AndyB

@Artless Bodger I wonder if something like a contact adhesive followed by hairspray might work. Thanks @Keith Addenbrooke for the ballast images. I'm definitely going to sieve my ballast this time. And also find a better way to get a decent edge. The decorators tape I used last time didn't quite work, if memory serves.

@Keith Addenbrooke fwiw I used chinchilla dust on the last layout. But I might think to sieve it this time to get the finest grade possible.

@woodenhead sounds like a plan. I think with copper clad you'd have the chance to unsolder, adjust and re-solder. Whereas i suspect with the plastic webbing approach there's a finite number of times you can slide rails in and out before they fail. If I've understood you'd stick with N gauge but hand-built your track? Does that mean you'd not need to change wheelsets on rolling stock?

@Steven B mostly the servo controller behaves itself. May have been a "Monday morning" thing. For me getting the ballasting right is key. Too many decent layouts spoiled by ballast that looks like boulders.

Thank-you @AndrueC and @stivesnick for your thoughts. I think the final straw was seeing the servo motor "snap" the point blades across like a solenoid would do, rather than gently swing them across. Frustratingly this hadn't happened on any of my other points. What I will continue with is the use of servos. On the fiddle yard I've used the Code 55 unifrogs, taking the spring out so they worked nicely with servos. I also liked that the unifrogs worked reliably even with my smallest tank engine (Dapol M7) straight out of the box. On balance, and having consulted swmbo, I think reverting to RTP Peco is for the best. This hasn't been a happy or fun experience for quite a while. And it'd be good to get back to enjoying the hobby.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this book. But it covers the time period you're proposing. And has sample track plans. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modelling-British-Rail-Era-Modellers/dp/0950796085 And @Keith Addenbrooke makes a good point about considering other scales. I started off in fefault OO mode when i returned to the hobby 20 years ago. It was what I knew as a kid so it was a knee-jerk reaction. But it would have been a great opportunity to pause, think and test out a new gauge. As it was I spent about 10 years making somewhat random OO gauge layouts before moving over to N gauge. I wonder what I might have achieved if I'd thought for longer. So you mention cracking on with track layng in June. I'd give myself time to mull over the possibilities, opportunities and barriers. Cheers. Andy

So the good news was that I installed the crossover and got servos attached to the tie bars. Not so good news was that one of the servos had a "bit of a wobble" this morning and broke the tie bar. To repair it id need to fashion a new tie bar, unsolder the stock rails and then doa rebuild. With the amount of fettling already done to this pair of points I don't think it would survive well enough to deliver reliable running and operation. And I might stumble on assemby or installation issues with any of the points planned for the layout. I could be here in 6 months not much further forward, approaching autumn / winter, when I tend to wind down work on the layout, with the same skeleton of baseboard frames that I had 12 months earlier. Would I have the heart to carry on? Whereas I could revert to Peco Code 55 and get to the scenic stage (the bit I enjoy) this spring and have a layout up and running by autumn. Sure the Peco track and points don't look as good. But if I get reliable train operation...? Any thoughts??

Thanks John (@Fishplate). That's very helpful and puts what I'm trying to repair into context. I've now run a wagon through the crossover and found a couple of rough running sections. Managed to sort these out with various Dremel tools. Cheers. Andy

It took a few attempts. And the tweezers I used to hold the tiny piece of rail in position were as keen to stick to the rail as the rail was to the sleeper webbing! I've run a truck through and it seems OK. Just waiting 24 hours for the epoxy to fully cure before sorting the electrical connection. Meantime I can set about threading up the plain lengths of track that'll go to make the running lines and sidings. But this little repair job did make me think back to working with an ENT surgeon who did myringoplasty. Now, stitching up a tear in an infant's eardrum definitely WAS fiddly. Could have used his skills for making up these points! Lol. Cheers for now. Andy

Hi @Fishplate yes. It'll need reconnecting electrically. I did start off by soldering a wire to these components. But the gap to the wing rail (I think its called) is so small it proved as easy to add just a small amount of solder between the two components. It was when I was removing a surplus wire that the rail in question dropped out. Rgaylk reach me! Andy

So. Long story short. I was finishing off wiring the crossing when a tiny part of the rail popped out. Unfortunately it won't simply push back in as the "chair" had the remains of the glue in it that was meant to secure the rail in place. This thing is also tiny! So thinking cap on.. I ground out the chair with a Dremel and am going to try to refit the rail with epoxy. Making sure it's at the right height and angle. But a practice piece first...albeit much, much larger. Now. I don't know if this is going to work. But the price of these points is quite steep and I can't really afford to throw another one away. If it works then great. If not then I already have a decent seke tion of Peco Code 55 points to fall back on. Fingers crossed!

@RobinofLoxley all good points about reach and stretch. To that end would it be an idea to cut the internal and external corners ?

Well it'd make a change from a model railway having the obligatory church + funeral scene. 😂

Hi Drew, So I think Era 7 relates to 1972 to 1982. https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/techniques/uk-model-railway-eras-explained/ Based on that, if you haven't already had a loook, you might get inspiration from this site: https://www.emgauge70s.co.uk/ Different scale to your N gauge layout, but lots of interesting layouts to mull over. Andy

I was just refreshing my memory of Era 7 as @njee20 was writing his thoughts. One book that might be worth a look is Isin Rice's Mainlines in Modest Spaces. I quite fancied his garage-filling N gauge LNER layout based on Dunblane. But that was steam era. And I think we'd need to clarify the OP's intent.

A small, but somewhat satisfying update. A few small jobs done which gave moved the dial a bit on progress. Firstly, cork laid to the station and the throat. Next some supports under the station throat sub-baseboard which will eventually hold it rigid, at the right height and level. Carefully avoiding where servo motors will be mounted.. A quick tidy up and then the central board was lifted to let me access the Megapoints PCBs ahead of eiring up various motors and switches. This B6 turnout will lead to the bay departure platform. After a bit of fiddling the servo wire was threaded through and its its swing tuned up. Touching the "switch" wire to the +5V supply resulted in the point blades moving as desired. Happy days! So I've called it a day whilst things are going my way. 😊 But just as a "look-see" I've temporarily put the crossover where it'll end up. But finally another little job was to hang 2 of my railway jigsaws on the wall. And finally, to remind myself this layout will work out OK, a reminder of it's predecessor... Anyway, that's all for now. If anyone would like to comment please feel free to do so; your thoughts are most welcome. Cheers. Andy

I'll message you. Andy

Hi Grahame. Always great to see updates on your layout. I wanted to ask about your approach to point control and how you'd replace failed point motors? It looks like the track bed is raised above a solid baseboard preventing easy access from below? Does that mean you'd have to lift the whole of the track bed off to effect a repair? Of course someone may well point out that "there are no points"! All the best. Andy

Hi ScR, Another source of inspiration might be "Modelling Scotland's Railways" by Ian Futers. The Aberfeldy branch is mentioned as wellas a number of plans which might give you inspiration. Cheers. Andy

Well after my pessimistic post last week I let my inner bl@@dy mindedness loose on turnout construction. And whilst Arsenal were shredding West Ham this afternoon I sat at the dinning room table and got stuck into a B6 crossover. The fiddly bit for me is the knuckle. So after getting those tiny pieces of rail in place the rest sort of fell in to place. This week I'll get the tie bars soldered in place and the rails wired up. But for now I feel a tot of Old Pulteney is called for. Cheers for now. Andy Noting one of the common crossing rails had gone AWOL in the original photo! Careless of me!

So. Early in January I posted about initial success building a finescale point. Unfortunately when I returned to it today to add dropper wires parts of it fell off. And not easily re-affixed either as the rails around it are secured in place. I was able to repair other parts of the webbing that broke during the build. A previous point kit I'd used as a test piece suffered from the chairs disintegrating during the build and had to be thrown away. All things considered I'm not convinced that continuing with finescale is right for me. Whilst the finished product looks great - and only yesterday I saw a very nice layout featuring these points - I'm coming to the conclusion that the overall layout build will stall completely. Reverting to Code 55 may be the more pragmatic way forward. I'm not throwing in the towel quite yet on finescale. But the time to take a different approach is drawing near.

Hi Drew. That's a very generous space. Before getting stuck into designing to that exact space I'd suggest factoring in insulation for the walls. It won't reduce your space by much but will save you having to shrink an Anyrail design later. You'll probably want to keep some room back for a workbench. Also factor in access to the layout's operating well. This normally involves a hinged section across the door. It'd be interesting to know what your modelling interests are. Trying to do an urban layout this size would eat up building kits and take a seriously long time to get close to completion. Whereas a countryside scene would come together much quicker. I look forward to seeing your ideas develop. Andy

Always a pleasure to see you both. And it wasn't till I got back home to Hampshire that I found the UM B12 in my rucksack! Sneaky work by my travelling companion and yourself!! Hope to see you again in the summer. Andy

Once again I found myself only an hour's away from Mike and Jenny's emporium. Well, it'd have been rude not to pop in! As usual Jenny had a nice selection of GF cakes and slices on offer... The gap in the display was a double chocolate sponge cake with chocolate icing Very nice indeed! Mike's display cases have a wide selection of new and second hand items in all sorts of scales. Along with all the scenic materials you'd expect to find. I've included this shot of some Union Mills locos as I'm guessing they may be a bit harder to come by now the UM has wound up? So if you're on the hunt for one then... So, apart from the cake what did I buy? Well a couple of Dapol 7-plank wagons will sit nicely on my layout. And we're priced to slip under the radar when I get back home to England and report in to Mission Control. Mike tells me that come the Spring there'll be even more display cabinets to browse. So if you happen to be in that part of Scotland its most certainly worth a detour. Cheers for now. Andy

Hi @brylonscamel a really nice photo of Aboyne station. Drove past it yesterday on my way up the valley. And then I stumbled on this model in a cafe... No prizes for guessing where I had my elevenses. Lol. Another one of your models? can we expect a "By Royal Appointment" in your signature block? Also spotted this Austin Ruby delivery van from the local butchers here in Ballater which might be fun to have on your layout, if anyone makes them. Cheers. Andy