned in a previous post that I had started buying electro magnets to insert into the layout.  Well, I wondered if a static magnet would work as well, so placed one at the end of the entry track, adjacent to the traverser.  It worked perfectly.  I then had a eureka moment and realised that I actually only needed two magnets on the whole layout, one at each end of the dual gauge track on the traverser, about an inch in from the edge (the right hand one may be easily seen in the first photo above).  That worked too!  So to my great delight, in one fell swoop, I saved myself a load of work and wiring, though I do have six spare electro magnets now.  Suggestions for alternate uses would be welcome.

Finally for now, the narrow gauge Diesel shunter and service trolley have been painted, though the driver and other figures need to be.

 

 

Until setting out this post, I didn't realise how much further the layout has developed.  If you've just read all of my current ramblings, thank you, I appreciate it. 

[mudmagnet]

Hi,

 

A great looking project. I do remember seeing this at the Exeter show last year.

 

Plenty of scope for detailing etc.

 

Look forward to seeing progress.