Dock Green

[chaz]

A very early view of the LH end of Dock Green...

 

 

Quicky foamboard structures are in place to try the fit of various structures. Most of these were replaced - the retaining walls were built on plywood backs for strength - but the mock up of the further (road) bridge survives as the shell of the finished bridge. The wagon and road vehicles were added for the look. I suppose I could have coloured these structures but to be honest it didn't seem worth spending any time on this. The important thing was to check out sightlines, clearances etc - imagination did the rest.

 

Chaz

[Steve Williams]

Thanks for the responses re cutting ply fellas, much appreciated. Someone did once tell me that with a chop saw it is possible to get a blade with teeth angled in a particular way to avoid splintering. However, I have no idea if that is true or not.

[chaz]

The show at Basingstoke is this coming weekend and the team are looking forward to it. Shows are the only time I get to play with Dock Green so I am particularly keen. I have just finished rewriting the card sequence to take account of the tank wagons, the weltrol and the bogie bolster being added to the wagon roster, although in some respects it doesn't differ much from the previous version. There are only so many moves possible with such a layout.

 

The Ixion Hudswell Clarke "Christine" will be available for duty, although I don't think now that I will have time to weather it. I am hoping to get my Peckett 0-4-0ST "Susan" working, a job for tomorrow, as I like this loco very much.

 

I know that a few RMwebbers are going to Basingstoke - please make yourself known to me if you do. I'd be more than happy to chat. There are four of us sharing the operating, this is me....

 

[keefr2]

Hi Chaz, 

 

hope you have a great show - unfortunately our plans for a weekend in Hampshire have been thrown into disarray by a bereavement in my son in law Jon's family & it looks like the trip is off. The only silver lining is that the R.A.F. have flown Jon home early from Afghanistan.

 

So, after missing Warley & now Basingstoke it seems like I'm destined not to get to see one of my favourite layouts, but I guess that's a small price in the greater scheme of things....

 

Have a great weekend!

Keith

[chaz]

Hi Chaz, 

 

hope you have a great show - unfortunately our plans for a weekend in Hampshire have been thrown into disarray by a bereavement in my son in law Jon's family & it looks like the trip is off. The only silver lining is that the R.A.F. have flown Jon home early from Afghanistan.

 

So, after missing Warley & now Basingstoke it seems like I'm destined not to get to see one of my favourite layouts, but I guess that's a small price in the greater scheme of things....

 

Have a great weekend!

Keith

 

I do understand - family must come first, Keith. Railway modelling can't be that important "in the greater scheme of things".

 

Sorry you will miss the show, but keep following this topic, I will post news of future shows, I'm sure there will be one you can get to.

 

Chaz

[Fettster42]

I am coming to Basingstoke, primarily to see Dock Green again and have a better look than I managed at Warley (also to see Pempoul). Look forward to seeing it again.

 

With your chained load, could you tighten it and use some artificial fixing on one side, and always run it with the authentic attachments to the viewer side? Of course this would mean you can see the false side from the operator position.

 

Leigh

[keefr2]

 I will post news of future shows, I'm sure there will be one you can get to.

 

Chaz

Thanks Chaz, I really do hope I can get to one in the future.

 

Best

Keith

[chaz]

I am coming to Basingstoke, primarily to see Dock Green again and have a better look than I managed at Warley (also to see Pempoul). Look forward to seeing it again.

 

With your chained load, could you tighten it and use some artificial fixing on one side, and always run it with the authentic attachments to the viewer side? Of course this would mean you can see the false side from the operator position.

 

Leigh

 

Golly, Leigh, I'm flattered. I will have an industrial saddle tank running - probably an Ixion Hudswell Clarke which is ready to go. A last ditch effort tomorrow morning might see my Peckett 0-4-0ST ready for action. It let me down (prima donna!) at Warley and was subbed at the last minute by my J52. I have a problem with its plunger pickups - might be a quick job.

 

I too am looking forward to seeing Pempoul again - a quite superb model.

 

Apropos the chains on the bogie bolster - the easiest way to tighten the chains might be to overlap a link or two and lock them with CA - that might not be too obvious. I don't have time tomorrow but I will investigate later.

 

Chaz

[greenglade]

Hi guys

 

Just a comment regarding cutting ply with a jigsaw... use Bosch T101AO wood blades for perfect cuts... turn the pendulum motion off and enjoy .... the teeth on these are similar to Japanese wood saws so for anyone familiar with those you'll know how well these jigsaw blades cut.

 

regards

 

Pete 

[chaz]

Hi guys

 

Just a comment regarding cutting ply with a jigsaw... use Bosch T101AO wood blades for perfect cuts... turn the pendulum motion off and enjoy .... the teeth on these are similar to Japanese wood saws so for anyone familiar with those you'll know how well these jigsaw blades cut.

 

regards

 

Pete 

 

I use Bosch blades in my jigsaw - not sure what type but they do cut very cleanly. Pendulum motion? I think my jigsaw does that sort of adjustment automatically - I certainly haven't found a switch.

Edited March 7, 2014 by chaz

[N15class]

Thanks for the responses re cutting ply fellas, much appreciated. Someone did once tell me that with a chop saw it is possible to get a blade with teeth angled in a particular way to avoid splintering. However, I have no idea if that is true or not.

You can there is no set and the teeth are tall and pointed on the outside of the blade, so they break through on each side of the cut.

[chaz]

Not a picture to set the pulse racing....

 

an early shot of baseboard DE - the right hand end board.

 

 

It shows the basic shell of the platform made from 5mm foamboard. Quick and easy to make up and very light. The retaining walls have a plywood backing sheet screwed to the back edge of the baseboard with "arches" again from foamboard. Whatever I did to the front of the retaining walls I kept them detachable - I just needed to remove a few screws and they would just lift away. This proved very helpful later when I wanted to work on features close to the back of the layout.

 

I must admit to being somewhat baffled by the wagon in the photo - I don't think it's one of mine.......

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Got to the Basingstoke show yesterday evening and the three of us built up the layout without any problems, except that bridge #2 had decided to come adrift whilst in the van. One of the team discovered it hanging by a thread as we unloaded the van, the glue joints between the span and the piers having failed. Fortunately it is undamaged and can be temporarily fixed with a couple of squares of double-sided tape. When I get it home I will convert it back to a removeable item. It seems that you can expect the unexpected when you drive a model railway about in a van.

 

Here's an "early days" picture of the bridge before I added the timber decking.

 

 

Lots still to do when this photo was taken - track not yet ballasted, paint on retaining walls not finished, no weeds, litter, Peco points still have that awful switch box between the blades etc etc

 

Chaz

[2ManySpams]

Glad there was no real damage Chaz. It's amazing what stresses a layout in the back of a van / trailer endure - and we all expect them to work perfectly after the journey! 

 

I suspect the bridge was either vibrated off its bed or that the boards were flexing in transit and the bridge took umbrage to being used as a diagonal brace.

 

Hope the show goes well and enjoy playing with, I mean operating, the layout.

[HeatherKay]

It was a pleasure to see Dock Green in the flesh at last, and great to meet and chat with Chas and his team. I spend quite some time today, watching the trains trundle about, and catching new cameos and details.

[81A Oldoak]

Up to Basingrad this afternoon for the Basingstoke & North Hants MRS show. I was impressed to see no less than four standard gauge 7mm scale layouts and an 0n30 layout at a local show. There was plenty of stuff in other scales too, but they were all rather small and I do not like to be able to see both ends of a carriage at once. Dock Green was performing well and the Class 20 was emitting most convincing noises. It was nice to see one of my offspring behaving itself on the front side of the layout and a picture is attached. The blackened wheels, sandboxes and coupling rods on the Hudswell Clarke look rather good. However, one of the great highlights of Dock Green is the working GNR somersault signal that guards the exit to the rest of the world; well worth waiting to see.

 

I also spotted a Coffee Pot in action on the Racoon Canyon Mining 0n30 layout, which I include as encouragement to Chaz for his Furness Valley project.

 

Chris

[chaz]

Glad there was no real damage Chaz. It's amazing what stresses a layout in the back of a van / trailer endure - and we all expect them to work perfectly after the journey! 

 

I suspect the bridge was either vibrated off its bed or that the boards were flexing in transit and the bridge took umbrage to being used as a diagonal brace.

 

Hope the show goes well and enjoy playing with, I mean operating, the layout.

 

I think your first guess is  the most likely. I can't imagine that my baseboards flex much!

 

Yesterday at the show was excellent, although when the team sat down for a meal in the early evening we were all tired. I did enjoy playing with the layout and chatting to various members of the crowd (and it was pretty busy in the morning) about aspects of the models.

 

Some RMwebbers who visited said hello and made some positive comments about the layout.

 

Like many shows the time of day to get an easier access to see the more popular layouts is either at lunchtime or from mid-afternoon on.

 

Chaz

[chaz]

It was a pleasure to see Dock Green in the flesh at last, and great to meet and chat with Chas and his team. I spend quite some time today, watching the trains trundle about, and catching new cameos and details.

 

It was good to meet you too. Thanks for the positive comments which carry more value coming from someone like yourself, with your own expertise.

[chaz]

Up to Basingrad this afternoon for the Basingstoke & North Hants MRS show. I was impressed to see no less than four standard gauge 7mm scale layouts and an 0n30 layout at a local show. There was plenty of stuff in other scales too, but they were all rather small and I do not like to be able to see both ends of a carriage at once. Dock Green was performing well and the Class 20 was emitting most convincing noises. It was nice to see one of my offspring behaving itself on the front side of the layout and a picture is attached. The blackened wheels, sandboxes and coupling rods on the Hudswell Clarke look rather good. However, one of the great highlights of Dock Green is the working GNR somersault signal that guards the exit to the rest of the world; well worth waiting to see.

 

I also spotted a Coffee Pot in action on the Racoon Canyon Mining 0n30 layout, which I include as encouragement to Chaz for his Furness Valley project.

 

Chris

 

Good to see and talk to both you and your father in law at the show, Chris. Thanks for posting the photos. I like the green livery on the Hudswell Clarke (being actually not that far away from the GNR livery) but didn't care for the green wheels and red coupling rods so much. As you can see in your photo I also painted the curved "bracket" on the front of the tank which sits atop the smokebox which I think is better black. This model will get some light weathering when I have a spare moment. At one point during the day it was standing next to one of my J50 tanks. This comparison was most impressive and showed very clearly just how small this loco is.

 

Anybody visiting today is welcome to request a demo' of the somersault signal in action - you would otherwise have to wait for a departure (there is no fee).

 

Your photo of the coffee pot on the Racoon Canyon Mining 0n30 layout reminded me that I have one of these in a cupboard, along with a laser-cut wooden kit to "Americanise" it. Plenty of time to get this done now that Dock Green is largely finished (although I seem to come away from every show with a list of repairs and necessary changes - I suspect that this is inevitable).

 

Chaz

Edited March 9, 2014 by chaz

[chaz]

It was my Ixion Hudswell Clark's first outing to a show yesterday so here are a few photos grabbed before the public came in...

 

 

above - Just reaching the top of the incline on the estate line.

 

 

Halted on the transfer siding.

 

 

Passing the factory yard. That scruffy mineral wagon (almost innocent of paint and probably not long for this world) showing just what a small loco this is.

 

 

Unfortunately the sound in the loco misbehaved in the afternoon, going rather fuzzy - sounding very like a dud speaker to me. Not the fault of the loco of course - which performed really well once we had all got used to how slow it runs and how best to drive it. I will try to replace the speaker this morning, before the doors open.

 

Chaz

Edited March 9, 2014 by chaz

[Barnaby]

Some nice photos there showing some beautifully modelled items Chaz, have another good "show day" today.

 

Who's the supply source for the concrete posts and metal diamond fencing showing in the 2nd to last photo?

 

Regards

 

Edit:  Just done a search of the topic [very useful must use it more often] and found references to Scale-link etc so I'll have a read up.

Edited March 9, 2014 by Barnaby

[asa]

Fabulous photos Chaz,hope to see it one day in the flesh.

[brightspark]

It was nice to finally see the layout in the flesh. I didn't get to see the somersault signal work (save that for next time). One thing I particularly liked is the way that it has gloomy corners under the awnings, this works well with the height of the layout.

Oh yes, and the sound is set up properly on the steam locos! (they don't go chuff-chuff until they stop)

[chaz]

Glad there was no real damage Chaz. It's amazing what stresses a layout in the back of a van / trailer endure - and we all expect them to work perfectly after the journey! 

 

I suspect the bridge was either vibrated off its bed or that the boards were flexing in transit and the bridge took umbrage to being used as a diagonal brace.

 

Hope the show goes well and enjoy playing with, I mean operating, the layout.

 

Closer examination of the bridge when we were dismantling the layout this afternoon revealed that the glue joints didn't fail - what failed was the bond between the paint and the plastic sheet. There are bare patches on one surface that reflect the shapes traced by the glue as applied and the missing paint layer is glued to the other surface. I had assumed that plasticard was a good surface to paint with enamels but this experience suggests that a primer might be needed for full adhesion.

 

So if I want to glue the bridge back in place what I need to do is to scrape or sand the paint off the areas where I want to put glue.

Edited March 11, 2014 by chaz

[chaz]

Some nice photos there showing some beautifully modelled items Chaz, have another good "show day" today.

 

Who's the supply source for the concrete posts and metal diamond fencing showing in the 2nd to last photo?

 

Regards

 

Edit:  Just done a search of the topic [very useful must use it more often] and found references to Scale-link etc so I'll have a read up.

 

Thanks for the positive comment. And yes, Barnaby the chain-link fencing is etched brass by Scalelink. The "concrete" posts are square section from the Plastruct range. The angled tops were done by heating gently over a candle flame to soften the plastic and then bending on a jig to get consistent angles. Further details are in the earlier pages of this topic.

 

Chaz