Kirkby Luneside (Original): End of the line....

[Physicsman]

Hi Jeff, I ment to say that I do like that long point, apart from Atlas HO, I don.t think anyone makes such a beauty ready made so it relys on kit bashing. thats beyond my time line, I just like getting track NAILED down and somthing running, Caffine is a great way to stop you drilling through your fingers at this time of day. Andy.

 

I agree about the pointwork. I put a comparison photo of the Peco and Marcway curved points in an earlier post. The size of the thing was such that I had to rearrange the layout plan a few weeks ago. But worth it. Mind you, it wasn't built (electrically) quite as I expected, but that was easy to sort out. Thank goodness for Dremels!

 

The drilling is fine - as long as the bits are over a millimetre. I'm fiddling with 0.6mm and 0.8mm drill at the mo - they are so thin I'm bound to snap them. And too late... I already have the finger holes!! Lol.

 

Jeff

[Physicsman]

Morning John. Nice to hear from you. We both seem to like the hydraulics, then! I've had a Warship ("Bulldog") on order from Kernow since they first announced the Dapol project. I'd love another, but £160 by the time you've added the chip. I'd like some 22s as well... Have you ordered some?

 

I think I can wire the points and slips the conventional way, so I'll not bother with a juicer. I'm hoping I can get a lot of fitting done this week. Will post photos as "progress" is made! Are you still planning to resurrect the Dent layout, or have you moved on?

 

Keep in touch!

 

Best wishes,

 

Jeff

[Andrew P]

I had a Dapol 22 when I was going to do a West Country branch a few months ago after seeing Dukedogs Pen Y Bont at the RM Web event at Stafford. But as is my want, I changed my mind and sold it but it really did run a treat and with superb detail. Andy.

[Physicsman]

I had a Dapol 22 when I was going to do a West Country branch a few months ago after seeing Dukedogs Pen Y Bont at the RM Web event at Stafford. But as is my want, I changed my mind and sold it but it really did run a treat and with superb detail. Andy.

 

Andy, tell me if I'm correct - or wrong! I was squinting (as you do at my age!) at the pictures of you next to Glen Roy. Was there a class 22 for sale on the table?

 

As I said in the earlier PM, loco buying has gone out of the window this year. Every time I'm tempted I have to equate the loco with x pieces of track or y metres of cable. Very frustrating, but "good things come to those that wait"...

 

Btw, just got a chuck for the Dremel - so much easier to change attachments now... (Thinking of which, I could have bought a few locos for the cost of power tools! Nevermind).

 

Jeff

[Schubert]

 

 

No, in this case it isn't Lego, but Tamyia. The big issue that I found was that because I am using Torti, but they needed to move turnouts horizontally- rather than vertical orientation. So, I had to translate the movement 90%, and I needed an adjustable linkage. The Tamyia parts work well for it. Mine came through Britannia in Vancouver, but I know they are available worldwide. (some of mine came from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yodobashi_Camera )

 

http://www.borgfeldt.ca/product.htm?Product=799-70143&Source=Category&Category=799_70000_EDUCATIONAL

 

Is the items that I am using. That should give a # for UK purchase, if you are seeking to do similar

 

James

 

Thanks James I'll check them out.

 

Al

[Physicsman]

I've just spent 2 hours in the bunker finalising my plans for the next week. The order of work is constrained by the need to raise the baseboard on risers. Why use risers? TWO major advantages: 1) Raises the board nearer to eye level (actually about 1.2m, but I'm only small) giving lots of work room underneath - allows cross-joints in the subframe to be avoided when fitting point motors and, 2) Gives tons of scope for open-board work - will be evident around the viaducts and hillside...

 

So... 1) Fit risers under main scenic boards (schedule: 2 days)

2) Fix baseboards into their correct, permanent places

3) Fix track in place with holes drilled for droppers / attach all Cobalt motors

 

Parts 2 and 3 will take 2 - 3 days.

 

So, photos of the next steps will be posted as and when.

 

I had started on the track, but I don't want to move large boards around, especially with Cobalts attached. This WILL be fun!

 

Jeff

[Andrew P]

Hi Jeff, you can borrow my specks if you want, They were just Bachmann, the Dapol 22 was sold about a couple of months ago, Andy.

[Physicsman]

Hi Jeff, you can borrow my specks if you want, They were just Bachmann, the Dapol 22 was sold about a couple of months ago, Andy.

 

Quite ironic you said that. I've just spent ten minutes cleaning 3 pairs of specs. "I can see clearly now...."

 

Jeff

[Allegheny1600]

Hi Jeff, you can borrow my specks if you want, They were just Bachmann, the Dapol 22 was sold about a couple of months ago, Andy.

 

Hi Andy,

I didn't know Bachmann made specs!?! They must be competing with specsavers, eh? (he, he!)

(Sorry to be so cheeky!)

Cheers,

John E.

[Physicsman]

Hi Andy,

I didn't know Bachmann made specs!?! They must be competing with specsavers, eh? (he, he!)

(Sorry to be so cheeky!)

Cheers,

John E.

 

Don't apologise John. He's used to the abuse on here!! To his credit, his Bachmann specs are really good - which is why his layouts are excellent! Bachmann 69-007, if you're interested!

 

Anyway, it's coffee time - just waiting for the neighbours to go out to work so I can go outside with the circular saw and start cutting wood...

 

Jeff

[Jason T]

Having caught up with your thread, I see what you were referring to now when you mentioned modifications to Marcway point. Like others (it seems), I presumed that they would be in a state to just lay, electronically speaking, especially as the sleepers come pre-coloured.

 

Looking at your photo, it seems like you need to make the same considerations that are required when hand-building PCB turnouts, and you've pretty much done it all now. However, I've popped a photo below showing the various cuts, etc. that I made. I finished mine by filling the gaps with Milliput and then sanding/filing it level with the sleeper tops to try to disguise the cuts, a job which was about as fun as it sounds and left me, my desk and everything else covered in dust. However, the small white liners show this quite well (quite a few people make the cut closer to the rail itself, so the rail hides it, if you see what I mean).

 

The girlfriend also gave me some strange looks when I was washing all the turnouts in the sink for a second time (first time being after the original build to clean off any remaining flux, etc).

 

[Physicsman]

Thanks Jason. I'm glad to see it's common practice! The Milliput is a good idea - I think I'll do the same. As for washing the turnouts in the sink...

 

I've spent 3 hours cutting and fitting wood this morning. Started fitting the risers. Not a difficult job - except for all the stuff that's now in the garage...boards, track, viaducts, tools. Will post some photos later to show progress.

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

[Physicsman]

First pics of risers on one side of the layout. No points are within 20cm of these and they provide a solid base for the raised board - one bit shown.

 

Drill re-charging - enforced break!

 

Jeff

[Rowsley17D]

First pics of risers on one side of the layout. No points are within 20cm of these and they provide a solid base for the raised board - one bit shown.

 

Drill re-charging - enforced break!

 

Jeff

 

Good grief Jeff, are you going to walk on these? Appears to be a bit of sag in that board though (dons tin hat) or is a support missing and you were just trying things out to see how it looked? (on my way home now been here since 7.30 am)

[Physicsman]

Yes, I noticed that sag too. :agree: Hang on a minute, I'll just put my vernier gauge away! Basically, I've got rather a lot of 4 x 2 lying around - so I may as well use it, rather than thinner timber.

Don't laugh but with the board height at about 120cm, I'm going to use some of the 4 x 2 to make myself a little "platform", to raise my viewing position, as I'm vertically challenged!

I'm off outside now - the drill is re-charged.

 

I will test the strength of the supports with my pet elephant later!!

 

Cheers.

[Physicsman]

I've called it a day. Nearly all the risers for the main board are fitted. By mid-morning tomorrow I may be able to screw down several of the boards and shouldn't need to move them again. Then I can move onto the board that curves out of the station to the viaduct.

 

Then I HAVE to make my platform - the board height is actually 110cm, but I need the structure to gain-back a little, so I can then do the really good bit... start laying the track!

 

I have no doubt that something will get in the way - but, hopefully, that can start on Friday.

 

Jeff

 

ps. More exciting photos tomorrow. Must dash - the pet elephant has to be put to bed.

 

pps. Jonathan - I measured a sag of 0.04mm in the board in the photo, so I may need to borrow your tin hat!

[Andrew P]

Call that a SAG you want to see my boards before I disguise them with scenics covers a mutitude of sins, ha ha Looking really good though mate.

[Physicsman]

Call that a SAG you want to see my boards before I disguise them with scenics covers a mutitude of sins, ha ha Looking really good though mate.

 

Ah well Andy, we all have our sag problems. I cover mine with clothes so nobody notices!! Lol.

 

Have to say I really enjoyed myself today. The only reason I stopped was because I realised I'd not had any dinner and it was approaching 7pm.

 

Big problem - initially - tomorrow is hauling the main board on top of its risers. We'll see what happens. The bunker is an absolute TIP at the moment with stuff everywhere.

 

Jeff

[The Stationmaster]

Interesting form of construction Jeff and it will probably be alright in your bunker although I understand that our Mr Brunel had a lot of trouble with a similar method when constructing embankments (but he didn't use plywood so that is probably where you score)

[peach james]

You'd be shocked how much 25x100mm wood sags on a 1800mm span...the intermediate version of Long Marton suffered horribly from sag, to the point where I had to lift some bits by 10mm or more to "level" (crudely) the boards after the wood had sagged.

 

The motto of the field engineers comes to mind : no thrill like overkill

 

(usually used with regards to removing bridges...in small pieces)

 

As regards risers, I have a box platform for in with the lego- it's a 200x200mm piece of the tables that happens to not be needed right now- it gives me about 150mm of rise, which makes quite a difference, even to me at 183 cm tall.

 

The lad loves it, that and chairs...both of them like chairs. I suppose I should make a taller/longer one for the boys in the railway room, as Daniel enjoys taking dinky cars (an assortment ranging from genuine to current ones) and pushing them around on the roads. That, and I should set up the thomas the tank engine layout again...but, to-morrow the two of us are going to Seattle (Washington State) for a lego convention...so there goes one weekend, and the following weekend we are doing a lego display, that's got a bunch of the train stuff ready for that...a good couple of weeks here !

 

I seem to remember "The Railway Club of Toronto" (37 Hanna Ave) had step stools for those of us who were vertically challenged and very train interested . It's a grand layout, that is. (O gauge, 40x120 ft, in a former sten gun range)

 

I hope that the mix of Metric & Inch doesn't confuse too many people...I'm used to working in both, as school was metric, dad is inch, and I work in both. (converting between 3 systems, because of US and Imperial volumes being different

 

James

 

James

[Physicsman]

 

 

The motto of the field engineers comes to mind : no thrill like overkill

 

(usually used with regards to removing bridges...in small pieces)

 

 

I hope that the mix of Metric & Inch doesn't confuse too many people...I'm used to working in both, as school was metric, dad is inch, and I work in both. (converting between 3 systems, because of US and Imperial volumes being different

 

James

 

James

 

Overkill - yes, I seem to do that in everything I do. There is always the potential for sag, warping and movement, but I try to minimise it...

 

As for the units - I was brought up on Imperial, used metric all my professional life but in everyday usage still think inches, feet and miles. Weird.

 

Jeff

[Physicsman]

Interesting form of construction Jeff and it will probably be alright in your bunker although I understand that our Mr Brunel had a lot of trouble with a similar method when constructing embankments (but he didn't use plywood so that is probably where you score)

 

Hello Mike. Basically, just a set of 4 x 2 blocks held 30cm above the subframe. They hardly move now and will move even less when "tied together" by a sheet of ply board screwed into them in several places. Bit of a pain getting the risers to be level with each other, but I've got it reasonably ok.

 

Previous layouts have had the board fixed straight onto the subframe. When you have large point motors, DCC buses etc under the board it always seems to be the case that a cross-beam gets in the way. The risers here are all positioned away from key areas.

 

It also gives a bit more room for maneouvre under the boards...

 

Jeff

[Physicsman]

Morning all.

 

About time for a post. Risers completed under the main section and the board sat in place. Not fixed down yet, but tolerably level in all planes.

 

Coffee, then it's onto the section to the left of the main board. By the end of today the viaduct positions will look more "natural".

 

Jeff

[Physicsman]

Well, I suggested 2 days to get the scenic risers in. I'm getting there. Here are 2 further pics showing this afternoon's work. The last photo now shows the viaducts ready to be entrenched into their river gorge.

 

Getting a bit tedious, but still going on ok!

 

Jeff

[aberdare]

Keep it up Jeff

 

Your progress is quite good so far and just seeing the viaducts close to the boards gives an idea of what that corner is going to look like. I assume the boards on the risers are ready for track laying as I think you said you had to carefully lift them into position to avoid damage to the point motors.

 

It's good to see it getting closer to that track going down.

 

Jim