Southern Fabricator

Try SPDT Sub-miniature Microswitch SPDT ON-ON. Actuatorlength 14mm. Rated at 125V 3A... Has anyone got around to using a MegaPoint controller for double slips and 3 way points and not using a route controller how has it been achieved?

Experience, there’s nothing quite like it! As you maybe aware I’ve been immersed in the joys of diode matrix wiring for the above. Much to the delight of my fellow GWRM club members two of us have finally cracked getting the 3 way point to operate the way it should using three momentary button switches on the loop/yard module control panel. Thanks to the UK Heywood Model Railway Group posting on the internet, John Essex has a solenoid matrix wiring system that I can endorse after finding other systems did not deliver the same result. Wiring diagrams and labelling really helps too! We do use non diode wiring as well for 3 ways on other modules, but because it was determined that a diode route setting system would be more advantageous for this busy end module we persevered until it was achieved. So we are now all happy campers ready to use the fully operational module for our layout at the Taupo Modellers Exhibition next week here in NZ. Now hopefully I can at last return to my own project, strangely not using a diode solenoid matrix but rc servos!

Well my experiments with servos are progressing along. The prototype was tested using a CCPM Servo Consistency Master tester on a 3.0 volt, 1.5 amp supply which enabled a Peco SE 195 code 75 turnout to be switched back and forth without the need to remove the spring latching. The 12 mm baseboard plus an extra 3.0 mm track bed underlay will be just fine for my purposes. Other than using surface mounted turnout motors , the under baseboard mounted approach does have its own alignment issues for making sure motors are correctly mounted. Problems seem to arise when a pilot hole is drilled for a track centreline from above to transfer underneath comes through at a odd angle that can add extra millimetres. To overcome this slotted holes are necessary to adjust your motor mount to the right position. This is far from ideal so I made a portable drill guide to to drill a perpendicular pilot hole from above to align the servos under the baseboard to the centreline of the turnout above. This ensures accurate alignment is achieved for all turnouts and motors, especially as I have a few to do. For my own drill guide I used a 160 mm x 60 mm x 30 mm hardwood block with four 10 mm holes drilled with a pedestal drill to ensure a perpendicular guide for my Proedge pin vice. This has an additional 12 mm long nylon collar fitted to it just above the vice’s drill securing collar. The pin vice can then be placed into a variable speed electric drill and a perpendicular hole can be achieved. Aside from enjoyable GWRM distractions my present course remains the same and that is to complete the first baseboard with its side panels for transporting and protect the buildings and diorama that also will be handy for the background scenery, then lay all the station approach South end tracks.

I’ve been involved with our club (the Greater Waikato Railway Modellers) building a loop extention/fiddle yard to compliment our existing one at the opposite side of our exhibition layout. Briefly our DC layout consists of interchangeable and controllable modules that are set to suit the available exhibition space. Primarily it was intended to give more mainline interest and flexibility. We used to have an end to end layout that dovetailed into a much larger oval one at our clubroom which it still does, but exhibition experience since with other exhibitors and public reaction to ours has been such that people enjoy watching with interest the various aspects of the layout’s operation and interaction with the club members who will let some of the more enthusiastic learn how to operate a model railway. So getting back to my own project, the experience in wiring Peco point motors for Diode Matrix operation has proved invaluable. As most readers would know a Diode Matrix is used for setting a route through shunting yards, stations etc. If one doesn’t want to completely use a computer to run a layout these proven DC systems are for you. Of course DCC gives you the manual choice as well but there appears to be many combinations of the the two systems being used today. My next challenge will be how to wire a servo motor controlled three way point! To this end I am in the process of experimenting with servo mounts and micro switching the electrofrog and LEDs. Here’s a couple of photos of the prototype progress so far.

The need to focus on what control system to run my layout has been evolving as I have been constructing the Garsdale buildings. Rather than having a continuous dual loop I may attempt to use twin tranversers, one at each end of the layout to enable consist/engine interchange. I am also working towards a dual DC/DCC system that will initially use a DC track controller along with servo turnout and signalling MegaPoint control system. Having constructed my first module, there are some further baseboard design features that I need to incorporate such as stack ability for storage and its transportation and for the protection of the diorama. I’m using Peco Code 75 track and have already prepared the Electrofrog turnouts for DCC operation. The increase in sleeper spacing is also under consideration. Two double slips and a three way turnout still need to be purchased. There’s a lot of options when one is building up a miniature scale version of a location on the Settle and Carlisle. Getting the diorama features to resemble the prototype brings it’s own challenges especially constructing the dry stone walls. Everyone has a solution such as pea gravel, cat litter, ready made, or the one that Physicsman engineered using individual pieces of scaled DAS stone blocks. For me this last approach seems a jump towards insanity, but the result speaks volumes! I will try a similar approach but perhaps try a different way for assembling the stone block work. Then there’s the trees. There’s a whole raft of methods for creating a ‘new forest’ but I decided the best one for me will be the twisted wire method as shown on You Tube by Luke Towan amongst others. I’ve managed to master the wire bit and have a small selection now waiting for some spring foliage to appear. Other issues are slowing me down at the moment so please be patient. My enthusiasm for this project hasn’t disappeared.

The railway cottages block retaining wall to the Carlisle down line platform above has been an interesting undertaking due to correlating the Google earth image with the few others taken at ground level. It also affected the position of the rail side cottages to include the access road and enable a better baseboard/diorama joint for the next adjoining module two. The extra 50 mm for the above had resulted in revising SAC Bridge 115 being positioned closer to the South end of module one than originally intended. So along with the embankments around the Bridge 115, most of the foam insulation terrain is completed and all that remains is brushing on a coat of brownish acrylic paint over it. Now then, I’ve been rather involved in GWRM club matters, one involving wiring up Peco 3 way points for our exhibition layout fiddle yard and return loop (the second fiddle yard and return loop) that gives us continuous running and multiple options for engine/train consists. Because I will be needing some myself, I thought it would be an good practice to be able to wire one up first. The Peco wiring instructions/schematic are pretty good if one takes the time and reads them thoroughly. I made the mistake of misplacing a link wire on the wrong contact that after an hours frustration made me recheck the schematic wiring diagram and correct my error. The remaining two 3 ways took me 3/4 of an hour to fully complete complete with Frog/LED switching, which is always the way when you know what you are doing!

I have flat surfaces that need some character and I’m using 50mm thick polystyrene off cuts of flooring insulation that are glued down with exterior PVA to create it. The outline of the access path to Platform one and road to the terrace railway cottages were drawn in with a permanent marker pen after studying many photos and determining a plan view. Then using a small flexible handsaw and a Surform rasp these are then carved out and shaped to simulate the embankments and general sloping terrain towards the A684 road below at the Garsdale Station South end approach. Modelling has taken a little time and care (about three days so far) to ensure the cottages and bridge blend into the terrain before applying the road and access path surfaces and of course grass. I am preparing module one for further detailing such as out buildings and dry stone walls so to get a handle on how the rest of the diorama will work with the next baseboard that will have the station waiting rooms and signal box.

Having built bridge 115 and before contemplating undertaking the construction of Dandy Mire viaduct, a start on the baseboard modules needs to be started. This is so I can prefit the bridge for the station approach and the stepped railway cottages to suit the diorama needed for future development. Having read horror stories about baseboard warping and woodworm destroying hours of workmanship and even deconstruction when a relocation of residence has been undertaken, I determined from the start that these issues were to be avoided at all cost. Being a member of GWR Modellers who are continually improving our exhibition layout that consist of interchangeable diorama modules used for the available venue spaces was the answer for my own version of Garsdale Junction. These are proven sturdy lightweight constructions that continue to give us good service. The chosen material for my own baseboard and portability though a tad heavier, is treated 12mm ply along with 40 x 18mm stiffening rails and other treated dressed timber as required. All these are held together with wood screws with the completed 1000 x 1830mm module placed atop of a resin table of suitable size. Module One consists of three levels, the top where the railway is closest to the operator looking toward the West, the mid level where the railway cottages run parallel to the Carlisle Down Line and the lower level for the six stepped cottages. At this stage the remaining four stepped cottages have been left out mainly due to a self imposed baseboard width. The back scene ‘blending in’ experiment will determine if I add width for another four stepped cottages. More on my modelling diorama efforts later.

Well now the railings have been revisited. I am now using a brand new 0.71mm 60/40 solder and a Rosin soldering flux paste to see if the previous result can be improved. The styrene solution for the rails is an option of last resort for me. The reason why I am persisting with this is because I really do need to sharpen my soldering skills as I contemplate the Dandry Mire Viaduct safety railing and kit building the semaphore signals and the Network Rail radio link tower, not to mention the layout track droppers and so forth. Also I reason copper wire may be more forgiving should ‘the hand of god’ fumble near the mainline. In a perfect world there be no derailments! Perseverance pays!! As the picture shows the safety rails whilst not perfect, are to my own satisfaction and hopefully reflect the prototype Ø 42mm pipe work.

Well welcome to 2018. Much of my time has been family orientated with time spent at our clubs museum layout and meeting visitors from Rugby and Dorset in the UK along with many other nationalities. My need to build as close to the prototype as possible meant the scalpel came out yet again and suitable adjustments were made to the plate girder bridge sides without destroying my previous efforts. The camera is certainly not kind! A general tidy up by using contract filler and nail files, I swiped the wife’s supply, I hoped that it went unnoticed! Now for the interesting job of paint matching the existing Yorkshire stone buildings. Try as I may every building has a different shade. Maybe someone will produce a Yorkshire stone acrylic paint or recipe, you know like when you go to a DIY store to match the colour you chose a few years back and when you get it home and find out it is nowhere near the shade you are trying to match! For the Dandry Mire viaduct I’d probably be better off mixing a bucket full. Assembling the pre painted items together onto a foam/hardboard laminated track bed posed few problems. First I used an extended 3mm 3ply sheet long enough to secure the whole structure to upper/main railway baseboard support rails, then a 3mm hardboard sheet of the same overall length and width of the bridge. Although the ply may have sufficed, I used the hardboard as it ensured the next three layers of 3mm foam board were kept absolutely flat and also to screw down the track work above it if needed. The bridge base also used 3mm ply to tie the station and southern abutments together and to be eventually screwed onto the diorama baseboard. Now for the pipe safety rails… for these I had an idea to use some old copper solid wiring (Ex Telecom phone) that when stripped of its insulation and tinned with solder I thought might just be the ticket! Being Garsdale, both safety rails are not identical as in keeping with the rest of the bridge. So in the end I found the trial of copper wire unsatisfactory, I’ve resorted to use a fabricated styrene safety rail instead. Our Greater Waikato Railway Modellers club is gearing up for another busy year of exhibitions firstly in Tauranga with their club, and invites to show our exhibition layout in Auckland and throughout the North Island cities during the year. There will be plenty to keep everyone out of mischief or into it depending on your point of view!

With the abutment built, the next challenge is getting the wing wall lengths measured. Using Google maps, the approximate length was ascertained reasonably well at the10m scale and by comparing this with the bridge dimensions I obtained earlier. Both the Eastern wing wall lengths being shorter due to the rise in the road/terrain appear as a nearly identical mirror image on either side along with the end height. On the opposite West wing, both walls are the same in length but wall end heights match the prototype embankment profiles either side of the bridge. The ends are 6mm lower in height to that of the abutments due to Coal Road rising toward the bridge. All walls are angled at 80° for the retaining wall lean, offset at 6°, which is 96° to the bridge horizontal length. These measurements are as accurate as one can get using photographic images so are representative for my modelling purposes. The majority of the S & C bridges have capped column structures at the end of the wing walls that ‘anchor’ the structures into the terrain, that for the life of me I can’t find a name for, unlike pilaster, pier, parapet etc. Looking at my photos I see that I may need to correct the Wills kit end plates again to get the bridge sitting on the abutments as per the prototype. Enjoy your celebrations in the meantime.

Foam from Gordon & Harris in Hamilton they are reliable suppliers. Thanks for your comments.

It's a busy time of year. Someone mad in a red suit is rushing around, or rather in this hot weather going red in 30°C rushing around! Just time for some progress pics.

Inspiration is a wonderful tonic! Progressing well now as modifying the bridge sides is a relatively easy task. The four outside plates are complete with the inner plates cut in half and glued. The end plates that are directly under the stonework abutments were cut from the original end pieces and end riveted detail cut from the same now spare panels. This is because the plates were turned through 90° to create the right number and spacing for replicating the bridge. Going from the photos, you can only just make out these inner panels due to the level of track ballast filling across the girder plate bridge. So why use full panels when they could come in handy for another project. This also helps the fitting of the plates to the plywood base to the abutments on the raised embankment. The bottom splice plates were similarly fabricated from 0.75 x 4.8mm evergreen styrene strip along with the 0.75 x 4.0mm/1.5 x 3.2mm bridge side access walkway timbers that will have safety rails added later on. The 1.5 x 3.2mm was perfect for the walkway curved steel braces that are attached by the 2.0 x 2.0mm angles to the plate girder joints. The photographic detail shows that the curved braces have a ‘T’ through section, but after a couple of hours unsuccessfully trying various methods to curve a flat 0.25 x 1.5mm styrene strip on edge I had to concede defeat! If someone has a method short of cutting out of a flat sheet to achieve this detail in OO scale, I’d be glad to hear about it. The Long Drag to Garsdale – Coal Road SAC Bridge 115 pt3a. Deconstruct & Do it Again Well now I did it wrong it turned out, everything looked right until the plate girder width was checked against my drawing. The drawing width = 19mm as opposed to 22mm kit size. So I went AWOL and played trains for a while. I decided to carefully slice the width by 5mm and add the bottom 2mm rivet detail back on. So here’s the result so far.

Well items ordered sometime go astray! While waiting patiently for the Wills SS57 plate girder panel bridge to not arrive, I’ve had time to help improve the old layout and rolling stock down at our local clubroom and go over my original thoughts and plans for my own layout baseboard construction. With having the advantage of the newly constructed Railway Workers Stepped Cottages and diorama requirement around the Coal Rd. #115 bridge this forced me to rethink what I wanted to achieve. Also along with this the Dandry Mire Viaduct from Mud Beck #116 bridge has a downward slope, which is below the level of Garsdale Stn. Northern sidings area that is clearly visible in photographs to the viaducts Southern approach made me look at this aspect also! More on baseboard construction later but I find it is necessary to plan ahead to try and ensure I don’t have to revise an issue later on. As you can see from my photo I’m rearing to go. My kit arrived today and my revised drawings will act as my guide along with plenty of photos courtesy of the FoSCL and a multitude of railway fanatics of which I’m one. Are you one two? Never mind the cure is only a track away!

Hi Mikkel, I do need the complete Dandry Mire Viaduct & the over bridge towards Moorcock Tunnel at the North end to finish up the layout. Then maybe South along with Water Troughs and Rise Hill Tunnel. Sorry just kidding about South of the Station. Mostly the layout does involve the bridges, station and immediate buildings and use of a tranverser/loop at each tunnel end. However due to garage space limitations the layout will be broken into eight stack able portable modules and fully assembled in a long hall or on fine days my back yard! Still waiting on the Vari Girder kit at the moment.

Thanks Black5. Got a few other projects keeping me busy at present but I will get back to the Coal Rd.bridge and onto the Dandry Mire viaduct soon.

With the Workers Railway Cottages virtually completed some of you may have noticed that the porch bargeboards are arranged differently from the previous trackside terrace cottages in as much as they are recessed under the roof tiles. I may return to make the remaining four cottages. This will depend on a possible diorama width decision and how well the landscape back scene can be devised to blend with the physical buildings. A 3D composite may have to be devised somehow, but that would be sometime off! Now for something completely different, a bridge! OO scale Bridge SAC 115 Length between Piers = 130mm (170mm incl. Piers), Width outside of Piers = 100mm, Plate Girder length 126mm/side width = 20mm, Walkway width = 8mm, Parapet rail height = 14mm from 1.5mm square walkway side beam. Having spent the last few days researching girder plate bridges and how other modellers looked at producing replicas, I reviewed my drawings from June 2016 before amending some measurements. I had concerns when I came across the size of the Wills SS57 plate girder panels that are 22mm x 24 mm. From using photo images I had worked out mine to be 20mm x 26mm, so why not use the 'Vari-Girder' Kit. So as I don’t want to compromise on detail,( after all every piece of rolling stock produced today has, to a greater or lesser degree every effort to be as lifelike as possible for one’s investment) I’ll kit bash the bridge shortly.

The stepped cottages chimney stacks and pots are now completed. I checked for older images of the cottages on the Internet and came across my own, which was disconcerting, as I hadn’t placed them there! Then I resorted to look for video images using You Tube. These old videos at the time were taken using film and VHS technology; most reveal the loss of the number and types of pots since the 1950’s.They do however reveal the grime around the chimney stack roof tiles and the barge boards when compared to later images. So now here’s some more images of the nearly completed cottages.

As before these are pre cut using Evergreen#103/122 styrene strips for the window sides and rails. Working through all 47 windows takes time and certainly patience, so to break the repetition another one was started! Same thing but different. The window assemblies did take time but I thought it was worth it as these workers cottages at Garsdale Head are, apart from scenery are some of the outstanding features as you approach the station from the South. My quandary is … should I extend the diorama to accommodate the four remaining cottages closest to Coal Road that would need an extra 450mm of baseboard width making the overall baseboard width approximately 1500mm! This may assist my growing consideration to have the Dandry Mire Viaduct curving as per prototype to the left and heading northward. Back to the matter in hand. As you can see the stepped railway workers cottages have the roofs completed and are ready for their chimney stacks. They have a darker grey acrylic primer coat being applied as I post this, and should be completed fairly soon. I set up some mock-up shots to give an idea of the overall perspective I’m trying to achieve. The baseboard rails for this section has become a priority to straighten out the big bow. More distractions coming up in the weekend as the Hamilton Model Railway Club is hosting their yearly exhibition along with other invited clubs at the Hamilton Gardens Pavilion.

Now for a slightly different approach for assembly than my last effort. Ease of assembly is my excuse, particularly for window detailing such as curtains. Although this was a relatively easy exercise for me before, it only required the pre painting all the external walls with a grey wash. The glazing panels were fitted along with the flooring support strips along the internal walls, which also helped to keep the walls straight. The intermediate walls were also fitted with support strips for the floor and roof assemblies. The floors also provide for the structural rigidity of the building. With the windows internally completed the cottages are now ready to be assembled to the roofing stage.

The weekend GWRM Exhibition at Cambridge was well supported and all members contributed to its success. I've included photos showing our ever evolving Layout. Being a work in progress there is of course a lot more to be done modifying and improving it, but visitors are always interested in how our modellers scratch build and make our module dioramas.We encourage many to have a go at one of the five controllers of the DC layout and gain new members as a consequence. Back to building next time.

No one slacking off here! The opposite would be true with involvement with the GWR Modellers forthcoming Cambridge Exhibition here in the Waikato and family visitors. Aside from those, I have managed to progress on the above and now have some progress photos to share.

Good things take time. Don't forget to enjoy your journey! Southern Fabricator

Many soggy days here have meant plenty of time to refine methods for easier paper removal from foam board. I found that my fingers didn’t appreciate rubbing the paper off when dealing with large pieces. When the foam board is made, I understand the paper backing is part of the manufacturing process. Removing the bond between the two should be the answer. I tried adding white vinegar at a quarter to one-cup water ratio, but this added to material cost and only had a minimal effect on softening the paper. So I tried the hot shower method. After a couple of minutes the paper became blistered. I then let it drain for an hour and then re wet the board on both sides with warm water and again left it for an hour. I was pleased to see only a minimal amount of warpage and longitudinal shrinkage of about 2.0mm over 762mm (30 inches) sheet length. I had previously lost 5.0mm using the boiling water method! The 230mm width appeared to have lost nothing measurable. So saving one’s fingers this time I used a wet scouring 4.00mm thick pad to remove the paper. Just an initial light rub in circular motions helped score the surface, then rinsing the pad using cold water to remove the trapped paper in the scourer, I repeated the procedure to the smooth surface of the foam board, then rinsed everything off again. Once the foam board was wet, the actual paper removal took about 20 minutes. Again depending on how large your pieces are the times would vary. So to conclude I would say for me this method is definitely easier than boiling water, using chemicals or trying a heat gun (that shrinks the foam cells) to dry peel the paper coating on the foam board that is available to me here in New Zealand.