Stodden Hundred Light Railway

[AJon30]

Hello, my name is Andrew Jones and I am a member of Luton Model Railway Club.
 
This little blog is going to be covering the count down to our forthcoming exhibition in Dunstable on 27th April where I have rashly said I will exhibit my new O gauge layout - The Stodden Hundred Light Railway (SHLR).
 
As was mentioned at the Club last night, that’s only 16 weeks away, and there is a lot of work to do.
 
The background to the SHLR was initially a plan to get a small (9ft x 2ft) O gauge layout with some operating potential. I operate Alistair George’s Swansea Riverside, which is a small South Wales engine shed layout, which is nice but even Alistair will agree, a little light on operating potential. Great if you have a fleet of large loco’s you want to display, but guaranteed to drive the operator round the bend! Alistair’s layout is 8ft and features 2 x 3 way points. I decided to add 1 foot and 1 point and see what happened. Thus Pertenhall & Swineshead was born, and here are photo’s  of its early stage, when it was erected for a running session.
 

 

 
This was all progressing OK when we decided to hold the Dunstable exhibition and, before engaging brain, I volunteered to extend Pertenhall to the next station Kimbolton Town, making a grand total of 19 feet!
 
Pertenhall was always designed as a through station, with a main board of 5 ft, the brick works / coal siding of 3 ft and a 1 ft station area. By replacing the 1ft with a 2ft long connector board and then adding 2 more 4 ft 6 ins boards, we ended up with 19 ft, and a major headache!
 
Needless to say when I agreed to the extension, nothing existed of the additional board etc!
 
This is a photo of Kimbolton Town with the track laid loosely and some mock up buildings added.
 

 So, a lot of work to do and not enough time! Did I also mention that I am still working and also have our club layout QUESTA, an On30 layout going out to Milton Keynes on the 16^th February?

 

Mad. yes, certifiable, probably! Anyway welcome to the journey.
 
Just to give a taster of the final layout, here is the completed brick works / coal siding.

 

Edited January 8, 2013 by AJon30

[AJon30]

Hi. Managed to add photo's by trial & error - enjoy

[AJon30]

Hello again

 

Since Christmas (not sure what year!) I have fitting the wiring to the board for Kimbolton Town.

 

While I always start eager and ready, the volume of wiring seems never ending.  I think I am due an award from the British Wire Industry the amount I use! There are 11 colours yet I always seem to get the same colours appearing at connectors but with different functions. Wish they would do some with a white stripe (for example) to increase the options.  

 

 

This is a DC layout with multiple controllers and needs to link in with the existing controllers at Pertenhall so that I have the ability to run a train straight through from the sector plate.

 

While QUESTA was built as DCC from the start my O gauge stock is mainly DC so I am wiring the layout so that can be operated as DC now but DCC in the future, when I can afford the decoders.

 

Here’s the control panel which has come up quite nice. It hides inside the large retort building in the Gas Works at Kimbolton Town.

 

 

Next thing is the add the micro switches to the H & M point motors (I don’t use the inbuilt contacts) which is always fun working from underneath. Now was that left or right?

 

 

 

[AJon30]

Hi. Not a vast amount done today - work keeps getting in the way!

 

Continued with the wiring, added a small logic circuit with some diodes to control the run-round and cattle dock connections.

 

Its the CMRA St Albans show this week-end and I am helping with the set-up tomorrow afternoonand then the strip-down on Sunday evening. Possibly might get along to spend money as well, although have a funeral on Saturday to attend.

 

More next week

[AJon30]

Hello from snowy Luton

 

Not a lot happening today, too busy with work and getting around in the snow.

 

St Albans show went well, packed and away by 7pm on Sunday which is good.

 

Spent too much as usual!!

 

 

Photo is my fireless loco, which will be the gas works shunter and a couple of the new Dapol wagons, one acquired at St Albans, thank you Kernow Model Rail, pity they only had a couple (the other was a GW open - no way!!).

[AJon30]

Just a quick update.

 

Not a lot of work on the layout, finally finished wiring the 37 way connector between the 2 baseboards on Kimbolton Town.

 

Hopefully, depending on the weather, should finish wiring this week and give it a trail run.

 

Busy week-end on exhibitions. We were meant to go to Astolat at Guilford but that was cancelled Friday afternoon. However we then had a call from the Brambleton Club for help with their show at Harpenden, which we were able to take Willowbrook Marsh. On the Sunday it was off to Leamington to help with Penpoll Quay.

 

Great shame that the weather has disrupted so much planning - hat's off to everyone who struggled through the snow to still put on a show. 

[Jack]

Photo is my fireless loco, which will be the gas works shunter

 

Is it kit or scratch built?

 

Cracking layout, keep the piccies coming

[AJon30]

Hello Jack

 

Thanks for your kind words. The fireless is an Eric Underhill kit, that I purchased at the Langely show a couple of years ago. Great little runner, resin tank with white metal cab etc. Very heavy, can pull all the wagons I can put on it! I've only seen one other, on the Foston Mills layout.

 

Put the layout sections together yesterday and applied power (fingers in ears!). Luckily only a couple of minor gremlins (a couple of copper clad sleepers not cut through properly and a bit of dodgy soldering) and it works as it should do, apart from the feed to headshunt where I tried to be too clever with some diodes and it has not produced the result I wanted (loco will only go one way - very confusing).

 

I have been given some good advice by my friend Nigel Adams (Willowbrook Marsh) so hopefully a couple of new switches will solve the problem.

 

So now its on to scenery, ballasting & bridges/buildings.

[AJon30]

As I have had to draw up a track plan to go on our new club website, I though I would post it here as well

 

[AJon30]

Hello. Started to have a good look at what is required for scenery building etc.

 

Across one baseboard join, and hiding the sector plate, is a bridge, which is removed when the layout is broken down. It also hides one of the point motors for one of the three-way points. However the other point motor is in front of the bridge and I had thought about a small building to hide it.

However, looking more closely the ground level would have been very strange so I have decided to move the front one under the baseboard which will allow a more gradual slope to the ground.  I will make the bridge slightly wider and that should cover the other point motor. I cannot put that underneath as there is framing in the way.

Also on view is my new J71 acquired at the Leamington show. It was ready built but not wired up or finished. I have wired it up to prove it works so all it needs now is a good clean up and the final bits on the chassis to be completed. The J71’s did work on the Easingwold Railway when their own motive power was out of action so there is a precedent (although whether they would have got this far south is another thing!).

[AJon30]

Morning all

 

Well for the first time in ages I had a whole day free yesterday to get on with some serious modelling.

 

Apart from some minor catch-up with the wiring associated with the moved point motor and some running repairs on the legs (design flaw - they could collapse if the retaining bar came out, so I have added some safety chains to stop that. How did I know this could happen? I was underneath the layout when it did!), the bridge covering the baseboard joint/sector plate exit was top priority.

Being removable I need it to be strong to stand knocks etc while being transported, while being able to fit into the layout and looking as though it was a permanent feature.

 

I had constructed a couple of cardboard mock-ups to get the dimensions sorted and to look at how it would be constructed.

 

Initially I thought of using foam board, but soon realised that would not be man enough for the job, so decided to go for 4mm ply. I had bought some relatively cheap sheets of 4mm plywood to put an internal roof in the garage but these are now gradually being used on different modelling projects.

 

 

Above picture shows the initial pile of pieces together with the 2 mock-ups.

 

When I started construction I followed georgeT’s idea of using Powerbond to get a quick joint and keep progress moving. However on a build of this size I would have been going through the bottles at a great rate of knots, so fell back on woodworking PVA.

 

As this gave me some time on my hands I started to cut out the shapes for the pie factory building, which will be a low relief building in front of the fiddle yard. I also dug out my supply of windows and doors to see if I have sufficient. Will need to give Invertrain a call as I will need so more for the brewery/maltings and gasworks for Kimbolton Town.

 

By the end of the day I had got this far.

 

 

And how it looks in position. I need to apply a little more detail, then it will be clad in Slaters plasticard and the Girder Sections built.

 

 

Why are the bridges different? Well the story goes that when they first built the railway to Pertenhall & Swineshead, the brick works horse drawn tramway was extended under the road via a narrow bridge to a trans-shipment platform. However as business increased it was realised that the tramway was a bottleneck so they rebuild the bridge and laid a standard gauge line to a new loading dock they built next to the kilns. They also laid a second siding to a small coal yard at the same time.

 

I reality I just liked the idea of different bridge styles!

[AJon30]

Help required

 

Does anyone know ot a source of model pipe fittings (elbow's bends etc) for 7mm scale?

 

I have a pack of the Knightwing pipe sections which are great for small section pipe but I am looking at something a bit larger, 5 - 8mm od.

 

I seem to remember somebody may have done these but for the life of me I can't think of the name!

 

Thanks

Edited February 4, 2013 by AJon30

[AJon30]

A quick update

 

 

Bridge is coming along OK, if a bit slowly. Completing the detail parts of the metal girder sections and brick arches. Don’t know if they will really be visible or not when it’s finished. Big question is: to rivet or not to rivet the girders: I think they may look too plain without, but the sheer number is off-putting!

 

 

The track work has all been sprayed brown and the rails rusty read, just a bit of touching up around the points.

 

 

Started on the scenery, there is a brick retaining wall at the back which will be finished in the same way at the bridge, with a short, steep section of embankment. At the front I have glued in a ply facia board and glued small pieces of foam which will be covered in a layer of Sculptamold and then just grassed over.

 

 

Latest acquisition to the growing Dapol open wagon fleet: a Stewarts & Lloyds 8 plank open - that will loaded with coke from the gas works for the steel making furnaces at Corby.

Edited February 9, 2013 by AJon30

[AJon30]

Hello, an update from a Bridge to Far!

 

Well I went for the riveted finish in the end after trying a small piece. Time consuming and most of it is hidden, but at least I will know its there!

 

 

I used a Metalsmith  riveting tool, which I found a little difficult to keep the rivets is a straight like on long thin strips of plasticard. I think that a larger “table” arrangement around the riveting head is required so I can keep the strips straight. Anyway that’s the explanation of the wonky rivets.

 

 

The bridge is nearly finished just the final pieces of Slaters brick plasticard to finish off. I would hate to think how many individual pieces there are in this bridge. However it has turned out to be nice and rigid which was the aim as it will be removable when the layout is broken down  

 

 

I laid the ground surface with Scultamold and it has been a given a coat of my favourite mud colour.

 

 

The back scene ground cover is rather steep but I have an idea how to disguise that.

 

 

Next up finish the bridge, ballasting and static grass.

 

However Its back to On30 for the next few days as this weekend we are exhibiting our On30 layout QUESTA at the Milton Keynes show, hope to see you there.

Edited February 13, 2013 by AJon30

[AJon30]

Hello. Not a lot to report at the moment, a lot of last week was spent sorting out wagons and loco’s for QUESTA’s visit to Milton Keynes.

 

We had a good day on Saturday, seemed to be very popular show and the layout performed well, although with a few small things to be sorted out.

 

Here’s a Youtube video which also features Westbridge, an O gauge layout by another Luton MRC member, Jeremy Everett.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-DQOVuS6Ns

 

All that has really changed has been the back scene has been painted and a start has been made on laying some ballast.

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2013 by AJon30

[Saltersbrook]

Nice detailing on the underside of the bridges. Should look a treat in low angle shots of trains passing beneath them.

[AJon30]

Thanks. It was a pain but I think it was worth it in the long run.

[AJon30]

Hello. Just a quick up-date, moving forward slowly towards our exhibition date of 27th April 2013 at Dunstable

 

 

The bridge is nearly finished, been painted, road surface added just needs grass verges to be done and some weathering to dull the finish down

 

 

Road surface in N scale granite, the smallest I had, still looks a bit too rough (appearence is not so obvious in real life).

 

 

Here's a picture of my gaugeing wagon, for platforms etc. Although I only intend to run small loco's and 4 wheel coaches I know that when we go to exhibitions all manner of things will turn up!

 

[AJon30]

Now that the bridge is nearly complete, time to move the baseboard sections around so that I can continue to work towards Kimbolton Town. So its by by to the brickworks and hello scenery!

 

 

But a quick look behind the scenes.

 

 

This is the sector plate that hides behind the Brickworks - 2 roads for the run-round loop and 1 for the hidden siding.

 

 

Here's the hidden siding with the control panel for Pertenhall and one of the train cassettes. Hopefully the spring connectors will work getting power across - they do at the moment but under exhibition pressure? Need to have a fall back plan!

 

 

Here's the next section of board attached, its the rest of Pertenhall & Swineshead station, an overbridge (which marks the divison between Pertenhall & Kimbolton control) and a bit of scenery. I have some Ceynix trees to go here and the end of the next board, to try and give short visual break.

Edited February 28, 2013 by AJon30

[AJon30]

Hello, a quick progress report. Trying to get the Pie factory finished so that I can get ballast completed etc etc.

 

This was the loaded dock in its unfinished state

 

 

Here’s a general view of the Pie Factory (Yes I know one of the ventilators is too low - trying to cut holes in a rush - measure 27 times and still get it wrong! There will be a signboard that should disguise that, and once its painted should be less obvious - hope)

 

 

There is a factory at one end, a loading dock and then the boiler house so both van and coal traffic.

 

 

 

 

Spent too much at Kettering last week - including another Dapol open - limited edition produced for the show they said - I suppose they have all their OO wagons that they just need to tweak the artwork and ready for O gauge - if they keep producing specials for shows this could get expensive!

 

Off to Huntingdon this week-end for St Neots show - not exhibiting but we are providing the free bus service - so don’t give the conductor too much stick!

Edited March 8, 2013 by AJon30

[AJon30]

Here's a quick couple of pictures as work progresses on the Pie Factory, final stretch now with painting underway.

 

 

Another new addition to the stock - a Bachmann brass tanker - a Class B tanker so ideal for tar etc

 

 

Did you go to Huntingdon in the snow last week? What did you think of the show / venue?

Edited March 14, 2013 by AJon30

[AJon30]

Hello. Well the Pertenhall board is just about done for the moment, the ballast is all laid, just waiting for it to dry before parting the boards. Lots more to do to the buildings, weathering, details etc, but need to press on with the Kimbolton Town boards.

 

 

Station platford edge has been done and a rough surface of Sculptamols applied.

 

 

My ixion and one of the 4 wheel coaches.

 

 

Here's the mock up of the grand station building(!) roughly based on the MSLR examples. Also another bridge, simpler this time, but still needs to be removeable.

 

 

At the same time I have been working on the short end, so that it matches.

 

[AJon30]

Hello from a snowy Luton

 

 

Had a change round and have put the 2 Kimbolton boards up in my conservatory. Track painted and ballasting under way.

 

 

Here's a general shot of the Brewery / Maltings (not sure abouit the maltings buildings, they seem underscale, although maltings did come in all sizes).

 

 

Have started on the wall around the gas works and that has made a big difference to the look of that area, has a much more industrial feel.

 

 

We have hired a local parish hall to have a running session this weekend, so the other boards have been erected in my living room so that I can check electrices etc.

 

 

 

Not much room to swing a cat at the moment!

Edited March 25, 2013 by AJon30

[dseagull]

Like this a lot - you're right though, the wall around the gasworks siding does make a big difference

 

The Brewery/Maltings is going to look fantastic when complete!

[AJon30]

Thanks. Still a lot of work to do but is coming together.

 

 

These are the 2 ends for the Pertenhall board, so that it can be shown in a short form ( 9 feet ) or as a connector to Kimbolton for the whole 19 feet.