Upper Hembury, East Devon - a GWR / SR Branch line

[BWsTrains]

At last some progress to report. Nothing much to see up top, but under the boards it's been a case of back one step to advance two .

 

The main change has been the swapping out of solenoids from the main turnouts that'll take the majority of traffic movements and replacing them with Cobalt Omegas. Some of my younger followers will not know what these are so a photo and brief explanation is in order.

 

The Cobalt motor here has two sets of inputs, in this photo the upper three are 15V power from the Control panel + feedback line for the direction LEDs and the lower three (S2) are the Red/ black from the Power bus and the Orange feed to the powered frog.

 

 

I'd been told that soldering connections to tortoise motors can be a pain, get it right first time and the wiring connections fitted on the cobalt make hooking up a breeze. Mostly done with the boards up, but even the odd one in situ didn't present me a problem.

 

This photo shows the 1200mm to 2400mm section of the baseboards where much of the more complex track-work is located.

 

This section is now complete, the latest addition being all the power feeds on the LHS, going to the six lines heading North to the Station / Goods Yards. Everything DCC is wired back to the main Bus so that the boards can be lifted as shown, should the need arise.

 

Meanwhile the underside of the mimic panel is much tidier in the Mark II version. Many LEDs required rewiring to work in the Cobalt feedback lines so I took the opportunity to improve the mounting, installing each LED in a small polythene tube which holds it firmly in the panel, but is removable. These can be seen here rising up out of the underside of the board. The groups of three lines coming from the board are the power 15V +/- and feedback via the LEDs. Each of these has a JST plug connection to facilitate complete removal of the mimic panel as required.

 

Edited January 29, 2023 by BWsTrains

[BWsTrains]

A minor Detour to look at Uncoupling Kadee Couplings

 

After some dabbling from time to time on this topic, I've put my mind to building my uncouplers for Upper Hembury.

 

Those of you familiar with Kadee couplers will know about the positives and negatives of their Magnetic Uncoupling systems. One definitive YouTube Video entitled "Inconvenient Truth About KD Couplers (216)" demonstrates the considerable problem that unwanted uncoupling can provide and also with lighter stock, axle drag can be an annoyance.

 

The fundamental problem, which AFAIK has not been fully appreciated, is the nature of the magnetic field being used. To demonstrate axle drag this video shows what happens when you use a standard Kadee type setup and in the second part of clip, my solution.

 

 

 

When this is put into practice, the results are very satisfying

 

 

All the details will follow when I take some time off building uncoupler modules and do some illustrations

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 6, 2023 by BWsTrains

[5BarVT]

Most interested in your uncoupler modules when you have time to document them.  There is time, as I’m still in baseboard mode and not onto track laying.

Paul.

[BWsTrains]

Today marked a major milestone for me for two reasons

• I completed the installation of the first 4 uncoupler modules, those on the main line (3) and one at the back end of the run-around loop together with all the required wired up track.
• The setup was tested thru a multi-step shunting routine

The photos themselves show the end result after the various moves, the sequence of which was as follows:

• Pickup Goods comprising 3 vans and 4 wagons plus brake van were pulled from the traverser to the Upper Hembury main Station line (nearest camera), this to commence a test routine involving shunting off the Main
• The loco backed up to uncouple the entire train (uncoupling location is just beyond the fouling point of the crossover)
• The loco pulled forward clear of the crossover then ran around to re-enter the main line at the far end
• The loco then pulled forward, attached to the Brake, moved so the brake then uncoupled from the rear cattle wagon
• The loco and Brake reversed up to clear the single slip and then forward via the run around, to drop the Brake Van in the Main Spur where it was decoupled and parked
• The loco then went back reattaching to the rear of the vans, pulled them back clear of the slip then forward onto the runaround loop where they were uncoupled as shown in photos 1/2

The steps were not optimised nor what would happen under normal Ops. The wagons on the main, once freed from the brake would be distributed to the various yard lines depending on the operational considerations of the moment. For example, accounting for the need to be assembling an outgoing Goods and clearing sidings access while bringing in new deliveries.

 

The Brake will not be parked in the Spur as shown but at a suitable hold location in the yards, to keep access free on the main. These compromises were necessary as the required lines are yet to be laid.

 

The home built uncouplers worked faultlessly which is more than can be said for the operator who is still coming to terms with using / controlling electrofrog turnouts!

 

 

 

[BWsTrains]

Some more progress today, I installed the two mileage sidings with their uncouplers and droppers. On to the Goods shed and cattle dock lines next up.

 

 

[BWsTrains]

Today, the last of the main yard sidings were installed. These, seen here in the middle of the yards, are (LH) Cattle Dock and (RH) Goods Shed siding.

 

 

I decided to install two uncoupling points on the Dock line, one well in to allow uncoupling near the Dock and a second at the entrance of the siding for when than end is to be used for casual "parking" during various yard manoeuvres. Cattle Wagons typically might spend some idle time at the dock awaiting their loads and no point wasting valuable siding space in the interim.

 

This captures the first time the core of the entire layout sits assembled, with only the peripheral other sidings and spurs remaining to be completed.  

[BWsTrains]

Help needed here!

 

Thinking about track painting, last time I did the whole (but small) job handomatically but since then I've read much about spraying. Now I've two constraints:

 

1) I don't have an air gun and am unlikely ever to own one

2) no way can I spray indoors, I'd be taking SWMBO to Emergency or in search of a good lawyer or both!

 

What I do have is a can of Dulux etch primer, a lot of good outdoor space and ventilation.

 

Before I get too far, i.e before gluing down, is it worth lifting what track is easy enough to do and giving it at least a primer coat outdoors?

 

All thoughts and constructive suggestions will be appreciated.

 

Colin

 

 

[BWsTrains]

I did a search on here and came up with this helpful topic:

 

Spray Painting Track

 

which asks same question with same constraints as mine, however, I'd still like to hear from anyone with relevant experience which might help.

 

Must give my rattle can a shake and see how much paint to throws out as that is the biggest negative I've read about so far. I'm guessing that for top coat the output from a Tamiya can might be muted enough for my needs?

[BWsTrains]

Having thought through the alternative options I decided I couldn't bring myself to lift then relay all the track to spray paint it outside, so handomatic it is!

 

Looking at some highly regarded layouts on here and elsewhere (notably Westcliff EM) I came to the view that a muddy mid-brown is a great colour for sleepers, basically replicating a typical hardwood that has aged, oxidized and dirtied to varying degrees. Anyone who's tried toning down a brown shade will know how easy it is to get a mud, only this time I needed something approaching but not quite that!

 

By good fortune, one of the discounted sample colour pots I'd picked up from Bunnings for $1 each for use on the back-scene was a mis-tint which came out muddy brown and young granddaughter S was recruited to give it a try. She did a very patient and well painted section of track, earning a Uno championship match-up in exchange. 

 

Encouraged by this result, I've done the mainline and run-around as shown below. The paint adhesion and coverage is excellent so only a single coat is required, nearside rails have had a coat of metal primer at this stage.An unpainted reference section sits at the front.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 20, 2023 by BWsTrains
typo

[BWsTrains]

Painting has advanced well during what has been a mostly hot week here. Then, when moving on to adding the engine Shed Spur track I hit an unexpected snag with the crossover turnouts. 

 

If you look back to my post of 11 February you'll see how I've held the crossover turnout exit roads temporarily aligned in place with screwed down cleats between the rails and this has served me well thru various trial runs. Not all rail joiners had been fitted and when I came back to the task I found that my design had adjacent sleepers placed too close to allow for effective joining of the crossover (beginner track builder's error I know!) AND WORSE, that the tension in these flexible and curved kit turnouts was causing misalignment of the unconnected rails when I added the final "thru" road (Shed Spur). 

 

I could see two choices,

 

Choice 1 extend the exit lane lines enough to be able to join them but at the cost of a little ripping apart + bodgery and the need to move a Cobalt sitting perfectly well thank you at the other end of the turnout.

 

Choice 2 - live with the status quo but ensure the two exit roads were firmly locked in place.  Easy decision.

 

Today I pulled everything up at that end, created a 3mm deep rebate to take a filled PVC insert. The Main road turnout was installed to the plan, fixed down ridgidly and glued down.  When fully set the second crossover turnout was added and the process repeated. To fix the turnouts dead flat I use a perspex photo block, heavy, dead square and transparent, it holds a section of track fully flat or you learn if its not!

 

 

 

 

The join sits very nicely square and the turnout modules alignment can be adjusted without fear of the crossover path shifting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 25, 2023 by BWsTrains

[BWsTrains]

Now most of the track is painted and fitted in place, so I took the chance to lift the sidings and clear way all the planning printout pages which are mostly blank paper in the yards.

Then followed a good coat of robust primer to seal the boards and give a better sense of how it will all come together.

 

There are signs of hope to my mind now it is less cluttered!

 

 

 

[BWsTrains]

With the station end advancing it seemed timely to update the status of the rest of the layout .

 

There have been minor updates made to the tannery end from the original plans I posted. I've added a piece of temporary foam board for the corridor from main to tannery, also the updated plan now shows a short spur added to allow for the possibility for a small works engine. I believe that Much Murkle Mark 1 had a similar spur but it later was removed.

 

Presently the board dividing the storage yard from the tannery is removed but will form the back drop to the factory works in half-relief running along its side.

 

The trap point in the works line is shown in its position.

 

[BWsTrains]

Following on from yesterday's post, I realised that progress with laying the trackwork out to the Tannery required me to sort out what lay in front of that section of track first.

 

From the planning files I showed the OS 1881 map of the river and town prior to arrival of the railway. This is repeated here:

 

My plan was to model to the river bank all along the front of the layout, dropping down from the level of the river bank where the GWR tracks were to be located.

 

Below the tannery and drawing from the same water resource where a weir closes off the river, there is an old corn mill which I felt would be worth capturing. As a result I've busied myself with constructing a lower tier as a base for the river bank structure. This is the first step in the process.

 

The track will not cling perilously near the edge, it just looks that way until I build up the connecting infrastructure which will connect the upper and lower levels.

 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2023 by BWsTrains

[john dew]

10 hours ago, BWsTrains said:

Following on from yesterday's post, I realised that progress with laying the trackwork out to the Tannery required me to sort out what lay in front of that section of track first.

 

From the planning files I showed the OS 1881 map of the river and town prior to arrival of the railway. This is repeated here:

 

My plan was to model to the river bank all along the front of the layout, dropping down from the level of the river bank where the GWR tracks were to be located.

 

Below the tannery and drawing from the same water resource where a weir closes off the river, there is an old corn mill which I felt would be worth capturing. As a result I've busied myself with constructing a lower tier as a base for the river bank structure. This is the first step in the process.

 

The track will not cling perilously near the edge, it just looks that way until I build up the connecting infrastructure which will connect the upper and lower levels.

 

 

 

Hi Colin

 

Thanks for posting the O.S. map, it makes a perfect backdrop for your tannery/mill plans.

 

Are you going to be able to mock up a 1930 O.S. version?

 

 

 

[BWsTrains]

2 hours ago, john dew said:

 

Hi Colin

 

Thanks for posting the O.S. map, it makes a perfect backdrop for your tannery/mill plans.

 

Are you going to be able to mock up a 1930 O.S. version?

 

 

 

 

Thanks John,

 

Sadly, exquisitely detailed OS 25in to 1 mile maps had disappeared by the turn of the 20th C and we had to wait over a Century for Internet maps of even greater detail and accuracy.

By this time nearly all the historic Railway interest was a distant Beeching induced memory

 

At some stage I may try to update the "original" with an overlay reflecting the final development of the rail infrastructure. As was often the case this happened in stages and it will be fun to document this process.

 

It is interesting to note that the original modest town Creamery was relocated after the railway came as it occupied a strategic point in the Goods Yards needed for the Mileage sidings and access. The old building had become very run down so the prospect of a new location with full rail and road access was an attractive one.

[BWsTrains]

Today's early progress has been to install the connecting corridor between main and tannery, now that the plans for the forward bank section have been resolved.

 

Every time I do something like this I'm reminded to thank those kind folk who encouraged me to adopt the open frame L-Girder structure. These implementations have been straightforward additions.

 

Only minor modification is a necessary shift of the trap turnout to have it clear of the underlying timbers, one detail which escaped me!

 

 

 

[BWsTrains]

Today's minor step has been to add the track and the trap turnout to the tannery approach road. Temporary at this stage but to my eye it looks the part.

 

The building of the trap was described back on 9th Sept 2022.

 

 

 

[BWsTrains]

On 09/09/2022 at 21:03, St Enodoc said:

That looks excellent, Colin. Let us know how you get on with controlling the movement of the blade now it hasn't got a mate to restrain it.

 

A simple request that has taken me a while to get to, but now I have a solution.

 

To recap, the Finetrax turnouts have a very modest switch blade throw of 2mm, up to 3mm in my trap setting with no paired blade to constrain movement. How to manage and contain this required a cunning plan. I didn't need electrical control as there's no frog to switch so it was down to delivering a controlled, managed blade movement.

 

The solution a 1:12 lever mechanism feeding to a wire in cable (from an old bike brake assembly)

 

 

This allows me to have a simple slider control back at base as and when the Trap needs to be closed.

 

 

Operation is nicely steady and smooth and the favourable lever ratio is enough to prevent any movement once in situ.

 

 

[BWsTrains]

A question on the traverser design has arisen elsewhere and I've decided it's best answered here:

 

@DCB asked:

Upper Hembury proves accurate repeatable indexing can be achieved on a short traverser inside a house, but whether the same push the middle solution will work for a six footer is a different kettle of olive oil.   Any error is likely to be magnified by 100%.  The drive is basically like the lead screw on a CNC lathe. I suspect two units one each end might be needed when you get to 6ft/ 1800mm  especially if the location is not temperature controlled. My 3ft 6" ish lifting section in an insulated shed suffers badly from expansion and contraction.  About 1mm in 300mm  0.3% winter to summer from steel track causes problems every now and again.  What does Upper Hembury's traverser slide on? is it just wood on wood

 

Various points here which I'll try to tackle

 

The Traverser tray (19mm particle Board with aluminium angle along each side) is rigid and is mounted directly onto the drive platen. Hence as best I can tell it is the drive carrying the weight.

 

The ancillary supports are two ball slides fitted onto the bottom side of the tray sitting onto (but not fixed to) timber strips. These can be seen in my 2nd post of August 15th last where the drive is not yet installed. Additionally I've two timber support rails, one at each end, polished Australian hardwood, waxed with beeswax. These only carry the bottom ends of the aluminium angle pieces.

 

Without the drive in place the tray slides effortlessly.

 

Regarding scaling up, my own feeling is that a powerful enough drive for the required weight placed centrally with further support of the type I've described will cope perfectly well in a movement sense but accuracy it is harder to comment. What I do know is that Graham (the designer) tested the drive assembly standalone and gave me an expected tolerance of +/- 0.3mm and the installed version delivered the same precision. If the tray cannot flex on its mounting then perhaps this is less surprising that it first seems.

 

I've a call to him regarding other issues so will discuss the scale up when we next speak. TBC....

 

Edited March 29, 2023 by BWsTrains
correction

[BWsTrains]

Further comments on @DCB's Traverser questions.

 

Graham agrees with me on two points:

1. The motor is powerful enough for a much bigger load. He put a power resistor in line and there'd be even more torque without that in place.
2. The sensors would be (even) better if placed near the exit road. Accuracy would be as good as / better than I'm achieving. Drive positioning is a secondary issue, it's when the photosensor signal is triggered which determines the stopping point.
   In my case I wanted accuracy of alignment at both ends so the centre positioning of the sensors was logical and led to a more compact integrated design for the drive assembly.

Regarding other issues raised,

 

Expansion.

In the perpendicular that's not an issue, the tray is wooden. In the direction of the traverser storage lines if excessive expansion is an issue then it may be necessary to arrange some way to adjust the entire tray position to accommodate this effect.  Relative to other issues addressed by the design this seems to be a secondary matter which should succumb to some careful planning.

 

PS in my earlier post I forgot to mention that the bottom sides of the ball races on the tray were screwed onto timber strips which slot into the positions I referred to in the base assembly. The support brackets at the sides of the lower timbers guide / hold them laterally.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 29, 2023 by BWsTrains
PS

[BWsTrains]

A brief update as other matters here continue to provide distractions to my progress on Upper Hembury.

 

It's not that nothing has been done, just that it's been about a mixture of some research, thoughts / ideas in progress, and waiting out news that orders from the UK via Royal Mail have resumed "normal" service (whatever that might be!)

 

Continuing the tracklaying and arriving at tackling the minor sidings - Creamery and Tannery I decided my original turnout choice of B7 geometry was less than ideal. While nearer prototypical than anything smaller they consumed too much valuable length in those situations. At the time, availability of a more compact Finetrax option was uncertain but now with A5 turnouts in production it was then postal disruptions which held me back from ordering. 

 

Meanwhile I'd been thinking about various stock and having some doubts about my choice of Cattle Wagons after reading various feedback elsewhere on here about issues with the Dapol versions.

Better informed now I've ordered Bachmann stock and added a very nice SR Brake van as part of a purchase from Kernow. Likewise entrusted to the Royal Mail etc.

 

I enjoyed watching @Tony Wright's Video of Little Bytham Part 1 showing in the little pop up window recently. I don't normally get distracted by these items but the half hour invested was well worthwhile, not the least when he extolled modellers to get their track-laying spot on before going on to anything scenic. Grasped by me of course as minor justification for my snail-like progress on here 😏 I also made note of some very good tips on embankment building which I'll use for my riverbank. 

 

Hopefully more normal conditions will return after our various Easter-tide activities.

 

 

 

 

[BWsTrains]

Good news on various fronts means I can now get some serious progress underway here again.

 

My remaining Finetrax Turnouts (A5 geometry) have arrived from the UK and should be straightforward to finish off and install this weekend. Then I've set myself the goal of completing track painting by EOM.

 

Other goodies arrived from Kernow MRC; cattle wagons and an ex LSWR 10t Brake, this latter being a very fine model.

 

The speedy arrival of both packages suggest mail services are back to some semblance of normality. This time both UK senders supplied tracking info which spanned the entire route rather than stopping and disappearing into an information "Black Hole" at LHR Langley! Wonders never cease, could it be that the Royal Mail and Australia Post are actually communicating now?

 

 

Finally, progress is also being made on my station design, sufficient to consider placing an order for doors and windows as per Chuffnell Regis. Thanks due to @Graham T for his continuing help on this project.

 

While my efforts have no hope of matching Graham's superb building, I'm hoping that getting some of the very tricky components custom kit built will help out. A detailed update on the design is not too far away now.

[BWsTrains]

My weekend target is well on the way to being met but delightful late April weather here was a significant distraction.

 

I knocked out the three A5 turnouts as shown (tie bar soldering pending).  The top two are straight geometry and the first that I've built of the new "all track" design without needing to curve. Minus that added complexity they were easily assembled in under a half hour each.

 

The bottom one has a -3605mm radius main line and this assembly takes more time and care. To get the curving you snip through the supporting webbing and then there's risk as the base can be easily broken. I find it best if the base is supported by inserting the stock rails from the start. Get to the desired geometry and then lock the base down. As it happens the very gentle curve I needed for #3 holds by itself and the rest of the assembly follows the normal steps.

 

A final additional step while held flat and in position under my Acrylic block was applying a spot of CA adhesive on the chairs down each side.

 

The middle turnout has longer exit rails deployed so I can slide on some loose Peco sleepers to match the length of the B7 turnout which is being replaced. A convenient benefit of these kits which I've taken advantage of on a few occasions

 

 

Edited April 23, 2023 by BWsTrains
notes on exit extensions

[BWsTrains]

A little more History

 

The opening post of this topic provided some background and links about the origins of this branch-line, and it was noted that the best route of access from Cullompton to the town needed to cross the private land occupied by Dunkeswell Grange. It is now time to reveal more about this aspect of our story.

 

A visit to Wikipedia will enlighten the interested reader about The Grange in the World we know and its varied ownership right to the present day. Wikipedia - The Grange

 

 However in the parallel world where Upper Hembury resides, the history of the Dunkeswell Grange Estate likewise followed a somewhat different path.

 

As Wikipedia notes “The Grange Estate served originally as the grange of nearby Dunkeswell Abbey, the lands of which were sold off by the Crown following the "Dissolution of the Monasteries ”

But then the story begins to deviate.

 

The manor of Upper Hembury was amongst these possessions and was acquired from the Crown by Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton (1505-1550), a close ally of Henry VIII

The rich agricultural land found in the region led the Estate to become one of the finest in the County. The Manor house was progressively developed to reflect the high standing of the Earls and their high connections in society. So, by the 1880s James Wriothesley, 7th Earl of Southhampton could count Royalty and the Duke of Marlborough amongst his confidantes. Little wonder then that when the GWR came “knocking” with plans for a railway, he naturally demanded a suitable station, “Dunkeswell Grange” and stopping rights.

 

The GWR, recognising the strategic position of The Grange’s land at the entrance of the Tale Valley and near its best crossing point, were happy to grant James’ wish but the latter might have been better served if he’d read the fine print!

 

All this brings me to the infrastructure and specifically the Railway buildings of the Branch-line, where The Earl wanted considerable input to reflect his standing in the community…….

TBC below

 

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by BWsTrains
typo

[BWsTrains]

James Wriothesley, 7th Earl of Southhampton of Dunkeswell Grange could list among his distinguished ancestry the famous, even infamous 3rd Earl, Henry, Wikipedia - Henry Wriothesley linked closely with Shakespeare (many thanks to @john dew for pointing out this connection).

 

By the 1870s James was likely a user of the GWR to travel to his many connections across South and Central England and it seems probable he came across the early work of William Clarke, who was by then building stations on the Bristol And North Somerset Railway and Alcester Railway. How else to explain his desire to have his own station Halt designed and built by Mr Clarke? It is also plausible that having a suitably impressive Halt for incoming visitors would have been a matter of prestige for the Earl.

 

Several distinctive features can be found in the many photos of the William Clarke Stations (see British Railway Journal No. 8 1985).

While the style evolved with time between the early builds (1873) and the last (1893) the fundamental structure remained broadly unchanged.

• Raised Parapets at Gable Ends
• Tall and substantial chimneys
• A large wide canopy stretching to the platform edge
• No entrances on the rear wall, just windows.

When the GWR refused to fund his Halt, the Earl made private arrangements for Dunkeswell Grange station to be constructed, built in modest fashion to the smallest of the Clarke formats.

(As @Graham T has built a fine model of such a station much detail and photos are available on his Chuffnell Regis Topic).

 

While this was a lovely station, it falls outside the boundary of my setting. However, William Clarke then made a persuasive pitch to the GWR to build a fine Terminus Station for Upper Hembury, no doubt enthusiastically supported by the Earl. This latter building would be a much bigger project than the Clarke standard wayside stops, which were typically 38'6'' long with an attached 14'8" Utilities and toilets block with flat roof.

 

The best example of the larger format that we have in our World is Kingsbridge which as built (late 1893) and hence after Upper Hembury. The main station building was 50% longer (57') than the smaller Halts. It sported a Stationmaster's Office and Porter / Baggage room both located at the entrance gate end. These features will be included in my model along with the standard rooms, "Booking Office", "General Waiting Room" and Ladies Waiting Room". NO provision was to be made for a First Class waiting room, even for The Earl.

 

Ladies had an inside door to access their "convenience" which abutted their room. Gents had to walk to the end and around to reach theirs.

 

My design plans are advanced and will appear shortly.