Dmudriver

Hi all. More progress today. I unscrewed the Tortoise motors so that the operating wires no longer protrude above the board, but have left them attached to the wiring. Hopefully they won't have to be moved too far. Then I set the single slip and one point of the crossover in place, as these 2 are the main part of the point complex. The slip is correctly lined up with the Up line and the platform and the point is at 80mm track centre from it. As I suspected, I've had to remove the platform road and the outer siding but they caused no problem. Here are a couple of pics to show today's progress: As you can see, the string has disappeared and been replaced by a black felt tip line, and the rail and sleepers on the slip and point have been trimmed to fit. Also as I suspected, I now have a wider platform - about 30mm wider - so fitting the starter signal in will be no problem now. In fact, the line of the former platform track can be seen in the lower pic - the wavy line between the 2nd and 3rd tracks from the left is the edge of the sleepers of the previous alignment. All in all, a successful start to the relaying. The temporary cardboard platform has been consigned to the appropriate recycling bin as it won't now fit and a new one will be built with the station buildings. In the top pic you can see a piece of white painted hardboard - this is the backscene that will go behind those buildings. It's been left like that so the curve will form in it: we don't want a right angle corner behind the buildings. More soon. Rod

HI all. After a couple of months' relative inactivity (model railway-wise, at least!) - which included a fantastic fortnight's holiday walking in the snow in the Swiss Alps - work has restarted on WKT. I gritted my teeth and ripped up most of the original pointwork. I use the expression "ripped up" quite deliberately: I had intended to take the points up whole and see if they could be reused. No chance!! - they almost fell apart in my hands!! So they got ripped up and binned. These pics show the state of play today: The string is to indicate a straight line through the platform approach complex!! I've tried a dry run with the new pointwork - which needs cutting to size and first indications are that the end of the right-hand platform road nearest the points (looking in the second pic) will have to be moved over to the right an inch or two so I'll have to realign that section of the track. Obviously, the outside siding will need the same work, but the advantage is that I will have a wider platform and more room for the starter signals. The new points are longer than the old so the curves will be less sharp but it means the whole complex will extend further away from the platforms to keep the necessary platform length. At the same time, the approaches to the left-hand platform and sidings will be adjusted slightly and the points into those sidings will be replaced with Peco as I have a few spare. Fortunately, the Peco track, which was also glued down, comes up easily enough without the glue needing soaking (which is what I did with the points) So, the die is cast: I have to replace it now, so that will be the next lot of work. Apart, that is, from getting some locos and stock checked over for running at the York Show (I'm operating on Oldham King Street Parcels), building a couple of motor bogies for a Class 115 DMU that is being built for me and finishing my Insulfish vans. Then I've got to fit in my drum practice!! (A chance remark to my daughter and grandkids before Christmas about how I would have loved to play drums, but I'm too old to learn now, elicited drum lessons as a real surprise Christmas present!! 70+ years old and I've started drumming!!!! I must be mad - but I do enjoy it!!!) I don't think I'm going to get bored!! More on the progress of WKT soon. Rod

Hi Julian. I think you're right: I was in the shed yesterday with the lad who's doing the buildings and I was tempted just to try and take some pointwork up!! But I've a few other things to do first, so I'll get back to it next month. Rod

Hi all I've been a bit quiet of late, after finishing the C&L pointwork. Mainly because, for some reason, "life" has got in the way of railway modelling for a month or so. It looks like it will be another month before I can get back into it but there is no way that WKT is stopping as it is. In fact, the station buildings are being worked on by a pal of mine - he's even been on a site visit to the real West Kirby to get the "feel" of the place. I think (although I hate to admit it) that I've a deep down reluctance to start ripping up the pointwork I laid last year, even though I know it needs to be done. It will be done but, as I say, probably starting next month. I think also an improvement in the weather (hopefully!!) will help: the shed gets nice and warm and cosy and the fluorescent lighting's good, but there's nothing like having the doors open, with warm air outside and plenty of natural light!! I will be back with more progress soon. Rod

Hi all I've been a bit quiet on here this last week, but I have been getting some modelling done - on the single slip. I've started another thread to describe how I'm doing that as I couldn't find much elsewhere and it's a bit challenging!! I thought others might benefit from my experience. If anyone's interested, this is the thread: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/66772-building-a-cl-single-slip/?p=909846 Rod

Hi all. A Happy New Year to everyone. The holiday period has been a bit busy, but I've managed to get some modelling done. In fact, I've now finished all 4 of the C&L plain turnouts (2 x L, 2 x R). A pic of the 4 of them is here. They've all got JLTRT tiebars - some are neater that others (if you look closely) but they all work correctly - at least when hand operated. Fitting with Tortoise motors will be the real test. Building them was a fascinating and interesting learning curve and I really enjoyed it. They got better as I went on, but they all accept examples of my most intolerant stock. At the moment, I've not trimmed the rails to length - I'll leave that until the slip is finished because that is the key piece in the station throat "jigsaw": the 4 turnouts will fit around it. By the looks of it I'll probably have to lose a couple of sleepers and associated rail at the heel end of the points, but better to make them too big than too small!! I've left the trimmed templates stuck to the sleepers as I don't want to risk any damage taking them off - and they'll be covered in ballast, anyway. So, the next job is the single slip. The template is fastened to the board I build them on - having spent a lot of time ensuring that the straights are absolutely straight through the 2 pieces of paper. Pic here: First job is to cut the sleepers from their sprues and get them stuck down - then for the real challenge!! I'll keep you posted. I did manage an hour's running on New Year's Day - during a short spell of dry, sunny (but cold) weather. Everything OK, but will be better when the new turnouts and slip are down. The extension into the garden is dry as a bone, which I'm thankful for!! More soon. Rod

It's interesting seeing the guard at the open door in the second pic. I did that on my last retest (I work on a preserved railway) and got a sound boll.... piece of advice (rather forcibly put!!) about falling out!! I do see what you mean about the destination boxes, too, David. Look forward to your DMU when you get going on it. Merry Christmas to all. Rod

Hi David I understand what you mean about the cab-ends. Comparing my 2 108s in the photo in the post above above does show differences. One thing I do think, though, is the effect that the headcode box can have on the look of the front end. The size of them as manufactured and where they are placed by the modeller does alter the look. I did have a look on Google for 121s and came up with these photos of the prototype of Jon's model!! Hope it's useful. http://www.urban75.o...rdiff-bay-line/ And no, Jon, I don't mind you putting that pic of 121032 on: DMUs are relevant to my layout - though maybe not as modern as yours!! I do like it, though: how's it powered? David, I do know what you mean about "to do" lists: I've got one on my desk here dated 18/10/12 entitled "Stock jobs to do" - 19 items - only 6 done so far!! Rod

When are you planning to set off on the route, David? And will there be photos on the way? Rod

HI David. The filings you can see weren't from the point blade: they're from one of the JLTRT bars - I'd overdone the solder which was being hit by wheel flanges!! I hadn't noticed them until I cropped and enlarged the photo!! Re the DMUs. You're right - Westdale left, Easybuild right (I still haven't put the handrails on yet!!) Some pics of the Westdale one as requested: the first taken on the club's exhibition-layout-that-was (it's now been retired): DTCL leading. Second one also on that layout: The third on the builder's workbench: I raised the bogie sides a bit after I'd taken delivery as I thought they looked too low.- although the buffers (and therefore the underframe) were at the right height. The model represents the unit that is preserved on the Llangollen Railway and is the one I had my Driver Experience course on, which led to joining the Group and thence eventually qualifying for DMU driving 12 years ago. I've driven it often in that time!! Hope the pics are useful. Rod

Hi all. Point no.2 is now finished! I've removed the copper clad stretcher bars from no.1 and replaced then with JLTRT bars I have fitted to no.2. I got help and encouragement from a couple of other members on a thread I started asking if these stretcher bars are compatible with Heljan wheels: the consensus is "Yes". I had problems with insulating the 2 parts as they are made of brass, but solved it by sandwiching a thin piece of plastic strip between and glueing them together with epoxy. The first pic is the 2 together: The second is a close up of the JLTRT stretcher bars: The final one is of the straight switch blade of the 2nd point which lies much closer to the stock rail than the first point I built - purely by moving the start of the straight planing a few mm towards the toe of the point: Point no.3 is itching to get out of the bag and onto the worktop, but I've some Christmas cards to finish and some presents to buy first!! More soon. Rod

Those interiors look superb, Jon!! They put my plastic one-colour Mark 1 interiors to shame!! Will I ever get round to painting them? Maybe, but when? is more to the point!! Rod

Thanks for the reply, Jon. I've looked at your other threads and they've convinced me to give Dinghams a go! But, it will be after I've finished the pointwork - I don't want distracting from that!! I've been working out that I'll have to move pretty well all of the Tortoise motors when I put the new points in as the new ones are about 2" longer than the existing. However, I can't start yet as the spacing will all depend on the single slip which will be the last one I build: that will go in first and then the other points will fit around it. I need to maintain the layout of the main lines and the platform roads, otherwise I will spoil the effect of the layout. Plenty to do!! (Although I didn't get much done yesterday, having gone to Goodison Park and then celebrating an unbelievable win for the Toffees!!! COYB!) Rod

HI Jeff I've been following your thread with interest for a while but haven't commented before. You do amaze me with how much modelling you get done when you are also on here! Do you take your laptop (or Blackberry, or whatever!!) under the boards with you??!! I couldn't help but smile when you mentioned reversing feeds to the frogs after checking. I've wired up 11 points on my layout and I think I got 10 of them back to front!! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! However, I have learned from it and on the Club's layout I now check the polarity with a meter with the point in the "normal" position and I'll do that on my own next time. I say "next time" as I'm replacing a lot of the pointwork and all the Tortoise motors will have to be relocated - only by a couple of inches or so, but enough to be a lot of work. As an aside, do you not find that track that is glued to the cork is noisy? MIne is - it's glued onto 8th inch cork which itself is glued to the 12mm plywood base. On the extension I've nailed the track down onto cork that's not been glued down and it's so much quieter. Rod

Deltic17 and alant. Thanks for your comments: glad you like the layout. I've just had a look at your thread, Alan, and the difference between our layouts is tremendous!! I'd love the detail you've put into yours: it'll be years before I get to that stage!! Fortunately I have a friend who's said he'll build the station and surrounding buildings so that will speed the process up a bit. Buildings and scenery has never been my forte, but we'll see what happens when I've got the track sorted and the layout running properly. Rod

Hi Jon. Thanks for your comments. I've just fixed the sleepers for point 2 onto the double sided tape!! Can't keep away from it at the moment!! I've just got a couple of queries on your experiences with Dinghams. How tight is too tight for reverse curves that cause trouble with the couplings? Mine will be mainly the B6 points that I am building now. The reverse curves are mainly in the station throat, although there is one in the fiddle yard. The B6 point, as I understand it, is about 7'6" to 8'0" radius: is that too tight? The fiddle yard one is basically 2 Peco points. Also, how obvious are they? I've seen the odd one or two and I don't remember them being too intrusive - paticularly if they are blackened. Have you any photos at all? I plan (if I go ahead) having the hook and loop at one end only of locos and a hook at the other: the layout being end to end the locos wouldn't be reversed anyway. If I use them on either "Apethorne Junction" or "Oldham King Street Parcels" they wouldn't be turned either. The Mark 1 coaches will be a fixed rake with Dinghams at the outer ends only (I've got Kadees within the rake). The parcels stock will have the Dinghams, but the DMus and the steam special won't. The only 4-wheel stock on the layout will be the 5 ex-Insulfish parcels vans!! Finally, do permanent magnets uncouple stock if it's being pulled? I would assume not, but it's best to ask and be sure!! Rod

Morning all! You may have noticed that the thread has moved!! Andy Y has moved it for me from the Layout Topics forum to the 7mm+ modelling forum as I felt what I'm doing now is more appropriate in the latter. I've made more progress this week - mainly on the pointwork. I decided after my last post that the new points were the priority really. Much as I enjoy building the vans, I do need a reliable layout to run everything on. So van 3 (75% finished) and van 4 (10%) are on the back burner for now. I finished the first point last night and ran a couple of bogies through it and all is well - well, there is one little problem (see below) - but it won't affect the running. I've attached 3 photos: the first is a general view of the completed point (and a bit of my work bench!!): The boxes marked R, L and Slide are for the chairs. I've tried to follow prototype practice - as I understand it, anyway - and as the pointwork is bi-directional, I've aimed to have alternate chairs. I've not always managed it, but that was the aim. Unless you look closely, you can't really notice. What you can't see on the pic is the fan that I use to blow the Butanone fumes away from me when I'm working. They are strong!!! As an aside, I bought a new bottle of Butanone with the point kits, and I can't find it. I've put it "somewhere safe" and it's so safe it's disappeared. I'll buy another and then it will turn up!! The second pic is an overhead view of the point. I've used narrow copperclad for the tie bars. I had ordered some of JLTRT's but they only arrived this morning and I wanted to get finished last night. As it happens, I'm quite happy with the copperclad. I've soldered the wire to the frog but I don't think I really needed to - I'll leave it off the next ones and solder it on when the points are laid - which is my normal practice, anyway. The "problem" is at the tie bar end of the straight switch blade. You can't easily notice it on this pic but what I have done is to start the straight planing section just a little too close to the heel end of the point. The result is that the switch blade creates a slight gauge narrowing. The very cruel close-up below shows what I mean: The stock rail should have been about a sleeper's width to the left. It will be on the next ones!! However, it's no real running problem. I have a couple of vehicles with some strangely profiled wheels which will just not run at all over the existing pointwork. The wheels lift slightly at this narrower point but nowhere near enough to derail them. Heljan wheels are fine. It's just a bit annoying - and maybe a bit finicky - but I do like to get things right!! So, that's it for now. The parts for point 2 are on the work desk and I'll start it when I've fitted a sound chip and speakers to a Class 45 for a friend. More soon. Rod

Hi all. I've had a bit of a play an operating session today and I've learnt a few lessons!!! Namely: 1 It isn't really sensible to operate a garden railway when the temperature is hovering between 0 and 5 degrees C, however sunny it is and however blue the sky is and however many thermals and hats you've got on!!! You do start to feel the cold!! 2 It's time to move to automatic couplings: not just because my fingers were cold (!!) but because I can't see the coupling hooks very well - and that's not made easier by having corridor coaches and corridor NPCS. Dinghams would seem to be favourite - mainly because they can be used with stock fitted with 3-link or screw couplings. However, any advice would be appreciated. 3 I must press on with the new pointwork. That which I had made is just unreliable. Stock which doesn't derail thumps and bangs over it and I just can't trust it - I have to watch every train as it goes over. However, I'm thinking about having Peco curved turnouts on the curved trailing crossover and using surplus Peco points to replace the yard ones. I know I'm going back on my original intentions, but I want reliable running!! Only then will I ballast the track and fit the signals and then I can get on with the scenery. It's so frustrating having had the signals made and them still sitting in a box, rather than being operational on the layout. 4 I must draw up a sequence of operations. I was going to say "timetable" but I think sequence covers it better - at least for the moment. So, I need to start with the 4 x Mark 1s, the steam special and a couple of locos in the fiddle yard. Then see how it goes from there: I can see myself moving little bits of paper around on a plan of the layout to get the best use of the platforms and sidings!! There's a couple of little immediate jobs to do then it's on to the C&L pointwork. I did take a couple of pics and I've put them in, just to liven up the wordiness of the message! The first is of a couple of DMUs on the stabling point ready to start work. Both 108s: the one on the right still needs the handrails on the cab front and the driver of the one on the left is just about to switch the lights from red to white!! The one on the right has a bit of a lean - that is one of the little jobs referred to and will be attended to shortly! The second shows a busy time at the station: 2 dmus in platform 2 for Birkenhead and Chester, the 33 and Mark 1s in platform 1 for Crewe and BIrmingham, and a parcels train for Moreton in the sidings. The 03 shunter waits in siding 2 for its next job and the inspection saloon is stabled in the DMU stabling point. Incidentally, where this is stabled is right in the way of coupling up a loco to a train in the platforms - more support for automatic couplings!! More soon. Any comments on automatic couplings will be gratefully received! Rod EDit: I've only just noticed that the 108 buffers are different sizes!! No, I'm not going to change them!!

It's a fair point you make, John. I know a lot of our Club members are very wary of DCC and, as a result, jump at any opportunity to run it down. So I'm not making this too public!!! We did have an old Lima loco that we used as a track tester, which got left on the DCC track (switched on) for about 6 hours and that burnt the motor out!! Even though it was a very old motor, the incident did reinforce peoples' prejudices. That's why I tested the wheel and axle on dc as well as ac: as I said, I got the smoke and flame on 12v dc. I'm not convinced that DCC is any more dangerous than dc, but do understand the point you make. I have to admit, too, that I always turn the power off when I leave the shed for a while - maybe that's a subconscious suspicion about it??!! But then, I did the same when it was dc, so maybe it's just a wariness about electricity generally!! It's something to keep our eyes on. Rod

Thanks, beast, for that. I've tried doing as you've suggested and it doesn't work: Clicking on "edit" on the first post gives no reaction whatsoever. I've found a thread elsewhere on RMweb about this, so I'll go back to that later. Thanks again for the suggestion, though. Rod

Hi all. I said at the end of my last post that this hobby doesn't get boring. The last few days have proved that - boring no, frustrating, yes!!! I said last time that a friend had suggested a DMU stabling point instead of the preserved railway site and I've decided to go along with that idea. The Preservation Society were offered space at either New Brighton or Bidston (I'm not sure which) on old siding areas and jumped at the chance and have now moved out, taking the signal and water tower with them!! I then set about wiring the track for the DMU stabling point, checking circuits after every couple of soldered joints to make sure I'd not created any shorts. Everything tested OK, so decided to move my 2-car 108 from the far side of the station to the stabling point. Until I reversed crossover 23 - and got a short!!! It turned out I'd missed out an insulated fishplate. A quick whizz with a slitting disc sorted that, so on with the movement. The 108 got halfway there and then everything shorted again!! No points were changed, nothing was touched, it just shorted! To cut a pretty long story short, the culprit was the insulation between the axle and wheel of one of the motor bogie axles. It was a whisp of smoke that gave it away!! There was even flame, too!! That is the first time that I can recall, in all my years of railway modelling, of having that problem. What caused it, I haven't a clue!! The insulation had broken away slightly and it was there that the flame and smoke were appearing - not only on 16v ac, but also on 12v dc!! The unit had been behaving a bit erratically for a week or two, so maybe that was the problem. I'll give it a proper test when the lights are refitted. Finding this had meant stripping the DMU down and I couldn't get the lights back in properly (they were on a strip of copperclad which had to be refitted after the chassis was put back on). So I'm still in the process of refitting them - trying to get tidy wiring under the driver's desk!!. The DMU runs OK, though - the motor and chip are unaffected. So that's put the finishing of the Insulfish vans and the pointwork back but I do have a functioning stabling point!! I've also got the Ivatt tank back and here's a couple of photos. In the first , the steam special arrives from New Brighton: The first vehicles in the stabling point are a 128 and the 108 trailer car, the latter awaiting the repaired power car: And, finally, an overall view: Hopefully you'll have noticed that I straightened the front steps on the Ivatt for the second pic!!! More soon. Rod PS I am trying to alter the thread title (as the Preservation Society have gone) but am having some difficulty. Will ask a Mod for help!!

Superb. Thanks, Michael Rod

Evening all!! More progress - well, sort of - read on! I've done some operating for real (as opposed to just shunting about) this last couple of days and (as you do) I have found things to change. The first thing was that one of the dead-end sidings in the fiddle yard was too short. I tried to get a 37 and inspection saloon into it and it left very, very little clearance for the road alongside. So I've lengthened it by about 4". It now holds that train or a 2-car DMU without blocking the other siding. This is a photo showing the alteration: The extra piece is the short length in the middle of the left-hand siding. I then found I needed the preservervation site roads for storage, so I set about laying them. Here's a photo of how it now looks: And another with the "Welsh Dragon" stock stabled by the water tower. The loco, an Ivatt 2-6-2T no. 41276, is away being repainted. I should have it for Monday. However, having had most of my stock on the layout, and with a few parcels vans, a 3-car and a 4-car DMU and a Class 31 yet to fit onto it, my worst fears are somewhat realised. I find that I need more storage space if I run everything at the same time. I like to do this - I don't believe in leaving good models sitting in a cupboard when they are able to run. A friend came round today to look at the layout and do some running and he suggested making the preservation site into a DMU stabling point. Now that does appeal to me, I have to admit!! However, I'd have to lengthen the headshunt and sidings by about 6" each to fit in 2 x 2-car sets - providing they were the 57' long ones. My 4-car Class 115 (63' vehicles) is very unlikely to fit. However, that can be diagrammed to return to, say, Birkenhead every night. Then there's the question of what to do about the point motors and signalling (and my lovely signal box diagram!!) I'll let it float around in my brain for a while: I'll build and lay the new pointwork first and then see if I've got the room. The preserved steam set could then be kept at the preservation site at New Brighton, which BR offered to them after withdrawing the offer of space at West Kirby Town. (How does that sound, Ressaldar (Mike)??) I'd then only need a water column for the steam special when it arrives from New Brighton. So, more thinking to do whilst I wire up the current preservation site, finish the parcels vans and build and fit the new points!! Doesn't get boring this hobby, does it?? More soon. Rod

Hi all Just to say I've not been idle, although things have been rather busy with non-railway related items! I've finished 2 of the insulfish vans and the other 2 are in advanced states of construction. These are the 2 I've finished so far, coupled to a Freightman version of the same vehicle, which needs repainting. I'm waiting until I've finished building the other 2 before I start painting. This is a side view of the two: If you look closely at the underframe of the right hand vehicle you can see the long operating rod is lower than on the other vehicle. (It's just along the line of the furthest away rail). I put it on wrong and had superglued it before I realised. If you follow the movement of the linkage, applying the brakes on the loco releases the brakes on this vehicle!! Ooops!! My justification is that it was the first one I built and I couldn't understand the instructions properly - my fault, not the instuctions'!! I'll wait until it's painted to see how obvious it is!! I've put a piece of lead sheet in each to add a bit of weight. This photo shows them: (the curly bits are scraps!!) So, 2 more to finish then it's on to the C&L point kits which have arrived and I'm really looking forward to getting going on them. More soon. Rod

Hi Richard Yes, I'm afraid I am going to abandon 31.5 mm gauge for the moment: not because I think there's anything inherently wrong with it, it's just that the C&L point kits have the frog assembly ready made up and I think it will be quicker, and more accurate, for me as these are the first I have ever done. I have seriously considered 31.5mm but feel, deep down, this is the best way for me to go at the moment. It's a bit sad, as I was really inspired by your trackwork but I'll get these 4 points and the slip built and see where I feel I can go from there. There is a trailing crossover on a curve (2 x C10 points) that I might consider doing in 31.5 mm but I'll see how I go with the others first. Hhhmmm ....... , thinking about it, apart from the 2 x C10s. there are 3 other B6s leading into the sidings to replace: perhaps I could cut my 31.5 mm teeth on them??? Who knows? I'll decide after this exercise. Thanks for your help so far - keep reading - who knows what might happen? Rod