scottystitch

The only unifrog turnout Peco offer in Code 55 is currently the Medium straight turnout as far as I’m aware.  I’ve not heard of an issue with curved Code 55s, in all honesty. I’ve use quite a few without a problem.  I certainly wouldn’t avoid them…

Best

Scott.

I find multiple straight tracksetta positioned in series works for me.  I’ve also used U-section aluminium strip against the sleepers with success. I glue my Finetrax down with UHU which gives time for fine adjustments and then sets sufficiently quickly to avoid the kinks.

Best

Scott.

An excellent question, and I'm very interested to see how Rapido do with their change of tack.

As far as UK outline N gauge goes, I think we are about as far as we need to go with regards detail. Realistically and practically, how much more detail do we need on a Farish Mk1 or Thompson carriage? I look at "current" models such as the Farish Classes 42, 40, 8F, Dapol 22, 52, etc. and see no need to go further. The only caveat to that would be, after having some class 24 conversions done by Mercig, the current range of diesels would benefit from etched roof grills and fans, but other than that, I'm not so sure.  Maybe developing a method of incorporating more weight and improving the mechanisms, particularly on steam locomotives. 

Best

Scott.

I think what the OP is talking about is to do with the fact that the electrical connection between the moving switch blades (yellow) and the static rails (green) is through the pivot points.  It was suggested on the other thread that high resistance could set up in this pivot/electrical connection.  My understanding is that the OP is seeking advice on adding bonding wires between green and yellow to pre-empt any continuity issues as the turnout ages. Is that right @n9?

If so, I'm not sure it's ever come up that anyone does that, although I'm sure the law of averages would suggest that someone somewhere must have?

Best

Scott.

16 hours ago, RobinofLoxley said:

You are absolutely right. I was just drawing out the changes I mentioned in my last post, as Ben has only the demo version of Anyrail and sending complete files is helpful; the solution was given by @Revolution Ben earlier in the thread, I had forgotten to add it, as I had just realised.

 

Put the runaround on the end of the 2 sidings, with a long enough shunt to take a loco and brake van

That makes perfect sense then, I didn't appreciate Ben was using the restricted 50 piece Anyrail trial version. as you were!

Best

Scott.

How would the freight facilities work?  A parcel or goods service arrives into the lowest platform and reverses into the sidings.  How do we then get a locomotive onto the departure end of a departing freight/parcels without a run around facility.

As always, it may be I'm missing something obvious...

Best

Scott.

I would give consideration to hiding the curve on the branch line as well.  Make the hidden portion long enough to completely envelope the branch DMU, to allow it to pause off scene before re-appearing later at the branch station/main line station as required.

29 minutes ago, RobinofLoxley said:

I dont think point (1) is true; however many sidings there are they need points.

As always I could be missing something, or misunderstanding your comment, but my sketch of a plan doesn't use any turnouts associated with the traverser...

Best

Scott.

1 hour ago, Benatkinsonuk said:

Anyway...I going to get back to any rail and take some time on working on a plan. I'll update it once it looks a bit more polished, which is much easier thanks to your help.

If my Anyrail file would be of use to you, just yell and I can email it to you. Might be a good foundation to work from.

Best

Scott.

I've never modified N gauge turnouts.  The supposed issue (as WIMorrison states) is that the switchblades being bonded to the crossing (frog) will mean that the stock rail and the non touching switchblade will have opposite polarities and if the wheel touches both the stock rail and the switchblade, as it travels through the turnout, a short will occur.  As long as you check that the back to back measurement on all stock is correct, (in my experience) this never happens. Not once have I had a short across a turnout because of this.

Best

Scott

3 minutes ago, NIK said:

I find it interesting that Bachmann Europe are tooling the SR Co-Co Electric Booster loco in their EFE range.

 

Perhaps they are checking out whether one of their newer suppliers can produce a reasonably complex model including chassis from scratch. If it doesn't turn out to be as of good quality as the main Bachmann range it may not dent the main ranges reputation.

 

Regards

 

Nik

I think they are being produced in conjunction with Kernow, hence in the EFE range.

Best

Scott.

Further to DCBs post, I've translated some of his suggestion into Anyrail.

Code 55 throughout. Turnouts are mediums. Each traverser track is drawn 1.5inches apart.

The radius of the inner off scene curve is 12"

Squares are 140mm, the nominal length of a Farish Mk1 coach.

Best

Scott.

With SC55015's blessing, and working from the drawings and photos here and some extras by PM, I have sketched a track plan of the layout in Anyrail:

Best

Scott. 

22 minutes ago, black and decker boy said:

They were all gone by December 1971 so there would be little change in rolling stock from Green (which most still carried) - so steam eta vacuum & unfitted wagons. A lot of 16t mineral wagons around central Scotland. The LGW grain wagons mentioned above. 12T box wagons etc

 

loads of photos online.

 

there is also a book on the 17s

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Clayton-Type-1-Bo-Bo-Diesel-Electric-Locomotives-British-Railways-Class-17-Hardback/p/18826

This one also has many images of them at work:

https://www.mdsbooks.co.uk/railway-books/an-illustrated-historical-review-of-the-clayton-type-1-bo-bo.html

Best

Scott.

15 hours ago, Bernard Lamb said:

Typical anti HS2 reporting by the BBC.

The  property did not qualify for compulsory purchase. All subsequent events were down to him and nothing to do with HS2. I wrote long ago that people around Wendover are very pleased with how their situation has been resolved. Are you just repeating what the BBC say, or do you know that he was actually forced to sell his home?

If so who by?

HS2 has made a mess of some aspects of the work, but compensation has been dealt with very generously from what I have seen. That is part of the reason for the high spend. 

Bernard

Blimey.

I was posting a link to an HS2 related story just as I did earlier with sketchy details of what the HS2  money would be spent on in it's place.  I didn't make any comment on whether I agreed or disagreed with the article nor the gentleman's situation.

The pertinent sentence, in my mind was this one, however: ""I tried to sell it and estate agents laughed at me. It was blighted forever," he said."  Again, I make no comment on hi position either way.

Best

Scott.

Man forced to sell home for HS2 has 'lost everything' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-67006024

"Details" of alternative projects here:

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2023/10/rishi-sunak-confirms-changes-to-hs2-railway-line-to-manchester.html

28 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

 

Thanks Scott.

 

If you feel so moved, the full process is described below:

 

(Approx two-thirds of the way down page 96)

 

 

Excellent! I did start to go looking so that saved me some time.

Thank you

best

Scott.

13 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

Latest update from Upperby:

 

A quick bit of DIY to provide baseboard support. Might look a bit Heath Robinson in places but it does the job and is very sturdy.

 

With the top board now permanently affixed, time for a final alignment check. If you are so minded to look closely, you might be able to see the alignment pins and how they've been moved into their finalised position. For example, pin 64 has been moved towards the outside of the curve by 4.5mm. This part of the curve now has a steady versine of 5 to 5.25mm, equating to a curve of 7 and a half foot radius.

 

Wasting no time, within minutes the grey paint was out to provide the base colour for the cess on the inside of the curve. The WCML running tracks will be in foam underlay; the rest will be cork. Once the foam tracks have been laid (following the alignment pins) the cork will be butted up against the 'up' (outer) line to suit. Priority always given to the alignment of the main lines - everything else fits in around.

Even just temporarily positioned, that curve looks promising.

 

Can proceed with tracklaying now 😊

 

I haven't seen/thought of that alignment pin arrangement to ensure the proper curvature before.  An excellent idea.

I may just use that in future.

Best

Scott.

Hello Anthony;

Fantastic progress on your grand project, and when we see Bangor laid out in all it's glory and then consider that it is only a small part of layout we appreciate just how grand it is.

Well done for getting to where you are; I hope you give yourself credit for what you've achieved.

Best

Scott.

5 minutes ago, Dagworth said:

The problem with leaving it as a gap is that it will close up when the rail gets warm, that's why I've gone with my paper/superglue filling

 

Andi

But if you paint the ends of the cut it doesn't, matter if it closes...because even if it closes completely, there is no conductor to conductor contact.

Best

Scott.

Where I have insulating gaps on Code 55, I just paint the ends of each rail to ensure, if there is expansion, insulation is maintained. I'd agree it's probably best to leave the air gap as an air gap rather than fill it.

Best

Scott

Is it an option to put the right hand station on the straight section of the return loop? (red circle)

OR shift the junction in purple to the right and place the station on the straight to the left of it.

It would remove the problem of a big gap between train and platform due to the sharp curve.

Best

Scott.

I know you've mentioned the ECML, but I don't think you will realistically get much of what you've asked for in the space available, regardless of scale.

As an alternative, this is Lymebrook Yard.  Take a look, it might give some inspiration and tick more boxes than your current thinking is.  The layout is built on a space 4ft by 2ft.  Ignore the height of teh scenery for now and just see all that has been incorporated in the track plan.  You're board length is a bit bigger than this, so the space for the yard would open out even better.  Try not to fall into the trap of having too much track on the board.  I'm not generally a fan of small, minimum space layouts in any scale, but what's been achieved here is excellent and very clever:

https://www.macclesfieldmrg.org.uk/exhibition/exhibitors/lymebrook-yard/

Best

Scott.

And again for context purposes only, the same double oval with a basic terminus arrangement and the same Kato 880 units represented:

I've used code 55 medium turnouts and a code 55 double slip, although obviously having the double sip and the crossover at the "station mouth" is superfluous - this just to give an idea of space available (or not available).

Best

Scott.