bickybtrains Posted March 19, 2012 Author Share Posted March 19, 2012 I know, thats a problem for me being so far from the centre of the Earth (Toronto), however, I did have a good turnout last time with the Platelayers. I would doubt that even if I had the layout open for the double headers I would see more than a couple of people. Dave would you be coming down for the June 3rd Railway Heritage Day here in Stratford? It might be the last showing of Ardleigh Bitton as it most likely will be retired after that show. William Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
witherbrow Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 So you must be a Bickley Then. William i am indeed 24 years lol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold tetsudofan Posted April 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 15, 2012 Great pictures, fantastic layout.....but I was expecting to see some 4-CEPs and 2-EPBs buzzing around with maybe the Golden Arrow sweeping through . Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted April 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 15, 2012 Great pictures, fantastic layout.....but I was expecting to see some 4-CEPs and 2-EPBs buzzing around with maybe the Golden Arrow sweeping through . Not to mention an electrified Down Siding which was resignalled in 1981, but never actually had a train berthed there as the train-planners had changed their minds about rolling-stock locations..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickybtrains Posted April 15, 2012 Author Share Posted April 15, 2012 (edited) Great pictures, fantastic layout.....but I was expecting to see some 4-CEPs and 2-EPBs buzzing around with maybe the Golden Arrow sweeping through . Keith Should be possible, I am having an open house in July and I know people like to bring stuff to run. I have a friend who is a Southern Fan who should be coming so I will get a few photos. William Edited April 18, 2012 by bickybtrains Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davknigh Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Looking grand William, see you at GBTS and then for the tour in July. Cheers, David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickybtrains Posted January 2, 2013 Author Share Posted January 2, 2013 (edited) The Bickley Central had a visit from the Blue Pullman. A friend came by with his Blue Pullman to try on the Bickley Central. Lovely model, I guess now I will want one. Anyway, a great runner and a good looking model. Edited March 1, 2016 by bickybtrains 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickybtrains Posted January 3, 2013 Author Share Posted January 3, 2013 (edited) I have managed to find some time to work on the Bickley Central. A few changes here and there, but most of the work is just general maintenance. Right now I am moving a few buildings around in the industrial area of the layout. I put a few more teraced houses near the Brewery. William Edited March 1, 2016 by bickybtrains 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickybtrains Posted January 7, 2013 Author Share Posted January 7, 2013 Another Update from the Bickley Central.So far the M.P.D. and the small goods yard had not been wired up, so I have spent the weekend wiring them up and ballasting them. The unusual feature for these areas are they are lift up sections to access the points in the storage siding and also the wiring for all the signals at the station. Any way, everything is working fine and another section of the Bickley Central has been completed.William Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earl Bathurst Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 Hi William Really like the photos you have put up. Looks a superb layout and fantastic modelling. Look forward to more pictures. Scott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickybtrains Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 (edited) Some photos of the M.P.D. and Goods Sidings. Edited March 1, 2016 by bickybtrains Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickybtrains Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) I also have finished the scrap yard as well. Edited March 1, 2016 by bickybtrains 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickybtrains Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 (edited) I though I should show you what goes on under the Bickley Central. I have hidden storage sidings under the main station. To be able to maintain the points, point motors and associated wires for the signals, a lift up section was needed at both ends of said sidings. I use a piano hinge, and a folding arm attached to plywood to make this lift up flap. The folding arm locks into place when the section is in the open position. This allows me unhidered access to the wires and other stuff lurking there. Most of the wiring is for the signals and point motors There is over 12 point motors and 4 signals all electronically interlocked in this area. Edited January 12, 2013 by bickybtrains 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickybtrains Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 On the other end of the hidden sidings I also have a lift up section. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickybtrains Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 (edited) The Construction of The BIckley Central Part 1 I thought I should show you some construction photos of the Bickley Central. The original layout was a typical tail chaiser, with a center isle where the control panel was. I was fed up of crawling under the layout to get to the center of it, also it had become too boring to operate. I built upper cabinets for storage and started to demolish the old layout. Demolition in process, with the old backscene from the original layout still in place,. Once the old layout was removed I proceded with the construction of the new layout. This layout was going to be a folded dogbone style with large storage sidings hidden from view. A view of the viaduct under construction. Showing the L girder style of baseboard. The storage sidings prior to the second level being installed. The old Backscene still showing. Once the storage sidings were working I added the second level and procedded to glue a new hardboard backscene onto the wall. Part two coming sometime soon . Edited January 13, 2013 by bickybtrains 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickybtrains Posted January 13, 2013 Author Share Posted January 13, 2013 (edited) The Construction of The BIckley Central Part 2 OF 2 One thing I like are viaducts, and I wanted a impressive one. So I was going to build one that would go down to the floor,However, I thought it would not look right hence I made it a little shorter. I built it using hardbpoard, wills course stone plastic sheets and expanding foam. I am from the school if you dont see it don't model it, so the inside arches are actually just foam with a plaster coating. A view of the viaduct from ground level showing the underside of the arches. A view that requires you to be on your knees to see. A bit of a philosophy of mine,while building this layout, was to build cameos and finish them while the rest of the layout was still under construction. So some areas of the layout would be fully finished with scenery before others even had track down. Originally the viaduct was going to have a back scene right behind it. This changed later when I decided to put a canal in with a flight of locks. The second level going up to the station from the viaduct. I had some fun with this because of the gradient and curves. The advantage of L girder construction is a could raise and lower the track bed. I could therefore manipulate the track bed to attain the best gradient possible. Hence the gradient on the curve is slight, where as the gradient on the straight is steeper. Believe it or not it works. As I went along I would usually electrically connect a section to see how the trains would move on that section. At this stage I was in the process of adding the second level but I could run trains in and out of the strorage siding. Another area I had completed before the rest of the layout was the Brewery and Warehouses. This originally was going to be a removable stand alone layout. That idea was later scrapped. In the distance you can see a junction to the Brewery, this was later removed and the connection to the brewery was via a small branch line coming from the main station. The above view shows where the station ended up, below this is the storage sidings. The bottom left corner of this photo is where the MPD ended up. Edited January 10, 2015 by bickybtrains 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sub39h Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 what a fantastic layout. i wish i had the space to build something as impressive 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickybtrains Posted August 22, 2013 Author Share Posted August 22, 2013 (edited) Thanks for the comment, I am always trying to expropriate more space to add to the layout, however my wife seems to be able to stop such plans. I hope she goes on vacation of visits the mother in law so I can pinch a couple extra square feet. I have been doing some updating on the layout, and I managed to sqeeze a return loop from the warehouse area of the layout back down to the branch. Involved some hacking away of some scenic parts of the layout. William Edited August 23, 2013 by bickybtrains Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickybtrains Posted September 21, 2013 Author Share Posted September 21, 2013 I have not done much on the Bickley Central for a couple of weeks, so I gave it a good clean up and a quick run of a few trains. Just cleaned the track, fixed a few solder joints that were loose and everything went well. Now I got to get working on finishing last months project. William Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted September 21, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 21, 2013 Hi William It's been a long time since I paid a visit to The Bickley Central. Pleased to see it is in good shape and that you are still trying for a bit more space here and there. I look forward to your updates here as and when you care to post them and you are welcome to catch up with my projects via the links below. Rick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickybtrains Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 Nice to hear from you Rick, Part of the quick clean up was Im entertaining some family from Australia. William Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickybtrains Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 Happy New Year From Canada. I sorry that have not posted for a while so I thought I should participate a bit more on RM Web. What I can say that The Bickley Central is close to being 100% finished. Over the years this layout has been a project that has provided me with many hours of fun. Hopefully I will have many more hours of fun in the future. A view down the lane on the right is the Brewery. This area is served by a branch line from Maryford. This corner of the layout has been Ballasted and the Factory in the background placed. The factory was a Christmas Pressy A view over the station looking toward the Station Hotel. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theakerr Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 O dear me! "Close to finished! Whatever have you been eating or making over Christmas and New Year. There is no such thing as a 100% finished layout. The layout really is looking good though and if I am even close to the centre of the known universe I intend to take you up on your offer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickybtrains Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 A visit is always welcome by anyone, just message me and we can figure out a good time. When I say finished I mean all the track is ballasted, all the scenic work has been done, and all the electrics have been done. The only thing left is to do is all the small stuff like little cameos etc.... I am now working on a way to run the lot on a timetable. I have set up a preliminary time table and waybill system. I have not run the system yet to see it work, but it will be a future project for me on one of the snowy days we seem to be getting. I think we now have 45 cm of the white stuff on the ground. Cheers from snowy Ontario William Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold trw1089 Posted January 10, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 10, 2015 Hi William What a great layout and I really like your track plan. I've gone down a very similar approach using L-girder bench work and a folded dogbone style of plan with hidden sidings, it works well and yours looks like it does as well. I also like your idea of changing eras, any excuse to buy more rollingstock! Cheers Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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