trackbed Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Hi all ,with the festive celebrations over its now time to get started again. Some of the I.D. tiles have now been completed, hopefully Wireman will post some pictures of our rail traffic control system. Also the platforms templates for Wimhill have now been formed (paper) so it shouldn't be long before the terminus platforms are cut out . Now it just remains for me to wish you all a very happy new year Very best Nick 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 (edited) Another afternoon visit to Coleborne this week. Nick has made considerable progress on the Loco. I.D. tiles etc. The first picture shows the layout of the tray, the 12 rows on the left ( 6 black 6 red ) are the up and down storage roads. The yellow rows on the right are for the Shed and loco.yard with the 2 Long rows at the top being for Wimhill. Any tiles made for locomotives off the layout for any reason will be stored in the tray area at the very top. The bottom row on the loco. yard side ( Yellow ) is also the programming track, each row above corresponding to the diagrams on the relevant switch panels. This second picture showing the stoarage switch panel above should clarify things. Looking at the panel, the lights show tracks 10, 9, 5, and 1 selected with all tracks occupied except 7 and 4. The Tiles showing the Loco. in any road. Once the tracks have the numbers printed on, I.D. should be very easy. Happy New Year . Brian. (wireman ) Edited January 8, 2016 by wireman 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitbull1845 Posted January 8, 2016 Author Share Posted January 8, 2016 AGHHHHHHHHHH.. Can I just operate the branch please... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 5945 'Hall' at Wimhill for clearance checks before starting to cut the platforms. Regards Brian. ( wireman ) 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 (edited) Of course you can Scott, in fact, the idea of a junior section at Coleborne would allow us to pass on our combined knowledge, ( bad habits ) to the younger generation. Also, with advancing years, you may soon be the only one able to duck under the main layout to reach Wimhill. I trust we will see more of your yellow things over here before long. ( Let us know in advance so an I.D. tile can be produced for whatever you intend to bring ). Regards. Brian ( wireman ). Edited January 10, 2016 by wireman 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Another Wednesday afternoon visit. The platforms at Wimhill were cut roughly to size, drilled and dowelled to the baseboard to allow removal and accurate refittng. The pictures show progress so far, the paper glued to the top surface will enable us to do the final marking out and cutting, hopefully next week. Brian. ( Wireman ) 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitbull1845 Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 For some reason I thought it was just going to be the one platform; a bit like Swanage.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Hi Scott. Bit like Topsy, it just growed and growed, but you will be pleased to know, the siding on the left of the lower picture is going to be a goods shed and will also act as the headshunt for the dairy. Seriously, this was always the plan for the station layout. The backscene panel will be attached directy to the right hand platform edge, with another on the wall behind to give depth. It's all going to take time but will be worth it I'm told. Brian. ( wireman ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Wednesday afternoon vsit again this week, becoming bit of a winter fixture. First, an updated picture of the Loco. ID. shelf with numbers etc. printed on. then a couple more pictures of the station area at Wimhill. The platforms have now been marked out and cut to the final size, allowing a couple of millimetres either side for the overhang of the top surface. Although we are here in the sunny south, yesterday we had a sharp frost which was still on the grass in the shade outside of the railway room. After an hour and a half cutting and sanding these outside, our feet were frozen, but, job done. This last picture has a tempory backscene board proped up behind it. The height of which is the subject of debate, but I think Nick is happy with 6 inches as in the photo. Regards, Brian ( wireman ) 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 (edited) This weeks Coleborne visit was still concentrated on the Wimhill platforms. Nick had completed the brick paper along all the edges, so we spent the afternoon fitting the platform topping. All of the previous careful measuring, cutting and dowelling paid off as cutting the 2mm plastic went really well. Even so, it still took nearly three hours to do. At the moment it is held in place with track pins, as Nick needs to remove it again to scribe the paving edges etc. The pictures do not look much different to the previous ones but do represent quite a lot of work The idea of the low backscene board being attached directly to the platform seems to have been abandoned. Once sky paper is fixed to the back wall it will be easier to see where things are going. No Coleborne visits now for a couiple of weeks, but we'll be back. Regards. Brian ( wireman ) Edited February 5, 2016 by wireman Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 The two pictures which should have been with the item above. Brian. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trackbed Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 Nice pics again Brian , getting ever closer to that lovely ballasting job '!!! Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Module00 Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 A great and fantastic layout ! Congratulations. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trackbed Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Hi Module00 many thanks for your comments , glad you enjoyed , thanks for looking Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Module00 Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 It is normal. It is really a very beautiful layout. I am going to follow this thread with interest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 (edited) A little longer break than anticipated but on this Wednesday's visit to Coleborne the Wimhill platforms had been sprayed grey and the edge stones picked out. My glasses case, a pair I leave around the layout to save taking them each time, is also now a two tone black and grey. Very smart. The afternoon was spent sticking the sky background sheets , still wet when the picture was taken, plus the rear platform support wall was cut and fitted. The higher part of this will be the canopy support for this platform. Progress should proceed apace at Wimhill now the basics have been sorted. Only the ballasting, station building, canopy for all platforms, brick paper on walls etc. goods shed, dairy, signals, general scenery, where are my glasses. Regards Brian. ( wireman ) Edited April 9, 2016 by wireman 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 Although progress on the Wimhill extension has continued, no post have been made since April. I say progress, a good many changes have beem made to the original plans here, not the least was the need to lift all pointwork and wire them for polarity switching of the frogs. Point control using the DCC modules was completely ok, see page 8 , the problem arose after fitting a circuit breaker in to the BUS at Wimhill so any problem here did not affect the main layout. Occasionally, when using a long wheel base loco at Wimhill any short caused by a loco wheel when crossing a point brought the breaker into action. This had not been a problem on the main layout as the ZTC's are reasonably tolerant of these very quick shorts and the group of double slips are fed through a polarity reversing unit. On the extension, the breaker operates very quickly, as it should, leaving the whole extension dead untill the short is cleared. Not to much of a problem if you are operating from that side. If operating from the main control point it means ducking under the layout to the centre well to clear things and although this did not happen frequently, was a b..... nuisance. Still, all lifted, cut, switches fitted, frog wires soldered and all replaced. Problem solved, just a time consuming exercise. Although my wanting to do this was not greeted with much enthusiasm, it had to be done before the advent of the dreaded ballasting. Hopefully, I will take a couple of pics. on this weeks visit, of progress so far and further outline the present plans for Wimhill. Regards. Brian. ( wireman ) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Module00 Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 good ! no picture for this time ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 An afternoon visit to Coleborne this week. The two pictures show the track emerging from the cutting, the bare area to the right, in front of the low wall built into the hill will be part of the dairy, probably a lorry park / turning area. This wall is in fact along the edge of the removable board here. The small embankment on the left, seperating the track from the area lifts off with it.The diverging track off to the left was going to be for hidden stock storage, but having changed the plan of how Wimhill is going to look , the track length has been reduced and it has become a small Loco. shed for the Wimhill shunter. Wimhill is still going to be a seaside terminus, western region, but the high background board along the rear of the lifting sections has been abandoned, a sea scape will be painted along the rear wall, allowing glimpses of the sea and possibly beach huts etc. in between the various railway structures and town buildings. The mound between the main lines and the loco. shed covers a hinge and being made of hanging basket liner will flex enough to allow this board to be opened , gaining access to the stoarage yard points beneath. The dairy buildings to be on the bare area on the right, it is just possible to make out othe penciled outlines for these. Access will be by overbridge. More of this as things progress. Hopefully this outlines the general idea for Wimhill and together with previous post gives some idea of progress so far. Regards Brian. ( wireman ). 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 An afternoon visit to Coleborne today to check on rumours that a Yankee tank has been allocated to the shed here as well as at Brampton Road. The rumours are true, already pressed into service on a local pick up goods. The new bridge at Wimhill is also now under construction after the trials with a card mock up. Much work still to do but all looking good so far. The collection of buildings at the dairy are on loan, some of these may form part of the final dairy along with a few scratch built ones. Once the bridge is complete, this whole dairy / shed area will receive some scenic attention. The final hour of todays visit involved an intensive operating session, much fun was had by all and a couple of head ache tablets on returning home eased the pain and helped restore my blood pressure. Regards Brian. ( wireman ) 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pooleboy Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 WOW looking really good cannot wait to see the completed bridge and Dairy. I hope your Yankee tank runs as good as mine, Fantastic little loco. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 whilst the bridge is being constructed, I have used the time to move a couple of switches, used to switch the main bus connections, to a new panel. This has needed doing for some time and being able to combine these switches on new a panel showing the Wimhill track diagram was ideal. As mentioned before, the Wimhill points are DCC allowing operation from any controller but the actual track is hard to see when sat at the main Coleborne panel, hence the need for the diagram. This allows, limited,one man operation of the branch from Coleborne. The limitation is of course , uncoupling. Never the less, fitting a fixed Peco uncoupler allows an arriving train to uncouple in platform two, run round it's train and pull forward over the crossover back to platform one ready for depature or to run back to the Wimhill shed. Obviously the push pull can be run up to platforms two or three and back to coleborne with very little route setting. I hope the picture clarifies some of the above. The pairs of points numbered 1, 2 and 4, change as pairs, the direction indicated by R or L. which matches the left or right on the ZTC controllers. Only 3 switches are used at present, and the push button on the left will be for the signal bell to Wimhill, if we ever figure out how to make one. This is a rather poor pic, but just above the backscene, 6 milk tankers can be seen at Wimhill. Regards Brian. ( wireman ) 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 Afternoon visits to Colborne for the last three weeks have seen progress on the bridge and track ballasting at Wimhill. No pics at the moment as I'm sure everyone is familiar with the mess both of these activities create. A welcome suprise visit from Scott this week. Checking back I find it is about a year since he last brought something to run. A vast improvement now with the arrival of his new 08, the colour needs changing to green, but a step in the right direction away from the yellow things. Some thing is still not quite right !!!1 Never mind, we were delighted to see him and as I said before, we always look forward his visits, whatever he brings along. Regards Brian. ( wireman ) 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 That's cos he's grown up and now wearing Long Trousers, hahahhah Pics of this Layout always inspire, well done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireman Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 This weeks Coleborne visit saw progress on the bridge and ballasting around the platform area. These activities seem to be taking rather a long time, indeed looking back, my entries in April last year were perhaps somewhat optimistic, but these couple of pictures show things are happening. I have also noticed that in a whole year our ramblings here have only managed to fill one page, hopefully, we will manage more in 2017. When talking of progress, it has to be remembered, that are hobby is to be enjoyed. Playing trains, talking trains etc. all taking time and contribute to our enjoyment. Wishing everv one a Happy New Year. Brian. ( wireman ) 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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