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10800

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Blog Entries posted by 10800

  1. 10800
    Another routine DRAG meeting last night, with both TT1 in use and work continuing on the trackwork on TT2. Here it looks like we've left CK on his own (not true, others were busy threading rail into trackbases etc )
     

     
     
    But meanwhile, John (Re6/6) had just taken delivery of his new Noch Grassmaster for Matford, and gave us a quick demo. The following pictures speak for themselves really, although it is difficult to convey the 3D effect on a 2D image.
     

     
     

     

     

     

     
    Now that's all very well as a basic demo of how it works, but it's a particularly bright green set of fibres with no (not yet) additional texture.
     
    John also showed us a demo board he had done earlier, but starting from a position of existing basic ground cover (which could be hanging basket liner, lint, carpet underlay or whatever). This next picture is the initial groundcover:
     

     
    Then with the Noch fibres added:
     

     
    And finally (after the PVA has set) after a good suck with the vacuum cleaner:
     

     
    Which gives a good base of rough ground for further detailing.
     
     
    Update from The Captain, Tuesday 27/10/09
     
    A few of my own photos from last night (apologies for quality, taken on camera phone).
     
    Brain Harrap (right) seemingly caught in mid-ballad.... Clearly, something doesn't seem quite right in this photo...

     
    Re6/6 had brought in a recent acquisition for us to admire, but someone forgot to remind him that we were only laying P4 and OO track that night....

     
    Mr F. Adder made a surprise but welcome appearance, and was immediately put to work on slave labour the important task of threading rail onto track bases. As usual, he did his modelling on his feet....

     
    This was clearly a source of some amusement....

     
    Peter Archard brought in his scratchbuilt 16XX pannier for a spin. We ran it on TT1 first, then laid a bit of spare track on TT2 as well.

  2. 10800
    I hope Mark won't mind me posting these, but I didn't even know he was doing this!
     
    Footbridge stairs by 3D printing, as part of the whole structure - photos speak for themselves really, amazing.
     

     

     

     

     

  3. 10800

    Eridge extension

    By 10800,

    A bit of trackwork that we never had on Mk.1, the down end of the platform loops have been closed so that we get an extra bit of scenic section before the fiddle yard, and a simpler fiddle yard entry with only two tracks instead of four.
     

     

     

     

  4. 10800
    John and I had been thinking about Balcombe as a modular end-to-end layout on which we could run full-length EMUs etc including a representation of the Ouse Viaduct. I then thought about the attraction of seeing these trains snake over some nice P4 trackwork, and Lewes floated into my head again, as it is wont to on occasions like this.
     
    So, having Templotted Balcombe
     

     
    (OS map is over 50 years old so out of copyright)
     
    I then had a go at Lewes - 'just for a bit of fun' you understand
     

     
    and thought wouldn't it be great to join this on to Balcombe and see those trains traverse the junctions from the London end to the Newhaven end and vice-versa? But then it would leave two stub ends and a possible lost opportunity to run trains on the route between the Oxted lines and Brighton. So, in a moment of inspiration/madness I came up with the following 'structure' which would enable all four lines at Lewes to be used.
     

     
    The "Brighton" fiddle yard is double-ended, so that it can receive trains from the Oxted lines via Lewes, and also Brighton-bound trains on the main line which would 'disappear' after crossing the viaduct.
     
    Still with us? People who know my background might guess what's coming next - instead of just having a fiddle yard for the Oxted lines, what about joining the Eridge layout on? And so I arrived at
     

     
    Now to have all these joined together in an exhibition would be a fairly gargantuan affair, but we're quite serious at having a go at this (the Eridge team think we're mad, but haven't said no in principle - we'd use the Eridge stock in any case! ). Baseboards for Balcombe itself are being designed, and I'm planning on getting started on the trackwork in Lewes later this year just to get some momentum going.
     
    Should all keep us busy for a while!
  5. 10800
    This is the first actual part of Balcombe station. One of its features from the period we are modelling is a cast iron footbridge - not the one there now, which is an Exmouth Junction concrete product. It is shown here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Balcombe_railway_station_1745357_cc3c259a.jpg . Of note is that at one end there is a conventional landing and staircase, but at the other the bridge connects with a covered staircase coming from the road above. The main bridge deck is also quite long as a result.
     
    This type of bridge is very common across the country and was bought as a 12in:ft kit from suppliers by many companies. Many years ago I had bought a Kemilway brass footbridge kit at an exhibition, and this was basically ideal as a starting point (there are many detailed variations). But one was not long enough, so I acquired two more to give the right length for the main horizontal bridge section. So here is what you get in three Kemilway footbridge kits (most of two on the mat, the rest in the box:
     

     
    These are superbly designed etches that make up solid looking lattice sections. The basis is the laminating of two lattice sections with opposite diagonals to make the x-pattern lattices. To make the length required I used the curved and horizontal sections from one kit and the horizontals from the other two:
     

     
    Half-etched channel provides the upper and lower stengtheners, and eventually you end up with this:
     

     
    At this stage I don't know how long exactly it needs to be, so for the time being I can't add the remaining detail and join the two sides. So I made a start on the landing and staircase which can be completed. The sides of the landing illustrate the same construction process as the main bridge section.
     

     

     
    These will attach to the landing, seen here with the appropriate under-arches.
     

     
    More to follow, probably as quickly as the 10800 loco progress (!)
  6. 10800
    A few recent photos to show we're still progressing on the Eridge rebuild.
     
    The southern (country) end of the layout. Those four tracks will converge into two before the fiddleyard, but how much further it will go is still a subject of discussion - there's another trailing crossover not far beyond, and more signals . I'm sure the trap point on the up loop (left hand track) should have appeared by now ...
     
    The platforms are dummy templates, and those canopies may need to be rebuilt because of the new alignments.
     

     
    Mike then brought out his 'new' Q1 - Hornby body, SE Finecast chassis - which pottered about with a pickup goods with Chivers brass Dancehall brake van.
     

     

     
    Back at the London end, Richard was busy with the outriggers for the scenic bits - looks like binoculars will be needed for watching the trains in the cutting!
     

     
    Finally, Mike was confident enough to bring out the bogie ballast train - Southwark Bridge LSWR brass kit and Cambrian plastic ones - and recklessly (but successfully) propelled them all into the up siding a few times. Very pleasing to watch! The board wiring isn't finished yet so driving is done by wires running straight to the motor - like taking the dog for a walk . Meanwhile Simon is adding yet more cosmetic chairs to the rivetted sections.
     

     

     
     
     
  7. 10800
    The 'great lift' is now finished, with the addition of the final 2mm at the bases of the pavilions, and I have also put all the moulding detail around the tops of the pavilion columns - at least as far as practicability allows. I had previously done this on one of them, but that got trashed when I separated the roof slab to add the 2mm in there, so it's just as well I hadn't done them all before.
     
    This is what I'm referring to:
     

     
    Anyway, it's useful to show again how I did it.
     
    Main ingredients - Evergreen 1.5mm angle and 0.5mm square section
     

     
    Glue the section into the elbow of the angle, this gives a passable simplified representation of the moulding
     

     
    Cut to length, allowing a bit over for mitreing them for the corners
     

     
    Separate the collection of pieces into two equal groups, because there will be 'left handed' and 'right handed' mitres. Take a deep breath and get your head round which way to cut them - I used the Chopper for this:
     

     
    Do the other half the other way round, and you will end up with a collection of left and right-handed pieces ready to fit in place.
     

     
    I glued them with Uhu, and also applied some MekPak afterwards around the edges and at the corners to provide a bit more adhesion (well it works gluing chairs to ply sleepers).
     
    And here are seven of them completed
     

     
    John has the last one, but I've got all the bits to do that with when the time comes.
     
    This is roughly the same view as the real photo above
     

     
    Here I've experimented with some pencil lines to see if they can emulate additional relief that's not actually there - I'm not sure yet whether it will make that much difference (but I probably will do it on all of them when they're finally painted - more neatly obviously!)
     

     
    And this is what the 'big lift' was all for - to get the cantrail level of the coach about level with the top of the roof slab, rather than being nearer the bottom of the pitched section of the roof.
     

  8. 10800
    It's been a long time since there were any updates to the viaduct project (and no I haven't done any more to that footbridge). This has been due to a variety of non-modelling issues for both John and myself.
     
    Anyway, we're back looking to rebuild some momentum. This weekend we have made significant progress in conceptual planning of the final presentation format (of which more in due course). The main thing was to decide how high to have the track, bearing in mind that it will be different (higher) for the viaduct on its own compared with when it's exhibited with other modules. This has been done, and the track level will be at 1.40 m off the floor for the viaduct solo, and 1.15 m otherwise.
     
    The next thing was to determine depth of scenery at the back to the backscene, and the height of the backscene, taking into account likely viewing distances and eyelines. With some experimentation we were able to reduce the depth of board behind the layout without seeming to compromise the illusion.
     
    This is the real view through the viaduct:
     

     

     

     
    And these are the preliminary test images from today's experiments:
     

     

     
    Don't worry about the missing balustrades and pavilions - these were never permanently attached and have been removed pending final detailing and fettling.
     
    The backscene image is based on photos from the actual location. Obviously the final versions will be in (muted) colour with some 'real' vegetation in front. We'll decide on the actual sizes later on when we are nearer completion.
  9. 10800

    Trackwork progresses

    By 10800,

    Eridge (P4) rebuilding
     
    by 10800
     
    original page on Old RMweb
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by pinkmouse on Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:27 pm
     
    Yup, first board done in very fetching pink and black.
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:31 pm
     


    pinkmouse wrote:
    Yup, first board done in very fetching pink and black.

    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sat May 02, 2009 5:02 pm
     
    Steady progress being made on ballasting and tracklaying on all the plain track sections. This was all done before the discovery of the use of Johnson's Klear for ballasting
     
    Once the plain track is done, the P&C work will be done ex-situ and ballasted after fitting. In fact the first bits are under way now, so there may be some pics of that soon.
     

     

     

     
    When the trackbed boards were cut we were using a Templot printout based on A3 sheets joined together. Despite care in joining the individual sheets, there was a offset discrepancy of about 2 inches over the 25 ft overall length discovered when we used a single roll-plotted printout. Fortunately the turnout on the left foreground here is only a trap point so we can just get away with it.
     

     

     
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by martin_wynne on Sun May 03, 2009 3:51 am
     


    10800 wrote:
    When the trackbed boards were cut we were using a Templot printout based on A3 sheets joined together. Despite care in joining the individual sheets, there was a offset discrepancy of about 2 inches over the 25 ft overall length discovered when we used a single roll-plotted printout.
    Hi Rod,
     
    That's an error of 0.67% which I would regard as significant.
     
    Templot includes a printer calibration function for the highest accuracy when printing directly. But it's not available for exported DXF files, and using it with commercial PDF printing firms means a double trip to the print shop.
     
    For DXF files you can make your own correction via the print scaling function, but again it means two trips to the printer (and adding some background reference lines to the file).
     
    The most likely causes of a mismatch are:
     
    1. Use of a laser printer instead of ink-jet or other cold printer. Laser printers heat the paper, causing it to shrink and distort slightly. Ink-jet printing is recommended for the highest accuracy when printing from Templot.
     
    2. Uncalibrated roll printer. Over a 25ft length any variation from the quoted dpi figure can be significant. On a heavily-used commercial printer the most likely cause is wear of the print roller.
     
    3. Wide variation of ambient conditions in which the paper or printouts were stored. For laser printing, paper which has been stored in damp conditions will shrink noticeably when printed.
     
    Sorry to hijack your topic, I'm never quite sure of the correct form to adopt when responding to a side issue like this. The layout is looking good!
     
    regards,
     
    Martin.
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by pinkmouse on Sun May 03, 2009 8:49 am
     
    Martin, I doubt very much that any of us involved in Eridge consider it a hijack.
     
    This is however interesting information about the issue of laser printers, it is something I had in the back of my mind from using a laser to create PCB artwork, but as I don't work with the very tiniest of SMT components with the tight tolerances involved, it was never an issue, however I can now see how it creates problems with a design on such a large scale as this. Still, nothing we can do about it now, just something to bear in mind for Eridge MkIII.
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sun May 03, 2009 1:07 pm
     
    Hi Martin
     
    Maybe you misunderstood me, or I expressed it badly, it wasn't an error in overall scaling, just a lateral shift due to (my) cumulative errors in sticking a lot of A3 sheets together when we cut the baseboard tops compared with the single roll plot being used now for trackbuilding. Lengthwise it was spot on.
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by craigwelsh on Mon May 04, 2009 10:23 pm
     
    Looking good Rod, we'll be going through all this in a couple of months when we start relaying the main lines on Slattocks following the S4 Soc AGM..
     
    I've had access to a 42inch wide roll plotter so we used that to print out the yard and it will be used for the main section, it certainly is a lot easier than sticking bits of A3 together.
     
    We've been relaying the yard but keeping the points in place and it proved 'interesting trying to tie the Templot print out to the points that had been laid. Hopefully it'll all be working again by the AGM though.
     
    Interesting how you ballast all the sleepers before laying the rail.. I assume these are all still 1/2 height sleepers?
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Mon May 04, 2009 10:54 pm
     
    Thanks Craig
     
    Yes they're half-height sleepers with rivet holes, which help in placing the rail (once ballasted you can't see the Templot print any more ) although rivets aren't being used on the plain track, just Exactoscale chairs glued to the sleepers. P&C work is being done separately before ballasting and using rivets at crossing vees etc.
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sat Jun 13, 2009 4:51 pm
     
    Some pointwork now being installed in between the lengths of plain line
     

     

     
    And a couple of shots showing the board-end "track strengthening" process - PCB with brass bar onto which sleepers are threaded (if we remember ) and rail is soldered to. The sleepers are currently loose but will be bedded into the ballast and cosmetic half-chairs added in due course.
     

     

     
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by Captain Kernow on Sat Jun 13, 2009 9:21 pm
     


    10800 wrote:
    the board-end "track strengthening" process - PCB with brass bar onto which sleepers are threaded ................. and rail is soldered to
    Hmm, interesting.... food for thought, I think...
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:07 pm
     
    The idea is that (unlike just soldering the rail to copperclad) you can still use chairs and maintain a gap between the rails and the sleepers.
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by jim s-w on Sun Jun 14, 2009 9:32 am
     
    Looking great Rod
     
    Are you sure the check rails and wing rails wouldn't be combined in a crossing though? I dont know about your era but they sometimes are now a days.
     
    Cheers
     
    Jim
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sun Jun 14, 2009 5:01 pm
     
    Jim, presume you mean extending the wing rails to be the check rails for the opposite crossing? It seems logical in some respects, but I haven't seen it done much in the 50s/60s even if it only means leaving a short gap.
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by jim s-w on Sun Jun 14, 2009 5:04 pm
     
    Thats right Rod
     
    I did wonder if it was a more recent thing.
     
    Cheers
     
    Jim
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by Andy G on Sun Jun 14, 2009 8:27 pm
     
    It was quite common in the Manchester area in the 50s and 60s and Slattocks will feature them, but it does seem to be a case of checking the prototype at the appropriate date.
     
    Andy
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:49 pm
     
    While having a few days off I'm cracking on with building some of the Eridge pointwork ex situ.
     
    This is the crossover from the down loop into the goods yard, with trap point and entry to the end dock. Here's the Templot printout laid out with ply sleepers already in position (rivets on a few of them). This is actually the bit nearest the camera in the very first photo in this topic on the old version of the layout.
     

     
    After planning out and threading on the chairs - including key direction, as this is bidirectional I opted for alternating except next to fishplates where the keys have to be pointing the other way - I decided to solder on the brass fishplates before laying the rail (in places where only a cosmetic rail join is needed). Despite the Brassmasters packet these are old Colin Waite ones. The steel rail is quite old too, hence the rust - realistic huh?
     

     

     
    First 'straight' stock rail fixed, covering two turnouts.
     

     
    First vee (1:8) in position, gauges in place (the block gauge just acting to stop the nose of the vee going tight to gauge with respect to the stock rail).
     

     
    And the vee in place. The red marks are where physical rail joins are required, not just cosmetic ones (for polarity control).
     

     
    Hopefully more to come tomorrow (off out to the jazz tonight )
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sat Jul 25, 2009 7:44 pm
     
    It's really spooky to see someone else's version of the same prototype! Ralph Burrows' depiction of Eridge in MRJ 192 is very nice indeed, but he did have six years start on us, and I presume he hasn't torn it all up and started again either!
     
    It doesn't say what gauge it is, although I guess it's 00 just from the references to moving straight from Peco to copperclad and to using RTR stock without mentioning conversion - so that would speed things up as well.
     
    It says something for the operational interest in the prototype, because that is four versions that I know of - this one, ours, Vivien Thompson's somewhat disappointing one that was in RM a couple of years ago, and another home-tied EM version somewhere in Cheshire (which I think is set in LBSCR days).
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Mon Jul 27, 2009 1:26 pm
     
    More on the turnouts
     
    The Martin Wynne (well that's where I got it) method of forming obtuse angles in wing rails - couple of rail offcuts, small screwdriver, jeweller's hammer, light tap and there you are (only two hands and no tripod available so no action shots!)
     

     

     
    Wing rail being fitted using flangeway, triangular and block gauges - spot the mistake (rectified later ) in the last chair on the right!
     

     

     
    Exactoscale insulated fishplate in place for the switch rail
     

     
    Switch rail fitted, and completed common crossing (will do check rails later)
     

     

     
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sun Aug 30, 2009 1:03 pm
     
    A couple of shots showing a bit more tracklaying progress - now almost got one line complete end to end
     

     

     
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by Dave Holt on Sun Aug 30, 2009 3:06 pm
     
    Rod,
     
    This is looking very nice, indeed, look forward to further progress. The sweep of the curve on the main line is just crying out for a re-built West Country with 12 on, flat out! - And I've got just to loco!!
     
    Keep up the good work.
     
    Dave.
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sun Aug 30, 2009 4:28 pm
     
    Thanks Dave, we might borrow your WC one day!
     
    It would have to accelerate pretty sharpish out of the (extended!) fiddle yard though, and the 12 on might have to be mainly Gresley or Thompson (?) bogie pigeon vans for authenticity - passenger services usually only went to 7 or 8.
    __________________________________________
  10. 10800
    After the 'great lift' it was time to start fixing some of the balustrades, refuges and pavilions back onto the viaduct deck.
     
    Here are some shots from today of the two boards that we will be showing, about 40% of the total. Lengths of 7mm wide stripwood were temporarily glued with Copydex along the edge of the deck to allow the balustrades to be set at the right distance in from the edge; a simple jig was then used to set them in the right place with respect to the refuge outriggers. The refuges were then added after the alignment strip was removed.
     
    The end balustrades and pavilions are just Copydexed for the time being because the pavilions may need to be removed for final painting.
     
    The buttresses supporting the pavilions have also been extended outwards from their original too shallow construction.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    Quite a bit needs to be done in the next three weeks on further detailing and scenics - we should then be back to near where we were at Scaleforum but in a more finalised condition.
  11. 10800
    Not a bit of it - now that Scaleforum with Matford is out of the way, and having received some more laser cut goodies from York Model Making, John (Re6/6) and I had a productive day today towards turning all the bits into more of a kit of parts prior to assembly.
     
    I got on with marking up the pier sections for the characteristic apertures of the Ouse Viaduct, which involved topographic profiles, Excel spreadsheets and some occasional reality checks. The apertures all start at the same top elevation but the bottom elevation is dependent on ground level and in the centre of the viaduct they extend into the plinth sections as well as the tapered upper piers.
     

     
    Here you can see the centre lines marked on some of the piers, together with top and bottom of the apertures and drill centre locations for the (41mm diameter) circular sections at the ends of the apertures.
     

     
    Meanwhile John was making jigs for batch assembly of the tapered piers
     

     
    And by the end of the day a trial cut for Pier 30 had been made
     

     
    This was our first real chance also to check on some of the latest pieces for the pavilions and refuges. Here you can see the two layers of 2mm MDF and some Rowmark 'frames' in order to represent the panelling relief on these concrete structures
     

     

     
    Finally we were able to lay the whole trackbed length out with the arches and some of the detailed bits, and to put a train down on it - which was somewhat dwarfed!
     

     

     
    But apart from the 'play' factor, this exercise was useful in spawning various ideas on construction, length of each section, joining, transportation, and so on.
     
    And what about the rest of the project? Well, just to prevent too much inertia setting in, the bits and pieces for 'Lewes Phase 1' were purchased at Scaleforum, which covers most of this section of the station - the main junctions - and which is planned to occupy some of the oncoming winter evenings productively. Better than 'X Factor' or 'Strictly' any day! This by the way is a section of the whole Templot layout printed (rails only) on A3 sheets and loosely assembled.
     

  12. 10800
    Although I haven't started building the layout yet (next month maybe?) I have been assembling a few trains to run on it, especially some reasonable length ones, and here's a couple of them (straight from the box, no weathering yet or replacement couplings).
     
    (Note that in these photos the trains are more or less plonked on temporary track - the DB is on 00 track on the new DRAG TT2, but has humps over the board joins where the sleepers haven't been removed yet; and the Western and Mk1s are on P4 track on the old and soon-to-be-replaced TT1).
     
    This is the down Ilfracombe portion of the Devon Belle around 1953. The formation is correct, and all the Pullmans ran on the Devon Belle, but maybe not in the same rake.
     

     

     
    From the locomotive the cars are: Brake 3rd no. 27, Kitchen 3rd no. 61, Kitchen 1st IBIS, Parlour 1st ROSEMARY, Kitchen 3rd no. 31, Kitchen 1st MINERVA, Kitchen 3rd no. 171, Guard 3rd no. 208, Observation no. 13.
     
    Then, moving on about 10 years we have the Wolverhampton-Penzance 'Cornishman' at about the time when the pure chocolate and cream rakes were getting the odd maroon replacement. From the locomotive the formation is BSK-SK-SK-CK-CK-RU-SO-SK-BSK.
     

     

  13. 10800

    More on 'The Great Lift'

    By 10800,

    Apart from two pieces on 15 refuges (waiting for timber delivery) the refuges are now all done. Here are all 72 of them lined up, with the incomplete ones at the back. They still need trimming and fitting in places.
     

     
    With each refuge having 19 pieces, when the last 15 are done there will be 1368 pieces in the photo above!
     
    Balustrades are also all done, and here they all are, 70 'standard' ones and 8 'specials' which are a bit longer for the runs between the pavilions and the inner pavilion and first refuge. The standard balustrades have 7 pieces each, while 6 of the specials have 9 pieces and two of them have 11 (due to cutting/shutting standard pieces). So in total there are 566 pieces in the balustrades.
     

     

     
    I'm then going to sort all the refuges and balustrades out into A-team and B-team (hope there's enough A-team!) and start to match them up so I get the trimming and fitting as bespoke as possible - so when we come to fix them to the decks they will actually be numbered! Balustrades will go on first, and I will use 7mm strip to use as a solid guide by Copydexing them lined up along the edges of the deck - saves faffing with pencil lines. I'll have to dream up and make some kind of jig so that they are 'centred' in relation to the refuge positions.
     
    The pavilion roofs have also been lifted by 2mm. This first meant cutting the existing roof off at the top of the columns. The extra 2mm is provided by Evergreen 2mm square section, cut to length on the NWSL Chopper (would never have been able to do all this without one!).
     

     

     
    Here the longer edges have been glued on, and after that with all four sides.
     

     

     
    Here is the first pavilion with its new roof. There is also a 2mm slab at the base to show what it will look like finally, but the actual bases will be limewood again (delivery coming from Cornwall Model Boats).
     

     
    And here is all seven of them done so far (John has the eighth with him at the moment), and with a length of balustrade to show the preserved height relationship.
     

     

  14. 10800
    No compromise, no shortcuts - this is what we're building in 4mm. The real thing is over 440m long and up to 30m high, so the model will be about 20ft long.
     
    Here are some of my own photos from our initial field trip last November, but if you Google images under Ouse Viaduct, Ouse Valley Viaduct, or Balcombe Viaduct there are loads more, some of them showing the whole thing in one go.
     

     

     

     

     

  15. 10800

    New canopy structures

    By 10800,

    I can't claim any credit for the canopies themselves, just the mobile phone snaps - which at least enable 'ground level' photos to be easily achieved! After previous warping issues with wood and plasticard they have now been done in brass.
     
    Other progress continues, 2 boards are now successfully wired, and we can run trains over them (DCC now) without resorting to the dog-on-a-lead approach.
     
    I'll let the canopy photos speak for themselves:
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    As the platforms are all one piece and 6ft long, they now have their own secure storage box when not on the layout.
     

  16. 10800
    Despite John's excellent forestry experiments, it's probably true to say that we've 'relaxed' a bit since the intensive run-up to Scaleforum last September - see http://www.rmweb.co....post__p__496055 for a refresher.
     
    This hasn't been helped by diversions due to work, other projects, work etc although John and I have been busy at times mulling over some of the lessons learned and ideas stimulated from the exhibition. One of these was to add between 0.5 and 1m scenic section at the front and another 0.5m at the back to really give the structure some context and depth, and to force the viewer (not that force is really needed) to look at the viaduct from some distance away. More on this in a future blog entry.
     
    Another lesson taken (or rather realisation dawned) was that the summits of the pavilions were too low in relation to the trains - because we were still deciding on track bed and ballast thickness on the fly - and that somehow the pavilions would need to be raised by about 4mm. We thought about, but rejected, the possibility of cutting out the upper 3mm section of the viaduct deck, and eventually decided to add 2mm to the bottom of the balustrade plinths (and the refuges and pavilions) and another 2mm at the pavilion roof slabs above the columns. Some testing determined that this could be done without destroying the overall 'proportions' (remember this is all being done without any prototype drawings and we can't access the viaduct deck to measure directly).
     
    The first phase - adding to the base of the plinths - is now well underway, following another purchase of appropriate limewood sections from the excellent Cornwall Model Boats. All the balustrades have now been done, and as the photos show I am well into the 72 refuges as well. Limewood is lovely to work with, and quite therapeutic, and the photo of the balustrades shows that I have gently sanded the rectangular section upper coping to a gentle arc as per the originals.
     

     
    Otherwise here are the 72 refuges in various stages of augmentation (all but one upside down). 17 of them are complete top and bottom, the remainder are work in progress.
     

     

     
    And a length of balustrade and refuge together. There is still some trimming, sanding and feathering to do before I get a close fit due to the additional plinth material, and the upper coping on the refuges will need to be shaped to match the newly-contoured balustrades.
     

     
    There will be quite a few gaps and seam lines to fill, probably by PVA mixed in with sawdust.
  17. 10800

    The decision is made

    By 10800,

    Eridge (P4) rebuilding
     
    by 10800
     
    original page on Old RMweb
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sat May 19, 2007 1:37 pm
     
    As mentioned on the 'Eridge revisited' thread viewtopic.php?t=394" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
    and at the end of the 'Heckmondwike' thread viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2858" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
    we have decided to rebuild Eridge because of unacceptable baseboard deterioration and consequent negative impact on running and general reliability.
     
    The rebuild will involve scrapping all the track and scenery, but retaining the buildings, platforms etc. Full-width baseboards (3'6" wide and up to 4'3" long) will be replaced by a system of 'solid' boards just covering the trackbed width with lightweight scenery modules plugging in from the sides, the whole lot being supported on an independent framework. The whole design is in fairly fluid brainstorming mode at the moment, and I'll put up some sketches later for comment.
     
    The biggest board may well be about 7ft long (but only 1ft wide at one end and about 3ft at the other). This isn't a problem in length terms because we would still have to hire a van for transport in any case, but has the big advantage of getting all the turnouts except three onto a single board. The length of this board can be seen from the photos below, extending from the far crossover to just this side of the platform ends. The only turnouts on the layout that would not be on this board are the three nearest the camera on the first photo.
     

     

     
    It may also be desirable/possible to split the trackbed sections lengthwise into two across the station and goods yard, so that the loops on the right and the siding extreme right are separated from the tracks to the left, with the right-hand platform sitting across the gap between them - otherwise we end up with boards as wide as they are now.
     
    We also want to be able to shunt the yard properly, so we're thinking of moving the operator side from the left where it is now to the right.
     
    Turnout operation will by necessity have to change from tube-in-wire to electric, and signals (not finished yet anyway ) will also be electrically operated. The layout is currently DC/cab control operated, and we see no reason to change from that for the rebuild.
     
    The rebuild will also allow for features such as point rodding runs and signal mounts to be designed in from the outset.
     
    Hopefully the outcome will be an Eridge that looks much the same but is more robust and future-proofed to give it a decent exhibiting lifespan.
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sat May 19, 2007 6:33 pm
     
    Some sketches of what in conceptual form might be involved.
     
    The 'trackbed boards' would be in the form of an inverted U-channel in section, depth to be decided but certainly enough to accommodate Tortoise motors, signal mechs, and sub-track scenics (there is a stream going under the tracks on the section shown).
     

     
    The support framework will obviously be a bit more than a collection of wooden goalposts but you get the general idea.
     
    Scenic modules would be supported by the same framework but just plug in from the side or sit between boards 4/5 and 5/6.
     
    This is a possible configuration of the boards. The siding (4) has been included as a separate board because otherwise the maximum width of (3) and (5) would be too much.
     

     
    Any comments even at this outline design stage would be welcome.
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by MooUK on Sat May 19, 2007 6:37 pm
     
    Interesting concept for those separate scenery boards. Should make moving it etc and replacing sections of damaged scenery (if such ever happened) a lot easier, I'd expect.
     
    The whole sectional thing appeals to me, especially since that general idea is what I'm intending to use (at a smaller scale, likely).
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sat May 19, 2007 6:47 pm
     
    Looking at it again there are probably good reasons for keeping 5/6 together as a single board as long as it's not too unwieldy.
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by Re6/6 on Sun May 20, 2007 5:50 am
     
    Wow Rod Richter 7 situation there Excellent proposals but can you not save the superb looking trackwork by careful removal . It would be such a shame to loose all that work
     
    Perhaps since you are scrapping the baseboards could you not soak the whole lot in water (if PVA was used to secure track)
     
    Very inovative method with the scenery, nay revolutionary
     
    Have these nagging doubts about the MDF (unsealed) baseboard tops, they all seem to suffer from 'ajoining end lift' on Matford. problem all seems to stem from living above that b***** creek, all that salt moisture
    getting into everything. As you know I have the layout semi-permanently erected in my dining room, prior to Exeter show & depending on the moisture & temperature the performance (excluding known faults) is highly variable, in damp periods the 'end lift' problem seems to rear its ugly head, then it seems to settle down Hence my paranoia about DRAG's test track mk2 being thoroughly sealed from the outset with either 'Danboline' bilge paint which is very tough & knock resistant, it has to protect in an extreme environment in the bilges of a boat with salt water, diesel & lubricating oils swilling around or 2-pack epoxy yacht primer (or similar).
     
    I had never thought of 'future proofing' except for T/T mk2 which will have to take a lot of abuse being assembled & taken to bits far more than your average layout.
     
    Just received my new Vitrains cl37 in EWS maroon. Well I'm very pleased with it it looks fairly straightforward to convert to P4 (famous last words ) . Well it looks like a 37 to me, not a Black 5, so it must be one ---------that's another thread I think.
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by cornelius on Sun May 20, 2007 7:26 am
     
    Definitely a very interesting concept.
     
    I suppose in theory* you could even have alternate plug-in boards to modify the scenery for different eras.
     
    * Duplicated amount of work and hassle notwithstanding.
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sun May 20, 2007 10:28 am
     
    I don't think there's anything particularly new about lightweight plug-in scenery - Vincent de Bode did it on 'Flintfield' and wrote it up in MRJ or Scalefour News (can check out the refs if anyone's interested), and I think 'Lee-on-Solent' is another one.
     
    There are some minor mods to the trackplan we want to bring in John, so the (nice) idea of soaking it all off would not help much anyway. On the current version some turnouts had to be moved because of the positions of the baseboard joints, these can now be put where they should be. In particular I was never happy with the alignment of the up loop rejoining the main road (centre foreground of second photo above).
     
    You could have alternative scenery boards Cornelius, although it wouldn't do much for us because they're not 'era-specific'. You would have to change all the buildings as well (and the stock of course!). There is a layout in Scotland however that has alternative drop in scenery modules for doing different seasons - springtime, snow cover and so on.
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by John B on Sun May 20, 2007 3:52 pm
     


    10800 wrote:
    I don't think there's anything particularly new about lightweight plug-in scenery - Vincent de Bode did it on 'Flintfield' and wrote it up in MRJ or Scalefour News (can check out the refs if anyone's interested), and I think 'Lee-on-Solent' is another one.
     
    [snipped]
     
    Lee on the Solent, as Rod says, uses the same system of a trackwork spine with lightweight plug-in scenery. When we were given the original layout by Colin Hayward (he built it in the 1970s) it ran like a dog, and there wasnt much scenery past the trackbed. The buildings were lovely, though, and they remain.
     
    The rest of the layout, trackwork and all, was scrapped, and a new start made. The track "spine" is an inverted U-channel made out of MDF, sealed with varnish to prevent damp expansion. It's solid, deep enough to house tortoises, and can be set up in isolation of the whole layout for testing / playing purposes. (None of us had a room large enough to erect the whole layout, apart from the clubrooms.) Track was hand-laid - ply and rivet, a mix of bullhead and flat-bottom to replicate the extremely light construction of the prototype (code 40 FB rail used on the "loop").
     
    The "spine" sits on a framework which flat-packs for transport. (This is the part of the layout that while setting up and knocking down at exhibitions draws most commnt from fellow exhibitors, amazed we can get a 18ft x 3ft layout, plus lighting rig, into two small cars..) The framework / legs are no more than pieces of jig-cut birch plywood, 6mm thick, all lettered / numbered and sealed, which ###### together with captive nuts and bolts like a giant meccano set. Powered screwdrivers are de-riguer for the operating crew...
     
    This setup gives us a very stable base for the narrow spine, and support for the lightweight scenery modules which plug into the spine on either side. It was so successful that a similar system is being used for the (eventual) successor, "Cosham", another local South Hants prototype, a big mainline roundy this time though instead of a bucolic light railway branchline terminus...
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by Pudley Wonderer on Sun May 20, 2007 4:25 pm
     
    Steering away from the current subject matter a bit for a mo, I see in the new edition of the Toddler that the next issues gonna feature Eridge, by Vivien Thompson!!
     
    Could this be the same Vivien that built Eastbourne all them years ago
     
    Puds
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sun May 20, 2007 4:42 pm
     
    It would be a bit of a coincidence if it wasn't the same one! Glad to see she's still around
     
    I look forward to those with considerable interest!
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by Captain Kernow on Tue May 22, 2007 1:01 pm
     
    Whatever else happens, I wish you the very best of luck, Rod and the rest of KAG with what must be a daunting prospect, from the point of view of having to virtually rebuild most of the layout from scratch. You Men of Kent (or are you Kentish Men? ) must be made of stern stuff!
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by MartinWales on Tue May 22, 2007 2:57 pm
     


    Captain Kernow wrote:
    You Men of Kent (or are you Kentish Men? ) must be made of stern stuff!
    Depends if they're north or south of the Medway!
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sun May 27, 2007 4:22 pm
     


    Captain Kernow wrote:
    Whatever else happens, I wish you the very best of luck, Rod and the rest of KAG with what must be a daunting prospect, from the point of view of having to virtually rebuild most of the layout from scratch. You Men of Kent (or are you Kentish Men? ) must be made of stern stuff!
    Strangely enough we don't see it as 'daunting', just an exercise in improving our skills, developing new techniques and getting the layout into a condition where we can really enjoy it rather than fight with it.
     
    Of the four main KAG members, only one is a 'Man of Kent' (east of the Medway) as far as I know - one is a 'Kentish Man', one is from Norfolk and I'm a sarf lunnoner originally (south side of Westminster Bridge next to what was County Hall).
     
    Ta for the good wishes in any case!
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:45 pm
     
    One of the issues with the rebuild is integrating the fixed infrastructure we have now with the updated track configuration that we have the opportunity to do. By this I mean that the alignments of the main roads through the platforms are defined by the platforms, which ain't gonna change, and all this (and the pointwork) was done B.T. (Before Templot).
     
    I'm now doing the layout beyond the platform ends with Templot, using the 6-inch OS and 1:480 plan that we have (courtesy of Alan 'Cuckoo Line' Elliot), but the platform roads will of course have to be exactly as they are now. So this section of the existing trackwork has been 'brass-rubbed' onto paper - one of the advantages of having a clubroom associated with the former Reeds Paper Mills is that we have a huge roll of 3ft wide paper which is ideal for this. This was then sent to me in Devon and I nervously plotted out the Templot bit adjoining it, but lo and behold they matched almost perfectly so a short session finetuning one or two of the track joins next time I'm up in Kent should sort that.
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:55 pm
     
    Just picked up a copy of the new RM with Vivien Thompson's 'Eridge' on the cover and featured inside. Some of the buildings are very nice as you'd expect (apart from the grossly oversize canopy support columns) but overall I was disappointed. The scenery in particular is very dated looking, and the whole thing is too bright - somehow I was expecting more, especially remembering her architectural models of Eastbourne etc from the late 60s and early 70s.
     
    Still, she's finished her Eridge which is more than we can say!
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by sunshine coast on Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:19 pm
     
    Rod ,
    I know what you mean about Vivien's layout ,I have a copy of April 1971 RM featuring her Eastbourne layout and the modelling looks identical especially the scenery,apart from being in black and white,almost as though time had stood still .......most odd ?
     

     
    Regards Trevor....
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by Pudley Wonderer on Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:14 am
     
    See Rod, I might be a bit NUTS , but I told you it was gonna feature in the next issue of Toddler
     
    Have to say, you dont actually hear much of the lady in question hese days, a bit like you dont hear much of Shirley Rowe, and they bith were rather highly regarded modellers then
     
    Spooky also how only the other day I picked up a copy of Viviens book for Trev
     
    Puds
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:33 pm
     
    Before designing and building new baseboards, first task is to (re)confirm the track plan. We are very fortunate in having an official 1:480 scale plan for Eridge covering more than the whole of the layout as modelled, so what's the problem you say? Well, it dates from 1979 by which time all the goods yard had disappeared and the down loop had been truncated, much the same condition it is now, and our model based in the 1950s includes the goods yard.
     

     
    The best basis for the track plan including the goods yard is this 6":1 mile OS map from 1950 (so now out of copyright) which, although it is not fully accurate is pretty good, and we would have happily used this in the absence of the 1:480 BR plan.
     

     
    The track plan for the first version of Eridge was done by scaling up the 1:480 plan to 1:76.2 and using that as a template. The goods yard was scaled in from the OS map as best we could, and the lines through the platforms were defined in detail by the platform dimensions which we measured for real in the field. Some of the pointwork was also moved to avoid the baseboard joints we had at the time. At this stage we didn't have Templot, although Templot was used for the last two boards away from the station to the 3-arch bridge, which were done later. This time, in order to avoid manual transfer, I wanted to do the whole layout on Templot, and a first pass was done by building the trackwork onto the 1:480 plan, having scanned and imported it into the programme. This is a section of the result, plotted at full size but with rails only for clarity at this stage, and stitched together (I only have an A4 printer at home). The crinkles are just a function of the glue and registration process (my errors, not Templot's).
     

     
    However, the defining markers from Eridge Mk1 are the platforms, and so the new Templot version, as well as enabling some pointwork to be moved to more authentic alignments, will have to be jiggled a bit to make sure the platform roads are spot on. The best way to check that was to do a 'brass rubbing' of the current trackwork in the station throat area to compare with the Templot version:
     

     
    Not too bad, but a bit of work required in places. Rather than trial-and-error, I will probably scan the brass rubbing in and adjust the track over the Mk1 alignments on computer screen.
     
    As far as baseboards are concerned, we are pondering with the idea of having just three solid trackbed boards of 8ft length each, which will cover the whole scenic section of 24ft. This stems from the concept of having a middle board on which nearly all the important P&C work was situated. These will be kept as narrow as possible with scenery on lightweight sections plugged in from the sides as per the sketches at the beginning of the thread. We are also pondering widening the scenery by up to a foot either side of the trackbed (limited by the reach required for uncoupling and coupling when shunting the yard from the front of the layout) to make it look even more like a landscape with a railway set in it.
     
    Progress will inevitably be slow, but I'll update as we go.
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by sunshine coast on Sun Jul 15, 2007 10:13 pm
     
    Looks like you have got yourselves a lot of work there Rod,,but it will be interesting to follow,when your team gets to the scenic parts please give me a shout I may be able to help out.
     

     
    Regards Trevor..
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by number6 on Sun Jul 15, 2007 10:14 pm
     
    This is going to put that P4 Lewes on the back burner then?!
     
    I had my first ever ride up from Uckfield the other day. Amazing really seeing as I've lived nearby pretty much all my life. It is easy to forget this line was heavily engineered and not really the bucolic branchline it is today. The tunnels and bridges give it away - all fairly heavily engineered and when you reach Ashurst the junctions to Tunbridge and East Grinstead and Three Bridges give a real sense of this network of lines that is now all missing. If the line was still intact I got the sense I would always chose to travel up this way to London if I had the time!
     
    Eridge is very over-grown these days - I'd visited here a few times when the Groombridge line was open and when climbing at Harrisons Rocks nearby. Nice to see all the buildings and canopies intact. How did that happen as everywhere else is bus shelters?
     
    The killer reason for closure of the Uckfield line was given to be the weak bridges over the old goods yard in Lewes. I've never worked out why this couldn't have been infilled as an embankment as there was no reason for the bridge at this point anymore. The real reason for closure was actually being the internal ringroad built in 1968 crossing at right angles and at the same height as the line...
     
    Best of luck and look forward to seeing that module approach develop.
     
    regards
    Raphael
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sun Jul 15, 2007 10:19 pm
     


    sunshine coast wrote:
    Looks like you have got yourselves a lot of work there Rod,,but it will be interesting to follow,when your team gets to the scenic parts please give me a shout I may be able to help out.
    Cheers Trevor, I must drop into your shop one day for a natter
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Sun Jul 15, 2007 10:25 pm
     


    number6 wrote:
    This is going to put that P4 Lewes on the back burner then?!
    Just a little! I'm not sure if the group will want to do it realistically. At the moment if we ever do something beyond Eridge it might be London urban based around Factory Junction and Wandsworth Road. I still might do just the main junction at the eastern end of Lewes platforms for myself as a masochistic exercise in trackbuilding!
     


    Eridge is very over-grown these days - I'd visited here a few times when the Groombridge line was open and when climbing at Harrisons Rocks nearby. Nice to see all the buildings and canopies intact. How did that happen as everywhere else is bus shelters?
    I've a feeling the buildings have a listed status?
     


    Best of luck and look forward to seeing that module approach develop.
    Thanks Raphael
     
    Might even have to organise a SAG visit one day!
    __________________________________________
    Comment posted by Pudley Wonderer on Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:14 am
     


    sunshine coast wrote:
    Looks like you have got yourselves a lot of work there Rod,,but it will be interesting to follow,when your team gets to the scenic parts please give me a shout I may be able to help out.
     

     
    Regards Trevor..
    I'll second that favour
     
    Puds
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Thu Oct 11, 2007 10:01 am
     
    There have been some developments and the rebuild is gathering pace. The middle (longest) trackbed board has been constructed to test the methodology of all-glued construction using 6 mm ply and MDF top. I've seen some photos of it and it looks impressive - especially given that it's about 12 inches (whaaaattt! ) deep - I'm not sure why that was done, other than Mike saying "this one ain't gonna sag", and apparently it doesn't make much difference to the handleability. At that size we could store all the stock and other stuff inside it during transport!
     
    There will be some weekend sessions coming up to build the rest of the boards before starting on trackwork. I'll post pictures as soon as I get electronic copies of them or take some myself.
     
    The Templot version of the whole layout has been adopted (with possible some minor tweaks to come) since it won't affect the buildings and canopies already constructed, and the platforms themselves can be adjusted or at worst done from new if necessary. A rails-only version has been exported to DXF and printed out full-size and in one piece on a roll-plotter so that board construction can continue knowing where all the point motors, signals etc are going to be.
     
    Another decision made without any further prompting from me is to go DCC on the rebuild, which suits me fine as it will much improve compatibility with Camberhurst.
    __________________________________________
     
    ??? posted on Fri Oct 26, 2007 2:06 pm
     
    Dismantling of Mk1 has now commenced, with switches, magnets and salvageable wiring being recovered last night from underneath. No turning back now!
    __________________________________________
  18. 10800
    It's been a long time since this blog was updated, and without the temporary platforms and some buildings it looks almost as if nothing much has happened in 10 months. Not so, much has been done to tweak the trackwork to make it reliable - even if it's not all wired up yet - and at the London end the scenic base for the cutting is now ready for planting and the insulation foam is now encroaching towards the station area.
     
    So here are a few snaps from last Thursday, with a variety of Mike's motive power being given a stretch on pulling and propelling back a train of 30-odd wagons into the up siding. This was done repetitively at well over prototype speeds with unfailing reliability - no video coverage I'm afraid. Here we have a J class 4-6-2T, a C 0-6-0 and a JB electro-diesel.
     
    Compared with Mk1, Eridge Mk 2 is wider and so there will be more of the 'train in the landscape' feel. The outriggers fitted beyond the original trackbed boards are now being filled in with more insulation foam as a scenic base. The real Eridge was built on made ground in the form of a slight embankment across the stream valley, but the layout transitions into a cutting which didn't exist here in reality but provides an excuse for the three-arch bridge at the end (based on Ashurst).
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  20. 10800
    Eridge Mk2 is slowly getting ever closer to where Mk1 finished. Scenic landforms now cover the London end, showing the increased depth of scenery in the new version. These show how the low embankment of made ground on which the whole station rests (real) transition into a cutting as the topography rises (fictitious).
     

     

     
    More on the odd looking locomotive later!
     
    At the station end, the stream course has been carved out from extensions to the polystyrene baseboard surface, and the platforms have been reshaped but not yet bedded into the spaces between the ballast. Some new detail work has also been done on the main station building but things still look a bit precarious for any prospective traveller!
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    And what about that locomotive? Not one that would be permitted on the line in reality, and it raised some eyebrows amongst the diehard Southerners, but it's a Churchward 28xx from a Finney kit - Mike bought it at the MRJ show (!) when it was one of the first etched kits for a 'large' engine. The chassis has been around for some years, but it now has a body and tender. With a Portescap motor, inside working valve gear, and pickups in the tender only, like all of Mike's locomotives it performed very nicely indeed.
     

     

     
    Rumours abounded that more of the boards were about to be upturned for completion of wiring, so things are certainly progressing.
  21. 10800
    Since it's my namesake it really was about time I started on this Dave Alexander whitemetal kit of the prototype Bo-Bo that later became 'Hawk'. This is for Eridge, since the real thing spent a year or so on the Central Section of the Southern Region in 1952 or thereabouts, and I have photos of it on Victoria-Brighton via Eridge services with a Maunsell set in tow.
     
    Last weekend I had the opportunity for a few hours modelling (Jubilee open day at the community hall where DRAG meets) so I thought I'd make a start on 10800.
     
    First thing was to remove the lower set of louvres from the main bonnet sides, as these only came along after it left the Southern. No real magic here, just a sharp cabinet maker's chisel of the right width (to avoid surrounding hinge and seam detail) followed by rubbing down with a small piece of wet-and-dry on the end of my finger.
     

     
    (it's aberration on the camera lens, not curved sides!)
     
    The main footplate halves were soldered together with the bogie pivot plate, and the cab added. It's a while since I've done any whitemetal soldering, but the castings in this kit are excellent and fit together very well, so filling later will be minimal. There are two versions of the cab sides provided, one pair plain and one with a shutter - I stupidly didn't have any photos with me so I chose the plain sides, this being a better option if I got it wrong than having to carve off the shutters. I did get it wrong, but it will be simple to do a plasticard add-on for the shutters (which will give better relief anyway).
     

     

     

     

  23. 10800
    After a very pleasant and productive planning session yesterday, interspersed with copious provisions provided by Mrs 10800, we're now virtually ready to go with the commissioned laser cutting of the fiddly repetitive bits for the viaduct. Final tweaking of the specification and scope is going on with York Modelmaking today. The laser cutting work will comprise 74 balustrade sections with 19 arches in each; the main arch sections for the eight pavilions (semicircles on squares, very Renaissance); the main arches in units of six (limited by the laser cutting bed 900mm long); and the tapered pier sections which would be a pain to do 80-odd of consistently.
     
    The rectangular plinth sections we will do ourselves, partly because even we can cut rectangles consistently (the bandsaw helps) but also because we want those in 4mm MDF for structural strength - laser cutting won't do thicker than 3mm because it starts burning the MDF on the top side before it has cut through to the other side.
     
    We're looking to use embossed brick plasticard (5-6 m2 of it, so seeing if we can buy in A1 size rather than loads of A4 which would be expensive and involve a lot of joins). Next is the issue of all the details such as the arched brickwork, fancy moulding and the brackets supporting the refuges (see below). This will be done from a variety of brass etching, plastic strip, maybe doll's house type picture/dado rail stuff, and resin casting (any useful contacts for the doll's house stuff?).
     
    I've also just noticed that although the piers and sides are mainly English bond, the exposed brickwork under the arches is mostly stretcher bond with a few header courses thrown in.
     

     

     

  24. 10800

    A trip round the circuit

    By 10800,

    Tonight's entertainment included plonking a Lumix TZ30 camera on a bogie well wagon and filming a trip around the outer P4 circuit on TT2. Two circuits in fact, one facing and one pointing backwards.
     
    The whole train (CK's) comprised wholly rigid wagons - no springing or compensation. There was quite a lot of other traffic running at the time too.
     

     

     
    How many trains, voices and faces can you identify?
  25. 10800
    It's ages since we last updated this, and although we have been busy, for various reasons progress has been slower over the summer. In most cases the progress made (wiring, tweaking) is not very visible - but there has been an addition to the 00 circuit in the form of storage loops on each side.
     
    Last Saturday we hired the hall for the day to make a big effort on finishing off the wiring on all the curved boards (straights had already been done) and do a bit of continuity testing. With wiring finished (or so we thought) within a couple of hours we adjourned to The Castle next door for a very pleasant pub lunch and then returned for a 'play'.
     
    Most was fine, but we did identify one or two inter-board issues to sort out later. When it's all done there will be some more painting to do to restore the boards to their previous pristine condition.
     
    So, here we have an improvised end stop for two Class 15s
     

     
    Some of the test locos that were brought along
     

     
    And work carrying on with testing and fixing. We did let Mark out from under the boards later.
     

     

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