Warmington

[Butler Henderson]

Warmington was originally a 10ft long layout (plus fiddle) and appeared as such in the August 2012 issue of Hornby Magazine. It is also to be seen as such in this Youtube slideshow between 0:07 and 0:29

 

The layout was then extended by 5ft and an article was written for Railway Modeller for publication c Jan 2016 but that to date has not been published as far as I aware. In this extended form the layout is seen in this Youtube video between 30:36 and 32:10

 

Now the layout has been altered to fit in a 9ft x 9ft space at home through the replacement of the original right hand 5ft (latterly the centre 5ft) by a curved section.

 

Tonights task however related to the left hand 5ft (the station) where I decided it was time to do something about the dead frog crossover

 

 

Theres a pair of new live frog points to go in and a pair of Cobalts to replace the solenoids once everything has dried out from the track being lifted, although it did occur to me I could just move the buffer stops off to the right and one reduced station c 1970s!

 

Mike

Edited October 19, 2017 by Butler Henderson

[Butler Henderson]

Decided before relaying the track to cut a hole for the Kadee magnet on the platform road so that it can be hinged and raised/lowered by a servo, as three others are. I tend to use Bachmann 78999 magnets which work as well as Kadees own undertrack magnets but usefully are narrower so reducing the cutting out needed. To identify the magnet locations I glue a bird on a nearby structure.

[Butler Henderson]

For those within the Hornby Mag article a (fiction) background to the layout.

 

Warmington is a town on the south coast between Lymington and Christchurch. The original railway to the town was from Holmsley while a latter railway ran from Brockenhurst to the towns developing dockyard. Both railways were taken over by the LSWR who concentrated passenger traffic on the terminus of the line from Holmsley, with a new connection from the Brockenhurst line. The LSWR were required by the Dock Company to build a connecting line from that terminus to the dockyard. Little used for many years the connecting line came into own in the late 1950s when the direct line to the dockyard was closed due to damage to a river bridge. The terminus consequently sees much activity as freight to the dockyard reverse between frequent passengers trains to Brockenhurst and Southampton and less frequent passenger trains to Holmsley, Ringwood and Bournemouth as well as parcel and freight traffic to the small goods yard and oil depot.

 

The layout was set c 1959/1960 in the YouTube clips and magazine article but was also designed to be operated c 1966 and as preserved. Four different front scenic boards were made for the now scrapped 5ft section - as c 59/60 a BR vehicle depot was adjoining by a small car dealership. By 1966 the car dealership had taken over the site and then as preserved either a generally abandoned site occupied by a group of miniature engineers and then as tided up as a Millenium Green with a vehicle rally taking place.

[Butler Henderson]

Crossover replaced - took a bit longer than anticipated as I had cut the rails on the straights adjacent to the frogs when I wired the the dead frogs as live frogs and decided to replace those as well,

 

The servo worked "Kadee" magnet took a large chuck of Sunday afternoon until I finally concluded the servo simply did not like being fitted in a mount for reasons I could not fathom having three others so fixed in place. Ended up sticking it in place with a spare DCC Concepts Cobalt sticky pad. Its one immediately above the ESU Switch Pilot in the photo below.

 

 

The black box is a 12v regulator for the station and street lights worked by one of the outputs on the ESU Switch Pilot with the light wires soldered to the copper tape. The pair of 10W resistors in series are to drop the voltage for the DCC Concepts station lamps - not sure how good that arrangement is and a 2W resistor to each lamp might be better.

 

The Left hand Cobalt is raised because the operating pin had been cut for use elsewhere. It needed to be extended to fit this location and of course the bracing bit just clashed with the point hence the need to lower it. It does however help if using the right angle mounts to lower the Cobalt as the programming switch is pretty inaccessible / unviewable otherwise whilst the Cobalt is firmly screwed in place.

Edited October 24, 2017 by Butler Henderson

[Butler Henderson]

Puzzling grey plastic bag in todays post from Peco - one copy of the 2018 Railway Modeller Special, a letter from Steve Flint with a cheque and in the mag the seemingly long lost article spread across 6 pages. A bit of travelling back in time looking at it as well as being 15ft straight and not a U of 9ft approx. on all sides and photos taken before I had fitted working lights to the station and surroundings.

 

Back to the present and my fears over the resistors were borne out, originally I had them dangling off the board but a 20ish minute spell of being on and one was running very hot (the 15 ohm one, the other is 10 ohm) so now have some 27 ohm 5 watt resistors to try out on each light)

[Butler Henderson]

This is the replacement corner board for the original centre board.

For any one with the RM 2018 Special to get their bearings with the layout as shown in that publication across the top of the photo are the line to the goods yard, the platform road and the loop. The next two tracks are new additions, the first a siding and the second a headshunt to serve the siding below it which will be for the relocated oil depot. These two tracks will require the signal box, water tower and northlight factory to be relocated. Not so much of a problem as the scratch built signal box was in need of rebuilding and a Bachmann/Kernow Bude box will replace it while not evident in any photos as far as I can tell but the chimney to the northlight factory had a definate lean to it as it tried to fit under the curved pelmet supports.

 

Heading off the bottom of the photo is the original line to Holmsley (a new addition) , while curving off to the left at the bottom of the photo are two lines that join together on the next board as the line to the dockyard (fiddle) and above it the main branch line that goes on to pass the loco depot before running into the fiddle. The Holmsley line is presumed to climb and turn to the right off board while the dockyard line curves almost a half circle to the left to pass under the Holmsley line to reach the docks.

 

With this revised arrangement the line pass the loco yard becomes the LSWR built link from the Brockenhurst line.

 

A new bit of fiction now gets added to the story of the railways to Warmington. In the early parts of WWII it was decided to site defences along the cliff edge above the docks conveniently served by the Holmsley line. At the same time to allow easy military development of the cliff top site and to overcome the relatively steep climb from the terminus for the freights trains which were now using the Holmsley line a new connection was laid between the LSWR link Line and the Holmsley line allowing the truncation of the original route. During the 1950s the military site was run down and closed but a section of the original line remains in use as a siding. As part of the WWII alterations the station throat was reorganised precluding trains from the platform reaching the orginal route to Holmsley and with the number of potential routes now available from the loop instead a colour light signal with indicator display was installed.

 

That signal I hope to be able to Southerise from the kit that Train Tech are about to release.

 

Mike

Edited November 20, 2017 by Butler Henderson

[Butler Henderson]

Finished (?) wiring up the signal route setting panel of relays that is under the new curved section tonight. This is ensure the new colour light signal only shows green when their is

1. a clear route has been set from the station loop to the main branch alongside the loco dept or

2. a direct route has been set through the double slip to the docks (with the route indicator box lit)

as well as ensuring the platform starter cannot be activated unless there is a clear route set to the main branch alongside the loco dept.

Fitted a pair of LEDs to act as identification for the colour light signal in its absence and it turned out that of the ten wires I could have fastened the wrong way round at least 8 are wrong :-(

Edited November 20, 2017 by Butler Henderson

[Butler Henderson]

For those who like looking under layouts - most of the new corner board from underneath

 

The Cobalt numbered 3 at the top of the photo is the nearest one I have to a normal installation and even then the wires are soldered onto the exposed part of the pcb rather than using the socket connectors as the wires would dangle below the bottom of the baseboard edges.

 

Cobalt 6 is raised to clear the Tillg motor 5, while Cobalt 76 is side mounted to drive the resited platform starting signal.

 

Servos 33 and 34 are working hinged Kadee magents (actually Bachmann Ezmate ones which are narrower requiring less cutting out for this purpose)

 

The switchpilot drives the servos, output 11 will work any lights on the board while outputs 9,10 and 12 along with outputs 7 and 8 on the LS150 drive relays on the relay panel that route interlocks the signals (also relays for the same pupose work off outputs 4 and 5 of the LS150 which between them drive the five Tillig motors - theres one out of sight). Further interlocking is provided by the Cobalts.

 

There are a number of DCC80s spread about, one fixed onto the side of a cross member and the other pcb is a Traintronics TT301 for the colour light signal.

 

The relay panel has three AC and four DC non locking relays which drive a single latching relay which replicates the setting of the point accessing the loco yard (that is worked in conjuction with other points by addresses 7 to 10) while a further latching relay replicates the point accessing the carriage siding (address 7).

 

Furher latching relays replicate the setting of the Tillig motors and also a further point on another board to set the colour light signal to green, with indicator display as appropriate, only when the correct route has been set (of course subject to the points actually changing as well).

 

I opted for the relay approach to minimise the extent of cabling needed across baseboard joints and it made use of surplus ouputs on the LS150 and Switchpilots while only the AC relays were newly bought. It also means that fault finding with it is largely limited to this board - the colour light signal is to be sited on the station board using the four wires that are now spare in the connection to that board.

Edited December 2, 2017 by Butler Henderson

[Butler Henderson]

Colour light signal kit arrived so the signal head has quickly been attacked to make it SR like

 

 

Shades removed and recessed central part filed smooth and 10 thou plastic card glued in place before replacing the shades - the kit also comes with 3 and 4 light heads so that's 9 shades that can be chopped off and the best two lengthwise picked for fitting back. Need to work out how to replicate the "pigs ears", some interesting moulding pips on the kit which might just be adoptable. Noticed the photo makes one side of the head look narrower than the other - that's just the angle I took the photo at.

[Butler Henderson]

The bits in the kit did not really look like they could be adapted into pigs ears so had a rummage through the bits box tonight and found three MJT torpedo coach ventilators which look adaptable.

 

Meanwhile I decided to tackle fitting a Cobalt to a new point on the dock branch to the rear of the loco depot coaling stage, having removed the retaining walls and tree lined ridge between them. Was never too happy with it as the narrowness of the ridge would in reality probably not have existed. I had tried earlier in the week fitting it as DCC Concepts intended - sticky pad in place but the closeness of the furniture underneath meant it was impossible to fit the screws. As the loco yard board is pretty unwieldy I did not want to move it so decided to bolt the Cobalt in place - four lengths of M3 threaded rod and plastic M3 threaded stand offs wound up the thread to hold the Cobalt against the baseboard and the thread held in place above the baseboard by nuts on top of washers. So that's a dozen Cobalts fitted and not one as basically intended by the maker - nine of them do use their right angle mounts but even then five are adapted

- one is positioned upside down on the mount with the direction of the right angle throw reversed due to space issues (more use of M3 fittings),

- two are raised off the underside of the baseboard; one to clear a Tillig point motor as photoed earlier, and the other due to having to find space between a wooden mounting block and a Tortoise motor working the station starting signal which I subsequently moved

and is now Cobalt worked as mentioned in the caption to the earlier photo, and

- two on the approach board to the fiddle are fitted above board working the points by rods and, in one case, also a crank and stiff wire

Edited December 2, 2017 by Butler Henderson

[Butler Henderson]

Colour signal complete bar any fittings to the pole.

 

Eventually found the simplest way of forming the pig ears was with a very short piece of appropriately sized heat shrink. Also used the heat shink cut lengthways in half to lengthen the hoods/shades.

 

Browsing photos of them I was struck how much the handrail uprights looked like Peco Track Pins so some were put to use.

 

Seem to have sparked off some discussion on another thread re whether the indicator display could be blank. As I said in that thread Rule 1 applies but has occurred to me that if the signal was installed during WWII then black out requirements would have existed. Consequently the route most frequently set was agreed to have a blank display, and the intention to activate it post war never came to pass.

 

The display originally was intended to have

 

M - Milford Road (the signal box by the loco dept) indicating a route to the main branch

D - Dock branch

L - Dock branch via loop (the new loop on the curved board, rather than the station loop the signal is on)

W - The former line to Holmsley now serving WD property

 

M was the display agreed not to be shown and W ceased to used once the WD closed their facility. L was little used as that loop is normally used for trains arriving from the docks rather than train to the docks

 

So by the late 1950s only D is activated as appropriate with the route to Milford Road still indicated by a green signal in association with a blank display.

[Butler Henderson]

It was a busy end of the year for the S&T dept with the arrival of a delightful dual height LSWR junction signal from Stephen Freeman which is awaiting installation; this will replace the home signal by the carriage siding. That displaced signal has had it arm changed to a distant for a new location in the opposite direction - the idea being that the arm will indicate the route that the first fiddle yard point is set to; spent some time musing on how to get this to work on DCC and then the answer was quite simple. The right hand route will only be used (it is intended) by push-pulls and DMUs so they will only pass the signal having left the platform with the platform starter raised; so it will be a simple of case of activating the distant with the same CV as the platform starter and whether the arm raises being dependent on the switch in the cobalt that works the point. To lower the signal a different CV will be needed, probably making use of an Uhlenbrock module.

 

Finding the setting of the points on the new curved board somewhat confusing to readily identify, a pair of display panels have been commissioned.

Unfortunately I could not find a box wide enough to take the whole so had to split the indication across two - I opted to repeat the crossing of the main running lines by the goods yard access on both panels with the ends of the routes common to both panels coloured.

Originally these were planned to use red/white bi-colour leds but presumably due to back routing through the parallel diodes to allow their use on the dcc supply from the frogs they were red/pink in reality! Maybe time spent playing with resistor values may have resolved the matter so I took the easy option of using AC ready red and white leds from Rapid.

 

The photo shows the Kernow "Bude" signal box in its intended location, another back of the box to the front of the layout to join that by the engine shed access. Theres a clash between the northlight factory and fuel depot to sort out - think the fuel depot siding will need realigning.

 

Happy New Year

Mike

Edited January 1, 2018 by Butler Henderson

[Butler Henderson]

One of the big issues in keeping the loco depot board is the dock branch which runs hidden at the back, at exhibition this was not a problem as rear access exists. At home however it is hard up against a wall. The issue of derailments is hopefully one that will not exist - the only derailments I am aware of in that hidden section occurred because the fiddle yard traverser was misaligned for a dock branch train leaving from it and that traverser is no longer being used. As for cleaning the track in the hidden section I decided a remotely controlled battery powered loco was called for. In order to shift the CMX brass track cleaning car I have always used a Heljan 33 - they just clear the wooden supports adjacent to the hidden section which preclude using a longer loco. Having toyed with building in the rc parts and battery in the 33 I decided on a more simple approach - mount those on a KPF Zeller track cleaning wagon and use the 33/1 with its body off (comes off easily compared to the 33/0s) - the motor leads from the receiver being wired to those of a 8 pin NEM plug so its a simple matter of unplug the decoder and plug in the rc leads. The rc parts came from Micron - slight bit of annoyance this week when finally putting the rc equipment together to find the battery charger was one needing a 6v supply not a 5v USB one as I had ordered. A rummage through old PSUs found a 6V 1/2 amp one (Micron suggest a 1 amp one) - would it work okay....yes! So now have the option of cleaning the track with the KPF or a deluxe clean with both the CMX and KPF.

 

Mike

Edited January 6, 2018 by Butler Henderson

[Butler Henderson]

The second colour light signal was quite simple, modify the signal head as per the first but with only the bottom curved (the original top of the head as provided). make a new face plate for the route indicator and cut the the top led off the pcb provided in the kit.

Based on the photo in this topic http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/107329-southern-railway-colour-light-signals/page-1

Edited January 14, 2018 by Butler Henderson

[Butler Henderson]

The use of the body off 33/1 for radio controlled tunnel cleaning purposes has come to an end with the purchase of a 26 chassis, with Heljans latest wheels,  from Olivas via ebay which with an ebay offer was picked up for £32.40. Quickly stripped of its pcb, lights and pick ups while a wheel swop was engaged with the 33/1 which had the original quick dirt collecting Heljan wheels. The cost of the 26 chassis consequently worked out at around £19 given Howes prices + postage for the wheels. The rc bits have now been fitted to it with the battery hopefully currently gluing in place with Araldite perched over one bogie.

[Butler Henderson]

Given up on ever receiving the 3ft OO Nelevation elevator so have sent them a letter asking for my deposit back. A quick rethink and the famework for the elevator should accommodate a 5 road fiddle atop (slightly narrow than the 7 road one that it had as an exhibition layout) but balanced out by the extra loco storage section for the elevator which should provide accommodation instead for shorter trains. So maybe in the near future a train might just run...

Edited December 28, 2019 by Butler Henderson

[Butler Henderson]

Track laid while 95% of all rolling stock is accommodated in two 13 drawer cabinets under the fiddle yard. Today set about looking for some suitable lights to illuminate the fiddle yard as its pretty dark in dull daylight. Decided on some clip on flexible LED lights and found Wish on the PC selling them at £5 each (+ postage) ; tried a discount code but got told that only applied to the mobile app so installed that on my phone and found the lights on the mobile app were £6 (+postage)! It said the price would be lowered if ordered in the next few minutes but merely reduced it to £5.70 I abandoned the mobile app and went back to the pc and now found they were £4.59 each Ordered five which with postage worked out at £5.35 each.