Eastwood Town - A tribute to Gordon's modelling.

[trisonic]

Cool!

I guess that the photo we are missing is when you clamp the sides to the blocks and glue? I'm thinking ('cos I can't be bothered to look up a conversion) that 45 x 45 is closest to 2" x 2"?

 

My house A/C, when on, keeps the humidity to approx 45% at 76f - which really suits my guitars. In the Winter I have banks of humidifiers because unchecked with central heating it gets down to 15% or less which is far more damaging to wood.....particularly expensive "tone woods".

 

Best, Pete.

[gordon s]

The second picture shows the sides being clamped to the trackbed, but once clamped down in position I use a couple of small screws to secure the side sheet to the 45mm square block. I just happen to generate loads of odd offcuts of 45mm square, so it's a case of using up what is available and they do strengthen the sides. The other big benefit is they provide a good solid support for the end end cheeks which ensures the end is square to the trackbed.

 

What isn't shown in the pic is the use of C & L pattern maker dowels to align eack trackbed section. Each one of the track modules is around 4' long. To make things simple, I finish these off standing at the bench rather than tracklaying and wiring in situ. I'll lay the track, wire, paint and ballast each section before adding to the layout. It's then just a matter of connecting up the bus wires and switch wires for the Tortoise motors. As each module is a self contained electrical unit, it does allow me to switch in/out each module to aid finding a short circuit that initially shuts the whole level down.

 

 

[trisonic]

Got it. They makes a lot of sense.

 

Best, Pete.

[Robert McGee]

I've been here before, I now understand how you make the baseboards so to say. But what method do you use to build the framework and how do you support the baseboard onto it?

 

Robert.

 

I've been here before, I now understand how you make the baseboards so to say. But what method do you use to build the framework and how do you support the baseboard onto it?

 

Robert.

[blueeighties]

Gordon, hi.

Your track...I notice you use copperclad construction. I have been using C and L plastic sleepers, but am finding it a bit too fragile. A couple of questions for you.

How much work is involved in fitting the cosmetic chairs. Is the strength compromised much....I presume one has to file quite a lot of the soldered join away to get the chairs to fit.

Secondly, how noticeable is the insulation gap once it's been cut into the sleepering.

Also, do you use platic flexi track for your normal straight runs....the rail height of this is higher with the chairs than soldered copperclad?

Your layout is fantastic. Very inspirational indeed.

 

Regards,

 

Lee.

[gordon s]

Thanks for your comments Lee. I'm certainly pleased to be making some progress at last. I don't fit cosmetic chairs at all. If done with care, the solder blob itself becomes the chair. This to me gives the ultimate in flexibility as any of the pcb track sections can be tweaked to help difficult locos run through unusual formats without problem.

 

I still have the slots to fill in the pcb sleepers and may or may not go ahead with it. Of course I accept they are visible if you choose to look for them, but right now I would prefer to channel my energies into getting a complete circuit completed.

 

All of my plain flexi track is SMP and there is little height difference when using 1.06mm sleeper strips. What is there can easily be packed with slivers of card.

 

Edit: Apologies Robert, I forgot to get back to you on the frame construction. I have some new ones to produce, so I'll post some pics in a few days time.

[blueeighties]

Thanks for that. Good luck with the layout.

Regards,

Lee.

[blueeighties]

Thanks for that. Good luck with the layout.

Regards,

Lee.

[gordon s]

As promised Robert, here's how the beams are put together. It's very quick and easy and provides a very strong subframe for a layout. I'm using 12mm ply as my layout will never leave home whilst I'm on this planet...B)

 

I get the wood yard to cut a 1220 x 610 sheet (8' x 4') into 4 with the grain lengthwise. This means I can easily get the ply in my car without having to hire a van. It also makes it easy to manhandle in my workshop. The basic beam is 1200mm x 90mm. I actually cut them into strips 1220 long x 96 wide which allows 6 strips per 1/4 sheet. The final size is 1200 x 90 as I run the rough finished beam back through the saw to give perfectly flat and right angled surfaces. The softwood I have used is 120 x 20 but 100 x 18 is fine also and a bit cheaper. I cut the lengths of softwood in 96mm pieces to suit the beam and then they are trimmed to 90mm in the final finish cut.

 

Raw materials.

 

 

Glue and screw (4 x 30mm) the blocks in place.

 

 

Finished beam showing the good and true surfaces which make it very easy to butt join and form a perfectly square and rigid frame.

 

 

No problem forming complex angles which allow you build frames that follow the track bed.

 

 

I hope that helps Robert.

[Robert McGee]

I just didn't think a few days would go by this quick.

 

Asides, This is a great way to do it, and probably a better method than buying decent timber. I'll probably do something like this when I eventually set to on Havenstreet.

 

Robert.

[gordon s]

I just didn't think a few days would go by this quick.

 

Asides, This is a great way to do it, and probably a better method than buying decent timber. I'll probably do something like this when I eventually set to on Havenstreet.

 

Robert.

 

 

I'm not sure if you mean that Robert, but you still have to buy decent timber. Cheap ply will be full of voids and liable to warp and twist. Poor softwood will lack density and screws will pull out. Cheap and poor quality timber is not the right starting point for decent baseboards and without a decent baseboard you are inviting problems on track laying and running quality.

 

So think carefully if you see this as an economic exercise....

[trisonic]

Quickie, Gordon (I'm no carpenter.....). How did you cut the inside of the "V"?

 

Best, Pete.

[Robert McGee]

I'm not sure if you mean that Robert, but you still have to buy decent timber. Cheap ply will be full of voids and liable to warp and twist. Poor softwood will lack density and screws will pull out. Cheap and poor quality timber is not the right starting point for decent baseboards and without a decent baseboard you are inviting problems on track laying and running quality.

 

So think carefully if you see this as an economic exercise....

 

When I said an alternative to using decent timber, I was meaning that it's better as it will be lighter, not that it matters in your case. Also, a block of timber will be more expensive than doing it your way so it's a cheaper option but still effective. I agree, layouts with bad support frames makes and bad layout. Better to take the plunge now than a massive sacrifice later on to the extent that the model doesn't work.

 

Also, if you still have the plans available, I know there posted on here earlier, but would it be possible for you to mark up what you've achieved since the rebuild of Eastwood Town?

 

Sorry if I confused you earlier.

 

Robert.

 

 

 

[gordon s]

Quickie, Gordon (I'm no carpenter.....). How did you cut the inside of the "V"?

 

Best, Pete.

 

 

Not sure I understand Pete? Are you referring to the last pic? If so it is five pieces of timber. The square piece is the top of a leg and the other four are separate beams glued and screwed together. All of the beams were cut on my bench saw and then the angles cut on a double bevel mitre saw.

[polybear]

How much work is involved in fitting the cosmetic chairs. Is the strength compromised much....I presume one has to file quite a lot of the soldered join away to get the chairs to fit.

Secondly, how noticeable is the insulation gap once it's been cut into the sleepering.

 

Hi Lee,

 

Fitting cosmetic chairs to copperclad trackwork is a bit of a chore because the rail is actually soldered to the sleeper, wheras the chairs are moulded such that the rail would normally be around 0.6mm above the sleeper (as in C&L track construction). This means that the tops of the chairs (half chairs in practice, as you have to cut them in half to be able to glue them on) are actually too high by 0.6mm when used with copperclad trackwork - it's likely the wheel flange will foul the chairs on the inside of the track so this has to be catered for (eg by trimming the chairs with a knife or melting with a soldering iron bit shaped like a wheel profile and run along the top of the rail (Martin Wynne has often referred to a famous layout where this latter method was used - and provided a link to some photos - apparently no one ever spotted this had been done...).

 

As for insulation slots, I've filled mine (on an experimental piece of trackwork) using Terracotta coloured Milliput and then sanded smooth using a fine sanding stick. After priming the trackwork with Halfords Grey Primer the slots are literally invisible.

 

As for strength compromises when fitting chairs, there's no need for a blob of solder anyway - a fine layer of solder between the base of the rail and the sleeper surface will be just fine (clean a couple of pieces up and solder them together with no blob showing - then try breaking it....try the same with plastic sleepers and chairs and see which is stronger!).

 

HTH

Brian

[polybear]

Quickie, Gordon (I'm no carpenter.....). How did you cut the inside of the "V"?

 

Best, Pete.

 

Hi Lee,

 

The piece of wood on the right of the picture is actually two beams side by side; cut the end of each beam at an angle and join them back to back to produce a Vee

 

HTH

Brian

 

p.s. Very nicely & neatly done too Gordon!

[trisonic]

OK! Bert.

 

Best, Pete.

[Andrew P]

Hi Gordon this is so good I just had to do a post to get you back to the top. I have only glanced at the pic's in the past but now I have started to read the whole thing and I think it will take for ever. The brick retaining walls and cuttings do photograph so well (even in bare wood they look good) Very much like Dave Shakespears, Tetley Mills as I will probably find I am sure other people have said when I read through, BUT there is nothing at wrong with that at all. It is just so atmospheric. Well done, Andy.

[gordon s]

Thanks for your comments Andrew. When you work on your own, it's really great to know other modellers are interested in what you are doing. Right now there is a lot of effort and not an awful lot of detail work to show. The main frames are now complete and the last piece of trackbed is going in over the weekend. There has been a slight change in my construction technique as I have recognised that it will be easy to lay track and wire up each board, but I will then remove them and keep them in store as it were, to allow easy access to the the higher levels that will sit behind the level 1 which you can see here. No doubt I'll take a few days off before dismantling the modules and just sit and watch trains....B)

 

The whole of this level is one large arch laid on it's side. I've fitted each board with C & L alignment dowels which are brilliant, but of course prevent you lifting a board out vertically. As such the centre board in the whole 'arch' has become a keystone without dowels. Removing that one will generate some space and allow the modules to be moved back to clear the projecting dowels. Why is everything so bloomin' complicated?

 

The open section you can see in the existing trackbed is for the double track incline up to the second level. These sections are sitting under the main boards awaiting fitting.

 

Edit: Apologies I meant to say well spotted re Dave Shakespeare and Tetley's Mills. TM has always been one of my favourite layouts, so I contacted Dave re his walls and he gave me lots of tips how to construct them. As a relative beginner on the scenic side of modelling, his support and help was invaluable and I'm flattered to be mentioned alongside Tetley's.

 

So far, so good. The boards are very solid and at last I feel they are providing a flat and true surface onto which the track can be laid. Of course only time will tell, but first signs are very encouraging...

 

 

 

[Tony_S]

I've fitted each board with C & L alignment dowels which are brilliant, but of course prevent you lifting a board out vertically. As such the centre board in the whole 'arch' has become a keystone without dowels. Removing that one will generate some space and allow the modules to be moved back to clear the projecting dowels. Why is everything so bloomin' complicated?

 

 

Our club layout is all located using alignment dowels and some modules have legs and some don't which makes putting it away "interesting"!

[Robert McGee]

Any possibility of having a 360 degree look at the modules as it were. Just to get a feeling of what has been achieved. I particularly like the way it looks to be free flowing and sweeping. What area and time are you looking to achieve?

 

All the best, Robert.

 

 

 

[Robert McGee]

Has anything been achieved in the last few weeks? Haven't seen much recently.

 

Robert.

[gordon s]

'Fraid not Robert. I've had a small distraction from the other passion in my life, supercars. The weather's been great and I discovered a place where I could hire some very exotic machinery for a day or two. There are a couple of others in the pipeline, so Eastwood may take a rest for a month or two. I've also been making some baseboards for a fellow modeller, more of which may emerge soon....

 

First love....

 

 

 

 

....but that love affair was shattered when this came along....

 

 

 

 

..and with a stable including some top stuff from Audi, Lamborghini, Maserati, Aston Martin and Ferrari, I could be gone some time...B)

[Oldddudders]

As the F430 and the 997 have been the stalwarts of GT2 at my local circuit for the last few Junes, I can certainly see the attraction, and this is the time of year to be trying them out, surely. Come the Autumn, slippery surfaces can take the fun out of such exotica, so it'll be back to the layout with renewed interest, I'm sure.

 

Make the most of such things while you can!

[gordon s]

First thing is I could never afford to buy one and even if I could the depreciation, servicing and insurance would never make it financially viable so hiring made a lot of sense.

 

The F430 was wonderful and a dream come true. Typical Italian, all pantomime and front, but with performance to match.

 

The 997 was German through and through. Quality, silence and understated. Having been a Ferrari fan since I was a kid and having never driven a Porsche it was a massive shock to me to find the 997 was faster, quieter and better than the F430 and clearly could be used every day. Cost of fuel over 400 miles in each car was £140 in the F430 and £103 in the 997, so a massive difference in fuel consumption. The only thing the 997 was lacked was pizazz.

 

Just boringly efficient and very fast.

 

It really needed this cars exhaust note and then it would have been a real lust machine....B)

 

In teen speak....Pump up da volume.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOLWvhrZKB0