Aberaeron Station

[Les le Breton]

I find uptight under the sleepers, works best, that way you can hide them under the ballast. Remember to mark the position, so that you can place a marker of some sort once you have finished the scenics. We use a few chairs or suitable figure to mark the location.

I have a lot to thank you for Siberian Snooper, particularly with my planning of Sprat & Winkle couplings. You may recall the plan of the magnet positioning I posted on 03. February, as a novice with this technology, do you think my positioning is sensible or warrants changes and/or additions? Suggestions from modellers with knowledge of inter-war G.W.R. practices would be most welcome.

 

 

No matter how fast technology advances the world will always find a more advanced idiot. [Me?]

Edited June 10, 2017 by Les le Breton

[Siberian Snooper]

Your post on the 03/02/17. Looks good to me, you will gain a little flexibility with the Sprat & Winkles as they have a delay facility, too allow vehicles to be propelled after uncoupling.

[Les le Breton]

Hi y’all, following many domestic activities I managed some more work on Aberaeron today.

Having checked the power connections of two turnouts through the underlay and baseboard I tested the positioning of a couple of magnets for Sprat and Winkle de-coupling. Thanks again Siberian Snooper.

 

 

I tested the ability to move the de-coupling chain and it allowed wagons through when pulled and decoupling when stopped above the magnet.

 

 

This shows the magnet beneath the sleepers and snuggled into the underlay.

 

 

 

This is my first foray into cutting code 75 tracks to length etc. At least it’s a re-start for me.

 

 

Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened?

 

 

 

 

[Les le Breton]

With my wife still in hospital (having a new hip,) I was able to continue with my modelling! I soldered track power droppers to each length of track, cleaned the soldered joints, and then tested the connections. Holes were drilled  through the underlay and baseboard to allow the droppers to go below! The heads of baseboard edge screws and track ends were then tinned. Thank you Jamie92208. The turnouts were carefully glued in place to avoid the fragile PECO frog cables from breaking; the turnout switch was checked to ensure it wasn’t glued in one position! The track was glued in place and each length was checked with a straight edge before soldering the rail to the baseboard edge screws. All were then weighted down. When the tracks are fully dried, I'll use a glue gun, to ensure that all the droppers are secured at the point they arrive under the baseboard. Then I have the joys of connecting the power bus to the droppers, followed by fitting the servo's for the turnouts etc.

 

I only have three more baseboards to go!

 

 

Thank goodness my wife set me up for her hospital stay, I just about had enough tins.

 

 

 

What a terrible round of golf! I only hit two good balls all day that was when I stood on a rake.

Jimmy Tarbuck

 

 

[Les le Breton]

Hi y’all, I have managed a little modelling between domestic nursing etc. The following Photographs might make sense of my modelling.

 

 

I have used the removed part of baseboard 3, (creating the river Aeron) to act as the river bed.

 

 

 

I used the hot glue gun to join the baseboard cutouts lower down and then used PVA and a couple of clamps to join the two lengths, at the point where the train line bridge goes over the river, with a short length of plywood.

 

 

When the glue hardened I used strips of cardboard to begin creating the river banks.

 

 

Aerial shot of the Bridge over the river Aeron

 

 

 

I hope my posts are worthwhile, although my methods are probably old hat for the many erudite, brilliant modellers who post in RMweb.

 

The pen is mightier than the sword if the sword is very short, and the pen is very sharp

Terry Pratchett

Edited July 5, 2017 by Les le Breton

[Edwardian]

It’s amazing how life gets in the way of railway modelling! In between grand-child minding, hospital visits for my better half and a visit to Morbihan to repatriate my Blaze, I have only squeezed in time to paint a gangers’ hut.

 

P5093367.JPG

 

Then started to solder power feeds, to my turnouts which isn't photogenic, but the Breton flag is, in mho.

 

Breton Flag.jpg

 

 

Ladies and gentlemen, sorry about the delay – someone forgot to fill the choo-choo with diesel.

The guard of a London to Oxford train

 

Lovely piece of work.

[Les le Breton]

Managed to paste the first coat of Papier-mâché on the cardboard bones of my River Aeron today. It reminds me of my teaching career, too many years ago to think of!

 

 

 

"A layout is a little theatre and the trains must act in character; it's all about illusion."                                "Swiss Rail Passion.”

Edited July 6, 2017 by Les le Breton

[Les le Breton]

I continued using PVA to add three more coats of Papier-mâché to the River Aeron model, on the scenic, baseboard, topside, which I then painted with the same soil coloured paint, like the rest of the baseboards.

 

 

 

I also thought it important to add the same amount of Papier-mâché strengthening, on the underside of the river. The underneath doesn’t need any fancy finish however!

 

I can now get on with the more interesting modelling jobs, like track laying, as well as adding water, undergrowth and weeds to the river etc.. 

 

 

They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance

Terry Pratchett

 

 

[Les le Breton]

I have finally managed to fit the entire scenic track in place, adding droppers to each individual length of track and placing Sprat & Winkle decoupling magnets in position. Every cable underneath the baseboard was reinforced with my glue gun where the cable emerges from above. Then each power dropper was glued at intervals, to keep them relatively tidy, before being soldered onto its’ own tag. Fitting the PECO inspection/ash pit was easier than I thought it would be. The Engine shed track is at the bottom of the photograph. The white baseboard surfaces show how I tweaked the underlay and track positioning. I now have the joy of fitting servos and control units.

 

 

 

It is a shame that the track wasn’t ready for my Oxford Dean Goods (which arrived on the 15^th,) but I did manage to enjoy it, travelling around my test track once my Hornby Railmaster recognised the loco’s chip.

 

 

 

Wot, no crew!

 

I come from a very old military family. One of my ancestors fell at Waterloo . . . someone pushed him off platform nine.

Eric Morecambe

Edited July 19, 2017 by Les le Breton

[Les le Breton]

After our nieces wedding weekend, I decided to open my first ANE servo set; of four servos and controllers etc. Eek! I discovered, that to screw the frog polarity boards, controllers and servos into place, I’ll have to glue some patches of plywood beneath my baseboards first, the screws  provided are clearly required  for thick baseboards, even the underlay  won’t help. More woodwork for me tomorrow. I have to admit that this unplanned additional labour is a consequence of having 3.6mm plywood for the baseboard, however, I am glad that my scenic boards are very light to handle, especially as I managed to acquire a right inguinal hernia a few weeks ago! I should have ignored the garden and worked on my layout.

 

 

It is well known that a vital ingredient of success is not knowing that what you're attempting can't be done

Terry Pratchett

[Les le Breton]

I have started to add the servo's to Aberaeron. I have made bases, glued with PVA, to screw the servos firmly into place and I hope the photo's make sense!

 

 

The photo's include a glimpse of the tag board which deals with the track droppers. It also shows off the results of trying to tidy the droppers and strengthening the cables where they pass through the baseboard.

 

 

The two servos near each other control the three way turnout, the foot of the turnout being further away.

 

One board remains to add servos and then I have to deal with the spaghetti of the Smart Frog power routing board and the Smart Switch control board.

 

 

 

The place of the father in the modern suburban family is a very small one, particularly if he pays golf.

Bertrand Russell

Edited July 27, 2017 by Les le Breton

[Les le Breton]

Today I finished the positioning of Servos in baseboard 2.

 

 

 

The weird thing about renewing railway modelling after about fifty years, it is amazing how much I have forgotten. The RMweb has been an incredible resource for me, thank you one and all.

 

 

Let the passengers off the train first . . .oh, go on then, stuff yourselves in like sardines – see if I care.

London Underground driver announcement.

[Les le Breton]

I’m still plodding along with the wiring. Today I added 2.5mm cables for the power bus of baseboards 2 & 3.

 

This is the tag junction for baseboard 2; you can see that the bus wire is soldered to the tags opposite the droppers. I checked that each individual dropper had a good joint with the bus bar, by using a multi meter, from each dropper on it's tag to the end of the bus cable, before gluing the bus bar wires to the baseboard.

 

 

This is the tag junction for baseboard 3; observant modellers will realise that by not soldering decent lengths of dropper cable to some of the track, has forced me to separate the positive, brown bus wires on the tag board; this will teach me not to be a Scrooge! I just hope that the addition of other cables will be enabled by my positive cable bridge.

 

 

The last of today’s pictures is the result of further Scrooge behaviour. As well as engineers’ dowels, to connect the baseboards, I used bolts with captive nuts, (harvested from a sofa well past its use by date, as I gathered timber for our wood burner stove.) It struck me that to use these bolts would be an excellent way to transfer power buses from one board to the next. The captive nut had a cable soldered to it and the bolt head squeezes a bus bar cable sandwich between two large washers.Yes, I did check that it conducts power well to each and every tag.

 

 

Wot a horrible mess of solder - I should get lessons!!!!

 

It has also struck me that I need to ensure that servo, electronic equipment, doesn't accidentally touch any of the power joints. Has anyone got a suggestion?

 

 

 

So much universe and so little time. Terry Pratchett

Edited August 4, 2017 by Les le Breton

[Les le Breton]

    I'm pleased to say that my modelling has made good progress. It was with trepidation, that I girded my loins to start the installation of my ANE (now marketed by PECO,) SmartFrogs, under one of my Aberaeron baseboards, particularly after reading negative reviews in RMweb by kirtleypete  and torikoos et al. For a couple of days I have been wrestling with the difficult instructions. I persevered with the electronic Gordian knot, eventually managing to get the single crossover turnouts to work, controlled with one switch.

 

        I think I am lucky to have used power from my Hornby Railmaster DCC control system. At the slightest hint of an electrical short, the power is immediately switched off until the fault is sorted. The first time it cut power I became quite worried, because it occurred the moment I connected the first SmartFrog, but after re-setting the software the SmartFrog did what it is supposed to. The second SmartFrog behaved in the same way. 

  

        This attachment is the current state of play, not a pretty sight but it works;

 

 

 

I haven't secured the SmartSwitch cables into a safe place yet. The main components are:-

 

   At the top middle, the two tag boards, positive, (brown) at the top and negative (blue), beneath.

 

•     Various components on wooden plinths are, from left to right:-
•     Servo number 6
•     SmartFrog servicing Servo number 6
•     SmartSwitch controller
•     SmartFrog servicing Servo number 5
•     Servo number 5

 

    The ribbon sailing down on the left of the controller leads to the Control Device which enables adjustments to the servo horns position, the servo speed etc.

 

    All good clean fun, even if it is frustrating at times.

 

 

Taxation is just a sophisticated way of demanding money with menaces

Terry Pratchett

Edited August 4, 2017 by Les le Breton

[Les le Breton]

I am hoping that my normal modelling will be resumed as soon as possible because autumn term has arrived!

I have decided to add contents to my signal box and have discovered that this is a potential can of prototypical worms for me however!

From postings in the RMweb I have discovered that from early on, facing points for passenger routes had obligatory facing point locks, controlled from a Signal box (or ground frame,) I understand that the levers in the box are normally as follows:-

• White               spare;
• Black               point;
• Blue         facing point lock;
• Red          home/starter signal;
• Yellow      distant signal;
• Brown      gate mechanism lock (if required).

I have a couple of questions however:-

1. Would the GWR install facing locks on some goods turnouts, like cattle sidings etc. after WW1?
2. Am I correct in thinking that the levers would be in logical groups, with point, facing point lock and signal controls?

I know that the levers won’t be easily visible, but with interior lighting it is more noticeable perhaps.

 

Any advice from the University of RMweb would be most welcome.

Edited September 7, 2017 by Les le Breton

[Siberian Snooper]

Facing point locks are only required on turnouts that carry passenger traffic, turnouts that only carry non passenger traffic do not normally have point locks.

 

Levers are arranged geographically, distants at the outer ends and working towards the centre nearest the box in the order that they appear on the box diagram.

 

I'm sure that the Station Master and others will be along to dot the I's and cross the it's.

[5BarVT]

We will!

Ignoring complications like junctions and even bigger complications like four running lines, a typical double line box would have from the left with lever no.1:

Distant, home/starting signals in order, points/FPL/shunt signals, starting/home signals, distant signal.

FPLs would be adjacent to the relevant point lever (without checking diagrams I can't say whether one side was usual)

The two shunt signals reading through a crossover would be either side of the point lever.

 

Your layout seems to be actual Aberaeron, so is simpler than above. The lever numbers can just be made out on the SRS website http://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gwm/S2106.htm. It is a very small and efficient frame. No yellow levers (no Up distant, Down is fixed), 3 and 4 are crossovers, 5 is FPL for 4, 6 is Down Home, 2 is Up Starting, 1 is Up Home OR sidings to main shunt signal. There is no signal protecting the exit from the headshunt/engine shed and I can't see what operates the shunt signal for the run round move. (It may be a point indicator worked with the points, not sure if GW had those.). You will also need a token/staff instrument in the box.

 

There are other threads on GW signal box interiors that you should be able to find by searching, including a very informative one by Mike (Stationmaster) himself. He operated and managed such boxes, I'm just the engineer who didn't write enough down when younger as I didn't know I would need it to help others with their modelling!

Paul.

[Les le Breton]

We will!

Ignoring complications like junctions and even bigger complications like four running lines, a typical double line box would have from the left with lever no.1:

Distant, home/starting signals in order, points/FPL/shunt signals, starting/home signals, distant signal.

FPLs would be adjacent to the relevant point lever (without checking diagrams I can't say whether one side was usual)

The two shunt signals reading through a crossover would be either side of the point lever.

 

Your layout seems to be actual Aberaeron, so is simpler than above. The lever numbers can just be made out on the SRS website http://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gwm/S2106.htm. It is a very small and efficient frame. No yellow levers (no Up distant, Down is fixed), 3 and 4 are crossovers, 5 is FPL for 4, 6 is Down Home, 2 is Up Starting, 1 is Up Home OR sidings to main shunt signal. There is no signal protecting the exit from the headshunt/engine shed and I can't see what operates the shunt signal for the run round move. (It may be a point indicator worked with the points, not sure if GW had those.). You will also need a token/staff instrument in the box.

 

There are other threads on GW signal box interiors that you should be able to find by searching, including a very informative one by Mike (Stationmaster) himself. He operated and managed such boxes, I'm just the engineer who didn't write enough down when younger as I didn't know I would need it to help others with their modelling!

Paul.

 

Thank you for your information about signal rules for GWR track, 5BarVT & Siberian Snooper, the university of RMweb has come up trumps again.

This humble student has tried to follow your suggestions. There are a few ignorant spanners in the works of my own making however!

• My layout will hopefully extend from Aberaeron station, over a level crossing and along a single line to the dockside, as John Harford of Falcondale intended when the line was proposed. [This extra part of the layout depends on my own negotiations for real estate.]
• The lever plan I’ve come up with, is a suggestion that the GWR, planners, perhaps in a moment of madness, installed spare levers for future use to control the fixed signals and goods turnouts when they modernised the signal box.

I hope my plan below is understandable, and apologies for my ignorance of prototypical nomenclature.

 

Lever No.          Lever colour                  Purpose

1                      Red       Signal               Down End of Platform protecting level crossing

2                      White    Signal               Distant [to dockside] Fixed

3                      Black    Turnout             Up Turnout Main/Run round [CROSSOVER]

4                      Blue      Turnout             Facing point lock for Up Turnout Main/Run round [CROSSOVER]

5                      Black    Turnout             Run round/Main [CROSSOVER]

6                      Blue      Turnout             Facing point lock [CROSSOVER]

7                      White    Turnout             Goods shed siding

8                      White    Turnout             Siding

9                      White    Turnout             Run round to Sidings

10                     Red      Signal               Up Starter signal

11                     White    Turnout             Run round or Cattle siding

12                     Black    Turnout             Up Turnout Run Round/Main [CROSSOVER]

13                     Blue      Turnout             Facing point lock for Up Turnout Run round/Main [CROSSOVER]

14                     Black    Turnout             Down Turnout Main/Run round [CROSSOVER]

15                     Blue      Turnout             Facing point lock for Down Turnout Main/Run round [CROSSSOVER]

16                     White    Turnout             Loco Shed or Loco coal siding

17                     Red      Signal               Down Home

18                     White    Signal               Up Distant Fixed

 

All corrections would be welcome.

 

Whilst pondering my next modelling move (before my Hernia op,) I realised I have probably missed a Signal box lever.

It is likely that a signal protecting traffic from the port before the level crossing would have a lever used by one of the locomotive staff, near the gates; but before the fictitious port line, imho, there would likely be a crossing lock controlled from the signal box, protecting both rail and road traffic. This brown lever will become number one, sending all the others dancing one position to the right! [or down the list of this post.

 

He who laughs last has not yet heard the bad news.Bertolt Brecht

Edited November 1, 2017 by Les le Breton

[Les le Breton]

I have not posted for some time for a couple of reasons, health and modelling.

I have had an issue with my ANE SmartFrogs. To cut this long story short, ANE have taken my problems seriously; after initially giving me a lot of technical advice, they offered to exchange my Version 3 SmartFrogs for the latest models, Version 6. The mail to and from Taiwan was efficient and SmartFrogs V6 seem to have many improvements. Unfortunately, I am now on holiday and in no position to put the replacements to the test!

I hope that my normal modelling service/posts will be resumed asap. Fortunately the University of Railway Modelling, in the safe hands of RMweb can be accessed in my rural hovel/holiday home.

[Les le Breton]

Thanks to Ian Nolan, posting a number of photographs taken on 13^th November 1963, I have been able to plan more for my layout whilst on holiday.

 

 

 

 

 

I hope these pictures are of value to others also, the ballasting has been an eye opening to me.

 

The following photograph is of a lovely single track line in Brittany.

 

 

She had a penetrating sort of laugh. Rather like a train going into a tunnel.

P. G. Wodehouse

[sp1]

That second photo has the old Airfix water tower!

[Les le Breton]

Not much progress on Aberaeron,  we’ve only just returned from holiday and have been taken up with hospital visits and child minding in the half term holiday!

 

I have a couple more photo's taken on the Quiberon Isthmus of Kerhostin Station. This line is only used in the summer holidays and it is amazing how quickly the vegetation takes over the ballast.

 

 

 

When I was a kid in school my science teacher asked who can name three gasses, I raised my hand and said Oxygen, Hydrogen, and Jumpin' Jack Flash.

[Les le Breton]

Greetings fellow modellers, convalescing in the bedroom I have been trying to work out some of the details for my take on Aberaeron. My good lady has kept me supplied with a number of Metcalfe models to build, which have helped to balance the look of the layout. I may well exchange the kits with scratch builds in the future, but I have enjoyed building the Metcalfe models which are likely to be added to my Hornby, running in oval track later. I haven’t decorated the pictures with locos and other goodies today because my stock is kept in my insulated attic and I’m not allowed to climb the ladder at the moment!

 

 

The ditch of the River Aeron, livestock dock, hut and Signal Box

 

 

View from the station and goods sidings end. I realised, after seeing Ian Nolan’s photographs that I should have built the platform with stone rather than brick facings!

 

 

 

View from the front of the station. The switches on the left of the facia control the turnouts of Baseboard 4. By having the switches on the front of the relevant turnouts, reduces the need for complicated connections from board to board, also to a small extent, this arrangement of turnout switching is a nod to the prototype!

 

 

Why make life difficult when, with a little bit of thought, you can make it damn nigh impossible?

 

 

 

 

 

[Les le Breton]

Greetings railway modellers, I have started to build the bridge over my river Aeron using the SS32 Wills occupational Bridge and SS57 ‘Vari-Girdar Bridge Panels, along with some Plasticard. I hope this posting is of interest, the pictures tell the story for girder no 1.

 

 

This is how I set up a jig to keep the panels in place whilst adding the Plastic Magic liquid. (Other brands were available). I used a strip of .060” Plasticard for the base of the girder extended to the edge of the sleepers; this will be the pedestrian walkway and later, one of the signalman’s control rods and wire routes.

 

 

The created rear steel and walkway. Doesn't the close up of a camera unearth a host of sins, like lumps of unwanted plastic!

 

 

Now the safety fence has been added and the contraption has tested the placement next to the track; to facilitate a good fit I removed a sliver of the track underlay angled down to the fosse from the edge of the sleepers.

 

Having started with the girder on the station side of the layout I will repeat the exercise for the girder on the goods sidings side of the bridge.

 

The central girder of the prototype appears to be wider than the outer ones; it needs to be doubly strong to cope with locomotives passing on both of the tracks. (In 00? I don’t add that much ballast though). Because I have used simple Peco turnouts etc. the central girder will have to have its’ dimensions studied when I am fit enough to get my widest stock from the attic. Apologies if I seem to be teaching folk to suck eggs!

 

There is a rumour going around that I have found god. I think this is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.

Terry Pratchett

Edited November 7, 2017 by Les le Breton

[Les le Breton]

I forgot to add a photograph of the real Aberayron [GWR spelling], by Ian Nolan in 1963; his photo-craft, is my guide to the bridge I am building. The picture makes it clear to observe the different dimensions of the girders.

 

 

My model is a pastiche of Aberayron, mainly because I don't have the skills to make an accurate model of the calibre demonstrated by the builders of Little Muddle, A Nod to Brent and Hintock Branch to name a few. I don't have the time either before I quit this mortal coil, I just hope it appears to be nearly prototypical; the model railway, not my departure!

Edited November 8, 2017 by Les le Breton