Sheffield Exchange, Toy trains, music and fun!

[The Stationmaster]

Corkink eck mate, that will be HUGE with a capital ACH.

 

Actually Clive would prefer you to say COR kink - just wait until he starts getting that 3rd rail down after tomorrow's Hornby announcement.     

[Clive Mortimore]

Progress update, still no photies as the play room is full of construction bits and bobs and needs a good hoover. All the framing is in situ, the boards still need fixing to them. I have even made the shelf by the fireplace. The bridge across the doorway is at an advanced planning stage.

 

Mrs M commented on access should I become ill and someone needs to get in the room, she wasn't keen on the idea that I should start decaying and no one could get me out. I therefore have reviewed my plans for the bridge, hopefully it will allow the ambulance crew to rescue me. The wiring for the Manchester sidings will have to go right around the room so that there is no wires in the way of the door.

 

Anyrail is a fantastic, every thing has worked out give or take a fraction of an inch or was that my woodworking?

 

Two things I realised last night, I have been planning the control panel upside down and when seated at the panel I can only just see the Manchester sidings. I am not going to lower the layout now.  

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Mrs M commented on access should I become ill and someone needs to get in the room, she wasn't keen on the idea that I should start decaying and no one could get me out. I therefore have reviewed my plans for the bridge, hopefully it will allow the ambulance crew to rescue me.

 

Nice to have a bit of positivity from your loved ones Clive!

 

Mike.

[Clive Mortimore]

Nice to have a bit of positivity from your loved ones Clive!

 

Mike.

Mrs M was actually quite concerned, "Should you have a heart attack" were her words.

[Enterprisingwestern]

Mrs M was actually quite concerned, "Should you have a heart attack" were her words.

 

She should look on the bright side, if you expire in there, one match, and she can give you your own Viking funeral!

 

Mike.

[HillsideDepot]

Looking forward to some photos, when your EE Type 4 has tidied up.

 

As for the Manchester Sidings, could they be served by OHLE? Or at least wires tacked around the door frame, rather than having to circumnavigate the room.

[Ray H]

Is re-hanging the door to open outwards not an option Clive?

 

Could you use those male/female choc-block style connector pairs to take the wires across the gap. The female ones could be attached to the end of the fixed board furthest from the hinge and the male ones fixed to the open - non hinge - end of the flap. The connections are made once the flap is lowered and they help with the alignment as well. With some careful/crafty wiring you can also route the track feeds on the approach side of the open end so that (say) the last yard length of track only receives power when the flap is down thereby stopping trains falling from grace.

[Clive Mortimore]

Is re-hanging the door to open outwards not an option Clive?

 

Could you use those male/female choc-block style connector pairs to take the wires across the gap. The female ones could be attached to the end of the fixed board furthest from the hinge and the male ones fixed to the open - non hinge - end of the flap. The connections are made once the flap is lowered and they help with the alignment as well. With some careful/crafty wiring you can also route the track feeds on the approach side of the open end so that (say) the last yard length of track only receives power when the flap is down thereby stopping trains falling from grace.

Hi Ray

 

Thanks for your input. I did look at rehanging the door, it would mean a new frame, and new door. I would rather spend the money on the railway.

 

The wiring to the storage sidings and their points and isolating sections will be about 36 wires plus the running track wires. The choc block would be wider than the bridge. I think for safety sake the best place for all the wires is under the baseboard and if that means running them around the room then that is what I will have to do.

[royaloak]

Mrs M commented on access should I become ill and someone needs to get in the room, she wasn't keen on the idea that I should start decaying and no one could get me out. I therefore have reviewed my plans for the bridge, hopefully it will allow the ambulance crew to rescue me. The wiring for the Manchester sidings will have to go right around the room so that there is no wires in the way of the door.

Would it be possible to rehang the door so it opens outwards?

 

edit-

Already covered.

 

Adding to it though-

Would it require a new frame?

Most frames are made up from smaller sections of wood so carefully removing and rejigging some of them could possibly do the job.

Edited January 8, 2018 by royaloak

[Harlequin]

For a layout that circumnavigates a room it makes sense for the major wiring bundles to start at one "pole" and travel equally in both directions, meeting at the opposite "pole". (Because it would be mad to have a device next to the starting "pole" who's power/control came all the way round the room...)

 

So the door shouldn't problem, really: The door is a natural place for one of the "poles".

 

However, you could fit a bit of plastic ducting around the architrave, up over the door and down again, if you did need to route wires past the doorway. White stuff with a clip on front so that you can adjust the wiring at any time.

Edited January 8, 2018 by Harlequin

[Clive Mortimore]

Would it be possible to rehang the door so it opens outwards?

 

edit-

Already covered.

 

Adding to it though-

Would it require a new frame?

Most frames are made up from smaller sections of wood so carefully removing and rejigging some of them could possibly do the job.

Hi Oaky

 

Looking at the frame my carpentry woodworking bodging skills and my total inability to hang doors for safety sake, best left alone. Even Mrs M agrees with this. 

 

But thanks for the suggestion.

[Clive Mortimore]

For a layout that circumnavigates a room it makes sense for the major wiring bundles to start at one "pole" and travel equally in both directions, meeting at the opposite "pole". (Because it would be mad to have a device next to the starting "pole" who's power/control came all the way round the room...)

 

So the door shouldn't problem, really: The door is a natural place for one of the "poles".

 

However, you could fit a bit of plastic ducting around the architrave, up over the door and down again, if you did need to route wires past the doorway. White stuff with a clip on front so that you can adjust the wiring at any time.

Hi Phil

 

Thank you. Most the wires are for point motors and going the other way round so they don't cross the door adds about 1 to 2 meters to the wire runs from the control panel. The far end isolating sections might even be closer.  The only wires that will be longer are those form the tracks to the tracks across the joints and they will be the perimeter of the room not just a couple of inches  

 

I thought of a conduit over the door frame. When we moved here the room had loads of power points, TV sockets and telephone terminals all connected with that nice white plastic ducting Mrs M had it all removed when the electrician came and done some work. I hope you can see my reluctance to put some up again.

[Clive Mortimore]

The bridge has been built and I can get in the room with it down, so I can have my (sudden life threatening illness of your choice) knowing my rescuers can get in. 

Edited January 9, 2018 by Clive Mortimore

[westerner]

We DO need photos Clive!!!!!!!!

[danstercivicman]

Good stuff

[Clive Mortimore]

We DO need photos Clive!!!!!!!!

I done a semi tidy up, cleared all the tut off the top of the boards. Rolled out all the paper layout. Photos will have to be tomorrow now.

 

Even I am impressed with how it is going.

[newbryford]

 

 

The wiring to the storage sidings and their points and isolating sections will be about 36 wires plus the running track wires. 

 

There is a solution with far less wires - in fact, you only need two........

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Clive Mortimore]

There is a solution with far less wires - in fact, you only need two........

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

I like being a DC Luddite, I know what I am doing...............................some times. 

[Dagworth]

 I know what I am doing...............................some times. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(I couldn't decide what to say )

 

Andi

[Mallard60022]

Is re-hanging the door to open outwards not an option Clive?

 

Could you use those male/female choc-block style connector pairs to take the wires across the gap. The female ones could be attached to the end of the fixed board furthest from the hinge and the male ones fixed to the open - non hinge - end of the flap. The connections are made once the flap is lowered and they help with the alignment as well. With some careful/crafty wiring you can also route the track feeds on the approach side of the open end so that (say) the last yard length of track only receives power when the flap is down thereby stopping trains falling from grace.

Not good to talk about male and females and flaps, as well as choc, all in the same post. 

M. Faithful

[Andrew P]

I do believe were ALL still waiting for some nice pics mate,           

[The Stationmaster]

There is a solution with far less wires - in fact, you only need two........

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

Clockwork trains and two wires for the kettle in the corner?

[Clive Mortimore]

I do believe were ALL still waiting for some nice pics mate,           

I will try and present this as a journey around the layout. As I said earlier isn't Anyrail great without It my plan would have been all over the place.

 

We are going to Leeds and back, the outward journey is via the L&YR and the return the GNR.

 

Standing on the concourse waiting for the announcement over the low-fi tanoy system to be made telling us which platform we will find our train.

I am not going to have a station building. Viewers of the layout can stand at this point and hopefully get that feeling a great adventure is going to happen once they are on the train as they stare along the platformns.

 

A view looking towards the station, the L&YR side, from where our train departs.

Hopefully this will be an impressive sight as people enter the train room.

 

We rattle across the point work as we leave Exchange station, with signal box to our right and  loco sidings to our left. some might be disappointed that the old L&YR loco sidings have now been converted into a stabling point for the new diesels.

 

We pass under Dignity Street Bridge and we are on our way.

As planned Dignity Street will be the limit of the scenic part of the layout. Between the two bridges there will be the offices and entrance to Hallamshire Goods Deopts.

 

Clattering under our coaches we hear the wheels as we pass over the point work of Sheffield Station Junction and we are out on the mainline. 

 

We pass over the impressive engineering structure of Dore Noname Bridge.

Can't call it Dore Bridge as Dore is to the southwest of Sheffield and we are going northwards.

 

On our right we can see the rows of lines which are locally known as the Manchester Sidings as many of the trains for there are stored here between duties.

 

Behind Manchester Sidings is the temporary PW storage yard. It looks like a lot of work is about to commence.

I have added a shelf to fill in the void by the fireplace. I will use to store the empty stock boxes from the rolling stock on the layout.

 

Our journey will continue soon in part two The Return

[westerner]

Thanks Clive, I'll enjoy watching this develop.

[Clive Mortimore]

So we have reached Leeds and done our visit to Auntie Betty and are heading home.

 

Our train is nearing Sheffield as we travel over Windie Viaduct.

This may become a scenic feature in its own right.

 

From Windie Viaduct we can see Wyde Bottom Pass.

The gap between the end of the layout and the viaduct has worked out slightly wider than I thought it would. Even Mrs M said there is plenty of room for when I get my wheelchair.

 

Almost home as we catch sight of the sidings where trains for the GNR line are stored, Doncaster Sidings.

 

Our train jerks to the side as the points change our direction at Exchange Station Junction, the mainline continuing towards the goods yards and the L&YR Sheffield Station junction signal box. 

When operating the layout I will have two trains circulating while I sort out the next train to leave the station of one of the sets of sidings

 

After a brief stop ,this time we go under the other span of Dignity Street Bridge as we enter Exchange Station.

All trains leaving and arriving via the GNR have to stop so that the polarity can be change, a DC problem I can live with.

 

The old GNR steam loco yard is still fully equipped, It is a big pity that Doncaster Works no longer sends the Pacific locos on ex works runs. 

I am going to use the Peco turntable and need and excuse why a station dealing with short haul trains needs a 70 foot turn table.  

 

One last look at the station approaches before we catch our bus home.

The control panel will be fitted along this side of the layout. From here I will be able to view all the layout. 

 

Thank you for joining me on this short journey.