Cramdin Yard

[Gwiwer]

it's a great job for a spare 5 minutes

And it's one of those modelling jobs which can be done while the trains are running as well. Though it may help to have a circuit rather than an end-to-end / plank requiring frequent attention if you're going to multi-task!

[eldavo]

The spring cleaning is pretty much finished now but it threw up a few issues/deficiencies. I've had to realign the baseboard joints on one of the fiddleyards as it had developed a rather nasty step. This involved lifting out a section of timber, trimming it and restoring it. Of course theballast on that section promptly fell off so that then had to be re-done. Operations now seem to be OK and all the locos and track have been cleaned.

Time then to fiddle with a few details.

The large workshop down by the traverser was looking rather bare with no sign of any work being done (or likely to be done). This has obviously changed as the workers, who must have nipped off for a cuppa or a crafty fag, seem to have left a bunch of tools on the floor!



More polishing of the traverser has been done and (at the moment) it seems to be working. It invariably has to have some attention whenever the layout is transported from one place to another but today it obliged.



At the other end a few more bushes and grassy bits have been added mainly to diguise the baseboard joint alongside the bridge.



May have to use the MK I lungs to blow some of the surplus static grass away. It gets everywhere!



Finally another gratuitous loco shot of one of the resident tractors. Looks like I need to get my rust colour paint out and touch up one or two spots of track!



I should have been packing all this stuff up ready for the weekend but somehow I couldn't resist playing with the camera.

Cheers
Dave

[pitbull1845]

What a nice set of pictures Dave, I especially like the first shot but they are all top notch.

The layout looks like such fun to operate.

 

Cheers

 

Scott

[eldavo]

Cramdin is all packed away in the car for a trip to Beaconsfield tomorrow. Anybody visiting the show be sure to come and say hello.

 

Cheers

Dave

[St. Simon]

Hi,

 

Ah, Beaconsfield, one of my local shows, will pop along in the morning!

 

Simon

[mason]

some grreat looking pics and the traverser looks superb, really nice weathering job

[eldavo]

Looks like the NRM are outsourcing restoration work to Cramdin Yard works!



Absolutely no reason to have one of these but...

Cheers
Dave

[blueeighties]

Just discovered this thread, only 4 Years late

What a superb layout. Giving me the itch to construct something smaller than the monstrosity I am currently struggling with!

 

Regards,

 

Lee.

[ess1uk]

just found this tonight.

great layout.

[sdw7300]

Agreed, just found this and it's a cracking layout. Any visits out planned?

[eldavo]

... Any visits out planned?

 

The next confirmed outings for 2013 are 15/16 June at Chatham and 2 November at High Wycombe.

 

Cheers

Dave

[sdw7300]

Thanks Dave

[branchie]

Hi Dave.

 

Cracking layout - I'm very impressed.

 

What couplings do you use on your rolling stock?

 

Many thanks,

Christian.

[eldavo]

... What couplings do you use on your rolling stock?

 

Hi Christian,  Currently my stock is equipped with modified tension lock couplings, a la Brian Kirby, and sub-baseboard neodymium magnets. These work well most of the time but aren't perfect.  Couplings are the bain of my life and I've tried several types and still haven't found the ideal solution. One day I'll crack the problem.

 

Cheers

Dave

[branchie]

Hi Christian,  Currently my stock is equipped with modified tension lock couplings, a la Brian Kirby, and sub-baseboard neodymium magnets. These work well most of the time but aren't perfect.  Couplings are the bain of my life and I've tried several types and still haven't found the ideal solution. One day I'll crack the problem.

 

Cheers

Dave

Thanks for the reply Dave.

Christian.

[eldavo]

As is normal for me after an exhibition outing all I want to do is heave the layout into a corner of the workshop and have nothing more to do with it. In the case of Cramdin the last outing was October 2012 and the layout has been packed away since but as it's due out to Chatham show this weekend it's time things were checked out.

Those that have played at this exhibition lark will know that packing the thing up and shifting it a hundred miles or so in a van takes its toll. Stuff gets damaged and has to be repaired before the next trip. Cramdin has been on the road for 4 years or so now and the last outing exposed a few weaknesses in the build. To be honest the layout was always a bit of a bodge with things made from scraps of whatever was laying around in my garage. New end protection boards have been knocked up from 6mm MDF and now hold the folding covers in place rigidly which helps the general strength of the baseboard in transport.

I'm fortunate in that I have the space to erect the layout and all its lighting gubbins in my workshop. Doing this has highlighted several bits of infrastructure that need repair. Several joints in the lighting pelmet have been re-glued and some of the black paintwork has had a freshen up. I've also just spotted a broken joint on the baseboard with the traverser so this will have to be re-glued when I disassemble things.



One thing that has always bugged me is that having built a layout where the whole length is scenic I now have nowhere to display any information. Time to sort this out so I have knocked up a bit of a display board to sit above one of the fiddleyards. It's just a few bits of ply and MDF glued together and painted but it'll do the job. Of course now I'll have to sort some info to display!



This has created another little problem. With the display board in place the operators can't see when a train is above the uncoupling magnets in the fuel drop-off siding. Doh!

At the traverser end there was no run-off track for one of the tracks. An out of control 08 could happily run off the traverser into a building. Time to plonk down a short bit of track and a crude timber baulk stop. Needs a bit of greenery/weeds but it's getting there.





Track cleaning still to do which will have to be fitted in between several games of golf.

Cheers
Dave

[Bibby Line]

Dave,

 

Good to see an update on this very interesting layout.

 

Do you plan to run an occasional steam loco ? Could be a light engine move of course. Or maybe a failure (not a Bullied loco of course) that has to spend some time in the yard.

 

Would keep us oldies happy amongst the modern stock.

 

Any new stock appearing at Chatham or is that a surprise ?

 

Eddie

[DanielB]

Lovely layout, well done sir!

 

A question regarding static grass; does it not get into the mechanisms of your locos and gum everything up? I've been a bit concerned about that but having never used it before perhaps I'm worrying over nothing?

[eldavo]

... A question regarding static grass; does it not get into the mechanisms of your locos and gum everything up? I've been a bit concerned about that but having never used it before perhaps I'm worrying over nothing?

Not heard of anyone having problems with static grass in mechanisms. Slightly thin the PVA before applying then when the glue is fully set blow/brush/vacuum off the excess and you should have no problems.

 

Cheers

Dave

[eldavo]

... Do you plan to run an occasional steam loco ? Could be a light engine move of course. Or maybe a failure (not a Bullied loco of course) that has to spend some time in the yard.

 

Would keep us oldies happy amongst the modern stock.

 

Any new stock appearing at Chatham or is that a surprise ?

 

Eddie

Steamers! The only one I own is the NRM Midland Compound. Don't think it will be making an appearance.

 

There are a few new bits and pieces that will make an appearance and the odd casualty that won't. My class 33 blew its sound chip at the last outing so is on the workbench. A few new wagons will come out of the box and a nice grubby Windhoff MPV. Nothing very special. Of course the new operating sequence devised by PhilH may make things interesting.

 

Cheers

Dave

[eldavo]

Well Cramdin isn't dead but it has been sleeping soundly! The layout is due out to Folkstone in October so I really should dust it off and do a bit of work on it. Of course there are lots of boring things that need doing so I've ignored them and played with something else.

A couple of years ago a fellow club member spotted a bunch of Dapol kits at an exhibition and convinced me(!) I needed a JCB. Couldn't think what the heck I was going to use it for so it has sat on the workbench ever since. Last week I decided it could be turned into a shunting tractor so after a bit of interweb surfing I found a couple of suitable prototype images and it was game on.

So here is Matilda, a slightly modified Dapol JCB.





She's parked up at the side of the wagon inspection shed. Not sure she's been used recently and she has definitely seen better days. The front bucket has been hacked with a gas axe and a couple of crude forks added while the back hoe has been removed and a bufferbeam and strengthening beams have been added along with a 3 link coupling.

Here's a couple of cruel closeups. The weathering looks a bit crude this close!





The only modifications to the original kit are some strips of plasticard for the forks, bufferbeam and strengthening beams plus some glazing and use of the craft knife. They don't waste anything in Cramdin so the back hoe assembly is propped in the corner behind Matilda slowly rusting away just in case...

Cheers
Dave

[DLT]

I thought this had been a bit quiet lately, great to see Cramdin again.

Cheers, Dave.

[trisonic]

I hit agree to DLT’s post because Cramdin got me interested in building a layout again when the first article appeared in the press. 

 

Best, Pete.

[eldavo]

More tinkering going on in the yard. A new member of the loco roster has arrived. Well not exactly new in fact very secondhand from the famous online auction site. Sold as faulty with poor running, no lights, detached bogie sideframes and missing horns. Another class 60 this time in Load Haul livery. Seemed worth a punt.

The poor running was easily fixed as one of the track feed connections to a bogie had become detached. Bit of disassembly and a dab with the soldering iron sorted that and I relocated the loose bogie sideframe at the same time.

Cramdin is all EWS and Freightliner so the beast needs rebadging. 60007 seems to have a real bodged rebadging initially with a big EWS 3 beasties vinyl sticker on one side and a small one, that didn't even cover the Load Haul branding, on the other. Had to be done!



Since DBS took over the EWS brand you can no longer get transfers for the beasties vinyls from Fox. What a pain! So I've been experimenting with producing my own with paper obtained via the interweb. One benefit that comes out of it is that I can produce the tatty mess that is the small sticker on top of the scraped and gashed Load Haul badging. More use of the interweb found me an ideal straight on picture of it.



After rebadging the beast has had a sound decoder fitted with a speaker underneath the exhaust silencer facing down. I built a custom ported enclosure for an oval speaker. Doesn't sound too bad.

Searching the interweb for replacements for the missing horns proved unfruitful. Nothing for it but to make some. Decided to dust off the trusty but very elderly Unimat and turn something up. Didn't have any brass rod of a suitable size but a bit of old wire coat hanger is close enough.



Can't really call it a turning job as I don't have all the necessary tools but application of various files produced these.



Bit crude but might do the job. Solder on a bit of fine brass wire to each...



Drill a couple of holes and bung em in with some super glue. Not an exact match for the Hornby part but with a dab of paint maybe...



By the time some cack has been thrown at them it'll take a good eye to spot. Especially if I don't park both 60s side by side.



Onwards. Better do some proper maintenance on the layout at some point I suppose.

Cheers
Dave

[Dunmar]

Nice to see your layout back again Dave - will look forward to your updates.

Bill.