Coombe Town

[Andy Keane]

43 minutes ago, DRoe96 said:

Further progress on project rod, first rod is temporarily fitted as a height test. It's currently a little low compared to the rail height so I shall add some 1mm plasticard underneath to raise it.

 

This is going to look so lovely you will start to hate the track pins in the sleepers! Or do you have a cunning plan to hide them? Following your approach I have ordered some of the ModelU rodding up to try it out.

Andy

[CoombeTown]

5 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

This is going to look so lovely you will start to hate the track pins in the sleepers! Or do you have a cunning plan to hide them? Following your approach I have ordered some of the ModelU rodding up to try it out.

Andy

Thanks Andy,

I'm not really sure what to about track pins, they were well hidden with the initial coat of sleeper grime but the number of times the track has been lifted means they've come a little pronounced.

 

I've always said that Coombe Town is a first foray into exhibition layouts, so it won't be perfect and to be honest, I'm loathed to take up all the track to glue it down.

 

If anyone has any cunning suggestions I'll gladly take them on-board though!

[lezz01]

Well when you glue down the ballast, assuming that you intend to glue down ballast, it will fix the track in place and you can remove the aforementioned track pins and fill the holes. The problem will resolve itself once the ballast is fixed.

Regards Lez.

[CoombeTown]

9 minutes ago, lezz01 said:

Well when you glue down the ballast, assuming that you intend to glue down ballast, it will fix the track in place and you can remove the aforementioned track pins and fill the holes. The problem will resolve itself once the ballast is fixed.

Regards Lez.

Thanks Lez, no idea why I hadn't thought of that. It's just the cunning plan I'm after, another thing to add to the jobs list.

[lezz01]

Here to help old chap! No charge.

Regards Lez.

[lezz01]

As I've done a bit of point rodding here's another little tip to help you along. Fit all the stool and pully bases first, then ballast the bit's that cross under the tracks first and add the stools and rods that pass under the track then ballast the rest! Then add the rest of the stools, rodding, cranks and pullies. Trust me here you'll thank me for this one! Just don't ask me how I know!

Regards Lez.

[MrWolf]

1 hour ago, lezz01 said:

Well when you glue down the ballast, assuming that you intend to glue down ballast, it will fix the track in place and you can remove the aforementioned track pins and fill the holes. The problem will resolve itself once the ballast is fixed.

Regards Lez.

 

That's what I did too. I had drilled pilot holes for the pins, during an, ahem, extensive testing session, one pin drifted out and stopped one of my moguls very suddenly, despite getting bent double.

I took a very small pair of side cutters and drew out as many as I could find.

[Andy Keane]

8 hours ago, lezz01 said:

As I've done a bit of point rodding here's another little tip to help you along. Fit all the stool and pully bases first, then ballast the bit's that cross under the tracks first and add the stools and rods that pass under the track then ballast the rest! Then add the rest of the stools, rodding, cranks and pullies. Trust me here you'll thank me for this one! Just don't ask me how I know!

Regards Lez.

Lez

I guess this means you put ballast under the rods crossing the track somewhat lower than everywhere else and then laid the rodding on top? Given my PCB sleepers are about 2mm deep I am wondering if I will get it all in and had though of only having ballast alongside that rodding and thus adding the under track rodding first with ballast either side of it. All idaes very much appreciated.

Andy

[CoombeTown]

8 hours ago, lezz01 said:

As I've done a bit of point rodding here's another little tip to help you along. Fit all the stool and pully bases first, then ballast the bit's that cross under the tracks first and add the stools and rods that pass under the track then ballast the rest! Then add the rest of the stools, rodding, cranks and pullies. Trust me here you'll thank me for this one! Just don't ask me how I know!

Regards Lez.

Thanks for the tip Lez, fortunately I only have 1 or 2 places where rods cross under the track. Plus the 1 FPL so shouldn't be too hard to do it that way.

 

I plan to leave the main rodding run just bluetacked to the stools until ballasting is completed as well so I can lift it out of the way to do the Ash cest.

[CoombeTown]

Before heading up to the Bristol show this afternoon, I've been adding some more paint to the railcar figures. Just one to finish off now!

 

[lezz01]

4 hours ago, Andy Keane said:

Lez

I guess this means you put ballast under the rods crossing the track somewhat lower than everywhere else and then laid the rodding on top? Given my PCB sleepers are about 2mm deep I am wondering if I will get it all in and had though of only having ballast alongside that rodding and thus adding the under track rodding first with ballast either side of it. All idaes very much appreciated.

Andy

Yes Andy. The parts of the rodding and pully runs that pass under the track are lower than the rest. They run in a channel beneath the track but this is just a lower bit of ballasting not an actual channel. You can simulate this by cutting away a section of track base. Then you can either mount the rodding stools directly to the baseboard and ballast with a single layer of chippings or mount the stools and rodding to a layer of thin card with a thin layer of chippings and then slide that under the track. The end of rodding runs that cross under tracks are cranked downwards for this purpose. The main problem modellers face with point rodding runs is that they are often an afterthought and whilst they can be successfully added after all the track laying and ballasting is done this will involve digging up bit's of the ballast. If you intend to add point rodding and signal wire runs to a layout it is best to work it all out at the planning stage and add all the runs to the track plan. That way you can dig out all of the under track channels as you lay the track not after you have laid it. It just makes life simpler that way.     

Regards Lez.   

Edited April 29, 2022 by lezz01

[CoombeTown]

A good afternoon spent at the Bristol show. A very good selection of layouts, certainly better than recent years. As mentioned, there were quite a number of traders, but if that's necessary to keep the show cost down, so be it.

 

I picked up some plates to renumber my large prairie to 4157, an engine that was a regular on the Taunton to Minehead services. And some etched shed plates, the spare shall be attached to 1668.

 

An early start this morning, but before leaving I attempted to fit the sound and speakers to the Railcar. Although legomanbiffo has proved that 25mm Square speakers fit, to great effect. Getting the body back correctly is more of a challenge, so that has now been left until tonight/tomorrow morning.

 

The state of play is a little further than this:

 

 

 

 

[Andy Keane]

35 minutes ago, DRoe96 said:

A good afternoon spent at the Bristol show. A very good selection of layouts, certainly better than recent years. As mentioned, there were quite a number of traders, but if that's necessary to keep the show cost down, so be it.

 

I picked up some plates to renumber my large prairie to 4157, an engine that was a regular on the Taunton to Minehead services. And some etched shed plates, the spare shall be attached to 1668.

 

An early start this morning, but before leaving I attempted to fit the sound and speakers to the Railcar. Although legomanbiffo has proved that 25mm Square speakers fit, to great effect. Getting the body back correctly is more of a challenge, so that has now been left until tonight/tomorrow morning.

 

The state of play is a little further than this:

 

 

 

 

Those passengers are truly brilliant!

[Graham T]

Yes, they really do look the part.

[CoombeTown]

Thanks both, so if in doubt, try and try again. I turned the speakers through 180 degrees and hey presto, the whole thing went together a lot better.

 

So here are some pictures showing off the passengers and driver in the now sound-fitted railcar.

 

 

Now just to add Passengers and lighting to the other coaches... a job for some time way in the future!

[CoombeTown]

Productive day today. The first section of rodding is complete, as far as the first compensator.

 

 

I have managed to create the drop down to the cranks. Next stage will be to add the compensator for the rear FPL rodding run.

 

 

I've also added the new plates to 4134, confirming its new identity as 4157, complete with 83B shedplate.

[Graham T]

Very nice work on the point rodding.  Whose parts are you using?

[CoombeTown]

18 minutes ago, Graham T said:

Very nice work on the point rodding.  Whose parts are you using?

Thanks Graham, they're the Modelu blocks, stools etc. Rodding itself is MSE stuff. 

 

It looks great but I am very glad that I only have a few runs!

[5BarVT]

Nice rodding.

Has your through rod got a 1/4 turn twist in it over the compensator?  (Sorry, cos it’s looking excellent.)

Paul.

[Andy Keane]

Epic rodding - I have some of the Modelu stuff on order but do wonder if my eyesight will be up to it.

Andy

[CoombeTown]

3 minutes ago, 5BarVT said:

Nice rodding.

Has your through rod got a 1/4 turn twist in it over the compensator?  (Sorry, cos it’s looking excellent.)

Paul.

Yup, and I can't get rid of it. It's annoying defect in the rod itself. You can't tell from viewing distance though so I guess I can live with it.

[Andy Keane]

Glad I have opted for circular rodding - hope it is less fiddly to get right.

[CoombeTown]

1 minute ago, Andy Keane said:

Epic rodding - I have some of the Modelu stuff on order but do wonder if my eyesight will be up to it.

Andy

Thanks Andy, I wouldn't worry too much it actually slides on relatively easily. Although I appreciate that I'm young and seemingly not in need of glasses yet!

[Graham T]

36 minutes ago, DRoe96 said:

Thanks Graham, they're the Modelu blocks, stools etc. Rodding itself is MSE stuff. 

 

It looks great but I am very glad that I only have a few runs!

 

Thank you, I think I'll use the same on Chuffnell Regis Mk II.

[CoombeTown]

Some more progress on the point rodding, with a day off today. The main run is now complete on one baseboard.

 

 

I still need to add the cross-crank for the catch point, which will be the next task. Then once signal pulley wheels are installed, it'll be ready for ballasting!

 

Also, with all the autocoach talk over on Henley-on-Thames, I thought I'd share my upgraded Hornby model. Flush-glazing, dart casting detailing kit and interior lighting with a directional lamp. I only wish I'd added a stay-alive as it was flickering all the way along...