The Night Mail

[New Haven Neil]

It's the other way around, Richard - the incline of the running line is at the back, the foreground sidings are level.  Ish. I'm no carpenter.

 

The scenic break is an additional backscene piece in front of the running line with the same crude painted trees as the backscene proper, and a 3D tree of two in front of it.

 

[bbishop]

Richard, why don't you model Waterloo station in 7mm?  Bill

[Happy Hippo]

1 minute ago, New Haven Neil said:

It's the other way around, Richard - the incline of the running line is at the back, the foreground sidings are level.  Ish. I'm no carpenter.

 

The scenic break is an additional backscene piece in front of the running line with the same crude painted trees as the backscene proper, and a 3D tree of two in front of it.

 

Thanks for that Neil

 

I was thinking that the first headshunt and the running line at that end could be level, whilst the line to line to the quarry climb up.  It would mean  a stepped fiddle yard at one end, but with  only a few trains and  a table to store the cassettes underneath ought to make for an interesting woodworking session.  

 

I'm considering making the quarry siding and the head shunt that runs under the bridge plain track when they go out of sight.  The pair of lines that would disappear behind the embankment would both be cassettes as it would be easier to have them both out when manipulating the stock.  It would also mean that the centre road could also have some off scene industry further down as did the original layout.

 

I'm still in the scribbling stage over this, but something that could use some of the Ellis Clark Prestflo cement wagons would be nice.  

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

6 minutes ago, bbishop said:

Richard, why don't you model Waterloo station in 7mm?  Bill

Excellent Idea,

 

Here we go:

 

 

Between Caerphilly and Machen on the ADJR

[bbishop]

That's the one I was thinking of.  Remember it was down trains only.  Of course, down in the sense of from Cardiff, actually travelling uphill.  Bill

[PhilJ W]

6 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

 

Jamie the  table line locos and track  would have been  from the 45 mm 7/8" stable.  If you are going to haul food CAKE, make it sensible portions!

 

Thats more like it.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Afternoon, still very cold here, and it snowed lightly last night, but ‘tis melting away now. Just went outside and built a bridge of sorts over my drainage canal, made to channel the enormous amount of water than comes from the guttering during the spring wet season. 

The bridge is made from half a probably Frisco or AT&SF (the two big railways in Tulsa) sleeper. It works surprisingly well, but could do with another inch in width.  
 

Douglas

[Happy Hippo]

 

I thought I'd turned it around!

 

If I put in a second cassette at the north end I could 'reinstate' the loop to main turnout that used to exist further up the line pre 196*.

 

Still the simplicity is easy to see.

[jamie92208]

Looks OK Richard. The 2nd cassette at the north end will give you an immense flexibility.  The main thing is to get your cassette and jointing mechanisms simple and easy to use.  What does need careful planning is the length of the cassettes and whether or not you use separate ones for your locos. I can send or post photos of the ones on LGA if you wish. They work well.

 

Jamie

[polybear]

39 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

I thought I'd turned it around!

 

If I put in a second cassette at the north end I could 'reinstate' the loop to main turnout that used to exist further up the line pre 196*.

 

Still the simplicity is easy to see.

 

The "North" arrow is pointing the wrong way - it should be pointing towards the top of the screen....

[J. S. Bach]

6 hours ago, bbishop said:

Richard, why don't you model Waterloo station in 7mm?  Bill

Better yet, Clapham Junction.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, J. S. Bach said:

Better yet, Clapham Junction.

I believe there's a button for that - clap ham.

 

Yes I know I'll get my coat.

[Dave Hunt]

12 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

But what track gauge, 32mm I hope.

 

If it is meant to convey a sense of grace and elegance, surely that should be 33mm?

 

On the subject of cassettes, having operated several layouts, both during exhibitions and privately, using them I can strongly recommend separate ones for trains and locomotives.

 

Dave

[J. S. Bach]

2 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 ....snip... On the subject of cassettes, having operated several layouts, both during exhibitions and privately, using them I can strongly recommend separate ones for trains and locomotives.

 

Dave

I remember a layout that someone had sceniced the whole layout including the cassette area; that was done as a waterfront scene and the cassette was a car float.

[jamie92208]

8 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

Better yet, Clapham Junction.

No go the whole hog and do Trent Junction. The added bonus would be horrible green replaced by red on the engines.

 

Jamie

[roundhouse]

27 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

No go the whole hog and do Trent Junction. The added bonus would be horrible green replaced by red on the engines.

 

Jamie

Nooooo.

 

Stick with green ones

 

and a few black ones

Edited December 17, 2020 by roundhouse

[polybear]

24 minutes ago, roundhouse said:

Nooooo.

 

Stick with green ones

 

and a few black ones

 

Southern?  You're dangerously close to becoming, dare I say it, a GWR modeller

Take great care, for the pull of The Dark Side is strong.....

[roundhouse]

27 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Southern?  You're dangerously close to becoming, dare I say it, a GWR modeller

Take great care, for the pull of The Dark Side is strong.....

I sold all my GWR oo scale locos not long ago, not that I had many. However most of my modelling interest in Southern is in areas that became part of the Western region in the early sixties

 

I do have a few N scale GW locos to run on my N scale layout

[tomparryharry]

I do like that radial. There is nothing wrong with the Dark Side, except a expanded waistline. Brains Dark, see...? I keep getting drawn back to the Southern: A hankering for a layout which would have to be somewhere such as Oxford or Banbury, so you can indulge in some more green.  In truth, probably not. There's enough work going on here to keep me occupied for ever. 

 

"What's that dear? You want me to stop posting things on that forum, and get on with that job for today?  Ok, let me finish my cuppa....."

[Happy Hippo]

I'm already building  interlocking cassettes for another project.  The OFMG decided on a standardized design which means we have a box full that can go to different railways as required.

 

There are currently 3 lengths:  short (9") medium (18") and long (36") anything longer gets too unwieldy to brandish.

 

The Shorties will take a tank engine or brake van.  the Medium take a diesel railcar or a  small tender loco/bo-bo diesel, the long ones will just take two coaches (B set) or about 6 swb wagons.

 

Originally they were to be built from MDF with ply sides and f/b rail soldered to copper paxolin strips/sleepers.  with the surfeit of f/b track from south Greenfield, I may just use lengths of track glued in place.

 

I'm currently working on a master plug/jig that will ensure that when the the track is secured to the cassette, all the rail ends lines up with the next one!

 

We may also have to make some more up, as the original ones were designed for a 5 ft cassette table and the tables on this line will only be 4 ft long.

[tomparryharry]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

I'm already building  interlocking cassettes for another project.  The OFMG decided on a standardized design which means we have a box full that can go to different railways as required.

 

There are currently 3 lengths:  short (9") medium (18") and long (36") anything longer gets too unwieldy to brandish.

 

The Shorties will take a tank engine or brake van.  the Medium take a diesel railcar or a  small tender loco/bo-bo diesel, the long ones will just take two coaches (B set) or about 6 swb wagons.

 

Originally they were to be built from MDF with ply sides and f/b rail soldered to copper paxolin strips/sleepers.  with the surfeit of f/b track from south Greenfield, I may just use lengths of track glued in place.

 

I'm currently working on a master plug/jig that will ensure that when the the track is secured to the cassette, all the rail ends lines up with the next one!

 

We may also have to make some more up, as the original ones were designed for a 5 ft cassette table and the tables on this line will only be 4 ft long.

The longer the cassette, the better the locking mechanism you will need. The prospect of losing stock by an 'open door'  doesn't bear thinking of.  I did think of a very basic formula for operators. 

 

Measure your operator from fingertip, across the chest, to fingertip. Halve the measurement. it's very basic, but it does mean the operator doesn't stretch too far with the cassette ( your stock ). The late Ian Hollis made the sides of the cassette from aluminium angle, and secured the alignment with Bulldog clips. Apart from alignment, the clips also provided electrical continuity. to isolate any of the portions, simply move that clip out of the electrical path. I don't who designed the concept, but it works very well. One thing I've forgot to mention are handles.  a lifting handle, incorporated with an anti-roll door would be pretty neat.

 

Cheers,

Ian. 

[tomparryharry]

If you fellows are working in a 'senior' scale, I'd be thinking of worthwhile loads. A 7-plank wagon is a portion of chips ; a 7-plank wagon with coke rail extension is a large portion of chips. 

 

A pasty (crimp side up ) should fit onto a crocodile, or a Loriot. A sausage roll on a pair of Mites. 

 

Would a family-sized apple pie constitute as an out of gauge load? 

[TheQ]

Most cassettes I've seen have a pair of drop covers for each end .. They look like handles in the up position however in that position the stock will roll off..

 

Was at a show, where the fiddle yard was an open frame with stacks of cassettes.. train came in... no cassette .. straight onto the tiled floor, right in front of the shows  special guest (and me) ... I strongly suggest a thin ply base under the  cassette area..

[rockershovel]

8 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Most cassettes I've seen have a pair of drop covers for each end .. They look like handles in the up position however in that position the stock will roll off..

 

Was at a show, where the fiddle yard was an open frame with stacks of cassettes.. train came in... no cassette .. straight onto the tiled floor, right in front of the shows  special guest (and me) ... I strongly suggest a thin ply base under the  cassette area..

 

Overlapping with the “prototype for everything” thread..

 

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

From experience, The cassette tables are just that. Two off 4' x 2' ply sheets.

As is my little foible, the hidden areas are boxed in front and side to prevent lighter fingers of the viewing fraternity from surreptitiously lifting rolling stock out of the hidden areas.  The operators side of the table also gets a lip.  

 

Storage for the cassettes is within that area.

 

I have a design of end door for a cassette that opens when the cassette is placed down but closes the moment you pick it up.  Trouble is can I be bothered to make up enough of these?  Perhaps if I had a laser cutter!  

 

Since we use Dingham couplings the cassettes have to be handed so the ends have to be appropriately marked...... Or only fit together one way:  We are investigating male/female sockets on each cassette.

 

The cost of aluminium sides for the cassettes would not be cheap, and if you are careless could you bridge + and -  by grasping both sides simultaneously?  Might be fun if the cassette was still powered up. 

 

I like cassettes because although they can be labour intensive, it does keep stock handing to a minimum and also slows down the operation on a smaller simpler line.  Clapham Junction timed train services don't really suit the line running through the sleepy backwater of Rhech Capel.