ColinW Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Hi Gordon, Sorry to hear about your continuing back problem, hopefully everything can be sorted out soon for you, also your decision, although I can understand it, to look to rebuild Eastwood Town for your ease. I shall look forward to seeing the rebuild develop once you have recovered. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWJ Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Gordon, It's always good to hear an update from Eastwood Town, even if the circumstances are unfortunate. Having followed this from the start on RMWeb I was really chuffed to see it in Model Rail the other month, too. I was struggling to fit a fiddle yard into my layout plans but seeing your traverser inspired me to build my own, albeit with my very limited woodworking skills. It's a tad longer than yours (3300mm which is about 11'), making it difficult to operate smoothly with both ends aligned to the adjacent tracks, but I'm working on it! I also followed your technique for curved H-section baseboards (like you I have quite a lot of trackage 'behind the scenes') so was interested in seeing the latest 'octagonal' style. It may not look as sexy but if it's easier to build and equally strong then it has to be the way forward! All the best with the layout changes - you've shown how CAD really comes into its own here - and more importantly with your back. Cheers, Will 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 Thanks for the compliments Will. It's always nice to know fellow modellers have picked up something from your waffling. Just to keep the thread ticking over, the octagonal reverse loop is complete from a carpentry perspective, so hope to get into the track laying/wiring over the next few days. This loop is 38" radius and on it's own, it doesn't mean much, but lay it out on boards and you quickly realise just how much space is needed for a full circle.... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted March 5, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 5, 2011 Gordon you have put me to shame and a lot of other able bodied modellers I suspect. If you can manage that circle so easily while in pain and washed out from your hospital stay then leave the baseboards and traverser where they are and tell the surgeon you expect to move freely after the op or else B) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_long Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Is there no way of motorising the traverser Gordon, the Liverpool lime st guys have a pretty smart automatic traverser. Rgds Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penrhos1920 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 The other plus is the amount of room around the layout, particularly in each corner where 3' plus will enable access from the rear should there be problems. The last thing I am considering is a cable tray on the inside of each board, so all the soldering and connections are easily accessible, rather than scrambling about underneath. I saw this on another forum and it seemed a great idea for those of us struggling with bending. That sounds a big bonus. Can you post the link for where you saw it please; I'd like to see how it is done. Thanks Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 Richard, I will need to get permission from the layout owner as his pics were on a private site and as such I can't give a link to them. If it's OK with him, I'll copy the pic and post it on here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 Stop laughing at the back, but the first loco completed a full circle last night under it's own steam (or diesel or ac electricity... ) I still have to add the main bus wiring and Tortoise motors, but we've all got to start somewhere. Once I'm satisfied a selection of loco's will run perfetly through the turnouts of this 38" radius reverse loop, the build can continue. I have to say it's been a pleasure building this way. For the first time, I've used copper tape to form a mini bus on the top surface of the board. Connection to each piece of track has then been made with a very short length of 24SWG tinned copper wire. Once I'm happy with surface electrics and mechanical performance, I'll turn it over and add a heavy duty bus. This has only been one small step, but should allow me to push on, barring further back/knee problems. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I'm certainly staggered that you were allowed to use the table without any kind of protective surface! Is that a CP on there? Best, Pete. (up too long - still peeing with rain and flooding expected but not hopefully in my neighbohood) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
artizen Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 I tried to comment on the wooden sculpture sitting on top of the table yesterday but my internet connection failed. If you just french polished it and then lovingly waxed it with furniture wax I'm sure it could blend in nicely into the room and no-one would know its a railway model - more a really weird shaped coffee table top? Room for eight with a much better interpretation of the lazy susan turntable idea - cups of tea on flat wagons perhaps? Seriously though - if I took something like that upstairs and clamped it to a table I know what would happen!!!! Something that could only be done when everyone else is out of the house. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
artizen Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Forgot to add - how do you move such a large sculpture around? You would have to roll it along the ground maybe? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 12, 2011 Author Share Posted March 12, 2011 Morning guys..... The octagon has been designed in eight separate pieces and can be dismantled to move around in either 2, 4 or 8 sections, so no worries on that front. I've just put it together, to test it and make sure locos with long wheelbases such as a 9F will run smoothly through all the pointwork. The turnouts are 38" radius, which is the minimum I would use, and have to be that size to keep the loop a manageable size so it doesn't clash with the wall on one side and the stairwell on the other. As I said the slope of the roof comes into play, so the higher you go, the more you have to come into the room. 38" radius wouldn't normally be an issue coming from a straight, but in a continual curve like this, I find that easing the check rails very slightly in the end flare eases any tight spots. Short wheelbase locos all run through no problem and previous struggles have shown it's better to deal with this now than when the boards are in place. Tables and domestic pressures. Our mindset is that Mrs S and I would always prefer a relaxed wine bar/bistro to a full blown fine dining establishment and so are not anal about things which are are used on a daily basis. We deliberately chose pine tables as they are soft are look better once lived in. Generally there's a story behind most marks and life is for living, not getting stressed out over a mark on a table. Every few years it doesn't take much to take them outside and run over with a belt sander and then a quick rub with wax/oil and all is good as new. If pushed into a formal occasion, a large table cloth or mats covers everything for those of a nervous disposition..... Add three cats who love sitting on the table to tease the two dogs and you get the picture.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Does Mrs. S have a sister? Glad you've only got one knee to go. Best, Pete. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theakerr Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Just read this thread. Informative and enjoyable. Thanks 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 The last couple of weeks have been a bonus in a way. Although I have been reduced to light working through my back problems, I have enjoyed coming to terms with the new design and the implications of the new design. The traverser was dismantled and scrapped, so that has thrown up a fair amount of space. Half the spiral has been removed, although I will be able to reuse the straight sections as they are perfectly flat and will still be of use in the new design. The new loop is complete and in place and both the storage loop turnouts for the lower level have been completed. It never ceases to amaze me how much space is required for a curved turnout, if you are to stay above a minimum radius of 36". The longest of the two you can see on the table is just short of 600mm long. 2' for just one turnout... Having completed those, there is only the double junction to complete on this level. This will require two large radius turnouts plus a switched crossing. I like switched crossings as they are so much easier to build and progress across them is always smooth with the wheel continually supported. Once again the size is staggering with the complete crossing coming in at 1100mm from tip to tip. It took a couple of hours to lay out all the sleepers and I dare say there will be a couple of days work to complete this formation. I like to build these as complete units as it solves any alignment issues and it just looks right. Hoping to get these completed plus the woodwork, before my op at the end of April, but I'll just have to see how it goes... Edit: I knew that piece of glass would come in handy one day. Sincere thanks to Andy Y for the glass and Penlan for providing the transportation up to this neck of the woods.... 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ian Posted March 29, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 29, 2011 That piece of trackwork is going to be a thing of beauty when it is finished, Gordon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted March 29, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 29, 2011 For a mobility impaired person you are getting a lot done Gordon. I really like the flowing lines of those curved points. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium polybear Posted March 31, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 31, 2011 Next stage is to mask down the sides of the cork trackbed, about 10mm from the edge and add a second strip covering the end of the sleepers. This will create a useful shoulder to retain the ballast when we come to do the centre and edges later. Hi Gordon, Way back on page 2, post number 45 you mentioned your method of ballasting. I'm about to do some but am a little confused about the positioning of the masking tape mentioned in the attachment above. I understand that the first piece is placed 10mm outside the ends of the sleepers, but just cannot get my head around the positioning of the second piece (probably me being thick). Is there any chance of a photo showing the positioning of the two pieces please? Also, have you any tips on fitting moulded chairs to copperclad trackwork? Normally the chairs are too high and need to be cut/shaped in some way - have you done this, and if so how do you go about it? And what glue did you use to bond the chairs to the sleepers? If only C&L/Exactoscale/someone else manufactured chairs that were 0.6mm lower, so they fitted copper clad trackwork.... Thanks. Kind Regards, Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium polybear Posted March 31, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 31, 2011 Next stage is to mask down the sides of the cork trackbed, about 10mm from the edge and add a second strip covering the end of the sleepers. This will create a useful shoulder to retain the ballast when we come to do the centre and edges later. Hi Gordon, Way back on page 2, post number 45 you mentioned your method of ballasting. I'm about to do some but am a little confused about the positioning of the masking tape mentioned in the attachment above. I understand that the first piece is placed 10mm outside the ends of the sleepers, but just cannot get my head around the positioning of the second piece (probably me being thick). Is there any chance of a photo showing the positioning of the two pieces please? Also, have you any tips on fitting moulded chairs to copperclad trackwork? Normally the chairs are too high and need to be cut/shaped in some way - have you done this, and if so how do you go about it? And what glue did you use to bond the chairs to the sleepers? If only C&L/Exactoscale/someone else manufactured chairs that were 0.6mm lower, so they fitted copper clad trackwork.... Thanks. Kind Regards, Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 For a mobility impaired person you are getting a lot done Gordon. I really like the flowing lines of those curved points. Agree, lovely work, Gordon. I'd like to see more detail on your build of switched crossings - unless I missed it? Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 Morning Brian Here's a pic for you Brian that I hope will clarify things. All you are trying to do is simplify the process as much as possible by using two strips of masking tape. The first defines the outer edge and the second is just to stop PVA getting onto the sleepers. You can either paint on the PVA and then remove the tape leaving a clearly defined strip of wet PVA onto which you can pour some ballast or you can leave the tape in place and put the ballast on straightaway. The first method wastes less as you don't end up with the ballast stuck to the tape. I have also found that pulling off the tape after the PVA dries can mean a slightly more jagged edge as the PVA forms a skin over the bare wood/tape that tears as you remove the tape. Overall the first method has some advantages, but you do need to be careful peeling away the tape without getting wet PVA everywhere. I've marked up the edges of the tape with a blue line. Hope this helps. Edit: Sorry Brian, I've not used the C & L chairs, so can't help you there. Eastwood will never leave home and with a few notable exceptions, most of my visitors would not notice or even know what chairs are, so I decided that life was too short and I'd concentrate on other parts of the big picture...B) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 Hi Pete I'm part way through the double junction, but would hope to complete it today. What would you like to know about the switched crossing? They are so simple to build I'm surprised I haven't seen more of them in use. Here's a couple of pics (not great ones from a slow speed, hand held camera) but they should show you the basics. Perfect for a shallow double junction on a curve, they allow you to generate that easy, flowing look without too much effort. This whole complex could be put together over a couple of days with 3-4 hours of work each day. Once again, the whole junction was plotted out in Templot with a little hand tweaking to prepare an asymetrical crossing on a curve. The frog end is very much like a turnout with the blades curving away to a point. It's the switch end that provides total support to the wheel tread and as such there are no clicks and bumps as there are no gaps in the centre crossing. I use four Tortoise motors in each junction. One for each turnout and two to power the switched crossing. The crossing frogs are switched using the opposite side switch motor...........That reads like total jibberish, but I know what I mean... As you know I'm building in 00-SF and looking back through RMWeb there have been some pretty heated discussions each time 00-SF is raised. Once this crossing is complete, I'm going to video Hornby/Bachmann/Heljan etc RTR locos plus some others fitted with Ultrascale wheels to try and demonstrate how 00-SF will accommodate most wheel formats without B2B changes. It would appear that is one thing no one has been able to show on film, so I'll try and see what I can up with. I'm not wishing to convert anyone after all, we can all make our own decisions, but it may just explain why I went down that route with Eastwood. Of course, I may fail miserably, in which case you will never see a fllm........B) Edit: The solder joints are just tack joins to hold the the rails in place. Once I'm happy with the alignment and flow of the pointwork, I go back over every joint and make sure they are done properly. If you look carefully you can see solder that has been wiped to remove residue where I'm unhappy with the flow of the curve or to make sure the gauging is spot on. A very thin film of solder is not an issue as all the track is painted and ballasted once completed. Of course, you may wish to use the pics as examples of poor soldering... 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimleygrid Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Hi Gordon, sorry to hear about your back problems and I hope all goes well at the end of the month. Just catching up with your superb thread and have to say that your woodwork and track work continue to inspire us all. Your relaxed attitude about wasted time and effort is admirable. Wish at times I could get that through my obsessive state of mind! Despite the changes, I have no doubt that your layout will still be a master piece and I look forward to seeing more progress. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold martin_wynne Posted March 31, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2011 Hi Pete, Here are a couple of pics of prototype switched diamonds. The first one shows a double slip. Using switched K-crossings makes it very much easier to build slips in 00, because there are no problems finding room for the K-crossing check rails -- there aren't any. The only downside is the need for extra point motors. © thanks to Mick Nicholson for the pics. Martin. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 Hi Grimley, it's always a pleasure to hear others are following your progress and many thanks for such a flattering post... I do wonder sometimes if anyone reads my stuff as it always slips down the page very quickly, but with 50,000 views someone must be looking at it. I actually find it quite therapeutic scribbling down a few notes and adding a couple of pics. If nothing else it serves as a diary for me when looking back and it reminds me to get on with it every so often. I've managed to come to terms with my back problems and provided the pain is under control a few weeks wait for the op is nothing in the big scheme of things. Most of the stuff I'm doing can be done sitting down, so whilst somewhat limiting it does mean I can at least do something and building trackwork really is rewarding. Hopefully it will all be joined together soon... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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