Black Drake Wharf II

[Phil Traxson]

4 hours ago, Andrew Young said:

Seconded about the bus and the lucam. Wonder whether you could convert one to O-16.5?

 

 

That was probably my original intention many moons ago, it is very Colonel Stephens railbus shaped and the body parts from the chassis easily, the chassis is plastic too so would be carveable to provide the wings etc. I wonder if the Airfix Railbus motorizing kit that used to be available ( Branchlines? ) would do for the railway bits?

Edited March 14, 2021 by Phil Traxson

[NeilHB]

Thanks Phil and Graham - there’s a couple of them on eBay going cheap, so have stuck a bid on one. Looks like the Elsbridge Tramway Company may be getting some competition in the near future...!

[Andrew Young]

5 hours ago, Phil Traxson said:

That was probably my original intention many moons ago, it is very Colonel Stephens railbus shaped and the body parts from the chassis easily, the chassis is plastic too so would be carveable to provide the wings etc. I wonder if the Airfix Railbus motorizing kit that used to be available ( Branchlines? ) would do for the railway bits?

 

Thanks Phil. Shall have to get one and see what I can make out of it, the Branchlines railbus motorising kit sounds like a good place to start. Will just liaise with Neil so we don’t bid against each other on the same ones.

[Phil Traxson]

Progress still being made,slowly! A new longer fiddle stick/yard has been produced for the left hand end. As this end has two exit lines which differ in height by 10 mm the fiddle is longer than I would really like as the rear road has to have a down grade to the sector plate. If I had used points it would have made it longer than the layout! It was exhibition tested at the Trent Valley 7mm narrow gauge "do" in Mickleover and certainly added to operating interest.  Excuse the poor start and end to the video, operating and picture taking really needs 3 hands!!

  

[Phil Traxson]

 

A mucky wash has now been applied to the ground and ballast to tone them down a little. after all it is supposed to be an industrial environment. The same treatment has been started on the buildings, most of the low relief back ones have been done but not the ones at the ends yet.

The moving sector plate has been found to be a little too short,as it will only take one wagon with the longest loco's. It is proving possible to add four inches to it without lengthening the base board it is mounted on, fortunate really as the total fiddle areas are as long as the scenic area already. I also have a plan to motorize it's movement to save walking up and down the layout, as it is operated from the front when exhibited. Knowing my snail like progress I have decided to construct every thing to do the alterations BEFORE I rip out the present arrangement, just in case it is not completed before it is exhibited at Borth y Gest in August, or indeed Bala in September! In all probability it will still be manually operated at both of these even if the lengthening is complete, although all the parts are in hand or on order for the mechanisation, mostly Meccano parts and old fashioned push button and micro switches.    

Edited May 26 by Phil Traxson

[7mmin7foot]

Super layout Phil, very atmospheric, great video too.

 

Steve

[Phil Traxson]

16 hours ago, 7mmin7foot said:

Super layout Phil, very atmospheric, great video too.

 

Steve

Couldn't have done it without the sound base layout that Vaughan built and sold to me. It would be very difficult to operate without DCC too, which was also installed by Vaughan. Having no run round facility involves using two loco's just to transfer from one siding to the other without trapping the loco, it would need a dozens of small sections and switches to do it with analogue control.