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Vonzack

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  1. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    Again it's been quite a while since the last update (3 months this time). Work is still progressing, but the pace has seemed painfully slow over Christmas.
     
    TINGS 2015
     
    Countdown - 6 Months
     
    Retaining Wall
     
    With the Retaining Wall having been finished before Christmas, it was time to paint it and then apply some weathering to it. The brickwork is intended to be Blue Engineering brick, so a suitable colour was found to represent this, then the Arches / Capping Stones were picked out to represent stone work. The wall then had a light wash applied to it to pick up the mortar and tone down the brick colour, followed by the arches being dry brushed black. There's quite a bit more weathering and detailing left to do, but it's a great base to work from.
     
    Ballast
     
    The ballasting is now finished. There were a few places around the sidings that needed some attention and we went back over each of the points filling in the areas that we'd originally avoided. In the main this worked out OK for us, but there were one or two points that needed a bit of attention afterwards. Nothing was too far gone though and a little scraping with a craft knife was all that was required to clean out a few bits of ballast from the switch mechanisms.
     
    In the next few weeks, we'll be adding the switch cabinets and hopefully some drainage catch pits that we're making if they turn out OK.
     
    Storage Boxes
     
    One of the main areas of concern for the layout has been the Storage and Protection of the Scenic Boards. At the moment the boards are bolted together into packs, but otherwise have no protection from accidental knocks and we have found that parts of the retaining wall had been damaged while moving the boards around for working sessions.
     
    Our solution to this was to create a box that the modules would slide inside. The box would be a 2" x 1" frame which would be strong enough to take the weight of the modules and also to allow other boxes to be stacked on to it for transport. This frame would then be clad in 6mm ply to provide extra strength and finally a closed end and an opening end added. Here are a few pics of the design and the first test frame with the centre module inside it.
     

     

     

     
    The construction of the frame is pretty simple and has to be as we don't have access to allot of tools or carpentry skills, so we've gone for a simple glued and screwed approach.
     
    Signals
     
    We are intending to drive our signals from Arduino boards that will be acting as DCC Accessory decoders. We have proved that this is a workable idea and one of our electrical wizards is busy building the necessary circuit boards to house the Arduino Nano boards and the various power, DCC and LED connections we will need for each one. One snag we have hit though, is that we want the Signals to be easily replacable and to facilitate this we wanted to use some kind of pin connector that the signal would effectively plug into. Unfortunately our choice of connector didn't seem that reliable and our wizard spent many hours scratching his pointy hat and mumbling incantations to himself before the problem was found.
     
    Hopefully we'll have some pics or video of a working signal for the next update
     
    Catenary
     
    A little more work has been done on the Catenary, although the Portals have been completed for some time now, the Register Arms had been stuck in the bottom of a box unfinished. Anyway, the arms are all finished now and the remaining two portals on the centre board have had them fitted. We just need to complete the Portals on the 2 remaining boards on the RHS of the layout and they will be ready for painting and weathering.
     
    Here are a few pics of the completed Portals on the Centre Board (hadn't trimmed the arm masts when I took the pictures).
     

     

     

     
    Cheers, Mark.
  2. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    We've had a few working sessions on the run up to Christmas and we have been making good progress on the scenics. The Plaster bandage which we have used to form the basic terrain has been covered with a layer of textured artex. This is simple enough to brush on and when dry leaves a nice surface to paint with base colours.
     
    The Bridge continues to make headway. We have been discussing various options over the last week or so, such as resin casting parts of the structure. If we choose to use this technique, then we will be able to use the moulds to re-produce repetitive items like the brick piers, which we are currently building individually.
     
    The Catenary is coming along and 15 out of the 20 2 track portals have now been completed. Once the final 5 are done, attention can turn to the remaining 3 track portals which require register arms fitting.
     
    But most importantly, we found time to have a little run on the layout before the year ended, so here's a little video showing the movements. The last two sections of the video are taken with a train cam and are trips around the layout.
     

     
    Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
     
    Cheers, Mark.
  3. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    Progress has been a bit slow over the past month or so as Heworth made an appearance at our clubs open weekend (26/27 October). This was only the second time the layout had been run with the basic scenics added and for some of our club members it was the first time they had seen anything but track on bare boards. There were several positive comments about how we had captured the 'winter' look!!!!
     
    On the Saturday it was just a free for all, but on the Sunday we each took turns running either the Up or Down fiddle yard lines as we would at a show. This was done to make sure everybody was comfortable and up to speed with how the layout operated. On the whole everybody managed very well, but we need to do something to help the operators receive trains back into their side of the fiddle yard, as they are generally sat at the exit of the Fiddle Yard some 20' away. It may work better to sit the operators at the entrance to their side of the fiddle yard, but this is something we can work on.
     
    Here is a brief video from the weekend -
     
    Since the open weekend, one of our members has really started getting to grips with the bridge which is the transition between the on / off scene sidings and the dis-mantled bridge over the main running lines, the majority of which is being scratch built from plasticard. I must confess that on the last two occasions I have failed to get any pictures of the work so far, but it is looking very good.
     
    Some work has been done on the Fiddle Yard 'kick-back' sidings, which having been laid over a year or so ago, had yet to be wired up and have point motors fitted.
     
    There's also been some work done researching the typical height and spacing for the catenary masts which we have decided in our case would be around 36mm (18 scale feet) above the rail head. The masts themselves are not going to be hard mounted to the boards and will be attached magnetically, which will give us the flexibility to run the layout as either an electrified or non-electrified line. Here are a couple of pics of a mast against a Dapol 86.
     

     

     
    Cheers, Mark.
  4. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    Saturday was a meeting day for the Yorkshire Area Group of the N gauge Society, so a good few of the build team were found together in the same place along with a full complement of modules for the layout.
     
    Our attention at the moment is squarely on the End Loops, having successfully test fit all the modules together a few weeks back. Currently we are wiring and preparing the boards for track laying, which in our case means laying a 1/16" cork track bed. We have chosen to 'super elevate' the track on the loops and we intend to raise the outside rail of each curve by 1mm, to give a fairly prototypical 6" difference in height between the two rails. Here is a track plan for the End Loops, with the other end being a mirror of this.
     

     
    This was also the first time our other group members had seen the layout in its full size and with the Fiddle Yard and Scenic Boards operational, so it was nice to be able to share it with them.
     

     
    A pic here of the End Loops having the track bed installed.
     

     
    Sat on the Up Line, a new Dapol 56 with a rake of MGRs
     

     
    Exiting one of the On-Scene Sidings a new Farish Class 20 with a rake of coil cars
     

     
    Also a short video taken while some 'testing' took place on the Scenic Boards.
     

     
    We have some work parties arranged for Wednesday / Thursday this week, so hopefully another update in a few days.
     
    Cheers, Mark.
  5. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    Just a quick update as we had an evening working session last night to finish attaching the front fascia panels. As all of the front fascia's are now fitted, we now need to profile them so that they follow the terrain.
     

     

     

     
    Cheers, Mark.
  6. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    It's been a very long time (six months) since the last blog entry was posted, so what on earth has been going on!
     
    Following the last entry we had just operated the layout at our Clubs annual Open Weekend and we were just trying to finalise our ideas for the Scenic portion of the layout. We had rough ideas of what we wanted to do, but it was time to sit down as a group and discuss in detail what we wanted to achieve.
     
    Track
     
    Our original decision to use Wooden Sleeper Track for Heworth was taken before we had a firm idea of the era's which we had intended to run and the more reference material we looked at to support what we were going to do scenically, the easier it became to see that it was the wrong choice. The problem was, the track was down, wired and working.
     
    Replacing the Main Lines on the Scenic Boards with Concrete Sleeper track, was probably one of the most difficult decisions we have had to make as a group and it has meant that Scenic work has had to be put on hold. However, while we were discussing our signalling scheme for the layout, we discovered that some of our track blocks were not in the correct places and this did give us the opportunity to re-work things slightly, so that the layout could be worked more prototypically.
     
    Signalling
     
    Our intention is to eventually have working signals on the layout and our original thoughts had been to use 4 aspect signals. However, when we received some feedback on our signalling plans, it was clear that we were trying to cram too many signals / blocks onto the scenic section. We asked for advice on the signalling forum and with other's help came up with a revised signalling and block plan. Looking at this new plan, we discovered that the layout would probably be more prototypical with 3 aspect signals.
     
    Scenics
     
    Our plans for the layout are quite simple, the left hand side of the layout would have the main running lines at the front, further back the on-scene sidings and providing the break to the off-scene area would be an embankment which once used to be a branch line, now dis-used. The embankment would have earth banking on the far left and as it approaches the centre board, would transition into a brick retaining wall.
     
    The centre board would have something like a plate bridge to provide the access to the off-scene sidings. This bridge when the embankment was still in use by the branch line, would have continued over the main lines. However, the bridge over the main lines has been removed to allow for electrification, but the embankment on the far side of the lines is still in place.
     
    On the right hand side of the layout, there are a small number of industrial units towards the back of the layout and these may incorporate some low or half relief buildings attached to the back scene.
     
    The back scene will run along the entire length of the layout and will be around 12" high.
     
    I'll close the post with a few pics showing our current progress constructing the base structure of the embankment on the left hand side of the layout.
     

     

     

     

     

     
    Cheers, Mark.
  7. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    We've really been running round in circles since the last post, but in a good way, as the End Loops have now been completed and the layout is operational.
     
    Saturday was our groups DCC meeting and it was an excellent opportunity to setup all the modules and see how things operated. Here's a short video showing some of the action.
     
    http://youtu.be/94OYVOjTDYE
     
    We had very few problems with the layout itself, most of the issues surrounded the control of the layout and difficulties with throttles etc, but these were sorted before the end of the day. In fact the only real problems with the trackwork were a few point motors where the operating rods hadn't been cut short enough. These will be sorted for the next group meeting which will be our clubs Open Weekend on the 27th / 28th of October (link below for those interested).
     
    http://www.yorkshire...Weekend2012.pdf
     
    Cheers, Mark.
  8. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    Our group managed to arrange some mid-week working sessions on Wednesday and Thursday, so it gave us the opportunity to have all of the layout Modules in one place and to attempt to put them together for the first time
     
    Wednesday
     
    Our End Loops had been painted, but as yet we hadn't joined the pairs together. So the first job was to clamp each of the halves together and drill the holes for the fixings and the pattern makers dowels to aid alignment. As with the other boards, we have chosen to use M8 x 50mm bolts and T nuts to provide the clamping action.
     
    Once the halves had been joined, we offered them up to the Fiddle Yard and after finding the centres of the modules clamped and joined them. At this point though time was getting on and we could see that the Scenic Boards were quite a bit higher than the End Loops / Fiddle Yard and would need allot of adjustment, so we called it a night.
     
    Thursday
     
    First job was to put up the Fiddle Yard / End Loops and as we knew they were quite a bit lower (about 2cm) than the Scenic Boards we wound the legs out and leveled everything off. We then started to put up the Scenic Boards and got out the tape measures to make sure they were parallel with the Fiddle Yard Modules. As the Scenic Boards are curved, it's actually really hard to work out wether they are in line or not and we were struggling to get everything lined up correctly. After what seemed like an age, allot of head scratching and inching module legs across the floor, we were there and the boards were aligned.
     
    We then clamped the End Loops to the Scenic Boards and installed the final fixings. A brief inspection of all the module joins showed that we need to do a little fettling to one set of the end loops as the joint between them and the Fiddle Yard had a slight gap. Nothing that a few minutes with a hand plane wouldn't put right though.
     
    Here are some pics:
     
    Scenic Boards being put up, leveled and positioned with the Fiddle Yard.

     
    Several shots taken with all the modules connected, moving around the layout.

     

     

     

     
    A couple of members testing the fit of the operating space.

     
    Before the modules were packed away, the track centre lines were marked on the End Loops, so that the cork track bed can be laid. Our intention is to super elevate the curves on the End Loops and if that is successful, then we will modify the curves on the Scenic Boards accordingly. More details of that though in future posts.
     
    Cheers, Mark.
  9. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    Work on the layout has been a bit on and off over the last few months, so in order to focus everybody's attention, a deadline has been introduced. We are aiming to have the layout operational for our club DCC meeting on the 14th July
     
    Work on the Fiddle Yard modules continues, track laying is nearing completion on the opposite end and we had all of the modules together on Saturday to finish marking out the lanes. When the Fiddle Yard is being operated, each of the lanes will effectively be split in the middle and this means that the centre board will also have stopping blocks added to it, so these were planned and marked accordingly.
     
    We have also been discussing how best to secure the rails at the module breaks. As this is the Fiddle Yard, we aren't constrained by trying to do something which can be scenically hidden, so we have chosen to solder the rails to screws in the modules surface. We are basically tinning the heads of the screws (which have been set in the module surface so that the Code 55 rail just clears them), then we are soldering the rail to the screw head. This produces a very solid joint at the end of the day.
     
    Here are some pics:
     
    Working on the opposite end

     
    All the FY modules together and lanes marked etc.

     
    Track ends laid and soldered on the Up / Down through lines.

     
    Tinned screw heads ready for rail to be measured, measured and cut.

     
    Cheers.
  10. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    We've had a weekend of track laying on Heworth Sidings so it's time for an entry for the blog ;-)
     
    First, a confession, if you have read the other posts in this blog then you'll know that it was our intention to use copper clad sleepers and solder the rail to them, in order to protect the rail ends where the modules join together. That didn't really work out for us, as the copper clad sleepers just didn't allow enough tolerance when it came to leveling the track and we effectively ended up with undulations in the track at the board joints. So we had to scrap that idea, replacing the plasticard and copper clad sleepers with cork underlay. The underlay is very easily worked once it's been stuck down and can be sanded to give a nice level track bed. To secure the ends of the rails, we will now use Panel/Veneer pins and solder the rail to them. As we are using Code 55, we should be able to place these low on the rail and possibly hide them completely when ballasting.
     
    This shows the layout after the plasticard has been replaced with 1/16" cork underlay at the module breaks.

     
    The next few pictures were taken after we had finished the work on the layout, but taking each one I'll describe what has been done per module.
     

    Added a length of track for the Up line and extended the Down / Down Siding to the module break.
     

    Laid the Up line point work and crossover which allows access to the Industry Sidings via the Down Siding
     

    No real change, but had to lift and relay the track on the closest module break after replacing the copper clad sleepers.
     

    Laid the majority of the Up Siding, Up and Down lines. Also, working the other way, extended the off-scene sidings.
     

    Added a length of track for the Down line and extended the Up / Up Siding to the module break.
     
    Finally a shot from the opposite end of the layout (left to right from a viewing point of view)

     
    Cheers.
  11. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    Happy New Year!
     
    We managed to get another few hours of work done on the layout today.
     
    As we'd got allot of the pointwork done and attached the motors previously, the first job was to set their DCC Address and make sure everything was working OK. Setting the addresses was easy enough but a little time consuming as they have to be connected to the programming track or SPROG II in our case individually.
     
    Once the addresses had been set then it was time to give them a quick test, this is where we had one of our first DOH! moments of the day. The first point we chose to test would throw but not close, the motor would move the point blades across but would then seem to stick in a loop of moving the point blades back about half way and then attempting to close them again. Only sending a throw instruction to the point would get it out of the loop. After having a close look at the motor while it was in operation we could see that it was actually moving the point by 1/2mm on the close cycle whereas on the throw cycle the point was firmly fixed. We decided to use another track pin in an attempt to stop the point moving, but before we put another pin in the point we slackened off the point motor, gave it a wiggle and tightened it back up. This seemed to do the trick and the point started to work as expected.
     
    So, now for the second DOH! moment of the day, with the point operating correctly it was time to check that the frog polarity was being switched correctly and what we found was that it was being set exactly opposite to what was required. A quick check of the manual (yes you probably guessed it, RTFM), quite clearly showed that whoever had installed the point motor had got the A/B rail polarity the wrong way round (and yes, that was me too). Ah well, at least given the screw terminal connections on the TT300, it was easy enough to correct.
     
    Finally, after all the messing around, it didn't leave us with time to do much else, however we did manage to cut a couple of pieces of track, so that they are ready to be fitted during the next session.
     

     
    Cheers.
  12. Vonzack

    Turnouts

    By Vonzack,

    Hi,
     
    Just a quick post about turnouts for our layout. We intend to drive all turnouts on the Scenic Boards with slow action motors and have chosen to use TT300s from Traintronics. These are DCC ready motors in that they have an inbuilt accessory decoder and frog switching capability. As far as wiring is concerned, they need to be attached to the Track bus or in our case the dedicated Accessory bus and then just need the usual connections to and from the turnout to perform the frog switching.
     
    As the TT300s don't require an accessory decoder to drive them, they can be placed anywhere and our hope is that this will greatly simplify the wiring required. Has anybody got any real world experience of these motors in action, any pros or cons of their operation would be appreciated, before we go too far
     
    Here's a quick video using an old code 80 insulfrog turnout just to show the action
    TT300 Operation.wmv
     
    We are also looking to modify our Peco Code 55 turnouts so that the blades are electrically isolated from the frog rails. This stops any micro shorts caused when the turnout blades are moved and the frog polarity hasn't switched. Something that might not be a problem for us, but something that definately won't happen with the mod applied. The turnout blades will be 'tied' electrically to the turnouts stock rails.
     
    After much searching around looking for the best way to make the required cut through the turnout rails, I decided to use a Jewellers Saw. As you can see from the pic, the cut is very neat and didn't need much of a tidy up. Again, this is an old code 80 turnout that has been used as a test piece.

     
    Hopefully, I'll get brave enough to take the saw to a brand new code 55 turnout and post the results.
     
    Cheers.
  13. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    This is a very belated report on our recent trip to the Diesel and Electric Modellers Union (DEMU) Showcase 2016 which was held in Burton-On-Trent Town Hall on the 4th/5th of June.
     
    Friday
     
    Setup for the show on Friday was from 16:30 onward, so being based in Yorkshire we didn't have to set off until mid afternoon, but we decided to get away a little earlier just in case we hit any traffic or other road problems along the way. As it happens it was plain sailing, so we decided to stop off and have something to eat on the way down.
     
    By the time we got to the Town Hall, it was just before 17:00 and we were able to start unloading the van and lifting everything in. We'd been placed in the 'King Edward Room' which was just off to the right of the main entrance, which meant we didn't have very far to lift the layout from where we'd managed to park the van. I think we also dropped lucky with regards to the other Exhibitors, Demonstrators and Traders in the room as we all seemed to arrive just far enough apart for us all to get things into the room without too much difficulty.
     
    When we setup Heworth, we try to make sure the Fiddle Yard is setup first as this then provides a datum for the scenic modules. The Fiddle Yard is also pretty light and easy to move if we haven't got things setup in the right place. While the Fiddle Yard was being setup the Scenic Modules were removed from their travel boxes and the End Boards were unpacked. We set the centre Scenic module up first and then worked our way to one of the ends. We then connect up the End Loops, which lets us know if we're drifting a little between the Fiddle Yard and Scenic modules. Then we put up the rest of the Scenic modules and finally the opposite Corners.
     
    With the Modules up, we then set about connecting up the electrics, fitting the skirt and placing the removable scenic items such as the OHLE and some of the vehicles. Electrical connections between the modules are all made with Pluggable Strip (male and female connectors fitted permanently to the Modules). The only exception to this are the LocoNet cables, these are attached to modules under the boards and to Throttle connections, so they are plugged in using standard cables which are then looped under the boards.
     
    Once everything was set, we powered up the layout and made sure that it was operating OK, then we called it a night. Before we left though, we had a quick look around some of the other exhibits in the Main Hall, in particular Scorbiton (00) and St Denys (N), which were very impressive.
     
    Saturday
     
    We arrived in the morning and set about stocking up the Fiddle Yard, Which is probably the single most time consuming part of getting Heworth ready for a show. To operate Heworth we use JMRI (Java Model Railroad Interface) on a couple of Laptops. Each laptop controls either the Up or Down line and associated side of the Fiddle Yard. Using JMRI allows us to load the loco addresses into one of it's throttles and then to run the loco's its just a matter of selecting the correct address and increasing the throttle. The JMRI throttles have some nice features, in that you can page through loco's which have been setup already to find the one you want, or you can page through running loco's (useful when you select the wrong lane of the Fiddle Yard to receive a train and need to stop it quickly).
     
    We've also used JMRI to provide an operating panel for the layout and we've been able to add sensors to the panel to set routes so the operators don't have to click on each individual point. This really helps the operators and allows us to keep trains running as we can be receiving on one lane while dispatching on another.
     
    Operation of the Sidings is carried out using Digitrax Duplex hand throttles which we also use to switch points for movements. Setting the points with the hand throttles works OK, but it's not the easiest thing to do and if the address is entered incorrectly and you don't notice, you can end up switching a point elsewhere on the layout. For this reason, we are looking to provide a Mimic Panel in time for the next show, probably using a CML DTM30 or something similar.
     
    Most of Saturday seemed to go OK for us and the stock performed without any real problems which is always a bonus. On the sidings we were making use of the uncoupling Magnets we'd fitted a while ago and these worked really well through the day.
     
    We also had quite a few people stop and ask questions or have a little chat with us about the layout which is always nice. There's generally allot of interest in the OHLE and how we run the layout from the Laptops.
     
    Sunday
     
    The day started pretty normally, we arrived, powered up the layout, dialled the loco addresses into JMRI and did a quick test run, which all went OK. When the doors opened at 10:00, we started operating, but we immediately started having problems with the Up Line. We had a module which just didn't have power anymore. This was especially weird as we'd already run through it without any problems.
     
    Out came the multi meter and on went the furrowed brows while we tried to investigate the problem. As we'd already had the layout operational that morning, we were a little perplexed as to what might be going wrong, so started looking for culprits. Something that might break such as a point motor, but whatever we tested seemed to be working as it should. Time was slipping by and we weren't getting any closer to finding the problem, so in the end we decided to disconnect the module from the others and check everything underneath. We started tracing the wiring for the Up Line from the inter board connectors through to the rail sections giving a tug on each wire to make sure it was connected OK. When we tested the main bus feed to the Up Line, the cable just pulled out of the connector without any resistance at all. Well at least we'd found the problem, but why it had been working on Saturday and earlier in the morning must have just been blind luck. We quickly stuck the wire back into the connector, tightened up the screw and everything was back to normal, unbelievable.
     
    So if you came to see Heworth between 10:00 and 11:00 on the Sunday, please accept our apologies for not having the layout up and running correctly for you.
     
    After that, the layout worked fine and we saw out the rest of the day without any further issues.
     
    Final Thoughts
     
    We really enjoyed attending the 2016 DEMU Showcase with Heworth (although I was reminded that I didn't look to be enjoying myself much on Sunday morning), it was a great show and there was a really great selection of layouts there with a very friendly atmosphere. The venue was excellent and the accommodation / catering for the Exhibitors was fantastic, so my thanks to those involved in organising the event.
     
    As ever, here are a few pics taken over the weekend as well as some video.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    Cheers, Mark.
  14. Vonzack
    Following on from our outing to TINGS in 2015, Heworth was invited to attend the Bradford Model Railway Exhibition in 2016 to represent the Yorkshire Area Group of the N Gauge Society.

    Friday

    Setting up was a little interesting as we had decided to transport the layout using cars and found out too late that we couldn’t get all the modules there. Note to self, even if it’s local, we still need a van. When we got to the venue, it was the usual scrum affair with everybody wanting to get their layouts in and set up, but with a fair wind we managed to get all of the layout up and connected apart from 3 modules (the ones that attach to the one that was still in my garage). Once we’d done a quick test that the electrics were working and we'd run a loco, it was time to call it a day.

    Saturday

    We arrived pretty early as we knew we still had some setting up to be done. Having brought the remaining module the layout was quickly up and we made some final minor adjustments so that it was nice and level. While a couple of us attacked the layout with track rubbers, the Vinyl Curtain was put in place and we were ready to go. We had the Fiddle Yard loaded up and trains running about 10mins before the show opened.

    The show was very well attended and there were always plenty of people in front of the layout. We fielded lots of questions about the layout and how we operated it with the computers, which we were more than willing to answer. In fact we were so busy either operating the layout or talking about it that the day absolutely flew by.

    Sunday

    The day started off pretty much the same as Saturday with regards to attendance, again a steady flow of people who were stopping to watch us operate and ask questions. We’d decided that we were going to try out the Dapol Magnetic couplings today, so we changed them over on the locos and stock we were using to perform movements in the Sidings.

    I was really pleased to see them working and for me they were more reliable than I could have hoped for. All attempts to uncouple the wagons from the locos were working perfectly and I think that operating this way for future shows is pretty much a given. I’ve always turned a blind eye to the ‘hand of God’ when it uncouples wagons or coaches, but I have to acknowledge that uncoupling automatically makes everything that little bit more realistic, which is after all what we're aiming for.

    Towards the end of the day, we managed to keep trains circling until the doors closed and then we set about breaking down the layout and packing it away. While we cleared the stock from the Fiddle Yard, the electrics and Vinyl Curtain were disconnected. We then took down the End Boards followed by the Scenic Boards and finally the Fiddle Yard. This all seemed to go very smoothly and in fact we had the layout in the cars and ready to go inside 1.5hrs which was amazing.

    Conclusion

    I really enjoyed the show, the other traders / exhibitors were fantastic and along with the public gave the show a winning atmosphere that I would gladly like to experience again. Everybody who helped out with Heworth did a fantastic job and as a result we came away more show invites.

    It just leaves me to say a final thank you to everybody who helped out with Heworth over the weekend.

    For those of you who would like to see a little bit of the layout in action, here is some video taken from the Sunday when it was a little quieter -










    Cheers, Mark.
  15. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    Well it's been a busy few weeks since the last update and Heworth was shown officially for the first time at TINGS in September.
     
    Network Rail Building
     
    One of the last bits of work we did prior to going to TINGS was to make some small changes to the centre board. We'd planned to have a few small buildings either side of the Main Line, to the rear of the layout there would be a small shunting frame and at the front of the layout, there would be a Network Rail building containing switch gear and signalling equipment for the Main Line. The problem we had was that there really wasn't any defined way that this building could be accessed, so that meant that we'd have to install a track to provide access for vehicles.
     
    We also decided that we'd place the building far enough away from the side of the main line so that vehicles could be parked outside. As the existing terrain sloped gently down towards the edge of the running lines this meant that we'd have to cut away some of the banking and install some small retaining walls.
     

    Main ground works done and base colour applied
     

     

    Blended in a little more, some scatter and weathering applied to the track
     

    Bushes and crash barrier added
     

     
    Point Heaters
     
    To add a bit more detail to the track side, heaters have now been added to the main line points (circled in red)
     

     
    Back Scene
     
    One of the things that Heworth has been lacking for a long time is any kind of back scene for the layout. The main problem that we had here was what to do with the curved boards. Pretty early on, we'd discussed the pros and cons of having either an angled or curved back scene and it was always our preference to have one that followed the curves. This does provide for an interesting set of problems, first of which is what material do you use. Standard ply is OK, but you're pushing the limits of it's flexibility and you don't get a great finish to either paint or fix something to without allot of extra work. Flexible ply works quite well, but again, the surface would need allot of work. Flexible MDF seemed to be a great compromise, you could easily form the curves and it had a nice surface to work with, but it was almost impossible to work with once it was cut to size. Any trimming or shaping that needed to be done would just end up destroying it.
     
    In the end, we decided to use Hardboard as a compromise because it's flexible, has a decent finish and you can work it with hand tools without making a complete mess. The downside is that we'd need to be very careful with it once fitted as handling and moisture could be problems in the future. The pictures below show the hardboard being fitted to the modules and being test fitted.
     

     

     

     
    Once the back scene was fitted to the modules, it was time to take it all off again so that it could be decorated. We'd originally decided to paint the sky line, but somebody had seen a diorama that had used a sprayed back scene which had looked really effective so we decided to give that a go. Initially the boards were sprayed with a mixture of blue tones, then white was sprayed over for clouds. This gave us a really effective back scene, but when we fitted the first board to the first module, we found that it was way too bright. After a bit of head scratching and various pictures taken and shared of real sky / clouds, we decided to spray the underside of the clouds with primer to darken them up a little. This worked really well and just lowered the bright colours that we had previously enough to tie them into the rest of the layout.
     

     

     

     

     

     
    Curtain
     
    Something else that Heworth had been lacking was a Curtain to hide the underside of the Scenic Boards. We'd decided to use a vinyl banner for the curtain, as it could be easily printed allowing us to design our own signs for the layout. As we'd chosen to paint the front of the layout in BR Blue (RAL 5020), we thought it would be a nice idea to have the layout name printed as if it was a loco nameplate. After a bit of searching around on the web and questions on the forum, we found a font which could be used for the lettering and found the prototypical colour used for the background of the nameplate.
     
    We had a little problem getting the artwork ready as it needed to be sent in a 'ready to print' format, but with a bit of tweaking it was OK and was sent off for printing. As part of the production process the company we used fitted eyelets so we could easily mount it to the front of the layout.
     

    Fitting the banner to the front of the layout
     

    Left hand side complete
     

    All done
     
    Cheers, Mark.
  16. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    It's been a couple of months since the last work update, so there's quite a bit to catch up on.
     
    Shows
     
    TINGS 2015 - 12th / 13th September 2015 (4 weeks) - http://www.ngaugeshow.co.uk/
     
     
    Going Green....er
     
    Allot more work has been done on the Scenic Modules, we have started to build on the base layer of scatter and clump material that we had already applied. We have been adding trees and larger bushes to the top of the retaining wall. Again we've been using some more of the Woodland Scenics product range, this time Fine Leaf Foliage, which is quite easy to work with, but for 2mm, we have to do quite a bit of trimming to get things the right size for planting. We've also been adding some detail to the base of the Retaining Wall, adding clump foliage to represent smaller bushes which are growing out from it's base. Here are a few pictures to show progress so far.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    Industry Fencing
     
    We have always wanted to fence in the Industry Buildings on the right of the Scenic Modules and had previously bought some 8' Pallisade Fencing from N Brass Locos. The fencing is available in 10cm strips and there is also an etch available which contains gates that you can fit. The etches themselves are very finely detailed, but surprising easy to work with and even forgiving if you're a bit heavy handed. As we needed to put together quite a few sections of the fence, rather than using super glue, we decided that it would be better to solder them together. This is a little tricky, but as long as you are careful the results are fantastic. You get some additional posts on the etches and we made use of these to add some angled supports which you often see on long runs of fencing. We opted not to drill holes in the baseboard to mount the fence and instead decided to use some of the spare posts and bent them at 90 degrees to provide feet, which we could then glue to the modules. Rather than spray the fence grey, we decided to use dark green to provide a bit of contrast. Here's a pic taken just after spraying.
     

     
    Shunting Frame
     
    Our on-scene sidings are not intended to be part of the rail network as they are privately owned by the industry, as such we have built a small shunting frame which will be sited near the entrance. Access to and from the mainline is assumed to be controlled remotely from a signalling centre. The Shunting Frame itself is just a small version of a signal box and it has an associated brick built equipment building at the side of it. We have also decided to place a fence around these buildings, probably more for the safety of the workers than for security of the buildings.
     

     
     
    Track and Lineside Detail
     
    As part of the Scenic work, we are adding further track and lineside details. In the last week we have added:
    Equipment Cabinets - located near the signals initially, but we need to install more for other uses
    AWS Ramps - placed a scale distance away from the Signals (about 180m)
    TPWS Grids - with Arming and Trigger grids before the Signal and a double Arming/Trigger grid at the Signals location

    Here are a few pics.
     

    Equipment Cabinet and an AWS Ramp
     

    Single TPWS Grid and a drainage Catch Pit waiting to be dug into the Ballast
     

    Double TPWS Grid and a drainage Catch Pit
     
    Running Session
     
    We decided to have a little running session so that we could do some fault finding with the Signals. At the Middleton show, the signals although operational were showing what seemed like random aspects, so they were shut off and used just as dummies. Without the pressure of people arriving to view the layout the solution of the problem was quite simple in the end. After watching the trains go round a couple of times, it was obvious that the signal aspects were reversed, so the aspects would be lit when off and unlit when on. After a quick click in JMRI to reverse the sense of the Accessory Addresses controlling the aspects the signals were working perfectly, so we had a little time to play trains, here's a short video.
     

     
    Cheers, Mark.
  17. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    We took Heworth Sidings to the Swansea Model Railway Show. From our point of view the show was very well organised and the members of SRMG really looked after everybody well. I hope the show was as successful as it seemed to us.
     
    Here are some pictures and video from our layout taken during the show
     

     

     

     

     
    Showing the area we were in, dwarfed by the impressive Dorehill St Stevens 'OO' layout of the Soar Valley Model Railway club
     

     
    Cheers, Mark.
  18. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    Well, we've got the first public event under our belts as we attended the Middleton Railway Exhibition 2015 at the weekend. I was really impressed with the way the layout performed and also how we operated it during the weekend. More so when you consider that as a group of individuals, this is the first Exhibition layout we have built and operated. That's not to say we didn't have a few teething problems along the way, we did.......
     
    Friday 26th - Setting Up
     
    We'd arranged with Middleton that we would be there to start setting up around 15:00, the idea being we could take our time and make sure everything was up and running OK for the next day. We started setting up the modules and levelling out the layout, this took us around an hour and a half, and left us with plenty of time to start doing other little jobs. As we've been doing allot of scenic work over the past few weeks, the track on the scenic modules had gotten quite dirty, so we gave it a pass with track rubbers. Then as we still had loads of time and we needed to attach a signalling module to one of the scenic boards to get the signals working properly, out came the soldering iron / wire and off I went fitting the module. Now having fitted 4 of these modules already, this was a routine job, mount the board, provide a DCC / 12v DC feed from the bus wires, connect up the signals and job done. After about 30 mins, everything was finished, time to get the module back in place, connect up the bus wiring and give the layout a test.
     
    However, when we switched on the control systems, our PM42 was flashing erratically along with the LED on the PSU powering it. As the PSU was new, the first instinct was to suspect it was duff, so we disconnected it. This meant that we wouldn't have power districts until we got a replacement, but we just wanted to test the layout, so that wasn't really a problem. The PSU could be swapped out the next day for one that we knew worked OK.
     
    Anyway, on with the testing and the layout, which seemed to be going as expected, our test loco's doing loop after loop while we placed buildings and setup the catenary masts on the layout. Happy that things were OK apart from the PSU, we decided to call it a night, but before I left I decided to just run a loco up and down all of the on-scene and off-scene sidings, to make sure the track was nice and clean. With the testing almost complete, I decided to run the loco back round to the fiddle yard, rather than just lift it off the layout. In hindsight this proved to be a very good decision, as one of the slow action motors on the pair of points that control access to the off-scene sidings decided to fail.
     
    Lessons to learn:
    Don't take untested equipment to an exhibition
    Make sure to bring along the spares that you've bought for the layout

    Saturday 27th
     
    Loaded up with replacement PSUs for the PM42 and another slow action TT300 Point Motor, I set off early so that I had some time to sort out the issues. I started by replacing the PSU for the PM42, but when I connected the power the unit was still not running and I suspected that for whatever reason the PM42 had given up on us. To compound the problem, we use the PSU that supplies the PM42, to provide power to the MERG accessory decoders fitted to the Fiddle Yard to drive the solenoid motors and these were also out of action. I decided to isolate the PM42, disconnecting it from the PSU, but this didn't restore the control of the Fiddle Yard points. In the midst of the blind panic I was descending into, a moment of clarity struck me, so I disconnected the bus feeds from the Fiddle Yard to the rest of the layout and suddenly everything sprang back to life. Including the PM42 when I re-connected the power to it.
     
    Knowing that the Fiddle Yard and control systems were working OK, the only other explanation was that we had a wiring issue out on the main board somewhere, so I started systematically adding module after module until the fault re-occurred. No prizes for guessing where I found the fault, yes, on the board that I'd fitted the signalling module to. As long as we didn't connect the bus feeds at both end of the module, everything was up and running correctly. As the other guys had started to arrive by now, they started to stock up the Fiddle Yard, while I set about replacing the TT300 point motor. I'd already set the DCC address for the unit, so once it had been swapped out we were fully operational.
     
    With only 10 minutes to go before the doors opened, we gave a crash course on how to operate the layout using JMRI to a couple of our club members who had arrived to help us and then we were off. During the first few hours, I think it was safe to say we had a few mishaps running the layout, but these were mainly down to getting things in and out of the Fiddle Yards as people got used to the controls, once the stock was moving it was all pretty much trouble free. The biggest issue we we're having was that for some reason, we were losing control of certain loco's as they were handed off between our Digitrax hand throttles and the JMRI computer control. Basically the operator on the front of the layout would return a loco to the Fiddle Yard as part of an industry movement, but then the JMRI software wasn't able to then control the loco. It seemed locked to the hand throttles and nothing seemed to work to free it up. By around lunch time, we'd got quite a number of these loco's which could only be controlled by hand throttles and they were starting to cause problems for the operators as they had to remember which loco's could be controlled from the JMRI system and which were working from the hand throttles.
     
    To sort out this creeping problem, we decided to re-start the Command Station and purge all of the loco addresses. We'd also sorted out which loco's were going to be used for block trains (run from the Fiddle Yard) and which were going to be used to drop off and pick up wagons from the Industry Sidings (run from the hand throttles), so we decided to make sure that we didn't swap them between the two roles. This immediately seemed to be working better and we had much more success driving the locos and the operators had much more time to concentrate on what they were doing.
     
    Lessons to learn:
    Don't perform last minute changes to wiring on the eve of a show (really this should be added to Fridays list!)
    Have a plan and clear rules for Operation

    Sunday 28th
     
    We made sure we started the day as we finished Saturday, with our new rules of operation. We also did a pre-emptive purge of the Command Station at the start of the day as well. We decided to rotate some of the stock to give a bit more variation and ended up putting on some Nuclear Flasks and some 350 DMU's. The Flasks were being run with a pair of 37's and the 350's were going to be run together, so they needed to be consisted. As they were going to be run in and out of the Fiddle Yard, then we decided to consist them with JMRI as we would use the JMRI throttles to control them. This appeared to be going well, the JMRI system provides a nice enough form to set them up and then you just call up the primary loco address on the main throttle and use that. However, this seemed to re-introduce the problem with locos becoming unresponsive, so we ditched the idea, purged the Command Station again and reverted back to the way we had run things the day before.
     
    Lessons to learn:
    If you have a plan of Operation and it's working for you, don't change it

    Conclusion
     
    I'd like to have been writing this reporting that everything went smoothly, but it was a real roller coaster of an experience for us. Over the 3 years that we've had our layout operational, it's never caused any major problems, so I guess we paid the price for being a bit over confident with it. There really is no substitute for being prepared and making changes on the eve of a show is a little silly. Also, it's important to have at least trialled the operation of the layout and we have on many occasions said we were going to do this, but for one reason or another, it's just didn't happen.
     
    I'm pleased to be able to say though, that despite some operational glitches, we were able to put on a good show for people. We received allot of positive comments about the layout, our stock and how well it was running which was very nice. Allot of people were very interested in how we were controlling the locos, as they could see the JMRI system on the laptops at each end of the Fiddle Yard and it was nice to be able to give them some advice about how they could use something similar for their layouts.
     
    Anyway this post would be pretty useless without some pictures / video from the weekend.
     
    Cheers, Mark.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  19. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    It's been just over a month since the last update and we're in the middle of a mad dash to be presentable for our first public outing.
     
    Shows
     
    Middleton Railway, Model Railway Show - 27th / 28th June (12 Days) - http://www.middletonrailway.org.uk/
    TINGS 2015 - 12th / 13th September 2015 (3 Months) - http://www.ngaugeshow.co.uk/
     
    Storage Boxes
     
    Not too much progress has been done on these as we are concentrating on other work, but the inner frames have been assembled and are awaiting cladding in 6mm ply.
     

     
    Signals
     
    The signal controllers have been added to the Scenic Modules. Each module can control 8 addresses as they are currently configured, but by using the Arduino devices, we can expand on this if we needed to in the future as we haven't used the full capacity. The modules need a DCC feed to listen to the DCC Bus and a 12v DC supply which we use to power them and run the Signal LEDS. As the Arduino only runs from a 5v supply, we are regulating the 12v on the module.
     

     
    Going Green
     
    By far, most effort over the last month has been put in on the scenic modules, putting down a base layer of scatter material and then starting to build on it to create a more realistic looking model. We are tending to use the excellent Woodland Scenic scatter and clumping material. I for one have been quite surprised how easy it is to apply to the baseboards, we are basically painting a watered down mixture of PVA onto the boards and then covering in a layer of Scatter. Once this has dried and then the excess has been removed, we then start to add highlighting scatter and clump foliage. When we started adding to the base layer of scatter we'd been using another diluted PVA mix with the highlighting scatter, but this ended up being a bit hit and miss. So we then tried some WWS Layering Adhesive, which seemed to work much better for us. We've found it much quicker to apply and you can also direct the spray a little better, so you can work in tighter areas.
     
    We still have a long way to go though, but it's quite amazing what an hour or two does for the overall look.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    Cheers, Mark.
  20. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    It's been another couple of months since the last update, but this time there's a fair bit of progress to show for it.
     
    Shows
     
    Middleton Railway, Model Railway Show - 27th / 28th June (2 Months) - http://www.middletonrailway.org.uk/
    TINGS 2015 - 12th / 13th September 2015 (4 Months) - http://www.ngaugeshow.co.uk/
     
    Storage Boxes
     
    Allot of progress has been made with the storage boxes. The 3 storage boxes for the straight scenic boards have now been completed. They are a fairly uncomplicated 2" x 1" internal frame which is then clad in 6mm ply. The closed and open ends of the box being made out of 9mm ply and have rope handles added to them. The storage boxes have a set of 1" x 1" rails fitted internally and the scenic boards have a pair of 1" x 1" slides added to them and this allows the boards to slide into the boxes.
     

     

     
    This still leaves us with 2 boxes to make for the curved boards. The intention is that these will be constructed in exactly the same way and that the curved boards would again use the rail and slide system to lock the boards into the boxes. Currently we have the top and bottom of a frame made up to test the fit, but I can see allot of head scratching when it comes to getting the rails and slides working on these
     

     
    Signals
     
    More work has been done on the signals, the decision on what connector type to use has been made and we have chosen to use 5 way JST connectors (similar to those found in Dapol coaches for the light bars). These give us a nice reliable connection and hopefully we can plant a working signal on the layout in the next few days.
     
    We are also going to be adding signals onto the end loop boards, to protect the entrances to the Fiddle Yard.
     
    Catenary
     
    The Portals are now completed with the remaining Register Arms having been fitted. We've had an issue with the Portals for a little while, in that the 2 track Portals are slightly smaller in height than the 3 track versions. To fix this we lowered the 3 track portals by shortening the legs, but as the 3 track portals were done in 2 or 3 batches, one of the batches ended up being slightly higher than the others. Although this wasn't a major problem, it looked a bit strange visually, so the offending portals have now had their legs trimmed. This meant we had to re-attach the magnetic bases we are using, and as we didn't have access to my wife's canned goods, we used glasses to keep the portals vertical while the epoxy resin set.
     

     
    New Bridge
     
    Now that we're starting the final push on the scenic work, one of our team had previously built a diorama of a local bridge near Colton Junction on the Leeds - York line and we've decided to incorporate this on the right hand side of the layout. He had to re-work a little of the terrain, but it looks quite at home there now.
     

     

     
    Shunting Frame
     
    Our 'bridge builder' has also been hard at work scratch building a small shunting frame that we will position close to the entrance to the on-scene sidings. As the mainline points would probably be operated from a signal box some miles away, we thought it would be a nice touch to include a building that would effectively control the siding points and the access to the off-scene industry.
     

     

     
    Head Shunt Loco Platform
     
    We're also adding a raised metal platform which runs alongside the Head Shunt, this would be used by the loco drivers when they were switching ends and also to provide easy access to a small office which will be positioned at that end of the sidings.
     
    The platform is actually a kit which comes as a very nice brass etch from PH Designs. In order to get the desired length we wanted for a mainline loco, we've actually built up two of these kits and will fit them back to back. Allowing for my poor skills with a soldering iron, I think it's come out pretty well and its going to look great on the layout.
     

     

     
    Cheers, Mark.
  21. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    As the last update for the blog was written towards the end of June, there's been quite a bit of activity to catch up on.
     
    TINGS 2015 Countdown - 9 Months
     
    Heworth Sidings has been invited to attend The International N Gauge Show for 2015 (12th / 13th September), so we have now have a 'real' deadline to aim for.
     
    Retaining Wall
     
    Construction of the retaining wall is now largely complete. We've revised our original plan to have the wall curve on the Left hand side of the layout, and have now changed it to use straight sections, broken up by embankments. I think this is probably a little more prototypical and it also gives us a little more room on the baseboards to add scenic detail around the Sidings.
     
    Here are some pics of the changes and also a pic showing the detailing progress on the disused bridge which covers the on-scene / off-scene access.
     

     

     

     

     
     
    Ballasting
     
    The Main Line ballasting is pretty much complete, apart from small areas around the points where the motor arms come through the baseboard. These need to be carefully done so that we don't risk damaging any of the motors.
     
    The Sidings have also been ballasted recently, again we've left the small area's around the points, but we have also left some small areas without ballast where we intend to fit Magnets for uncoupling. We've decided to use a different colour of ballast for the Sidings as these would typically get dirtier and wouldn't be as highly maintained as the Main Line, however the contrast between the two types of ballast looks a bit harsh, so this will need some more work.
     
    Here are some pics shortly after the ballast has been put down.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     
     
    Block Detection / Computer Control
     
    We now have working block detection on the Scenic Boards and as we use a Digitrax Command Station, we are using Team Digital BlocD8 detectors. These modules connect directly to the Loconet bus and provide 8 track sensors on each board. We are only using block detection on the Main Line and Waiting Loops, so at the moment we have a single module attached under each board. The installation of these boards is very simple, they can be powered from the DCC Bus and you just need to loop the track feed wires through a detectors. They appear to work well straight out of the box and you can either set the detectors up as a range of 8 addresses or set each detector with a specific address.
     
    We are also going to be using some form of computer control on the layout, the ultimate goal being to automate the Main Line movements. But initially we want a system that will help us operate the layout. We have been looking at a few products and each have their pros / cons, but currently our front runner is JMRI. It's not the most visually appealing, but when you start looking at route setting, block detection, signal control and automation it's 'logix' really allow you to do some neat things.
     
    This is the current JMRI Panel we are using for the layout. The Yellow numbers are the points, the Blue numbers are the Block Sensors.
     

     
     
    Signals
     
    To provide signalling on the layout, we are using CR Signals excellent 3 Aspect masts which are available 'ready to plant' and in kit form. For our use, we've 3D printed some bases for the signals which will lift them slightly off the baseboard and allow us to easily replace them should we need to. The 3D printed bases accept small magnets and when some small lengths of steel rod are glued to the bases of the signals, they stay in place quite neatly.
     
    Here are some pics of the signals and bases on the layout.
     

     

     

     
     
    Finally
     
    There is a small amount of video taken from our Open Weekend in September.
     

     
     
    Cheers, Mark.
  22. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    As it's been nearly two months since the last blog entry, there's been quite a flurry of activity, particularly with the scenic items.
     
    Retaining Wall
     
    This is where the bulk of the effort has been spent. The left hand side of the wall is now complete and it is now being painted and weathered. I notice a section has even been tagged already buy a local 'youf'
     

     

     

     
    The bridge (the break between the on and off scene sidings) is also progressing well and is now nearly complete, just a bit of tinkering with the positions of the parapets before it will also be ready for painting.
     

     

     

     
    Catenary
     
    If you can remember back to previous entries, we are building our Catenary from kits obtained from N Brass Locos. One of the many jobs on the to do list, has been to prime and paint these. Well finally work has started on this with the 2 track portals being primed. Once dry, I think the primer colour is a little darker than we had thought, so they need to be lightened a little bit before we have a good base colour for weathering. Maybe a dusting with some sea grey will do the trick.
     
    Work has also been progressing on the 3 track portals which are used on the main scenic boards, with the fitting of register arms and positioning of the portals on the boards themselves.
     

     

     
    Block Detection
     
    As one of our plans for the layout was to have working signalling, then a key piece of that puzzle is block detection. As we are using DCC, we have chosen to use DCC Modules that detect current draw from the track blocks. We have had a single module a 'BlocD8' from Team Digital installed on one of our boards for a while now as it has a LocoNet interface and we've successfully demonstrated the ability to both set signals based on block occupancy and also slow or stop a loco based on how a signal has been set.
     
    I've included a picture of one of these boards installed under one of our scenic modules. Although it's not in any way installed as described in the manual, it's worked perfectly and in the future, I'll tidy up the wiring with some pluggable connector blocks, so that if we have a failure, the board could be easily and quickly swapped.
     

     
    Play Time
     
    We also found time to get some running in, here's a link to a short video
     

     
    Cheers, Mark.
  23. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    Retaining Wall
     
    Allot of hard work has been going into the Retaining Wall which runs nearly the whole length of the layout and this is really taking shape now. Along with the brick plasticard, 3D printed capping stones and laser cut arches, we are now making use of resin casting to create some of the wall parts. Here are some pics of the progress.
     

     

     

     

     

     
    Ballasting
     
    Work has also started on ballasting the main scenic modules. and we now have 3 out of the 5 modules with the 'first fix' ballast applied. I say 'first fix' because we are currently ballasting only the lines and in-between them, leaving the shoulders until we have a better idea of where the signals, catenary, point motors, cabinets and other items need to go.
     
    Our method for applying the ballast is:
    Mask of areas of the board you don't want to get wet
    Plug any holes for dropper wires etc with cork underlay
    Sprinkle the ballast onto the tracks and work with a brush until you have a profile and coverage your happy with
    Wet the ballast with a Water (75%) and Surgical Spirit (25%) mix, applied with a small pump misting spray bottle
    Apply glue (PVA Water mix with about the same consistency as milk) with a syringe, running the needle down the inside of the rails releasing the glue as you go
    Wait an hour or two, then apply more glue to make sure everything sticks well.

    Here are some pics of the process:
     
    Masking off the area to be worked on

     
    Masking off the rail ends to keep the ballast on the board and in place

     
    Holes for the dropper wires

     
    Holes for the dropper wires with cork underlay filling

     
    Dry ballast applied

     
    Ballast after wetting

     
    Ballast after glueing, some touch ups needed where the dropper wires are

     
    I also took a time lapse video of this work being done on one of the modules

     
    Cheers, Mark.
  24. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    Just a quick update as there's been a fair bit of progress with the scenic work.
     
    Cable Ducts
     
    When we were looking at the detail we wanted to incorporate in the model we decided that we would like to model accurate (or as near as) trackside detail. So, AWS Ramps, TPWS Grids, Signals, Cabinets, Signs, Point Motors and Cable Ducting. When we first looked at the ducting, we were going to install styrene strip which would have been been scored so that it looked like the usual sectional duct. This would have given us the detail we wanted, but it would have looked too uniform and would have lacked the natural variation that you see in the 'real world'. So we decided that rather than use a scored strip, we would chop the strips into 6.5mm lengths and then lay these individually. Once the strips are down, we would then paint them with a concrete colour and do a wash of black to pick out the sections.
     
    For those out there who may be wondering how many 6.5 mm lengths go into 27', its around 1,300
     
    Strips being placed, just using PVA to secure them to the board and a few shots of them in place.
     

     

     

     

     
    Retaining Wall
     
    More good progress has been made with the retaining wall, this time we added a large run of completed arches to one of the boards. This only really leaves us with around 7-8 feet left to do. This is only the base of the wall though and there will be a brick built parapet running the whole length too. But it's fantastic to see it coming along.
     

     
    End Loops
     
    The End Loops of the layout are progressing quite nicely at the moment and one of them has had a little more scenic work done on it. We are using it as a kind of test bed and have applied some static grass to it. Although the overall affect is quite good, you can still see through to the board surface, so to describe it, it looks rather like a farmers field would look as the crop is growing and it's still quit young. So I think the approach we will adopt is to cover the board with scatter, place any small bushes and then go over with a light covering of static grass.
     

     

     
    Scenic Modules / Buildings
     
    Just a few shots of each module (left to right) and a few shots of the Signal Box and Large Business Unit.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    Cheers, Mark.
  25. Vonzack
    Hi,
     
    When we started considering buildings for the layout, it was decided as a group that we would like to have them scratch built. Initially we hadn't decided what materials we were going to use for the construction other than that the core of the buildings were going to be constructed from 2mm card. Our decisions was to be whether we would clad the card core in printed brick paper, or textured plasticard. To aid our decision process we produced a sample building which was half and half.
     
    Here is the half covered in printed paper
     

     
    Here is the half covered in textured plasticard
     

     
    Each method had its relative merits and once appropriately finished and weathered there wouldn't be much to choose between them. However, the decision taken was to use plasticard, as we felt this would produce buildings that would probably age better, as the plasticard would make them a little more robust.
     
    Signal Box
     
    The signal box, as we envisage it, controls the pointwork for the passing loops and the entrance to the on-scene sidings. We have still to decide whether this box will be occupied or abandoned due to centralisation of the signalling, but it will be replaceable on the layout, so it will be possible to provide both, depending on the era we wish to run. The current version is very much a working box and is based on that found in Mill Lane Junction, at the entrance to Bradford Interchange in West Yorkshire.
     

     

     

     

     
    Industrial Units
     
    We intend to have a group of industry buildings with a shared yard which will be just to the right of the centre board. Our plan is to have two main units, one large which is assumed to be the main production area and one smaller which would probably be used for storage or as an assembly / shipping area. These units have also been based on some commercial units close to New Pudsey Station in Leeds, with rough dimensions being calculated from Google Earth.
     

     

     

     

     
    Cheers, Mark.
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