Vanders

Yes, but bear in mind that you're unlikely to be able to hand-build a turnout to a tolerance of +/- 0.01mm. The best you can aim for is a nominal measurement, which is all my 0.8mm gauges (a piece of 0.8mm flat brass section) can give me. Expansion due to ambient temperature is likely to result in more than 0.01mm change over the turnout.

I'm a little bit late to the party but I've built my pointwork to 9mm gauge and 0.8mm flangeways, and the vast majority of my N stock runs through it without any adjustments necessary. Some wheelsets from the factory are so wildly out that you'll need to check them all anyway. If you have or plan to have any Parkside Dundas wheels those are usually all over the shop and every pair need adjusting.

I know that Easitrac and Finetrax are not RTR, but the tooling costs were no where near £250k!

fiNetrax is in fact a great example that it can be done at reasonable cost and a reasonable price. It also proves that you can't please all of the people all of the time.

I believe the row of shops behind this train contain Max Williams model shop, where I spent a good portion of my money over the years.

 

Andy

As far as I can see all of those pictures are of the wrong side of the bridge; Max Williams was on what would be the left in all of those pictures. This image shows the back of Max Williams; it's the tall white one in the middle.

Hi Mike, no direct reference but several very good clues.

I'm sure if you asked the AVR they could tell you precisely how long each platform is, and how many Mk1 coaches/10ft wagons fit in each.

Thanks Vanders, do you think my GENUINE Derbyshire Limestone Ballast as used in the pic of Loch Leven above will be close enough?

That looks awfully light to my eyes; more white than grey. That could be the picture or lighting, though; only your eyes can really judge accurately!

The ballast would probably have been Carboniferous limestone from one of the many quarries on the northern bit of the S&D, or in the Yate area. The description seems to be in the style of a contemporary Victorian writer, so almost certainly dates from the opening. 20' does seem a bit short, though- shortest standard lengths I've heard of were 45', some of which are probably still serving in sidings somewhere.

Having grown up during the 80's right next to the "cycle path", on the section between Oldland and Warmley (where the AVR does not reach!) I can confirm that the old ballast that still lays there is indeed a mid-grey carboniferous limestone. There's still plenty of it down there on the edges where the tarmac hasn't been laid, if anyone wants to get a closer look.

I do not know about the Midland but some lines had economic facing point locks where the lock was worked by the same lever and rods as the point itself. I found reference to one at Butterly so I reckon you could claim they had been fitted.

Don

As it happens the MR were champions of the economical facing point lock, and detested facing points on running lines in the first place. Which is why there are no facing points on the line at Bitton!

Mangotsfield is in the process of being built and he has got various photos of its construction on flickr,https://www.flickr.com/photos/65704889@N04/ and there is a group on flickr dedicated to the https://www.flickr.com/groups/1493786@N23/station.

Sorry to continue to off-topicness; that's certainly interesting, and there's clearly some amazing research and skill that's been put into it; it's just a shame it's not in a slightly more accessible form.

Thanks Vanders, NO don't get your coat, its info like this that I need to be told about. I had realised this when I studied the map but then forgot about it. :no: :no:

As Bitton will not be a 100% accurate model of the Station, just the track plan will be the same, then I will use Bitton as the Locality to avoid confusing myself and others.

 

Thanks again and please feel free to offer other words of wisdom that may help.

 

Bodge.

I did seem to remember you had mentioned it wouldn't be an total copy of Bitton, hence why I wasn't too worried about the name of the village

One of these days I'm going to do Mangotsfield c. 1961. Once I've won the lottery and can afford a barn to build the darned thing in!

I think there rather good, they will now go with the rest for Bitton Village.

Confusingly, Bitton station itself is actually in the village of er, Willsbridge; Bitton itself being further down the road.

My coat? Oh it's summer, no need...

I now have a sample length of track assembled – enough to put a wagon on and think – I like this a lot. I found it very easy to assemble but think the jig would be essential for mass production.

Depends on what you consider "mass". I wouldn't want to do enough for, say, an uncompressed version of Kings Cross, but then I did all of mine (8 meters or so) without a jig.

There are a bunch of pictures over on my layout thread (for example post #46); the plain track is mixed with hand built copper clad points, as the fiNetrax points weren't available when I started.

A little pricey but here you go.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TRIANG-EM2-ELECTRIC-LOCO-PANTOGRAPH-VGC-R351-electra-pandora-aurora-27000-/371017668424

One for the eBay madness thread there...

What the......

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEWLY-MADE-O-GAUGE-NE-CATTLE-WAGON-MADE-FROM-A-SLATERS-KIT-/141241447381?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item20e2a573d5

I think the cattle might make a quick escape. Although it makes a change from the burnt out brake van, I guess.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-track-pack-/141234505212?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item20e23b85fc

Bachmann track pack.

Oh. Uh...right.

As to livery, black until c1960, gulf red 60-63, olive green afterwards. But little got repainted. But most of the stock used for spoil remained in original traffic livery, very worn with a crude D added to the number (please hand paint these - no decals),

The rule of thumb seems to be that engineers stock was painted once, when brand new. After that it just stuck around with whatever colour it happened to be painted in until it fell apart, or got rebuilt and then subsequently repainted as a "new" bit of stock.

That generally means that as long as your period is after the time that the livery was introduced, but before the stock was scraped, you can run it. Obviously there are plenty of exceptions, but the above works in most cases. 

Latest photo and news from Network Rail. Interesting 'remodeling' of the containers!

I think that would make an excellent basis for a public education effort. Just that picture, with someone pointing at it. You'd cut the number of fools who insist on wandering around near the coast during a storm "to look at the waves" by half.

No you're right, that looks like another 50ft-100ft section of the sea wall has collapsed, maybe even more track dangling in mid-air. That's not good, although not as bad as it could be (say, an entirely new breach & washout in a different section of track). There seem to be a lot of flood lights down there; I hope anyone in an orange jacket nearby is safe and sound.

If this webcam image was taken tonight, it seems to be calmer and the containers are present: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/timetables-and-travel/storm-damage/dawlish/

Given the current weather conditions, it's highly unlikely that image was taken today.

The containers shifting would be bad, another section washing out may be worse. Both are bad.

The coverage from BBC Inside Out South West here:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03v3g4x/Inside_Out_South_West_10_02_2014/

 

Including discussion of the Oakhampton route and a look at the restoration of the washout.  Available for 6 more days.

The captain wasn't kidding, that did make a hell of a bang when the gas axe went through it. The guy doing it certainly jumped!

It's amazing how money is now "no object" just as soon as Surrey and Berkshire start to flood. I mean, not that I'm suggesting anything, but I didn't see anyone wringing their hands over the Somerset Levels or Devon. For example.

Those micro drive motors do look good, but massively expensive. If they sold spare motors to add it, it would be great and I might consider it. 

Those look rather a lot like a linear servo to me, and you can get similar items for less around $10 each.

There's a decent picture of the work that's been done to stabilise the washout on the BBC right now.

This line has been there for what, 120 years? How can it not be fit for purpose if it has survived the harshest conditions known to man for that long?

120 years in geological terms isn't even a blink of the eye. Entire villages have disappeared into the sea well within 100 years.

man will NEVER win against nature.

That's kind of the point that's being made.