Derwent - LMS in the Peak (never finished due to house move)

[Rowsley17D]

A bit more done to the signal today. Safety rail fitted.

 

 

 

While awaiting painting, it was tried out in its position on the end of platform 2, with local stopper to Chinley about to start.

 

 

Shortly after getting the right o' way.

 

[LNER4479]

Lovely work on the signals, very characterful.

[Mrkirtley800]

A very nicely made signal and so typically Midland. Really lovely modelling.

Derek

[Jock67B]

Morning Jonathan,

Superb intricate modelling, a true inspiration,

Kind regards,

Jock.

[Rowsley17D]

The S&T gang painters have been hard at work. Technically not yet finished as I have run out of balance levers.

 

Crab with train for Manchester Central awaits the off.

 

 

And shortly after getting it...

 

 

[TheSignalEngineer]

Nice signals.

 

Don't forget to get the blinders aligned correctly. This signal at Kingsbury Branch Sidings was still in Midland condition when it was taken out around 1976.

 

Photo copyright C E Steele 2015

[Richard Mawer]

Gosh. Think i'll keep my butchered Ratio efforts well hidden.

[Rowsley17D]

The blinders have not been bent up into their proper positions, as the paint was not quite dry. The lower part of the main post needs to be painted black too.

[Rowsley17D]

I have been experimenting with SigScribe4 to see if I can get somewhere near a signal diagram for Derwent, so that I know what other signals to build and more importantly where to correctly place them. So either bravely or foolhardily, I attach the diagram for your perusal. Please advise where I have gone wrong.

 

Where a signal has a * against it, it represents a bracket signal of two or more dolls or two ground signals. So please quote the column and row numbers for these signals.

 

Signal Diagram 01.docx

 

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2015 by Rowsley17D

[Rowsley17D]

I copied the diagram into Paint. It's a bit small but hope those who don't want to download it will find it useful. A few folks have downloaded the diagram but no replies as yet. Are people too busy rolling about laughing?

Edited November 3, 2015 by Rowsley17D

[Joseph_Pestell]

I copied the diagram into Paint. It's a bit small but hope those who don't want to download it will find it useful. A few folks have downloaded the diagram but no replies as yet. Are people too busy rolling about laughing?

 

38, 41 and 42 look wrong to me. It is the sort of arrangement that the GW might go for but the Midland would have had those as brackets further back.

 

I am guessing that your software can't draw a bracket signal but 42 should be on a bracket next to the branch home.

 

I think that 38 and 41 are probably redundant. I think that 40 might not be needed either.

 

The numbering/layout needs some work. Others will advise better than me. I have always struggled getting junction boxes right. First starting point is that you should include some levers for the distants even if they are not on the visible part of the layout.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Joseph_Pestell

[Rowsley17D]

Hi Joseph, Thanks for your input. The signal at column 2, row 5 is a bracket (branch home), so is 42 redundant? I had to put one there otherwise the program would not protect a down train standing in the platform from a Up branch train approaching said platform in that it would not lock the Up Branch home and associated pointwork. I don't know whether the program can cope with bi-directional running which the line with signals 19 and 20 is. I am not worried about how far back brackets are as it is only a diagram and on the layout are further back. 38 protects the junction at turnout 10 is this needed. Again the numbering of the points and signals is something I am not worried about as I am not building a lever-frame.

 

Diagram after some changes suggested by Joseph.

 

 

Edited November 4, 2015 by Rowsley17D

[Rowsley17D]

In a break from signals and where to put them, I got the Ratio cattle dock completed, painted and weathered.

 

That rail gap needs closing up.

 

It still has to be bedded in and a few inhabitants needed. The bits and bobs - troughs, standpipes etc. are still to be put in place as are the track drains.

 

 

Alongside some Slater's cattle wagons. I may get a few of the new Parkside ones to make a larger rake.

 

Edited November 13, 2015 by Rowsley17D

[Alister_G]

That's a great job on the cattle dock Jonathan, I really like the colours you've got on there.
 

That rail gap needs closing up.

No, don't, you'll get a great clickety-clack from it as it is

 

 

Oh, and just my thoughts on your signal diagram, as you know I'm no expert, but it's my feeling that given the time period you are modelling, you may have over-signalled it, and not all the points would be operated by the box either. I'm prepared to be shot down about this, but if you look at photos of Bakewell in LMS days, there were no ground signals, and only the turnouts on the main lines were operated from the box, everything in the yard was done by ground frames.

Al.

Edited November 13, 2015 by acg_mr

[Rowsley17D]

A revised signal plan following comments by Al (Bakewell).

 

 

 

There are only two ground signals in the yard, which give access to the branch-line. The double ground signals on the mainline have been reduced to singles.

Edited November 14, 2015 by Rowsley17D

[Rowsley17D]

Back to the cattle dock. The drains have been fitted but need some more treatment to weather them in.

 

 

[Rowsley17D]

There has been much discussion on other threads regarding minimizing the drumming sound from the baseboards while trains are running which include what sort of glue to use to stick down cork or foam and the ballast. Some say that using PVA to glue cork negates the sound deadening qualities of the cork and using the same to fix ballast only magnifies the problem. I have used 3mm foam, C&L track, Carrs' ballast and vinyl glue. I have shot two videos using the same engine at the same speed, one with the digital sound off, the other with it on. The loco is a Bachy Crab with Olivia's sound on a Zimo decoder with five bogies, two are Larry "Coachmann" beauties, can you spot them? Apologies for the poor camera work, never tried it before, but I guess it is at the limit of what a digital camera can do saying it must be five years old.

 

Anyway, first the sound is off. Best played at half volume.

 
Then with sound.

 

So you pays your money.......

Edited November 16, 2015 by Rowsley17D

[JeffP]

I prefer it without, the tinny noise doesn't do it for me, reminds me of talking into a coffee can connected to another with string..

Sorry.

 

Very much doubt I'd bother in 7mm now either.

[Snofi]

I got distracted with the first video by asking myself "oooooo, what are those things with flashing lights under the baseboard - do I need any" ;-)

 

Then the little magpie dropped off my shoulder and I concentrated on the sounds. Seems to me that the "sound off" background noise (ie train running on track) seemed pretty much the same in both videos but with sound on tended to obscure the actual train noise - cutting across the same frequencies. What I'm trying to work out is whether that is the case in reality - you hear a generic train noise which, as it closes, becomes a more defined series of mechanical patterns.

 

Not sure I'm tempted by sound yet...

[Rowsley17D]

Hi Jeff and Sofi, it's not so much the merits of digital sound that I was trying to convey but the problems of baseboard noise. I guess the sound quality of my camera is nothing to write home about either.

 

The flashing lights are from the Minxmicrodrives which control the point motors and crossing polarities.

Edited November 16, 2015 by Rowsley17D

[Buhar]

Maybe it's a case of watching too many model trains, but I think there has to be some noise, even if it's completely wrong!  If it's the locomotive sounds, I think you end up with too much missing, depth and the doppler effect.  I'd go with no DCC sound and even not try to deaden the track noise too much. 

[Rowsley17D]

 

After a few days just running trains, I got to work on the coal offices for the yard. They are loosely based on those which used to be at Matlock. They are one office short and minus the weigh office. My weigh office will be a separate building near to the yard road entrance. Here is the basic structure in ashlar to match the rest of the buildings.

 

 

Now with windows by LCut.

 

 

and doors by York Modelmaking.

 

[Rowsley17D]

 

A little bit more done between Sunday services. Roof slated and chimneys built. The pots came from those which were originally on the station building.

 

 

The guttering is in the process of being fitted. hence the droop at the near corner. The roof card edges will be darkened before final fitting.

[Rowsley17D]

 

The coal offices were more or less completed today with the guttering and down-pipes added. Some signs were concocted on the 'puter. Just needs to be bedded into its position.

 

 

 

Helicopter shot of the general goods yard area.

 

 

Next up, the weigh office.

[Rowsley17D]

The weigh office is basically the other "bit" of the Matlock offices that were omitted from the coal offices above. So this means there is a small yard office alongside the weigh office itself.

 

The basic shell.

 

 

And after some more work this afternoon.