Chuffnell Regis

[Graham T]

I'm becoming convinced that soldering is the devil's work.

[MrWolf]

Perhaps your vocabulary of profanity is too limited?

I can offer suggestions in a variety of other languages if it helps?

[Graham T]

I've been restricting myself to Anglo-Saxon expletives - do you think thats what I'm doing wrong?

[Graham T]

So, the last point has now been laid.  Unfortunately, I noticed this morning that one of the droppers has detached.  B*gger.  Any ideas on how to re-attach the offending wire would be gratefully received.  I'm finding soldering to be a real pain in the neck still, and am now a bit worried about all the other connections I've made.  I can't do any testing until my Powercab arrives from the UK, which hopefully will be soon.  Then for the moment of truth I suppose.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

Seems from a quick test this morning that a hotter setting (350°), and holding everything in position with blue tack gives a solid joint.  Wish I'd tried that before I started laying track.  I am truly a bit of an eejit at times.

[Graham T]

I'm quite concerned that I might have sold my soul to the aforementioned devil, since my last few attempts at soldering seem to have gone without a hitch (famous last words).  I mended the dropper to the offending point by soldering onto the bottom of the fishplate.  Not ideal I know, but better than (a) fixing to the side of the rail that would be in full view, or (b) lifting the whole point... 

[Graham T]

Playing with trains

 

Although nothing yet moves under its own steam, now that nearly all of the track is laid I can at least push things around the layout, and pretend!

 

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

Another gratuitous shot of the small Prairie.

 

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

I've been messing about with a pleasant little project this morning, building some buffer stops for the ends of the tracks next to the main platform.  These are from Lanarkshire Models, and very nice they are too.  Adding the Peco sleepers to them needed a bit of extra work; I could thread them onto the rails at each end of the buffer stop, but couldn't do that for the ones in the centre.  So I cut each of the central sleepers into four sections, and added a thin plastic card base for everything to be glued onto.  The sections of sleeper between the rails had to be cut in two, and a small section removed from the middle, or they wouldn't fit into the gap.  I fed some solvent into the join, to try and fill it, but may need to use a little filler as well - I'll see how it looks when everything has set.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

I've used some Mr Surfacer on the gaps in the central sleepers.  If you haven't used the stuff before, it's a liquid filler - basically liquidised grey plastic in a jar.  Quite expensive, but goes an awfully long way, and much better than putty-type fillers for dealing with seams and so on.  And of course you can sand it smooth once it's set.  I could have done some more layers, as the join is still clearly visible, but (a) I'm not that patient, and (b) once they are in position on the layout I'm sure you won't be able to see the gap!  A quick shot of primer and they're ready to put in place.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Graham T

[Stubby47]

Are the two rails electrically isolated from each other, or will you be using at least one insulated fishplate to join the buffer rail sections to the siding ?

Edited June 18, 2021 by Stubby47

[Graham T]

Thanks for the word of warning!  I'm planning to use insulated joiners (on both rails, just for belt and braces).  Actually the Lanarkshire Models instruction sheet is good on that point, they make it very clear that you need to isolate.

[Graham T]

I feel like I've reached a bit of a milestone today, as all the track has now been laid.  Hurrah!  Apart from the road leading to the engine shed that is; I'm waiting to get a 55ft turntable before I lay that track.  I'm looking at one from Greenwood Models, but need to save a bit of my pocket money first...

 

 

  

I'm now wondering a bit about the bay platform.  Now's the perfect time to have doubts of course, once everything is fixed down!  I can't really see it getting much use for passenger traffic at a little terminus like this, so why did the company build it?  Perhaps to handle lots of parcels, milk, and animal traffic (horses maybe, as there is a separate cattle dock)?  There will be an end loading platform at the end of the bay.  Any ideas would be welcome, or else I will just have to apply Rule 1 (again).

 

As you can see it's rather busy with stock now, so the task of building some cassettes for storage is now beginning to creep towards the top of the priority list.  The eagle-eyed will have spotted a couple of new wagons - a CWS milk tank from Lima, and a Mainline GW van.  Both nice little models, but the wheels will have to be changed on the milk tank.  The deep flanges don't like the Code 75 track; it rolls around sounding like a bag of spanners (as does the Lima LMS parcels van too).  The W-prefixed number on the milk tank will have to go as well I think, but a bit of judicious weathering should be able to cover that up.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Also high up the priority list is to install point rodding and signal wire posts.  So I need to figure out which points would be controlled from the signal box, and which from ground levers, and also where the signals will need to be sited.  Lots to do

 

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Graham T

[Gedward]

Looks like we're making good progress here. Finishing track laying is a big milestone.

[Graham T]

Not much in the way of actual modelling done at Chuffnell Regis this weekend, but I did get some shelving from the local DIY shed.  So now things are nicely organised - at least for a while - and I can get back to some serious bodging.

 

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

There hasn't been another freak snowfall at Chuffnell Regis - I've been putting some filler down between the various sections of cork sheet, and then went over it with some acrylic paints afterwards.  Of course the three tracks in the platform area will eventually be ballasted, and those in the goods yard will get a mixture of ballast and (predominantly) ash, but it's nice to get things moving along a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

It would be stretching things quite a bit to call this landscaping, but it looks a lot better than bare boards, and will make a good base for later.  I'm pleased with it anyway

 

 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

I think I might have to lift and re-lay the left hand siding though.  That's where the cattle dock will be sited, and I assume the track alongside that should probably be straight...

[Gedward]

I guess you could build a cattle dock on a slight curve and would be quite different and fairly unique.

[Graham T]

I think it will ultimately come down to which I judge is likely to be more of a pain in the neck - building a curved cattle dock or lifting the track!

[Gedward]

Rock or hard place.

[Graham T]

1 minute ago, Gedward said:

Rock or hard place.

 

Story of my life 

 

Edited June 22, 2021 by Graham T

[Graham T]

To keep the scattergun approach alive and well, here is the next update from "Much Pottering".  Working on a platelayer's hut.  It's from Rail Model (usual disclaimers of course), and is quite a nice little kit.  I may get one of their weighbridge offices as well.

 

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by Graham T

[Alister_G]

That does look a nice little kit Graham.

 

Also, I've been away for a couple of weeks, but meant to say I really like the flow you've achieved on your trackwork, it looks really good.

 

Al.

[Stubby47]

A curved cattle dock only needs to have a curved platform, the pens can still be straight sided.