Wencombe/Kingsbridge Regis/Louville Lane

[Unicorn1]

Hi Alan

 

More great pics. The grass look good - put's mine to sahame!

I think wiring the fences is a good idea, but must confess I've put off that job on Bishopscombe from day one!

The shot of the signal box / bridge section looks superb.

Les

[westerner]

Having chatted to Josh of Potterbourne fame, as to how he did his fencing, I think I am encouraged to have a go. What we need (in Modelling terms) is a rainy day or two to trap in the model railway room and I might get it done.

[Physicsman]

Do you intend wiring the fences using fine black cotton, as used in sewing? Works a treat with a dab of nail varnish every few posts to fix the stuff in place! I agree it is a bit tedious, but quite satisfying once done.

 

As for rainy days - no thanks, we've had enough of that!

 

Jeff

[Oldddudders]

I had been wondering whether this product would pass muster on a UK layout?

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=Faller+180432&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=iotlUMeiD-LW0QW4moDIAw&sqi=2&ved=0CCEQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=657

[The Stationmaster]

I had been wondering whether this product would pass muster on a UK layout?

 

https://www.google.c...iw=1280&bih=657

 

Not for lineside I think Ian - roadside in some situations ok (especially with the posts filled?) but looks wrong for lineside.

[Happy Hippo]

Alan,

 

I do like the pictures with no locos or rolling stock on them: not that I don't like your stock, but from a linesider perspective, that is what the railway is frequently like. 95% inactivity, then 5% action!

 

As far as Ian's link is concerned, I got a lot of very well muscled ladies (they were further down the page), far more than Faller usually put on their figures.

 

Regards

 

Richard

[Oldddudders]

As far as Ian's link is concerned, I got a lot of very well muscled ladies (they were further down the page), far more than Faller usually put on their figures.

Ooh dear! Enough to put you off yer lunch! Humble apologies!

[westerner]

Thanks for your kind comments and tips.

 

As i said in my previuos post I used young josh's method which involves making up a jig on some MDF and then marking out the the posts and at either end creating a small notch for the EZ line to slot into (I cheated and only put on 4 wires rather than 7. the bottom ones would be covered in vegetation.) Once you have placed the EZ line slip the ratio posts into place and then fix with a dab of super glue. Unfortunately I stretched the EZ line too tight on my first effort which meant as i put the posts on the layout some EZ line snapped and that wwhich was there was stretched so thin that you could not see it.

 

My second attempt had the line only very slightly stretched and to be fair in future I may not even do that. This has worked much better as you can see from the photos.

 

The Fence Jig with the rather overstreched EZ line

 

 

 

The second effort install on the layout only another 14feet to go.

 

 

[Physicsman]

That looks very effective, and the method is a bit easier than I used to tie black cotton around painted matchsticks. I've not come across EZ line before, so that's something for me to investigate.

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

[buffalo]

I've also been using EZ Line for lineside fences recently. Like you, I cheated by leaving out the bottom couple of wires on the grounds that they were buried in the undergrowth. However, instead of assembling the whole fence on the bench, I planted all the intermediate posts first and just attached the line to the two end posts on the bench. In doing this, I set the two end posts about half their final distance apart so that the line would be stretched to double its static length. Once the end posts were planted, I then went along the line supergluing the line to the intermediate posts. There's a couple of photos here.

 

I actually did it this way because I was using a crude representation of the classic GW strainer posts made from old broad gauge bridge rail, so these were the posts that I attached on the bench. In retrospect, though, the method worked quite well and I'd use it again even with plain end posts.

 

Nick

[46444]

Beautiful work Alan. Fencing is looking really good.

 

The Grey Cars Bedford OB is a nice touch as well

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[westerner]

Unfortunately my fencing goes up and down and in a curve (thats on al sections, so just doing the end posts wouldn't work. Whilst my method takes a bit of time to set up it appears to work for all types of terrain.

 

Jeff the big advantage with EZ line is that if you catch whilst doing other work on the layout it stretches without bending posts or telegraph poles and then returns to its original length.

[buffalo]

Unfortunately my fencing goes up and down and in a curve (thats on al sections, so just doing the end posts wouldn't work...

So does mine. The line is glued individually to each post with a rapid setting cyano glue and held in place for a few seconds. I first attach it to a post near the centre of the run, then one at about a quarter and three-quarters of the length, and so on. This works well when the line is on the inside of a curve and also helps with undulations in the landscape. Only occasionally do I end up with the line attached to my fingers or the wrong part of the post and those points will need a bit more undergrowth to mask the mistakes.

 

Nick

Edited September 29, 2012 by buffalo

[westerner]

Completed wiring the fences at the Dairy end of the layout. Hopefully tomorrow I'll start on the stream end, at least they are shorter runs of fencing.

 

I've just had a thought, now Ive done the fences I suppose I'll have to do the telegraph poles??!!**??!! Once I finished detailing the grass.

 

 

[artizen]

If you do the telephone lines, make sure they are on the far side of the tracks!!!!

[westerner]

They will be, apart from the branch. But i take your point.

[The Stationmaster]

If you do the telephone lines, make sure they are on the far side of the tracks!!!!

Actually on curved track they should be on the inside of the curve - but I would agree that would be something of a nuisance and make photography a lot more awkward.

[westerner]

I suppose the one advantage with EZ line is its stretchability. Even If I do snag the telegraph lines there is less likelihood of doing too much damage.

 

As Isaid before they wont be started until the grass is finished and I think I need to get another couple of poles (the Ratio sort) so I'll nip into Norwich tomaorrow and hope Great Eastern have some.

[Physicsman]

Thanks for the info. Alan. The ability to deform and return to its original shape is a major advantage over cotton. Is this wire specific to modelling, or is it generally available?

 

Btw, I've sent you a PM with a photo of "cotton fencing". I didn't think it was appropriate to post it in your thread.

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

[gwrrob]

Thanks for the info. Alan. The ability to deform and return to its original shape is a major advantage over cotton. Is this wire specific to modelling, or is it generally available?

 

Btw, I've sent you a PM with a photo of "cotton fencing". I didn't think it was appropriate to post it in your thread.

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

 

Heres a link to the stockist I used for my ez line.Not cheap but good .Perhaps it might be worth an ebay search.

 

http://www.modeljunction.info/estore/product_info.php?cPath=25_56&products_id=15282

[Coombe Barton]

Thanks for the info. Alan. The ability to deform and return to its original shape is a major advantage over cotton. Is this wire specific to modelling, or is it generally available?

See the fencing article in MRJ 214 if you have it.

 

Suppliers - Exactoscale and Model Junction in Slough (sez the article)

[Physicsman]

With apologies to Alan for intruding on his thread - many thanks to Robin and John. I'll follow your links. Won't be fencing for a good while, but having a reliable source of a proven material is excellent.

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

[Clive Mortimore]

Hi Alan

 

Regarding wires on telegraph poles, they were not under tension and had a very defined sag in the centre of each span. My memory of travelling when lineside telegraph poles and wires were in place was of this quite hypnotic effect of the wires gently going down and back up again between each post. Cotton or fishing line may be better for getting this effect.

 

The sag varied depending on the temperature, material the wire was made from, and the distance between the post. I have a book called Railway Signalling and Communications which going by the photos and adverts in the back is pre WW2 with a table of what the sag should be at a given temperature and distance if the wires are correctly installed. If you are interested I can send you the information.

Edited October 2, 2012 by Clive Mortimore

[westerner]

Please do Clive, particularly the distance between posts. I have the figure of 60 feet in my head, is that correct?

Edited October 2, 2012 by westerner

[Clive Mortimore]

Hi Alan

 

65 yards was the normal distance between poles. This could be increased to 70 yards in exceptional cricumstances. On curves it could be reduced to 60 or even 50 yards. As Mike stated the poles would be on the inside of the curve, if there was a wire come off or a pole is pulled over the running line would not be fouled. The spacing of 55 to 70 yards would give many model railways far less poles than they seem to have.

 

From the table I referred to, at 20 degress Fahrenheit, 55 yards span the sag was 10 1/4 inches, 60 yards it was 12 1/4inches and at 70 yards 16 3/4 inches. For 40⁰ the figures are 55 yrds 12 ins, 60 yrds 14 ins and 70 yrds 19 1/4ins. 60⁰ 55 yrds 14 ins, 60 yrds 16 3/4 ins and 70 yrds 22 3/4 ins. 80⁰ 55 yrds 16 3/5ins, 60 yrds 19 3/4 ins and 70 yrds 27ins. Finally at 100⁰ 55yrds 19 3/4 ins, 60 yrds 23 ins and 70yrds 31 1/4. That is for copper wire, cadmium copper the sag was slightly less. As you can see the sag would be 6-8mm for a layout set in sunny Devon. I think that is noticeable, others might disgaree. Oddly enough it does not give the sag for 65 yards yet the same book says this was the normal span.