Cable trunking dimensions

[Will Vale]

Hi all,

 

Can anyone tell me the (real world) dimensions of the modular concrete cable trunking you see lineside? I know that Ten Commandments and Jim Smith-Wright both sell something (and very nice they look too) to model this, but I was going to try and make some from Evergreen section since the odds of finding modern UK lineside details in NZ model shops and shows are pretty slim... Plus I like making things I've searched around but not found anything so far I'm afraid.

 

There's a picture taken by Jon Batley of what I mean in Whitemoor here:

 

http://marchtmd.foto.../p38927924.html

 

On a related note, is it always the same size? The Whitemoor stuff above is newly installed, but in this picture by Dan's Rail Phenomena of the (pre-existing) curve into the yard, the trunking looks much smaller:

 

http://dansrail.foto.../p64164923.html

 

Many thanks!

 

Will

[Merfyn Jones]

Hi all,

 

Can anyone tell me the (real world) dimensions of the modular concrete cable trunking you see lineside? I know that Ten Commandments and Jim Smith-Wright both sell something (and very nice they look too) to model this, but I was going to try and make some from Evergreen section since the odds of finding modern UK lineside details in NZ model shops and shows are pretty slim... Plus I like making things I've searched around but not found anything so far I'm afraid.

 

There's a picture taken by Jon Batley of what I mean in Whitemoor here:

 

http://marchtmd.foto.../p38927924.html

 

On a related note, is it always the same size? The Whitemoor stuff above is newly installed, but in this picture by Dan's Rail Phenomena of the (pre-existing) curve into the yard, the trunking looks much smaller:

 

http://dansrail.foto.../p64164923.html

 

Many thanks!

 

Will

 

Having laid thousands over the years, they come in 1 metre lengths and vary in width depending on how many cables they need to contain. Common sizes were aprox 6, 9, or 12 inch wide. Depth can be variable too but you woldn't see that as they are in a shallowish trench.

Merfyn (S&T retired)

[Gwiwer]

There is also some excellent cable troughing (and cables) on P.C.M.'s Llanbourne layout. Take a look here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/topic/1560-llanbourne-north-wales-in-the-80s/page__st__50 Not sure if it's bought or scratch-built but it looks the biz.

[Will Vale]

they come in 1 metre lengths and vary in width depending on how many cables they need to contain. Common sizes were aprox 6, 9, or 12 inch wide.

Thanks Merfyn, that's perfect for what I need. I'll see if I can do a mix of 6" or 9" for the older bits, and 12" for the newer.

 

Not sure if it's bought or scratch-built but it looks the biz.

It's great isn't it - that was one of the layouts I looked at yesterday while hunting for dimensions - really nice work, and point rodding too! The trunking is described as 4mm plasticard strips scored every 7mm further down that page.

 

I'll be off down the model shop tomorrow to raid the Evergreen stand for the narrow trunking, and as it turns out I already have some suitable strip for the larger size, plus some orange hookup wire for ducts. I'll see if I can post a picture when I have something to show.

 

Thanks again folks!

 

Will

[Gwiwer]

that was one of the layouts I looked at yesterday

 

I was lucky enough to be looking at the real thing on Saturday. The fine detail and quality of modelling is quite outstanding. Even the cables in the exposed lengths of trough are individual strands and the matching trough covers are lying around very much as they would be (but not as they should be!) in reality.

[David Rickard]

I was considering finding some sort of U-shaped plastic strip and cutting it to lengths and planting it into the ballast as I laid it.

 

How is it generally routed though? I see most follows the track. I assume it just takes the most convenient route to pick up anything nearby (points, signals, etc) or is it all separately routed? Is there an approximate rule of thumb?

[The Stationmaster]

I was considering finding some sort of U-shaped plastic strip and cutting it to lengths and planting it into the ballast as I laid it.

 

How is it generally routed though? I see most follows the track. I assume it just takes the most convenient route to pick up anything nearby (points, signals, etc) or is it all separately routed? Is there an approximate rule of thumb?

 

For the modern stuff (in connection with IECC type control installations of, now various types) there are a few design rules although these relate mainly to the positioning of location cabinets. I might have details somewhere as I had to work to them on a little job I did a few years ago

 

In older installations it seems to have been mainly find the most convenient and easiest route to dig in the cess (but at the edge of it) or beyond the cess. Location cabinets had to have full working clearance from running lines to allow them to be worked in while trains were passing. Tail cables to functions such as point machines and signals etc were usually buried but as tampers cut ever more of them first came greater use of troughing, then the orange pipes, and the latest thing is special hollow steel sleepers.

 

A good idea is to look for pics of the area and era you are modelling as practice varied between the Regions.

[David Rickard]

That's useful info, thanks. I'll dig through pics a bit more. I need to find something to use for the orange pipes; in N that could be fun.

[Will Vale]

I found some stuff at our local bead shop which might work for that in N - thin non-stranded "plastic string" in various colours. It's intended for making bead necklaces, although I bought it for hydraulic rigging on a 1:35 HIAB crane It looks to be either 0.4 or 0.5mm diameter when held up to a ruler so I think it'd be about right for ducting in N. I suspect from looking at some beading sites just now that it might simply be monofilament fishing line?

 

It crossed my mind for the same crane that the fine wire intended for DCC decoder installation could work too, and would be less shiny.

[ess1uk]

 

 

Tail cables to functions such as point machines and signals etc were usually buried but as tampers cut ever more of them first came greater use of troughing, then the orange pipes, and the latest thing is special hollow steel sleepers.

 

A good idea is to look for pics of the area and era you are modelling as practice varied between the Regions.

Recently though the orange pipes seem to be out of favour and drilling clips into the sleeper is the preference

[TheSignalEngineer]

Recently though the orange pipes seem to be out of favour and drilling clips into the sleeper is the preference

 

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Clipping to concrete sleepers was abandoned many years ago due to water ingress causing corrosion and cracking. Also hitting the reinforcing can prejudice to integrity of the sleeper. Has someone rediscovered it? They probably got a bonus for demonstrating it is cheaper to do than orange pipe. They won't be around when the damage comes to light.

Anyway, I thought we used orange pipes to make it easier for the tamper drivers to aim for the cables, judging by the amount some of them used to squash against the sleepers.

[newbryford]

Travelling to Glasgow the other day it was interesting to see some cable trunking being laid. Along a particular section, it looked like some was about to be laid in a shallow trench in the cess, but nearby there were new sections that were raised on posts on the small embankment, even though there appeared to be space in the cess.

 

A few years ago, the signalling cables on the line outside my back door were replaced with fibre optics and they are protected in a tube simply laid in the cess - it looks like a long black snake, yet the recent installation of an intermediate block section was laid in conventional concrete trunking on the opposite side of the line.

 

Cheers,

Mick