Kelly

Evening all. Hope all are well, and those who aren't are feeling better soon. The flat is full the smell of roast lamb, and tomorrow going with Natalie to the Electric Railway Museum, here in Coventry, for their open day. It is less than 6 miles away from here and best of all I can avoid the Toll Bar island hell from where I am that and it is free. Should be a good day, with an opportunity to get some photos of the 457 (traction development test unit) and the EPB (ex-Tyneside unit).

I find myself forced into this option really. Newer models are just too expensive to consider, so old Lima/Dapol/Mainline/older Hornby/Bachmann are having to be used. Adds a bit more interest in terms of the modelling at least, and if it is messed up not as much money down the drain.

Not done a great deal last couple of days, though did make a few tweaks with Natalie's input on the plan. It still needs a bit more work though and a slip adding on the left side. I'm still a bit unsure about the oil depot, adding the point makes it a bit easier to access from the fiddle yard at least and saves on a complicated extra cassette set up. Slowly getting there in terms of finalising the plans, I need to tweak the oil depot a little more still, and figure out that slip for the left hand side. I'm planning to use a set up to access the hidden sidings as featured in the recent Railway Modeller as described by Peter Osbourne, that being a section of flexible track, that is pivoted by wire-in-tube or similar. Though how durable that might be will be a matter of experimentation, if that fails then a small sector plate each end will be used. I may look at keeping the option to have more than 3 sidings available at a later date for when (if) it ever gets invited to an exhibition. Also this arrived today: So I'll have a look through it properly and sort out the forum login etc. I am likely to make use of the MERG canbus set up, for points/signals/routing and train detection. We're off to the Electric Train Museum tomorrow for their open day, which should give a good opportunity to get some good photos of the various units there.

If it is an ATX power supply it won't give more than a set of rails for 12v, 5v and maybe 3.3v. The variance on each rail can vary wildly with some of the cheaper power supplies though.

You could perhaps use glue instead and lever it in with care?

Thanks for those Dave. Very useful shots of the substation. It reminds me of the one that I remember from the many times I used Barnehurst station, though I think they demolished the original there a couple of years ago or so now and replaced it with a smaller one. The red stop track signs are an interesting feature I noticed on your videos, and could operating interest to the layout with a possession in progress and slower than usual trains, etc. All these details are quite helpful and interesting.

Thats collectors for you. An investment rather than a model to 'run'.

The ideas for separate addon modules is a good one if planned right. Especially if they're set up to run independently of any other modules, with or without fiddle yards for shunting puzzle type scenarios.

That has come up quite well. I remember seeing such units when I'd visit my gran in Southport growing up. I think the main issue with the cabs is a issue with resin moulds, in that they shrink by upto 8%, so straight lines can be difficult to acheive, and the doorway on the cab is very distinctively straight. The side recess also perhaps look a little small, but that might just be perspective on my part. Cabs in 3D printing would complement the bodies well if the price of the bodies was cheaper perhaps. I have no need for a 507/508 myself at this time, but I have been thinking of 3D printing models, but 4mm is still too expensive with current methods, however with shapeways introducing the new HDA material that might become more affordable, though at present the size is limited to about the size of a Galaxy Note phone, which obviously negates 4mm units atm.

With some of the reports of the issues with the 73 I'm reserving judgement until I see one in person (and have the needed funds). Class 70/71/73/74 could always be found uses for, but yes, multiple units would be welcome. Bulleid ones rather than BR ones to differentiate from the Bachmann EPB/CEP, or maybe Electrostars.

The DDA came into force first in 1992, revised in 96 and 2005, and then partly superseded by the Equality Act. However, whilst it means buildings and service providers have to provide adequate and reasonable means of accommodation for disable customers needs, there are exclusions for old buildings and the like. Such buildings get exclusions on basis of either listed status or similar. For instance if putting in a lift would be impossible due to the nature of the building. These days it'd be more common for a small platform lift to be put in if a ramp couldn't be for wheelchair use. Otherwise a removable ramp that goes over steps would be used.

Thanks. I'm purposely putting more effort to the planning due to the nature of what it needs to accomplish really. As it is my first layout and is intended to be modular and multi era, thought needs to be taken to allow that to be possible. If the modules all align at the same point on the boards then I will hopefully be able to take a section out and still run it. Which would be required for home use really, with 2 car units mostly. The building of the boards will largely be the same regardless of the width or length to some extent as they'll be from Tim Horn's range of laser cut boards. They'll also align well due to his design from what I've seen, allowing extra lengths /modules to be done over time knowing they'll line up. I need to measure the car really at some point so I know absolute maximum sizes for each module. Though being a mondeo estate it'll swallow a *lot*. 6" width doesn't seem a lot, but does make a difference in terms of storing it and reaching areas. I think the traverser decks could possibly be made as 2 2ftx2ft boards with a suitable framing for runners and allowing them to join together to form a 4ftx2ft traverser as needed, either one end or both, or a single 2ft each end for shorter running, making storage easier. Being able to change out features and such like will keep the project interesting too hopefully as there'll always be something that can be made for others, be it a different crossing box, bridge or tunnel. Though can't go back beyond around 1925 due to the 3Rd rail ;-) I don't think removal 3Rd rail would work ;-)

A logical continuation from the APT-E, which looks great, so no doubt this will be good. Not of interest really to me sadly, but best of luck with it, good to see more items coming to 4mm scale from a diverging number of manufacturers. I'm sure this'll be snapped up by D&E modellers. Now if you decide to produce 3rd rail electrics I'll have to rob a bank

It looks a lovely model, I'd have ordered if I had the remotest need for it (or the funds at the time). When searching for other items on that well know auction site I noticed a few listed at £550+! Some people really are crazy or despicable, or both!

I've not been able to give much thought to this plan the last week or so due to life getting in the way unfortunately. However, unravelled was kind enough to visit the area and take some photos, which have proved helpful and will provide many useful details when I come to the scenic side of things (line side equipment, signals, signs etc). He also provided some videos too, which again are useful for such details and the layout of the track. With his photos in mind I've rejigged the templot plan a bit. The right hand side of the layout was previously like this: I've changed it to be more like unravelled's photos below: As can be seen they go straighter than I originally had it and then diverge on a curve, just visible is the angerstein wharf junction. The tunnels/bridge will hide most of that bit, so it will be replaced with a traverser I'm thinking. Which will link up to the top bit to allow access to the hidden sector plate (in reality likely to be a pivoted flexitrack). The plan is currently incomplete as I haven't yet put the dockyard junction or the single slip in place. It being changed to a straighter level will make doing that easier at least, but a job for another day. The use of hidden sector plates and traversers will save a bit of time and money potentially with only points being needed for the visible sections in the revised plan. It has gone from about 8 or 9 points plus one crossover to currently 3 points plus one crossover, with another 1 or two points and a single slip to be added, assuming I can 'crack' the single slip in templot that is! if not it'll require and additional 3 or 4 points. With point kits at nearly £50 each, reducing the number helps fund other areas potentially, although single slips and crossovers are about £80-100 each. But it will be worth it in the end. I am wanting to make the line look a bit more like this photo unravelled provided: If I do this however, the oil depot will look a bit odd on the other side of a cutting retaining wall! so would have to be on a separate level, operated separate by cassette. I could in theory design some kind of vertical traverser to connect it with the horizontal one, but that could well be getting too complicated. As there'll only ever be a 33 or 73 with some TTAs or at a different time if it were replaced with a milk depot or something similar a 70/71/74 perhaps, or even a C class or similar. For a short train a cassette would be viable compared to the 4-5 car trains for the main EMUs (2car for 2EPB/466, 3car for '3'SUB units pre-augmentation, 4car for 4SUBs/4EPBs/465, 5car for 376s). I think this will be a case of trial and error when I have the boards made up and can see how it might fit in, if at all. Unravelled also provided some photos of Charlton Lane Crossing and the box and footbridge there: An interesting feature at several points along the line is the underpasses: Unfortunately I don't think these will be easy to model (especially if I go for the look as the cutting). A focal point will be the chimney, which again unravelled has provided some excellent photos of (he even measured the bricks, etc to enable scaling, though I don't think scaling it to 4mm will be viable): The high rises are a distinctive feature of the area too. There is also a distinctive substation building in the Charlton area, unfortunately unravelled's dvd had problems when trying to access some of the files, so he is going to resend those, I suspect photos of the substation and that area of the junction are in those photos. He has given me permission to share the photos he took, so i'll likely upload them to an album or to my flickr. Thanks for reading this rather long winded update. The research and planning may be still on going (it never really stops!), but the light is at the end of the tunnel. I reckon I'll soon be able to order boards. One advantage to the changes I've made is it has narrowed the requirements from 2ftx2ft6" to 2ft wide, which puts it within a 'standard' board size from Tim Horn IIRC. The changes have also reduced the length from about 14-15ft to just shy of 11ft, not including traversers, which will add another 4-5ft of length. The traverser length is giving my thoughts of curved end boards to bring the storage areas to a different angle, either 90 degrees to the main scenic areas or 180 degrees. I'm considering a 'hockey stick' traverser to save space as a result. Curved boards would probably need about 4-5ft anyway though to have achievable curves though as they'd be off scene, they could be tighter perhaps. A thought for another day though really that.

The bridge is coming along nicely. Paying attention to details like the inside of the tunnels might seem like a lot of effort no-one will see, but don't be so sure of that. When I go to exhibitions and take photos of layouts I'm usually at eye level with the baseboards due to being in a scooter, so get a very different perspective to when looking from above

The Junction that splits from London Bridge to Cannon Street/Charring Cross would be a very hectic one. That or the early Charlton Junction where two different railways met, and one of them ran reverse running, so imagine the crossovers for that! Thats before you consider the overhead that existed at the time and the strange looking signalling (compared to later designs at least).

Evening all. Not been online for a couple of days (or rather forgetting about ER when I was online due to lack of time etc). Hope everyone is well? I'm doing ok myself, no damn cold at least now, and the Easter weekend was fairly pleasant with Richard. Back home to a cold flat now, brrr. Quiet week ahead, who knows maybe the modelling will recommence.

Perhaps it is related to their deal with Hornby and it having a all scales exclusivity clause in it, but they can't say that due to nda stuff so gave you a generic not interested response? Whilst Hornby don't seem interested in doing more Arnold range n models, they might have felt like reserving the option in case they changed their minds. Although at £83 each the OO models are way beyond a price point for a wagon imo.

Haven't had any real chance to think much about the layout plan since the last update. However, unravelled has kindly offered to take some photos of the area sometime in the near future, which I'm very grateful for. That should prove useful. I'm about 90% happy with how the plan looks really, just the point work on the left hand side to finalise (still not gotten around to trying again with a single slip in Templot). I need to finalise the width though, so I can look at ordering boards from Tim Horn. Atm they're looking at needing 3ftx2ft6" boards (3ftx2ft6" + 2ftx2ft6" + 3ftx2ft6" most likely) plus traverse/fiddle yard boards either end, which leads to the next consideration... Initially I was going to go with cassettes for stock, but with a 4 car unit being about 4ft in length, I suspect that would be too unwieldy. So I next consider a traverser set up. This does double the needed width for the storage areas though in effect. Ideally I'd have that controlled by some kind of computer control to align it etc. A standard fiddle yard won't really suffice I think due to not wanting to build so many points! (keeping the number of points low is a bit of a priority with being new to track building), that and the length reductions associated with such a system. I did have a wacky idea for a vertical traverser (as well as the horizontal movement) to connect with storage sidings underneath the baseboards (being made double depth). But I think this is getting too complex to be viable, I think I'd rather stick to the KISS method as best I can. I did join MERG at the weekend when at the Alexandra Palace show, and am hoping to find suitable point/signal control options via there (waiting for MERG membership to be processed atm). Natalie is wanting an NX panel for the points/signals with routing. I'd be happy enough controlling by a tablet/laptop or a switch/mimic type panel (simpler likely than an NX panel, but Natalie is adamant about it being an NX panel). I've revised my thoughts about Raspberry Pi + SPROG + JMRI a bit, and will wait until I have access to read in more detail about the MERG CBUS system (another option being arduinos) and their DCC system too. As with all these sorts of things, i need to experiment a little, but that will wait a bit now for funds to allow progress to be made. As I mentioned in my last post I have a EM B6 point kit to build, so that will be my next step I think. Hopefully I'll manage ok with it, but as with such things, until I attempt it I'll never know! Until next time.

Thanks. My income levels (or distinct lack thereof) kind of force a slower pace. But that does mean more research can be done. Having grown up in that area the research is fascinating in and of itself. In a lot of things I've had tendency to dive in and make errors, but in such a project I can't really afford to make many. Still have a lot to figure out, but the basic plan is there and I'm mostly happy with it. The next step will be to order some boards and have a go at the first points in em.

That tunnel is looking great. Have been following you're progress with interest as I'll likely end up doing something similar when i get to that stage of development on my own layout plans.

You've made a great job with that now it is painted. As you say it is a shame about the front end, but until someone else does a better cab casting you're stuck with it.

Sorry to hear of your relapse. Hope your doctors come up with an acceptable solution for you and you recovery as best as is possible, etc.

I am meaning the building with the big horrid ventilators on the roof. The other building is the electric car shed. It has changed considerably since then. On the right past the shed is the p-way area where trackwork was assembled and trains for the p-way maintenance were assembled (which the Panniers et al would power).