P4 Fryers Lane v2.0

[Mark Forrest]

I've pondered for a while whether or not to reinstate the missing images in the original Fryers Lane thread, but came to the conclusion that (for now at least) it probably isn't worth the effort. My current plans to rebuild the layout will (eventually) result in a significantly different layout so instead I felt it made more sense to make a fresh start, documenting progress with those changes.

 

First though, a brief reminder of the story so far. Construction of the layout started back in 2013, inspired by the Scalefour Society's Standard Gauge Workbench (build a layout to P4 standards, in a space no longer than 4' 8 1/2"). This was to be home to a growing collection of stock from my 'spotting days in the late '80s/early '90s and allow me to see if P4 standards were achievable for a bodger like me. Up to this point my modelling had been focused on the 1970s in EM gauge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I won't bore you with all the details, but I ended up with a layout that (while ticking a lot of boxes) could only be used fully in an exhibition setting as it had a 1.2m fiddle yard at either end for through running.  Speaking of exhibitions, the layout probably peaked too soon; it's first show was Scaleforum followed by ExpoEM North! It did a couple of others, but I never really pushed getting it out on the circuit, in part because I was ready for a break from doing shows after the experience of touring Black Country Blues.

 

 

[Mark Forrest]

 

So what next?

As I've said, in it's original form, the layout didn't really work at home, which prompted a bit of a rethink. In the meantime I'd got the bug for building rolling stock for a much earlier era so the objectives for v2.0 were:

1) Make better use of the space available at home

2) Scenic changes to make the era that the layout was set in less obvious

 

Phase 1 of this is add short scenic board at the left end of the layout replacing the fiddle yard, this takes the scenic length of the layout to 2.1m; original 1.2m fiddle yard at the right will remain.

 

Phase 2 will be buildings and structures that allow the layout to be back dated and giving me somewhere to run (and impetus to finish)  stock from several different eras.

 

Phase 3 is not exactly set in stone, but current thinking is that the layout will move to a semi-permanent location in my workshop/shed, possibly in an L shaped configuration. Potentially there would be another siding, facing the opposite direction to the others, adding a bit of operational awkwardness and (hopefully) interest.

 

Phase 1:

 

Edit to add: I'd failed to mention the increase in the depth of the layout, which is hopefully obvious in the photo above.

[Southwich]

Looks great Mark - really looking forward to this! Era neutral is a great idea - mid 2000s stock would look rather superb on your layout 😉

 

Looking forward to seeing this develop further as the original really inspired me to have a go at P4.
 

Kind regards,

 

Will

[Mark Forrest]

1 hour ago, Southwich said:

Looks great Mark - really looking forward to this! Era neutral is a great idea - mid 2000s stock would look rather superb on your layout 😉

 

Looking forward to seeing this develop further as the original really inspired me to have a go at P4.
 

Kind regards,

 

Will

Cheers Will.  I'm following your Pensnett project with interest as it was a location I considered doing when I first started to plan Fryers Lane.

"Era neutral" is a good way to describe what I'm doing, possibly better than the "Martini" tag (from the advert: any time, any place, anywhere - showing my age?).  As for mid 2000s; my current stock boxes and round-to-it projects cover 1920-30 "between the wars", late '50s steam, post-TOPS '70s and sector era '80s - but I'd never rule out something more modern.

[Mark Forrest]

Interesting(?) fact; prompted by the photo above, I just calculated that the additional scenic board plus the front extension almost double the original scenic area of the layout.

[Southwich]

36 minutes ago, Mark Forrest said:

Cheers Will.  I'm following your Pensnett project with interest as it was a location I considered doing when I first started to plan Fryers Lane.

"Era neutral" is a good way to describe what I'm doing, possibly better than the "Martini" tag (from the advert: any time, any place, anywhere - showing my age?).  As for mid 2000s; my current stock boxes and round-to-it projects cover 1920-30 "between the wars", late '50s steam, post-TOPS '70s and sector era '80s - but I'd never rule out something more modern.

Thanks Mark - likewise with Bloxwich but that was never going to happen for me given your superb model! Having seen the traction articles on the area it was the operational interest that drew me to it (and having seen the original Fryers Lane at Showcase 2018!) 

 

Looking forward to seeing the layout develop and how you go about blending it all together.

 

Kind regards,

 

Will

[Mark Forrest]

After a while out in the shed, the layout is now back in the comparative warmth of the house and I've spent this evening mocking up a rail served factory/warehouse building for the extension board.

 

 

I like the look of it, but don't think the proportions are quite right. Currently it's 600mm long; I'll try shortening it to around 450mm.  The depth is limited by the presence of the rear siding which it does do an excellent job of hiding.

[Southwich]

Really nice that Mark!

 

Will

[Mark Forrest]

On other aspects of the layout I'd taken care to avoid placing buildings and track parallel with the baseboard edges, which I think helps to make scene look bigger and be more believable. I overlooked this when putting the new building in position.

 

Slightly shortened building and (more importantly) set at an angle so it's not parallel to the baseboard edge.  Both minor changes, but in my opinion make a big difference and confirm why making a mock up is worth the effort.

 

 

[AY Mod]

I think that looks rather good; a great extension and should give a lot more entertainment.

[Mark Forrest]

A little more progress today, I finally got around to gluing down the templates for the new track.

 

Then made a start on laying the track.

 

I have found that the gauge of Exactoscale fast track bases is slightly wider than the turnout I built.  To get around this, the first three sleepers had their chairs trimmed off and replaced to gradually ease the gauge out to match.

[Stubby47]

4 hours ago, Mark Forrest said:

 

I have found that the gauge of Exactoscale fast track bases is slightly wider than the turnout I built.  To get around this, the first three sleepers had their chairs trimmed off and replaced to gradually ease the gauge out to match.

 

You've got a change in gauge in the trackwork approaching the point?

 

Even in 00 that sounds risky, but in P4 seems suicidal. 

 

But it obviously isn't. 

[Enterprisingwestern]

6 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

 

You've got a change in gauge in the trackwork approaching the point?

 

Even in 00 that sounds risky, but in P4 seems suicidal. 

 

But it obviously isn't. 

 

One of the reasons the hairshirt is available from P4 stores!

 

Mike.

[Mark Forrest]

10 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

 

You've got a change in gauge in the trackwork approaching the point?

Yes, although we're talking something in the region of 0.3mm so it's not huge, but enough to cause an issue when trying to align fishplates to join the track.

 

The 18.83 specified for P4 is the minimum gauge. Wheels are surprisingly tolerant of wider gauge, I've test run EM stock on (plain) P4 track with no issues - as long as the track isn't so wide the wheels can fall into the 4'.

 

I'm looking into how and why the gauge is wider on the new track, one possibility is that I have some of the track bases for gauge widened track mixed in with some of the standard stuff.

[Mark Forrest]

Meanwhile, over on the workbench I've made a start on the first of the canopy support brackets for the new warehouse building.

[Enterprisingwestern]

2 hours ago, Mark Forrest said:

Meanwhile, over on the workbench I've made a start on the first of the canopy support brackets for the new warehouse building.

 

Oooh, deep joy, a jig!

 

Mike.

[Mark Forrest]

More track fixed down today.

 

A suitably heavy lump to hold the track down while the glue dries.

[Mark Forrest]

Track laying has crossed the board joint onto the new board and the end of this stage is within sight.

 

One small hiccup is that the track bed for the rear siding is lower than it should be; an annoying mistake that I could have fixed if I'd spotted it sooner.  I have a plan to fix it though.

[Mark Forrest]

End of year status report - almost there with the track laying.

Some card of a suitable thickness looks like it will solve the height issue with the rear siding; I'm just waiting for the glue to dry before fixing down the final track panel.

 

The original plan had been a low relief bridge crossing the end of the layout, to give the impression that the line once continued beyond here, but I'm thinking another building might work better.

 

Well, that's about it for 2022, happy new year.

[Mark Forrest]

After a quiet couple of weeks it feels I've made a bit more progress with the layout over the weekend.  With track laying complete I've separated the new board from the original board and begun filling in some of the areas between the track.  A building has popped up too.

 

Meanwhile, on the other board, I've started wiring up the new track and positioning the uncoupling magnets.

[Mark Forrest]

I'm taking the opportunity to swap the last two of the original Seep electro magnets for (what appear to be) slightly more powerful DG ones.  I'm also attempting to tidy up the jumble of wires.

 

Two short lengths of rail mounted in choc blocks will provide a busbar for the rail droppers. 3 of the 4 magnets were fitted tonight; I'd forgotten to drill the hole for the other one, but all the wiring is there ready for it.  I need to find some dowel to plug the holes where the magnets were fitted previously.

[Mark Forrest]

As I'm not really intending to take Fryers to many shows, I thought I might get away with just relying on the plastic sleepers to align the track across the board joint - I should have known better!  After only a couple of weeks there were already signs of misalignment.

 

Not good enough and worth putting right before going any further so, time start digging up the track bed again.

[Mark Forrest]

I've then added cork in place of the foam underlay and a couple of ply and rivet sleepers.  One side glued in place ready for the rails to be soldered to the rivets.

 

Both sides done, sleepers crudely coloured with a permanent marker; paint and cosmetic chairs to follow.

 

[Mark Forrest]

Over the past couple of weekends I've made some progress with the pub that is sited as a view blocker in front of the fiddle yard exit.

The building had warped a bit so I spent some time sorting that out and adding strength to the inside of the walls which has (mostly) pulled it back into shape.

Ground levels sorted and pavement and road surface added.

Looks like something dodgy is going on out the back of the pub.

 

[Mark Forrest]

All being well, five weeks today @2ManySpams and I will be down in Taunton ready for the SWAG member's day on the Sunday and the first exhibition attendance for Fryers Lane in its new form.

 

Here are a few photos of how the layout looks today, taken to record how much (or should that be, how little) of the original layout remained before I start blending together the old and new bits.

The warehouse/factory at the rear of the layout is reused, but has been raised to closer to rail level.  The freshly paint brown earth at the front shows the depth added to the layout with the foundations of the pub and house at the far end.

 

On the new board, the last bit of landscape shaping at the front has been finished.

Not obvious from the photos there has been a lot going on underneath the baseboards too; wiring and setting up the servos for the points having changed them over to a Megapoints servo controller.

 

I think I'm at the stage where I can't put the ballasting off for much longer...