'O' gauge ? first tentative steps. Corrugated goods shed part 3: Painting and weathering

[David Siddall]

......and if you're mad enough, you end up here....

 

...if I ended up anywhere remotely near your 'here' Richard, far from mad I'd be a very happy modeller indeed! Definitely in the category of 'aspirational and then some'! Nice vid's too (I watched them all) ...great to see a fixed camera position letting the train come to you; AND to hear a rich, clean audio track free from background noise and the ghastly, tinny effects of the dreaded Windows Moviemaker sound codec ;-)

 

Mind you, if I ever did get to where you are now, my wife (...and my bank manager) would probably suspect that I'd surreptitiously taken up a new career that was distinctly on the wrong side of the law. My last two OO layout were DCC (albeit silent) and I was investigating the cost of sound decoders the other day. I love the idea but ....gulp!

 

D

 

PS: I've read that Stanier 'Black 8s' clanked when coasting but have never heard it in real life ;-)

[David Siddall]

At last, progress with turnout number 2! So what's different this tIme round to justify further photos? Well...

 

The Timbertracks turnout base (sleepers) were given a coat of stain before starting construction. This doesn't seem to affect Butanone's ability to create a bond between plastic chair-bases and wooden sleepers and it looks like the latter will only need a further thin wash of stain to darken them to the desired colour. A lot less time-consuming than my first attempt but still a lot of work to create a look which I now discover isn't a million miles from C&L's moulded plastic sleepers. But at least I know they're real wood!

 

This time I didn't wait until the turnout was finished to remove the larger area of supporting timber from which the base is laser-cut. So far (!) no apparent reduction in the robustness of the part-built turnout and it's easier to handle on a small (and cluttered) workbench.

 

I've also used Exactoscale 'bridge chairs' where previously I modified C&L standard chairs to create a likeness. They're easily distinguishable by their lighter colour (C&L chair colours seem to vary between dark and rusty brown - my latest batch being the latter). I'm not entirely sure these Exactoscale components are a 100% happy fit on C&L's rail profile but everything seems flat, level and secure.

 

The 'toe' end of the ready-made common crossing (vee) also features a pair of functional, insulated moulded fishplates from Exactoscale waiting to take the blades (more on this in due course...), whilst the simulated rail joints half-way down the stock rails are decorated (appropriately) with cosmetic fishplates from C&L.

 

The final shot is just me being a bit fanciful... but it was fun. Even these A5s are big in 7mm scale, the window cill being the only place I can place two together in the formation in which they'll eventually appear as a loco-release crossover along with my (so far) solitary length of plain track; a scale 60' length panel made using the same C&L/Timbertrack process.

 

I soooo need to find the time to build some baseboards :-/

 

 

 

 

And that's probably it 'till next weekend but I live in hope :-)

 

David

[tim@dy]

David

Can you please tell what you have used to stain the ply sleepers on your second point?

 

Cheers

Tim

[David Siddall]

Can you please tell what you have used to stain the ply sleepers on your second point?

 

It's Liberon Dark Oak Tim, the water-based one. Nothing scientific about the choice I just happened to have some left after restoring some floorboards and gave it a try.

 

I've brushed it on and like the result. One coat looks (to me) like newish timber, two gives that heavily creosoted look. It doesn't cover the edges as well as the top surfaces of the ply but edges can easily be re-touched and should be hidden by ballast.

 

David

[tim@dy]

It's Liberon Dark Oak Tim, the water-based one. Nothing scientific about the choice I just happened to have some left after restoring some floorboards and gave it a try.

 

I've brushed it on and like the result. One coat looks (to me) like newish timber, two gives that heavily creosoted look. It doesn't cover the edges as well as the top surfaces of the ply but edges can easily be re-touched and should be hidden by ballast.

 

David

Thankyou David,I'll give it a try.

Tim

[greenglade]

Hi David

 

I have been keeping tracks on yours and others threads regarding building 0 gauge track and have been encouraged greatly by your combined efforts. I'm new to this gauge and certainly new to building track work for myself. So you have started something here and it's all good, following you and Allan I have ordered a C&L turnout in a bag kit and length of track to get me started.

I like what Richard has said about 31.5 gauge and will follow his lead, I'll turn up some gauges gauges myself to do this. I need to learn about prototype point work for myself before knowing what extras I need from the likes of exactroscale. I may even be able to get to my first meet at Kettering next month, yes I have already joined the guild. Not sure what track plan to build yet although I do like the plan of 'Kings Cross locomotives sidings and turntable' as shown in the book LNER 150. I was pleasantly surprised how small an area this plan is in 0 gauge, in fact for under 30' one could fit in the station as well.

I will need to learn a lot about railway operation, signals, point work etc etc. One question I have is with a terminus like KX how do trains turn around as looking at the track plan for the station itself there's little sign of any points along the platforms for a loco to uncouple, change line, steam to the turntable and then return to the carriages, I'd be most grateful if some one here could explain how this was done for KX?

One more thing thanks to reading this thread I've now been introduced to Templot and though not that easy to grasp I hope to use this for whichever track plan I decide on and to work off Templot templates set at 31.5 gauge.

 

So this is me saying hi and to say Thankyou for this and the other threads on this subject, I'll follow them all very closely.

 

Kind regards

 

Pete

[3 link]

Hi Pete,

 

With the larger stations like KX , they use to uncouple the coaches from the loco and the station pilot would couple up to the rear coach and pull them back out of the station to the carriage sidings for cleaning,etc. Then the loco would reverse out of the station and go and be turned and either have her fire put out or coaled,oiled and watered for the next turn.

 

ATB, Martyn.

[David Siddall]

I need to learn about prototype point work for myself before knowing what extras I need from the likes of exactroscale.

 

Hi Pete and thanks for those kind words, we look forward to hearing how you get on (and seeing too... photos always welcome!). As my postings demonstrate I'm a bit of a dunce when it come to prototype trackwork matters (...though I am learning fast). However... the great thing about building turnouts using the resources available to O gaugers is that you can't fail to produce a turnout that's far closer in appearance to the real thing than anything that can be bought off the shelf! There's an enormous sense of satisfaction to be gained from doing so too :-)

 

David

[Alan Kettlewell]

Hi Pete and thanks for those kind words, we look forward to hearing how you get on (and seeing too... photos always welcome!). As my postings demonstrate I'm a bit of a dunce when it come to prototype trackwork matters (...though I am learning fast). However... the great thing about building turnouts using the resources available to O gaugers is that you can't fail to produce a turnout that's far closer in appearance to the real thing than anything that can be bought off the shelf! There's an enormous sense of satisfaction to be gained from doing so too :-)

 

David

 

Ditto .. Welcome to the fray Pete, I'm sure you'll make a good job of it and find it very satisfying.

 

Regards

Alan

[greenglade]

Thanks Guys

 

A question:

Can anyone reccomend a suitable source for reference material on track/point work for the LNER railway. My chosen era will be during the 30's , an online source would be the quickest but failing that a published item will do if such a thing exists.

Next will be to decide on a track plan I guess, as mentioned I am looking at Kings Cross as a future project but this ,except for research ,will have to wait. I plan to move house over the next couple of years so no point starting such a large project until that happens. At least it will give me time in researching just how big this will be and then when I do move I can make sure the new place has enough room, something barn size... I had

mistakenly thought that the drawings in the book LNER 150 were complete which was a bit silly of me since the platform numbers start at 11...lol

Anyway last night I managed to find another drawing showing the remaining platforms along with 7 lines going into the tunnel along Regents canal rather than just the 4 that are shown in the LNER book. So although the baseboard hasn't got any longer it has doubled in width. I have seen the Gainsborough MRC KX layout whilst surfing the web which seems to have a track plan along the lines of that in the LNER 150 book. All this mind is a long way into the future, I just like the possibilities of a large terminus where the track disappears soon after into a tunnel..

While I have been writing this my C&L parcel has just arrived , a turnout kit with plastic sleepers and a length of flexi track again with plastic sleepers. These are for a test track for when I have a loco ready, I have already built a connoisseur LNER 10 ton brake van ( lovely kit to build) and have a loco waiting for when I have time to build it, lots of other model/engineering jobs to finish first, so it won't be for a while yet.

 

Regards

 

Pete

[greenglade]

Oh meant to add all point work and track used on future layouts will be using timber sleepers unless it ventures outside..

 

Pete

[Mike Bellamy]

Pete - I would suggest having a look at the LNER Encyclopedia here http://www.lner.info/

 

They have a very active forum with over 2000 members and I'm sure that you will get the information you need there - but please don't leave us on RMweb wondering what you are up to - keep us advised even if you do get the info you need from elsewhere

 

Mike

[Alan Kettlewell]

Thanks Guys

 

A question:

Can anyone reccomend a suitable source for reference material on track/point work for the LNER railway. My chosen era will be during the 30's , an online source would be the quickest but failing that a published item will do if such a thing exists.

Next will be to decide on a track plan I guess, as mentioned I am looking at Kings Cross as a future project but this ,except for research ,will have to wait. I plan to move house over the next couple of years so no point starting such a large project until that happens. At least it will give me time in researching just how big this will be and then when I do move I can make sure the new place has enough room, something barn size... I had

mistakenly thought that the drawings in the book LNER 150 were complete which was a bit silly of me since the platform numbers start at 11...lol

Anyway last night I managed to find another drawing showing the remaining platforms along with 7 lines going into the tunnel along Regents canal rather than just the 4 that are shown in the LNER book. So although the baseboard hasn't got any longer it has doubled in width. I have seen the Gainsborough MRC KX layout whilst surfing the web which seems to have a track plan along the lines of that in the LNER 150 book. All this mind is a long way into the future, I just like the possibilities of a large terminus where the track disappears soon after into a tunnel..

While I have been writing this my C&L parcel has just arrived , a turnout kit with plastic sleepers and a length of flexi track again with plastic sleepers. These are for a test track for when I have a loco ready, I have already built a connoisseur LNER 10 ton brake van ( lovely kit to build) and have a loco waiting for when I have time to build it, lots of other model/engineering jobs to finish first, so it won't be for a while yet.

 

Regards

 

Pete

 

Kings Cross - lovely big project that and very ambitious IMHO. Not the same terminus but I read somewhere that to model Waterloo in OO would take the size of a tennis court - so in O gauge four tennis courts!

 

Anyway, good luck with it all. I'm in the same position as you Pete, also looking for a new house and keen to ensure suitable space is available for a sizeable O gauge layout.

 

Regards

Alan

[greenglade]

Thanks Mike, I have registered and asked the question, don't worry I won't leave RMWeb, members of this forum have helped me in the past when searching for details for my 5" gauge model of Flying Scotsman..

[greenglade]

Allan

 

Big project is the word although KX must be a lot smaller than Waterloo as going by the scale drawing that I have , 0 gauge is less than 30' long, admittedly with the new addition that I've found showing previously missing platforms 1-10 it now comes out around 12' wide . The drawing has a scale rule showing 200', using this the distance from Cheney Street to the tunnel under Goods Way is 1,058' which in O gauge gives a run of just over 24' before disappearing into the tunnel. Of course it's possible that the drawing rule scale is wrong but I have now gridded the drawing to a scale grid to match Templot and everything looks ok so far. This is early days though and I have a lot more to do , first job is to input everything into Templot. Once this is done I'll know for sure the correct size of baseboards needed. 30'x12 looks about right to me ,of course they'll need to be enough length under the tunnel to hold full trains.

The longest platforms seem to measure around 15' which gives a true length of over 650', is this long enough for a full train? If it isn't then perhaps the scale rule is wrong!, I'll know once it's in Templot.., this alone looks a massive task...I always did like a challenge.....

 

Kind regards

 

Pete

[greenglade]

Dave

 

Just realised I'm beginning to hijack your thread which is not my intention. When I do get around to actually starting something I'll start my own.

 

Sorry

 

Pete

[richard_t]

Thanks Guys

 

A question:

Can anyone reccomend a suitable source for reference material on track/point work for the LNER railway. My chosen era will be during the 30's , an online source would be the quickest but failing that a published item will do if such a thing exists.

 

Pete

 

Thats an easy one: Standard Railway Equipment - Permanent Way, 1926 available from the NER society. It's on the second page of the NERA Sales List as a PDF file.

 

You don't have to be a member to order.

 

You might like to look out for early editions of British Railways Track - but these have started going for silly money lately. Edition 3 still has bullhead in it, along with flat bottom rail info; but later editions drop the bullhead info. Then there's the bullhead supplement from the Permanent Way Institution. But that doesn't look like it's in print at the moment.

 

After all that reading, you'll probably want to try to learn Templot as well!

 

Regards

 

editing: for small font.

[3 link]

I do not want to put you off Pete, but how are you going to reach anything that is more than 3 ft in front of you ? And also a 12 coach train is roughly 17 ft 3 ins long. Don't get me wrong I would love to see something of this scale come to fruition , but even Pete Waterman said he regreted using boards that were over 3ft across for his Leamington Spa.

 

Regards, Martyn.

[greenglade]

Thanks Richard

 

That looks like just what I need, I just wish that they allowed interested parties to order online and pay via visa. Don't think I even have a cheque book anymore, I know that banks are discontinuing such things so it's possible that I don't have one, I certainly havn't used one in a very long time.

 

Many thanks for the info though, at least I know such a thing exists, regarding Templot I think I understand enough to get a plan done now. Have to admit to being a little lost until I got one of my sons to take a look at the program. Luckily it didn't take him long to work it out, mind you he is a computer programmer and as a matter of intetest happens to have done a few program's for a number if railway companies.

 

Thanks

 

Pete

[greenglade]

Hi Martyn

 

Don't worry I'm not easily put off and I do like a challenge, as it happens I was just looking at the plan for KX to see where boards could be split within such an aray of point work . Of course such a layout if it was to be built would have to have auto coupling throughout (I plan to develope my own) , auto everything in fact. It wouldn't be difficult to incorporate access panels which could be hidden under the various walking boards that crossed the track. Large sections of the station itself could also be removable with join lines being hidden along platform edges etc. Were there's a will there's a way as the saying goes, don't get me wrong I'm under no illusion as to how much work is involved (certainly more than one man can do) or to likely cost and space needed but wouldn't it be great? Gainsborough MRC have done it although it doesn't look like a full KX has been done but it looks very good. As I said this would be something for the future and would depend greatly on me finding a new home in the coming years with enough room. It would need to be an out building with a good sized garden.

In the meantime I'll be starting with something a lot smaller but a mans entitled to his dreams....

 

Pete

[David Siddall]

Just realised I'm beginning to hijack your thread which is not my intention. When I do get around to actually starting something I'll start my own.

 

Feel free Pete... I may have started it but I'm only too happy for anyone and everyone to tip in. Anything that shares experience and helps and encouragers first time O gaugers has got to be a good thing :-)

 

David

[Debs.]

Thanks Gents for the supportive replies. David, as requested here's a few pictures, without any intenton of repeating all that's gone before ...

 

C&L sleepers all ready to go and you can see I'm building the kit on a Templot template with the C&L template there too for cross reference purposes. I'm using Templot as I wanted to build it to 31.5mm standards rather than the C&L kit 32mm standard as I liked the look of the tighter clearances as seen in Dikitriki's thread ...

 

Sleepers (C&L as per kit) all laid. I noticed a slight variation in the sleeper positions at the right hand end. The C&L template has them going straight across more or less at right angles to the straight stock rail, whereas the Templot draws them at slight angles. However,everything worked out ok ...

 

The straight stock rail in place and all the ties out ready for fitting. You can also see Debs' brilliant brass gauges on stand by to the left and right of the picture ...

 

The pre-assembled crossing provided with the kit needs to be dismantled as it's built to 32mm standards. I'm building to 31.5mm with 1.5mm gaps so it won't fit right as it is, the gaps will be a bit too wide and the geometry not correct ...

 

All I had to do is desolder the small pieces underneath, like this ..

 

Here, Debs' 31.5mm gauges can be seen in action ..

 

The crossing and Vee re-fitted with the gaps set at 1.5mm giving a nice tight look around the Vee...

 

Switch blades fixed in place - beginning to look like a turnout now ...

 

That's it! All done all except for the final tie bar to be fitted and trimming the surplus ends of the rail at the right.

 

Finally, a message to anyone contemplating building their first turnout - get stuck in! Seriously, it's not too difficult and quite enjoyable. All I need now is a layout to install it on ..

 

Regards

Alan

 

Lovely work, Alan.....and those crossings look really nice!

 

Well done!.....we will be looking forward to seeing further track-works.

[David Siddall]

Now I'm in a quandry... who ordered a lovely springlike day round here?

 

I was planning to skive off work, finish my 2nd turnout and perhaps make a start on a baseboard or two. Instead I feel a compulsion to get out in the garden, make a start on clearing the ravages of winter, and even possibly an attempt to coax our ancient and cantankerous mower into life ...dammit, the wretched grass is growing again :-/

 

Hey ho....

 

D

 

PS: If there any any DMU gurus amoungst our little band could you hop over to my 121 prototype question thread and put me out of my misery... I so don't want to have to try and recreate the Claysonrite-type rubber seals on 20-odd windows that were such a distinctive feature of these units in their early days.

[David Siddall]

Did actually manage to grab a few hours modelling yesterday (Sun) and got all the rail in place on turnout number two... only to make a complete horlicks of the first tie bar!!!

 

Several attempts made at rectification but I'm still far from happy! Why is it that some folks can solder so neatly, securely and consistently yet I just seem to create joints which fall apart the minute I turn my back or gurt lumpy things which have to be filed/pared/scraped into anything remotely tidy :-(

 

D

[3 link]

Hi David,

 

Yes I know how you feel, my choices were gardening, kit building or finish off the new flooring . So I ended up popping down to the Watercress line to see Tornado, as the line is only half a mile away B) .

 

On my return home I was then cajoled by some chaps on another forum ( welcome David ) into doing a thread on building 6 wheeled milk tankers !! Ow and I did also manage to give the lawn it's first trim of the year so that helped to keep everyone in the household happy.

 

ATB, Martyn.

 

P.S. With reference to the tie bars, yes they are fiddly and with solder less is more, oh and three pairs of asbestos hands are a must