block and beam track?

[5050]

Thanks for the pointer Gordon, I knew I'd seen the drawings somewhere.  5050 I'll put a 45' length worth of samples in the post to you with your figure when they are sorted

That's very kind of you Alan.  Perhaps best to wait until after next weekend at least as I MAY get to S4UM.

 

Will you be producing 2 types with the chairs handed differently?

 

Or is that the trackwork equivalent of rivet-counting

[Fat Controller]

The French went in for this sort of thing. One of the main proponents, Roger Sonneville, achieved a high profile in the 1950s while advocating the advantages of the twin-block sleeper, which began to be rolled-out across France, Spain and their colonies. The main advantages claimed are a doubling of the area of the side of the sleeper to resist buckling and an easier task of reinstating the line in the unfortunate event of a derailment. They became known in some places as "RS sleepers" after the proponent's initials.

The French have used them on all their high-speed lines; they're used as well on most of HS1 and on Eurotunnel. In the tunnel itself, they are dropped into sockets in the cast-concrete road-bed, with a resilient pad underneath them.

[alanbuttler]

That's very kind of you Alan.  Perhaps best to wait until after next weekend at least as I MAY get to S4UM.

 

Will you be producing 2 types with the chairs handed differently?

 

Or is that the trackwork equivalent of rivet-counting

 

I think for the time being they will be produced with a slight recess to locate a C&L 2 bolt chair.  I've not experimented with a suitability of the resin for use as chairs, but it works well for point rodding so might be a goer.

 

Here is a full size render of the pot with a 3D scanned 2 bolt chair in place.  For the 4mm versions the pots will be reduced to a 1mm depth to match the depth of the wooden sleepers.  I've added a recess for the beam also.  I've added a little tolerance in for locating the chair which is why you see the gap around the 3D chair in the render.

 

 

[Grovenor]

I think for the time being they will be produced with a slight recess to locate a C&L 2 bolt chair.  I've not experimented with a suitability of the resin for use as chairs, but it works well for point rodding so might be a goer.

 

Here is a full size render of the pot with a 3D scanned 2 bolt chair in place.  For the 4mm versions the pots will be reduced to a 1mm depth to match the depth of the wooden sleepers.  I've added a recess for the beam also.  I've added a little tolerance in for locating the chair which is why you see the gap around the 3D chair in the render.

 

WD201 GWR Concrete Pot Sleeper.jpg

 

WD201 GWR Concrete Pot Sleeper 1mm.jpg

Comparing with the photos of the real thing above, that recess spoils it.

Regards

[alanbuttler]

Comparing with the photos of the real thing above, that recess spoils it.

Regards

 

I agree Grovenor, but I think it might be required to ensure a simple placement of the chair onto the block.  In 4mm it will be about 0.15-0.2mm deep so not that noticeable.   We'll see soon, I'll hopefully be printing a few off tomorrow.

 

Cheers

 

Alan

[Stephen Freeman]

I'm sure that it would be suitable for slide rail chairs, other functional chairs might well be possible but may not be a cost-effective solution.

[Grovenor]

 

I agree Grovenor, but I think it might be required to ensure a simple placement of the chair onto the block.  In 4mm it will be about 0.15-0.2mm deep so not that noticeable.   We'll see soon, I'll hopefully be printing a few off tomorrow.

Given that the chairs have a recess in the base, an alternative could be to have a peg on the top of the block to fit the recess and provide location.

Regards

[alanbuttler]

Given that the chairs have a recess in the base, an alternative could be to have a peg on the top of the block to fit the recess and provide location.

Regards

 

Great idea, thanks Grovenor.  I'll hopefully be printing a few off today so I'll see about modifying the design.

[alanbuttler]

Thanks for the feedback, this version will be printing today

[DutyDruid]

Hi Alan

 

I realise this is very short notice but I've only just stumbled across this thread.

 

I gather ModelU are at the South Hants Show in Portsmouth this weekend (19/11/16)

 

Any chance you could have some of these "sleepers" for me to look at please?

 

Cheers

 

Elliott

[alanbuttler]

Hi Alan

 

I realise this is very short notice but I've only just stumbled across this thread.

 

I gather ModelU are at the South Hants Show in Portsmouth this weekend (19/11/16)

 

Any chance you could have some of these "sleepers" for me to look at please?

 

Cheers

 

Elliott

 

Hi Elliot, yes that will not be a problem.  I have some of these early samples left, but I've also now 3D scanned a real concrete pot sleeper at Didcot.  I might have just enough time to run off a couple.

 

[DutyDruid]

Hi Elliot, yes that will not be a problem.  I have some of these early samples left, but I've also now 3D scanned a real concrete pot sleeper at Didcot.  I might have just enough time to run off a couple.

 

Capture.JPG

Thanks Alan, I seem to remember tripping over a GW 2-bolt chair at Missenden last March, just like the one in that picture you've just added.

[5050]

I was wondering what the current situiation was Alan.  In the absence of any blocks forthcoming I started yesterday to get on with my hand made ones.  If you're nearly there with them I'll hold fire!

[alanbuttler]

I was wondering what the current situiation was Alan.  In the absence of any blocks forthcoming I started yesterday to get on with my hand made ones.  If you're nearly there with them I'll hold fire!

 

I'm going to print a few of the scanned ones this evening, I'll put some samples in the post to you when I'm back from Portsmouth

[alanbuttler]

They've come out quite well, will have to get some primer on them to see what detail has been preserved.  Here are two prints, the left as a cosmetic pot/chair and the centre with a C&L chair fitted.  The chair to the right is a GWR slide chair that I scanned at Didcot.  

 

Cheers

Alan