Brian D Posted December 13, 2016 Author Share Posted December 13, 2016 Just out of interest what train lengths are you planning to run? The maximum fiddle yard siding length is 54 inches. Passenger Services The fiddle yard and some of the platforms will therefore accomodate a large pacific (A1, A2, A3 or A4) or big diesel (Deltic or a type 4) and four BR mk1s but I will only run such a consist when I am slightly suspending reality. 54 inches will also accomodate a Britannia, B1, D49 etc and 5 short Gresley gangway/corridor coaches (I have some short Gresley Kirk kits stashed away awaiting construction). Obviously a 5 car dmu could also be accomodated. So anything shorter than this could be used on the layout and will be, especially on the single track branch. Goods a Q6, O1, O4 or a WD and upto ten 21t coal hoppers and a brake van will fit in the fiddle yard but the goods arrival/head shunt situation will only cope with one or two wagons knocked off these lengths. Standard wagons eg BR minerals are shorter that the coal hoppers so more wagons can be accomodated per train. Again, anything shorter can be used. I hope this answers your question, if not please come back. Regards, Brian. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Room for plenty of operation in the Yard then Brian, loads of shunting potential mate. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted December 14, 2016 Share Posted December 14, 2016 I reckon a West Country, a Schools and a couple of Ns would look pretty good on there with some nice green coaches, too 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted December 14, 2016 Author Share Posted December 14, 2016 I reckon a West Country, a Schools and a couple of Ns would look pretty good on there with some nice green coaches, too Yes indeed but the tangerine running in boards might give the game away Regards, Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted December 15, 2016 Author Share Posted December 15, 2016 Another mile stone has been achieved this week. I have completed all electrics of all track laid to date so I can now drive trains over the viaduct towards the fiddle yard, albeit I then have to back the trains back where they came from. Anyway, to celebrate here are a few pics of various trains crossing the viaduct. Firstly a V3 on a costal service. Now a Q6 and coalhoppers. Then a J50 on a short freight. And finally, a dmu arrival passes the departing coal empties. Apologies for the quality of the camera phone pics, I've tweaked them in PSE as best I can. Regards, Brian. 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted December 15, 2016 Share Posted December 15, 2016 Thank you very much for the update on the train formations That's very much like mine! I wanted to be able to run 6 coaches but ended up with the space to only run 4 realistically, love the new pictures looks great! I got a V3 today it's epic! I love the look of the Gresley tank against my LMR 4P tank and std 4! Keep up the great work! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted December 16, 2016 Author Share Posted December 16, 2016 Thank you very much for the update on the train formations That's very much like mine! I wanted to be able to run 6 coaches but ended up with the space to only run 4 realistically, love the new pictures looks great! I got a V3 today it's epic! I love the look of the Gresley tank against my LMR 4P tank and std 4! Keep up the great work! No problem and thanks again for your interest in my ramblings. My V3 is one of my oldest locos, dating back to 2004, of so called split chassis design and still going strong. Regards, Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted December 16, 2016 Author Share Posted December 16, 2016 This afternoon I thought I'd swap over dmus to check clearances over the viaduct curves so I got out my Hornby Metro Cammel (101) sets. Some problems came to light. When I bought these 2 3-car sets I removed the awful couplings and endeavoured to close couple them with a crude plastic bar arrangement (painted black you can barely see how clumsy it actually is). However, when running over and beyond the viaduct including some reverse curves using the cross over at the "bottom of the U" buffer locking was clearly causing severe problems. The solution was reasonably easy - I just had to fabricate some slightly longer plastic bars which I did this afternoon and this has cured the problem. More seriously, I thought I detected a faint rumbling from the dmu as it traversed the Scaleway track and I fear that the Hornby (ex Lima) wheel flanges may be a tad course - the flanges may be riding slightly on the sleeper chairs. There is a solution however - Ultrascale do a conversion pack of replacement fine scale OO wheels. It is a simple "drop in" replacement apparently. So that's the way to go but not cheap for 2 3-car sets. Regards, Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted December 17, 2016 Author Share Posted December 17, 2016 I only managed to modify the couplings on one dmu set yesterday and did the other one this afternoon so I thought I'd take some pics to post here. Firstly, the original bar type coupling. Secondly, the new slightly longer bar... ...with a 3mm setscrew and bolt securing the bar to the bogie at one end and the screw from an electric connector at the other end forming a hook which is located in a hole in the corresponding bogie, the distance beween the two screws being 23 mm having been increased from 21 mm. It all looks very clumsy but once fitted in place it doesn't look too bad and is an effective remedy removing the old Hornby (big) hook and bar couplings and affording an element of close coupling - see below. So now both sets traverse the various curves without any buffer locking problems. Regards, Brian. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted December 17, 2016 Share Posted December 17, 2016 A really clever and effective solution Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted December 17, 2016 Share Posted December 17, 2016 Excellent job Brian, it makes such a difference to the big gap that was, now how about form Black Foam in the corridor connections? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted December 18, 2016 Author Share Posted December 18, 2016 Excellent job Brian, it makes such a difference to the big gap that was, now how about form Black Foam in the corridor connections? Thanks Andy and an excellent suggestion. However, I'll probably go down the folded black paper route as i have done before - see my Thompson coaches below. The same rake is shown here behind the B1. Regards, Brian. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted December 22, 2016 Author Share Posted December 22, 2016 The last few days, in between Christmas shopping, I have loosely placed a yard of track on the fiddle yard deck and have been trial running various trains in and out. Because there was no juice in the yard of track, locos had to start from the beginning of the sceniced area. This morning I remembered that I had a Peco Loco lift so I placed that on the end of the energised track and it successfully conducts juice to the yard of track, see below. I have also been giving some thought to the fiddle yard electrics, trying to get my head around how to electrify/isolate the various roads, allowing for the fact that the fiddle yard moves sideways so that all storage roads are served by both up and down lines (also the facility to operate both up and down lines simultaneously at times). I think I understand what I'm doing so a number of switches have been ordered and a panel designed. These are the constituent parts. The mimic diagram was drawn in TurboCad, printed on plain A4, glued to the (wardrobe back) ply and covered with Transferseal. The circles indicate the various switch positions. Because the vast majority of the wires leaving the panel will connect to track or point motors on the fiddle yard deck, it will be attached to the "floating" fiddle yard probably in the position shown below. Regards, Brian. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
60012 Commonwealth of Australia Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 The last few days, in between Christmas shopping, I have loosely placed a yard of track on the fiddle yard deck and have been trial running various trains in and out. Because there was no juice in the yard of track, locos had to start from the beginning of the sceniced area. locolift1.jpg This morning I remembered that I had a Peco Loco lift so I placed that on the end of the energised track and it successfully conducts juice to the yard of track, see below. locolift2.jpg locolift3.jpg I have also been giving some thought to the fiddle yard electrics, trying to get my head around how to electrify/isolate the various roads, allowing for the fact that the fiddle yard moves sideways so that all storage roads are served by both up and down lines (also the facility to operate both up and down lines simultaneously at times). I think I understand what I'm doing so a number of switches have been ordered and a panel designed. These are the constituent parts. locolift4.jpg The mimic diagram was drawn in TurboCad, printed on plain A4, glued to the (wardrobe back) ply and covered with Transferseal. The circles indicate the various switch positions. Because the vast majority of the wires leaving the panel will connect to track or point motors on the fiddle yard deck, it will be attached to the "floating" fiddle yard probably in the position shown below. locolift5.jpg Regards, Brian. It must be satisfying to be able to run a train all the way from the fiddle yard to the station now! Clever idea using the Loco Lift to enable the power to get to the fiddle yard. All the best, Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Control Panel looks really neat Brian, some good thinking going into this project mate, well done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted December 23, 2016 Author Share Posted December 23, 2016 Thanks guys. It must be satisfying to be able to run a train all the way from the fiddle yard to the station now! Clever idea using the Loco Lift to enable the power to get to the fiddle yard. All the best, Peter Smiles all round when things are completed and they actually work. Yes, very pleased mate. Control Panel looks really neat Brian, some good thinking going into this project mate, well done. The switches for the panel arrived today so I asked my wife to wrap them up for Christmas! I need to buy the four points, point motors and plain Peco track to finish the fiddle yard off - at least that is the plan. Hopefully early in the new year I can start playing trains running services properly. Regards, Brian. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted December 24, 2016 Author Share Posted December 24, 2016 Thanks to everyone who has followed my ramblings on here this year. Your support and comments are greatly appreciated. All the best to you and yours this Christmas and for 2017. Best Regards, Brian. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 Thanks Brian, the same to you and all your Family mate, Here's to running Trains in 2017. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 Very happy Christmas thank you for the posts and updates in 2016! Looking forward to 2017! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
emt_911 Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 Merry Christmas to you and the family Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
60012 Commonwealth of Australia Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 Merry Christmas and a happy new year! Wishing you all the best for 2017, Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 Thanks Brian, the same to you and all your Family mate, Here's to running Trains in 2017. Very happy Christmas thank you for the posts and updates in 2016! Looking forward to 2017! Merry Christmas to you and the family Brian Merry Christmas and a happy new year! Wishing you all the best for 2017, Peter And all the very best to you all for 2017. Best Regards, Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earl Bathurst Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Hi Brian Just read all 36 pages of your topic and have really enjoyed watching the progress. Will carry on watching this develop. Keep the pictures coming Scott 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted December 30, 2016 Author Share Posted December 30, 2016 Hi Brian Just read all 36 pages of your topic and have really enjoyed watching the progress. Will carry on watching this develop. Keep the pictures coming Scott Dear me Scott - you must be a glutton for punishment Seriously, I am so pleased you have enjoyed reading my ramblings and of course I will keep posting progress here. The next step is the fiddle yard - purchasing and laying several yards of track, four points and motors and wiring it all up. Blow by blow account to follow. Best Regards, Brian. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Hi Brian, I too am enjoying your Build, on my Bristol Victoria I'm leaving the F/Y as manual, mainly for cost as I have about 10 Points but I think yours will be far better with them wired. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now