Blackwell Road

[ClikC]

Hi all, and welcome to my layout thread.

 

Blackwell road (or more accurately Blackwell Road V2) is my first real attempt to produce a layout of P4 or 4-mm finescale standards. It's basically a glorified test plank, as i've a real desire to model a prototypical section of the Northwest LMR circa May 1974. But the layout will be exhibitable and hopefully that'll help me gain some much needed exhibition experience. By entering the layout here in RMWeb's 2010 layout challenge, I hope it'll give me a nice deadline to finish by, thus I'll be able to work on the next layout while having something to test P4 conversions and builds on.

 

Blackwell road was attempted before, with a wildly different track plan, but the baseboards were made for an '00' gauge layout and were not built to decent enough standards for P4 wheels and track. The name comes from a road near some allotment ground in Carlisle, although being a purely fictional railway. The layout will feature a small two road parcels only station and for the main part a TMD for the staple supply of Northwest LMR diesel locomotives. Class 40's (my personal favorite) and 25's will feature in prominence, along with 45's, 50's, 47's and 37's. But as this layout is designed as a testing ground for locomotive's converted to P4, most have yet to be built or converted.

 

The layout will be built for DCC from the ground up, and most of, if not the loco's will be sound fitted. I'd also like to try to make the layout operateable in both daylight and night time modes, with some sort of adjustable layout lighting.

 

The boards are some 12'9"long, by 18" inches wide (1854 square inches for the scenic area, 156 square inches for the fiddle yard cassettes, equalling exactly 2010 square inches to meet the RMweb challenge rules). Anyway, below are some photo's with the boards mocked up (last board needs gluing together) with a previous printed templot plan placed into position (the final plan is more or less the same).

 

With the non-scenic fiddleyard board nearest (not the top is in-set for the use of cassettes) and the two scenic boards covered with the previous plan in templot.

 

More of a close up on the old templot plan.

 

For a better sense of scale here is the plan with a couple of items of stock I've converted to P4; Mk1 GUV and Mk1 BG in the parcels depot and a Class 45 crossing the double slip from the TMD.

 

And here is a scan of the reduced sized actual plan, sorry for the quality.

 

Hopefully the plan has a nice sense of space, which is a major feature of real life TMD's both big and small. Choosing large B8 and C10 turnouts really helped this.

 

Anyway, tomorrow I shall assemble the final board. A little bit of wood filler and much sanding later will leave the boards primed for covering with spray-mount and then sticking the final templot plan down. Then I need to think about producing legs for exhibition, but the layout will fit on shelves in my room.

 

Regards

 

Matt

Blackwell Road Completed.box

Blackwell Road Base Board + Shed.bgs

[25 BoBo]

Looking forward to seeing this develop.

 

Les

[Allegheny1600]

I'm sure this will be most interesting - a great concept and very inspiring!

Cheers,

John E.

[ClikC]

Thanks for the interest gents, I hope you enjoy following.

 

Regards

 

Matt

[Waveydavey]

Hi Matt,

 

Looking good mate, I'll be looking forward to seeing the layout develop and hopefully to seeing it out on the exhibition circuit.

 

Cheers

 

David

 

 

[ClikC]

Hi Matt,

 

Looking good mate, I'll be looking forward to seeing the layout develop and hopefully to seeing it out on the exhibition circuit.

 

Cheers

 

David

 

Thanks David.

 

Last board was constructed today and is currently drying, if i can find time tomorrow before my return to work I'll sand the two scenic boards in preparation for the templot plan. Speaking of which...

 

For anyone interested I've edited the first post to contain the templot .box and .bgs files, if you'd like to take a closer look.

 

Regards

 

Matt

[ClikC]

Short update.

 

Layout now has a permanent home in my bedroom, spend the last couple of weeks getting some shelving put up to allow me to store the layout, without stealing floor space. Also been filling and sanding the board tops ready for applying the Templot plan, which I'm happy to say has concluded today.\

 

 

Please excuse the photo, the light was failing and my room is a lot tidier than it looks from this angle, but I really do need to sort out the work bench and the stock shelf. Plus I really should get around to re-decorating... As you can see, i was having a quick play with the Bachy 47, one of my recent P4 conversions on Ultrascales. Has been stripped and needs repainting once i've finished adjusting the cab windows.

 

Anyway, the plan is all firmly in position ready for track laying over the next few weeks. Although the middle board will be coming with me to Exeter 2010 show, so i'm resisting the urge to lay all the track on the board, lest I have nothing to do at the show.

 

 

Again, please excuse the photography, as the light was failing. The above shows the C10 LH for entering the yard, with a Mk1 BG for scale. I really do love big point work, the smallest point on the layout is an A7 for the TTA siding.

 

Next update should be post the Exeter show, if you coming along, please stop by to say hello.

 

Exeter 2010 topic

 

Exe MRS Website

 

Regards

 

Matt

[ClikC]

Track laying has commenced on Blackwell Road, with wiring and tortoise point motor installation being completed along the way.

 

I've gone for Exactoscale / P4 Track Co.'s NewTrack system through out the scenic boards, making use of their 60' 24 sleeper panels, S1 Chairs and Steel rail. Originally I was going to combine the NewTrack turnout kits with the FastTrack bases and C&L's HiNi rail, but I changed my mind considering that the sleeper grain is far too over stated on the FastTrack, and by opting for NewTrack I can use correct keying practice which I think will leave me much more satisfied with the look of the track. The FastTrack bases will be used for the cassettes. In an odd turn of events I find myself with a really strong liking of using Steel rail so far, see a bit further down.

 

Progress has been much slower than I would have liked, but work has entered it's busy season. Still I have a week off in July coming up, hopefully I can get on and finnish a majority of the track work then. The first turnout pictured is a B8 Right Hand (as part of a crossover), which I had started at the exeter show but is now finished and fully working.

 

 

I've now got about 2 meters of plain track wired up, which has allowed me to run a lot of my Diesel conversions. Most of the one pictured below are sat on Ultrascale nickel silver wheels, but my first steps into P4 a few years back now leaves me with a Class 25 sat on Alan Gibson steel wheels. Originally I was never quite satisfied with the Alan Gibson conversion, but now I'm using steel rail I've seen what all the fuss is about. While the nickel sliver ultrascale wheels have a fair amount of slip on nickel silver rail, it's less so on the steel (although still noticeable). But what made me sit up was running the 25 the first time, the extra grip afforded by the steel on steel is really noticeable. It's certainly made me re-evaluate my opinions on the whole debate, and I find myself wanting the quality of ultrascale's wheels, but with steel tyres.

 

Looking down the laid track, a vac awaits departure with a small two van parcels train.

 

A selection of converted loco's, 45, 47, 25, 40, 37 and a 50. All in much need of considerable work to bring upto P4 standards, but none the less all rolling P4 conversions.

 

Regards

 

Matt

[signalmaintainer]

I'll enjoy watching the progress!

[Portchullin Tatty]

 

 

I find myself wanting the quality of ultrascale's wheels, but with steel tyres.

 

 

 

Here, here!

 

You are spot on about the extra traction afforded by steel on steel. The Gibsons are a bit difficult in the 24/25 as the pick ups have to be bent onto a very narrow rear of the wheel rim and they are prone to missing but otherwise I have found them OK.

 

Need to talk to you off line about those conversions. My fault, been doing other things!

 

Good to see the layout coming on though.

[ClikC]

I'll enjoy watching the progress!

 

Thanks for the Comment.

Here, here!

 

You are spot on about the extra traction afforded by steel on steel. The Gibsons are a bit difficult in the 24/25 as the pick ups have to be bent onto a very narrow rear of the wheel rim and they are prone to missing but otherwise I have found them OK.

 

Need to talk to you off line about those conversions. My fault, been doing other things!

 

Good to see the layout coming on though.

 

Hi Mark!

 

I am defiantly in-love with using Steel on steel now, there is a real positive feel to using it. I've managed to get all the pickups spot on for the Bachy 25, using a multimeter set to check continuity as I adjusted the pickups. The arrangement is not as drastic as for what I've done to a Bachy 37 on Gibsons (old Bo-1 1-Bo Chassis) which has the pickups look like a slightly stretched Z in a plan view, and makes a horrible clicky noise as the wheels go around, due to mould warts on the plastic centers.

 

My rolling stock will be next for the Steel wheel treatment, need to find a source of 14-mm Kean Maygib coach wheels now...

 

Likewise apologizes on I forgot myself, due to business at work picking up, and trying to get things organized for the Exeter Show.

 

Regards

 

Matt

[Parthia27]

 

Thanks for the Comment.

 

 

Hi Mark!

 

I am defiantly in-love with using Steel on steel now, there is a real positive feel to using it. I've managed to get all the pickups spot on for the Bachy 25, using a multimeter set to check continuity as I adjusted the pickups. The arrangement is not as drastic as for what I've done to a Bachy 37 on Gibsons (old Bo-1 1-Bo Chassis) which has the pickups look like a slightly stretched Z in a plan view, and makes a horrible clicky noise as the wheels go around, due to mould warts on the plastic centers.

 

My rolling stock will be next for the Steel wheel treatment, need to find a source of 14-mm Kean Maygib coach wheels now...

 

Likewise apologizes on I forgot myself, due to business at work picking up, and trying to get things organized for the Exeter Show.

 

Regards

 

Matt

 

Just so you are sure Keen Maygib coach wheels are 14.5mm. The best place to get P4 ones from is Colin Craig.

 

Cheers

 

Chris M

[ClikC]

Just so you are sure Keen Maygib coach wheels are 14.5mm. The best place to get P4 ones from is Colin Craig.

 

Cheers

 

Chris M

 

Hi Chris

 

I didn't think Colin sold 14-mm wheels. The 3ft disc's I use for my Mk2's at all about 12.05mm, and the 14mm ones are advertised as 3'7", so I'd be surprised if the were much over 14.40mm. As I believe the actress may once have said to the bishop, I can live with being an inch to big.

 

I was going to put and order in with KM Engineering direct, as the gentleman I spoke to on the phone said it would be a 6 week lead time. But if I can find a source for them else where then I would be interested.

 

Regards

[meple]

Hi Chris

 

I didn't think Colin sold 14-mm wheels. The 3ft disc's I use for my Mk2's at all about 12.05mm, and the 14mm ones are advertised as 3'7", so I'd be surprised if the were much over 14.40mm. As I believe the actress may once have said to the bishop, I can live with being an inch to big.

 

I was going to put and order in with KM Engineering direct, as the gentleman I spoke to on the phone said it would be a 6 week lead time. But if I can find a source for them else where then I would be interested.

 

Regards

 

Branchlines do a nice all steel wheel in P4.

[ClikC]

Branchlines do a nice all steel wheel in P4.

 

Hi Meple,

 

I've placed two orders with Branchlines this week, when I asked about all steel wheels we only discussed the Kean Maygibs, and the lack there of. Do you have a catalog or part number for them?

 

I know Wizard models have pretty much given up on getting Kean Maygib's, and now offer their 51-L wheels, but the site has not indication of construction.

 

If push comes to shove I'll buy more Gibson coach wheels, but I would rather go for Kean Maygib's if at all possible.

 

Regards

 

Matt