Dock Green

[chaz]

_{"the camera shows up the imperfection"}

 

_{Just like it does on the real thing!  Nothing to worry about, I'd say.  In fact, I'd rather say that it was intentionally realistic.}

 

_David

 

"intentionally realistic" - well I can't claim that David, so let's call it serendipity!  

 

Chaz

[chaz]

I spent a happy hour putting some left-over timber and lots of grass and weeds in the area bounded by the corrugated iron fence.

 

 

Just lots of odds and ends superglued in place. It remains to be seen how secure the timber leaning against the fence is..... but working on details like this is great fun.

 

Chaz

[81A Oldoak]

I spent a happy hour putting some left-over timber and lots of grass and weeds in the area bounded by the corrugated iron fence.

 

 

Just lots of odds and ends superglued in place. It remains to be seen how secure the timber leaning against the fence is..... but working on details like this is great fun.

 

Chaz

 

 

 

Great job and It is fun. If only there was magic wand -  and I don't mean a chequebook -  that could produce baseboards and wiring in an instant.

 

Chris

[chaz]

Great job and It is fun. If only there was magic wand -  and I don't mean a chequebook -  that could produce baseboards and wiring in an instant.

 

Chris

 

Thanks Chris. However I did enjoy making the baseboards (that seems a long time ago now) and somebody else did the wiring .

Edited April 11, 2013 by chaz

[chaz]

edit - content deleted

Edited April 12, 2013 by chaz

[chaz]

'Ello, 'ello...

 

 

Constable Dixon and the workman are Omen figures. The bicycle is from a Southwark Bridge etched brass kit. Paving is Slater's but cut up into individual slabs to allow a little unevenness and some cracks. Street lights are  the next job on the bridge.

 

Chaz

 

PS - I couldn't resist staging this little scene and when I saw the snap I thought you would like it....

Edited April 12, 2013 by chaz

[BG John]

'Ello, 'ello...

 

 

Constable Dixon and the workman are Omen figures.

Is this before he was killed by Dirk Bogarde, or after his resurrection?

[chaz]

Is this before he was killed by Dirk Bogarde, or after his resurrection?

 

That depends on whether the yard has a steam or diesel pilot.....

Edited April 12, 2013 by chaz

[chaz]

I think I might have said before how it's nice to put a digital compact into positions that you can't get your eye to get a different view. Unfortunately it can also reveal those short-cut compromises that aren't usually visible.

 

 

The van closest to the camera is a MR 10T van, a nice model built from a Slater's kit. I doubt whether many of these survived into the sixties. I'm not sure of the origin of the sack barrows (they might be Southwark Bridge Models - anybody confirm this?) but they are a nice little feature. I think it must be Sunday as the platform is devoid of any signs of activity, everything cleared away.

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Another snap of the MR (pre-grouping) van.

 

 

It's pretty grubby, metalwork rusting and covered in shunter's chalkings (white pencil). Choosing a higher viewpoint for the camera is not what I would prefer to do but it does at least avoid getting bits of the room in the background. Maybe we are looking down from a bank.

 

Chaz

[Donw]

Keep the photos coming Chaz.

Don

[chaz]

Keep the photos coming Chaz.

Don

 

Will do, Don. One reason why I haven't taken more (and why the same rolling stock appears in more than one snap) is that the stock "lives" in the roof, and carrying it up and down the ladder is a bit of a pain. Still, that's no excuse, is it?

 

Chaz

[Donw]

I can understand you not wanting to carry stuff up and down a ladder to often. At my last place I did a loft conversion but put in a proper staircase. When we had to move the extra costs were recouped on the sale so it was worth it. If if came to a toss up between a big layout accessible by a loft ladder or a smaller one more accessible I would go for the latter I reckon another ten to fifteen years I might be too old for loft ladders. My good friend Frank Heath had a stairlift up to his railway room meant he could enjoy the layout even though his mobility was impaired. Where have you got dock green set up?

Don

[chaz]

I can understand you not wanting to carry stuff up and down a ladder to often. At my last place I did a loft conversion but put in a proper staircase. When we had to move the extra costs were recouped on the sale so it was worth it. If if came to a toss up between a big layout accessible by a loft ladder or a smaller one more accessible I would go for the latter I reckon another ten to fifteen years I might be too old for loft ladders. My good friend Frank Heath had a stairlift up to his railway room meant he could enjoy the layout even though his mobility was impaired. Where have you got dock green set up?

Don

 

A proper staircase would very nice and I did look into this but the shape of house makes it impossible. It would have to go above the existing stairs and would enter the roof just as the roof pitch drops, making it impossible to stand at the top. hobbits would be OK!

 

"Where have you got dock green set up?" I haven't, or rather I have, but only a half of it. Two boards are 8' long and will just go up in the front bedroom upstairs, leaving enough room to get round one end. So I have a different pair of the four up and linked together depending on what I want to work on. The other two are on the sides tucked away underneath. Swapping boards involves a complicated shunt move with a lot of careful lifting and some anglo-saxon. As you can imagine it is a bit frustrating that I can't operate the railway - but that's a blessing in disguise. Not only do I not "waste" time playing when I should be working, but when it goes to shows we will enjoy the operating more as it will be fresh for us.

 

Chaz

[greenglade]

Just a quick not on loft access, there are staircases made that have a steeper pitch than a standard staircase yet still fulfil building regs. Might be worth a look to see if you have enough space, I have one fitted for my loft. You can specify the height and depth that you have available and they will either make a staircase for you or supply you with a kit of parts for you to assemble yourself, all to building regs of course.

IIRC my cost just over £300 two years ago

 

Pete

[chaz]

Just a quick not on loft access, there are staircases made that have a steeper pitch than a standard staircase yet still fulfil building regs. Might be worth a look to see if you have enough space, I have one fitted for my loft. You can specify the height and depth that you have available and they will either make a staircase for you or supply you with a kit of parts for you to assemble yourself, all to building regs of course.

IIRC my cost just over £300 two years ago

 

Pete

 

Thanks for the advice Pete. I was aware of steeper staircases, if they are steeper than the ones in our (LSWR built) house then they would be steep indeed! But there just isn't enough room, particularly with the layout now fixed in place. No, I'm just going to have to keep climbing up and down the ladder until age prevents me.

[chaz]

Normal service will be resumed....

 

Got back yesterday after a chilly week in Norfolk and a warmer week in Suffolk. A fortnight spent (wasted?) on my other hobby - see my Avatar for a clue! After unpacking the car and a pot of tea (essential) I went upstairs to look at Dock Green. Two of the baseboards AB & BC were still set up in the front room where they had been left two weeks ago.

 

A very curious feeling, after two weeks of doing completely different stuff, I need time to reconnect and think my way back into what needs doing. The layout looks almost finished but there is a lot of work to do before the training sessions I have planned for June.

 

A major addition that must be done before then (there will be ample time between June and Warley in November for scenic bits and bobs) is a tell-tale panel. This will be a track diagram with LEDs which will light to show which way all the points are set or, rather, which routes are set. You could argue that this is unnecessary as all the points are clearly visible from the  operator's side and all we have to do is look but it's my intention to make the life of an operator as easy as I can. The last thing I want at an exhibition is to have a loco run into the crossing end of a turnout with the blades  set the wrong way. Not a good thing on a DCC layout with all locos fitted with sound!

 

 

Photo shows the two baseboards (AB & BC) set up. The other two baseboards (CD & DE) can be seen under the far end. It's quite a job to change round which two are up to be worked on. I could do with a bit more space.   

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Sorry that it all went quiet again - just had a few days in Anglesey (puffins, guillemots. razorbills, ravens and choughs) and am now back and ready to continue working on Dock Green. I know it's way off-topic but I hope you don't mind if I share this snap with you...

 

 

I had to be out on the cliffs bright and early to get this snap. But I was choughed (sorry - couldn't resist the pun) that the bird was so obliging. He got his breakfast before I did. A "proper" posting with some Dock Green progress and a snap (or two) will follow later.

 

Chaz

Edited May 4, 2013 by chaz

[Guest Isambarduk]

I'd be choughed to have taken that too, Chaz.  No need to apologize for off-topic, it's all interesting - particularly to know what other interests people have.   David

[keefr2]

I'm glad you posted the pic., as otherwise, in my ignorance, I would have thought he's a Blackbird who's beak has gone haywire! I don't really get a sense of his size from the pic., is he about Blackbird size?

 

I do like birds, & really should make an effort to learn some more about the species we have here.

 

Keith

[chaz]

I'd be choughed to have taken that too, Chaz.  No need to apologize for off-topic, it's all interesting - particularly to know what other interests people have.   David

 

Thanks, but I promise next post will be on topic!

[chaz]

....I would have thought he's a Blackbird who's beak has gone haywire! I don't really get a sense of his size from the pic., is he about Blackbird size?

 

I do like birds, & really should make an effort to learn some more about the species we have here.

 

Keith

 

No Keith, about twice the size of a blackbird. Same size as its close relative, the jackdaw. As to learning some more about the species we have here, make it soon before it's too late.....

 

Chaz

[chaz]

A few weeks ago I started a topic about operating at exhibitions.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/69817-operating-at-exhibitions/
 
This brought some interesting responses and ideas. One of the things I advocated was that layout builders should make it as easy as possible for operators to "get it right". I was impressed with a panel I saw on a layout at a recent show which showed the routes set on a track diagram with LEDs and decided to add one to Dock Green. I thought I ought to practise what I preached. I do know that this has been done before, many times, but seeing it at the show got me thinking that it's just what I need.

 

 

Some notes on the design...

 

the LEDs will be switched by miniature relays that will turn on and off from the same switches that input to the MERG Servo4 PCBs, which control the servos (see above)

 

as the crossovers are wired so that the two points work from a single switch only six relays will be needed

 

the wiring will be arranged so that only the LEDs along each complete route will light - rather than each point being indicated separately

 

obviously more than one route at a time may well light

 

the diagram only needs to show the centre two boards, BC and CD, as there are no points on the two outer ones

 

some of the LEDs will always be on (eg the two on the headshunt) - they are there to make the route look complete

 

Yes, I know that the operators could just look at which way the blades are set, but the intention is to make it as easy as possible to "get it right". And it may well be that, on occasion, rolling stock might well be obscuring the view.

 

Chaz

Edited May 9, 2013 by chaz

[chaz]

Spent most of the day fiddling about with the design of the indicator panel (see previous post) on the computer, and making up a little test board with a relay, diode and a couple of LEDs to check that the relays are going to work as I hope when connected to the Servo4 and its input switches.

 

Took time out to do a capacity test on some of the tracks where wagons might stand, prior to making up a diagram for the operators showing this....

 

 

The photo shows four wagons standing on the "shunting loop". This will allow either the BR yard pilot or the industrial saddle tank to run round wagons before propelling them into the warehouse siding. The (very) restricted capacity might well give rise to some additional shunt moves - never a bad thing on a layout whose raison d'etre is shunting!

 

The photo also shows the railway fence stretching away out of shot. There will be a few more weeds and scrubby bushes added to that narrow strip along the baseboard edge.

 

The wagon closest to the camera has a Parkside ex-GWR container correctly chained down - this unfortunately means that the wagon can't be run without the container.  In the background the starter signal still lacks a finial and (dammit!) I forgot to fit the point lever in place on point 1B before I took the snap.

 

Chaz

Edited May 6, 2013 by chaz

[Donw]

Chaz it is definitely a great help to operators. On my exhibition layout I had five points worked by three switches. As I was using Tortoises I fed them through  bipolar Leds so they were green for set normal and red for reversed. They were mounted in a small box with a wander leads and strapped to the back of the hand held controller. This was liked by the operators as they had a clear indication of the road set in their hand. So I think your panel will do the job. It looks to me that the bridge could obscure some turnouts according to which side of the bridge you are stood.

Don