Hayling Island - Station Building roof

[The Bigbee Line]

The nights are drawing in....

 

Tonight I assembled by 4th Screwfix trestle.  I had previously had a workshop shuffle to make room for Hayling Island.  It will need to run diagonally across the workshop.  I knew it was large, but even with 3 boards up it was a bit of a monster.  In its present position there are 30" between the buffer stops and the garage door.  I want to use some of that for a small cosmetic extension for a representation of Station Road and a façade of Whittingtons Store...

 

 

I need to do some research to check if it was still a store in the early 1960's.  I've not seen a view that shows Station Road itself.

 

 

The length of the boards seems to dictate some form of sector plate or cassette system for the fiddle yard.

 

Tomorrow will be the fitting of the door in the workshops, some domestic duties and maybe a little modelling..

[The Bigbee Line]

I was wondering about pre-painting track. Taking out the rail. Painting the rail and then leaving to dry well. Ensuring the paint was quite thin. Then spraying the sleeper base a grey type colour. With some first stage weathering stipples on. With a stencil to cover the sleepers that could slip over the chairs, allowing them to be stippled with the same colour used on the rail.

Any thoughts?

[Nearholmer]

My initial thought is: it could all go horribly wrong, with the rail refusing to slide back in.

 

Try it on a siding that won’t take long to lift and re-lay first?

[3 link]

The paint will not key to the rail sides with enough strength, so as you thread the rail back in it will all scrape off. Believe me I know : )

 

Martyn.

[Simond]

I’m with Kevin & Martyn here. And annoyingly, you can’t metal-black it either, at least not with the stuff I’ve tried.

 

Funnily enough, the subject came up in a new thread this morning, I offered my (boringly conventional) approach here;

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/137930-painting-track-and-sleepers/?p=3314725

 

Best

Simon

Edited September 29, 2018 by Simond

[The Bigbee Line]

Thanks for the shared knowledge.  The part of the process that I find time consuming and the bit that tests my painting finesse is the painting of the chairs after the sleepers are painted...

 

As in the Great British Menu TV program, there is a BIG 'However'.....

 

Looking at pictures to refresh myself, I noted that most 1960's colour images show the rail, chairs and sleepers to be the same colour...  I'd confused myself looking at present day track.  In recent times where track has been relaid in sidings the sleepers used are 'good second hand' and not brand new.  These have the silver/grey hue....

 

So to refresh myself....

 

Hayling Island 1960's

 

 

 

 

 

Hayling Island branch line - Concrete

 

 

Modern Day West Somerset Railway

 

 

 

WSR siding re-laid so different colours

 

 

Modern Day Weardale Railway, a re-laid section, so again the contrast

 

[Simond]

Yes it’s all much of a muchness, but the rails and chairs have that iron oxide-y red-brown tinge and the sleepers are more grey-black, sometimes more black. So I reckon get all the different colours underneath, and let them grin through the top coat of general grime

 

My theory is, I’m sure, perfectly sound. My execution of it, on the other hand...

 

Best

Simon

[Nearholmer]

Some of those modern photos look to me as if the sleepers might be pressure-treated with something other than ‘real’ creosote, or not treated at all. What I’m saying is that weathered track looked subtly different ‘then’ from ‘now’. And, it smelt lovely!

[The Bigbee Line]

I can remember as a lad looking at the wagons in the Sidings at Beeding Cement Works. Must have been a Sunday as nothing was happening. And I do remember the all pervading smell of warm creosote......,,

[3 link]

I can remember as a lad looking at the wagons in the Sidings at Beeding Cement Works. Must have been a Sunday as nothing was happening. And I do remember the all pervading smell of warm creosote......,,

If you have a steady hand you can get good results with an airbrush, especially using acrylic paints, makes the job a lot easier. I paint my timbers first, but I build my track using timber ply sleepers, I use just good old Halfords satin black for timbers on the main lines and if I want to fade them down for the sidings I rub some thinners on them until they go a silver colour. See below.

 

 

 

 

Hope this helps,

 

Martyn.

[The Bigbee Line]

If you have a steady hand you can get good results with an airbrush, especially using acrylic paints, makes the job a lot easier. I paint my timbers first, but I build my track using timber ply sleepers, I use just good old Halfords satin black for timbers on the main lines and if I want to fade them down for the sidings I rub some thinners on them until they go a silver colour. See below.

 

IMG_0270.JPG

 

IMG_0272.JPG

 

IMG_0283.JPG

 

Hope this helps,

 

Martyn.

Martyn,

 

The weathering etc is top notch, really impressed.  What chairs have you used?

 

Thanks

 

Ernie

[pwr]

This is how I did it

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/12968-black-notley-br-eastern/page-1

 

I spray the rails first on each side with Halfords red oxide primer. Then I spray a track colour from above. If you keep the can at 90 degrees to the rail it won’t cover the rail side. Then you can ballast.

 

Paul R

[3 link]

Martyn,

 

The weathering etc is top notch, really impressed.  What chairs have you used?

 

Thanks

 

Ernie

Hi Ernie,

 

They are C&L chairs, 2 bolt GWR pattern, Beeding cement works I know the place well. I used to play around the area as a young lad and later use to drive their trucks.

 

Martyn.

[The Bigbee Line]

After a hectic week travelling I earmarked some time today to re-align the layout in the work shop.  At just over 16 feet for the main boards I have moved it to a more acute angle to the long wall, almost heading corner to corner.  With a sweeping curve round to a 3 road fiddle yard.

 

Then tonight I have started fettling the joints between the boards and continuing the process of cutting and laying the 10mm sub road bed.  It will use up some off cuts.  The track into the siding will have an imperceptible gradient to end up with the siding a few scale inches lower 

 

 

I have cut a hole near the hole in the tie bar, but an un decided.  Should I use the Peco point motors??

 

 

 

 

 

This shot shows that the last 6 sleepers of the curve have straightened at the end...  I was planning to solder the feeds at that rail joint, so could solder the rails at the same time to ensure that they are nicely in line, then fettle the curve.

 

[The Bigbee Line]

Out on the road today, and I've a collection of SWMBO from Stanstead, so no modelling, just some thinking.

 

Here's my fag packet sketch of the general arrangement...

 

 

The curve in the bottom right hand corner will include a 'drawbridge' like Tower Bridge (Not appearance, just the 2 leaves..).

 

I really want to get power on from day 1...  Let's see how that one goes...

[The Bigbee Line]

I’ve just ordered some of the micro switches that fit into the box on the Peco points. Just need to add some slopes to the box structure.

[The Bigbee Line]

A couple of road vehicles arrived today.

 

A Post Office Telephones Morris J van.  My dad had a J type that had been used by the S E Electricity Board.  It had a low ratio back axle, used to pull a small box type trailer and there was also a ladder rack on the roof.  My Dad took off the roof rack, cut it down the middle and re-mounted the pieces on each side.  The fitting boards across the whole roof creating a large flat loading area...

 

 

The other vehicle is an Austin Cambridge VI. Dads one was in light and dark green two tone.  The model has wing mirrors that are like some bling item.  It needs some mirrors that are more subtle...

 

I also need some 1962 number plates.

 

[The Bigbee Line]

Tonight I wanted to lay in the leading turnout (Points No.6).  I had to snip off the wires used by modellers who want to rely on blade contact.  I decided to solder wires to the underside of the fishplates that formed the heels of the switches and a wire to each of the closure rails.  The Peco wire will drop through the baseboard to be switched later for the live frog.  Finally there will be a wire to each of the fishplates that join the turnout to the plan line.

 

A major player in this event is my new tool, 'The Monster' a 100W soldering iron.  Really impressed by its performance...

 

 

It soldered the wires to the underside of the rails etc, like a breeze...

 

 

Here are the 2 wires for the fishplated joints, The protocol 'blue to the back' applies...

 

 

You can see the improved alignment of the rails, now soldered at the joint

 

 

Here is the start of the wiring under the boards,  need to think about how it will be trained,,,

 

 

There is a gap under the point work.  This will be filled when the point operating mechanism is installed..

 

 

Here is one of my feeder wires, impressed with the soldering.....

 

 

 

[N15class]

May I ask why you are soldering to the fishplates, when it's more reliable to fix to the rail?

[The Bigbee Line]

May I ask why you are soldering to the fishplates, when it's more reliable to fix to the rail?

The rail joint sleepers are soldered to each rail. The feed wire is soldered to the side of the rail.

 

The movable switches (point blades) are pushed 3/4 the way onto a fishplate. The feed wire is soldered to the underneath of the fishplate. The fishplate moves less than the rail between the next 2 sleepers. If time proves that decision wrong, through a bad feed. I can add a new wire to the side of the rail on the movable switch.

[muddys-blues]

Good morning Ernie, I concur with “N15Class”, with the time spent on soldering the wire to the fishplate and aligning the holes, it’s just as easy to put the droppers on the running rails of each section of track, this will eliminate any probable weak spot problems of relying the fishplates to conduct your power round the track.

 

Great project.

 

Best regards

Craig

[Simond]

I too concur, I never use fishplates to conduct electricity. Indeed, on PD, I’ve used C&L plastic cosmetic ones.

 

Every length of rail has a feed, these are brought back to earthing blocks (screwfix or similar) which are then supplied by the busbars, which are 2.5mm2 mains cable.

 

Best

Simon

[The Bigbee Line]

I too concur, I never use fishplates to conduct electricity. Indeed, on PD, I’ve used C&L plastic cosmetic ones.

 

Every length of rail has a feed, these are brought back to earthing blocks (screwfix or similar) which are then supplied by the busbars, which are 2.5mm2 mains cable.

 

Best

Simon

 

Good morning,

 

Maybe I should have used some better illustrations..  I do not rely on fishplates for continuity.  Most fishplated joints are fully soldered, if not soldered the rails on each side have their own feeds.  On the joints with the curved turnout I am joining to C&L.  Looking at the pictures the rail is actualy slightly higher and the head slightly wider, not unknown on the real railway. That will hopefully be dealt with by some fettling.  The feed wire is rested on top of the fishplate and then when soldered all 4 items, both rails, the fishplate and the feed wire are soldered together.  Hope that's explained that one..

 

 

The feeds to the movable switch are a different kettle of fish...  Here is the switch with the fishplate that forms the hinge.

 

 

Below is an illustration of the method.  There needs to be a minimum of solder added to give continuity between the switch and joint fishplate.  The feed wire needs to be joined as near the pivot point as possible to minimise movement when the points are moved.  I strip and tin about 10 - 15mm of the feed wire, bending a small section at the end to be soldered under the joint fishplate Where these wires go through the baseboard I have some thin tube from tins of Duck Oil (WD40 type product) that will be slid over from underneath to hopefully stop the wire getting stuck in the ballast.

 

 

One thing I do struggle with, is to actually see what I'm doing.  Plenty of light is essential and I need to use my magnifier...

 

Anyway, thanks for the interest

[The Bigbee Line]

Every length of rail has a feed, these are brought back to earthing blocks (screwfix or similar) which are then supplied by the busbars

 

Best

Simon

 

What earthing blocks do you use?

 

Thanks

[The Bigbee Line]

Good morning Ernie, I concur with “N15Class”, with the time spent on soldering the wire to the fishplate and aligning the holes, it’s just as easy to put the droppers on the running rails of each section of track, this will eliminate any probable weak spot problems of relying the fishplates to conduct your power round the track.

 

Great project.

 

Best regards

Craig

 

Craig

 

I solder most rail joints, adding the feeds at the same time.  With boards under 6 foot, I should in theory only need one feed per section with 3 foot as the maximum distance the 'lectic has to flow....

 

Thanks for the feedback