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First steps towards new layout - baseboards/fiddle yard

Stringfingerling

Entry posted by Stringfingerling

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Hi Folks,

 

I'm uploading a few pictures of the first stages of my new layout in the hope that I'll get some helpful comments.

 

The layout is in O gauge, and is a straightish fiddle yard to terminus idea. It is set in mid- wales in the Dulas valley, and is based on the idea that the Corris Railway was to be converted to standard gauge as per the real plan from 1873ish. The proposal approved by parliament intended to link the existing Corris route to the GWR line at Brithdir near Dolgellau. In my fiction, this line was closed somewhere north of Corris due to lack of funds, and the imaginary station I'm going to build changed from a through station to the terminus of the line. If anyone is interested in discussing the possibility of such a line and what may have happened to it that would be great, but for now, i'm going to concentrate on talking about the construction of my model.

 

The fiddle yard was the first task, and for this I have built a train turntable, 5' long, so that I can turn complete trains without handling them. It can pulled out on its castors when in use, and when in position to allow the trains to run it is locked in place by bathroom door style sliding bolts. I have also used these for track alignment with the neighbouring board and electrical connection to it. Hopefully the pictures will explain this.

 

The scenic board features the trackbed leaving a tunnel mouth as a scenic break and a bridge passing over a road. The board is constructed roughly along the Barry Norman lines, using birch ply sandwiching softwood blocks to create rigid girders integrally as part of the sides and ends.

 

I'm intending to use C&L track, and to lay it on their rubberised cork underlay. I'd be very interested to hear from anyone with experience of this.

 

My next step willl be to lay the track on the turntable/fiddle yard and through the tunnel mouth, to check that all is well with the alignment of the tracks leaving the turntable, and also to check that there are no snags with the operation of the turntable.

 

More soon, all comments very welcome! Happy Modellingblogentry-11712-0-39915000-1349887287_thumb.jpg

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rcmacchipilot

Interesting premise turning the whole fidlle yard table vs the top, but quite logical looking at your set up. Excelent looking carpentry by the way.

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bcnPete
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Agreed...some very nice construction there.

 

Looking good so far - will watch with interest...

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Stringfingerling

Hi rcmacchipilot

and thanks for the nice comments. I should have explained that the top does rotate. It is pivoted on a bearing made of two telescopic sizes of brass tube for accurate alignment. The idea is that the whole thing is pulled out from the wall about 18", then the deck can be rotated before it is pushed back again. The new pics should explain all.

 

I'm also going to extend the handles on the bathroom door bolts that align the track so that they can be used to stop any stray vehicles rolling off the end of the deck while it is being turned. They will be pushed over to block the ends of the tracks. I'm intending to use brass tube araldited over the handles to do this. More pics soon. The idea of rolling stock plummeting from a great height to the floor is not appealing.

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Stringfingerling

Thanks Pete! Being a lone modeller, it's good to have a bit of encouragement.I've only worked in OO and EM before, so this is a first venture into O gauge. It will take a very long time to complete, but Hey! it's fun. I'm actually finding the construction much easier than the planning and agonising. I think I must have made at least 60 or 70 plans and variations before I felt comfortable enough to start.

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wenlock
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I like your idea of using of using two brass tubes to make a bearing, I'm planning on using a train turntable for my project, so I'm interested in methods of making a pivot. As others have said, great wood work! I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

Dave

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reemgee

Hi

 

I don't think my carpentry skills are up to yours, very nice and well thought out ! I am strating agin after many years away and it is amazing how much you forget !

 

I will follow your blogs with interest,I admire the use of 0 Gauge

internally it's a big task !

 

All the best

 

Reemgee

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Stringfingerling

Thanks for the encouragement Reemgee and everyone! More to appear soon, though it may be small steps for a week or three before anything major happens - such as the next lump of baseboard. That is going to be the station throat, and although I have already worked out the trackplan in broad brush style, I have to work out exactly where to put the cross members so they don't interfere with point motors etc.

 

I'll post some drawings to show what the grand scheme is within the next day or two.

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