Fryers Lane - Speedlink in the '80s (P4)

[Mark Forrest]

Not yet!

 

Did glue down a small section of track the other day. Have tried positioning the pub below rail height and the house above and that does help with the size issue. Currently having a bit of a re-think about what goes where, its much easier to model a real place!

 

Oh, and there is another car soaking in paint stripper.

[Mark Forrest]

Another aspect of the track laying which has been the cause of some pondering was the transition from bull head to flat bottom rail on the mainline along the front of the layout.  As discussed earlier in the thread, the idea is that by using flat bottom, it was clear that this is the mainline, so it sets the scene even when nothing is running.  When I drew the plan in Templot I hadn't taken this into consideration and (as a result of me not paying enough attention) I had ended up with a very short section of track leading up to the turnout.  From the photos I looked at and my own observations, this seemed wrong and I wanted to include a standard 60' panel of bull head between the turnout and the flat bottom rail.  I decided that the best bet was to basically ignore the sleeper spacing on the plan and space the sleepers myself.

 

Here is the result of a couple of hours work last night:

 

 

 

This now means I have track along the full 1435mm length of the scenic section of the layout and I could resist pushing a few wagons up and down it!

 

This just leaves the remainder of the tandem turnout to construct and then I can start burning my fingers on the wiring.

 

Edit to add:  as if to prove the value of taking photos like this, I note that the second wooden sleeper on the bull head section doesn't seen to be correctly spaced - hadn't noticed that before!!

[adew]

Looking good, Mark.

 

Can I be picky? Could be the angle of the track in the photo, but I would say that the 6th to last wooden sleeper on the bull head section is also slightly out of place. (PS: Fryers Lane is the inspiration for my first P4 layout, so I'm studying this project with huge interest!)

 

Incidentally, not sure if you mentioned it previously, but what are you using for the track underlay? Thanks.

[Mark Forrest]

Looking good, Mark.

 

Can I be picky? Could be the angle of the track in the photo, but I would say that the 6th to last wooden sleeper on the bull head section is also slightly out of place. (PS: Fryers Lane is the inspiration for my first P4 layout, so I'm studying this project with huge interest!)

 

Incidentally, not sure if you mentioned it previously, but what are you using for the track underlay? Thanks.

Thanks, I'd not spotted that one. It looks worse in the photo, but definitely isn't quite right - will do a little sleeper shoving later.

 

The underlay is the C&L black foam stuff. First time I've used it, previously used cork; trialling it here in readiness for my WLL project. Seems to work well,, although can't comment on its sound deadening properties yet.

[adew]

The underlay is the C&L black foam stuff. First time I've used it, previously used cork; trialling it here in readiness for my WLL project. Seems to work well,, although can't comment on its sound deadening properties yet.

 

Thanks for the info, Mark.

Edited August 12, 2014 by adew

[Mark Forrest]

I made a little progress this afternoon on forming and assembling the crossings for the tandem turnout.  I started by printing a copy of the relevant section of the Templot plan and fixing this to a block of spare mdf.  A couple of hours of cutting, bending, filing, soldering and swearing later I had this:

 

In position on the layout:

 

I had to move a couple of timbers as I hadn't got them correctly placed under the crossing nose.  So far so good - just hope it works!

[Indomitable026]

I made a little progress this afternoon on forming and assembling the crossings for the tandem turnout.  I started by printing a copy of the relevant section of the Templot plan and fixing this to a block of spare mdf.  A couple of hours of cutting, bending, filing, soldering and swearing later I had this:

15298937325_0d24d4d535_o.jpg

 

In position on the layout:

15112390947_29c8272622_o.jpg

15275915586_74e75881de_o.jpg

 

I had to move a couple of timbers as I hadn't got them correctly placed under the crossing nose.  So far so good - just hope it works!

She'd be right

[Mark Forrest]

She'd be right

There were one or two times this afternoon when I wished I had one of those fancy jigs you are using!

[Indomitable026]

There were one or two times this afternoon when I wished I had one of those fancy jigs you are using!

That would be a cop out

[2ManySpams]

That would be a cop out

But so shiny.

[Mark Forrest]

And for my next trick; a SG90 micro servo on a MERG mount adapted to fit a Exactoscale Tortoise adapter plate:

 

 

 

[Geoff Cook]

And for my next trick; a SG90 micro servo on a MERG mount adapted to fit a Exactoscale Tortoise adapter plate:

 

WP_20140814_004.jpg

 

You have not taken the actuating wire to the top of the mount, any particular reason why 

[Geoff Cook]

I made a little progress this afternoon on forming and assembling the crossings for the tandem turnout.  I started by printing a copy of the relevant section of the Templot plan and fixing this to a block of spare mdf.  A couple of hours of cutting, bending, filing, soldering and swearing later I had this:

15298937325_0d24d4d535_o.jpg

 

In position on the layout:

15112390947_29c8272622_o.jpg

15275915586_74e75881de_o.jpg

 

I had to move a couple of timbers as I hadn't got them correctly placed under the crossing nose.  So far so good - just hope it works!

 

Mark

 

you need to add a timber and rearrange the timbers between the two crossings to reduce that wide gap you have got there, normally the five timbers under the crossing usually always maintain the same location, but their is no choice here due the close proximity of the crossings to each other

 

also the far wing rail of the right hand crossing, it would probably have been better to chamfer the end rather than flare, due to the close proximity of the other wing rail 

 

also need to close the gap at the rail joint top left

 

All this timber shoving is a lot easier to do in Templot before you print the final plan 

[Mark Forrest]

You have not taken the actuating wire to the top of the mount, any particular reason why

Hadn't thought of doing that. I just saw a conveniently placed hole in the arm bit so figured I could link that directly to the tie-bar of the Tortoise adapter. I guess to downside of doing it this way is that I'm relying on the mechanism to keep the blades across as opposed to the springiness of a longer wire fixed at the top? It's on an offcut of ply so I can have a play around with different set ups before I install them on the layout.

 

you need to add a timber and rearrange the timbers between the two crossings to reduce that wide gap you have got there, normally the five timbers under the crossing usually always maintain the same location, but their is no choice here due the close proximity of the crossings to each other

 

also the far wing rail of the right hand crossing, it would probably have been better to chamfer the end rather than flare, due to the close proximity of the other wing rail 

 

also need to close the gap at the rail joint top left

Yes, have lifted those timbers ready to sort them out next time I get a few minutes of modelling time.

I think I have just about enough clearance in that wing rail (the advantage of tiny flanges!), but you are correct I should probably have chamfered it rather than bending it - a lesson for next time, which is after all what this little project is all about. Might just be the angle of the photo the gap looks ok IRL, but the ends need a bit of a tidy before they get their fishplates.

 

 

All this timber shoving is a lot easier to do in Templot before you print the final plan

Agreed; odd thing is I thought I had, which is why I went ahead with sticking all the timbers down all those months ago. Not really sure what happened; it's equally possible that I either printed an earlier version of the plan or that I missed that bit!

[Mark Forrest]

Progress at the end of last night:

 

 

[2ManySpams]

You've some rails missing Mark. HTH.

[Mark Forrest]

You've some rails missing Mark. HTH.

I'm thinking if approached fast enough stock should make it from here to the fiddle yard without anymore messing about with rails, it should save a lot of trouble in the long run.

[Stubby47]

If you use one of those 2-8-0 Constipation thingies, it will probably reach over those small gaps in the rail.

[37114]

Coming along nicely Mark, not sure how I missed this thread before now.

[Enterprisingwestern]

I'm thinking if approached fast enough stock should make it from here to the fiddle yard without anymore messing about with rails, it should save a lot of trouble in the long run.

 

That was EM!, you're playing with the big boys now Mark.

 

Mike.

[Mark Forrest]

That was EM!, you're playing with the big boys now Mark.

 

Mike.

Oh yes, nearly forgot. Does that mean I can no longer use my favourite hammer to regauge locos?

[Mark Forrest]

You have not taken the actuating wire to the top of the mount, any particular reason why 

 

I had a closer look at this option on Tuesday night when a few of the Staffs Finescale crew popped round to my house for some modelling and nattering.  Geoff reminded me that the mount kit contained some additional parts which I had over looked that take the wire to the top of the mount, so I set about adding these to my test servo.

 

20140923_225437 by Mark A Forrest, on Flickr

 

Also picked up another couple of wagons for this project yesterday too; another HEA hopper and VAA van.  HEA is a straightforward wheel swap, VAA will receive Bill Bedford sprung axleguards.

[Mark Forrest]

Grabbed a couple of hours on the layout this afternoon; trackwork is slowly creeping its way towards the fiddle yard:

 

 

 

[Mark Forrest]

So far I've used switches and crossings from a couple of Exactoscale turnout kits which I had in stock for my Wolves Low Level project. I needed another set of switch rails so out of laziness ordered a set. The rails which arrived (very promptly in today's post) are rusty. should I clean them up and use them or return them to the supplier? My concern is that the rust will return if I clean them up. Anyone else had similar experience (with steel rails, obviously!).

[2ManySpams]

Network Rail / Railtrack / British Rail all have the same problem Mark. Their solution us to keep running trains over the rails or to close the line...