RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted February 26, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 26, 2015 Pete Glad you found the problem. It was throwing me as the VEPS on Star Lane have run fine. It was the EPB's BIL's where we had problems with the shoes hitting the third rail especially at baseboard joints. We found that ever so slightly filinig the end of the shoes with a very slight curve stopped this problem. The third rail does comes away easily from the Peco plastic bases. I think the only answer for Star Lane is to solder pins to each length of third rail then once pinned in place cut the Peco insulators and glue weither side of the pins. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Pete Glad you found the problem. It was throwing me as the VEPS on Star Lane have run fine. It was the EPB's BIL's where we had problems with the shoes hitting the third rail especially at baseboard joints. We found that ever so slightly filinig the end of the shoes with a very slight curve stopped this problem. The third rail does comes away easily from the Peco plastic bases. I think the only answer for Star Lane is to solder pins to each length of third rail then once pinned in place cut the Peco insulators and glue weither side of the pins. Agreed, it's not the first time the Peco pots have come "adrift" from the sleepers. I have read that the type of plastic used for Code 75/100 Peco sleeper bases is very hard to glue anything to... As I'll be using Tillig/C&L on the next one, I wonder if the plastic is any different? Cyano seems to be the only thing to work with Peco plastic. I am tempted to look into alternatives to the Peco 3rd rail... without Googling it, I think (from memory) C&L do individual 3rd rail components. Trouble is, the Peco system is readily available and just so easy to use which makes it a lazy option. I don't want to get too fixated on trackwork or I may as well bite the bullet and build from scratch. As said earlier in the thread, I will have a go at that in the future... just not quite yet! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 (edited) Just a quickie to say that I've now ordered the remainder of the Tillig points (that's four in total for the scenic section - hardly Clapham Junction) and will start butchering some wood early next week. As soon as I've finalised a name, I'll start a new layout topic but the whole West Croydon thing will be a much slower build than North Street. I'm going to aim to get the four boards built (two scenic, two fiddle yard) and the track laid and wired so trains can run before I even think about scenics. It's been a couple of months or so since North Street was finished enough for the guys from Hornby mag to pay a visit* and I'm having serious withdrawal symptons. Must.... build.... SOMETHING....! I'm planning to use ply for the board tops and framing and the boards will be joined with brass dowels as usual. I'll probably curve the scenic baseboards a little at the front edge, and as usual, the only criteria is that the boards fit comfortably in the back of my little van, so we're looking at around 5'6" x 2' or so. This one does need to be semi-portable as I'm not entirely sure I'll have the room to have the whole thing set up all the time. It frustrates me a little that I could probably get the whole damn thing onto a single board about 6' x 2' in N, but I'm not going there... More soon. Edit: * North Street is hopefully due one more appearance in print, so I haven't finished with it just yet! Edited March 6, 2015 by Pete 75C 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigP Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 (edited) -- Edited January 30, 2021 by bigP Deleted 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Hmmm, that made think of the village of London Colney north of the M25. So, how about..... Croydon Colney ? It's funny you should say that! I mentioned a few pages back that "Colney" sounded vaguely East Anglian and I now know why. My wife dialled 111 around midnight last night as her blood sugar level plummeted to 2.0 and wouldn't come back up despite sandwiches, sweets etc. The rapid response guy couldn't offer a solution so radioed for an ambulance. The ambulance took her into A&E in Norwich as a precaution around 2am. Not being able to go with her because of the kids, I got a phone call to pick her up at 6.30 this morning. Norwich Hospital is just off Colney Lane, Norwich. As I'm not a huge fan of hospitals (they give me the creeps), "Colney" is now something I'd rather forget! In all honesty, I'm thinking of just using "West Croydon" as a working title even though it will just be "based on". If anyone tells me I've got something wrong (lamp post in wrong place etc), I'll just... Going back to bed. Need sleep. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted March 7, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 7, 2015 Hope she's OK Pete, I wouldn't want anything to remind me of the n and n either Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Is it Norfolk and good? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold colin penfold Posted March 7, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 7, 2015 Needled & Neglected Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 (edited) Thanks guys. A few of you know that Louise has various health issues and the sudden low blood sugar thing is a new one. All we need. We're actually in the process of getting her care transferred to Addenbrookes in Cambridge and she actually has an admission booked there for later this month. We've had so many issues with Norwich Hospital. Enough NHS talk, more trains. Pete. Edited March 7, 2015 by Pete 75C 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AireValley1962 Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Just read the article in the March Hornby Magazine about Croydon North Street - wonderful layout indeed. There's something about small-ish layout like this one that really grab my attention, even if they aren't in my era. :-) Looking forward to seeing the new build progress as well. Cheers, William Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Thanks William. Hoping North Street will get another mag. feature later this year and then I need to figure out what to do with it. Going for a "roundy" next which will be quite a bit bigger, same era though. I just can't seem to get this whole 1990 NSE thing out of my system. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gridwatcher Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 First of all a big thank you to RM Web's Phil R who came to the rescue with a spare car park ticket machine seen just to the right of the first picture (below). I still need to make up a matching "Pay & Display" board to go alongside it. Now there's a ticket machine at either end of the car park and the little 4mm commuters won't have to walk so far... I've just about finished detailing the shop backs. The corner shop is getting a lick of paint and Croydon Council has just installed a Sanisette "Superloo" on the corner. The tall BR sign on the pole only features the words "North Street", not "Croydon North Street" as there was no room! In addition, a "Stop" board has been planted just after the end of the juice rail and before the gate across the freight-only line. Various streetlights, grit boxes and wheelie bins complete the scene. The bad news is that I now have no choice... I guess the next job is to begin the scenic section of the fiddle yard board. More ballasting. Ugh. There's limited scenic depth to play with on this board, so I need to have a careful think about what to include (I'm making this up as I go along). I'm thinking along the lines of a loco hardstanding and a short carriage servicing platform. Suggestions more than welcome! manorroad_049.jpg manorroad_050.jpg manorroad_051.jpg manorroad_052.jpg Fantastic....you shame me. As Waddon Marsh lies in the 'next for attention' in a huge workload at club rooms. Fear not it will happen!! We are back in June for a week. Would love to meet up for a beer/play on NNR/look at layout of you are up for it......?? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Fantastic....you shame me. As Waddon Marsh lies in the 'next for attention' in a huge workload at club rooms. Fear not it will happen!! We are back in June for a week. Would love to meet up for a beer/play on NNR/look at layout of you are up for it......?? I could always buy Waddon Marsh back off you... I need another project...! Seriously, update the thread when there's progress. Be nice to see it again. Let me know when you're in the area... I should have been meeting up with another RMWebber this weekend but fate intervened. I've had some nice feedback from North Street's feature in Hornby Mag, including an invite to the Midland Railex at Butterley. I've been thinking it over for a day or two but may politely decline. We've had the whole "exhibiting" conversation elsewhere in this thread but whilst I'm flattered that anyone thinks it good enough for a show, I have to accept that maybe I'm happier building layouts than I am operating them. I have the wood for the baseboards and most of the Tillig/C&L sleeper bases for the next layout, so the truth is, North Street may go the way of my other layouts and be looking for a new home. Andy Y's indicated that he might make the journey to shoot North Street for a future BRM, so it won't be going anywhere until after that. Options are all still open. Thanks again for everyone's comments and input during the build of North Street, I will start a new West Croydon layout topic when the boards are built. If anyone has any photos, info, anecdotes of the area, feel free to add them to this thread, that would be a great help: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/95094-west-croydon-and-the-line-to-sutton/ Pete. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Tilling points with CL track ? I'd be interested in hearing how that's goes as I was thinking CL track and peco points for my next one. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 (edited) Tilling points with CL track ? I'd be interested in hearing how that's goes as I was thinking CL track and peco points for my next one. The sleeper spacing on the Tillig points is too close, just like Peco, but I am smitten by the way they look, especially with the one-piece point blades (no hinge). There's also no over-centre spring so they look all the better for that. They're definitely a little on the fragile side, especially around the tie bar but should be fine once in place. Tillig Elite is Code 83, which is a perfect match for the Code 83 flatbottom supposed to be used with C&L concrete bases. Matched up, it all looks fine to me. If anything, the close sleeper spacing of the points makes the wide sleeper spacing of the C&L look too wide! Sleeper depth on the Tillig points is greater than the C&L sleeper bases (again, like Peco), so very thin cork will be needed to bring the plain track up to the right height. If I get a chance, I'll loosely arrange the pointwork for West Croydon, add some C&L flex track and upload some pictures. Edited March 19, 2015 by Pete 75C 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01276 Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Excellent layout, just had a good look through. Definitely some inspirational stuff here Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 A random discovery via a Youtube video informed me that there was a canal planned from the Thames to Portsmouth, which failed dismally, but part of it became West Croydon station where the railway company bought the canal bed, filled it in and laid tracks. Might be something in the thought that helps as you progress with your West Croydon-ish project? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croydon_Canal Another potential name option I just discovered: "A sad event occurred here [West Croydon Station] in 1912 when the composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875–1912), resident of Croydon, collapsed from overwork and pneumonia, dying a few days later." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) A random discovery via a Youtube video informed me that there was a canal planned from the Thames to Portsmouth, which failed dismally, but part of it became West Croydon station where the railway company bought the canal bed, filled it in and laid tracks. Might be something in the thought that helps as you progress with your West Croydon-ish project? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croydon_Canal Another potential name option I just discovered: "A sad event occurred here [West Croydon Station] in 1912 when the composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875–1912), resident of Croydon, collapsed from overwork and pneumonia, dying a few days later." Thanks 'nut. The Croydon Canal is a fascinating subject in itself, as is the route of the Surrey Iron Railway. There's a good link here for the canal basin itself (West Croydon station): http://www.londoncanals.uk/croydon/croy20.html As a kid, I was always fascinated by a tall slim house right by the railway line. Not least because the guy that lived there was a little "odd", shall we say. I since discovered whilst doing a little research on the West Croydon layout, that the house was 132 Waddon New Rd, originally thought to be a toll house for the Surrey Iron Railway. A little digging reveals that it's not that old and in fact dates from around 1850. Turns out it had something to do with an early railway coal yard that used to exist alongside the West Croydon-Sutton line. I would dearly love to incorporate this house into the layout but the damn thing was knocked down for Tramlink! The tram line runs right through the location of the house (below): © Copyright TrueCroydonian1 and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence I do think it would be a missed opportunity not to portray a section of Tramlink running along the front of the layout (especially as I want to use the tram flyover as a scenic break), even though my favourite era is 1990 NSE. Tramlink didn't come along until a decade later, so a little modellers license is called for. The house will have to go unless I "dogleg" the tram line around it which would just look daft! Edit: News to me that Coleridge-Taylor was a Croydonian. There must be a blue plaque somewhere. Edited March 22, 2015 by Pete 75C 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy2 Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I remember that building well (I'd read that it was a SIR tollhouse too). It had a strange chamfered corner, as I recall. I've walked most of the SIR, having lived on the alignment for part of my youth. It's a very interesting subject, especially their attempts at a level (sic) crossing at Wandsworth - they simply laid the track across the road and invited the road traffic to go over it. It wasn't a great success. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Edit: News to me that Coleridge-Taylor was a Croydonian. There must be a blue plaque somewhere. http://insidecroydon.com/2013/01/02/conductor-alwyn-unveils-blue-plaque-to-croydon-composer/ 6 St Leonards Road - about half way between West Croydon and Waddon stations according to the map. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Right. Enough. Apologies for diverting the topic away from North Street whilst I dither about the next one... Planning to set North Street back up for a running session shortly and will have a play with the new camera - hopefully there will be some half-decent pictures to post, even allowing for my limited stock! I do have the wood and the Tillig points for the next one, so as soon as there's something tangible to show, I'll start a new thread. I do think I'll stick with "West Croydon" as a working title but as always, I'll no doubt play fast and loose with reality. "That road bridge is in the wrong place"... "That siding's too short"... etc etc... Compression must surely be the biggest challenge facing anybody that wants to mimic a real-life location. Oh, and I know that the trams weren't there in 1990. Maybe I should call it "What? Croydon?"... sort of. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 26, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2015 '***** Croydon'??? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 26, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2015 "What? Croydon?" Sounds like a monthly magazine! A few decades back there was a song entitled "What now my love?", but Juke Box Jury panellist Katie Boyle suggested there might be an additional comma, as in "What, now my love?" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Budgie Posted March 26, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2015 Or as the exasperated girlfriend might have said, "What now, my love?" 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Meanwhile, not a million miles away from Croydon... I guess that rules out calling the layout "Basically Croydon, innit?" Ah well, back to the drawing board... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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