Brecks Road - The rebuild begins

[beejack]

I thought it was about time to start a thread for my latest layout.

 

This is being built as a DCC layout from the start.  I own a Hornby select and this was going to serve as a temporary controller until I decided what I was going to purchase.  In the end I have decided to go for computer control and as the E-link was due  I decided this would be what I would go for and purchased one when it went on sale in July 2013.

 

 

Brecks Road has had a very bumpy start.  It all started about Nov 2012,  my old layout chesterford was not what I wanted and so I started designing a new and improved layout.

 

The original size was 8ft x 9ft 6", The two 9ft 6" sides were 30" deep and the 8ft sides were 24" and 18" deep. 

 

For the new layout the 8ft x 18" board was replaced with an 8ft x 24" to match the other end. 

 

This was to be a two level layout with the upper level housing the station and hidden below a four road fiddle yard. I have managed to cram in two inclines and anyrail tells me that these should be 2.4% and 2,8%.

 

Originally I called the layout  'Newtown' after an area in my hometown, One day I was playing with a name generator and kept getting names with downs in and I had the stupid idea to call it 'Upsand Downs' as a play on words as to what the locos would be doing as they raced around the track!.

 

I have finally come to my senses and given it a decent  name( in my mind!) This time after the road I was born in and spent my early childhood playing in. Brecks Road was finally born.

 

So the bumpy start refers to many stops and starts, I had all the track laid and pinned down fairly quickly, but suddenly progress just stopped.  I wasn't thinking straight and lost my mojo, so decided to kick it into touch for a while.  

I then found out the tablets I was taking had not been doing me any favours (took me two years and a bit to realise!), so a trip to the doctors, a change of tablets and two months later got back to normal, well as normal as I ever am!

 

I decided it was time to restart work.  There was plenty of wiring to keep me busy and I think I went a little overboard with the wiring on the upper level - five roads through the station and three stabling points and over 100 drop wires installed and I still had 8 point motors to fit and wire!

As worked progressed I found there were still a few things I didn't like so I ripped up the depot, and all storage sidings and one corner of the layout and have proceeded to remodel that corner.

 

Heres a couple of photo to give an idea as to what it started out looking like.

 

Depot area ( the top of the incline and the corner bit are the subject of the remodelling)

 

 

 

Fueling point (originally was to be a stem depot)

 

 

West end exit from fiddle yard

 

 

Top of incline looking from eastern station approach

 

 

Inclines

 

 

Low level sidings

 

 

eastern station approach

 

 

Western Station approach (stabling points siding still to complete!)

 

 

Here's the original plan

 

 

I was originally trying to accommodate both steam and diesel but with not much space diesel is winning and it is touch and go whether a turntable will make it into the final plan but so far I've managed to find space.

 

So that's it for now  I have a few photos of the alterations to the corner area and a new track plan to upload, before I can show the changes being made.

 

 

[beejack]

so here is the updated plan:

 

 

I've got rid of the double curve/double straight/double curve at the top of the incline with a sweeping bend.

 

Although it doesn't show it properly the curve in the bottom right is completely hidden under another raised area. Not sure what is going to be put here but it willl possibly be a few house and probably a road and maybe even a level crossing!

 

below are a few photos of work in progress with a reminder of how is was originally.

 

 

original

 

 

old incline top removed and new supports in place.

 

 

tunnel walls being test fitted

 

 

 

 

 

 

New top test fitted

 

 

Tunnel port holes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I will need to operate the point motors conventionally until I have some point decoders I have also made a start on a control panel for the station side of the layout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[beejack]

I thought I should post an update

 

further work has been carried out in the corner with the tunnels wall now painted and in place,

backboard now in place

new upper level board now painted and temporarily fixed in place

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see I have cut an access hatch in the board to allow for track cleaning and to access any derailed items.  

Note the tunnels walls are only there to ensure the locos and stock remain close to the track if they derail.

 

I have also been having a go at making some tunnel portholes using Linka.  The painted section was done to see how visible the joints would be when the pieces were glued together and painted. 

 

 

 

Only the painted section is glued with the rest of the pieces just placed to see what the rough shape would be.

[sdw7300]

Looks a great start to what could be a cracking layout.

 

Happy modelling

[class"66"]

Looks realy good size layout!! wil watch how this comes along....

[Steve O.]

Hi Beejack,

Looks great, looking forward to following your progress.

Steve

[beejack]

No real progress since before Christmas as Finances were a little stretched.  Also as I have haven't been in the garage to work on the layout the area became a bit of a dumping ground.  

 

With the recent bad weather we have all been getting since Christmas, I purchased quite a few plastic storage boxes to ensure my stock had as much protection as possible. This was especially required as the garage floor is at the same level as the drive and although we have never been flooded in the 17 years I have lived in Clevedon we were under tidal flood warning for parts of the town.  Luckily no problems so far.

 

The above purchases have been the catalyst to a major tidy-up of the area which is now close to completion. 

 

2014 has started in a different light financially and I have been able to make a few purchases.  

 

I popped along to my local model shop in Portishead (model railways direct ) and stocked up on a few decoders.  Thought I would try the DCC Concepts S4SA decoders,so purchased a pack of 5 and also 4 Lenz standard decoders to try in some of the locos where cheaper decoders do not give smooth running at low speeds.  A few other bits were purchased such as the woodlands scenics track cleaning kit and the Bachmann Blue class 108 DCC fitted , A bargin at just under £70 and a Bachmann mk2 First open coach. 

 

A Further two mk2 second open coaches have been purchased from hattons.  Originally I had ordered two different running numbers but unfortunately they found that one was not available and phoned to let me know.  I will now be receiving two with the same running number! not totally happy but was impressed with the personal touch.  They could have just sent an email or sent only the one coach but chose to wait until they had spoken to me!

 

I was also able to go to the Weston Super Mare Railway exhibition at the campus on 12th Jan and for once was able to take advantage of a few bargains, including the latest version of a Hornby class 56 OysterMouth which was new and was a bargain at £60. This has now been chipped with my last remaining Gaugemaster decoder. A very nice model but in rail-freight livery is not quite in keeping with the era I am trying to work towards, and so may get repainted at some point into large logo blue and renumbered (as I don't think 56040 ever painted into large logo) or into original blue but keeping the existing number.

 

I placed it against my two Hornby/Mainlaine 56's and I'm impressed as to how similar the two models are, yes the new model is much better but it just goes to show how good the old mainline molding was.

 

A couple of impulse purchases from ebay have seen me buy the following 

 

• A mini dv camera that will quite happily sit on the buffers of a wagon or coach without obstruction and at less than £10 is not going to give the best quality video but is good enough to give a driver view. This has been trialed and gives acceptable results in my eyes.
• A static grass applicator. (basically and sieve put into a the handle of an electronic fly swatter)  I haven't got any static grass yet so haven't been able to test how good it is yet.

 

 

I Need to get the track alterations finished so that the new additions can be run in and a full circuit of the layout can be Videoed.  In the mean time I have made a trial video and from what I have seen so far makes me think a few sections of track need to be relaid sooner rather than later as there are a few areas where the track is not very straight.  Got to decide whether to post the trial video!

 

 

So whats next 

 

Well who knows, I am at the mercy of rapid electronics at the moment waiting for more blue blade splice crimps to come back into stock, can't justify paying just under £3 for 10 when I can get 100 for less than £8.  Fortunately most of the area left to connect to the bus will not impact on the ability to run the main circuits, but is holding me up being able to complete the depot area.  I could lay the track and wire it up and make temporary connections but I hate having to do things twice plus I have a slightly modified version of the track plan which I am mulling over.

 

Scenery is not my strong point, but I suppose I need to get started on this soon.

I am after a few more items of rolling stock - mainly mk1 and mk2 blue/grey coaching stock and mgr wagons. The Mgr Wagons seem to be in short supply and going for stupid prices at the moment. Does anyone know whether these have been produced in kit form and if so where they could be obtained from?

 

Hopefully a few photos of the new additions and a video of the layout can be posted in the next few weeks.

 

 

[class"66"]

Looking forward to more now...

[beejack]

Unfortunately no more work has been done for a while now. I Injured the ligaments in my right hand last year and it still isn't back to full strength.

 

I have been adding to my collection of stock over the past few months.

 

Purchased an airbrush and compressor at Warley and although haven't used it too much yet I did have a go at respraying a lima parcels coach before christmas.  It was originally a lighter blue and had a light grey roof.

 

Here's the completed coach - the express parcels logo may not be in the correct place, but i can live with it for now.

 

 

In comparison here's another which Lima got the colour correct on

 

 

I do need to get some work done on the layout.    Been neglecting it lately as have had no enthusiasm.  Everytime I try to do too much my hand starts swelling up again.

Hopefully I will get some work done soon.

 

plans

 

I originally had a lift out section when my original layout was on one level, since changing to a twin level layout I fixed the lift out section in place as it was easier.  now looking to change this to a lift of or hinged section for the upper level which will in turn allow the lower level to be hinged.  

To do this I have to completely rebuild this section.  

 

Also the upper level is only 4" above the lower level so access to the 4 road fiddle yard below the station is difficult to reach if there is a problem, so this is going and will be replaced with just the up and down lines.

 

once the lift up section is completed I can decide on how the approaches to the station are going to change.  

 

I have ordered some of the DCC Concepts powerbase - enough to do both inclines so all the track on the inclines will need to be removed and refitted on top of the powerbase.  

 

I did make a couple of impulse purchases in december -

 

derby lightweight DMU 

Tornado Pullman express set 

 

The latter does not really belong in a 70's era layout but it couldn't resist it at £99 

bought seven more Pullman cars that match and all with different names!

 

Just need to clean up the layout before any work can start.  

[beejack]

After another month or so waiting for the Ligaments in my hand to heal I can finally start work on rebuilding Brecks Road.

I had planned to just rebuild the lift out section and make it hinged for easier access, then just to lift the track on the inclines to install the DCC Concepts power base.

Whilst I was rebuilding the section I decide to make the start of the incline rise out of the baseboard top rather than fit an extra board on top.  This makes the transition from level surface to incline much smoother. 

 

 

Once I had done this I thought why not do it to the whole of both inclines?

So the whole of the layout has been stripped of all track, both inclines have been removed.  The base boards have been cut and all pieces of MDF have been repainted and also the underneath has also been painted so the boards are effectively sealed.

Here is the end result.  Completely bare boards ready to be fixed to the frames and the inclines raised into position.

 

 

 

Next step is to fix both inclines into place and refit all the back boards.

Rebuilding has also given me the opportunity to rectify a couple of errors.

·         Increase the width of the inclines and raised sections

·         Remove the unsightly gaps between the inclines which just didn’t look right

·         Fit cork below the track

Increasing the width of all the inclines and raised sections means the locos will be little further away from the back drop and secondly I will be able to add some walling to the inclines.

The cork isn’t there for sound deadening it is there to make the ballast walls look better.

 

So hopefully more to come after the weekend.

 

Before I go here is a little something I knocked up last week.

Early last year I bought a set of 4 rollers from our favourite auction site

 

 

Although they are very good they did have one annoying factor.  The screws that stick out at the bottom.  Now I know these are supposed to help when placing them on the track, but they are not in the same position on all 4 rollers meaning that some are a tight fit where as other are loose. This causes problems of when trying to adjust them.

 

Here’s my solution.

 

 

The center section is made from 12mm x 12mm L shaped aluminium strip.  The rollers all have the protruding screw threads filed down flat with the surface and a piece of track at either end.  All sections are live and I can now program and run in single power bogie locos and twin powered bogie locos.  I have enough length to accommodate both power cars of a Pendolino and the two tracks are close enough that I can program and running a two car DMU.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited to correct errors