The Furness Valley Railroad

[Donw]

I need a couple of pieces of plain track in the formation, to fit between switches. I realised that I could use the Fast Tracks jig to make them, in a style that would fit in nicely with the switches off the same jig.

 

 

I have also rationalised the position of the dropper wires soldered to switches. Here's an example.

 

 

On the FVRR the outside rail is orange (Orange - Outside - a useful mnenomic), with the inner rail having green connections. Frogs are wired in white.

 

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Next a couple of photos of a test fit of the complete formation.

 

 

An important aspect of this test is to check that none of the blade throws will coincide with a baseboard frame member.

 

 

Now, on with the spiking.....

 

Chaz

 

Nice work Chaz however everyone knows Frogs are Green!

 

Don

[chaz]

The two spurs that I am going to lay at Stokes's Ferry set me a problem. I want them to look weedy, lightly used with the ties lost in the dirt. I am wondering how to "ballast" them - what to use to get the look. Would it be better not to use ties at all but spiking the rails directly to a flat base onto which texture, static grass etc can be added? I'd welcome any thoughts or suggestions, especially from anyone who has done this. Remember the FVRR is U.S. narrow gauge...

 

Chaz

[Donw]

If you could find some old bit of ply already delaminating  you could cut sleepers from a single layer which could be easily distressed and fairly thin. mount them on a bit of thin ply which could hold the spikes. Then add the dirt etc.

Alternatively use a ply base with thin card sleepers the purpose of the card sleepers is so the outline of the sleepers can just be made out through the dirt. So the odd corner or sleeper edge is just visible.

Don 

[chaz]

If you could find some old bit of ply already delaminating  you could cut sleepers from a single layer which could be easily distressed and fairly thin. mount them on a bit of thin ply which could hold the spikes. Then add the dirt etc.

Alternatively use a ply base with thin card sleepers the purpose of the card sleepers is so the outline of the sleepers can just be made out through the dirt. So the odd corner or sleeper edge is just visible.

Don 

 

I like the idea of thin card to show a few tie edges or corners. Would you use real dirt (soil)?

[chaz]

Some progress with spikes...

 

 

It's odd the way adding the rails makes the ties look much shorter.

 

Once I had finished the curve I made a couple of test runs...

 

 

 

So that's the first siding laid almost up to the switch that will lead it back to the main. The centre siding is next - it should be easier as there is more headroom to work in, it being further into the room.

 

Chaz

 

PS - I'm certain I don't want to spike every tie      - it would take three times as long and I really would end up a gibbering wreck.  

Edited November 6, 2016 by chaz

[Donw]

Some progress with spikes...

 

 

It's odd the way adding the rails makes the ties look much shorter.

 

Once I had finished the curve I made a couple of test runs...

 

 

 

So that's the first siding laid almost up to the switch that will lead it back to the main. The centre siding is next - it should be easier as there is more headroom to work in, it being further into the room.

 

Chaz

 

PS - I'm certain I don't want to spike every tie      - it would take three times as long and I really would end up a gibbering wreck.  

 

We wouldn't want that. Real dirt should be ok if the PVA is not to runny.. Try on a test piece first. An old sieve might be useful.

Don 

[chaz]

More spikes. Today I laid the curve into the centre track - the passing siding and tested it by running the ten-wheeler #25 and three Bachmann passenger cars.

 

 

This evening I started spiking the main line, getting half of the curve of the front rail done.

 

 

Don, I know you suggested a ten minute session now and then, but once I get started I tend to just bash on 'till it's done.

 

Chaz

[Donw]

More spikes. Today I laid the curve into the centre track - the passing siding and tested it by running the ten-wheeler #25 and three Bachmann passenger cars.

 

 

This evening I started spiking the main line, getting half of the curve of the front rail done.

 

 

Don, I know you suggested a ten minute session now and then, but once I get started I tend to just bash on 'till it's done.

 

Chaz

 

Different Life styles Chaz I have so much DIY to do plus Gardening plus Dogs to walk that if there is time to do a fair bit there is always something else to be done.

 

Coming on nicely.

 

Don

[chaz]

After a serious bout of spiking I now have the curved bits of the main and both sidings done. Next come the straight bits and then the switches at the west end can be hooked up.

 

 

Every rail section has a dropper wire connected to the DCC bus so no reliance on the rail joiners.

 

Onward!

 

Chaz

[chaz]

I know these snaps of unfinished track are getting a bit boring but hang on, I'm getting there...

 

 

The centre track, the passing siding, has its rails spiked up to the switch at the west end. Some of the wiring is in under the baseboards ready to receive the droppers which at present just dangle loose. The C16 has brought a train of hoppers onto the track with the power conducted (for the moment) through the rail joiners. I couldn't resist a run and it does prove that a loco, five cars and a caboose will easily fit to allow a passing move.

 

Next step is either to install the Tortoises for the two switches already fixed or finish the spiking of the main track.

 

Chaz

[chaz]

You can spot the difference between a real spike and a drawn on one...

 

 

...but you do have to look quite closely.

 

Progress report - the main line, both sidings and the four turnouts are spiked and all rails, except the crossings are wired to the DCC bus.

 

 

Two of the four Tortoises are installed (details later) and have been tested to check that they throw the point blades correctly.

 

Chaz

[chaz]

I spent today adding the remaining two Tortoises to the west end formation and wiring it all up.

 

 

With the baseboard design it's easy to slip a couple of pieces of pine into the side frames and fix a strip of MDF to them. On the MDF I have mounted the four tagstrips from the Tortoises, the MERG accessory decoder (which has four channels - one for each switch) and a couple of double-row tagstrips for the DCC bus connections. Mounting all the wiring like this means it's much easier to work on, although I do have to sit on the floor - into every life....   So the only job that must be done on the underside of the baseboard, above my head, is fixing the point motors in place. To make this as easy as poss' I have a couple of jigs.

 

 

The brass plate with the pin is placed between the point blades with the pin located in the hole in the throw tie.

 

 

The H.I.P. drilling template is placed over the pin and lined up square to the track centre line. I transferred the hole alignments from the drilling template that comes with the Tortoise instruction sheet by pricking through onto the plastic with a scriber.

 

 

A 1mm pilot hole is drilled through the baseboard. I used a pin-chuck as this needs to be done accurately. The holes can be opened out from underneath to suit the fixing screws for the Tortoise. 1mm holes are easy to lose when the track is ballasted or the scenic effects added.

 

Chaz

Edited November 16, 2016 by chaz

[CourthsVeil]

Now THAT is clever !

 

Armin

[chaz]

Now THAT is clever !

 

Armin

 

Thanks. Born out of needing to avoid the intense discomfort I suffer when working on the underside of baseboards. It can't be completely avoided but anything that reduces the need is very welcome.

 

I did have a problem with the marking out for one of the Tortoises. Because #5 and #8 turnouts are very close together I couldn't mark out all four holes for #8 from above - one of them would have to go right through a tie on the diverging route from #5 - not good. No matter, three screws would suffice to hold a Tortoise - in the event I drilled for the fourth from underneath.

 

I think I deserve a day off, NO! - a couple of days off!

 

Chaz

[Donw]

I like the way you have arranged the wiring. I soldered short tails to my tortoises which then went to a terminal strip so no soldering to be done under the board. It also made it easy to swap one out although I never needed to do that.

 

Don

[chaz]

I like the way you have arranged the wiring. I soldered short tails to my tortoises which then went to a terminal strip so no soldering to be done under the board. It also made it easy to swap one out although I never needed to do that.

 

Don

 

Thanks Don. You will have gathered that I wire all eight connections to a tag-strip on the bench before I put the motor in position. That way the only work to be done "upside down" is putting the fixing screws in.

 

Now, am I the only one to be having problems with the internal switches of Tortoises? Some of mine are over 10 years old and well used so can be excused but a few are part of a new batch I bought for Dock Green (I bought a dozen to get a discount even though I didn't need that number for DG) and are proving to be a bit iffy. Some of the ones on Dock Green have given problems to the extent that I am intending to fit relays in the wiring, to make the polarity switching for the crossings reliable.

 

Opening a Tortoise up to adjust the switch wipers is easy enough but surely shouldn't be necessary? They aren't cheap! I am checking those I am fitting to the FVRR before I install them. While I have them in bits I also treat the switch pads to some graphite, as a conducting lubricant. If they give further problems I will use relays on these too. Fitting a relay doesn't take much longer than dismantling a Tortoise as it only means re-routing three wires and adding two more connections and it's a lot less grief than removing and refitting the motor - the latter can be a real pain.

 

Chaz

[Donw]

Thanks Don. You will have gathered that I wire all eight connections to a tag-strip on the bench before I put the motor in position. That way the only work to be done "upside down" is putting the fixing screws in.

 

Now, am I the only one to be having problems with the internal switches of Tortoises? Some of mine are over 10 years old and well used so can be excused but a few are part of a new batch I bought for Dock Green (I bought a dozen to get a discount even though I didn't need that number for DG) and are proving to be a bit iffy. Some of the ones on Dock Green have given problems to the extent that I am intending to fit relays in the wiring, to make the polarity switching for the crossings reliable.

 

Opening a Tortoise up to adjust the switch wipers is easy enough but surely shouldn't be necessary? They aren't cheap! I am checking those I am fitting to the FVRR before I install them. While I have them in bits I also treat the switch pads to some graphite, as a conducting lubricant. If they give further problems I will use relays on these too. Fitting a relay doesn't take much longer than dismantling a Tortoise as it only means re-routing three wires and adding two more connections and it's a lot less grief than removing and refitting the motor - the latter can be a real pain.

 

Chaz

 

The ones I have were bought years ago. Is it the typical cut cost and reduce quality of a successful product ? I think I may go for servos in future £50 for a Megapoint board to control 12 servos less than £2 for a servo add a separate microswitch.

Don 

[chaz]

The ones I have were bought years ago. Is it the typical cut cost and reduce quality of a successful product ? I think I may go for servos in future £50 for a Megapoint board to control 12 servos less than £2 for a servo add a separate microswitch.

Don 

 

I did originally install servos on Dock Green but these proved susceptable to "creep" (a known problem, I discovered) so I removed them and fitted Tortoises.

[chaz]

The ones I have were bought years ago. Is it the typical cut cost and reduce quality of a successful product ?

 

Don 

 

That may be the case, Don. The design doesn't appear to have changed so maybe cost-cutting on assembly or quality control is a possibility.

 

I must just say that I have never had a problem with the motor and gear train which works very reliably even on well-used units.

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Yesterday I put the code 83/100 adapter back in and connected up the Peco track to the west end of the station layout.

 

 

I relaid the Peco track to a gentle S curve.

 

 

I rather like this and will use this alignment when I hand-lay the line here. This will not be done until the station area is as finished as the woods around the bridge across the river. So far my intention to deal with a section at a time has worked, preventing me from being overwhelmed by the size of the job. there is a lot of work to do on the Stoke's Ferry section, track ballasting and groundwork, buildings, wooded backscene etc.

 

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Of course the main reason for connecting the hand-laid to the Peco oval is to allow me to test the running through the turnouts (and not to play - honest      ).

 

Some "testing"...

 

A yet-to-be-relettered C16 approaches from the west with a train of loaded coal hopper-cars...

 

 

...and runs on to the passing siding,

 

 

coming to a stand at the east end.

 

 

Some time later #7 brings in a passenger train of three cars and takes the main line...

 

 

stopping in front of the planned position of the depot building (footprint shown by the green paper).

 

 

With the road reset to the passing siding the coal train can continue on its way.

 

 

Chaz

Edited November 20, 2016 by chaz

[chaz]

Can someone who is more familiar with the real US narrow gauge answer the following point please?

 

Look at the sequence above. The "varnish" runs into the station so turnout #1 is set to the main. Who would set it to the passing route? And once the coal train has run over it who would reset it to the main? Or would it be left?

 

Obviously at the moment nobody can do anything without switchstands.

 

Chaz

Edited November 20, 2016 by chaz

[AJon30]

I presume there would be a dispatcher at the station, train orders would come via telegraph and there might well be a signal on the station to allow trains to enter. SOP would probably be for the crew to stop before entering the depot and confirm the swtches are set correctly?

 

Rgds Andrew

[AJon30]

Signals such as this

 

 

Also the switches would have indicators visible from the cab unlike points i the UK

 

 

(and they would not be going that fast anyway!)

 

Rgds Andrew

[shortliner]

Chaz - I know you've been tree-making recently - Have you seen my post at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/116997-another-method-of-making-those-tall-pine-trees/&do=findComment&comment=2504768

[Zomboid]

I can't help with the questions, just want to say that this is a fabulous project that I'm enjoying reading about.