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Something from the Fairford Branch


pirouets

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  • RMweb Gold

Scale will be n gauge as that's what I have.

 

As for a plan I am wondering whether it is possible to build a layout of 4 modules that linked up spell " 2010"

 

The 2 would be round a bay or port

the first 0 would be around a secenic section

The 1 would be an SLT on the edge of town

The last 0 would be a town section.

 

These would then all be linked behind by a 2 line fiddle yard that would allow trains to be exchanged between sections.

 

I need to have a play at lunchtime on module sizes, but I think it will fit.

 

On the other had I may see if I can find a real location that can be built from the faiford branchline such as Alvescot, South Leigh or Eynsham

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  • RMweb Gold

Well the idea of building a layout that said 2010 via the track seemed sound in N until I worked out the board sizes, and I can't see a way to interlink them.

 

So plan B it is, which means something of the Fairford branch. I already have a 12ft * 1ft section of layout with a station called Cumberland Road, and I think this can be replaced happily with something that meets the following criteria

 

1. It shall be portable. (Never tried that before)

2. It shall have sector plates or around 21 inches. (Never tried that before)

3. It shall take 11ft of the 12 ft currently occupied by Cumberland Rd

4. It shall still be able to link back to "Wycliffe" on the other side of the shed.

5. It will still be n gauge

6. I will scratch build the buildings where possible.

7. It will have its own control panel with a hand held controller.

8. Each board will be 44 inches long

9. The boards will pack up into a frame for storage, one on top of each other. (Never done that before)

10. I will PLAN first. (Tried and failed at that before)

 

I'll see if I can get a book on the Fairford branch at Warley this weekend.

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  • RMweb Gold

I spent some time measuring up last night and have come up with how to start on this, without laying any track. Before I do anything I need to see of I can make a board with a sector plate. As I have some spare wood lying around I think I can make the frame of the first board.

 

What I then need to do is find the surface I am going to use. Up till now I have been using Gyroproc wall board which is simple to cust with a stanley knife, and does not get affected by heat swings in the shed. This will not do though for a portable layout so once I have the frame, I need to look at surfaces such as plywood, sundela, etc. Pretty sure that MDF is out because of weight and moisture impacts though.

 

A question for RMWEB, what other surface options do I have? The largest piece will only be 3ft 8 by 1ft, so i'm not sure a huge amount of cross bracing will be needed.

 

I have also worked out that the best way for the layout to support it self is for each board to have 1 set of fold up legs, and then I only need to make 1 frame to go at the other end of the first board when it is put up. Each board will then simply connect to the previous one, with the legs holding the other end up.

 

If I can get the boards done by the end of the year, that gives me plenty of time to work on track plans, incorpration of the number 5, etc.

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  • RMweb Gold

Firstly, I have been in touch with Martin Loader who built the website on the Fairford Branch and have been given permission to post some of the track plans he has drawn and I think it is between

 

Alvescot

 

post-773-12585824102275_thumb.jpg

 

Eynsham

 

post-773-12585824430605_thumb.jpg

 

Lechlade

 

post-773-1258582468117_thumb.jpg

 

I also have Brize Norton and Bampton, but I am not sure how to do the airfield. Fingers crossed i'll get some more info on that at the weekend.

 

I have also started thinking about the boards and how I set that up.

 

post-773-12585823637148_thumb.jpg

 

 

If you haven't been to the Fairford branch site, have a look as it gives a good overview of the line.

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  • RMweb Gold

I did not manage to get a copy of the Fairford branch book today, so will try again during the week. In the mean time I am going to see if I can't figure xtrkcad out for the track plan. I did see something at Warley that caught my eye and I may be drastically reducing my plans, but we shall see over the next few weeks.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

So the first decision is made. Alvescot it is. Inspired by the pace of Sandhills work, I down loaded the pdfs of peco point work and I think the layout will be smaller than planned. Laying the point work out on the dining room table, I came to the conclusion that I cannot compress the layout into 4ft, but 5ft will work, and ideally 6ft will be better.

 

One key piece I realised as I layed the points out is I have my first tribute to 5, in 5 points.

 

This in turn has got me thinking about boards, and 2 3ft * 1ft boards should do the trick, with some form of fiddle yard at either end. My original scope did say sector plates BUT I may change that rule and use cassettes at each end instead. I have a design in my head for the boards but the one problem with 3ft boards is that any integral legs will be 3ft as well, and I would rather have around 3ft 6in legs as that is the height I am used to in the shed.

 

I may try and pop to B&Q for the materials this weekend. One question to those who lay track on plywood, how do you attach the track? Can you pin it before its ballasted? If so do I have to drill tiny holes or is there a better method someone can suggest?

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So the first decision is made. Alvescot it is. Inspired by the pace of Sandhills work, I down loaded the pdfs of peco point work and I think the layout will be smaller than planned. Laying the point work out on the dining room table, I came to the conclusion that I cannot compress the layout into 4ft, but 5ft will work, and ideally 6ft will be better.

 

One key piece I realised as I layed the points out is I have my first tribute to 5, in 5 points.

 

This in turn has got me thinking about boards, and 2 3ft * 1ft boards should do the trick, with some form of fiddle yard at either end. My original scope did say sector plates BUT I may change that rule and use cassettes at each end instead. I have a design in my head for the boards but the one problem with 3ft boards is that any integral legs will be 3ft as well, and I would rather have around 3ft 6in legs as that is the height I am used to in the shed.

 

I may try and pop to B&Q for the materials this weekend. One question to those who lay track on plywood, how do you attach the track? Can you pin it before its ballasted? If so do I have to drill tiny holes or is there a better method someone can suggest?

 

conventoinal wisdom is to lay the track on cork underlay which isglued down following the trackplan. The track can then be glued & pinned to it. Track pins would have to be predrilled..... I have used pva as adhesive & temporarily held the track in place using drawing pins until it dried.

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  • RMweb Gold

So with some further work, I am going for a single 5ft board that looks something like this

 

post-773-12599227733665_thumb.jpg

 

Its scary how much wood I need to buy to make this. The key volumes are

 

14ft of 2*1 to make the board frame

14ft to make 4 legs

10ft to make a frame for the back scene

7ft for the "picture frame" for the front of the layout

22ft for leg braces.

 

My other trick is that the fiddle yards will be bolt on of around 18 inches each, and to hold them up, I am thinking that use the "extending flap" trick in most dining room tables, so it would just mean thread a piece of wood that will fit in to a couple of slots created under the board. A board is the then fixed to this, and the cassettes will sit on top of it.

 

I will have a crack at doing the plan in xtrkcad on Saturday to confirm my thinking and going to B&Q on Sunday.

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  • RMweb Gold

This sounds likes it could become really good icon_thumbsup2.gif. Agree with your choice of Alvescott among those you considered, that's a really nice plan with some interesting stock moves possible.

 

Any thoughts as to period yet?

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  • RMweb Gold

probably the late 50's, early 60's as I have the stock. Also looking at a couple of pictures on this page about Alvescot you can see the difference in how it was maintained. In 30's its well kept and neat, and towards the end of its life its its becoming over grown so running both era's isn;t really possible.

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  • RMweb Gold

Those are really interesting pictures, always fascinating to see these comparisons over time. The 1960s shot looks very modellable, with the slightly overgrown look. The third picture (with the mouse-over) is a bit depressing to look at!

 

I noticed there is one tree in the middle background that appears (larger and larger) in the background of all three shots!

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

With my christmas break coming, that means I can finally crack on with starting on this so I have been think about what is this going to cost to do.

 

As well as the wood list previously described the track list is

3 RH medium points

2 LH medium points

4 yards of track

5 point motors

1 box for a control panel

 

I have the switches and a controller, though at some point I will upgrade to a hand held, but that can wait.

 

So a quick calculation using Hattons website for the track is ??75, and I reckon the wood will cost around ??25 for the wood

 

As I doubt any golf will be happening tomorrow given the weather, a trip to B&Q is on the cards.

 

My other key question is whether I take out the branchline part of my layout to create the space, or do this "in the house". Now that I am running diesel on my main layout I have spent a lot of time recently playing with the branchline and am not sure it is time for it to go to the "great layout in the sky".

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

Well tonight has seen banging, sawing, blood, saw dust spread into the house, etc. But the outcome is I have given birth to my first ever portable baseboard, which has also survived being collapsed and put in the shed.

 

post-773-12621253173879_thumb.jpg

 

post-773-12621253245355_thumb.jpg

 

Fingers crossed if Santa is being kind, tomorrow I should be getting a couple of books on the branch which will help with the laying out onto the board.

 

I probably cannot afford to get the track until payday at the end of January, so in the mean time i'll work on the contours needed, buildings, colours, platforms, etc.

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  • RMweb Gold

I have contemplated in the past a plan which was esscence of Fairford in OO. A few other members of the sute then made some suggestions as to how to "tweak" it to fit better.

 

My challenge now is having got the book I requested on the Fairford branch, it had 1 page on Alvescot and does not add any extra info, so some how I need to find info on the coal yard area and if possible some pictures of the station building and shed by the goods loop.

 

I'll have a look later for other references I have not yet followed up on. I've also started to crack Xtrkcad and am working on the plan so I can lay it out full scale on the boad.

 

Have to go now as my 2 year old wants me to play.

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  • RMweb Gold

I better ask some key questions on the 2mm piece.

 

1. Do I have to make any changes to wheels on existing loco's or given the track is .42mm wider will the stock run as is?

2. Points - I have seen Trevor's blog on his south Wales layout and 1 thing I could not quite work out is, on the point work, did the individual sleepers have chairs in them like the easitrac or did they have to be attached?

3. How is the tie bar made on the point?

4. What is the best track planing tool if I go down this route?

Can I buy templates from the 2mm Soc?

Can I do this via xtrkcad? (I think the answer is no as I do not have a 2mm template file)

5. Do you glue the track templates/plan to the board and then lay the track directly on top?

6. If I find I cannot make the points myself, are there people in the 2mm Soc who could help?

 

Obviously if I do go down this route, joining the 2mm Soc will be a must.

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Pirouets

 

Sorry I can't answer all your questions but I'll try to help with a few. I'm in same boat as you really and have decided I want to give 2mm F/s a go to see if I'm up to it. I contacted the 2mm Assoc and if you join now you get a few months extra membership as their year runs April to April.

 

Your questions:

 

1) I think N wheels should be fine on the straight track but won't go through 2mm F/S point work so yes you do need to rewheel.

 

2) Easi track points are made with a sleeper base which is one part onto which individual chairs, pre threaded on the rail, are welded to with solvent.

 

3) Don't know about tie-bars but the 2mm Assoc have a point activating kit that sits under the blades to throw them.

 

4) don't know

 

5) Don't see why not

 

6) I believe at one time the chap who built the beautiful Chipping Norton in 2mm F/S offered a turnout building service. I'm not sure if he still does. having seen him shunt over his hand built single slip I can tell you the quality of his work is excellent although when he built CN it was with soldered track not Easi track. However I'm sure somebody in 2mm Assoc would help you if you got stuck.

 

One final alternative is to build 9mm track using Code 40 rail so you don't need to rewheel.

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  • RMweb Gold

I think the re wheeling is the piece that puts me off for now. I am still tempted to get some tack to have a crack at building it, but i'll put that on a back burner for now as I have a bigger problem

 

So far all the pictures of Alvescot are taken from the bridge looking towards the small goods yard and I have been unable to track any other views down. This means I cannot get a decent view of the coal yard, the shed by the goods loop or the scenery around that area.

 

There is one other book that may help but it is out of print and costs around ??45 on the web, which does add to the cost of the layout some what.

 

Whilst I continue to do some more searching, I am working on a plan B, which would be based on a recent Plan of the Month from railway modeller. I cannot remember exactly which one it was (as i'm back at work today) but it was recent, and has a small station with some exchange sidings. Looking at the plan it will fit the 5*1 board I have comfortably.

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  • RMweb Gold

Popped in to Alton Models today and got taking to the owner. (I think his name is Bob). I asked whether he knew of any possible ways to get the Oakwood Press Book by Stanley Jenkins on the Fairford branch. I have to call back in a couple of days as he thinks he has a couple of boxes of books in the back, some of which are Oakwood, 1 of which is brown, and may be the book I need.

 

I've also been in touch with Martin Loader who created the Fairford Website and he has a couple of new images plus will send me any Hi-Res versions I need.

 

Who knows, this may yet still happen?

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