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Manchester Central, CLC & GN Warehouses & Castlefield Viaducts


Ron Heggs
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This is some pretty impressive stuff, more so once trains actually start running on this project.

 

SS

 

Thanks

 

... trains running  :locomotive: . Oh that's what all this work is for. I had almost forgot  :no: , after 10 years of building structures

 

Got to finish these viaducts. Then it's track laying with a vengeance  :triniti: , and hopefully some electrics just to get the trains out of their boxes, and in motion  :locomotive:

 

Cheers

 

Ron

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Thanks

 

... trains running  :locomotive: . Oh that's what all this work is for. I had almost forgot  :no: , after 10 years of building structures

 

Got to finish these viaducts. Then it's track laying with a vengeance  :triniti: , and hopefully some electrics just to get the trains out of their boxes, and in motion  :locomotive:

 

Cheers

 

Ron

 

Hi Ron,

 

Have you given the electrics any thought?

(I've seen you signalling and am very impressed...)

 

 

Kev.

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Hi Ron,

 

Have you given the electrics any thought?

(I've seen you signalling and am very impressed...)

 

 

Kev.

 

Hi, Kev

 

Most definitely some design work done on the electrics

 

Train/track operation DCC - Prodigy Advance (so far only used for testing new locos on an oval of settrack)

Turnout/Slip motor operation (142 motors) - DC, including a very large routing diode matrix with numerous CDUs - Separate sectional AC transformers with smoothed/regulated DC rectification

Signalling (LED) locked with point motor control/operation - Separate AC transformers with smoothed/regulated DC rectification

Lighting (Mix of LED and Incandescent) for buildings/yards/roads - Separate AC transformers with smoothed/regulated DC rectification

 

All circuit boards, and panels, etc. for the Routing Matrix, CDUs and DC rectification will be handbuilt

 

Ron

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Thanks Ron,

 

That's one impressive list and quite a good solution for your circumstances.

 

If you need help then, as you know, there is plenty of help on this forum from some very knowledgeable and helpful members.

(Although, be prepared for more than one answer!)

 

 

Kev.

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Hi Ron, those viaducts are outstanding! Just out of interest, what size will the layout/work of art be when you start making the boards?

 

Thanks Jason

 

This question has been asked a few times in this thread. It is such an extensive thread, that it takes a few days to read through it all  :rtfm: , and find what you are looking for

 

A link to this post http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28293-manchester-central-clc-gn-warehouses-castlefield-viaducts/?view=findpost&p=476314  gives some detail of the overall internal layout. All the board/s are built and in place

 

... and this link to a post showing the extent of the baseboard after the foamboard base was completed http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/28293-manchester-central-clc-gn-warehouses-castlefield-viaducts/?view=findpost&p=1158738

 

The garden section has yet to be started, but will comprise approx. 60 metres running length with 5 tracks

 

Ron

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Thanks Ron,

 

That's one impressive list and quite a good solution for your circumstances.

 

If you need help then, as you know, there is plenty of help on this forum from some very knowledgeable and helpful members.

(Although, be prepared for more than one answer!)

 

 

Kev.

 

Hi, Kev

 

There's always more than one way of achieving any goal - hopefully, the selected compromise solution works out ok

 

Ron 

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Building the brick arch viaduct section between the Cornbrook Viaduct bridges #1 & #2, which is a touch fit with the Castlefield Viaduct Span #1. Pictures tomorrow when it is in place

 

Drawing the cutting layout for the six pier castellated/decorative top sections for the Castlefield Viaduct

 

Probably be in the position to start the third span section of the Castlefield Viaduct over the weekend

 

Hottest day this year, so far - 38 deg C outdoors shade, 33 deg C lounge and dining areas, railway room 27 deg C - No, the styrene isn't melting, but I am  :sungum:

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Thanks Ron, I missed that one. It's a balmy 25C here and I'm marinating some beef for the BBQ tonight.

 

Can't wait to see the pictures tomorrow.

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A few quick pictures - should have taken a little more time to check the vertical positioning before taking the pictures -

 

post-10633-0-11745100-1409429684_thumb.jpg

 

 

post-10633-0-99360600-1409429706_thumb.jpg

 

 

post-10633-0-99250700-1409429720_thumb.jpg

The Castlefield Viaduct Pier X is hard up against the Cornbrook Viaduct brickwork

 

post-10633-0-43682300-1409429739_thumb.jpg

The viaduct brickwork isn't fixed - needs vertical alignment correcting when being fixed

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Been doing a bit of cutting today - castellated top of piers (6), and a test for the next section of the Castlefield Viaduct -

 

post-10633-0-28008900-1409501721_thumb.jpg

All the component parts for six pier tops, same as this >

 

post-10633-0-26170400-1409501936_thumb.jpg

 

Cross-bracing truss - 20 thou sheet 

 

post-10633-0-70745000-1409501688_thumb.jpg

The cut sheet with two bracings separated - bracings and sides 40 thou wide

 

post-10633-0-35578200-1409501740_thumb.jpg

Two bracings fixed back to back - 40 thou thick

 

post-10633-0-99625400-1409501768_thumb.jpg

Another showing the depth of the bracings

 

This is certainly stronger than the same item made from all separate pieces, and it is taking less time to cut & build. Just got to consider whether it is visually acceptable

 

38 trusses required for the next span section

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Hi Ron, I love the castellations at the top of the post. On the truss, I did something similar to produce the sides for the GNR footbridge I made a while ago. I did them in .010" but I think your .020" would have been better as they'd be stiffer.

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Hi Ron, I love the castellations at the top of the post. On the truss, I did something similar to produce the sides for the GNR footbridge I made a while ago. I did them in .010" but I think your .020" would have been better as they'd be stiffer.

 

Hi, Jason

 

It's a compromise between scale, what looks right and strength where it's needed. Only the structure and the modeller makes it right

 

Ron

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This morning's progress -

 

attachicon.gifIMG_0812.JPG

 

Need to construct a metres worth of 'extrusion' for the castellation cappings - then cut it into 5.5mm & 6mm lengths and fix them

 

Finally drill and cut the double crosses on the front faces

 

Ron,

 

Excellent work as always!

 

The 'extrusion' you speak about is presumably a lamination of various strips of plastic to build up the cross-section, and I've had some difficulties with this procedure in the past.  I'd like to know how you cut it into the required short lengths without distorting the joints.  I've found that an edged blade acts as a wedge, pushing the top lamination apart before the second, and so on, but a toothed blade (piercing saw), followed by filing or abrasive paper (midnight raids into SWMBO's endless supply of nailboards), tends to push plastic swarf between the laminations (unless I was liberal with the solvent in order to avoid unbonded areas, with other problems ensuing from that).

 

Andy

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Ron

 

It seems a shame I have not been following the thread on a daily basis for the past week or so, because I could have said sooner that those castellated decorations look ideal candidates for 3d printing.  I've been mulling the problems I will face when I get round to doing the old Great Western Hotel which used to stand over Birmingham Snow Hill.  It was a brick building with stone facing, and covered in classical decoration.  Pretty much every window has a pediment, and I was a little daunted by the prospect of building them in plastic sheet.  If I use 3d printing, they will be solid, accurate, but especially consistent.  Where 6 or 7 adjacent windows are meant to be identical, it only needs a small variation in one to make it stand out.

 

Andy

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Ron,

 

Excellent work as always!

 

The 'extrusion' you speak about is presumably a lamination of various strips of plastic to build up the cross-section, and I've had some difficulties with this procedure in the past.  I'd like to know how you cut it into the required short lengths without distorting the joints.  I've found that an edged blade acts as a wedge, pushing the top lamination apart before the second, and so on, but a toothed blade (piercing saw), followed by filing or abrasive paper (midnight raids into SWMBO's endless supply of nailboards), tends to push plastic swarf between the laminations (unless I was liberal with the solvent in order to avoid unbonded areas, with other problems ensuing from that).

 

Andy

 

Hi, Andy

 

The 'extrusion' is not so much laminations as a face build. The strips are 160mm long (enough for one pier) in widths of 5, 4.5, 4 and 2.5mm with a 1mm x 1mm insert strip

 

Haven't got a picture of the assembly (will post later) - but, the 5mm is the base, with the 4mm strip the vertical backface. The 2.5mm strip is the top face, and the 4.5mm strip the sloping front face. The 1mm strip is used as a backstop under the top strip to prevent the sloping front from migrating too far back

 

The assembly is built up using liberal brushfull of Butanone/MEK, and left for an hour or so to dry off completely. The 5.5 & 6mm length sections are marked and scored all round, and continually scored deeper and deeper until the section is parted. Have had no parting of the joints (only managed to cut half a dozen, so far)

 

 

Ron

 

It seems a shame I have not been following the thread on a daily basis for the past week or so, because I could have said sooner that those castellated decorations look ideal candidates for 3d printing.  I've been mulling the problems I will face when I get round to doing the old Great Western Hotel which used to stand over Birmingham Snow Hill.  It was a brick building with stone facing, and covered in classical decoration.  Pretty much every window has a pediment, and I was a little daunted by the prospect of building them in plastic sheet.  If I use 3d printing, they will be solid, accurate, but especially consistent.  Where 6 or 7 adjacent windows are meant to be identical, it only needs a small variation in one to make it stand out.

 

Andy

 

Had some bad experiences with 3d printing in the past - but no doubt things have progressed quite a bit. Time and patience I have in bucketfulls, styrene cost is minimal, and I do like a challenge 

 

When you have a number of identical items next to each other, the eye will pick up the slightest differences no matter how small. If they are further away or out of the visual reference span for the eye then you can get away with slight differences. Colour contrast also has a marked effect on ability to detect differences - e.g. white window frames and dark surrounds and loco/carriage linings

 

Looks like you have a modelling challenge ahead

 

Cheers

 

Ron

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Andy,

 

Couple of pictures as promised

 

post-10633-0-11466800-1409753191_thumb.jpg

End view of 'extrusions'

 

post-10633-0-75158200-1409753269_thumb.jpg

Six cappings fixed in place

Each castellated section (top & bottom) requires 15 capping pieces including the two diagonally spliced corners, ................ that's   :scratchhead:for six piers  

 

Ron

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Ron

 

The alternative to 3d printing would be to make an original then create a rubber mould and produce resin copies

Note done any of this myself but have seen demonstrated

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/88321-newgate-lane-lessons-in-modelling-the-modern-railway/?p=1568939

 

Hi, Gary

 

The link doesn't point to anything relating to resin casting - however, I do have all the chemicals, etc. for rubber moulds & resin casting - will attempt to use them for the remaining seven piers for the outside sections of the viaduct

 

Cheers

 

Ron

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