SteveBedding

Which year would you like to bring it to the Calne Show?

 

Geoff Endacott

Don't ask silly questions

My time scale was (and still is for SWMBO's awareness...) to be ready by 2020, ie 10 years late for the 2mm Association's Golden Jubilee - well this is a railway, and a British construction project after all! To be more realistic, I can't see it be anyway near ready to show until 2012/13 (house move and job change at the end of this year ) and that's assuming that the Mayans were wrong...

Steve -

 

You are not alone in the 'plastic v pcb' debate. Even modelling in 'EM' I used PCB in very similar positions on the 'Ambridge Dairy' section for exactly the same reason. (If interested you can see the thread in the 2010 challenge). When I take it 'round the corner' into Ambridge itself I'm going to modify it again, using EMGS wooden strip & copper rivets. In one regard it will even add to authenticity - in the era I'm modelling (pre-1925 in the main) GW switches were straight - using rivets at the heel will enable the blade to pivot... With regard to tie-bars, consider using PCB but turned on edge. The droppers from the blade can be soldered to the copper - likewise the rser from the PM. I'll admit that on 'Ambridge' all the metalwork runs into brass tube - but workign in the larger scale it's not so visible.

 

I will admit I'm going to 'Blag' your idea about using dolls house copper strip for the baseboard runs. A very neat idea!

 

As for the 'diseisel'.......Nuff sed!

 

Regs

 

Ian

 

PS did I see a comment that you might be going to the Newbury show this w/e??

 

Thanks for this Ian (scanman), in a way it's reassuring that I'm not discovering new 'problems' - it sort of means that my approach/thought process is not too divergent from others I'd looked at the possibility of the PCB sleeper on its side but had discarded it for simplicity (and knowing the limitations of my soldering skills and Playmobil scale fingers!). I'm glad you like the dolls house tape, but I'm afraid I can't take any credit for the originality of the idea - I think i copied it from Missy's Highclere (I don't do original thought...).

Yes I'll be at Newbury on Saturday, I'm assisting Mitziblue with Witney Euston and perhaps this time we may start to take things almost seriously and eat the jelly babies not shunt them

Have you looked at this site for N scale components that are made in stainless steel? The throw bar sits on edge between the blades and is buried in the ballast.

 

http://www.proto87.c...cale-track.html

Ian (artizen), I had seen this site before and was very interested when I first started thinking about a layout (N gauge) several years ago - before SWMBO persuaded me to go GWR and I drifted into 2mm. It is something that I will put away in the 'possibilities' store as whilst it's not for now, I may have a future use for the techniques....

Steve,

 

Very interesting to read of your experiences and the diagrams are excellent in describing that too.

 

Whilst I am a big fan of easitrac, I just couldn't get on with the turnouts. Most people have though successfully, so I put that down to my skill set in trackmaking...which is pretty limited. I tried various hybrids of plastic and pcb and in the end had interwoven so much pcb in the mix, I thought I might as well stick with all pcb - I think it does allow an element of fine tuning with a soldering iron which all plastic may not, however I guess other larger scales have managed this ok.

 

That said, I will probably try again sometime to build one so I am watching how you tackle it with great interest.

Keep up the comments Pete, and the sterling work on Combe/Moorswater; I've seen several nice ideas there that I'll want to plagiarise at a later date. I'll even run the occasional blue diesel for you... That reminds me, I need to look back at how you lowered your Class 37...

Thanks all, more to follow, but in the mean time I've been side-tracked by a little project which may or may not be railway related...

Thanks to everyone for chipping in with your comments and observations; the banter always makes me smile ( ) and the practical nuggets are most definitely gratefully received.

Having got the basic track working on board 3, the rush of enthusiasm started pushing me to make a start on board 2. However, I've not been 100% happy with a couple of aspects of the work so far; namely 1) the fragility of parts of the points, and 2), the moving sleeper tie-bar.

Even though I was convinced about using Easitrac, I always knew that I would use some PCB sleepers in order to provide simple electrical connectivity to the points; especially to the common crossing and and the blades. The plan was to use thin wire droppers that could be tucked against the rail at the PCB sleeper and when painted/ballasted these would blend in with the other chairs. Actually, when looked at from a distance, this concept does seem to work, but I know its there so I does still stand-out somewhat! Anyway, this gave the planned use of these copper-clad sleepers...

Also, I went for the simplest method of making the tie-bar that I'd seen used, ie a thinned PCB sleeper between two normally positioned ones - but more on this later. Construction and operation was simple enough and as seen it worked, however, there were a number of weak points and small failures which although easily repaired, raised a few alarm bells!

Overall these weak points could be summed up as locations where there was a 'break' in the track work around the common crossing (the stock rails have remained secure throughout).

Whilst this fragility may be acceptable for a static layout, one day I'd like to exhibit Smokey Bacon and thus it must be made more robust. The drawing below shows the 're-think' of the positioning of the PCB sleeper (and the addition of a couple more) that will give a more solid fixing for the common crossing and yet retain benefit of the majority of the sleepers having the proper chairs.

I've only shown the positioning for the two points of the crossing, but since all the points on board 2 are the same (B6), the logical sleeper positioning will be repeated for all. I also noticed at this point (no pun intended) that I'm going to have to be 'creative' with the point leading to the second milk bay and goods shed (3rd and 4th track down) as the spacing is a little tight ! I have checked underneath and if used in the off-set configuration, there is (only) just space for the two Tortoise motors - I may try using Cobalt motors here as they are slightly narrower and may fit more easily...

I've also had a re-think on the tie-bar solution - too much time studying other layouts over the past week or so leads to indecision! Hindsight says that the original solution looks a little too much like Peco/Hornby points and there should be something better and whilst I want to retain the principle of moving sleeper (simplicity), I'd like to 'hide' it.

Well, that's my train (ouch - I'm on a roll with the puns!) of thought, and I now throw it open to the floor for discussion...

EDIT:

Oh bugrit! I should have realised that as soon as I pressed "Add Reply" I'd notice that I'd miss something! The drawing below shows the additional PCB sleepers to finish off supporting the common crossing AND the check rails.

...Can I ask you about the copper track (self adhesive?) that you are using under the boards, I am using the same but after I apply it the ends start to lift pretty quickly and I don't think any of it will stay on for very long! I am using some I brought from all components and sticking it to a full gloss surface.

 

What are you using and can you give any tips for keeping it stuck to the board?!

Hi Richard,

Glad you're enjoying the thread - I find that it is almost as much fun as actually building the layout, and certainly keeps the enjoyment levels up.

As to the copper tape, I didn't think I was doing anything special with it, and it certainly should stick OK to a gloss surface? I'm using ordinary (cheap ) copper tape (marketed for dolls house wiring or slug repelling...) from that well known auction site, rather than anything expensive that is sold as fit for dcc. The underside of the trackbed were painted in water based satin varnish (again cheap & quick) before I applied the tape; this was also done before I fixed the trackbed to the main frame - thus the ends of the tape were trapped between the trackbed and frame. This was done more to get a continuous end-to-end run rather than any 'clever' fixing of the tape. One thing I did do, was to ensure that as I was laying the tape, I rubbed it down with a soft cloth to ensure that it was a well stuck down. On a previous 'test' board, I had found that the ends of the copper tape had started to peel up within a few weeks and on this one I simply applied some super glue to the ends. Also, as I'm doing the electrics on the underside, I'm securing the wiring with 'blobs' of hot-melt glue, (and again not a planned benefit...) this has usually required a glue blob at the ends of each run of tape....

So I'm afraid there's no magic trick here, like everything else this has been another learning curve for me, and whatever seems to have worked has been more by luck than any reflection of of my knowledge and skills. That said, it may be an idea to varnish over an inch or so (if you have the free length) at the ends to seal the tape down?

Hope this is of some help, and good luck with your layout,

If it's going to be black Steve it needs a nice little cycling lion on it

Oh you heathen!!!! Wash your mouth out.........

( )

I can see an engine timeshare scheme being created at some point (did Calne ever have a flying banana visit?)....

 

M.

There's several chip shops in Calne that 'Elvis' would probably like to visit...

...Yes the Tortoise are a bit noisy on a home layout. You don't notice it at an exhibition though. I saw a bit by a US modeller who fixed them in place with velcro - don't know if it was any quieter...

Thanks for this Don, I wasn't sure if there was something wrong (or I'd done something daft...) with the motors - I'd tested all of the batch of 8 that I have 'in stock' and they all made a similar noise.

I feel that you need to do some work at convincing someone that green and copper is the way forward.

I presume that you're referring to the loco livery rather than the colour of tortoise motors and dolls house tape wiring? Actually, the era I'm focusing was primarily unlined green or austerity black, and very unlikely that they would have polished the chimneys...

EDIT: Something like this...

...but I think this one is still too clean!

I just happen to have a 28xx body, but I can't yet think of a justification for running it into Calne (ignoring the fact it probably could even get along the line). Oh well, I'll just have to use the 'its my train set' excuse

A quick peek at its bottom... There's not much here that can go wrong is there?

As I had previously indicated, what should have been a simple task with the wiring for board 3 became more than a little frustrating! It's only 2 tracks and 2 points, so should have been fairly straightforward - and the Heath Robinson test rig went together without a hitch! However, when tidying it all up, one of the crossings kept on coming back with the polarity reversed! Two days of proding & probing, and swapping out almost every wire, what appeared to be a short-circuit actually transpired to be an intermittent open-circuit with the multi-strand cable in one of the ribbons having completely broken!

The two pairs of cables (top - red/black and bottom - red/green) are just temporary links to power the board for testing and initial playing; when I work out how to connect the boards these will be tidied-up.

I've left a bit of slack on each of the droppers - for that moment when it all goes wrong and needs a re-work, and used really neat 'blobs' from a craft hot glue gun to stick the wires down so that they don't float about everywhere. I've used cable ties and sticky pads before on previous layouts, but I found that very quickly these lost their adhesion and became worse than not being stuck at all.

Normally, I would plan everything before I got stuck in, but I'm supposedly an electronic engineer so I thought I could do this with my eyes closed! Now I've applied hindsight and done the planning (albeit after the event) but it will act as a reminder when I come to do the crossover at the other end of the platform...

Now to move on to board 2 (the complicated one)...

aargh...that's more like it

 

at one point I thought the 24 was going over the edge...but I guess you thought better of it with the Captain ready to grass you up

"Peace in our time..." seems an appropriate headline for the next instalment

Despite the controversy that it may cause ,...

...Keep going Steve - it's looking good (but keep the blue deisels where they belong - in the future!).

Am not so sure about blue diesels for the future Ian...even the other 50% stake shareholder in Smokey Bacon would like to see it in action

...I felt it a wise investment (in future peace, harmony, and the overlooking of certain as-yet unspecified and undeclared acquisitions...) to allow SWMBO's blue Class 24 to be the first to run on the fully working section of track

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZXMsur6xLg

Several things are immediately apparent from this clip 1), there still needs to be a fair bit more cleaning of the track, 2), likewise the wheels, 3), I'm no photographer!, and 4), the tortoise motors are surprisingly noisy - though I hope that this will reduce when the landscaping fills in the edges of the 'sound-box'! It has taken a little longer this week than I had anticipated to get to this stage; I had (stupidly?) expected that the wiring of the micro-switches in the motors to be fairly straightforward - and in reality it was, but my utter failure to 'RTFM' meant that I kept swapping over every bit of wire except for the one that was wrong!!!! Very embarrassing, but more on that later

I have also been instructed to introduce 'Captain Ted' who will be acting as SWMBOs representative and supervisor when she's not around to ensure that a modicum of propriety is maintained!

Great stuff Steve. Remember the moto 'I model therefore it moves' once something runs it all comes to life.

Regarding the robustness of points. I have not built any in easitrac yet. I made some using coppperclad years ago. Soldered construction like that has the great advantage that you can tweak it if its not right and the rail is held more rigidly. When I first started using C+L in 0 gauge I found that pressing gauges against the rail while the glue set I could inadvertently distort the plastic chairs slightly. I found that soldering the frog down onto a brass screw helped and was easily hidden in the ballast. So a couple of PCB sleepers could help or a tinned brass pin through a wood or card sleeper to which you can solder then cut the sides off a chair and glue on for effect. This could make a much stronger point. It may also help to pre-bend the rails before sliding the chairs on so they are not taking any strain. Personally I suggest making your first point in copperclad makes sense then go on to Easitrac. Mind you your first efforts look good to me. My first ones in EM gave me a lot of trouble and didn't look too good. However when Ian Futers told me he built five before he made one that he was happy with I didn't feel so bad.

Can't wait to see how this turns out.

Regards Don

Thanks Don,

I'd decided right from the start I was going to go down the Easitrac route, and skip the PCB versions... ...actually, although it has had its moments of frustration, having built the points VERY slowly (more from anxiety than conscientious method) and using every jig and gauge I have at all times, I found that the actual flow and movement trough the points went well on the first attempt. What I have found though, is that the chairs are inherently weak (even when carefully glued down and the rails pre-bent before fitting) and the slightest 'snag' will cause them to fail.

For the next batch, I'm going to re-think the positioning of the PCB sleepers I used for power feeds and place them more towards the vulnerable positions. For instance, the curved B7 point uses approximately 28-30 sleepers of which 3 are currently PCB (ie about 10%); the revised lay-down will probably use about 5 which will lock down the ends of the crossing rails, blades, and check rails. My perception is that this will retain the 'look' of the chairs that Easitrac gives but will make the track-work a little more 'Steve-proof' . I'll get down to work it out exactly some time soon as I also want to revisit the method of using a moving sleeper as a tie-bar - too much time spent studying Highbury Colliery last weekend has made look very critically at what I've done so far. But this was always going to be the 'learning' board...

Congratulations Steve!

 

Its comming together REALLY well. I better get a move on with Highclere as you are catching me up!

 

M.

I think I've a way to go yet... ...and I can't catch up too quickly as Highclere was the inspiration several years ago to get back into railway modelling

Spotty dog

?

Too much Hobgoblin I suspect...

It might have been the wrong era, region and fuel source but it was almost the right colour.

I don't know why, but I've always been rather fond of this 24 - perhaps because it is the first (converted) 2mm loco I got running? I got 'his' and 'hers' Class 24's for our 1st wedding anniversary a year or so ago (SWMBO's is blue) and they both work extremely well with the drop-in wheel-sets. I think that this should give me the clue that my modelling seems to work best and easiest when someone else has done it!

oohh I dunno...smokey bacon with diesels sounds rather appealing to me

 

Nice work Steve - It runs through your turnouts very smoothly.

 

Keep up the hijacking of the dining room table

Thanks Pete - I'm surprised myself how well everything seems to work first time; with my attempting to do 2FS work with LGB/Playmobil scale fingers and thumbs, I'm beginning to suspect that the pixies or railway faeries are working in the wee hours to correct my bodging. You aren't missing any from Coombe Junction are you?

As for diesels on Calne, I always had another cunning plan that would see the potential for running 3 sets of rolling stock on the layout; 1) 1930s/40s GWR steam, 2) 1950s BR Steam (Ivatt Class 2 & 3MT), and 3) 1960s BR Diesels (Class 03 & Derby DMUs). The working title of Smokey Bacon would cover the first 2 quite happily, but the last would have to be Stinky Bacon. However, with some of the cussin' over the past two days, when I spotted the broken chairs (and now a loose check rail), it nearly became Pork Scratching !!!!

Major milestone achieved - the first train ran under it's own power on Smokey Bacon

OK so it is the wrong era, wrong region, and a diesel to boot - but who cares it moved!!! Apologies for the quality of the video - it's taken me nearly as long to get these uploaded as it took to do the work in the first place! Also many thanks to Messers Heath and Robinson for their assistance with the temporary wiring

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45iO2MwIBko

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOmKMU5VZqQ

I did finish off the other jobs before 'playing' trains; the track at the board joint has been replaced, the two broken chairs on the crossing rail couldn't be replaced easily and so I have resorted to replacing the entire sleeper with a copper-clad one. Whilst I'm generally impressed with the Easitrac system (the basic track is superb!), I do have growing reservations with the points. To improve to robustness, when I come to the next crossing on board 2, I'll have a complete rethink on using additional copper-clad sleepers at positions where there may be a weakness or risk of snagging.

Well tomorrow's another day, and hopefully I'll manage to get the wiring tidied and the points motorised...

Thank you so much for that information Steve.

 

However, although I have already retired I don't actually hit 'Retirement Age' until May so, as I'm not in a great rush and there is a not insubstantial financial benefit, I will postpone applying for membership until then.

Thanks for the credit Trevor - but it was actually Kris who responded - I would have said roughly the same but was having a lazy start to the morning !

However, there's no reason why you couldn't build the bufferstops yourself from surplus code 55 rail (not Peco though, as this is actually still code 80 rail embedded deeper in the sleepers...). Missy made a simple little jig for Highclere (see here) to bend the rail to the right shape, and it would be simple enough to solder the bent rails together. After the 'fun' I had with the first one, I got thinking about an alternative approach in using Missy's bent rails for the inner ones and laminating brass strip to one etched side to make the outer brace; the upright would be made from ordinary rail bent to profile. If this worked, I could get 4 bufferstops from one etch which would show the bolt detail on the outside where visible... ...sounds like a cunning plan but probably more effort than either simply making a fully etched one or building one from plain rail

Hello - back again at last; many thanks to everyone's supportive comments, it is too easy to get embroiled in the close-up detail, and forget to step back an look at the overall picture!

Too many distractions have got in the way of Smokey Bacon over the past few weeks & withdrawal symptoms have been setting in... ...that said, some distractions have been self induced (can't always try to blame SWMBO ) and have been very enjoyable! The Calne Show last weekend was extremely good with the chance to have a real good 'nose' around Chris Hewitt's excellent EM gauge layout of Calne (photo by Neal Mansell) in the 1950's...

...and the pleasure of learning to drive Highbury Colliery (and yes Pete, there were Jelly Babies involved ); all this was capped by the opportunity to meet Mr Don Lovelock, the son of the last 'Stationmaster' of Black Dog Halt, who was forthcoming with some lovely anecdotes of the Calne Branch and who kindly offered to make available his superb collection of old photographs of the line - what an absolute goldmine of information!

Anyway, with SWMBO sacrificing the dining room for the next week, I'd better crack on an make the best use of the forthcoming weeks leave - but I've already noticed that there seems to an increasing list of domestic commitments that is creeping in...

The starting point is to complete the track work on board 3. This will run the 'main' line from the curved crossing, through the scenic break and into the cassette store, and to lay the head-shunt leaving the station; the head-shunt ended in a rail-built bufferstop and this gave me the opportunity to try out one of the Association kits.

This appeared to be a very well thought out etch, with each rail part being soldered together in pairs, and then each assembled part lining up when the etch was folded up - bright idea - I've got about seven of these to make so I'll knock up a quick jig to ease alignment...

...so far so good. Everything lined up nicely, the pieces were tinned, and then... ...I now realise just how bloody awful I am at sweat soldering !!! Apologies to the etch designer - I accept full responsibility for bodging his perfectly good design - but I ended up sweating the pieces with the trusty blow lamp (recovered from the kitchen - I knew it was going to be a good investment!), and then assembling each part/layer one at a time. Well, not quite as intended, but it did work in the end

The kit does come with options for either a rail-built buffer beam or a wooden one (again beautifully etched laminated parts), but I opted to use a copper-clad point sleeper instead for simplicity and to reduce the amount of soldering I had to bodge! There have been a 'few' moments when frustration has set in, and the swear-box can now fund the next purchase of the Easitrac point chairs needed, but in the end I reasonably happy with it. I can rationalise this by 1), board 3 will eventually be rebuilt/replaced for the extension ( ), and 2), I have another six to do, so I ought to be able to improve!

The last picture shows the bufferstop in-situ, and I pleased to say, distance does cover the multitude of sins...

On the down side, I've noticed that 2 chairs holding one of the crossing rails have failed and will have to be replaced (that'll be tricky) and I do need to redo the rails over the board joints before I can move on to the board 2 track-work. If all goes according to plan, then I hope to have power to the board 3 rails this week and can actually do some real testing of the point work - fingers crossed!

Glad to see Frankland is back Looks like you've been very busy in the interval and the wait for an update has been well worthwhile... ... though I do think the competitiveness in suburbia is going to come to blows if all the neighbours want the SS Jag (I'd have one in a heartbeat if I could, well maybe an XK120..... )

Please don't make us wait so long next time....

Most impressive - both in terms of execution an choice of subject. I've only seen a couple of similarly themed layouts (both 4mm) before, but this already appears to be setting a new standard.

I'll watch this develop with great interest - crack on chaps!

(PS - If 'Rupert' and 'Rodney' were 2 of the 3 original Officers of the 17th LROD, who was the third? )

I can't find the original print but as it was published in Maggs' book I guess it doesn't matter too much. What I did find was a print of a detail of the photo, taken back in the day when I had a copy camera set-up, and I have scanned that for you. According to Maggs the photo must have been taken no later then 1906 as the extra loading bank had not been built at that time. Also visible is a wagon from Walsall Wood colliery. The Mark Whitwill wagon (not visible in this print) probably carried coke.

 

Hope it is some use – no details of the wagon can be made out on the print with any degree of certainty though it was probably still fitted with dumb buffers at that time.

Richard

Many thanks for this - how the hell did you see that as a Wm Evans (Old Mills Colliery) wagon ?

"Smug mode (re-)engaged"

After a slight detour / side-track / procrastination / anything to avoid thinking about the tie-bars, I thought I'd quickly (?) put down the simple pieces of track to the end of the board and sort out the joints using the previously made milled sleeper strip. All fairly simple until I actually got to the 'joint' whereby it became a major SNAFU!

Et voila........ (looks OK from here...

...but ouch - my soldering does not stand up to too close scrutiny - fortunately a little bit of fettling will clean this up and when ballasted an painted it will may start to look a lot better ?

(The apparent step-up from the plastic sleepers to the milled strip is an illusion caused by a slight misalignment in the sleeper edges at the transition )

Anyway, having delayed long enough, I decided to crack on with the tie-bars. I had decided that for simplicity, I was going to use a copper-clad/PCB sleeper - a technique I've seen used elsewhere and looked to be within my beginners skills. However, since by using the Easitrac system, the rail sits higher than simply soldered to the sleeper, I'd have to compensate for this.

Very simply the tie bars were made from ordinary PCB sleepers (left), copper filed off (insulation) and pre-drilled to 0.55mm for Tortoise throw bar (centre), and finally 0.010" brass strip (0.060" wide) soldered over the remaining copper part of the sleeper (right).

Once complete, the tips of the blades were soldered to the tie bar (more dodgy soldering... ...this close-up photography really does show the warts 'n all that the eye would not normally see )

Despite the minor snags that occurred, the trusty test wagon sailed through the points OK and so at the end I can smugly call this a success

Don & Ian,

Thanks for the detailed information on GW points - joggles and blades - you learn something new every day I'll not retrofit the two points made so far (unless they go horribly wrong!) but I've another 12 to go and will ensure that these are more 'correct'.... (there is a potential 'cunning plan' to remake the current board at a later date for an 'extended' layout option and this will reflect the changes at that time).

Richard,

I have both the books titled The Calne Branch (Maggs & Tanner) and these include what appears to be a postcard image of around 1905 shot across the goods yard as you describe. However, they are quite grainy and I can't see the details of the wagons in them (assuming that this is the correct image ). Hopefully you'll be able to update this...

Cheers

Steve

Hi Jerry

 

Don't have any conclusive evidence about Calne merchants buying from N Somerset, but there is a photo showing a Wm Evans (Old Mills Colliery) wagon at Calne c1910, so somebody there must have done!

 

Richard

Richard

Which photo would that be? Could you post a copy (if permitted) or point me towards the source please?

Cheers

Steve

Steve if you look up all the prototype guff the curved switches semi curved and straight. I file mine as straight and then curve them if required. For an A switch about a 1:24 taper and 1:36 for a B switch. FOR 0.5mm wide rail thats over a 12mm or 18mm length. I start with a medium file and finish with a fine file otherwise it takes ages. The big no-no is to produce a curved taper its not so bad dished but a convex curve will not fit snuggly against the rail. A set in the curved rail ( as per prototype) helps. And do remember to always file towards the point. I like your ideas on the brass tabs to connect the wing rails. I have been using just the two in 0 gauge. I found using the C+L 0 gauge chairs I need to fix some before soldering the tabs on. I presume your chairs will just be cosmetic and the brass tabs will hold the assembly down. Makes sense.

Don

Don

I have to put my hands up here and acknowledge my ignorance - I never realised that there was a difference in the way you would prepare a curved switch rail I have followed the practice you described (probably accidentally...) and although the 2mm reference suggests a taper of about 1:10, I thought this was a bit steep and have gone for about 1:20.

As to the brass tags, these will secure the rails (prevent slippage in the chairs) and provide power connectivity, and I have got some Versaline cosmetic chairs to apply if possible.

Happy New Year

Outstanding - I'm on a roll !!!!

Having got the crossing assemblies and the main parts of the points successfully completed, I felt brave enough to try the blades! After much unsuccessful 'Googling' to look for guidance I finally found a useful chapter in 'The Beginner's Guide to 2mm Finescale Modelling' - why I didn't think to look there first is beyond me - I suppose it's like reading the instructions with any new toy / device / tool / kite etc

So, after finding a piece of aluminium angle section (convenient off-cut from cassettes) and some double-sided sticky tape (here I express my gratitude to the office stationary cupboard for the useful items it stocks - at my request... ) the careful use of assorted files and fine wet & dry produced four very acceptable blades in quite a short time. This was another task I was not looking forward to and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised how easy it really was!

...For filing the blades patience is your best weapon. Don't do it to fast or you might stab yourself with the blade you are filing down, guess how I found that out ...

Thanks to Kris' timely and pertinent advice I managed this with only drawing blood once... The 2 blades (switch rails) fitted very comfortably and produced a nice flowing curve...

Having found the necessary reference work, it appeared that 'perceived wisdom' indicated that joggles were not necessary - if the blades were suitably filed to a 'wafer' thin end.

Firstly apologies for the photo! This close up it really does show all the warts; thankfully (hopefully?) painting and ballasting will cover this... Bearing in mind that the rail is approximately 0.5mm wide, the tip of the blade tapers to a thickness of less than 0.1mm!

I have one elongated chair plate to replace and still got to come up with the details of how the stretcher / tie-bar is going to be done. but I have remembered to drill through the baseboard for the throwing mechanism from the tortoise motor. I know this sound obvious but........

Lastly, the trusty test wagon came out to play, and now can freely roll a grand distance of 35cm !!!

Now that's done, I can sit back and enjoy a well earned drink and see in the New Year with the feeling that progress is being made :D

Hi Steve,

Funnily enough I naturally resorted to setting the V in the way you have, mainly out of inevitability as it was the only way I could get it to sit in the jig properly- I can't think why I felt "guilty" doing it this way - as they work anyway!

It shows how sound the advice is to always look at the prototype - or larger scales - or indeed others work!

Regards,

Chris

Chris

Found the reference. Look at the top of Page 30 of 'The Beginner's Guide to 2mm Finescale Modelling' (I'm guessing you have this ?) ; this covers the alignment / staggering of the point rail (I got that right) and the splice rail (OK not the spur rail...)

Hope this helps, Happy New Year

Excelent work Steve

Now got two tutors when it comes to building my points

Still think my guess of 2011 to yours of 2020 was closer for compleation.

 

Mark

Thanks for the vote of confidence - I'm still sticking to the 2020 target, though I'm gradually beginning to believe that 2011 may be possible for the track-work...

...but don't let SWMBO know of the revised time-scales

...Interesting to see how you fixed the V with one rail slightly overlapping the other.

I find on my jig that the 2 rails won't sit correctly when filed away evenly, as the photos in last Feb/Mar magazine seem to show? I assume there is some leeway in this as long as its filed to profile afterwards...

Hi Chris

Although I can't find the reference at the moment, the 'overlapping' of the rails is correct. The 'point rail' (excuse the terminology errors) of the main direction leads spur rail (divergent track); I had a long chat with some people on the P4 stand at Warley (it was easier to see this in the larger scale ) and even their demonstration display had half of the points incorrectly made (but they did acknowledge the fact).

One thing I did find with using the filing jig for soldering the 'Nose' was that great care had to be taken in ensuring that the rails were sitting true in the grooves; because of the offset clamping effect, it was usual for one or other of the rails to naturally sit at a slight tilt and if not spotted would completely bu$%^& up the assembly

Hi Steve,

 

When I first read through your post and saw the iron in the vice I had wild imaginations of you getting clobbered by SWMBO when she found out.

 

As it turns out my fears were unfounded and you have my total admiration for your track building. I just do not have either the skill or the patience for it.

 

Keep up the good work.

Thanks for the concern Trevor

I confess to not being brave enough to risk the wrath of SWMBO in using her iron; I did considerately purchase my own (for purely modelling purposes) from that big green butt-slapping supermarket for the princely sum of £3.84 (less the 10% staff discount of course) and even she cant accuse me of being extravagant at that price

Have you filed the sleepers down to account for the scrap etch under the frog? It's good to here that the wagon ran through happily.

For filing the blades patience is your best weapon. Don't do it to fast or you might stab yourself with the blade you are filing down, guess how I found that out

 

Chris - overlapping the rails at the frog provides for a good join. The images on the 2mm website show this done, and I do it this way.

Kris

I found it wasn't necessary to adjust the sleepers in any way. The chairs lift the rail slightly more than 0.010" above the sleeper and by using 10 thou brass strip I found that it sat nicely on the sleepers. I did remember to fill down any excess solder on the underside of the strip before fitting the assemblies.

Thanks for the tip on filing the blades - I'll make sure the First Aid kit is on hand before I start!