Hinton Ampner

[martin_wynne]

'Not to be intuitive' I think is putting it mildly. I think for hand built track it is fairly essential though. I am not doing that so gave up rather quickly.

 

Hi Chris,

 

Templot is ONLY for handbuilt track, so if you are not doing that there is no point in even trying Templot.

 

Instead use AnyRail, or SCARM, or XTrackCad, or Winrail, or several others, for ready-made track. But not Templot.

 

It's not surprising that you found it unintuitive if you are trying to use it for a purpose for which it is not intended.

 

From the Templot download page:

 

 

AnyRail is here: http://anyrail.com

 

regards,

 

Martin.

[ChrisN]

Martin,

 Thank you for that.  I came across Templot a while ago and soon realised it was not what I wanted/needed and soon after that I settled on Anyrail.

[Jock67B]

Martin,

I agree with Chris, but that said, having read Gordon's 'Eastwood' thread which made excellent use of the Templot system, I was tempted to look at it anyway. What a fantastic tool for the track builder ; as a qualified engineer, I can only express my admiration for your 'invention'! Sadly, my fitness and financial situation are both likely to impact on my decision to stick with the few SMP and Peco products that I already have, but rest assured, if my circumstances change, I shall probably be 'knocking on your door' for clarification of certain points (pun intended!).

Sorry to hi-jack your thread Duncan, but if you look at how well George and Andy have done on the 'Bitton' thread, you might consider making your own for this layout?

Kind regards,

Jock.

[emt_911]

Jock

 

As with most of the Lunester threads, there is no such thing as hijacking. Most of the information is useful to someone.

 

Templot is slowly being mastered so that all of the track will be hand built. It'll probably take a bit longer (virtually guaranteed) but the end result will be worth the effort.

 

After seeing Andy's first attempt and seeing how easy it is, I'm more than encouraged that this is achievable

[emt_911]

Having looked at Doxey End, Hempshaw and Bitton, I have found that I'm going to have to decide before track gets laid that I need to decide of which coupling / uncoupling system to go for.

 

The reason for this is that I don't want to have to lift hand built track when it's laid and I'm hopefully going to be constructing some wagon kits over the winter and therefore that would be the ideal time to mount the couplings.

 

I really need to attend a couple of shows to help with this, but real life keeps getting in the way.

[Anotheran]

Duncan,

 

I almost made that mistake on Doxey End! However, I have worked out that I can place neodymium cube magnets between sleepers along an inch or so of track where I want permanent uncoupling points, so that can be done after track is laid by digging out some cork underlay between the sleepers next to the rails (indeed, it makes it easier to get them to sit where you want as the blighters have a tendency to jump towards each other) and then ballasted over. But for electromagnets, yes... planning is needed here. I think I have worked it out correctly for DE, but I expect I'll learn some lessons to be used on NE from operating it!

 

But planning is so much fun it's always good when you realise you need to do more of it

 

Kind regards, Neil

[emt_911]

Thanks Neil

 

I have to agree about the fun of planning. The unfortunate bit at the moment is that the list of what needs to be planned is getting longer.

[emt_911]

Hi guys

 

I'm putting together my initial shopping list for building the first test points and track. Copper clad strips are no problems after the discussion on Andy P's Bitton thread. I do have several questions though.

 

1. Which rail material should I use. HiNi N/Silver, N/Silver or Steel?

2. Which solder and flux gives the best result?

 

And a question for when the track proper gets built. What should I use for the 3rd rail?

[lezz01]

Hi guys

 

I'm putting together my initial shopping list for building the first test points and track. Copper clad strips are no problems after the discussion on Andy P's Bitton thread. I do have several questions though.

 

1. Which rail material should I use. HiNi N/Silver, N/Silver or Steel?

2. Which solder and flux gives the best result?

 

And a question for when the track proper gets built. What should I use for the 3rd rail?

Hi Duncan

Personally I use N/Silver rail and Carrs Green lable flux. For solder I use a big reel of non-cored stuff I got from Maplins with a high wattage iron I don't remember exactly how high as I've had it a long time and the lable came off many years ago but its north of 35W with a flat bit that looks like a screw driver bit. Peco do a 3rd rail and fixings although I have never used them but then 3rd rail isn't my thing.

If I'm building track I go with ply and rivets although I have built copper clad for people on fleebay for use in fiddle yards etc.

I haven't built track for myself for a long time now as I switched back to 00 gauge as I just don't have the space to build what I want from a layout in EM or P4. I almost went N gauge but I have enough trouble with 4mm. My eyes arn't what they used to be

 

Regards Lez.Z.

[sp1]

Hi guys

 

I'm putting together my initial shopping list for building the first test points and track. Copper clad strips are no problems after the discussion on Andy P's Bitton thread. I do have several questions though.

 

1. Which rail material should I use. HiNi N/Silver, N/Silver or Steel?

2. Which solder and flux gives the best result?

 

And a question for when the track proper gets built. What should I use for the 3rd rail?

I have never used steel: rust would be a worry. One thing to note would be that steel reacts badly to flux - if you wash it off how do you then prevent rust: but as I say I have never used it!

[martin_wynne]

Most folks think that steel rail looks better, without the yellow colour of nickel-silver (although HiNi nickel-silver is much whiter).

 

But steel rail can be prone to rusting, depending on where the layout is stored. Indoors with central heating it should be fine, and many users report no problems after several years.

 

But if the layout is in a cold attic or loft, or in unheated outbuildings, steel is not a good idea (and it is out of the question for a garden railway if using 2-rail electrics).

 

Steel is also more difficult to solder, requiring an active flux which must be cleaned off afterwards. Whereas (clean) nickel-silver is much easier to solder, and you can use an inert electronics low-residue flux which doesn't need cleaning.

 

Martin.

[jcredfer]

Given the dates you are looking at, I just wondered if the Brigadier/Colonel might have had his boat brought in, for the REME guys to give it an overhaul. Not far fetched for those times, as I'm sure the various posters here will have seen.

 

It might even be able to be transported on one of those Tank-Flats  .....   along with his [and a few other Officer's] horses  .......     

 

Edit = thought it might be better here rather than a Topic hi-jack elsewhere.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/72163-arboretum-valley-time-to-ramp-things-up/page-327

 

 

Julian

Edited November 30, 2014 by jcredfer

[emt_911]

Thanks for the replies about the type of rail. As the layout won't have a permanent home in the near future (next 12 months) and any issues around soldering, I'm going to be going with the HiNi Nickel-Silver.

 

As for the boat, I think that a small cameo may be in order. Now to find a model boat of the right scale and period although it may have to be scratch built

[Clive Mortimore]

Given the dates you are looking at, I just wondered if the Brigadier/Colonel might have had his boat brought in, for the REME guys to give it an overhaul. Not far fetched for those times, as I'm sure the various posters here will have seen.

 

It might even be able to be transported on one of those Tank-Flats  .....   along with his [and a few other Officer's] horses  .......     

 

Edit = thought it might be better here rather than a Topic hi-jack elsewhere.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/72163-arboretum-valley-time-to-ramp-things-up/page-327

 

 

Julian

Hi Julian

 

The Army Yacht Club at Marchwood was a good earner for me turning all the little brass bits they wanted for their boats.

 

As for horses, when I was at 10 Fld Wks, Tidworth some of the REME officers had their personal horses in the army stables. A few of the REME guys were their grooms. They were issued 1908 Service Caps (the type worn in WW1) for normal stable duty and riding breeches and long puttees to wear as part of their number 2 uniform when the horses were being show jumped.

[emt_911]

Hi Julian

 

The Army Yacht Club at Marchwood was a good earner for me turning all the little brass bits they wanted for their boats.

 

As for horses, when I was at 10 Fld Wks, Tidworth some of the REME officers had their personal horses in the army stables. A few of the REME guys were their grooms. They were issued 1908 Service Caps (the type worn in WW1) for normal stable duty and riding breeches and long puttees to wear as part of their number 2 uniform when the horses were being show jumped.

I never ended up anywhere that the officers had horses or stables and was unfortunate in not being posted to Marchwood.

 

But, a friend of mine was with the Long Range Snipers. He was tasked with getting the Colonels horse box out of one of the vehicle sheds. He opened the shutter, hooked up the box, went and had a smoke then drove out of the shed. Unfortunately while he took his quick break, someone had lowered the shutter a couple of feet. This resulted in him being busted to Gunner and having to repair the shutter and horse box.   :jester:  

[Clive Mortimore]

Now there Lance Comical 911,

 

Less of the pull up a sand bag and I will tell you a story and get back to building your layout.

 

Sergeant Major L.E.F.T. Wright

 

PS, Mrs Sgt Major is pleased with the repair to her hair dryer.

 

PPS I have amended Friday night's guard and you may notice you are no longer on duty.

[jcredfer]

I get the idea of using [spare??] facilities for eer  ..  cough  ..  recreation facilities   ....   [even though there is so little time nowadays.]

 

What I couldn't get ...  was an explanation as to why Hussars/Dragoons tether their Horses Tanks to a post every night    .......    but don't bother to Hobble them   .....     

 

 

[For those who think that is just an Old Soldier's tale  ..  it is certainly not and yes I have seen it with my own eyes.]

[Alister_G]

I get the idea of using [spare??] facilities for eer  ..  cough  ..  recreation facilities   ....   [even though there is so little time nowadays.]

 

What I couldn't get ...  was an explanation as to why Hussars/Dragoons tether their Horses Tanks to a post every night    .......    but don't bother to Hobble them   .....     

 

 

[For those who think that is just an Old Soldier's tale  ..  it is certainly not and yes I have seen it with my own eyes.]

 

It's cos knocking the track pins out is a bar steward of a job...

 

[jcredfer]

The stalwart Colonels of the bygone ages   ........

 

It's cos knocking the track pins out is a bar steward of a job...

 

 

......    wouldn't have let a small inconvenience like a bit of work get in the way of tradition  .........   .......    

 

..................   and what is to stop the Tanks wandering off if a Tether snaps or becomes unwrapped  .......           ...........  otherwise they wouldn't have to tether them in the first place  ....   

[Alister_G]

 

..................   and what is to stop the Tanks wandering off if a Tether snaps or becomes unwrapped 

 

Well, that's why I mentioned track pins:- if you knock out the pins between the track links, that would hobble a tank quite effectively...

[jcredfer]

Well, that's why I mentioned track pins:- if you knock out the pins between the track links, that would hobble a tank quite effectively...

 

Well yes indeed, I sort of gathered that Al  ...   the thing which caught my curiosity, was that the risk of the Tanks wandering seemed to be serious enough to have them tethered [otherwise, why else would any sane person tether a Tank, which has brakes -  - I'm sure I remember they do.] - then it must also be logical to Hobble the beast.

 

Even if slapping a couple of track-pins out and the tricky nature of returning them, is considered somewhat of a heavy workload - then they could at least use the same [powerful] leather, as for the Tether and tie the Tracks, so it could only trundle in a straight line until it met an object more immoveable than itself.  At least they would be easier to herd back again in the morning and might even become bored with looking close-up at the immoveable object and reverse back to where they were on their own.   ...          

 

Perhaps, after all, it is simply that they would Hobble the Tanks  ......    but in this age of austerity and Gov't cuts, they simply cannot afford the [powerful] leather   ........   What totally irresponsible M-o-D curv-ant thought it was ok to make cuts to the responsible Army chaps, so that the rest of us are all at risk from wandering Tanks on the loose   ....     

[Clive Mortimore]

The stalwart Colonels of the bygone ages   ........

 

 

......    wouldn't have let a small inconvenience like a bit of work get in the way of tradition  .........   .......    

 

..................   and what is to stop the Tanks wandering off if a Tether snaps or becomes unwrapped  .......           ...........  otherwise they wouldn't have to tether them in the first place  ....   

4/7 Goons didn't tether their panzers very well. On Cambri day 1 Tanks who were also posted in Tidworth scattered them all over Salisbury Plain. Our Forward Repair Group had to help 4/7s LAD recover them.

[jcredfer]

4/7 Goons didn't tether their panzers very well. On Cambri day 1 Tanks who were also posted in Tidworth scattered them all over Salisbury Plain. Our Forward Repair Group had to help 4/7s LAD recover them.

 

Arrived, on foot at our site for the HQ, somewhere on Thetford  ...   remainder of Platoon still chasing after a large Ammo Box full of valuable Uranium [well stones!], in the possession of an enemy[?] Platoon.

 

As we got to go through the copse there was a Centurion well hull down in a small corner of the field where there was also a pond - which now looked like a trench - a very wet churned trench. A recovery truck arrived to pull it out onto the firmer ground.  He dropped the brace at the rear and connected the cable via a couple of pulleys to give the truck mechanical advantage and then wound up the winch.  As the cable went tight it started to sing, which got louder and higher pitch.

 

The winch stopped and the chap came over to the 3/4 of us and suggested - firmly - that it might be a good idea to shift to a goodly distance away, due to the singing cable.  We didn't need inviting twice and moved.  The winch stared up again accompanied by more choir sounds.  Just as it looked as though the Tank was moving, the cable gave out  .....   what a sight and sound, like a giant whip, it slashed across above the ground with a hiss that sounded simply evil  ....   it was also very clear, that if the Recovery chap hadn't moved us, we would have been sliced cleanly into two.

[sp1]

Sorry if you just received an unitential rating - slip of the fingers on phone! Have removed it!

Brother in law was a tank commander in the skirmish that took part in Lebanon: some interesting stories there!

[lezz01]

Hi guys.

I used to drive a 432 back in the day, a command post job it was with a huge great computer thing in the back, well I say computer but I could do the math on the back of a fag packet faster than that thing without a calculator , but I don't recall that having a hand brake. I didn't tie it to a post either but then us 9 mile snipers were funny like that mind you in our case we were more 89 mile snipers.

Regards Lez.Z.