TONFANAU CAMP - IT AIN'T HALF WET MUM

[81A Oldoak]

Wiring has started on Tonfanau Camp. I have built the control panel into the side frame and a smaller, separate panel will be made for the army camp sidings later. I am wiring up for dual DC and DCC control as the prime locos for Tonfanau Camp have yet to be fitted wiith decoders - a bill approaching £500 awaits. Tracklaying is incomplete as I need to build points for the kickback access to the army camp as well as the points in the camp itself. Next session will be Thursday as I have to do some reinsurance work in London.  

[Simond]

Chris

 

Panel looks neat.

 

Will you have a "shunt ahead" facility on the right hand signal, or are trains for the WD sidings short enough not to need it?

 

Also interested in how you have sectioned the layout for use on DC - or are you working "one engine in steam"?

 

Best

Simon

[railwayrod]

Glad to see some real progress at the camp. I like the control panel and I feel the whole layout will be very interesting to work especially if the army has its own locos.

 

Great work Chris - keep it up.

 

Rod

[81A Oldoak]

Chris

 

Panel looks neat.

 

Will you have a "shunt ahead" facility on the right hand signal, or are trains for the WD sidings short enough not to need it?

 

Also interested in how you have sectioned the layout for use on DC - or are you working "one engine in steam"?

 

Best

Simon

Simon,

The right hand signal is the Up Main Starter and I think it will need a "Shunt Ahead" arm. I like building signals, so the extra work will be no hardship.

 

For DC, I anticipate three sections:

1. the main line, loop and sidings off the loop

2. the kickback siding to the army camp, which in time will be extended south (left) to a future representation of Tonfanau Quarry

3. the army camp, which will probably have its own loop and a siding for a small loco depot to house the WD Fowler 0-4-0DM MONTY.

 

Of course, once I have the locos fitted with DCC the DC will become redundant, but it is useful for test-running chassis.

 

Regards,

 

Chris

[81A Oldoak]

Glad to see some real progress at the camp. I like the control panel and I feel the whole layout will be very interesting to work especially if the army has its own locos.

 

Great work Chris - keep it up.

 

Rod

Rod,

You can see my Ward Department Fowler diesel at Post #125 here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/111369-tonfanau-camp-it-aint-half-wet-mum/page-5

 

Regards,

 

Chris

[The Stationmaster]

I'm trying to get my head round what is intended with the signalling.  As far as I can see there is a level crossing protected by a couple of stop signals, which makes complete sense of course and a loop which is clearly not a crossing loop (far too short) although it lacks a trap point at one end, and a Starting Signal which doesn't really serve any purpose at all.

 

The points at the end of the loop remote from the crossing 'box (which might not be a block post = signalbox) would well be ground frame operated and therefore wouldn't have any signals while the other end could,for convenience be worked by the crossing box in which case a  couple of ground discs would be needed or it too could be worked by a ground frame without any signals.

 

Or the crossing box could be upgraded to a signal box - which would start to mean quite a few more signals.  Which is it to be?

[Simond]

Chris

 

Thanks for the explanation. I'm getting the image of interchange between "one main line loco/train" & "one WD loco" under DC control, and as Mike says, the loop may not allow trains to cross, but you would surely have more flexibility if the loop & siding were a separate section from the main. As you say, the arrangement is temporary, so it may not be that important.

 

Best

Simon

[81A Oldoak]

As the adjutant of the 2nd Battalion,  The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) said in Malta as his previous regiment came on parade, "Steady the Buffs". The diagram on the control panel is not intended to be a representation of a proper signalling diagram, merely an aide memoir for the various electrical switches. The loop is not intended for crossing trains, but to facilitate shunting and a cosmetic trap will be installed at the up exit from the loop.

 

The real Tonfanau station had a level crossing at the down end protected by stop signals controlled by a ground frame. Tonfanau Camp will receive a small signal box and thus is likely to be exalted to the status of a block post. None of this, of course, is worth losing even a wink of sleep for..

 

Regards,

 

Chris

[Donw]

Nice to see the progress Chris. I do like the Nissen huts. When just a lad there was one next door to us which was home to some Gypsies. I remember they gave a big tea in there  for all the local kids on Coronation day. The place had been made quite homely probably unlike the Army ones.

If you want to make turnouts recoverable building them on a piece of 10 or 20 thou plastic card might be suitable just a matter of what to use to stick the card down. The turnouts would come up ready ballasted.

My experience of Army railways was the ones at the Donnington Camp depot. There was a complete turnout left by the side of the tracks. There were reach wagons to keep the loco (diesel) out of some of the sheds which had hazardous materials. There were some interesting loads too. Naturally I could not take any pictures. Taking a camera in would have been rather risky. We were in there working on telephones.

Don 

[81A Oldoak]

I have taken a little break from laying and wiring track at Tonfanau Camp. MONTY, Tonfanau Camp's resident War Department Fowler diesel shunter, will be in need of refreshment so I have built a small refuelling facility. It is a simple lash-up from an old Ratio 4mm scale oil tank and some plasticard. The hose is a short length of wire. The model was inspired by the attached photograph taken at Kilmersdon Colliery in Somerset, but I have refrained from applying an excessive amount of filth as this is an army facility. It is shown in temporary position on Cwm Bach solely for photographic purposes.

 

Regards,

 

Chris

[Happy Hippo]

I should imagine that the grot normally insisted on by weathering fanatics, would not really exist, especially in a camp frequented by trainees and possibly during the latter years of national service.

 

Certainly my early years in the army with an armoured regiment (1 QDG) ensured that I was proficient at painting individual wheel nuts on the likes of Bedford RL and MK variants.

 

That well known military adage 'bullsh*t baffles brains' was certainly to the fore.

 

Fast forward 15 years and our rail detachment at Ashchurch still maintained immense pride in the two locos* based there, and they were both kept extremely clean and tidy.

 

The same can be said about the interior of the shed and small workshop as well as the external areas around the shed and  especially the fuelling point.

 

The same cannot be said about the flats and occasional covered wagon that were delivered from BR's Speedlink service!

 

 

 

*  I think they were R&H 0-6-0 DH: very similar to a BR Class 07. The livery was very BR, being Brunswick green with yellow/black wasp strip ends and red buffer planks and side rods

[81A Oldoak]

I should imagine that the grot normally insisted on by weathering fanatics, would not really exist, especially in a camp frequented by trainees and possibly during the latter years of national service.

 

Certainly my early years in the army with an armoured regiment (1 QDG) ensured that I was proficient at painting individual wheel nuts on the likes of Bedford RL and MK variants.

 

That well known military adage 'bullsh*t baffles brains' was certainly to the fore.

 

Fast forward 15 years and our rail detachment at Ashchurch still maintained immense pride in the two locos* based there, and they were both kept extremely clean and tidy.

 

The same can be said about the interior of the shed and small workshop as well as the external areas around the shed and  especially the fuelling point.

 

The same cannot be said about the flats and occasional covered wagon that were delivered from BR's Speedlink service!

 

 

 

*  I think they were R&H 0-6-0 DH: very similar to a BR Class 07. The livery was very BR, being Brunswick green with yellow/black wasp strip ends and red buffer planks and side rods

MONTY is spotless, but I think you are right Richard and the tank may need a repaint in Deep Bronze Green. As was often said, "If it moves salute it. If it doesn't, polish it." Meanwhile, I am off to church for the Service of Remembrance suitably dressed and decorated.

[coachmann]

That well known military adage 'bullsh*t baffles brains' was certainly to the fore.

Similar to 'bulshit baffles cretins, but that's the BBC... 

[Happy Hippo]

Similar to 'bulshit baffles cretins, but that's the BBC... 

My late father worked for the BBC and after he retired, he was always complaining about what he saw as the lowering of both presentation and technical standards.

[Northroader]

As was often said, "If it moves salute it. If it doesn't, polish it."

Wasn't it "if you see something, salute it, if it doesn't salute back, sweep it up, if it's too big to sweep up, paint it white"

[Simond]

Or "if it moves, salute it, if it doesn't move, move it, if you can't move it, paint it white"

 

Best

Simon

[Western Star]

How much of the above banter holds true if an officer is in the presence of a living recipient of the VC?

[81A Oldoak]

How much of the above banter holds true if an officer is in the presence of a living recipient of the VC?

Neither the Victoria Cross Warrant nor Queen's Regulations require all ranks to salute a holder of the Victoria Cross.

[Western Star]

Private Miles VC, Pioneer Corp, awarded WWI.

 

Taken before Commandent of Catterick Camp during WWII on a charge of failing to salute an officer.  Private Miles' defence was that he was a living holder of a VC and hence the Officer ought to have saluted him.  The charge against Miles was dropped, nothing is recorded about the fate of the Officer.

Edited November 15, 2016 by Western Star

[81A Oldoak]

Progress on Tonfaanau Camp is glacially slow at the moment because of other commitments. As an easy small project I can do in my comfortable study, I am building a platelayer's hut based on one in my trustee Ericplans books . It is unremarkable; plasticard covered with 0.8mm 3-ply.

[Simond]

Unremarkable indeed. But rather charming nonetheless.

 

Best

Simon

[Miss Prism]

Mmmmmm - damp patches

 

 

[steveNCB7754]

Steve,

This is the sort of effect that I want to try to reproduce albeit with much less foreground dunes and grass, if any. I live very close to the south coast so I may be able to take a suitable panoramic photograph. Since various sources have forecast a bar-b-que summer, we are guaranteed to have lots of gloomy days so there should be plenty of opportunities.

 

Regards,

 

Chris

 

That view could be near me in my neck of the woods (Poole/Bournemouth) -  either at Studland (just north of Swanage) or at Hengistbury Head (Christchurch).

[81A Oldoak]

WARNING - this post contains scenes of a very distressing nature for those with a "serious" modeller's disposition. Over Christmas I decided to adjust the layout slightly at Tonfanau Camp. I had planned to take the army sidings off a straight left-hand point at the front of the layout. This would have resulted in a dead straight line running the full length of the layout, which would have totalled 20 feet when the fourth board with Tonfanau quarry is  built. This did not appeal aesthetically, so I have shortened the spur off the BR line and will take the army sidings off an assymetrical Y point. I think this will look better, but the downside is that the point that was ready to lay will need to replaced with a custom-built Y. The white sheet of paper contains the template for the new point. The software is HAMPLOT and unlike a certain imitation is very simple to use. Lay a piece of flexible track, C&L or PECO (it mattereth not) and bend to the required radius of one of the lines. Place some cartridge paper over it and press along the rails. Lift and relay the track for the other branch and repeat. Colour the rail-marks with pencil, draw in the sleepers, check rails and other features and away you go. The 6' radius Y in the photos was built using this technique, which is crude, but quick and effective. One day I might get around to learning T.....T. 

 

Regards,

 

CK

[BG John]

Hamplot does look a lot easier. It's also a useful addition to the "other" program, as when that gets too difficult you print out what you've managed to produce, and draw in the rest by hand! Unfortunately, I think I may have the final version for my O gauge layout, and the whole scenic section is on a 50ft radius curve, meaning some fairly precise design of simple turnouts is needed. I'm aiming for a minimum 48in radius, and most of them will be very close to that, so "the other" program is needed!