unravelled

I have to say that am nowhere near doing anything like this myself, but I have had a few thoughts about what you are producing. They are in no way intended as criticism, it goes without saying that I am immensely impressed by your efforts, but I hope they will add to the discussion. I like the colour range, but my feeling is that the colour variation is too sudden/fussy. Rather than the 50mm patches, I wonder whether stretches of 300-600mm of one tone would be easier on my eye. Fishplate grease detail would be in the 5-10mm range. The only locations I would imagine a 50-100 patch of variation is where locos stand, at platforms, water cranes, or possibly signals. I guess that the two tracks could develop different colours too. A train working hard uphill might leave different deposits from one speeding/coasting down. Another thought, would track om viaducts with wing walls concentrate the dirt/damp, while open track would bemefit from better ventilation and tend to be lighter? Thanks Dave

Looking at your full width uniform ballasting, it's interesting how, to me, just the presence of the sleepers appears to darken the ballast colour in that area. This apparent darkening is also present in photos of the real thing, especially in photos from a low level. In your painting tests, I like the effect of the left hand sample, where the paintng covers both tracks and the 6 foot ballast. I think a light uniform wash across the whole width will provide a good base for local detailing effects where locos stand etc.. Thanks Dave

I was at Abbey Wood last weekend, and have added the photos to my "Crossrail south of the river" Flickr album. https://www.flickr.com/photos/unravelled/albums/72157632675037925 Dave

I'm afraid current cars weren't a great interest of mine, so I can't be sure. Thanks Dave

Typically, just after making that last post, I have found a notebook which supports the idea that the SJ photos were taken on April 8th and 9th. So they were taken over two days, and nothing to do with the MN special. The only Ian Allan tour with 35028 was the Paddington Swindon Eastleigh Waterloo works trip of 21 April 65, so that's them separated. Thanks for the location leads, it'll give me something to work on, These car trips were organised by one of my school teachers, with three of four pupils and are the main reason I have the photos I do. A spin off from the school railway society for the more enthusiastic enthusiasts. His other car was a vintage Rolls Royce, also used on some trips... Cheers Dave (edit to correct 35038 to 35028!)

Well, dragging things back to the prototype, My meagre records suggest that this is sometime around April 7/8/9, 1965. Immediately before the SJ photos is one of Newton Poppleford Station, and after them come Upwey Wishing Well Halt, Weymouth, Radipole Halt and another unknown location. The conditions for the above photo, and that of the Warship, are sunny, so can the shadows tell us anything? Perhaps someone who knows the location better can comment, but to me they suggest late afternoon. Which in turn means that we must have stayed overnight to get the Weymouth pictures, but I can't remember details. There is another possibility,that the trip was in connection with a dateable special on April 21st. Here are a couple of pictures of it, but I don't know the locations, so would be grateful if someone could fill in the details. While I'm asking there are a couple more photos at unrecorded locations, which might help me in identifying my travels. I won't know if they are relevant to this special, or the SJ photos, until I remount the slides, when I hope I can sort out the correct sequence from the frame numbers. Sorry for the distraction from the serious business Thanks Dave

I'm afraid these were from my one and only visit to SJ. Please copy and use them as needed. I can email slightly better copies if that would be useful, or rescan at a better resolution if you think there is something interesting hiding in the detail. Cheers Dave

As this thread has swung back to prototype matters, I thought I'd post these photos from April(ish) 1965. I'm not 100% sure the last is at SJ, but the others are Thanks Dave

Strain gauges? Perhaps they'll test it with the orange army marching across without breaking step... Dave

That's the one, it seems a lot less prominent now, possibly some of it was removed. It's difficult to tell from the photos, but has the sand level risen since the rock armour has been placed? The botttom flight and last landing of the beach steps seemed to disappear quite quickly, but that might have been because they were constructed in an excavation below beach level. Thanks Dave

Looking through the recent photos, there is no sign of the derelict breakwater which used to be visible. Has it become covered by sand or was it removed at some stage? Thanks Dave

OK, I never did get round to doing a clearup. Time for some pictures soon, but first a trackplan, (not to scale) of the storage side as it is now. The grey tracks are storage. The blue tracks are the main running line. The green tracks are an up (clockwise) loop. The yellow tracks are a down (anticlockwise) loop. The red tracks provide a run round loop. The storage tracks give about 50 feet for stock. The longest sidings are just under 7'. The shortest are less than 2'. The up and down loops allow for a couple of longer trains. The run round loop allows a train of 5 coaches +loco to stand on the main (blue) loop, while another train passes. Alternatively it can be used to remarshall stock in the adjacent sidings while a train runs on the main circuit. This shows the left hand side of the storage area, with the main and loops behind, (sorry about the derailment). This shows the cause of the derailment, my cardboard dust covers. A bit ungainly, but they should help to reduce the dust build up. Mind you, I need to clean off the old dust at some time. This out of focus picture shows where the loops rejoin/diverge from the main circuit, (centre track). The point in the foreground splits it into the factory line to the left, and the station route at the right. Finally, a view of the right hand storage sidings, with the main roundy line nearest the camera. Once the electrics are working satisfactorily, I'll need to do a lot of tidying Any questions? Thanks Dave

It's about time I made a general progress report here, if only to convince myself that I have made progress. Since the (slightly) false start documented in the early posts, I have made some adjustments and improvements to the scheme. One abandoned idea was the traverser for storage. After several goes I couldn'y make the idea work to my liking, so I have abandoned it in favour of a couple of fans of storage sidings. The overall plan for an alternate version of Thame, with rail served industry behind, hasn't changed, yet, Now the lifting section is built, I can make some progress. My current thought is to build the industrial section first, with the station to follow. This way I can use up code 100 as inset track, while waiting for a suitable range of bullhead track to appear for the station. In its final form, the industry wil be accessed by a siding from the goods yard area, but I am considering building in a continuous run through the industry. This will have disguised connections at each end, to allow through running while the station area is built. As a very first step plain line will be installed through the station site to give roundy running while the factory is developed. One of the other considerations which has taken time away from this project was the need to do something about the Gauge 1 layoit (Tinories, link in sig) below the 00 one, while access was still easy. I am still wrestling with the point electrification. My servo units are sorted, and a new controller board is working well enough. An unsuccessful change to Megapoints controllers was attempted. I have no issues with the electronics, but can't get on with muti push programming. I have ordered parts for a mark 2 control panel, more of that later. In the meantime, I can work the points manually to test out the track and electrics. One change I have made to the overall idea is to extend the time period a little. I had intended to set the layout firmly in the br maroon era, mainly because I have no recollection of crimson and cream. There was crimson and cream stock on the childhood Hornby Dublo, but I never took to it. The first problem was that i want a Dapol GWR railcar when it arrives. As these didn't make it into a later livery, crimson cream will be the only option. Having made that decision, I was free to buy a rake of Hornby Collets, (yes I know they were unlikely to run as a rake...).Thanks to the outlet closures i got these at a good discount, especially considering the likely price of the newly announced maroon version.The upper end of the timescale is still fixed, (at the moment) to avoid the need of blue/grey stock. Some photos soon after I've had a clean up. Thanks Dave

I don't really know enough, even with the info in this thread, to give good answers to the poll. But I am looking at the K22 and other vehicles suitable for mid to late 50s use. The cost/quantity imponderable is best covered by saying I'd spend up to £200, for hopefully 4, probably3 vehicles. Thanks Dave

I managed a visit to Aristotle lane during my post Christmas trip to Oxford. I've put them in the Wolvercote thread, but thought I'd add them here as more relevant. The latest pictures are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/unravelled/sets/72157640351020075 The complete set are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/unravelled/albums/72157640353126193. The part installed turnouts seem much smoother than the existing ladder. Is the plan to replace the existing pointwork when the down loop is commissioned?

Full set of recent pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/unravelled/sets/72157640351020075 Thanks Dave

Thanks for these pictures. I am curious about how the spans were moved into position for the lift. The crane looks too well cribbed to have been moved between lifts, but no trolleys are visible which could have been used. Was this stage of the works observed? Thanks Dave

I went back to Aristotle lane today to look at progress. At least the new bridge is open, so photographs are again possible, but virtually no changes to the track since last year. I'll put the pictures on Flickr when I get home, but here are a couple for now. The small span on the ballast will link the Port Meadow side ramp to the allotments. The new bridge is higher than the old, and a single span. The ramps have been raised to match, and there is much visible plastic and geotextile holding it together. Thanks Dave

With the veropins method, is copperclad essential? I'm wondering whether plain paxolin (or current equivalent) would do? This would save gapping and filling the copper. The occasional copper side down sleeper could be used for hidden electrical connections to be soldered on. Alternatively, I wonder how veropins would hold in ply, (lasercut bases with pinholes precut). Thanks Dave

It's a long time since I've posted on this thread, and I hope to add a few updates in the coming weeks. One of the critical parts of this layout build is the lifting flap across the door. I hope the pictures will be fairly self explanatory, but please ask if anything is not clear. This design isn't the cunning plan I had originally considered, but adapted from a design seen on Rmweb. I'm atraid I can't remember which thread the idea came from. but if someone recognises it please let me know , and I'll credit it. The main mechanism uses kitchen cupboard hinges, which have the advantage of allowing a tightly aligned joint at the hinge end. The downside of this is that the free edge of the door kicks away from the hinge as it opens, so some degree of bevel is needed to let the flap open. The free end of the flap is located by a couple of cabinet connector blocks. which I had handy. These have a nice tapered plug/socket for alighment. The fit of the flap is quite tight in these blocks such that it needs a fair bit of force to seat or free it, which I consider an advantage. The silver block is a belt and braces extra locating stop. When first fitted, one corner of the flap sat a bit lower than intended. My solution was a wood screw slightly proud of the seat which was adjusted to even up the height. Because the blocks provide accurate location, a couple of mm gap could be left between the wood surfaces. Once I felt the flap could be closed and opened reliably, (and a catch made), track laying was begun. The first stage of this was to epoxy strips of copperclad on the intended track alignment at the opening end and let them harden. The boards were kept in alignment by soldered rails, but I'm not sure this was necessary. Time will tell whether I should have screwed them down too... A gap of about a mm was left between the strips. After it had set, the track was prepared by cutting out a run of sleepers. The underside of the exposed rail was cleaned, as was the copperclad, and the track either side screwed down This is my preferred method of track fixing while adjustments are being made, and will probably be the permanent solution for non scenic areas. When I was happy with the alignment, the rail was soldered to the copperclad. I know the soldering is terrible, I should have used a bigger iron... The track was then cut using a razor saw, on a slight angle to improve the clearance when opening. Finally, the copper was gapped between the rails. For testing, temporary contacts were added to feed the flap. The hinge end was treated similarly, but power feeds and electrical links to the flap were included. A bigger iron made for better joints. The final part of the system is a stop block to protect the trains from my driving. Happy Christmas! Dave

I'm not sure if it has been mentioned in this thread, but experiments are being, (or about to be) made to examine the possibility of stabilising and jacking up arch bridges to increase clearances. http://freyssinet.co.uk/elevarch-masonry-arch-jacking-trial/ I wonder if results will come in soon enough to be of use for the GW main line? Dave

The steps awaiting installation seem to have been covered, (or settled into the sand) again. The bottom steps of the flights already installed also seem to be getting covered. Is the sand returning under present conditions? That narrow strip of worksite nearest the footbridge looks as if it would make a useful beach car park, with easy access to the footbridge and beach steps. Was it ever accessible to the public after the rails went or was it just a secure lorry park? Thanks for the continuing updates Daveto

I have seen brick walls represented by using the hardboard rough side out... Dave

Just to add photos for the above. Highlights on this wagon. And 60 year old hardboard retaining wall Thanks Dave

I was thinking rolling stock as well as buildings for printed shadows. 0 gauge manufacturers might be different, but some of my gauge 1 stock has printed highlights and shadows around the strapping etc. Your shadows fall in the same direction as those on my wagons. Incidentally I have some retaining walls, complete with signs, made by my father about 60 years ago. Just hardboard strips on a sheet of hardboard, but serving to give a convincing and non distracting background, as yours do. Thanks Dave