Distillery yard micro layout - back out on the exhibition circuit

[Siberian Snooper]

I don't like to rain on your fine work, but you have fitted facing point lock rodding. Point rodding runs to the end of the switch tie bar.

[luke the train spotter]

I don't like to rain on your fine work, but you have fitted facing point lock rodding. Point rodding runs to the end of the switch tie bar.

Ah, that is a problem. I am quite confused by all the different types of point rodding etc and haven't been able to find much which will show me how to do it the 'correct way'. Do you have a picture/diagram of how it should be? You're saving me from death by rivet counters at an exhibition.

[Signaller69]

This might help, shows a point lock as you have done (required generally only for points a passenger train will run over, or a siding needing to be locked out to prevent shunting/run away mishaps), and the main point actuating rod to the tie bar. Take care that rolling stock doesn't foul the rodding either as it is a little over scale and can sit a little high.

 

[luke the train spotter]

This might help, shows a point lock as you have done (required generally only for points a passenger train will run over, or a siding needing to be locked out to prevent shunting/run away mishaps), and the main point actuating rod to the tie bar. Take care that rolling stock doesn't foul the rodding either as it is a little over scale and can sit a little high.

 

IMG_20161022_144643.jpg

Thank you, that is very helpful. I have now removed and corrected my point rodding so that it is correct. I hadn't really thought about the clearance between the stock and the point rodding, I better go and check that.

[luke the train spotter]

Well today some of these fantastic modeling figures arrived. A little bit more expensive than other manufacturers but I think they're much more realistic and to scale. I don't want to over populate the layout at all but I would like to get a train spotter figure as well to be looking over the fence with a note book and maybe a camera.

[luke the train spotter]

A detail I've wanted to add for a long time to this layout is some deer. Everytime I visit Scotland I manage to catch a glimpse of them so I wanted to add some to the layout. This particular breed are from woodland scenics and have simply been glued in place. The trees made this quite awkward but I think they look alright. There are only 4 on the layout, a stag, 2 does and a foal (I think that's what you call a baby deer). Hopefully they will be a nice detail and talking point at an exhibition, I know not everyone appreciates the trains as others. I would like to add more wildlife in the future as well and continue painting up those modelu figures to add some locals too!

[eastworld]

Looking good Luke. It's nice when you can get round to detailing. A baby deer is a fawn by the way.

 

Keep up the good work

 

Stu

[luke the train spotter]

Thanks Stu, Ive learnt something today! Yesterday I received an order from hattons with some kadee uncoupling magnets which sit between the rail. They say they're for code 100 rail but I assumed they would be fine for code 75 as the difference is only a mm. Turns out I am 100% wrong, which is quite frustrating. The magnets actually managed to derail my class 25 by catching on the underframe of the bogie. (No the magnet wasn't sitting on the chairs) Even on some code 100 track I was still having trouble and I checked my kadees to the kadee height gauge. So back to the drawing board I go, anyone had experiences with neodymium magnets? Any advice? By the way, I have a new loco on the way... Hint, it's a steamer this time

Edited November 23, 2018 by luke the train spotter

[Signaller69]

Luke, I had the same issue with Kadee magnets and code 75 track, in the end I chopped out sleepers and fitted the magnet to a thin card spacer which works fine. I have also considered Neodymium magnets and would be interested to see how you get on; there is a thread on here I recall seeing somewhere which covers this I'm sure. I think there was a slight issue with steel axles being attracted to be aware of and positioning is fairly critical, but otherwise it seemed to work iirc.

[JSWM]

Thanks Stu, Ive learnt something today! Yesterday I received an order from hattons with some kadee uncoupling magnets which sit between the rail. They say they're for code 100 rail but I assumed they would be fine for code 75 as the difference is only a mm. Turns out I am 100% wrong, which is quite frustrating. The magnets actually managed to derail my class 25 by catching on the underframe of the bogie. (No the magnet wasn't sitting on the chairs) Even on some code 100 track I was still having trouble and I checked my kadees to the kadee height gauge. So back to the drawing board I go, anyone had experiences with neodymium magnets? Any advice? By the way, I have a new loco on the way... Hint, it's a steamer this time

Hi Luke

I'm employing the neodymium magnets and staples system on my layout. The magnets I use are 4mm dia. X 8mm thick that have a 0.7kg pull which I fit between the sleepers which are drilled and glued into the base board, then ballasted. I get them from first4magnets and a pack of 10 cost about £5 inc p&p. It might be worth checking out their web the part no. I use is F408-10. It might be worth a try with the kadees. Nothing ventured and all that...

John

[luke the train spotter]

Hi Luke

I'm employing the neodymium magnets and staples system on my layout. The magnets I use are 4mm dia. X 8mm thick that have a 0.7kg pull which I fit between the sleepers which are drilled and glued into the base board, then ballasted. I get them from first4magnets and a pack of 10 cost about £5 inc p&p. It might be worth checking out their web the part no. I use is F408-10. It might be worth a try with the kadees. Nothing ventured and all that...

John

Thanks John, that's very helpful. I've now placed my order from first4magnets.

[luke the train spotter]

Ggrrrrrrr. These pesky neodymium magnets are a pain! I can't seem to get them to work as I want them to if at all. I ordered some 3mm cube ones which I think may be a mistake so I've now ordered some 3x3x5mm ones. Hopefully this will solve my problems as I think the reason why I am struggling to get them to work is because of the opposing polarity. Next time I will be installing under track magnets to avoid this hastle.....

[Lacathedrale]

Bad luck Luke, when I had an american layout I used a cocktail stick inserted from the top and twisted - worked perfectly every time. That said, it was very much a hands-on layout rather than the cameo type thing you have here.

[luke the train spotter]

Bad luck Luke, when I had an american layout I used a cocktail stick inserted from the top and twisted - worked perfectly every time. That said, it was very much a hands-on layout rather than the cameo type thing you have here.

At home I normally operate the layout like that but at an exhibition I don't want to be leaning infront of people a lot (I'd operate the layout from the front due to the tall back scenes) so hands free shunting will have to be the way forward. I'll keep trying.

[luke the train spotter]

Whilst I wait for more magnets to arrive, I thought I'd show you the positioning of where the magnets will go. Here's a really basic over view of the scenic side of the layout (any uncoupling in the fiddle yard will be manual), the red dots represent where the magnets will go.

[Marly51]

This might help, shows a point lock as you have done (required generally only for points a passenger train will run over, or a siding needing to be locked out to prevent shunting/run away mishaps), and the main point actuating rod to the tie bar. Take care that rolling stock doesn't foul the rodding either as it is a little over scale and can sit a little high.

IMG_20161022_144643.jpg

Great to learn from shared knowledge on the Forum! Thanks Signaller69

[luke the train spotter]

Well its an exciting day for the distillery fleet! 80032, a standard 4mt tank, has joined the rosta being the first steam loco to join it. Ive been after one for a couple of years after driving one (80136) a couple times on the NYMR. So far it's been chipped and has had kadees fitted. I tried to resist buying another loco but it was £55 second hand and in great condition so I had to give in! Anyway, some photos of its trial runs on the layout. It definitely needs a good weathering and a crew fitting but I'll get round to doing that another day.

[luke the train spotter]

Well I thought buying some different neodymium magnets would be the end of my pain. Obviously not. After consulting many different people on various different sources across the internet I still can't get the couplings to work. One of my aims for this layout when I was planning it was for it to have hands free shunting and to not be able to achieve that is quite frustrating. So, I have a solution, it's slightly drastic but after testing it, it works perfectly so here it it. I will use the kadee uncoupling magnets I bought but put them between the rails by removing a narrow strip of sleepers and gravel. Asethetically they won't look so good but from an operatinal view they will be fantastic. I will only glue them down with a tiny dot of glue so they'll be easily removable. Here's a picture of it on my test piece of track. At least with this method I won't derail my wagons!

Edited November 27, 2018 by luke the train spotter

[sb67]

Well I thought buying some different neodymium magnets would be the end of my pain. Obviously not. After consulting many different people on various different sources across the internet I still can't get the couplings to work. One of my aims for this layout when I was planning it was for it to have hands free shunting and to not be able to achieve that is quite frustrating. So, I have a solution, it's slightly drastic but after testing it, it works perfectly so here it it. I will use the kadee uncoupling magnets I bought but put them between the rails by removing a narrow strip of sleepers and gravel. Asethetically they won't look so good but from an operatinal view they will be fantastic. I will only glue them down with a tiny dot of glue so they'll be easily removable. Here's a picture of it on my test piece of track.IMG_20181127_180822333.jpg At least with this method I won't derail my wagons!

Sorry to hear you havent got on with the magnets Luke. I was going to look at hands free couplings at some point and thought it would be easy to use any magnets.

Just a thought but could they be burried under the ballast somehow?

Steve.

[luke the train spotter]

Sorry to hear you havent got on with the magnets Luke. I was going to look at hands free couplings at some point and thought it would be easy to use any magnets.

Just a thought but could they be burried under the ballast somehow?

Steve.

You can buy under track magnets from kadee but they need to be installed prior to the ballasting. I will definitely be installing them on the next layout I build to avoid all the complications of adding magnets now. On the up side I installed 2 tonight and they both work which is brilliant.

[sb67]

Ok, thanks Luke. Have you ever tried Sprat and Winkle couplings? they are the other ones I was thinking about using.

Steve.

[Lacathedrale]

David Hyde's videos on Sprat and Winkle was enough to convince me to give them a try, for sure. I would recommend checking them out on YT as he's quite exhaustive.

Edited November 28, 2018 by Lacathedrale

[sb67]

David Hyde's videos on Sprat and Winkle was enough to convince me to give them a try, for sure. I would recommend checking them out on YT as he's quite exhaustive.

 

Thanks for that Lacathedrale, I will.

Steve.

[luke the train spotter]

Thanks Steve and Lacathedrale, I'll check him out. I did briefly look into spratt and winkles but they didn't seem robust enough for me. Sometimes I drive my trains into the backscene etc so I wanted quite a robust coupling method. Wire and a thin bit of etched brass didn't seem like the strongest combination to me.

[Smoking gun]

Hi Luke,

 

One way of dealing with the magnet between the rails as you have positioned them is to take a photo of a short length of ballasted track, print it out full size on a piece of good quality paper or thin card, cut out a length of the ballasted sleepers from your printed photo and then stick it down on top of the magnet. It won't look quite as good as fully ballasted track but it will look better than just the magnet.

 

I hope that helps,

 

Martin

 

So, I have a solution, it's slightly drastic but after testing it, it works perfectly so here it it. I will use the kadee uncoupling magnets I bought but put them between the rails by removing a narrow strip of sleepers and gravel. Asethetically they won't look so good but from an operatinal view they will be fantastic. I will only glue them down with a tiny dot of glue so they'll be easily removable. Here's a picture of it on my test piece of track.IMG_20181127_180822333.jpg At least with this method I won't derail my wagons!