Small N-gauge layout - "Chinthurst"

[Kris]

I would tend to agree with you about losing the base. As it does not have the exit cover for the point rodding this is something that is very easy to add. Could be done with a small bit of card or a thin bit of plastic, bent down at each end.

[JonathanB]

A small update - a little progress (finally, now that exams are over!). I've started to extend the bridge section (waiting for it to dry) and have cut some more polystyrene to start building up the hill. I've also glued one piece of straight track down under the hill - just used pva for the moment to see how that works.

[Kris]

NIce to see that progress is being made on here. Might be worth sending a message to Andy or the Mods to ask them to move this to the layouts section now that construction has recommenced and planning has finished. Easy to do just report one of the posts on the thread and ask away when the message box pops up.

[JonathanB]

Bit of a tidy up of the hill contours today - still not sure how to do the near side of the tunnel entrance though... any ideas? I was wondering about putting the sloping retaining wall going backwards, but that would probably look a bit strange. The other option I suppose is to bring the hill out more, but there is limited space due to the canal below which would then be in more of a cutting (as it is behind the railway bridge). Widening of the bridge is now just about done in terms of the base board. Just to work out how to make it into a bridge and what sort.

 

[Kris]

Could you put the tunnel entrance a a slight slant? If this is possible the reversed retaining wall becomes more plausible.

[Dave777]

Not unknown for retaining walls be angled backwards, or alternatively, just leave it off altogether - a wall on just one side is fine (as is no walls at all of course).

[Revolution Ben]

Hi Jonathan,

 

If the hill is bulky enough to require a retaining wing wall on the near side then yes, it will still be a little high when it reaches the canal.

 

Would it work for the bridge abutment (where the railway goes over the canal) to extend round, and form a retaining wall for the canal?

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[JonathanB]

Thinking it'll probably be ok without a retaining wall then. I'm also thinking the "formers" at the back might be a bit tall (looks a bit steep!) and the hill would be better a bit lower... decisions decisions!

[Dave777]

Nah, I'd go with what you've got - a lot of model hills aren't anywhere near big enough to warrant putting a tunnel through them, a cutting would have been more suitable. Hills with tunnels need to be of a decent size.

 

Don't forget to line the tunnel too... and don't forget to do this before putting the roof of the tunnel on!

[Kris]

The hill will be steep but not abnormally so. Given that it will be that steep, I would suggest that woods are more appropriate than fields.

[JonathanB]

I guess it'll be like the steep scarp slope of the downs... I might take a look at Box Hill and similar places for some inspiration!

[JonathanB]

Starting to look at the wiring for when I start laying track. Here is the basic wiring for track feeds (going with basic DC and electrofrog points).

 

 

The blue arrows indicate the "default" point direction, red and blue triangles the track feeds (black common return) and the red double strikes insulating rail joiners.

 

This is just a start and I would like to make some of the sections (the loop and sidings) so that they can be isolated. Then there is the SEEP pointmotors and whether or not to make them switch the frogs as well. Am just trying to start to get an understanding of it all!

 

Any thoughts?

[JonathanB]

Sorry for the multiple posts, but I wonder if my thought processes might be useful to folk in the future! I'm using this website http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/Electrical.htm as a guide for building up the plans electrical wise.

 

The next step from before is working out the isolated sections. Here I have labeled the main feeds 101/2/3 and added appropriate (I hope) isolating joiners and labelled the isolated section feeds. This means I basically have 4 independently powered sections - Main, Iso1 (split into A or B sidings), 2 and 3 - the idea being that locos can be parked in the various locations without being powered when other locos are using the main line. I'm not sure whether the main section should be permanently powered or not, but I'm thinking it may as well be switchable as well. I'm only planning on having one controller as it's not really complex enough for more than that.

 

 

Next step is to look at the point motor wiring I think!

[Kris]

Have you considered making 102 an isolating section to allow a loco to draw a train into the station, uncouple then a second engine come from the loco siding and take the train out?

[JonathanB]

Good thinking Kris, I may as well make the whole thing switchable really. I've re-labeled the power hook ups on this latest diagram (not sure if the 10x is a convention or not, but it seems to be ok).

 

[JonathanB]

Well, a rather long time since an update due to busy times completing an unrelated course and not living full-time back at home until July! Had some spare time today now that I'm on shift work (so hopefully more time going forward too!), so I finished off the polystyrene base of the hill and tried out putting some pollyfiller over the bottom section. I do have some modroc as well, but thought I'd smooth things out with the filler first. Still seems quite high, but I'll persevere for now. (The purple pen was me just drawing around each piece to cut and glue, red was the older dried stuff).

 

[Guest oldlugger]

Excellent work Jonathan and a very nice compact track plan!

 

Cheers

Simon

[JonathanB]

Another small update!

 

Firstly, I think I've chosen a name for the layout: Chinthurst

It comes from a hill near Bramley in Surrey (south of Guildford) where the railway to Cranleigh and Horsham used to run, as did the Wey & Arun Canal. Although I'm not aiming to copy anything in reality, it reflects the (very!) loose association of the layout with the area.

 

Secondly, I have been playing with Scalescenes' lock and canal boat kit and have come up with a possible slight modification of the layout, which I think might make things a bit easier.

 

Here is the lock in the position that I'm thinking would work:

 

And here are some sketchy annotations showing the revised ideas - principally the canal comes under the railway and turns across the front of the layout while rising in the lock, which means the spur to collect coal from barges can be flipped from the previous direction (in orange) to run right to left instead (the bottom most red line). This also means that the spur doesn't have to descend so far to meet the canal. Not sure if the canal should also head off to the front right of the layout as it was previously planned or not, but I can decide that later. I guess it could all be a small marina which would help the barges to take the turn under the railway bridge from the lock.

 

Sorry about the photo quality - just quick snaps from my mobile!

[NWJ]

This is making steady progress. I think that your revision of the position of the canal siding will make it easier to operate - access did look a bit tight when it was the other way around. I look forward to reading about your decision regarding the canal.

[JonathanB]

Updated the plan to make the changes clearer - certainly makes things less tight and easier to operate the spur down to the canal.

 

 

Will update the power/control diagram in due course.

[JonathanB]

Another miniscule update, I've re-done my wiring diagram to reflect the re-orientation of the "canal siding".

 

Apologies if these updates aren't good enough to keep it interesting - hopefully will do some more scenic and track stuff in due course! I guess the next job will be to lay more track, wiring and point motors before further landscaping. I also need to work out how much the siding should descend. Ideally I was envisioning it going down to the canal level, but it might be a bit steep.

[JonathanB]

I wasn't going to post again until I'd laid a bit more track, but I couldn't resist a quick pic of my track-laying "help"...

 

 

 

Meanwhile, for next bit I need to do some soldering... any tips on cleanly attaching cable to rail, and particularly the frogs of the points? The couple I've already done took a bit of work and I managed to melt the sleepers in places!

[Kris]

If you put a slight nick or 2 in the base of the rail it gives the solder something to key into. Not an idea solution (no doubt some will be horrified by this) but for peco track it works.