Crowland Green

[stivesnick]

^{We have started to build the back scene . It is formed of 6mm plywood supported by dowels that plug into the baseboard but allow the back scene to be removed during transport.}

 

^{The other major development is the construction of the brick kilns. As noted in the previous post, we have cut the sides out using a card cutter and covered the result with scalescenes brickpaper. A very effective way to built 3 identical units. The roof paper is not yet glued down but shows the holes where the coal was added. A walkway will link the 3 kilns together.} 

 

^{Photo shows current progress}

 

^Nick

 

 

[stivesnick]

After much wiring and a few choice words we finally have some trains running.

 

The main lines have 3 tracks in each direction and each track can hold 3 trains using dead sections. The holding sections on each track are controlled by a two-way momentary switch. Switch one way to release the first train, the other way moves the other two trains up.

 

Video clip below.

 

 

https://youtu.be/VuSOsjGPjSg

 

Regards

 

Nick

[stivesnick]

All.

 

It has been a few months since the last update.

 

Work on the 3 brick kilns has been progressing and one of our group members, Alan has turned the chimneys on a lathe. They are just under 2 foot tall and will slot into the roof of the kiln and extend down into the baseboard for support.  The top bits were part of fixing to the lathe and will be removed.

 

Enclosed pictures show the scale of chimneys compared with typical 7 plant wagons used to move the finished product.

 

Regards

 

Nick

[stivesnick]

End of year update.

 

The group have been investigating a working aerial ropeway to carry the clay from the pits to the brickworks as the prototype.

 

We have obtained a secondhand Brawa cable car kit and some extra pylons. One issue we had to address is how does the ropeway cross the baseboard joints.

 

The enclosed picture shows a mock up of the ropeway around 5 feet long. The end pulley wheels have been modified to allow for a horizontal ropeway and it appears easy enough to add and remove the rope for each session. The ropeway will be at this height as it needs to cross the railway tracks and a local road before passing through the backscene.

 

The next task is to replace the cable cars with some clay buckets.

 

Regards

 

Nick

 

[Les1952]

Rash people.

 

With Hawthorn Dene I had the same idea of using a bucketway.  I also intended to take it across the board join. 

 

The main problems to address will be of repeated assembly and stopping the thing tying itself in fine knots while in storage without buckets coming adrift..  The latter was one issue that defeated me.  Think about carrying a Faller chairoplane ride upside down without it tangling- same issue.

 

A minor (?) issue is that on a bucketway the buckets return upside down or at a slightly downwards angle from sideways- this is to get water out of them before being loaded again.  So you have to get something looking like loaded buckets travelling one way and inverted empties the other for it to be believable.  The one good believable one I saw had two bucketway loops that were independent and mounted vertically- the "incorrect" buckets returned under the baseboard.  Note this wasn't "Dyna Hyfrid" where their bucketway is too far from the punter to see the detail.  Also this didn't cross a baseboard join.

 

If you can fit the bucketway entirely on one board you have a better than fighting chance of making it work.  I couldn't do it realistically as the direction would be wrong- the bucketway had to come off the front of the layout to tip its contents on the beach (think closing scene of Get Carter).  My final solution was to have it stopped for maintenance.

 

Hope this rubbish helps and all the best with getting it to work.

Les

 

Looking again - at 5 feet long how about having it on a sub-board that slots into the main boards complete.  That way it wouldn't need dismantling, and also helps disguise the join between the main boards.

Edited January 1, 2018 by Les1952

[stivesnick]

Les

 

Thanks for the comments, we will take these into account as we develop the idea further. We did consider a separate board but were worried about getting a longer board into a car to take to exhibitions. Our ropeway also has to cross the railway line so and a river which would add to the complication of a removable section.

 

Will likely see you and Hawthorne Dene at Ally Pally - to give you an update.

 

Regards

 

Nick

[stivesnick]

Some more work done on the ropeway. Nigel has been busy making some buckets. To keep the rope balanced, the idea is to have a bucket on each section of rope between the mast, so 10 buckets in all. Buckets made from plastic sheet with a notched "C" section channel to allow it to be fixed to the rope. Each bucket will be weighted to keep it in position. Photos of similar ropeways show that they were sometimes used by the workers to get to and from the clay pits.

 

Progress photo enclosed.

 

Nick