Andy C Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 Board 2 - the station board and the one which forms the really scenic corner was started today, taking advantage of my weeks annual leave and Mrs C being out. Things went well for the first hour, then help arrived in the form of Jess who decided weight was needed at this point. As soon as I picket up the hammer to put the pins in she then decided a good licking of the baldy heed presented to her as i leaned forward was in order. Having managed to shoo her off she was immediately replaced by a passing Floyd. Job stopped but its nearly complete - I may be able to finish it off when Ive walked them and tired them out a bit - if thats possible with Border Collies. I love em both really! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixteen 12by 10s Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Hi Looks like you will have a dog leg in the track at the entrance to the fido yard Gary Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
clecklewyke Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Andy, I'm new to RMweb, so it might be my ignorance but I cannot see anything in your plan North Ballachulish plan 2.doc when I download it. I suspect it is because it was a word document and I'm a Mac user. (P4, Mac - must be eccentric...) Would it be possible to send me a PDF version, please, as I'm fascinated by your ideas and love that part of the world. TIA, Ian Everett. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beresford Junction Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Andy, I'm new to RMweb, so it might be my ignorance but I cannot see anything in your plan North Ballachulish plan 2.doc when I download it. I suspect it is because it was a word document and I'm a Mac user. (P4, Mac - must be eccentric...) Would it be possible to send me a PDF version, please, as I'm fascinated by your ideas and love that part of the world. TIA, Ian Everett. Sorry for butting in, but thought I'd oblige. It was actually a screenshot (i.e. an image) within a Word Doc - here it is by itself. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 Thanks for that Phil, I tried to do that initially but failed abysmally! The plan has been revised slightly, the sidings have been brought in slightly and the yard pointwork reconfigured. I wil need to work out how to signal the thing eventually but theres no shortage of people in the know on RM Web - so if any of the gurus are watching this thread, I will be happy to hear from you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 the slightly revised trackplan - I did convert it to a JPG file but when I uploaded it all I got was a black square! NB 3.doc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beresford Junction Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 the slightly revised trackplan - I did convert it to a JPG file but when I uploaded it all I got was a black square! Hi Andy I've converted it again. What you need to do is use something like Paint to paste the Print Screen into then save as a jpg. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
clecklewyke Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Thank you. All is now clear. I take it that the exit to the fiddle yard is top left? Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 Thank you. All is now clear. I take it that the exit to the fiddle yard is top left? Ian There are fiddleyards at either end - the top left is the Fort William end, and the very bottom is the Oban end - you will note two tracks coming fully off the Oban board - the one on the left is the main line to Oban, the right hand one is the branch line to Kinlochleven. The fiddleyards will be operated on cassettes. By this time (1970 / 71) I am assuming the branch is goods only for the smelter and timber traffic, passengers will be catered for by the McBraynes bus which Phil Taylor has already set his sights on modelling. The question is though do i go the whole hog now and install the Faller car system on the A 82? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 All three baseboards are complete with the support frames now - just the internal truss/cross members have to be put in now to stop them from twisting. I felt it important to get all three supported at the edges, as the board was liable to twist if it was left in the garage for too long as a flat unsupported top. Before i do put the cross members in though i will join them up and drill out the bolt holes to connect the boards together. Ive learned the hard lesson a long time ago that its quite difficult to get the Black and Decker in straight with a cross member in the way!! Photo 1 is board 3 completed today (the Oban board Photo 2 is further evidence of the able assistance provided by the hounds, this time Floyd who subsequently left a muddy paw print on the baseboard top. Photo 3 is all 3 boards together in the garage still clamped up waiting for the glue to dry. New Hey lies crated up on either side of North Ballachulish. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 No progress report for a bit due to sons Stag weekend in Bristol last weekend followed by a piece of malware slipping through the AVG net and taking down access to my programmes until today. All I can say is beware the brass band forum the Mouthpiece, from where the nasty little piece of work came from. heres some pics taken Monday showing the externally finished boards put together for the first time, Floyd of course was insistent in being in on the act. Gives an idea for the first time of the configuration of the layout from all angles. I may now decide as a result to have viewing from the outside of the L, in effect looking down hill and out into Loch Linnie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Hi Andy, Looking very nice and neat! Must say, I'm anticipating this with great interest! Scottish region is so tempting! Cheers, John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 Vulcan has kindly printed off the templot plans for me - ive not had a chance to put them all together yet as whilst I dont mind the paw prints on the baseboard tops, I dont think its acceptable on the plans! The metal work holding the plans down are the baseboard leg adjusters - a M10 nut welded to a small plate with a bolt as the leg adjuster. Just need to work out how to signal it now - the Diamond on the plan is in actual fact a single slip giving access to the branch from the up line. Ive also completed the base board legs this weekend, it wont be that long before they all go up for the first time and are installed in the back bedroom. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 The full track plan was laid out last night at the Rochdale club rooms, giving me finally a real impression of how it will look. Im quite taken with it really. Forgot to take the camera down so no pics as yet. Expect motive power soon as well, as a package arrived in the post today from those nice people at Ultrascale! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted July 15, 2011 Author Share Posted July 15, 2011 One of the other benefits of having a full size track plan up before any track gets laid is that you can forward plan the track feeds and wiring looms. Of course this is also influenced by what control you are going to use as well, a subject area Ive not really ventured into on this thread. Those who followed the New Hey thread will be aware of the problems I had with DCC. In fact as far as New Hey went i'd go as far to say it was a complete waste of money for me - since it was converted to DC with the Modlex conrollers after my disaster at members day 2009, its running at shows has become impeccable. As an exhibition manager myself I spend a lot of time looking at layouts and Ive rapidly come to the conclusion that the vast majority of the best running and entertaining layouts, which have fairly constant action, are run by DC. But then there are some great running layouts powered by DCC, Portchullin for example where action is fairly constant and helped I feel by having a relatively small roster of stock which makes it possible for the controller to memorise all the locos. Also Mark's use of sound is a model I wish everyone else would follow, so discrete you have to lean in and get right into the layouts to hear it which makes you soak up the superb atmosphere of the layout (and no child like urge to sound the horns every few minutes in a "look how good my toy is" stylee). The other issue of course are your operators, and if they aren't happy having to learn a system whenever you do a show then you are on a loser from the start. As they say, horses for courses. At the end of the day its great to take a step back and rationalise what YOU want from your layout and not be influenced by the taliban of either DCC or DC persuasion. To this end Ive decided to "dual fuel" the layout. as I already posess the kit for both DCC and DC. I suspect the DCC operation may well be confined to home, it is after all going to be permanently up in the back room. At shows it will be down to the operators - if we can keep fairly constant action on the front with DCC great, but if the operators are not happy then the big knife switch goes over to DC. Like the publics really going to notice the difference other than the layouts operating better. I keep a very open mind about things, unlike the pedants who bang their drum relentlessly to the point of naseum. Wiring wise its not a problem, there will be 4 sections and so with a direct feed to each section and, lesson learned, a circuit breaker on these for the DCC side of things when as they inevitably will, things go t*ts up. It will make the panel wiring a bit more complicated but hey. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted July 16, 2011 Author Share Posted July 16, 2011 Another milestone passed today, the baseboards were matched together on their legs for the very first time in order for the fixing bolt holes to be drilled and test fixed with the G clamps removed. The next job will be to fix the diagonal cross members underneath the main boards to stop the flexing which was very apparent as i single handedly struggled to put them up. Even the dogs had something else to look at this time, in this case the Tour de France. The first photo shows the leg arrangement on the baseboard - a simple slot. Bracing between the legs and te board will have to be added to the lean to boards to stabilise them, but the middle board will have the table arranggement I used on New Hey. I may have to add some support to the angled piece - it does seem to sag a little, but that may be cured once the diagonals go in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portchullin Tatty Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I assume that your running powers with the layout in that location are strictly temporary.............................. It is rather bigger than it looks laid out on your lawn! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennine MC Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I assume that your running powers with the layout in that location are strictly temporary.............................. Even the pooch looks disgusted with it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted July 17, 2011 Author Share Posted July 17, 2011 I assume that your running powers with the layout in that location are strictly temporary.............................. I had taken a temporary engineering possession based on Mrs C being out in search of a handbag for our eldest son's forthcoming wedding, and therefore being unable to complain about the temporary bus service running between the front door and the back french windows in order to gain access to the kitchen sink and table. Of course the astute amongst the readers will have realised that the possession will incur a financial penalty as handbags aren't cheap. And I didnt even overrun. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted July 17, 2011 Author Share Posted July 17, 2011 Another engineers possession of the kitchen this pm (Viv had gone down to her Dads) as I put the two cross members of the central board in. It was amazing to feel the board straighten up as soon as I clamped it all togerher. It should now be a good rigid structure and might mean I dont have to put an extra leg in! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 I've finished off all the cross members on the baseboards this weekend, but not as much progress as anticipated, a job with the band and events in Norway (our son and his girlfriend lives about 350 metres away from where the bomb went off in Oslo) have distracted. however got another backscene photo - note the bridge of the A82 in the background which would be the railway bridge on the layout! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Hi Andy A picture of Ballachulish signal box just appeared on Ebay. Search on 130555638113 Regards Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRDBLUE17 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Hi Andy, Looks like you are making good progress - it certainly does look a lot bigger in the house. I like the track plan as it has more curves too it which makes it more interesting to look at and I like the sound of all those planned freight workings that will be seen on the line. I have actually been up to Ballachulish once and seen the old station site and indeed been in the pub at Glencoe you mention - great food and the place was packed as the Sorries were playing. Still havn't been to Rannoch though to see if I'm doing mine right! Looking forward to seeing this develop. Thanks, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 Thanks for the tip off on the photo Mike that might be A useful buy. All the boards are finished now but the last week has been slow due to Sciatica, caused I suspect when I put them all up in the kitchen on my own. You live and learn, but it justifies the track hright of 4 foot now! Also hte class 27 was converted to P4 this week and a decoder added - Ive not weathered it yet as I want to make sure its running nicely before i take airbrush to it, and for that I will have to wait for the running day at MMRS, so a little bit of Scotland can run on Slattocks Junction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 It's coming along nicely Andy! I think some might say you're brave making comments about DCC not being best for all layouts! Some DCC layouts work really well, Widnes Vine Yard is a good example, but some the operation just isn't right. Lasyouts at shows where all points, for example, are done from the operators keypads are very frustrating as they spend so long setting a route! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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