Ron Heggs

The three deck sections assembled -

Start made on adding the rivetted iron detailing -

Close-up of the bracket supports for the inter-beams, and flanges for the main deck beams -

Hi, Benn

These few links to images were found on Manchester's Image Archive. You could search further for more images on this site http://images.manchester.gov.uk  -

1966

http://images.manchester.gov.uk/web/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=45331&reftable=ecatalogue&refirn=8341

1972

http://images.manchester.gov.uk/web/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=57713&reftable=ecatalogue&refirn=62392

1972

http://images.manchester.gov.uk/web/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=57714&reftable=ecatalogue&refirn=62391

1961

http://images.manchester.gov.uk/web/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=19608&reftable=ecatalogue&refirn=8051

Ron

The brass work is looking good Ron.  It's nice to see the riveting tool has been put to good use.   

 

Jamie

Hi, Jamie

The original riveting tool has been retired, as it was a little inconsistent in producing identical embossing. Have all the materials to hand to construct a replacement tool which should be better at repeat embossed rivets, the tool being more compact and easier to adjust

Ron

The First and Second sections of the deck have been assembled with the transverse deck beam webs and the inter-beam rail-load support RSJs -

The third section which will complete the deck is a mirror of the left hand first section, and is under construction at the moment

First and second sections joined

The overall length of the three section deck is 600mm. The deck and span beams will be fully detailed as it is easier to provide the detail with the brass etches 

As always Ron, top quality modelling. I take it that there is a need for a more robust structure than the styrene sheet can provide.

Thanks. Tests carried out a few years back proved that a styrene build shatters within two weeks when left outside even in a continuously shaded area ..... it shows there would a great deal of UV attack

The decision was made rather than not run the track around part of the garden in a loop and back into the station enviroment, that all the external structures would be produced using non-ferrous metals, mainly brass and aluminium. Wood is definitely out - early garden usage of protected timber was a disaster. Replacement after just two seasons was necessary. Re-designed and built in aluminium

Etched brass for the viaduct would be the most appropriate material. Overall costwise it is running at 40 times the cost of a styrene build, but then it saves a continuing replacement of a styrene build, and will go towards allowing a better operating regime for the layout

Ron

Whilst waiting for the copperclad to arrive, I have been going through the list of items still to build/construct, and one the most important is the Castlefield Viaduct section for linking to outside. The etchings were finally delivered back in December 2014, and a start was made with the build, but stalled with trackwork builds and the installation of the Trainshed taking priority

Restarted the build of the viaduct from the brass etches -

First of three sections of the viaduct deck. Further track support beams to be fitted/completed, along with beam end supports, etc.

Another view of the same section

Typical view of existing deck built in styrene

The viaduct will be located here, extending the right hand viaduct through into the garden -

One of my Xmas presents has arrived early - Well it was my present to myself

The replacement camera, a Canon EOS 1300D has been delivered direct from the UK. Even with the delivery charges it was still cheaper than buying in Spain

So now the pictures should be to a better resolution and sharpness, especially the close-ups

So basically, build it as a 3 way?

 

Mike.

The lower turnout is already part of a three way. So does that make it a four way?

Ron

 

Sorry for the delay in posting this, but I got side tracked. Sorry it's a bit rough  and ready, but I hope that using the different colours for the polarity of the rails it's self explanatory.

 

turnout sketch.png

 

SS

Thanks. I missed that obvious solution. A case of 'can't see the wood for the trees'

Cheers

Ron

Hi Ron,

 

That is some very impressive trackwork you have built, but not surprising considering the buildings that you built earlier.  I shall look forward to seeing more of it

 

Colin

Thanks Colin

My one worry with the trackwork builds has been that trying to match the original complex track layout in OO gauge and 4mm scale would ultimately fail. So far it is working out quite well, with just a couple adjustments with the check rails to overcome slight lack of smoothness through the crossings 

Employing 00-SF has certainly eased the build and running qualities

There is the electrical switching problems ahead due to one or two switch rails closing over the common crossing on an adjacent turnout. In the prototype that was not a real problem, however with electrical feeds through the rails on the model, it can cause unwanted short circuits. These may require additional selective switching

More problems - My Minolta Dimage 7i has just packed up after 15 years. Thought it may require a new set of batteries, but no. It is totally dead

It looks like one of my Xmas presents is going to be a camera

The pictures have had to be taken with my non-smart phone, so the resolution is a little poor

The turnouts on the extreme left await the copperclad strips. From bottom left to right - the tracks pass into Platforms 7, 6, service road, 5, 4, service road, 3, 2 and service road. With track into Platform 1 just off plan to the right 

View from opposite end

Overhead view

Have been a little busy with some tedious assembly work on the Sri Lanka project, whilst continuing the trackwork build on the Manchester Central layout 

The approach trackwork into Platforms 8 & 9 and the centre service road has been completed and placed on the layout in its approximate position, and awaits the marking out of turnout motor and tie bar actuation positions. Hope that these positions are clear of the cross-bracing supports, otherwise a little bit of engineered carpentry will be required

Following receipt of 2000+ Exactoscale chairs, the adjacent trackwork into Platforms 7, 6, 5, 4 & 3, the two centre service roads, and parts of the trackwork into Platforms 2 and centre service road is almost complete, and awaits a shipment of copperclad strip for the completion of the final turnout on this portion of trackwork

This trackwork assembly comprises ten single turnouts, a threeway turnout, two diamond crossings, and a portion of a further threeway turnout which is part of the next adjacent section, all built in a curved close formation 

This assembly will then be moved to the layout and placed adjacent to the previous trackwork section

Will post pictures tomorrow when the lighting will be more favourable for photography, and the work area has been cleared of tools and scrap materials

Can a silhouette expert confirm if this is likely to be successful please?

 

I am nearing completion on a scratch built tank wagon and need to produce a walkway to go on the top, nothing suitable is available from the trade so it will have to be bespoke. While ideally I would get the part etched, its going to be a very expensive route to get one walkway. I was wondering if it would be possible to cut the mesh out of 10thou plasticard with the silhouette, then mount on two strips of evergreen strip and glue to the model. I would need to cut a mesh of something like 1mm square holes, with 0.3m of plastic between them.

 

 

Before I start drawing it up for the silhouette I’d like to confirm if what I am intending to do is possible or if I should look again at alternatives.

Hi,

I have managed to cut mesh in 10thou for a small item on the Sri Lanka project. The minimum width that could be achieved of the bars was 0.5mm with the holes also 0.5mm wide

I aligned all the horizontal lines - left to right, and the vertical lines - top to bottom. Cutting at speed 1

The finished mesh was a little warped but dipping it in hot water for a minute or so, and drying it pressed flat under a small weight cured the warping

Ron

Very nice structure build

Have you used laser cut ply or mdf bonded with PVA ?

Don't have carpet or rugs in the modelling areas just off white porcelain tiles. So even if the item bounces off the wall and/or drops to the floor a quick scan usually finds it. Although sometimes it pings right back onto the model table, and then a real search has to be undertaken amongst many similar items. Will I ever find it, and would I recognise it as the one that tried to get away?? 

Question..  When ordering and paying by bank xfer, It says at the top to pay when he has picked it and sent an invoice, but at the bottom of the page it gives you the info and tells you to pay now as does the email you get after placing an order?  Which method has everyone else done?

Hi, Mike

Knowing how busy Phil is, I suggest you pay as soon as possible after placing your order, that will cut out the requirement for him to take time out to send you a return email. It also means he can pick you order and post it, knowing that he does not need to chase payment, and have picked orders waiting for confirmation of payment

I pay by Credit Card, after giving Phil a couple of days to go through his orders, etc. I phone him with the credit card details, and he can pick the order and post, usually all within a day

Ron

I'm impressed that Spanish carpenters can make any sort of rudimentary baseboard give the quality of wood that we have over here.

I bought the best quality ply and strip wood that the newly opened Leroy Merlin had to offer to build a lightweight small shunting plank, no more than 4' x1', as a diversion to Wibdenshaws reconstruction.

Using the standard "British" methods of construction, PVA and screws, clamped until dry etc, I might have well have been making bows for Robin Hood, as it all warped in x, y and z planes within a week of completion. It is currently being used as a shelf system whilst an order to Tim Horn is submitted.

 

Mike.

Hope you have better luck with your new assembly

Must admit I had similar problems when constructing my first attempt at the baseboard for Manchester Central. I almost decided to strap it all to Rolled Steel Angle underframing. But finally decided on 30mm thick Insulating Foamboard on 150mm deep x 7mm thick egg crate construction, and it has worked out OK. Just have to make sure I don't get any sort of solvent, solvent based adhesive or paint on the foamboard

Ron

I've only just been drawn to this thread by the latest postings. Stunning work, and I'd hazard a guess that when you fancy a break, the view from the modelling room is pretty special too. Inspirational stuff.

This is the view South across the valley here in Jalon, Spain -

The local Co-operative Bodegas is the reddish building lower left with the tanks holding the wine just behind. Benidorm is a few kilometres the other side of the Bernia mountain range (Thank goodness. That's the main reason we live this side of the mountains)

Ron

This is the Crane at Demodara Station Goods Yard -

.. and this is the model made from 10 & 20 thou styrene with a small length of nylon thread -

The model stands 55mm high and is not a working model

The gears do not rotate, and the gear teeth are scaled at twice scale size, otherwise it would be impossible to cut them

I am sure you would get away with it - here is a pic of my carriage sidings - can anyone spot where the LSWR 4-bolt chairs (kindly donated by a friend) give way to 3-bolt S1s?   And my layout is about 0.001% of the size of yours Ron!

 

Chairs-1.jpg

 

Even better, the "outsides" of both  the 2-bolt GW and 3-bolt S1 chairs are pretty much the same!

 

Good luck, and sorry that you have had such a setback,

They look convincing enough. Just have to wait for the correct items to turn up for the present track sections

Ron

Any chance of more pictures Ron this is a fascinating thread

Hopefully soon. Just doing the final commissioning checks on the crossing barriers and flashing warning signs on the Sri Lanka project, before they fly off to Sri Lanka

Ron

Ron

 

If the supplier makes a mistake, surely the supplier must put it right, at their cost. It shouldn’t cost you anything, apart from the lost time.

 

If they want them back, they should certainly cover the return shipment cost.

 

Best

Simon

I have contacted the retailer via there website, and await their reply

Ron

Oh dear - The 1000+ chairs turned up in Friday's post - but they are the wrong ones

Ordered 1000 3 bolt/hole LMS/BR BH chairs - received 2 bolt/hole GWR chairs. Pack had the wrong item/order code marked on it

Cost more to send them back, so may use them in the carriage sidings where they are unlikely to be noticed. Have to re-order now with note/comment

Getting nowhere fast - sleepers and timber all laid for the approach trackwork to Platfoms 2, 3, 3/4 service road, 4, 5, 5/6 service road, 6 and 7. Cut, filed and soldered the common crossings for 16 turnouts, 2 diamonds and 2 slips - just need the chairs to lay everything

Looks like it is going to be back on Sri Lanka for a few more days

Ron 

One of the models required for the Sri Lankan railway project is accurate HO scale road/rail vertical lift crossing barriers with electrical operation triggered by track sensors with fixed lever operation and adjustable operating time

Existing turnout/point motors could have been used with the required lever throw, but they do not have adjustable timing

The model barrier lever locus needed a 7mm vertical throw from horizontal closed position to fully open position, and a time of between 7 and 10 seconds

Power off should leave the barriers in the fully open position

In most cases the barriers are installed in pairs. There are exceptions where three barriers are required operating in sync

The crossings are provided in each case with roadside flashing lamp warning signs for each barrier. The three barrier set only has a single flashing warning sign

After much thought and research into the necessary operational design, it was decided that 12v DC 60 rpm motors with a 55mm long x M4 threaded linear screw would be used. A M4 brass screw would travel 0.7mm per second along the shaft. That would mean a 7mm travel would take 10 seconds

Limit switches would be needed to control the actual throw, and these would need to be operated via the 4mm brass nut. The nut is 2.9mm thick with the limit switches mounted on opposite sides of the nut. This would need the limit switches spacing a further 2.9mm apart to retain the same 10 second run-time

Electrically the limit switches isolate the motor supply at the end of each travel, which causes a problem when the motor is required to re-start and in the reverse direction. This meant that small DPDT relays were required to switch the supply to the motor, but there was still a requirement to circumvent the limit switch isolation. In the end the design was changed so that the limit switches don't isolate the supply, but switch one of the supply lines to both sides of the motor, effectively providing a zero voltage across the motor, and then the DPDT relay only needs to switch the opposite supply line to the correct motor terminal for it to start in reverse

The track sensor is used to switch the DPDT relay at the appropraite moment for the barriers to move up and down. In the fully up/open position the flashing warning signs switch off. The flashing LED used for the warning sign derives its supply via the motor control circuit and the upper limit switch via  second DPDT realy which switches the supply voltage to the LED to ensure it flashes continuously whilst the barrier is being operated and in the closed position

Only one barrier in a pair or trio, needs the motor/LED control board, as the other barrier/s in the set operate at the same time and only require slaving off the actual motor connections, and the LED supply connections

Wiring Diagram with supply connections for a full operation sequence -

PCB layout -

Temporary typical set-up -

The Red LEDs are SMD type with an integral on-chip flashing circuit which provides a one second flash rate. The warning sign is made from 1mm dia brass  tube drilled with a 0.5mm hole behind the LED location. The +ve LED supply using magnet wire is fed through the hole and down the tube. The tube is soldered to the LED -ve terminal, and acts as the conductor for -ve LED supply. Each LED is supplied with a 560 ohm resistor, so they can be driven from the 12v DC supply

These signs are still in the build stage, all the LED connections, etc. have been tested and are working correctly without any short circuits

Fantastic, a big reflection on Spanish culture. I think a few more generations will need to pass before more recent history becomes an attraction, and something that they will really get involved in. At present it is just a mild curiosity, except for the few

I will have to come up for a visit, probably in November, and also if possible view your modelling activities

Ron