MichaelW Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 After a number of years of passively looking for a club in York, I finally found the Ebor group at last years York show, chatted to them briefly, and made my way to their clubrooms the following week. After a few months of hinting that a n-gauge layout would be a good idea, the club agreed and I was given permission to investigate the options. After a few false starts ("too big", "too complicated", "not interesting enough"), we came up with a concept that's hopefully a little bit different. Using the area around Malton as an inspiration (hence the name of this thread), I came up with the following basic concept (thrown together in Xtrkcad to see if it could work): The main feature of the layout is a long, single track, viaduct running from across the central board. This carries a branch line over a river valley and the (secondary) main line that follows it. Across the front of this, a steep track links the two lines. The scenery moves from countryside at the right, through the river valley, to a town built on a hill to the left. At the extreme left the station throat is visible, but that is all. This got general agreement as being small enough, not too complicated, operationally interesting (all the reversing moves to get trains between the two levels) and a bit different. Move forward a few months, and with much head scratching and a little bit of swearing, the following templot plan appeared (why templot? ah, well, this isn't going to be a Peco tracked layout - try explaining the concept of using 2mm society easy-track, and hand-built points to n-gauge fine dimensions...) Still much to do on this for the fiddleyard (did someone say not complicated? hmmm...) but it's fixed enough to get on with baseboard building. Having got authorisation for the plan, I immediately went and ordered 8 sheets of plywood, and before paying for them, got them cut up into lots and lots of variously sized strips. These have sat in my lounge for 6 months slowly turning themselves into a number of baseboards. Finally, I managed to get all the fiddleyard boards up and on display in the lounge: (I have to admit, this is a cheat - they're only held up by bits of 2by1 clamped into useful locations). With enthusiasm waxing and waning, and not being able to get outside to do the more dust-producing bits of the build, it's taken quite a while to get to this point. Though a recent burst of enthusiasm has got the proper legs built for some of the fiddle yard - and with only 2 and 4 halves left to do, they may be finished shortly then the real fun can begin! Any thoughts / suggestions / questions welcome... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 Well, after a couple of evenings of semi-effort (the drill did most of the hard work), the fiddle yard boards are finally built and assembled without the need for judiciously placed clamps to stop them falling over. Legs for them have been built, just need to add a diagonal or two to stop them swaying in the breeze, and then they may be ready for track... Visible in the photos are the extra board that will allow the far end of the fiddle yard to be swapped between club use (with the tight-conered ends shown in the last post) and exhibition use (with more sweeping bends and an operating well), and the frames ready to be fixed on top of the boards to carry the high-level fiddle yard. I've also marked up the boards for the cutouts required under the raised portions to allow access for fitting point motors and getting droppers attached - they need a dry early evening for some outside sawing to be done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dave Searle Posted November 1, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 1, 2012 Hi Michael, This looks a very interesting project. Will you be using the finescale N standards throughout (i.e for the fiddle yard as well as the scenic area)? I also like the idea of alternative set ups for club and exhibition use. Do you have a Templot plan for the larger configuration? Cheers, Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 Hi Dave, Thanks for being the first person brave enough to post a response I think we'll be using the finer track standards all the way round - though the track in the fiddleyard will almost certainly be plain section rail on widely spaced copperclad. Staying with handbuilt track allows a bit more flexibility in the pointwork for the yards. No templot plan as yet for the larger configuration - the main differences are that the fiddle-yard is straight through (hence needing a different board on the right-hand side), and there is scope on the curved boards for some dead-end sidings for dmus / pick-up goods marshalling. I have a board plan for both configs, will see if I can find a picture of it... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted November 2, 2012 Author Share Posted November 2, 2012 Well having wished for a fine dry evening, last night offered a dry one at least (to describe 4 degrees as fine is going a bit far I feel), so I spent a happy hour or so with a power-drill, a hole-saw, and the fiddle yard boards. No pictures I'm afraid, but the boards do look a little strange with so many holes in them... As as aside, anyone know what to do with the 50-odd 3" circles I cut out? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted November 4, 2012 Author Share Posted November 4, 2012 Not much progress to report on the layout (other than my lounge now looks more like a lounge than a railway room - which is more than can be said for the spare bedroom). However, a few more planning / design things: Dave asked about the different plans for club and exhibition use - to help explain it to the club I drew a diagram of baseboard arrangements, and added a rough track plan over the top: As you can see, the right end fiddle yard board (marked C2 and F13) needs to change between the two setups, mainly to get the main-line tracks into a place that they can be turned round to fit their location on the front boards. The exhibition end boards are drawn relatively simply, but I think there will need to be some sidings on them to hold DMUs, and allow local goods trains to be re-marshalled. The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that the fiddle yard boards are oddly numbered - this is to allow for future extensions to be added without renumbering problems. I've already got some ideas for these: This shows the area around the viaduct, and is based on the area around Malton. There are a number of features of interest - each of which could become the focus of an extension. Whilst I've thought about these, I can't see anything happening with them for a while... However, having this plan gives a rationale for the traffic seen on the layout. The final bit of planning is the fiddle-yard for exhibition use: The fiddle yard is divided in three - the bottom part (9 lines) is for the main line, the top (6 lines) is for the branch, and the middle (4 lines) will be on a slope and will allow for trains that use the linking line on the front. The branch and main line sections have crossovers in the middle to allow for trains to be run-round and sent back the way they came. This still needs a little refinement to try and reduce the length of the point fans - some of this can come from reducing the separation between points, but I'm not sure we could cope with building 3 way points, so the obvious ways of reducing space is not going to be possible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted November 4, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 4, 2012 Hello Michael This is an impressive project and the work you've done so far is quite something! I am looking forward to following progress. What is the era you will be depicting? cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted November 4, 2012 Author Share Posted November 4, 2012 Hi Ben, That is a good question - the original discussions would put it around late fifties to late sixties - so steam and diesel, but as I'm slightly more modern image than that I've kept in mind the possibilities of stretching that a bit. Not entirely sure that will happen though... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dave Searle Posted November 5, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 5, 2012 Hi Michael, Thanks for the explanatory drawings - they make your plans much clearer now. Are you really allowing for 10 extra boards in length (F2-F6 & F8-F12)? I shall look forward to watching your progress. Cheers, Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted November 6, 2012 Author Share Posted November 6, 2012 Hi Dave, Yes - I worked on probably needing 3 boards for each of the two station extensions, and 2 boards for the goods extensions, and numbered the fiddle yard boards to suit (mainly so the numbering can run in a sensible order). If we ever get there it will be a really impressive size, but we do really need to get to the point that the initial boards are done before we think about the extensions. On which point, no progress to report on the boards, and not much likely for a few days now... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted December 14, 2012 Author Share Posted December 14, 2012 Well, things have been moving slowly onwards with the boards (except the evening I dropped one of the fiddle-yard supports and it fell apart (not the glued joints, but the wood the glue was stronger than). Last night I finally got one pair boxed up and ready to go: Still some more work to do with the other fiddle-yard boards - C2 has now been drilled for dowels, and just needs them screwing in and fettling against the other boards. And they all need access holes cutting out under the raised sections to allow point motors to be fitted. May get to start laying track in the dim and distant future... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted December 16, 2012 Author Share Posted December 16, 2012 A little more progress to report - having cleared the fiddle yard boards out of the lounge a few weeks ago, they've sneaked there way back in. However, I was able to catch them and cut out the access holes for point motors on the raised sections. F13 felt the effects of the jigsaw first, and now looks like this: The various clamps are holding the support for the upper level fiddle yard in place. When I picked it up to move it out the way so I could deal with the next two boards I discovered two things - all those clamps are heavy! I was expecting it to be light and easy to move - and secondly - if you pick it up by one corner, all those clamps help it to twist... Definitely need to fit a few diagonals to strengthen the board, especially as I've been taking lumps out of them. F13 was moved out the way so F1 and F7 could pretend to be swiss cheese too: There are supports waiting for both of these boards. I was about to start labelling all the boards with "Faux Malton" so they didn't get mixed up at the club - then I realised that's just a working title, and perhaps a layout name would be a good idea... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 With a bit of enthusiasm, and a room being cleared at the club ready for the boards to appear, a little bit of progress has been made. With a few more judiciously placed clamps, more tops have appeared on the boards: Only the slopey bits to add now. The end boards do still need a bit of work on them, but that's not going to happen till next year now. I may get some cork on these ones in the next day or so though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglian Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 The boards look very nicely made. As you are going for fine scale appearance will you be using fiNetrax track work? I'm looking forward to seeing this progress. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 Thank you Anglian. I've done my best to make them simply but well. I'm not sure with the fiNetrax. I've been watching it progress, but I understand that it uses bullhead rail at the moment. The era we are aiming for is late steam / early diesel (with possible updating to near present day), so I want to use fairly modern track. That means flat-bottom definitely, maybe with concrete sleepers. I've got some of the 2mm EasyTrack which I quite like, and newer (post 2000) stock will run on it - with handmade pointwork to N-gauge fine. Cost wise there doesn't appear to be much in it, so it'll come down to what looks right. The fiddle yards will be soldered construction using plain rail. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted December 22, 2012 Author Share Posted December 22, 2012 Despite a couple of days of minimal enthusiasm, the initial boards have flown the nest, and have arrived at the club. Despite a couple of incidents on the way (walking into the patio door being the worst - no damage done, the door still works), and more than a little bit of concern over sizing, the boards have been erected in their intended location, ready for something to be done to them (probably track laying ). Probably should finalise the track plan for the fiddle yards now... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share Posted January 5, 2013 Progress on the layout slowed to a halt over Christmas. I've been busy doing diy at home, and when I got to the club last night I found that the boards had been converted into a library: These books are part of a collection the club acquired before Christmas, and had been sorted into piles of themes. The club librarian is slowly working to add them to the library database and remove them, so it won't be long before the boards will be clear again. Instead of making actual progress, I looked at the fiddle-yard design last night, and having realised a slight mistake (trains to reverse entering from the left in the main line fiddle-yard cannot access the centre line - preventing the intended use of the reversing roads), I rejigged the left end of the fiddle yard. This does move the access tracks forward slightly, which has a knock on effect on the design for the end boards, but this is a small price to pay for having an operable fiddle-yard. Edit to add second picture. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Yes, sorry Michael, having to read each one before cataloguing takes time.. Paul Bartlett PS - I'm pleased it wasn't me that couldn't understand how the fiddle yard was going to fiddle! I had a good look on a quiet evening over Xmas and it didn't seem to work. At least we now have even more books that include Malton. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 Despite the imperialistic empire building of the club librarian progress is slowly being made. Last friday the plan for the fiddleyards I'd printed out a few months ago made an appearance, allowing us to see what it will be like when fully up. Rather than trying to lay track on the templot printout for all the fiddle yard (most of which is straight, and therefor not that tricky to get right, I measured out the track centres, and drew in the straight lines of most of the length of the loops. Then I carefully extracted the crossovers that sit in the middle of the yard from the templot plans, and laid them out in approximately the right position. On Friday I hope to finish off the marking out, then we may be in danger of needing some track... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted February 1, 2013 Author Share Posted February 1, 2013 Well, a week away from the club for OH's birthday meal and a housewarming has done wonders for the layout. I arrived on Tuesday evening and couldn't find a single book! Having lost a good excuse for doing nothing, I decided it was time to start doing something... First off, I'd brought some example pieces of easitrac for club members to have a look at, and we put a wagon on it so we could claim something had actually run on the layout... Having managed to extricate my stock of track bits I started looking at sleeper spacing for the fiddle-yard - as it's not got to look good, I'm not putting in every sleeper, so wanted to see what was a reasonable compromise between cost and strength. With a bit of discussion, decided on 1 in 3 on the plain track (1/2" between sleepers), and 1 in 2 through the pointwork. Having reached these conclusions, and aware of the 200 odd feet of track needed off-scene, I started on a jig for making track - just a creation out of card and pritt-stick (other glue sticks are available) but hopefully it'll speed track building along... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 Well, a week away from the club for OH's birthday meal and a housewarming has done wonders for the layout. I arrived on Tuesday evening and couldn't find a single book! Having lost a good excuse for doing nothing, I decided it was time to start doing something... First off, I'd brought some example pieces of easitrac for club members to have a look at, and we put a wagon on it so we could claim something had actually run on the layout... The Librarians wagon note! Only the first 150 new books for the library - we are waiting on collecting more! Paul Bartlett Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 In order to keep the Librarian happy (in the hope that another possession will not be required due to a books on the line), a search was made for some alternative test stock, and following careful negotiations, a Grand Central mark 3 was made available to the permanent way gang: Having admired the fineness of the track, the permanent way gang returned to their nascent jig, and having finished off the construction of it, track building commenced. Initial attempts were made while the paparazzi were busy at the bar, by the time they had made their unsteady way back, the next section of track was in preparation. First of all, the sleepers were hefted to their needed positions: The previous section was then slewed across to the new sleepers, and a track gauge applied to ensure it was in approximately the right position. With the Health and Safety inspector busy ensuring the press were safely out of harm's way, hot sticks were applied to fix the track in place. Once it had passed gauging tasks, been removed from the jig, and all on track plant moved out the way, photographers were allowed back in to prove that something had indeed happened: Finally, with the test coach having been retrieved by the operating department, the librarian's wagon was once again liberated to prove the quality of the track work. Great sighs of relief were heard as it was show to fit on the new permanent way: Finally, once the entire length had been sleepered and checked for gauge, it was moved into place on the middle fiddle yard board. Again, having carefully distracted the librarian with an O-gauge layout, his wagon was used to prove the quality of the track-work. With much ceremony, and not a little trepidation, it was propelled repeatedly from one end to the other. Gasps of amazement were heard from the assembled crowd as it ran smoothly up and down. Whoops of laughter did appear at one point when an over-enthusiastic propeller managed to derail the wagon by letting it run out of track. Thankfully no photo's were taken during the re-railing period, so as the saying goes, I didn't do it, nobody saw me do it, you can't prove anything! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 Flush with their success with plain track, the permanent way gang decided to move onto more complicated formations, and attempted to construct a frog. Having heard that they were difficult to make, they carefully prepared the work area before beginning. Using Brian Harrap's method of creating frogs, the gang were impressed to discover that the time spent making the first frog was significantly less than the prevarication that went before. Flush with success, a second frog was constructed (mainly to check that it did work for more than beginners luck), and turned out to be better quality than the first. Calling upon the local press, their achievements were recorded for posterity, with the first frog on the bottom. With the second frog looking to be of usable quality, it was quickly offered up to the plan to check how it fitted. Quite surprisingly, it looked to have been made to fit! Shortly after the backslapping amongst the permanent way gang had finished, someone pointed out that it really should have sleepers under it, as drawn on the plan... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelW Posted March 24, 2013 Author Share Posted March 24, 2013 Well, it's been a bit quiet around here for a while, club shows and meetings have impinged on progress a little, but things are slowly progressing. More plain track has been constructed, and we've had a new recruit to the permanent way gang. Having had a look at one of the simpler templates, and taken away a few bits and pieces, they turned up to the next club meeting with this: Their main comment being "I've run out of rail..." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Physicsman Posted March 24, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 24, 2013 Michael, this is the first time I've looked through Faux Malton. What a smashing bit of work! Are we talking 2mm FS here? I'll no doubt continue to be coerced into building track for whatever follows KL. Nice to see your progress - and interesting commentary - on this one. Btw, I think you may have a few sleepers missing! Touche!! Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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