jcredfer Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Hi Scott, Nice to see the progress - amazing what a coat of paint does for the looks of the boards. Regards Julian PS. Echo the comment about the weather. Been warm[ish] and wet. Not only have I had to cut the lawn last week, I'm thinking about a Dingy to get across it to the Pavilion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted January 23, 2016 Author Share Posted January 23, 2016 Thanks guys - I'd suggest the way our temps have been breaching 35C a lot of days you may not find Perth's heat as pleasant as it sounds. One of the curious side effects of Stockington's room being an addition, not a natural two storey build, is that on an extremely hot day, I can feel the heat on the floorboards under my feet as the roof space on the ground floor heats up (the insulation that keeps downstairs cool, keeps the heat trapped under the tiles - and floor of Stockrington). It's probably only a dozen days a year it is viciously hot - but they are doozeys! Summer storm passing down the coast, at sunset a few days ago: Having been working on the storage level on and off for 24 months, I too, had gotten used to track at around 600mm of the floor. To suddenly see the plimsoll line of where 1000mm sits and imagine the station area, really was quite a boost. That, and finishing the lift section to the point where it just needs track, feel like a big step. I had a pretty firm idea of how I was going to make everything fit together, but it's interesting seeing how that comes up against some challenges as the ideas solidify; For instance I now know 340mm between frames is too tight to squeeze in between, and whilst that doesn't matter on the south end, I'll probably make that spacing 500mm along the eastern side where it is planned to be open landscape, so i can reach in and terraform the hills and valleys. I'm also contemplating how the open frame idea works when the zero level drops below trackbed - as it does for a short section on the eastern side to allow for a river and bridge. The transition from ground under track level to ground above needs some planning so it is executed properly. On the northern end, where the large bridge is located, all the ground it below trackbed level, so it's simpler to imagine. Cheers Scott 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted January 25, 2016 Author Share Posted January 25, 2016 There are a number of excellent layout threads on RMWeb where other modellers are taking the time to provide a commentary on what they are doing and why. I think all of them have a common theme that at some point, they lay track... and then rip it up again. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I'm there. When I'd pinned the chute track in position, and run the test trains okay, I went back and flooded the sleepers with PVA diluted 1:1 This was just to hold the track in place, so I did so by flooding the 4ft, and stippling the fluid until it ran beneath the rails. Whilst still very wet, I wiped the rail heads clean, and then used a methylated spirit impregnated cloth to polish the rail top. I covered the rails with timber and cans of baked beans, as I did in the storage yard, and left it to dry. Steel rail rookie error. The C+L bullhead does NOT like to be wet. I know this because this is what those rails looked like 48 hours later. I suspect being so close to the beach, there is an above average amount of salt in the air, too - but this was all my own doing, I'm sure. Tracks on the up ramp that I glued down on a film of neat PVA are still unaffected. I was able to polish the head and run trains on those rails, but a day later, my conscience got the better of me, and so I pulled up the three lengths of steel rail on the chute, and cleaned the area up. Whilst the natural corrosion is photogenic, I'd be worried that the rails would decay to nothing within the lifespan of the layout - and the chute will not be an easy place for a track relaying operation. Today I will relay it, using the previously acceptable thin film of PVA and dropping the rails onto it. But I've also acquired some cork and carpet tile glue, and made a test board to try a few different things (which will not go to waste, as this will also be a test area for practising ballasting). That seems to have gone down just fine, but I'm put off by the exposed trackbed staying sticky to the touch after the track has been secured. In the long run it won’t matter, as I'd cover the ground anyway, but it might just be annoying getting tacky glue on my fingertips, weeks after the track was put down. Curiously, even the trial section on this board that is neat PVA and no varnish, shows obvious signs of corrosion on the rail head One of the experiments has been to spray a coat of Testors Dullcoate Varnish on the track before sticking it down, to see if that forms a barrier that inhibits any corrosion. This does seem to have helped reduce the onset of corrosion on the PVA stuck section If there's a lesson here from all of this (other than to keep water away from steel rails) it's that we see techniques demonstrated in the model railway press and it all works perfectly first time - but remember things can go wrong; don't be afraid to say "that's not good enough" and start again. Cheers Scott 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted January 26, 2016 Author Share Posted January 26, 2016 Australia Day here - so a full day to be upstairs and build! Plenty of good progress, too. The chute has now been relaid and stuck firm with neat PVA, and looks fine. I've just got to solder the droppers back onto it. I progressed the scenic level frames around the South West corner of the layout and started fitting them above the storage yard. There were no dramas with these, and I continued to use the method I adopted for the South end of the room - supports and shims to bring them to correct height, then screw in the frames to the L-girders below. That rampant bougainvillea of mine is as high as the second floor window! I'm never going to be a master wood worker, so this sort of construction suits me well - the goal is to get a flat surface to lay the trackbed plywood on, so it matters little if the supports are square, or parallel, or anything, really, so long as the batten across the top is level, and at the correct level. As I discovered earlier (waaaay back in this build), the floor is not 100% level, so the goal is not to build a frame 988mm off the floor - but to keep the frame level with the support next to it. Those aluminium bars have been very handy, as I've been able to use them to proof the surface I am creating, and make sure it's within 1~2mm of level all round. I used the completion of these frames as an opportunity to place the ply I'd cut in position - so am starting to visualise each station throat, as well as the lie of the station itself. Above the storage yard, I have a full 250mm clearance most of the way. Conversely, this means I can drop up to 150mm below track level for my small river crossing on this long wall. Cheers Scott 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted February 1, 2016 Author Share Posted February 1, 2016 I feel like I've been playing a room sized version of the shell game today, shuffling material from one end where I have finished working, and moving tools out the way so I can get other parts done... Solid progress whilst I wait for my turnouts so I can start the station trackwork - I have now completed all the risers around the room. It all seems to have come together well. I dropped the ground level here by about 50mm so that I can have a slope below trackbed level leading to the river crossing here. I *might* need to shift or tweak one of those low level risers to fit a watercourse - easily done, if needs be. Because I am actually spanning a storage yard, the construction is not quite pure L-girder; I'm using the perpendicular lower level supports as the attachment points for my riders, so they form portals. Over by the Bowstring Bridge, I have a handful of proper risers. But it's not a dis-similar principal, and is still open frame when it comes to terra-forming. I used the scrap trackbed from the lift up section to have a play and see what I am getting myself in for, attempting a homage to the Monkwearmouth Bridge. It is all nice and level - that's some perspective and camera distortion making the upper level look like it is on a grade. At 1200mm span plus another 2 x 300 in approach viaducts, it drives home how imposing this will be. One reality that hit me today is I doubt I will easily be able to open the blinds and windows once the scenery is in. The curtains are not a big deal - the West Australian sunlight is quite harsh, and I actually considered building the room with no windows, however that may have created issues if I ever sell the house. But the ability to get a breeze into the room has been useful. I will need to investigate some more - I might be able to reach the latches via the space above the storage tracks. Cheers Scott 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 This is coming on a treat now, Scott. I'll love to see "Monkwearmouth Bridge" when it's complete. I'm heavily into card mock ups on my layout, using Amazon boxes and the like and a hot glue gun - rough and ready but quick. Why don't you try this for the bridge? It will certainly help with visualisation. I have a skew bridge like that at Sheringham on the North Norfolk Railway mocked up in this way just to see how it looked and how the abutments need to be made - a useful exercise I've found. I note you are using steel rails with associated corrosion issues. Why not use nickel silver (apologies if you have aleady explained this and I've missed it)? Regards, Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 An absolute pleasure to read your posts, Scott, as you have experienced exactly the same problems I had with a floor not being level and now you have joined the 'shuffling stuff around the room' game..... I was beginning to think I was on my own, so really glad to read you're dealing with the same issues. It's nothing to do with space as we both have plenty, but somehow something always appears to be in the way when you want to do something, no matter how small. It's really starting to take shape now, so stay upbeat and all will turn out well in the end.... The bridge is certainly going to be a 'wow' factor so do all you can to incorporate it into Stockrington. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted February 23, 2016 Author Share Posted February 23, 2016 This is coming on a treat now, Scott. I'll love to see "Monkwearmouth Bridge" when it's complete. I'm heavily into card mock ups on my layout, using Amazon boxes and the like and a hot glue gun - rough and ready but quick. Why don't you try this for the bridge? It will certainly help with visualisation. I have a skew bridge like that at Sheringham on the North Norfolk Railway mocked up in this way just to see how it looked and how the abutments need to be made - a useful exercise I've found. I note you are using steel rails with associated corrosion issues. Why not use nickel silver (apologies if you have aleady explained this and I've missed it)? Regards, Brian. Thanks Brian - I will indeed have some sort of temporary span there for some time. Watching Jeff over at KL has given me lots of food for thought as to how to approach the construction once I have the trackbed down, and as I've not got detailed plans for many areas, there will need to be some mock-ups put in place (and left for me to ponder) to see how the pieces all fit. The storage tracks are all Nickel Silver Peco, but all the running lines are C+L bullhead rail - which is steel. Just as point of interest - here is that same sample section a month on: As you can see, the corrosion is now quite extreme. I sourced a new matt varnish, and also changed PVA brands, so did a new test with those combinations - the varnish is nowhere near as matt as the Dullcoate - it's actually much too glossy for my needs. But it did inhibit the corrosion. Thats what the testing is about - with so much to lay, I have to get the materials right. This is track held down with carpet glue. It works well, but does seem to interact with the EVA foam I use as trackbed - it's got a lizard skin look the PVA doesn't. It seems stable, but I'm keeping an eye on it. The sample on the left was deliberately done with excess glue, to see if that would accelerate any damage - but also shows me I need to be neat and sparing when I apply it in anger on the real trackbed. An absolute pleasure to read your posts, Scott, as you have experienced exactly the same problems I had with a floor not being level and now you have joined the 'shuffling stuff around the room' game..... I was beginning to think I was on my own, so really glad to read you're dealing with the same issues. It's nothing to do with space as we both have plenty, but somehow something always appears to be in the way when you want to do something, no matter how small. It's really starting to take shape now, so stay upbeat and all will turn out well in the end.... The bridge is certainly going to be a 'wow' factor so do all you can to incorporate it into Stockrington. Thanks very much Gordon. The shuffling the stuff around the room dance has really surprised me - every time I do it, I seem to end up moving it again a few days later! Progress in the last few days has been positive, and should help in that regards. I'm glad you've decided to try and base your MPD on a prototype - it makes a lot of sense, and by anchoring it in reality, should bring a sense of familiarity to anyone who knows the area. Scott 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted February 23, 2016 Author Share Posted February 23, 2016 Perth has been experiencing a heatwave across February - a number of days exceeding 40C - and not at all conducive to layout building. But cool weather arrived last weekend, and so it was onward and upwards. The main progress has been cutting and screwing down the first 6mm ply player under where Stockrington station will be. In doing this, the somewhat flimsy 19mm girder supports become quite rigid, and the whole shebang takes on a solid feel. The approach boards on the Western side have jigsaw cuts, as there are tracks at three levels approaching the station throat. The Eastern side, mercifully, is flat. What is already apparent is there should be a nice view of the junction from the doorway to the room. I have notionally planned to fill in that blank space to the left of the mainline with an NER style coal drop and sales yard. Once the track is laid, another board will be added in front of the station area, to allow for a station building, portico, and forecourt. That's the top 6mm ply, with flimsy fingers, that will ramp up and down to connect the tracks at the station throat. It is lying loosely in place while I mark up where to trim it. Once I have it the correct shape, I'll glue it down to the underneath ply, forming a very rigid 12mm 6-ply plywood laminate The other work I have been doing is prepping the lift up section with brass screws, ready to lay all the tracks across. Once that is done, the "tricky" part of the construction is complete, and I can get on with winding the trackbed around the room. Scott 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcredfer Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 Hi Scott, Nice to see how much the look is improved with the Ply tops placed. Regards Julian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 A little bit of fun this evening. An elderly gent (96), who had a serious model railway collecting addiction, has passed away here in Perth, and his insanely massive hoard is now being dispersed on eBay. I know this, as I've been keeping my eye out for Gresley teak suburbans, and I got an alert a few days back. As a result, I've taken delivery of six Gresley and one Thompson suburban coach today, and thought I'd see how they sit in the space I allocated for Stockrington Station. I'm lucky to work in a field where access to a plotter is unfettered, and have been able to reprint the modified plans on sheets as large as 3800mm x 900mm. Once such sheet includes the station area. I was pleased that there is a spaciousness to the scene - the train just fits in the planned platform length, and the broad track centres (to me) echoes that under the overall roof at Stockton. A nice motivation for the days and weeks ahead. :-) Scott 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcredfer Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 A little bit of fun this evening. An elderly gent (96), who had a serious model railway collecting addiction, has passed away here in Perth, and his insanely massive hoard is now being dispersed on eBay. I know this, as I've been keeping my eye out for Gresley teak suburbans, and I got an alert a few days back. As a result, I've taken delivery of six Gresley and one Thompson suburban coach today, and thought I'd see how they sit in the space I allocated for Stockrington Station. 2602b.jpg 2602c.jpg I'm lucky to work in a field where access to a plotter is unfettered, and have been able to reprint the modified plans on sheets as large as 3800mm x 900mm. Once such sheet includes the station area. I was pleased that there is a spaciousness to the scene - the train just fits in the planned platform length, and the broad track centres (to me) echoes that under the overall roof at Stockton. A nice motivation for the days and weeks ahead. :-) Scott I hope that ink is conductive .......... otherwise I predict that there may be a little disappointment in store ......... OK - looking good too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted March 7, 2016 Author Share Posted March 7, 2016 (edited) And with a little work using the jig saw, that paper plot becomes a track formation. I didn't have my camera upstairs, when I thought it would be good to show the lamination process, so used the camera in the phone. Apologies for the drop in quality that resulted. I'd already stuck the relief road bed down - under the bricks at the rear - when the "need to photograph this" urge hit Start with a generous squiggle of PVA... Spread it out using a broad brush. This part is quite a tactile job - the PVA fills the grain on the sheet, and until it does, there's quite a lot of friction. I know I have enough glue there, when the brush passes freely over the deck. It's important to be generous with the PVA, as it needs to fill those same cavities on the underside of the board I lay on top. Once I plonked the second board down, I scurried around grabbing anything and everything that had some weight, to be sure and get a good bond, and also to marry in to the existing levels. Once dry, the 12mm of ply is nice and rigid, ready for EVO foam trackbed. I will used the same plots that were my masters for the wood, to cut the foam. On the station tracks, there will be no superelevation, so I will cut it in one wide piece, but on the relief road, I will shim the outside rail of each track with cardboard, to suggest some mild cant on the broad curve that bypasses the station - so the trackbeds will need to be separate. Out on the rest of the layout, I plan to experiment with this a bit, as I've always been impressed with how it adds to the realism of a model when superelevation is reproduced. Cheers Scott Edited March 7, 2016 by jukebox 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Todd Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 And with a little work using the jig saw, that paper plot becomes a track formation. I didn't have my camera upstairs, when I thought it would be good to show the lamination process, so used the camera in the phone. Apologies for the drop in quality that resulted. 0703a.jpg I'd already stuck the relief road bed down - under the bricks at the rear - when the "need to photograph this" urge hit 0703h.jpg Start with a generous squiggle of PVA... 0703f.jpg 0703b.jpg Spread it out using a broad brush. This part is quite a tactile job - the PVA fills the grain on the sheet, and until it does, there's quite a lot of friction. I know I have enough glue there, when the brush passes freely over the deck. 0703e.jpg It's important to be generous with the PVA, as it needs to fill those same cavities on the underside of the board I lay on top. 0703d.jpg Once I plonked the second board down, I scurried around grabbing anything and everything that had some weight, to be sure and get a good bond, and also to marry in to the existing levels. Once dry, the 12mm of ply is nice and rigid, ready for EVO foam trackbed. I will used the same plots that were my masters for the wood, to cut the foam. On the station tracks, there will be no superelevation, so I will cut it in one wide piece, but on the relief road, I will shim the outside rail of each track with cardboard, to suggest some mild cant on the broad curve that bypasses the station - so the trackbeds will need to be separate. Out on the rest of the layout, I plan to experiment with this a bit, as I've always been impressed with how it adds to the realism of a model when superelevation is reproduced. Cheers Scott Your giving this a good airing, your on a roll, ahead of your Easter timetable ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted March 7, 2016 Author Share Posted March 7, 2016 Hi dt - thanks for stopping by Yes, I've got a bit more momentum up now, but realised over the Christmas break a timetable is a dangerous thing. Originally, I thought I'd get all the trackbed timber and foam down in January, but being on holidays also means giving my time freely to the kids who came and stayed with me. I'm fine with that - they are only young once - but it does result in me being a guru in Minecraft, Call of Duty, and Far Cry, but doesn't get any woodwork done. Having an occasional social life with members of the opposite sex is even worse for eroding quality modelling time - and modelling budget! But on days like today (it was a long weekend here) I can hook into it and, yes, get a fair but done. I actually also fixed the trackbed on the Northern bridge approaches this afternoon whilst the PVA dried, as I had the place to myself. So for a timetable, I've got a solo weekend in a few weeks, Easter and also a week off for school holidays, all between now and the end of April, so am hoping to have all the trackbed timber down, and hopefully start laying the foam over the top by then. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted March 10, 2016 Author Share Posted March 10, 2016 (edited) These past few evenings, I've done some 90 min sessions filling in the gaps on the trackbed laminate - cutting by hand and or Dremel, wedges to fit the spaces between the major slices of ply I'd cut on the weekend. The bases will be covered by foam, so there's no real need, but I'm happier knowing it is flat and solid under the tracks. Tonight I cleaned up the work area, in preparation to shift all my materiel on top of it, and to start laying trackbed along the Eastern side of the room. When I was done, I took another look at the chute track... I compared it to the track laid on the other end of the room coming up from the storage, which has some mild oxidation... I checked and saw I have three lengths of Peco Code 75 flat bottom left over from the yard... (hands up everyone who knows where this is going...) Yep, I tore it up again. I just figure that if it is going to corrode, and in 5 or 10 years time fail, or be so rusted it is unreliable, it would be a pig of location to try and relay. Better to do it now. So up the affected 3m section came. You can see on this piece how localised it is - that clean section in the middle is where there is a gap in the foam under the track, and so it wasn't exposed to PVA fumes. On the weekend, I will relay the chute for the 4th time, this time with Nickel Silver. And I'll use the carpet clue for good measure, too. It's only a couple of metres, so whilst I'll be contorting to get to it, I'm a lot happier now I've bitten the bullet. And moving forward, the rest of the track is very accessible, and I'll be using forced ventilation on the track as it dries to try and disperse any fumes. The way I see it, there's no point banging my head about why it's happening so aggressively - it is, and I just need to deal with it. And now I have. Edited March 10, 2016 by jukebox 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Todd Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 Hello Scott, have enjoyed catching up with progress and the photo's you have put up. Am surprised you have not been over chat with Richard J. As he lives/works only a stone throw away, Somewhere called nasal,or was it Naval ? Richard builds mostly with steel track. conductive properties and realism (rust). You will have to wait until he gets back from his European Tour, London this weekend. Am also surprised,at there are no test pieces of track,using Copydex. Like the post above says,makes sense to do a mock up of Monwearmouth bridge and the High Level bridge, after all the troubles sourcing them. Look forward to progress over Easter. Had a bit of bother,down Dover way,since Christmas. As QS,thought you might have had a bit of input, unless,you have not come across this thread. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/106504-folkestone-dover-sea-wall-wash-out/page-33&do=findComment&comment=2242352 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 Very impressive Scott, I've not looked in for a LONG while, but its coming on really well. All the best. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted March 19, 2016 Author Share Posted March 19, 2016 David, Andy - thanks for the visit. Yes, I'm very happy to be keeping things ticking over. Starting to look like more than a woodwork exercise now... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted March 19, 2016 Author Share Posted March 19, 2016 (edited) And so time for an update. Been doing a lot of work off site in my study, as we had another mini heatwave here (hence the fan in Stockrington's room - almost as important as the iPod, to its left). I've painted the rail sides on a dozen turnouts - figure that was a fiddly job that was not one to do in situ. I also checked, and saw I needed a laminate (2 sheets of 6mm ply) 750mm x 2800mm for Northmoor MPD. Ply comes in 1200x2400 sheets, so I needed to bond four pieces, and did that on the garage floor last weekend. I took the opportunity to haul it up into the layout room, and transfer all my materiel onto it, to free up the East side to work on: The outline of the shed, and turntable are approximate. At the far end, the mainline curves up and around onto the bridge: But this week's biggest progress is roadbed. I've almost completed the roadbed running from Stockrington station around to the Eastern abutment of the bridge: The room is looking nice and tidy, too - makes it a lot more encouraging to face up to an organised work space! By the end of this weekend, all that trackbed along the window (Eastern) side will be laminated. I'm stoked that I can now see some of the sight lines I had been picturing in my mind. It has actually led to one significant change to my scenery plans, too; originally, I thought I'd disguise the curve coming out of the station in a shallow tunnel, mimicking Askham Tunnel on the ECML, but I rather like the idea of leaving it as a cutting now, perhaps with a road over bridge, and shifting the tunnel to the almost horseshoe curve that winds around to the bridge abutment - the one with bricks holding the laminate down right now - disguising the severity of that curve, and given the slope running down to the water level, topographically making more sense, too. No tracklaying yet. I decided it was best to push on and get all the trackbed sorted - then go around the room and lay the foam, which will give the positioning for the actual tracks. The level of "integration" of the different tasks is getting quite daunting - when to lay track, when to wire the DCC bus, when to start terraforming. I've been spending a bit of time looking at the big bridge, too - I need a temporary structure there, probably for 18-24 months - but not one that is totally sacrificed to build the new one. So there's a bit of thinking about abutments, and scaling plans so I get those in the right spot. In general the terraforming will come after the track laying and wiring, but then I have to think about The Big Three - shed, station and bridge - which comes first. I also have to contemplate the corners of the layout. Hard to get to, even now, I am thinking I will actually create the bases for the modules that will fit in there before too much longer, so I can populate them off site later. Cheers Scott Edited March 19, 2016 by jukebox 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 And so my attention turns to the trackbed at the Northern end of the room. There was a section between the Western wall and Northern bridge approach that I had not joined up. It also was the transition from trackbed I'd layed 2 years ago, on shims glued to the L-girders, to proper L-girder risers. And when it came time to create a laminate here, I used three smaller lengths, but needed to apply them using pretty hefty torque with G-clamps to get the trackbed to connect. What that meant in real world terms was that I'd not matched the levels perfectly, and knew I had either some twist, or a dip in the trackbed. After the glue had cured, I ran a spirit level over it, and had indeed created a slight pothole - 3mm over 40cm. When I laid a sheet of EVO foam on it, I judged the transition too sharp - it might cause Kadees to let go - so decided to shim it. In this view, if you follow the plywood laminate, you can see the trough that was out of tolerance under the bubble of the spirit level.. The solution was some 3mm ply shims, and I used layers of cardboard, PVA glued down in increasing thickness, to ramp in and out. It doesn't need to be perfect - there's another 3mm of foam goes on top that will take out any undulations - but it has removed the unacceptable dip from the trackbed top. With that done, I just have the 1900mm "bridge gap" left in the trackbed around the room: So (yet again) I shuffled all the material that had been sitting in this area up and out of the way, and laid out the beams that will support the riverbed. I've also started working on the temporary bridge deck, and approaches. I'd been trying to sort all this out in my head, but have decided I need to get a base down, and that will make calculations and computations a bit clearer for me. So over the remainder of Easter, I'll cut some ply and trim the beams, and get a base to work from set out. Sometimes I have very clear ideas of how to solve these rather complex three dimensional spatial relationship issues; other times, I have to take things a long a little further until it starts to become clear I'm on the right track. This area is definitely a case of the latter. I've also marked up the last of my plywood sheets to form bases for the scenery modules, which I'll cut tomorrow. Unsurprisingly, I am going to be short of ply, so for the first time in the construction of Stockrington, will need to arrange to buy some 3mm ply sheets. It won't be wasted, as I shall use it to form terrace houses, the loco shed, the station building, and any other structures I build from scratch. Scott 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted March 27, 2016 Author Share Posted March 27, 2016 Yesterday afternoon the rain stopped, and I was able to get outside and slice up the plywood I had marked up. So today I set about putting it in place, starting with the river bed. Here's the L-girders, with the cross members marked and waiting to be cut That's my temporary span coming together - made up of two aluminium blind tracks. They are deeper than the actual bridge deck, so this span is a scale 300ft - the permanent one is 318ft. I'm working on how that will fit my abutments in a way that they can be retained. And then cut to size, and screwed into place: The floor got a vacuum, and the speakers were shifted at that point, too! Just the single thickness of ply for the scenic areas - screwed down to the cross members. I checked it at this point, and it is as flat as my spirit level is true. At this point, I was thinking about the backscene, which will sit in front of the ramp track, to hide it from view, and I noticed this: Very hard to get to that Cobalt if it goes postal on me. So nipped the end of the cross member off with the jig saw- it was serving no purpose there anyway. Now, with a little contortion, I can get to the Cobalt if it ever fails. Lastly, I used some heavy timber to set out the water course. Unsure how I will represent the water right now, but I wanted the water course there, so I can visualise the slope of the approach embankments, and the lie of the land. That string line is giving me an alignment I can use. You can also see the last of the approach curve laminates glued and clamped - from there, arched viaduct spans form the bridge approach and buttresses. In the next few days I'll set up some more timber to represent the land form here, and use that to locate risers that will form the approach viaduct. Scott 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcredfer Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Hi Scott, I like the idea of laying timbers to see the shape of things you want to do. It is really coming on very nicely. You're going to have to be careful with waterproofing that wiring at the back there, before you fill the river ... what with unpredictable weather these days an' all ...... Regards J Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Todd Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Am very happy to see you know what you are doing Scott. Have you calculated, how long it would take,to knock down,ready for transportation, for exhibition purpose? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jukebox Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Am very happy to see you know what you are doing Scott. *snip* Funniest thing I've read on RMweb in months! I'm just muddling along and making it up as I go. Botch it? Rip it up, do that part again.... But I'm enjoying myself. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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