Eastwood Town - A tribute to Gordon's modelling.

[PhilH]

Glad to see you're playing trains at last....

[gordon s]

Morning ET'ers.  Another month gone, most of which have been spent chasing a ball around some manicured fields and the rest flat on my back, dodging molten solder.  It never ceases to amaze me just how many wires are needed to make a small train move a few feet.  Thankfully I enjoy soldering and find wiring a layout quite enjoyable, particularly when there are no shorts and things work…:-)

 

With family at home a week or two ago, I took advantage of the extra pair of hands and together we lifted the stairwell board out and positioned it onto a couple of trestles to make life easier.  I even managed to tip it on it's side, so that most of the wiring on this board could be done standing up, so that did make life a little easier.  The main bus wires are 1.5mm conduit cable and all droppers and minor wiring 16/0.2.  Wherever possible I try to colour code wires.  Red and Black for the track feeds, blue for the live frog switching circuit and green/green and yellow for the 12v/0v/12v rails to power the Tortoise switch motors.  Hanging a continuity tester across the main bus wires highlights a short immediately and avoids hours of tracing later.

 

I was not 100% happy with the first overbridge I built so the sides were removed and the decking reworked.  Somehow it just didn't look right, so I've narrowed the bed by around 5mm each side and dropped the girder side plates down a few mm.  I've still got to paint and weather it, but overall it seems to fit a little better than my first attempt.

 

The whole question of backscenes has puzzled me for years, so I've added a couple of sheets of 2mm MDF to the stairwell board to form a blank canvass.  I'm thinking of adding some landscaping from the goods loops back to the MDF and then adding some urban/industrial buildings in low relief behind some fencing/walls to see how that stacks up.  If all else fails, I'll end up painting the board in a grey overcast sky, so that's another option.

 

Despite my best efforts at building pointwork, testing them as individual items is only half the equation and it's not until they are in situ can you really test how rolling stock will run from one turnout to another.  The large radius crossovers are never an issue, but the tighter curves from the passenger storage yard on the left have required further testing.  My test mule (an 0-6-0 chassis with little or no side clearance) didn't like the entrance to the bay platform immediately after the tight (36") radius curve from the storage area as there was so little run from one turnout to the next and the front pair of driving wheels were trying to continue in a straight line rather than around the curve.  One of the huge plusses of PCB turnouts is that they can be tweaked and after 30 minutes or so of gauge widening and realignment, the chassis now runs through without problem.

 

All of this 'hidden' work now means I have two boards that work and stock can be run without problem.  I'm going to continue with some of the scenic work on the stairwell board whilst it is easy to work on and then once complete, it will be lifted back into position and the last three turnouts put into place to join the two boards together.  This will give me a run of 16'-20' and will mean that about a third of the layout will be complete in terms of tracklaying and wiring.  Good grief, that's a first…:-)

 

One last thing in praise of RMweb classified.  Over the years I've made a few mistakes and have a drawer full of bits and bobs that haven't been used.  After numerous 'lectures' from my dear lady, I eventually gathered up 9 packs of C & L sleepers that would never get used and purely for peace and quiet, put them up for sale on RMweb.  Within two minutes they were sold!  Absolutely staggered by the response and they will be winging their way to their new owner this morning.  Glad to know they will be used rather than languishing here, but of course it's given my dear lady all the ammunition she has ever needed to prove her point…:-)

 

A few more pics, which at least prove work is taking place and nothing has gone to the tip.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hayfield]

Gordon

 

Good to see the postings again, glad you have got some golf in my last game was a month ago, owing to a combination of golf partners on holiday (playing golf in Portugal) wet weather on my days off and Easter holidays. I am on holiday this week but replacing the fencing that blew down in the winter storms has been the priority, nearly finished and now the wet weather is coming

 

Minor tweaks on copperclad turnouts are quite easy to do and the electrics are slightly simpler. But little tweaks to turnouts made from ply sleepers and plastic chairs are not too bad. as the strength comes from the number of chairs used and individual ones are quite easy to un-bond, unlike plastic to plastic.

 

My wife keeps showing me that hoarders program, do you think she is trying to tell me something. However selling unwanted items either on RMweb or Ebay serves 3 purposes. Firstly provides items for others which they may struggle to obtain, secondly makes space and thirdly produces model railway vouchers.

 

Back to the layout, stunning bit of modelling and proves the points that copperclad construction is perfect for the larger layouts and 00-sf not only looks better but works

[coachmann]

No doubt you'll have seen Larry's (Coachmann) r-t-r bashing with the Railroad version. I don't think he mentioned the truck wheels. It does seem to be a backwards step. 

Hasn't the well liked 'Britannia' been like this for some time? It allows a fully detailed truck and lower firebox/ashpan to be modelled in place of the previous silly little swinging truck with bags of daylight under the ashpan. When DOG was minus front steps and had moulded handrails and the wrong Tender, I'm afraid flangeless wheels were barely of concern. 

 

Gordon, I see you have built new retaining walls using the Wills stone mouldings. For some reason, that i couldn't manage to capture myself, your previous walls built with Slater 7mm scale stonework really did look the part even though over scale. Perhaps it was down to the colouring of greyish-black.

Edited April 24, 2014 by coachmann

[JeffP]

That trackwork is breathtaking.

[Guest bri.s]

Very nice work .

 

Brian

[johndon]

Looking great Gordon, some of the best trackwork I've seen in any gauge...

 

John

[steve fay]

The track work is superb.

[Rowsley17D]

Hi Gordon, thanks for the update and the super work. I got some C&L flexi and turnout bits and bobs from York show, just need to get the railway room finished first.

Edited April 25, 2014 by Rowsley17D

[gordon s]

Thanks for all your kind comments as it's great to hear what others think.  We're always critical of our own work, probably because we get much too close to it after many hours and it's so easy to mentally rip everything apart without other viewpoints.  

 

You raised an interesting point, Coach.  I'm still not 100% happy with the retaining walls.  The Slaters one's have the appearance of something really solid, but then can look really overscale in certain situations.  The Wills ones are more to scale, but then look a little like ornamental walls at times.  It occurs to me there is an opening for one or other to offer something like the dressed stone of Slaters 7mm but more to scale.  I know Slaters do have a 4mm dressed stone product, but it's completely different to the 7mm one and for me, is another product that misses the mark.

 

I'm almost going full circle and could be tempted to go back to engineering blue brick, but that's sometime in the future as I have other things to complete first.  My goal is still to see something run a full circuit in the next 12 months.  Although I have just a third completed and wired, the remainder of the layout is certainly simpler, so progress may be a little faster. 

[skipepsi]

I think the thing that has held you back but is also producing such great results is how critical you are of your own work. Completing the track wiring and ballasting then looking at producing walls is the way, you could follow Daves technique and cast your own wall sections at a later date or combine the two wall sections to give a heavy base with a lighter top.

[LNER4479]

I'm almost going full circle and could be tempted to go back to engineering blue brick, but that's sometime in the future as I have other things to complete first.  My goal is still to see something run a full circuit in the next 12 months.  Although I have just a third completed and wired, the remainder of the layout is certainly simpler, so progress may be a little faster. 

Add me to the 'great trackwork' votes, Gordon. A joy to behold every time you post a new set of pictures.

 

If you're now a third completed/wired (and that's the worse bit) then for the sake of all our sanities - KEEP GOING!!! To complete the circuit will be so much more than just a 'golden spike' moment. To kick back and watch your stock lapping effortlessly will be such a boost (but I guess you know that).   Only then do you need to start worrying about the retaining walls (they look great to me, for what it's worth)

[Highlandman]

Great work as always Gordon. Had you thought about using the building sheets from SE Finecast. They do a stone blocks one in 4mm and 7mm.

 

 

Another range is Redutex. Produced in Spain and sold here by Model Texture UK or DCC Supplies

[Phil H]

Hi  Gordon. Not to get confused Iam Phil Houghton. Better late than never.. I have just finished reading all your 69 threads. Just to say you are a Master Craft's man in respect to your

layout work as to track work and all the rest. Is templot what you get when you do your own track work, or is it a computer aided track system you work from. I only no of winrail . com

and anyrail.com as track planning systems. Hope you do not mind if I take you back to thread 42 ie/ Gradients you may now have completed this work. I have always used the calculation

as to overall length including transition at both ends  Divide in to the height that is required, if you only have 13ft = 3,939mm divide that in to 70mm = 0.0177 %  before your point work.

On working with my son on my grandson layout we have  4 tracks coming down  over 8mtr to go under terminus with 100mm height = 8000mm divide into 100mm= 0.0125 % we have on

trial no problem with di-cast wren loco's pulling 8 coaches gets harder over 1%. for every 96" you drop 1"  so that's 8ft drop per1" to maintain the 1% requirement. That is why I think you

may have to move your point work back to wards your junction. I look forward to your layout being completed and more threads.

 

PS Hope  you & wife are in good health. Regards Phil Houghton.

[martin_wynne]

Is templot what you get when you do your own track work, or is it a computer aided track system you work from. I only no of winrail . com

and anyrail.com as track planning systems.

 

Hi Phil,

 

Templot is a computer program for the design of handbuilt track plans, and printing the construction templates on which the track is built.

 

Winrail and Anyrail are intended for use with ready-made track such as Peco, Hornby, etc. Templot doesn't work with those, it is for handbuilt track only.

 

Templot is free to use -- more info at:  http://templot.com

 

regards,

 

Martin.

[hayfield]

Phil

 

Martin is being a bit modest again, in that you can plan a layout using Templot. One of the things you can do is to overlaying a map or plan to enable you to copy a track plan over it. As you can see Gordon has made a full size track plan of his layout which he is using not only to plan his turnouts and crossings, but where to place the track.

 

Of course it can become quite complicated, but in its basic format its quite simple to use

 

Martin has kindly made available through a posting on Templot Club the odd Peco turnout, and whilst it will not work like the other systems using SET TRACK, will work fine with RTR Flexi Track, and you could overlay Peco plans to have a turnout the same size

[gordon s]

Hi Phil, there are many ways of calculating gradients.  Taking your examples, if I wanted a vertical height difference of 70mm, I would take the 13' run (3962mm) and divide by 70mm.  This gives a gradient of 1:57.  This can also be quoted in percentage terms by dividing 1 by 57 and converting to % to give 1.75%.

 

My preferred gradients are 1:100 or 1%, which supports your findings.

 

Of course all of that is academic as the layout shown on page 42 has long since gone to the scrapheap.  The current ET has no gradients at all to simplify construction and protect my sanity…;-)

 

Martin and John have already commented on the use of Templot.  Personally I find it invaluable and use full size templates for the whole layout, not just the pointwork.  It does require a little more effort but does give me precise information as to what goes where.

Edited May 1, 2014 by gordon s

[Phil H]

Hi  Hayfield  + Martin_Wayne. Thanks for the info, and will look up Martins  templot .com.

 

Cheers Phil h.

[Phil H]

Hi Gordon. Thanks for the reply, look for wood to see your completed  layout / further threads of Eastwood  Station.

 

Regards Phil h.

[Phil H]

Hi Gordon .Should have said  Eastwood Town. my mistake.

 

Cheers Phil h.

[Jock67B]

Morning Gordon, only just found this thread thanks to Pete (trisonic) who recommended it when I posed a question about 'Templot' so don't be surprised by a succession of new 'likes' appearing by old posts as I work through it over the weekend! I am very impressed already and admire your skill and craftsmanship, particularly in regard to the track work. Very inspirational indeed, as is the scenery so far! The layout I've planned is much smaller due to constraints of space and my physical condition but I hope to download and learn about 'Templot' on the PC in my study. Can I assume you would recommend it in view of what you have produced?

Thank you and kind regards,

Jock.

PS I notice that I've already ticked some ratings so must have stumbled on the thread in the past without understanding the significance. Old f*rts should keep notes!

Edited May 23, 2014 by Jock67B

[gordon s]

Many thanks for your kind comments, Jock.  ET has been a bit of a battle at times with design faults and the usual ups and downs of building a large layout on your own.  Golf is my other passion and that seems to be taking up most of my time these days.  I am still working on ET, albeit at a slightly slower rate.  Pipe down those at the back. I know it can't be much slower...

 

Templot as a package is second to none for hand built track, but is also invaluable for creating full size layout drawings.  My first few jobs were as a draughtsman in electro mechanical design, so drawings are a way of life for me and it's so much easier and cheaper to stick a few A4 pages together that spending days cutting timber and laying track only to find the reality of a design is not what you visualised in your head.

 

I'm borderline on PC skills and found Templot difficult to get my head round at the beginning.  Martin is very thorough in his attention to detail and I was just overwhelmed with the amount of information and options in the package.  I'm a dive in person and find your way round with the manual only referred to when I get stuck, so found it hard to get started.  After a while I found out that you can generate superb plans with just a few F keys and that was me hooked.

 

The software is free to download and I'm more than happy to show you all the shortcuts to get you started, so just ask away.  I fall very much into the 'Templot for Dummies' school rather than the degree stuff that others undertake.  It's a great tool to use and I'd struggle without it.  I would always encourage anyone down that route as it will save you hours and £'s in the long run. 

 

For other ET followers, work is progressing.  I've spent quite a while improving the walls and trackwork with a fair bit of weathering with an airbrush and MIG weathering powders.  The first plate girder bridge was redesigned and rebuilt using some of the original bits and now sits a lot better on the support pillars.  The wiring has but been completed and I am able to run trains back and forth.  The next stage will be to join the two boards together and then get started on the next one.  I'm undecided yet whether to go to the station side or continue the line round past the shed.  Decisons, decisons….

[Rowsley17D]

Hi Gordon, glad to hear progress is being made even if slowy. How about a few shots of the new bridge and the weathering please?

[gordon s]

I've not taken pics since I started the work on the bridge and looking at close ups certainly shows there is some some detail work to be done and areas improved.  

 

The original bridge was too wide and the girders were placed too high, so I split the whole thing apart and used what I could.  The lower deck was retained but the side plates narrowed and then the sides were reset to sit on the pillars rather than 2-3mm above in the original.  This particular area of the layout is a dark urban cutting and will therefore be much darker and have much more smoke and dirt damage than other areas.  I still have to add smoke marking above the running lines and add rust spots and water drips to the side girders, but at least they no longer look plasticy and shiny.

 

I am going to try to replicate water staining and runs down the walls using a mix of white and grey powder (just to town the white down) but as yet results show a bit more work or practice needs to  be done.

 

 

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

The bridge now looks much better Gordon as the ends of the girders now rest properly on the piers.