gordon s Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 TGIF! Well, after hours spent building turnouts and laying track, this end of the storage roads is 75% complete. I still have to slide in dummy sleepers where the originals have been cut away and the wiring and fitment of the remaining Tortoise motors is still to be completed, but I promised myself a beer once I had cleared these boards and boy, is a Stella going down down well.... I'm going to take a break this weekend as domestic jobs have piled up a little, but hope to get this end completed by next weekend and then start on t'other end. Somewhat similar, there will be another half dozen or so turnouts to build and then this whole assembly can be pushed into place. I'm looking forward to a change of scenery and hoping to meet up with fellow RMWebber's at AP tomorrow... Cheers! 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert McGee Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 This might also seem a silly question, but even though they are storage sidings, will there be any scenery at all. I like to think that storage has a limited degree of scenery, as in really life, storage sidings don't exist where there isn't scenery, hey aren't behind backboards, so I seem to think there should be scenery there, if you see what I mean? Hah, breath. Robert. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 No there will be no scenery as such in this area as they are designed to be hidden from view. The scenic break will be on the left hand side and will consist of low relief industrial buildings that will effectively hide this area and form a backdrop. If you look at the plan you will see the high level goods loop will run in front of these industrial buildings.The roads are designed to hold complete trains and in essence represent the rest of the ECML, both north and south. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert McGee Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Oh, thats fine, it's just on the plan I remember seeing, I saw no backboards, so I prosumed it was continuous scenery. Looks cracking though. For the sidings, did you hand build the track, or is it flexitrack? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 All the plain track is flexible track from SMP. Available from Marcway of Sheffield. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Belgian Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 (edited) No problem Robert, I assume you mean my Proxxon pillar drill. http://www.proxxon.c.../html/28124.php Jeremy, I did look at your proposal, but it's not really feasible. Taking a line from the top end of the goods loops (after the double junction), will allow me 12' before it has to duck under the loop. With 70mm clearance required this is a gradient of 1:52 which for light engines may be OK, but it would cut into the space between the loop and the back of the industrial buildings. I would then need a 30" radius curve to connect onto the right hand shed road. This is really exclusively for coal wagons to feed the coaling stage and I don't want to confuse that use by allowing goods locos into that road. All of this is not totally out of the equation, but the gains are small compared to the partial loss of the scenic area I'm planning in that area and the complication of the shed area. My two briefs were keep it simple and no gradients and to be honest, I want to keep it that way, but thanks for the suggestion. Ah, I was working on the basis of a 45mm differential in line heights which you stated was the height of the goods loops above the datum level of the passenger loops in posting 635 (and I didn't check that figure against a ruler to put it into 'real' measurements!!!) and around 13 - 14 feet of running line to estimate a 1 in 90-odd gradient. I appreciate I was doing it somewhat roughly and that you want to avoid gradients and why you don't find it feasible, but I presume you now have some gradient to allow the goods loop in front of the storage sidings to cross the main lines at 70mm clearance, or that you have raised the goods loops behind the station since the last view we had of that area. I do very much enjoy your 'adventures', Gordon! Jeremy Edited March 24, 2012 by Belgian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 24, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 24, 2012 All the plain track is flexible track from SMP. Available from Marcway of Sheffield. Alton Model Centre also usually have it in stock. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkie_pudd Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Those sidings and pointwork Gordon are just immense and commend your building skills. Great inspiration for many to follow. Ken Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 All the plain track is flexible track from SMP. Available from Marcway of Sheffield. Gordon, I dont know what thickness of copperclad sleeper you use, but Exactoscale do fast track bases in 00. The sleepers are 1.6mm thick, you have to thread the rail on to the bases yourself. I have just brought a packet in EM gauge to try. Could make life a bit easier for you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 HI John, I'm not sure I understand 'could make life a bit easier'. The SMP track I use is straight from the box flexi track and I use 1.06mm pcb strip for the point work, so with Exactoscale, I would have to thread all the bases on and then have to pack all the point work up to the required height to match the 1.60 base. Apologies if I'm missing something, but that sounds like a lot more work... Thanks Mike for letting me know about Alton. I'll give them a call next time, but I've just ordered another 50 yards from Marcway and find they do give a very good service with reasonable delivery charges. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Gordon I did not know if you used 1.06 or 1.6 mm thick sleepers, if the latter then the track is spot on, as you use the former then as you say it will make life harder As you say you have to thread on the sleepers and make a cut in the webbing if you wished to curve track. To me the main benefit is the extra ridgidity of the sleepers, which to some is rhe off putting aspect of the thin sleepers used by SMP and C&L Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 Thanks John. It was early in the morning and I did wonder if I was missing something. A common occurrence these days..... I use 1.06mm material as it is far easier to cut with side cutters. I still cut the webbing on one side of SMP as I've fund without the cuts, the track tends to form a series of dog legs in a curve, so a quick nick with a scalpel blade allows the sleepers to spread on the outside of the curve. I'm not totally impressed with the thin web of SMP, but as always there have to be compromises in any build. I have to say 00-SF has proven to be excellent. My range of loco wheels run from current RTR through to Markits and Ultrascales and all of them run through the turnouts without problem. It's good to see a few more people going down the 00-SF route, although I realise that narrowing the gauge further can be an anathema for some. I completely understand and can accept that view if you are modelling in P4 or EM, but for us poor souls in 00, it's a good alternative. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Gordon, any particular reason for chosing SMP over C+L? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 Nothing on a product basis, just 'I've started, so I'll finish' syndrome. When I first started building point work, I bought a few SMP kits and a couple of lengths of SMP track and have stayed with SMP ever since. I do buy all my copper clad from C & L, so have no problem with either supplier. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Thanks for that Gordon - it really is very enjoying following your posts: maybe it's the inner-megalomaniac in me, but there is something quite inspiring seeing a "big build" progress! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gordon s Posted March 31, 2012 Author Popular Post Share Posted March 31, 2012 Morning all.....So what's new? Seems I've spent hour after hour on my back soldering the two wires required for DCC control. Funny I believed that too, but in all fairness the bulk of the wiring is for the Tortoise motors and the rest droppers to every piece of rail. Some may argue it's not necessary, but I'm one of those guys that believes prevention is better than cure and no matter how good your fishplates are, they are no competition for a hard soldered joint. I vowed last time that I would always invert boards and solder standing up, but somehow I must have forgotten that rule and ended up on my back again. Lessons have been well and truly learned though. First rule is never to put yourself underneath the gravitational pull of a wet solder joint. No matter how careful you are, it will drip. Normally on your bare arms or legs or worse still your face, so I always wear glasses when performing this life threatening task. Life threatening? Well it can be. A few years back I dropped molten solder on my bare arms, screamed loudly and sat bolt upright only to crack my head on a large clamp holding two pieces of board together, so a hard lined baseball cap is also on the list of protective clothing. Dangerous hobby, this railway modelling malarkey... So wiring complete other than the +/0/- voltage rails to feed the Tortoise motors.....and blow me down it works. I know this won't get me into Ally Pally, but this is a landmark for me. A loco actually running. After years and years of despair and frustration something is actually running. Small beer as yet, but one day, I might even manage a whole circuit. Next job will be to tidy up and make some space to slide this 15' long assembly into place and then start work on the other end. Hey ho, happy days... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeBVfjXwM2I&feature=g-upl&context=G277fae1AUAAAAAAAAAA 21 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I'm not Mr. Neat but the only thing I would have done differently (apart from those suitcase connecters from MicroMark) would be to drill the crossmembers to take the main buss lines in case I would have to move the whole issue sans legs. Easy to say now, though, however! Good job Gordon! Wonderful to see some action! Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 31, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2012 I'm also a suitcase-user - but the debate about solder vs crimping is well-worn, and no-one doubts that solder is at least as good. I may have posted before that many years ago Tony Koester, senior modeller in the US, wrote in his monthly column in Model Railroader about wiring. Clearly his chums knew this was not his forte, and he had a number of tales to demonstrate why - but he did offer one serious piece of advice. Never, ever, do under-layout soldering while wearing shorts. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixoh8sixoh Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Excellent! Great to see something moving on ET! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 31, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2012 Great job Gordon, mind you taking Pete's advice about drilling holes through frame members from underneath is also an area for protective clothing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted March 31, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 31, 2012 So that's what that minor earth tremor was about Gordon! Great news that you have seen a train move, and I'm sure it will be a huge incentive to carry on. On the subject of connectors, it is now getting on for a year since we fitted them on PN. I'm not sure how many we used in the end, but I reckon it went into four figures. So far we have had no more than a dozen "failures", and all they needed was to be recrimped. Could you save yourself some more soldering? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 Probably, well yes definitely, but having spent years working for connector companies, I'm a little uneasy about IDC's and their supposed gas tight joints. particularly when you are using different conductor sizes. I know it's irrational and it's not as though the joints have to endure temperature cycling extremes or hazardous environments, so they could be the answer. I have a bag of them so will revisit the process. Youtube question. At the end of my short video it finishes on a thumb nail page with a stack of other videos, over half of which are nothing to do with me. Thankfully there's nothing smutty there, but I am curious where they have come from and how they've ended up against my account as I've not seen them before. Any ideas? How do I get rid of them? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
artizen Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 (edited) Your video has been added to a selection of similar themed videos (as Boo Tube has determined). There will be paid / sponsored videos in there as well in all probability as well as other stuff. Not much you can do to remove them, that's firmly in the territory that Boo Tube controls. Plus, of course, the selection is skewed in whatever direction your search history determines from previous visits. All part of the race for advertising dollars etc. I would suggest Vimeo if you want to have more control over how your content is viewed. OK - I should have watched the video before making the comments above! I can't for the life of me work out why your video has been added to what appears to be home movies of small children being fed etc. You must have a secret life Gordon! Edited March 31, 2012 by artizen 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Hi Gordon, Its good to see the progress you have made and to see movement on your layout. In regards to the 'other films' at the end of your clip, this is probably You Tube suggesting films people may want to watch, but as Artizen says why young kids I have no idea . Incidentally I to prefer to solder joints rather than crimping them. Will continue to watch your progress. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonBradley Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Great to see Gordon. CONGRATULATIONS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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