Camden Shed

[92220]

Thanks Stanley, it may well have been the best option overall. This morning however, a pleasant surprise to find the ashplant the same shape as I left it, and as square as I can get it too. So I've pushed on and added a few extra layers to represent the various concrete sections, and made up the ash hopper and its associated release gear, which is a bit like a grab bucket on a dragline but in reverse. And in miniature....

 

 

I've also got some more track building done.

 

 

 

This took me an age! This pair of turnouts is close enough together that the timbering isn't as easy to get right, plus I've no idea what the timbering ought to be anyway. C&L turnout timber packs don't seem to have many shorter lengths? I seemed to spend a lot of time measuring and cutting them. I solder the vee and wing rails together in the correct (I hope) arrangement beforehand using three pieces of nickel silver fret waste to bind them together. These are placed so they don't coincide with any timbers, then I can fix the whole assembly to the timbers with the plastic chairs. I know I don't use the right "special" chairs, but it hopefully looks passable from normal distances.

 

Iain

[Andrew P]

Brilliant track building Iain,     superb mate. :locomotive: :locomotive:

 

Andy

[92220]

And the operating gear for one of the ash hoppers:

 

 

The Camden ashplant was unusual in having a complete casing for the lifting mechanism, presumably to attempt to reduce local pollution given the proximity of up market housing. So this operating mechanism will be partly hidden, and I'm not sure why I bothered except that I know it's there. And it was fun....

 

Iain

[jukebox]

And the operating gear for one of the ash hoppers:

 

image.jpg

 

The Camden ashplant was unusual in having a complete casing for the lifting mechanism, presumably to attempt to reduce local pollution given the proximity of up market housing. So this operating mechanism will be partly hidden, and I'm not sure why I bothered except that I know it's there. And it was fun....

 

Iain

 

You never know what on-train camera angles you may have in the future! (never say never)

 

Looking very nice!

 

Cheers

 

Scott

[1BCamden]

wow !! fantastic effort, should have kept my mouth shut !!

the reference book (LMS Engine Sheds) is a gem, took all the worry out of the coaling and ash plants for me, and now we know the scale materials of construction - bloody legend.

Impressive track construction also !

Edited September 17, 2013 by 1BCamden

[92220]

Thanks Stanley. You're very kind as ever!

 

I've finished the two turnouts and linked plain track that I was working on before:

 

 

I've tried various tiebar solutions on these chaired points for the scenic area, and struggled with almost all of them. The conclusion is that the least bad of these is to use a dummy copperclad timber as the tiebar. It's not even close to perfect but will look passable when painted, weathered and bedded into the layout. I hope.

 

However, I do have a bit of a problem in that the timbers have curled up. This pic:

 

 

makes the problem look far worse than it is - the close up perspective has a fish eye effect so it looks as if all the rails are bowed and bent. It's not quite that bad.....! However, there is a definite upwards curve to most of the timbering. I wasn't sure whether this was due to the effect of the solvent (butanone as normal....) or whether it is the effect of the combination of a 1 in 20 cant of the chairs but using track gauges with vertical slots in.

 

Anyway, I am hoping that this formation will stick down acceptably flat. If not, it will have to be rebuilt, which is a pain. At least I can point to the fact that the photos of the real shed area at Camden show appalling kinks in geometry, and undulations, plus no loco will be moving even as fast as walking pace over these sections.

 

But the next turnout on the bench is this one:

 

 

using thin ply timbering instead. I'll see how this one goes and perhaps will need to use this as a method for the rest.

 

I've also started the ashpits:

 

 

 

Modified Peco inspection pits. They have been welded together, then the peco chairs filed and sanded down. Filler in the holes left behind, and more sanding. Finally the underside is filed down to a thickness of just under 1mm so that the rail height is the same as the plain C&L track, and the bullhead rail laid using bridge chairs (someone told me these were correct for ashpits, but they don't look quite right to me and I am clueless enough not to know why....). I then welded plasticard strips together to create the concrete base area (which will end up being covered in ash) and embedded the rails for the little narrow gauge trucks.

 

Slow progress, it feels..... 7 chaired turnouts done, 12 to go, maybe more if rebuilding is necessary.

 

Nothing much going to happen for a couple of weeks now though. Except that Alan, the painter, has promised all 4 backscene boards completed. Errr..........soon.....

 

Iain

[Jol Wilkinson]

Iain,

 

excellent results as ever.

 

I have found that Butanone tends to have this distorting effect on plastic. I've found that using a less aggressive solvent such as Limonene or Mek-Pak does this less. Limonene in particular, but it is much slower acting which may be why it is less likely to cause a problem.

 

However, I think that timber sleepers with the plastic chairs fixed with Butanone is a better option. It also allows the occasional use of a rivet and etched plate under crossing noses, etc. for more security.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Jol

[92220]

Thanks Jol. I've used Limonene to good effect on buildings - most recently the ashplant - and found it eliminated the warping tendency on plastic buildings. I was under the impression that I needed something a bit more aggressive like butanone for the type of plastic (ABS?) that the c&l timbers are made from. But hopefully using the ply timbers will eliminate the problem. Plus is it easier to solder the electrical connections without damaging the turnout.

 

Appreciate your encouragement as ever!

 

Best wishes,

 

Iain

[92220]

I'm trying to work out how to represent the LMS standard water cranes. There are a load (9 maybe?) to do, and they need to be a reasonable likeness if the overall effect is going to be good.

 

The Ratio GWR one looks a nice model, but it's errrr, very wrong because it's a GWR one in the first place. But can it be butchered, and done so consistently so that all of them look similar?

There is a GEM white metal one from Lytchett Manor, but the picture doesn't look quite right, and it is so devoid of detail that I'll probably spend longer adding bits to it than I would carving it out of lignum vitae in the first place.

 

Are there any other options that any of you helpful RMWebbers know about? Or a repeatable, reliable scratchbuilding method? Time to 3D print them perhaps....

 

Ply timbered turnout nearly complete and it's lovely and flat. Which is a bonus........

 

 

Ashpits coming along slowly, but I'm 4 bridge chairs short so need to wait for a C&L order. I took the trouble to measure up the inspection pits in the shed, and at the north end by the turntable, and I need approximately another 7 packets, so there is a fair bit more to do.

 

 

Iain

[LNWR lives on]

Mikes Models have anything suitable for the water crane? I think he does a 4MM LNWR one

[the penguin of doom]

I would recommend Mike Models too.

 

I think there is an advert every month in RM magazine which suggests all sorts of water cranes and buffer stops etc.

 

Cheers.

 

Sean.

[92220]

Thanks for the tips. I've checked out Mikes Models before and they don't seem to do a suitable LMS water crane, unless I'm missing something.

 

This is the GEM one:

 

 

This is what it ought to look like:

 

 

From LMS Engine Sheds Vol 1:

 

 

An old Hornby Dublo one!

 

 

Err no...

 

The Ratio GWR one in its pack:

 

 

Doesn't have the potential to be converted either.

 

It's beginning to look like I need to do something else. I don't think these could be cast in resin very effectively. 3D print maybe.....

 

Iain

[1BCamden]

Hi Iain, yep it's a hard one, its a bit of each, or a scratch job, I've never found one suitable, and Camden requires eight examples !!

I checked out the continent and the states, however I did find a sort of close one over here - http://www.arkits.com/catalogue_mw/14

but each needs some type of rework, pity when you look at some of the stuff from tichy trains etc .....

Edited October 10, 2013 by 1BCamden

[Jol Wilkinson]

Iain,

 

if you could scratchbuild the components for one in brass then it would be possible to get them produced as investment brass castings. Alternatively a manufacturer might be willing to produce them in w/m and add it to their range, so absorbing the mould tooling costs.

 

Jol

[The Stationmaster]

Iain,

 

Might be stretching things a bit and I don't know if they're any good for 'Duchess' tenders but Mike's Models used to do a quite presentable LNWR watercrane.

[92220]

Stanley,

 

Thanks - do you mean this one?

 

 

Could offer some possibilities with modification?

 

 

Jol,

Likewise, thanks for a typically great suggestion! I may try this and see whether I can tempt anyone to cast some.

 

Mike,

 

Again, thanks very much. Did you mean this one?

 

 

Not sure whether the upright might be useful for modification?

 

Thanks all, and do keep suggesting things.

 

Iain

[Jol Wilkinson]

Iain,

 

try John Redrup. He already has a MR water crane in the LRM range and might be willing to consider this.

 

Jol

[The Stationmaster]

That is indeed the one I meant Iain - although I'm not sure if the kit is still manufactured by the current proprietors of Mike's Models?

[TerryD1471]

Thanks Terry. I am a follower and admirer of Hest Bank too.

Maybe one day we can hire an aircraft hangar and set up Camden and Hest with a few miles of spare streamline off scene to connect the two....

 

Iain

 

Thanks for the suggestion; I think we'd need to include a certain gentleman building Rugby Midland in a location (NW Scotland) even more remote than mine, but heaven knows how large a structure we'd need to house them all!!!. I'm sorry I haven't been diligent as I might in keeping up with your progress, but I have rectified that now and I do like what you are doing. The standards you are working to leave nothing to be desired and the end result will, I'm sure, be superb. It is good to see a step by step account, because this frequently answers questions before they need to be asked!

 

Keep it up!

 

Terry

 

 

 

..

[92220]

Thanks again, Terry. To be fair, there isn't a rapid rate of progress, so you don't have to visit the thread regularly anyway!

 

Today has been the first time for a while that I've been able to spend more than a few minutes in the shed so here are a few bits and pieces to update:

 

I may have a solution to the LMS water crane question - I am going to try 3D printing. I've prepared a dimensional drawing and taken all the relevant measurements, and given it to a colleague at work. He thinks he can get them to come out well. I was having doubts as to my ability to make them in any form from scratch. The upright column tapers, goodness knows how I would create the part immediately above that, except on a lathe(?) and there are two 90deg bends to get spot on, before all the detail. So, we will see how they turn out. If the CAD file works but the 3D printer here is not good enough, I guess I can locate a better printer for a fee.

 

I've laid a bit more track:

 

 

This is all wired and painted but needs ballasting. I couldn't lay this lot onto the pva as previously because I'd built some of it linked together and it was too unwieldy.

 

The bendy timbers should be ok I think.

 

Made some more progress on pits - this time the inspection pits for the shed, which begin only just off the left edge of the photo above.

These have been recycled from my old layout, and while I know they aren't perfect, the compromise is acceptable.

Showing the difference between the standard peco items and the modified ones - chairs removed and underside filed down. Now ready for filler.

 

 

 

Also I've been finishing off the scenic boards at the rear - Primrose Hill Station and the goods yard and depot.

 

I mulled over for ages what to do with the bit between the station buildings and the line of goods wagons leading to the goods depot. Eventually I decided to mix the real with the imaginary. So there is now the appearance of a turnout from the passenger line at the station to the goods depot. Most of this is hidden behind buildings etc, but I hope it enables a slightly better impression. The backscene is nearly done, and I've been waiting for a while to get this bit all completed. Interesting how Carrs ash ballast discolours - the new and old together here. It's not a problem as there is a good deal of painting and weathering to be done yet.

 

 

 

 

It all needs weathering properly before final fixing when the backscene is attached. I've begun a bit of rusting on this corrugated iron shed:

 

 

Obviously needs a fair bit more work to be really convincing!

 

Iain

[1BCamden]

Hi Iain,

really impressive progress, your consideration around the station is great.

3D printing is a perfect answer.

Edited August 25, 2014 by 1BCamden

[Alan Higgi]

nice

[TerryD1471]

nice

Isn't it; isn't it though! (With apologies to Armstrong & Miller!)

 

I'll be stewarding at the Wolverhampton show this weekend, so if any readers would like to make themselves known to me (Terry Davis), I'd be delighted.

[Alan Higgi]

You will surely recognise me from the photo

[92220]

Thanks for the compliments.

 

OK, a bit more done on the track at the S end of the yard.

 

The shed roads under construction:

 

 

 

And some more ballasted turnouts and plain track:

 

 

I've had the first two raw prototypes of the LMS water crane back too. I'm not sure how best to get a really decent photo, but suffice to say that they are a bit grainy. However, the overall proportions seem spot on, and with a little filler and sanding, I think these will be good. What I don't know is whether they could be much better with a finer quality 3D printer. The CAD file appears to be accurately drawn if the shape and proportions are good. They will need a little more detailing with wire, some fine chain (probably) and a bag.

 

 

 

Iain