Dunmar Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Hi Ernie, Just had a look at your layout and was intrigued by the baseboard design - I'm looking for something similar for my next layout and had a look at Tim's website. Hope you don't mind will send you a PM. Bill. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted September 12, 2014 Author Share Posted September 12, 2014 Today I've moved the pointwork for the private siding. The reason was to increase the length of the siding and to move the tips of the point blades away from the baseboard ends. I also took the oppertunity to even out the radius of the main line curve. This shot shows the main line connection shuffled down the board: These two shots show the 'trap points' in their final (hopefully) position. I did wonder wether to just have the traps or to make it a short siding with buffer stops. The buffer stops might be OTT but more interesting visually. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 Hi Ernie, How are you getting on with the circular base board's, any problem's ? they look very impressive. Gary J Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted September 12, 2014 Author Share Posted September 12, 2014 Hi Ernie, How are you getting on with the circular base board's, any problem's ? they look very impressive. Gary J The boards are great. I'm clearing space in the workshops to get all 8 boards up and trains running. I've place stock on the curves and it looks fine. Freight stock will have Kadee scale couplers and I'm considering offsetting the couplers to make it easier for coupling up on curves. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted September 13, 2014 Author Share Posted September 13, 2014 Just finished moving the private siding The first shot shows the siding alignment with a selection of tracksetta curves. The second shows the main line with a West Country and a Maunsell brake. It doesn't look too bad. The third show shows the siding complete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted September 13, 2014 Author Share Posted September 13, 2014 The cork tile has had the first cut. I think I'll try fitting a point motor to this crossover next. Hoping to use one motor with a model aircraft type linkage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunmar Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Hi Ernie, What thickness of baseboard top are you using and are your boards the 'Lite ' style. What are you going to be using to operate the points - electric or manual? Your layout concept is intriguing and am following your progress with real interest. Bill. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DLT Posted September 14, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 14, 2014 Lovely flowing curves you've achieved there. Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted September 15, 2014 Author Share Posted September 15, 2014 In a garage/workshop where things appear and disappear quite regularly. The sighting of one of my stash of Switchmaster point motors was a high spot. I'd thought they were in a box, when actually I'd put them in a bag.. However they have now been placed on a handy shelf so as not to get buried. I checked to see how they compare with the available depth under the boards. I have a tad under 47mm available: The next shot shows that they will just fit, phewwwww. These motors are 4 rpm and stall when the travel is limited. The shaft has a hole for an operating arm. One is shown on the points to give an idea of the size of the motor. Quite a hefty beast, they are actually made for 'point of purchase' displays in the retail business. Fixing is a pipe clamp (somewhat crude, but effective) or with screws through the eyelets (my preferred option) Just need to find the linkage now and get my finger out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted September 16, 2014 Author Share Posted September 16, 2014 Please see sketch of the track plan. The station and private siding are finalised. Not 100% sure of the fiddle yard. The next 'thought process' will be the signals. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 2ManySpams Posted September 16, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 16, 2014 Ernie, seen your PM and I'm having a look for you. Out of interest, how wide are your boards? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted September 16, 2014 Author Share Posted September 16, 2014 Ernie, seen your PM and I'm having a look for you. Out of interest, how wide are your boards? Chris, The boards are 250mm wide. The limited width makes it a bit of a challenge, but will save on scenic material. The fiddle yard will be on separate boards that sit behind the scenic parts of the main board. I have some Roco curved points that I plan to utilise on the fiddle yard boards. Ernie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 Good morning, The not quite so cold weather has made the workshop slightly more inviting. Just need to find all the bits and pieces hiding in there somewhere. I'm usually tempted to balance whatever I'm working on, on top of whatever is to hand. Then wonder why it wobbles or falls over...... This time I've divided my time between the circular boards and constructing a sturdy 6' x 2' bench for assembling baseboards etc. I've been titivating the undersides of the boards to facilitate the leg system. I'm thinking of making the legs system stand alone (pardon the pun)i.e. the legs etc are to be assembled first, then the baseboards added to the top. Thus avoiding the potential for dropping boards when legs etc are being fixed. In the past this has been a big cause of damaged rail ends etc. The track layout will also allow me to run some East Anglian modern image stock; 156, 153, short loco hauled set etc. The scenery and line formation not being too dissimilar. Class 153 153322 near Brundall A distant signal and overbridge approaching Lingwood Lingwood station, short platform and a level crossing, ideal modelling location. Coming off the single line section from Great Yarmouth at Acle. Just passing Crown Point at Norwich, set NC37 - Class 47, 3 x Mk2 coaches, Class 47. On ideal short set for the class 47 fan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 Finally got time to do some modelling this week. Working on the real trains, which can be as much of a pain as the models can.... This weeks conundrum was to get cork underlay under the track of the first three boards (The station loop). I had used cork tile on the private siding boards, but curved boards mean you soon start to have the joins at funny angles, then if you tweak the track you can creep off the cork, sounds complicated, but its not as easy as laying the track straight on the base board. I could have lifted and slip the cork underneath. What I did was to tape a piece of news paper on the board and do a 'brass rubbing' of the rails. This was then taped to a new board and rails marked through the paper onto the board underneath. A 20mm strip of cork tile was glued (pva) to each end. Careful attention to aligning the sharp crisp cut edge with the end of the baseboard. Strips of cork 10mm wide were then cut for gluing on the outside of those drawn lines. PVA applied and off I went. The contents of the cupboards were used to hold the cork strip down to the required curve. Once dry the middle was filled in using all those odds and ends of cork that normally don't get used up. Small gaps don't matter as I will run over with some filler, then sand. So heres the board with the track still on it and the board with the cork stuck on, ready to fill sand and paint. It all sound coplicated, but is actually quite easy to do. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunmar Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Can I ask you why your'e placing cork under the boards - as stated on my thread ' Glenfinnan ' - unless I have picked you up wrong ! My method of laying out the track was made much easier by placing the points and related track on top of the board and marking its position. Then placing sheets of A4 paper carefully underneath and using the tracksetta's marking out the position onto the paper and using sellotape to join several pieces together which is transferred to the sheet cork and marked - finally cutting the cork the accordingly. Bill. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 Bill, What I was trying to do was to get the track lined up without the cork in place. I tend to have various dry runs until the layout is deemed OK. Then get the cork underneath the track without losing the alignment. Made a bit more difficult when I've tweaked the alignment of the points etc. However the method has evolved since the previous post.... When putting the tools and material ready to carry back to the workshop, I noticed one of the cork tiles was different from the rest. The latest ones have quite large cork particles and come with one side already varnished, making them quite stiff. The odd one must be from very old stock. The particles are much smaller and the sheet is very flexible.. Wondering, I tried cutting a very narrow strip, no problem. Out came the PVA and a strip was glued to the board next to the sleeper ends on the next board to be corked. This more flexible cork was glued without the necessity to hold it in position. The next step will be to lift the track out, fill between the strips with more cork, fill any gaps, then fill the chamfer that will form the ballast shoulder. Fitting the narrow flexible strips took a fraction of the time taken to lay the newer cork material. Luckily the single tile will produce many strips. Going back to the other board I filled the shoulder with a PVA / Sawdust mixture. Something of the techniques used by E.F.Carter in his 'Model Railway Encyclopaedia' ( a book I treasured and read from cover to cover, still quite inspirational) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunmar Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 They say that a picture speaks a thousand words - I see exactly where your'e coming from now Ernie. I like the way you have overcome a potential problem. It looks as though its coming together quite well. I can see a lot of similarites with my own layout. Keep us posted with future developments. Bill. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 Bill, thanks for that. The home made sawdust / PVA mixture is a hit. The section I did last night had dried sufficiently to take a light sand. It seems very tough, not much shrinkage and has stuck like something to a blanket. I made up another batch and finished the rest of that board in a few minutes. It actually means all waste from sanding can be re-used. That must be good for my carbon footprint.....,,, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Good session in the workshop today. The sawdust mixture has dried nicely, very tough. Cuts and sands fine. Here is some completed trackbed with the track sat on top. It will be painted with grey primer before the track is laid. Having looked at a lot of colour pictures, I think I'll paint the track a rusty colour as a base before its laid on the cork. . Most effort was to tidy things up and make room to start putting the boards up. I then assembled three boards on the new legs. Reasonably stable, but they will need some diagonal braces to prevent swaying. I had envisaged the scene shown on the board in the next picture as a private siding. I think however it will become a junction leading to a small fiddle yard. There was a casualty, I magaged to get the Thompson Brake Compo to dive from the board, "Completely Knocked Down" in one go. Nothing damaged that a bit of glue wont fix..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 Excelled myself today, found the paint, brush and the white spirit. The primer is only cheap, but larruped a good coat on. Will paint the board all over to seal it. Makes it look quite good, very pleased. Off to the pictures now.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 Steady progress on the roadbed. To keep the joints tight the machined edges of the cork tiles are used for the mating faces. First some cling film is placed over one board before they are joined (just in case any stray glue seeps into the join). A piece of cork is cut to the required width and glue applied Pressed into place, nice and snug against the next board The ballast shoulder has been filled with the glue / sawdust mixture and some filler used on the other gaps Still time for some fun, ie not all work. Here the end loading dock is 'roughed in' These are the three station boards with a typical North Cornwall T9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ramblin Rich Posted March 3, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 3, 2015 Hi Ernie, I really like the look of this, there's another circular layout on here using modular boards too Glenfinnan Hope you don't mind a few questions..? Are these a special order board as I can't see them on Tim Horn's website? Is it 8 boards to make up a full circle - looks like 2 make a 90 degree curve? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 Rich, thanks for the interest. These are prototype boards, to evaluate the use of what are quite narrow curved boards. They mate with the straight 800mm x 250mm 'Lite' boards produced by Tim. 8 boards make the full circle. Tim is currently working to capacity, producing orders from the advertised range and numerous bespoke requests. These boards are in the pipeline for production. Now that the warmer weather is here I want to get them up and running. Now I've cleared some room in the garage I can set the boards up very quickly. When erecting the boards I use those spring clamps that look like a giant nipple clamp (that got the readers attention, no I'm not into that). These are strong enough to hold it all together, the bolts are added as a safeguard later. My next conundrum is the fiddle yard. I've mooted an idea with Tim and I await developments. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ramblin Rich Posted March 5, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 5, 2015 Hi Ernie, thanks for the information. They look to be very useful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Had an hour in the workshop today. The plan was to lay the cork and rough out the track for the goods yard: I had what I call a C J Freezer moment (when you discover when one of his track plans wouldn't quite fit in the space as in the Railway Modeller drawing..... In my case I needed to swing the track inwards to get the two sidings in the space between the mainline and the edge of the board. The only way to do that was to dispense with the point leading to the loading dock and to swing the track inwards... Not a preferred option as I'm keen to have the end loading dock. I then went to my "european track mountain" and dug out a Roco curved turnout of radius R5 and R6 (R5 - 542mm radius and R6 - 605mm radius). The next picture shows the Peco curved point, the following picture is the Roco turnout I think I'll go with the Roco turnout. The turnout has previously seen duty on 'Beeding Sidings Mark 1'. Where it was necessary to adjust the the inner check rail to keep the flanges away from the tip of the frog. More later Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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