RMweb Premium newbryford Posted January 20, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 20, 2018 Looking good Mike Here's a tip for setting up piggy-back boards like yours. Especially if you are on your own. Make an "A-frame" set of legs that is just below the height of your normal legs. Place them next to the board already set up. Lift the next board into close proximity of the already erected board that it is connecting to, but using the A frame legs as a temporary support at one end, using the normal legs at the other. Then finally connect the boards together with a small lift into place. Slide out the A frame and repeat for the next. Cheers, Mick 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted January 21, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2018 Looking good Mike Here's a tip for setting up piggy-back boards like yours. Especially if you are on your own. Make an "A-frame" set of legs that is just below the height of your normal legs. Place them next to the board already set up. Lift the next board into close proximity of the already erected board that it is connecting to, but using the A frame legs as a temporary support at one end, using the normal legs at the other. Then finally connect the boards together with a small lift into place. Slide out the A frame and repeat for the next. Cheers, Mick Thanks Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted January 23, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 23, 2018 If anyone's interested, here's the link to the feet I've used. http://www.tandsarchitectural.co.uk/kitchen-products/cabinet-carcase-and-plinth-fittings/plinth-fittings/plinth-adjuster-with-supporting-bracket/d43889 The price has gone up a bit but they're still good value for money. All I ask is that if you buy any, you tell them you're using it for a model railway, just so they know where people got their details from Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted January 23, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 23, 2018 (edited) Things are really starting to progress and I've now got one end up completely.... Just three sets of legs left to make and some bracing to add, and then it's completely free standing! Edited January 25, 2018 by scoobyra 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d winpenny Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Looking good bud keep it up David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted January 25, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 25, 2018 Well here we are, almost there...... I'd forgotten to make the spacer plate to go between the bridge board and the end board which meant I wasn't able to bolt it all up together this evening but never mind, it's ahead of schedule and I'll have trains running round again on Saturday. I just need to add the braces and the fascias to complete it. Having the layout free standing now means I can start the track laying a week earlier than expected - I just need to decided how I'm going to set out the pointwork to maximise the length of the roads. I'm not entirely looking forward to this job as cutting the copper clad is a pain in the backside and seems to take forever! 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted January 28, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 28, 2018 (edited) Finally.......it’s all up and running! There’s a few things to sort out with the bus wires but other than that, it’s all systems go for laying the fiddle yard track work and realigning the scenic to fiddle yard joints so that I can Areldite them in place. I’ve also made a mock up light gantry/name fascia support to see how it’ll work out. I suppose I should make some end plates too so that I can crate the whole lot up and transport it without stuff getting damaged! Edited January 28, 2018 by scoobyra 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary_lner Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Looking good Mike are going to do any vids on the layout in full swing with the tracks you have. Is that the size the layout will always be when you take it to shows? If so would u ever consider making it a u shape layout for more scenery? Looking forward to seeing oak road at some point this year. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris64B Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 It's massive! Good work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted January 28, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 28, 2018 Looking good Mike are going to do any vids on the layout in full swing with the tracks you have. Is that the size the layout will always be when you take it to shows? If so would u ever consider making it a u shape layout for more scenery? Looking forward to seeing oak road at some point this year. Gary It’s funny you should say that Gary, I’ve often thought about making it a U shape because I want to build a viaduct. The problem then is, where do I put the fiddle yard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary_lner Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 What about a curved viaduct for one or both of the ends leading into the fiddle yard you could still keep a full length fiddle yard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted January 31, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 31, 2018 The fiddle yard is well and truly underway, and ahead of schedule The original design only had one running loop for each line, with a series of end to end storage roads inside them but this proved to be a bit tiresome......so the decision was made to have three continuous running loops for each line, and 4 storage roads in between that can be accessed form either line. This has made things a little messy in terms of the track layout but I'm not overly fussed as long as it all works! You can see what I mean regarding the track layout tin the last two pictures. I'm hoping to have all of the track down by the weekend and then I can start wiring it all up. Then the task of fitting 20 Conrad point motors and some DCC Concepts AD1-HP decoders will follow shortly after! 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted January 31, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 31, 2018 AD1-HPs sourced and they're now on their way from Kevin at Coastal DCC / Orwell Model Railways! I'll be needing some mimic panels too as there's no way I'm using the Power Cab to try and operate the fiddle yard - it was bad enough trying to do it manually at the last show with just a handful of points, let alone 23 of them! I can see this getting expensive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d winpenny Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 Coming along well bud David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted February 2, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2, 2018 (edited) Oak Road is on the move again - the workshop I'm using has a new business moving in so I need to vacate it by Thursday evening. It's not all doom and gloom though as there's a spare office available until the end of the month and then I should be able to move in to another vacant workshop a week afterwards. I can't complain as the Centre Manager hasn't charged me a penny! (for the record, the workshop I'm currently using is £1600 a month plus vat!!!) So, here's the current state of play..... This is about the best I could manage considering the track layout was never meant to be like this but it makes a lot more sense for ease of use when there's only a couple of operators. I didn't like the idea of tight curves but it's unavoidable. The MK3s go round them ok with the standard couplings but I'm not sure how they're going to cope with the buckeyes...... Ignore the buckled track on the right - I need to add some expansion gaps as code 75 seems to expand really easily! The copper clad isn't one of my neatest jobs but it's functional Tomorrow I'm going to try and get the rest of the track down and then I can carry on wiring it up. Edited February 2, 2018 by scoobyra 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted February 4, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 4, 2018 I've managed to get the main fiddle yard tracks laid so I just need to add a couple of sidings for the branch line. I'm not entirely happy with some of the alignment but I can work on that at a later date. Tomorrow evening I'll get the copper clad strips in and then I can take the whole lot down ready to be moved. Once it's in the office, I'll crack on with the wiring and fit the point motors. In between all the track bashing I've finished adding the leg braces and made the lighting gantry / fascia supports. The latter is again based on Tidworth and works very well - the only difference being the supports at the end of the layout are at the front. I'll get some pictures up once I've relocated. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted February 6, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 6, 2018 (edited) Well here I am in venue number four! As previously mentioned, I've got this until the end of the month but I can't do anything to drastic in it for fear of wrecking the carpet tiles, or the walls, because it's been let from the beginning of March! To be fair, there's not an awful lot more woodwork to be done and I'm not overly bothered if it doesn't have a name board and lighting rig for Rotarail as the hall is quite well lit. I'll utilise the time to rewire the bus, fit and wire the point motors, and any other bits of wiring etc that need doing. Dave's almost back to his normal self now too so I'll have an extra pair of hands to help me. On the train front, I picked up a K type Brighton Belle coach for my Belmond set yesterday and sat it on some spare B4s to see what it looked like. It rocks a bit but I'm sure I can sort that out and then add some plasticard to make them look like B5s. I've got a BG turning up tomorrow to convert in to a Generator Coach and then I need to find some more VSOE cars.....which seem to be as rare as a hen's teeth! Edited February 6, 2018 by scoobyra 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted February 7, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 7, 2018 (edited) Earlier this evening I started fitting these... These little Conrads seem to attract a lot of bad press for some reason but if they're set up right, they work perfectly! The only thing I'd recommend doing is changing the actuator wire for something around 1mm if you intend leaving the spring in Peco points and super gluing it to the control arm. An hour after I'd started and I managed to fit all six to the first board... When I first started building Oak Road, I had a couple of them fitted to the cross over and ran them on 5v DC. As strange as it may sound, they worked really well at a lower voltage and were only a little faster than the Cobalts. My logic in using these for the fiddle yard is that we had a load of them sat in the club house that nobody wanted to use so they were effectively bought for the cost of a small donation, and given the cost of the AD1-HPs, worked out a lot cheaper than buying 23 Cobalts, or Seeps and decoders! I've added some large brass earth tags that Dave gave me, to the ends of the boards, and soldered the bus wires to them, allowing the bus power to pass from one board to the other using the joining bolts - again for simplicity and doing away with the need for connectors. Kevin only managed to send me five decoders so I'm one short for this board but given the fact I need to fit another 17 motors, I'm not short of work! Edited February 8, 2018 by scoobyra 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted February 9, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 9, 2018 (edited) I've just had confirmation that Oak Road will be at the Gaugemaster show on the 1st / 2nd of September this year and to say I'm over the moon is an understatement. That's four great shows this year! Rotarail - 28th April Gaugemaster - 1st / 2nd September Worthing - 29th / 30th September Taunton - 27th / 28th October Once I've got a more reliable van I should be able to start venturing a bit further North! Edited February 9, 2018 by scoobyra 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fincra5 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 I've just had confirmation that Oak Road will be at the Gaugemaster show on the 1st / 2nd of September this year and to say I'm over the moon is an understatement. That's four great shows this year! Rotarail - 28th April Gaugemaster - 1st / 2nd September Worthing - 29th / 30th September Taunton - 27th / 28th October Once I've got a more reliable van I should be able to start venturing a bit further North! Oooh. Will have to check the September shows out! Only down the road in Brighton. Happy to offer services to help with running/ setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted February 11, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 11, 2018 (edited) In between doing some more wiring today, I managed to try the revised light heads from Alan out for size.. The light heads look a little too large now but when they're made to scale, they look too small, so I guess I'm going to have to compromise a bit. Either way, they look miles better than anything else currently masquerading as modern station lights and Alan's done a great job in 3D printing them. These are just roughly painted so don't look too closely! ..and for comparison, here's the real ones.. Edited February 11, 2018 by scoobyra 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podhunter Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Taunton - 27th / 28th October I look forward to seeing Oak Road in its natural setting -- somewhere in Somerset, not far from Devon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted February 18, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 18, 2018 (edited) What with one thing and another, I'd had enough of working on the layout last week and by Thursday, I'd given up and downed tools for a bit. There's only so many nights I can continually do the same thing and I needed a break......and I'm surprised Nicky didn't think I was having an affair given the amount of time I've been spending at work! I've only got one board left to wire up now so it's not the end of the world and if I don't get the point motors fitted by Rotarail there's a few pair of hands that can operate them manually. Back at home, I've been working on another station building, which despite my best efforts to keep it square, is still a little out of shape! Anyway, also back at home and having a bit more time to mess around with things I finally managed to cobble this little beast together over the weekend.... It's got a few errors (the holes in the cab valence for starters) but I can live with it, especially as it started life as a Lima model and now has finescale wheels and a dcc socket. I just need some JHAs for it to pull now! Edited February 20, 2018 by scoobyra 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Mike B Posted February 28, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 28, 2018 (edited) I've just logged in to post an update and the number of people following the exploits of Oak Road has shot up to 175!! More good news on the exhibition front as we're off to the New Forest Model Railway Society Shown on the 26th and 27th of May.........this year! That's five shows booked in and I'm still trying to get my head around it. Unfortunately, we're a bit stretched due to Tidworth being out and about at similar times but there's just about enough of us to keep everyone entertained throughout the year Talking of which, Tidworth is at Romsey this weekend if anyone wants to pop along and say hello to Ian, Stu and myself, and see Ian's recent upgrading of the scenery and station. Back at Oak Road HQ, the replacement station building is coming along steadily and after the weekend I'll get around to finishing the footbridge. The layout is currently residing in my office and not much has happened to it - although to be honest, it all works (some of it manually) so I'm not panicking just yet. Edited March 1, 2018 by scoobyra 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhysb Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 Like the lights Mike, Platforms are looking really good and coming together nicely. Looking forward to bringing some DMU’s into the bay platform while you wizz some HST’s round. See you bright and early on Saturday! Rhys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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