Knottingley WRD

[Richard_S]

As promised here are some pictures depicting our progress yesterday;

 

In view are a Black Beetle motor bogie and the CMX track cleaning car.

 

The advantage of using such a short wheelbase item is that any faults in electrical supply are easier to spot, happily there were none.

 

We ran a Bo-Bo for testing and this Heljan Hymek was converted by me some years ago. Every line was run in each direction and the faults that emerged were that a number of the frogs are tight with a track gauge only just fitting into them.

 

 

Mike Turner is seen applying a soldering iron to release the wings of the V and provide a fraction more room.

 

One turnout requires some repairs as the curved closure rail has become misaligned and this will form the next task.

[Richard_S]

Amazing; Dave and I managed upload shots simultaneously!

 

Cheers again for all the assistance yesterday, it is much appreciated.

[Richard_S]

Had a further tidy in the garage on Friday and will begin to catalogue all the items of stock I have worked on over the past year or so.

This is one of a number of Hornby 56s that have been re-wheeled with Branchlines wheels but has not had much of a run. So onto the Bacchus Saddle and 30mins in each direction. No renumbering, detailing or weathering has yet taken place.

 

[ClikC]

What's the make of the rolling road, and where did you get it from? I seriously need one for my P4 conversions.

 

Regards

 

Matt

[Richard_S]

What's the make of the rolling road, and where did you get it from? I seriously need one for my P4 conversions.

 

Regards

 

Matt

 

Hi Matt

 

It is called a Saddle and is made by Bachrus.

I bought mine here;

 

DCC supplies

 

HTH

[Richard_S]

Further progress to report; made a start on both fiddle yards today. A single sheet of 9mm birch ply has been cut up and 8 pieces glued to make strengthened sides. We should be able to assemble these next week into complete units and I will endeavour to take some pictures.

[Richard_S]

Another working session in which we fitted EMGS dowels to the yard ends of the layout but struggled to match one of the FY ends to match. On inspection one end piece had a slight warp which was just enough to interfere with assembly. The time taken to sort this meant we were not able to build the yard boards. However, everything is now pre-fabricated into 2 kits and everything should go together. Most of the group are on holiday for the next few weeks and we resume at the end of August.

 

Might give me an opportunity to do some more stock, watch this space..........

 

BFN

[beast66606]

You missed the "Mostyn" moment - you forgot to mention we had curry and beer last night

[Richard_S]

 

The first in a series of prototype images using my new Epson Perfection 3170 scanner. This shot includes some of the buildings we need to reproduce on the model.

[Richard_S]

09005 in pristine condition;

[250BOB]

You missed the "Mostyn" moment - you forgot to mention we had curry and beer last night

 

And us... http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/topic/20557-curry-on-clagging/page__pid__201436__st__0entry201436

 

Bob

[250BOB]

 

The first in a series of prototype images using my new Epson Perfection 3170 scanner. This shot includes some of the buildings we need to reproduce on the model.

 

Hi Richard......I'm interested in knowing a bit more about your scanner. Is it pics, negs or slides you are copying.? Its a topic I asked about on here a month or so ago......I have loads of eighties pics I want to put to computer.

Bob

[jonny777]

I thought that you might like this. Sorry that the lighting is not the best, but it was taken in March 1991.

 

John

[Richard_S]

Thanks for the comments, the image is just the effect we are looking for on the model so thanks for posting. I have a model of Harworth Colliery awaiting conversion to P4.

 

Bob; I was given the scanner by Tim Rogers and it is an Epson Perfection 3170 which seems to have been a US release so it may have been owned by Tony Sissons at some point. I managed to find a power supply on Ebay worldwide which arrived from California yesterday so I hooked up and this is the 2nd image I've done. No software or instructions were included so all were found online at the excellent Epson site. I can scan prints and negatives at present and am looking to find a device to load up transparencies as I have bought a few on Ebay of the depot and Class 56s. I am still finding my feet with this kit so Tim, Tone or Jin Smith-Wright would be the people to ask about the technology. The 3170 is now obsolete and the V500 seems to be the closest replacement model, available on Amazon for 160 GBP.

 

Hope that helps.

[Richard_S]

I paid a visit to Foel View workshop last Thursday and Tim and I upgraded a Hornby 09. Ultrascale drop in wheelsets looked the part but the wipers fitted to the shunter began to catch in the spokes of the wheels and twisted. We therefore looked at fitting new pickups which required revising the exisitng arrangements for electrical collection. New wires were soldered to the DCC plug and brought out under the frame. Rather than add anything to the existing baseplate we fabricated an entirely new one and used the milling machine to drill the screw holes and gap the structure to avoid short circuits.

 

Here are a couple of photos;

 

We intend to modify other shunters and next time will photograph as we proceed.The 09 awaits renumbering to 09014 and will lose the nameplate.

[Richard_S]

Having bought and watched

 

I have turned my attention to the structures required for the layout. Using the techniques outlined in the Activity Media release Right Track 7 - Building Buildings with Geoff Taylor, I started on a long thin structure sited just outside the wagon repair shop;

 

 

As far as I am aware this building houses generator equipment and compressors for the air tools used on site. If anyone knows differently then feel free to share that knowledge. There is still much detailing to be done including double louvre doors in the 2 doorways and a variety of vents to go onto the roof. Additionally there are pipe and cable runs on the long side facing outwards. The previous scan of a Loadhaul 56 depicts them quite well.

 

I am planning to use a pair of Bachmann TMD units for the long WRD building and the remaining items will be scratchbuilt in half relief against the backscene.

[Richard_S]

At Foel View yesterday we were able to progress a little further.

 

Birch ply had previously been cut and glued to form pre-fabricated sides and a top deck. These were then glued and pinned together to form the yards at either end of the layout. We have left them to cure and will then coat with varnish and fit EM Gauge Society baseboard dowels. Yard operation will feature a sector plate behind the through wagon works building and cassettes elsewhere.

 

 

WFRM are on the road in the next few weeks with appearances at Farnborough (actually in Woking) (Vine Yard) and Halifax (S4 Demo). Once these are out of the way we will aim to set up the layout in its entirety for the first time.

[d winpenny]

been a local lad i look forward to any updates

[Richard_S]

Thanks for the continuing interest. Mike Turner and I will be heading over to Foel View tomorrow to pick up where we left off a few weeks ago.

The job list includes;

1. Trim the fiddle yard boards flush.

2. Fix the cross struts to the boards

3. Start the backscene on the scenic section.

 

I will take my camera and record our progress.

[beast66606]

Arrange with Timmy for the track to be sprayed and I can join the fray ..

[Richard_S]

Yesterday we fitted the diagonal struts under the boards, glued and pinned them and decided to stop as any further work would risk distorting what we had made square and set us back.

The next exercise was supposed to be the backscenes, however the 3mm MDF procured would not bend into a tight enough radius. Tracked down a local supplier of 2mm MDF in Warrington so will get some when I can.

 

Spray painting will be the next task then we can commence adding some details to the scenic sections. Thanks for the offer, Dave.

[class"66"]

Yesterday we fitted the diagonal struts under the boards, glued and pinned them and decided to stop as any further work would risk distorting what we had made square and set us back.

The next exercise was supposed to be the backscenes, however the 3mm MDF procured would not bend into a tight enough radius. Tracked down a local supplier of 2mm MDF in Warrington so will get some when I can.

 

Spray painting will be the next task then we can commence adding some details to the scenic sections. Thanks for the offer, Dave.

interesting read!! coming on great guys......... keep up the good work...

[Richard_S]

More progress over the last couple of days as I have now sprayed all the track and begun to fit details such as the point lever mountings. As Tony Sissons is over from the States he has been showing us how to add the illusion of depth to our weathering using the excellent MIG Pigments range, tried this on one of the turnouts along with some black gouache paint. Pictures will follow shortly, thanks for the continued interest.

[Richard_S]

This afternoon I ventured out into the garage and applied undercoat to both fiddle yard boards. They are made from 2 layers of 9mm birch ply with the inner layer shorter to allow the deck to sit flush with the outer strip and a diagonal brace pre-drilled to take any wiring required;

 

 

 

They will be finished in B&Q Flannel Grey Gloss to match Vine Yard and CR and the tops will be coated with Yacht Varnish giving a smooth surface for 2 sector plates and assorted cassettes to slide.

[Richard_S]

Spent a very productive day with Tony Sissons at Foel View today. We decided at the weekend that cutting and hacking the Bachmann buildings was both a lot of work and would produce a substandard item.

 

Instead we decided to scratchbuild the structure and started with a sheet of 5mm foamboard to act as a skeleton;

 

The callipers are set to 61mm which was the dimension of the wall on the Bachmann building, used because the track had been laid to fit inside this structure.

A score mark is made on the material which is then used for the first cut;

Once the walls had been cut out we measured the apertures on the TMD structure, copied these onto the board and cut out the entrances;

As a check that both holes are equal we swapped the offcuts to see how closely they fit;

As the building is quite long at almost 600mm we added bracing to the floor to prevent bowing;

The rear of the building needs some adjustment to fit the through running line around the back so a channel was cut allowing an angle to be formed;

Then the two walls and front end were glued with PVA and checked with a square;

The process was repeated on the building that forms our modelled section of the diesel depot;

And from the front;

 

The track was sprayed at the weekend and housings for dummy point levers have been fitted;