mrgoodspeed

Thanks Luke, given your username, you might find the rest of my site interesting.

Sorry, slightly off topic, but I'm not sure where else to post this. My layout is a very small branch terminus (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/130161-dairy-box/) with a dairy siding. Main operation is delivering milk tanks to the diary and taking away after filling. I made a small web-app to generate the next train to arrive: I run this on an iPad, and it shows the next train to arrive (on the right). The left hand panel shows the number of tanks currently in the dairy siding and trains in the station. The arriving train consist is generated according to simple rules and available stock. I used it this evening and a very fun hour operating the layout (had to stop there as I had other things to do). If you'd like to have a play with it, feel free: https://spotlog.org/apps/dairybox/app.html IF there is enough (any) interest I'd be happy to look into developing this into a general (ie non layout specific) app.

Been busy lately with writing apps ... but needing a break from computers from time to time have made some progress. Mostly been concentrating on box 3 recently. Changes here include: Track has been painted and ballasted. Signal box (scratch build from card and plastikard, and - obviously - incomplete). Former - behind the signal box - covers the wiring and will be grass embankment in due course. The first signals are in place in this box, and operational. Signal is built from bits of brass kit I had left around from previous projects and is operated by a rod soldered to the moving arm of a relay as you can see in the photo. The relay will be covered by scenery eventually. Signals are quite short so that the box lid can be closed. The layout will have three full signals, and three dummy eventually, all working and "interlocked" with the points. Also new on the layout is a class 121 railcar (which I would like to convert to a 122 in time) courtesy of on-line auction. There was some discussion elsewhere on this site about software for model timetables or operation. I made a quick web-app for my layout: The app is designed to run on a tablet (eg iPad) and shows the next train to arrive (on the right) and the milk tanks in the station on the left. You tell the app when a train arrives or departs and it will generate the next arrival from simple rules and available stock. If you want to have a play with it, feel free at: https://spotlog.org/apps/dairybox/app.html With the aid of this app I spent over an hour playing this evening - and only stopped because I had other things I needed to get on with ;-)

Ah, that sounds more feasible. Thanks

Question about grass. I have a small section of cutting side behind the signal box, which I want to cover in grass. It’s about 10cm * 30cm in size. I’ve seen posts and pictures on here of static grass - and it looks great - but it looks like I would have to buy quite a lot of bits just for this small area. What’s the best (economic) way to cover this small area with grass? Thanks.

Does that require any space below the track? Like this layout, i have no space under the track.

>>Now, this is going to be a shunting layout, so I need uncoupling. As I'm using tension locks I think I'll go with a bowed ramp of clear, thin transparent plastic, unless anyone has a better system. Anyway, thanks for looking! Do let us know how you get on with this - and the dimensions of your plastic. I’ve tried the same on my “Dairy Box” but so far haven’t managed to get a satisfactory result. So I’d love to know the correct size!

I have been thinking about a timetable tool (although to be honest, my little layout doesn’t need it). I work in IT and do a lot of work with databases, and software development. You could use access, although - as mentioned above - you could also build quite a satisfactory timetable using excel. The advantage of access is that you could have a nice interface (using forms) so that you could have a display with (for example) a clock (showing model time) a timetable display (“Next train xxxxx”), etc. Personally, I was thinking about a program/app written in HTML/Jscript so that it could be used on a PC, tablet or even smartphone. It would have a model time clock (with controls to pause/jump forward etc). A timetable display to show next trains. I was also playing with ideas including : A). Single line control - eg is line clear / train online - line blocked for shunting while another train is on its way B). Freight demand - my layout features a dairy - so how many empty tanks are needed? How long do they take to load? So, just curious, what would you want from a timetable application?

Well progress has been slow (mainly due to other (computer) projects, life etc) but there has been some progress. Sometimes it feels like I’m making progress, other times I look at examples other people post here and feel discouraged by the quality and how my poor imitations look in comparison. But mainly, I’d forgotten how much fun railway modelling is. All the track is now laid and wired up, point motors fitted and wired. I’ve decided to fit signals, which will be operated by relay solenoids, and the first of these (solenoids) are now in place and wired up. There is a little bit of interlocking between signals and points in the wiring. The class 03 I started with has now been joined by an Ivatt 2MT (eBay bargain) and having two loco’s adds a lot to the operational possibilites - but does mean I need to have the signals. The tank is the push-pull fitted variant, so a push-pull coach is on the to-do list. Scenically, a road bridge now covers one box join (Metcalfe kit) and the dairy now has a building and canopy (scratch built card and plasticard). Both of these structures are removable so the boxes can be closed for storage. The dairy needs painting and detailing. I like the look of the dairy canopy, but the downside is that it is dark under there, and not always easy to see to uncouple. I might fit some lights under the canopy. I’ve started experimenting with painting the track (current colour is too bright, so will wash it with something darker) and I intend to ballast the track - but I want to get all the structures in place, and certainly all the wiring and moving parts sorted first. Signal wise, I found I had quite a lot of brass signal parts stored away from previous modelling, so I intend to use some of these. Because they need to fit inside the closed box, the signals will all be quite short, but given the sighting constraints of the tunnel and bridge, this is acceptable. The signals are quite challenging - when I bought these parts 25 years ago, I could see what I was doing! So, quite a bit of progress, a growing list of things to do. But mainly lots of fun and enjoyment.

Update: progress is slow as other projects (and life) get in the way. I have now cut the boxes , glued the board in place (as above) and now all the track is wired and glued into place. Not having glued track before there were a couple of false starts: the first point in glued I spread glue liberally over the board and placed the point, then realised I had now got the tie bar and moving points deep in glue. Fortunatly I spotted that before the whole thing set solid, so was able to pull it out and clean the point up. After a little bit of trial and error I settled on a method of aligning the track joints by cutting a wood former to the curve I wanted (this fitted between the rails) and held the track on both sides of the join in the correct alignment while the glue set. I would post a picture, but I can't work out how to do it in this editor :-( This has worked well and I'm happy with the running over all the joints now. I've also cut and assembled the passenger platform and the dairy dock. These need to be painted/covered and the dairy buildings added. Thoughts are developing on how to build the bridge that will cover one of the joins so that it is a) removable b) stowed inside the box when not in use. I've decided to use point motors for point operation (having found I had four such in my stocks) and will be mounting these shortly. Next big task is to build and wire the control panel.

My plan for construction is to use pieces of high density fibreboard as a foundation for the track. At least I think it is HDF - I had a lot of pieces stored away, they came from a scrap store years ago, and they are a bit thicker and a lot stronger than what I think of us hardboard. So I plan to glue these on to the bottom of the boxes, then glue the track to these boards. At the box joins I’m going to glue copper clad board to the HDF and solder the rails to the copper clad. Yesterday, I finished cutting the boxfiles and glued the HDF into the boxes. I’m now wondering if this was the wrong thing to do. For the main straight, I can glue the track/points in place and cut for the ends fairly easily. But I’m worrying about the three curved sections that cross the box joins. If I hadn’t already glued the bases into the boxes, I could of assembled the whole track layout and bases as one piece, glued the track to bases and soldered the rails to the copper clad, then cut the rails at the joins. This should of aligned the curves nicely, and I could of then glued the sub-assembly for each box into the box. But now that I’ve glued the base boards in, I’m not sure how to handle the curved sections. I guess I need to cut them, position them on the boards with pins (drawing pins) and then glue the curves to the board. Not sure this going to be that easy. Any advice please? Apart from, don’t do it this way :-)

Yesterday I started cutting the boxes. Two of the boxfiles did not have opening sides, but by cutting down the corners with a hacksaw, I was able to make the sides open. When cutting the corners, I found there were staples in the join, but these cut with the hacksaw as well. I could of tried to remove the staples first, but this would have disturbed the finish on the outside of the boxes. Once cut, it was possible to bend the flap outwards, exposing the staples in the long edge, which were then cut with side cutters. This gives me the opening sides, and I intend to stick carpet tape over the “hinge” in the manner of the box with the already opening side. I also cut the holes between the boxes, but found later that I haven’t cut quite enough and the largest stock fouls the top of the hole. So I will need to enlarge the clearance before going any further :-(. It’s difficult to balance adequate clearance with not weakening the box too much. MRG

Not made a lot of progress beyond acquiring some points and experimenting with cutting the front flap of one of the boxes. Been busy with software projects. I’m wondering about signals. Disclosure: I like signals and I used to be a signalman on one of the preserved railways. Pet hate is layouts a) without signals b) with signals, but signal doing the wrong things. So do I want to put signals on this? If I don’t I can’t really have more than one loco/unit at a time. If I do, will it be too fiddly? But I guess the main signals need only be a home and a starter the rest could all be shunt signals. And on a small layout, confined by box sides, I could tolerate the shunt signals not working. Also, haven’t decided how to work the points. Magic finger, or point motors, or maybe wire rods.

Yes, everytime I visit the local model railway show, I come away with ideas. I think this time something might happen. Most of my railway activities have been computerised of late, and I still have some software projects in progress to keep moving. Not sure. The middle of the three will definitely have the opening flap. The right hand probably doesn’t need it as it will be a cutting before the tunnel anyway. The left-hand? Not sure ATM. As much of it will be wall of the dairy anyway, it doesnt need to open, but I have considered if the box can be cut without ruining the structural strength. Or if I can find a suitable box to swap. They will need to come apart for storage.

Good point. Its nearly as old as me - I can remember playing on my bedroom floor with it. I had a nice little Gaugemaster hand held controller - but I couldn’t find it when I went through the boxes the other day.

Thanks Yes, those pictures of Felin Fach are interesting - although I think arranging my dairy like that would be too easy to operate ;-)

Hello All, I've been lurking and reading this forum for a while ( and impressed how friendly and encouraging everyone is), this is my first post. My model railway bits have been in store for more than 20 years as lack of time/space/money has meant I haven't used any of it, and quite a lot was disposed of during a house move a few years back. Over the Christmas break, the wife wanted to "sort out" the garage, and in doing so we found we had several box files we don't need any more, and we found a box of old model railway parts. So, having read here about "Box file layouts" - I'm tempted. The resources at hand are as follows: Three box files (only one has an opening front flap), assorted track and (Peco) points. Bachman class 03, Hornby class 25 (part converted to 24), Lima 2 car DMU, 4* six wheel milk tanks, unfinished Ratio bogie van kit. (I also have some SM32 and OO9 bits). Really old Triang transformer/controller (still works) I put some bits together over the weekend, to see if the loco's still run (they do), see how feasible the idea is and try out some ideas. What I did discover was that I won't be able to use the points, or at least not many of them: they are medium radius, and I'll need the short radius points to fit the boxes. The obvious choice, given the stock, is a small dairy siding. So my plan must have a run-round and a dairy siding: a platform would be nice but not essential. First plan looks like this: Which is OK. Operationally, the loop is long enough for the 03 + 2 tanks, but not the 03 + 2 tanks + van. That's fine, it makes the shunt more interesting. I could add another siding on the other side (plan 2) Which a) adds more shunt possibilities, and b) gives more shunt challenges My third plan (so far) gives a longer siding for the dairy (bottom left) and optionally includes the second siding on the right. I think this is my current preference - it looks more "natural" (if that's the right word) than the first plan, and arguably is more prototypical. On the other hand it might be a bit cramped in the space. Electrically, all the box joins will be isolating gaps, and each of the six sections (two on each box) will separately fed through switches So what do you think? Any comments on the plan, or other ideas? Anything I've missed? Thanks, Mark