Black Country Blues

[Geoff Cook]

The Angle at which the canal crosses between the sidings board (3) and the canel tunnel board (4)

 

[Mark Forrest]

Leicester eh? BRCW type 2s if we roll back the years to the late 60s then?

;-)

[wagonbasher]

From an enquiring mind point of view, are BCB team trying to link the layout into a real life situation ? I ask this in respect of traffic flows from say South Wales via Worcester, or from the northeast via Lichfield, or from the northwest ?

 

I am trying to correlate the "real" traffic flows into the Black Country from my experience at Bescot, with how your layout is orientated. An example which "Fat Controller" has mentioned is traffic from South Wales to Great Bridge which, if it were running to your location instead, would it arrive from the left or right of the diagram ?

 

Whilst talking of Great Bridge, are you intending for the mainline to be steep enough in one direction or the other to have bank engine working ? This is because banking in the Black Country / West Midlands was employed from ;

 

Stourbridge Jn - Dudley

Stourbridge Jn - Rowley Regis

Great Bridge - Dudley

Wednesbury - Princes End

Perry Barr - Soho

 

Another question which may not have been asked yet, are you likely to run a class 122 "bubble car" on the mainline, considering these also could be regarded as a signature "Black Country" service ?

 

 

Thanks as always for bringing this fascinating image into 3D for us

 

 

Would be great to see banking on the main line but with an early Victorian line dictated by the viaduct and the tunnel we cant exceed 1:100 (it is about that sort number anyway) due to early whimpy engins. Anyway the fiddles wont be long enough to have a train worth banking.

 

Andy

[wagonbasher]

Thanks Geoff, Nigel and the locks have a date with my chop saw on Tuesday night and that is just the angle we need for the bottom lock.

 

Andy

[wagonbasher]

I am sure it is only a li(n)ttle mistake and no one will notice!

 

My advice was based on modern practice and your escape will fit the bill perfectly.

 

At least with the gates in that condition you do not have to worry about them spontaneously combusting!

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Wally

 

Also in case of fire, even if locked those gates are not going to keep the fire engine out.

 

Andy

[2ManySpams]

Evening all, those reading Stu's building thread will be aware there has been much discussion about the fire escape for his building. he's been sent a brass fret for a fire escape and has reached the point of working our what to do with it.

 

 

Earlier today I received as request from Stu to create him a new thread for the build of the Fire Escape. The reason for this is that it's a new skill for him (soldering brass), and he'd like to keep the build self contained and not scattered amongst his main building thread.

 

 

Over to Stu...

[Mark Forrest]

Thanks all for your contributions so far, great to see so much interest in this topic.

Any wagons left on the main will need to be attached to a brake van.

 

Quick question on this, if I may?

[prepares to enter the "which trains need a brake van" minefield]

Since we are post 1968, for fully fitted trains, can we substitute "brake van" for "a vehicle with a tail lamp" or (even if the train is fully fitted) do we need to provide a brake van for all trains which will be left outside on the main while we shunt?

[/exits minefield swiftly]

 

 

Another question which may not have been asked yet, are you likely to run a class 122 "bubble car" on the mainline, considering these also could be regarded as a signature "Black Country" service ?

 

Interesting point Phil. I'd been working on the assumption that we would be on a freight only route but IIRC there was (at least one) 122 used as a route learner in the area which could add a little variety. I do have one that I had started to convert ready for WLL (complete with EM wheels from before I took the P4 plunge for that project) so that may well put in an appearance. Good shout. There is a DC Kits 128 in the unbuilt kits mountain too, so who knows.

 

Plus it helps when Mark asks "Which way is Bescot?", "It depends which way you're going".

The map has certainly stopped me asking that every 5 minutes or so (much to everyone else's relief), thanks

 

 

Would be great to see banking on the main line but with an early Victorian line dictated by the viaduct and the tunnel we cant exceed 1:100 (it is about that sort number anyway) due to early whimpy engins.

We'll have to save the West Midlands based layout with banking locos until another time eh, Andy

[Mark Forrest]

No, the signalling is fine but the home for trains running right to left could be moved a bit further "out" (to the right), to give room for the train to get inside it, not mandatory but would look a bit better in model form imho.

Good point and I see what you mean about how it would look too - must admit I had it in mind that this signal would be quite close to the cabin, but hadn't considered the need for something shunting to get inside. Think we have to be careful with sighting due to the road bridge at the right hand end of the layout; but we can have a look to see how far we can push it.

[beast66606]

Think we have to be careful with sighting due to the road bridge at the right hand end of the layout; but we can have a look to see how far we can push it.

 

[Stubby47]

Thanks Chris.

 

Righto, I confess to being an absolute novice when doing anything with brass. I can solder wires & track, no problems there, but have not done a kit before.

 

Before I started with the finger burning, I though I ought to experiment a bit with sizes, clearances, etc. This meant drawing out a full scale side elvation, to see where the bits would fit.

 

The initial idea was to have two short flights, going downwards in a clockwise direction, so the little people would exit the upper floor doorway, walk out on to the upper landing, walk down the steps to the lower landing, make two 90 deg right turns and follow the lower flight down to the ground, passing under the upper landing....

 

That was the idea until I came to measure up the space available. It transpired that unless the little people were really little people, i.e. under a scale 5ft, then they would get severe concussion everytime they used the stairs.

 

So, the flights will now be a mirror image. The upper landing will be quite small, the upper flight will be next to the wall, then two 90 deg turns to the left and then the lower flight will be on the outside (as Wally suggested.... ).

 

The first drawing shows the experimentation...

 

 

I then overlaid the first flight, to see where the cuts needed to be.

 

 

The flight was then cut.

 

 

 

I then started to bend the fret into shape - it's not as easy as I thought, and I don't have any specialist bending tools (yet, but a Hold & Fold is now on the Xmas list !) The first bit of soldering went quite well, I managed to keep most of the solder inside and out of sight.

 

 

The next step was to add the upper landing. This was a right pain to attach, I think because I lack a big enough soldering iron (25W) and flux... However, it went on in the end.

 

[

 

More to come - please feel free to pass comment !

[Stubby47]

That's from a low angle - how does it look from the cab of a loco ?

[TheSignalEngineer]

There was one like that just off the north end of Leicester station with a lower quadrant banner thrown in for good measure.

[Mark Forrest]

Looking good, how are the fingers?

The next step was to add the upper landing. This was a right pain to attach, I think because I lack a big enough soldering iron (25W) and flux... However, it went on in the end.

 

I'm certainly no expert myself, but I think a 25w iron should be well up to the job - I've been using a 25w Antex on the signal box. Have you had a look through Buckjumper's recent BRM articles - some great tips.

[Stubby47]

Looking good, how are the fingers?

 

Have you had a look through Buckjumper's recent BRM articles - some great tips.

Fingers are fine, I have a self holding set of tweezers...

 

 

No, I need to have a look then. Ta

[Guest jim s-w]

"So, the flights will now be a mirror image. The upper landing will be quite small, the upper flight will be next to the wall, then two 90 deg turns to the left and then the lower flight will be on the outside (as Wally suggested.... )."

 

I think you will find the lower flight is nearly always against the wall Stu, doing it the other way renders more groundspace unusable.

 

Cheers

 

Jim

[Mark Forrest]

Fingers are fine, I have a self holding set of tweezers...

 

 

No, I need to have a look then. Ta

Could said tweezers be acting as a heat sink?

[Stubby47]

In post #120, Wally said :

 

"The second (lower) flight should be outside ie farther from the wall than the first to take the escapee away from the building and help to avoid contact with falling debris. The return landing needs to be supported by a set of legs and not cantilevered from the wall to make the structure self supporting if the structure of the building becomes unsafe or collapses.

 

<snip>

 

Guess who has had to write fire statements as part of his work."

 

My impression of such fire escapes was that they usually turned 'in', but Wally's explanation made sense. As it happens, the d*mm thing won't fit turned 'in', so will have to be anti-clockwise...

[Stubby47]

Could said tweezers be acting as a heat sink?

I'm keeping them well away from the area to be soldered, just in case that's the, er, case.

[Stubby47]

Last update for tonight...

 

The lower flight has been cut to length and folded up, and the lower landing has also been prepared.

 

Out with the iron again tomorrow, plus I need so dig out some square section brass tube to make some legs.

 

Edited December 1, 2012 by Stubby47

[Guest jim s-w]

In post #120, Wally said :

 

"The second (lower) flight should be outside ie farther from the wall than the first to take the escapee away from the building and help to avoid contact with falling debris. The return landing needs to be supported by a set of legs and not cantilevered from the wall to make the structure self supporting if the structure of the building becomes unsafe or collapses.

 

<snip>

 

Guess who has had to write fire statements as part of his work."

 

My impression of such fire escapes was that they usually turned 'in', but Wally's explanation made sense. As it happens, the d*mm thing won't fit turned 'in', so will have to be anti-clockwise...

 

Guess no one told us brummies then - I cant recall seeing any that were that way around!

 

Cheers

 

Jim

[jonhall]

Stu, did you clean the brass before hand (to a bright polish) - its a bit difficult to tell from your photos but it will make the world of difference to how the solder flows. A 25w iron should be well over the top for this job.

 

Jon

[2ManySpams]

Very good Stu. I've found that a glass fibre brush / pen helps clean up excess solder. Watch the little bits of glass fibre in your fingers though, they are a pain.

[wagonbasher]

Andy Y... reference a comment you made a couple of nights ago, I have just bought an excellent book of aerial photography of the West Midlands (The broarder West of the Midlands area rather than the west mids). They take most of their photographs of cities in the winter, because as you said the trees disapear. They would be very different in the summer.

 

A

[Coombe Barton]

And try, as someone elsewhere has suggested, using brass as a scraper - then you only get the solder, not the brass.

 

And have you any wooden clothes pegs? Pull them apart, reverse them and you use the pointy bits as clamps.

[Stubby47]

No, I'd not cleaned the brass, but will from now on.

 

No, not got a fibreglass pen but will get one ( and some flux).

 

I have got some mini clamps already, but a good tip about the pegs.

 

What a helpful lot you are !