TONFANAU CAMP - IT AIN'T HALF WET MUM

[81A Oldoak]

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!

I'll be needing a couple of Four-Footers too, so I may have to gird up the loins, stiffen the sinews and try "the other" one. 

[Simond]

I don't know much about sinew-stiffening, but I believe that Pfizer make a little blue pill that girds loins marvellously...

 

The other program is brilliant. It can do everything. That is perhaps it's weakness: it is sometimes difficult to find the trees, let alone the wood amongst the forest of possibilities. That said, for a simple turnout, it's relatively simple, and the companion website(s) are a great help.

 

Best

Simon

[Andrew P]

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.  

Well Chris, you commented on Beale Street Sidings that my Track plan was more a copy of Tonfanau Camp than Cwm Bach and now I see what you mean. I hadn't seen this before, (HONEST) and it's uncanny that I even have a Level Crossing in the same place as well.

I love the Nissan Huts, and the Story of the first resin failure, sorry for all the likes etc., but it's been a fascinating read up to this post, off back now to finish off.

[81A Oldoak]

I delivered my youngest son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons to Heathrow today for their return flight to the USA where they live. We are now starting to return to what passes for normal chez Klein. The Mem Sahib has started to pack up Christmas decorations, which is a mammoth task as she is a Christmas fanatic. I went to the workshop to prepare an Ixion Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST for a customer and count the small stock of Minerva locos I keep here. After these tasks, I awarded myself some leisure time and did some electrical plumbing on Tonfanau Camp. A couple of Tortoise point motors were installed and wired. With a little forethought I was able to get the wiring correct at the first attempt with the blades moving and the polarity of the common crossing changing as planned. Attached is a photo of the work, which I will be entering in the "2017 Most Boring Photo Awards".

 

More Tortoises will be installed over the coming days and I need to build a point for Tonfanau Camp using my exclusive HAMPLOT technology.

 

Carry on,

 

Chris

 

 

[Andrew P]

That looks very neat Chris, I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the HC in a few Days, thanks for sorting it for me.

[Donw]

If you are taking turnouts off a large radius curve it is quite simple to use a standard crossing and measure the lead (distance from the crossing to the blade tips) along the curve. If the radius is fairly sharp a simple rule of thumb is for a curved point use the next size up i.e on a curved point use a B1:7 instead of a B1:6 for a Y use an A 1:5 in place of a B1:6 this is because a curved point will tighten the radius of the divergent road a Y will decrease the curvature. An equal Y is where the radius of both legs is even and the radius of each is half of what it would be if the other leg was straight. Ys are known as Split Leads. If you want a table of leads and radii for various combinations of crossings and switches I can oblige also a table of suitable sizes for various curves.

 

Don

[81A Oldoak]

I've nearly finished the Wye point that will take the WD sidings into Tonfanau Army Camp off the exchange siding. It is shown here still mounted to my unique HAMPLOT template. Tomorrow I will add the tie bar, finish the elctrical bonding and lay it in position. I am considering laying the WD sidings in a lighter flat-bottom rail.

 

Stand still that man.

 

 

[81A Oldoak]

I finished and installed the new Y point today. It is the final point on the left in the succession of points in the photo. The track from the mainline in the foreground passes through three Y points to reach the kick-back siding that will give access to the WD sidings. I think the curvature through the formation illustrates why I prefer to build points rather than use ready-made offerings. Tomorrow I will install the Tortoise motor and complete the wiring for this section of the layout.

 

At Christmas I received a Heljan Class 25/1 bought from Steve Fay, which I will probably number in the pre-Tops, post-D prefix era. With this loco and a suitable DMU (I have an EasyBuild Class 108 on the shelf) I may be able to alternate between 1950s steam and the early 1970s scene on Tonfanau Camp with little or no change to the infrastructure.

 

I must add fitting the DCC sound unit to the Class 25 to the list of tasks. I have Paul Chetter's project, but fitting DCC to Heljan diesels never seems to be a simple task, unlike some locos with which I am very well acquainted.

 

Regards,

 

Chris

 

[Andrew P]

I finished and installed the new Y point today. It is the final point on the left in the succession of points in the photo. The track from the mainline in the foreground passes through three Y points to reach the kick-back siding that will give access to the WD sidings. I think the curvature through the formation illustrates why I prefer to build points rather than use ready-made offerings. Tomorrow I will install the Tortoise motor and complete the wiring for this section of the layout.

 

At Christmas I received a Heljan Class 25/1 bought from Steve Fay, which I will probably number in the pre-Tops, post-D prefix era. With this loco and a suitable DMU (I have an EasyBuild Class 108 on the shelf) I may be able to alternate between 1950s steam and the early 1970s scene on Tonfanau Camp with little or no change to the infrastructure.

 

I must add fitting the DCC sound unit to the Class 25 to the list of tasks. I have Paul Chetter's project, but fitting DCC to Heljan diesels never seems to be a simple task, unlike some locos with which I am very well acquainted.

 

Regards,

 

Chris

Excellent work Chris, and I must admit Jintyman is going to do my 26, as you say, it's not made easy.

[81A Oldoak]

I found this great photo by Trefor Thompson of a Class 25 on the Cambrian Coast pick-up goods in the 1970s. The train is crossing the Dysinni Bridge just south of Tonfanau and it is just possible to see the surviving hangars at the by then closed Tonfanau Camp on the horizon to the left of the brake van. The train includes a gunpowder van from Cooke's factory further down the line at Penrhyndeudraeth. This is a perfect depiction of the alternative BR Blue scene that I have in mind.

 

 

[steveNCB7754]

I found this great photo by Trefor Thompson of a Class 25 on the Cambrian Coast pick-up goods in the 1970s. The train is crossing the Dysinni Bridge just south of Tonfanau and it is just possible to see the surviving hangars at the by then closed Tonfanau Camp on the horizon to the left of the brake van. The train includes a gunpowder van from Cooke's factory further down the line at Penrhyndeudraeth. This is a perfect depiction of the alternative BR Blue scene that I have in mind.

 

That would make a great 'test plank'/scenic board (fiddle at each end), with some scenic photography as a backdrop!  Not quite sure how you would hide the entry/exit though -  shrubbery?

 

 

Steve

[Andrew Young]

That's a cracking photo, bet he could hear that rattling along the coast for miles as it approached!

 

Class 24s & 25s and 101 and 108 DMUs, very much late 70s Cambrian Coast.

 

Cheers,

Andrew

[Marshall5]

My 'Old Man', despite being born and brought up in deepest L&Y territory, was an avid G.W. fan so it was inevitable that family holidays were spent on the Cambrian Coast, at Towyn or Criccieth.  I remember him taking me to Tonfanau Camp and letting me 'drive' or rather, steer the family car around the seemingly abandoned roads. He'd been an AA gunner during WW2 and was called back to do some re-training at Tonfanau - that'd be around 1956 (I was too young to really remember) - maybe during the Suez crisis?

Anyway I thought this shot of 7808 leaving Towyn, next stop Tonfanau in Aug 1962 might be of interest.

Ray.

Edited January 9, 2017 by Marshall5

[Happy Hippo]

I've nearly finished the Wye point that will take the WD sidings into Tonfanau Army Camp off the exchange siding. It is shown here still mounted to my unique HAMPLOT template. Tomorrow I will add the tie bar, finish the elctrical bonding and lay it in position. I am considering laying the WD sidings in a lighter flat-bottom rail.

 

 

My recollection of the lines at Long Marston, Ashchurch, Bicester and Donnington were all of an fb rail lighter in section than the fb or bh on BR side of the sites.

At Ashchurch the weight of the rail changed at the demarcation of pw responsibility.

[Marshall5]

Probably 75lb flat bottom rail on concrete sleepers - I think this was standard at all the WD/MoD depots. As HH (above) says it was considerably lighter than B.R. 95/yd bullhead rail - it was also in shorter lengths 45' IIRC as against 60'.

Ray.

Edited January 10, 2017 by Marshall5

[81A Oldoak]

My recollection of the lines at Long Marston, Ashchurch, Bicester and Donnington were all of an fb rail lighter in section than the fb or bh on BR side of the sites.

At Ashchurch the weight of the rail changed at the demarcation of pw responsibility.

 

 

When we relaid the demonstration line at Steamport  we used ex MoD 75lb flat bottom rail on concrete sleepers - I think this was standard at all the WD/MoD depots. As HH (above) says it was considerably lighter than B.R. 95/yd bullhead rail - it was also in shorter lengths 45' IIRC as against 60'.

Ray.

Thank you both. It would seem that a Code 100 FB rail may be the way ahead.

[81A Oldoak]

My 'Old Man', despite being born and brought up in deepest L&Y territory, was an avid G.W. fan so it was inevitable that family holidays were spent on the Cambrian Coast, at Towyn or Criccieth.  I remember him taking me to Tonfanau Camp and letting me 'drive' or rather, steer the family car around the seemingly abandoned roads. He'd been an AA gunner during WW2 and was called back to do some re-training at Tonfanau - that'd be around 1956 (I was too young to really remember) - maybe during the Suez crisis?

Anyway I thought this shot of 7808 leaving Towyn, next stop Tonfanau in Aug 1962 might be of interest.

Ray.

7808 at Towyn on down train Aug 1962 a.jpg

Ray,

Thank you for the interesting meemory and photograph. You are probably right about your father's refresher training at Tonfanau. A large number of reservists were recalled and mobilised for Operation Musketeer, the invasion of the Suez canal zone, in October 1956. Tonfanau was still in use as a Royal Artillery AA range at the time. The newly formed All Arms Junior Leader Training Regiment took over Tonfanau in 1959.

 

Regards,

 

Chris

[81A Oldoak]

That would make a great 'test plank'/scenic board (fiddle at each end), with some scenic photography as a backdrop!  Not quite sure how you would hide the entry/exit though -  shrubbery?

 

 

Steve

Sounds like a job for The Knights who say "Ni".

[Andrew Young]

Chris,

 

When laying the track on my MVR project I laid the main running lines in bullhead rail and the sidings in Flat Bottom rail, I found that Karlgarin 100/7 rail on the thicker sleepers from C&L was a good match height wise with their bullhead laid on the thinner sleepers.

 

 

Cheers,

Andrew

[81A Oldoak]

Chris,

 

When laying the track on my MVR project I laid the main running lines in bullhead rail and the sidings in Flat Bottom rail, I found that Karlgarin 100/7 rail on the thicker sleepers from C&L was a good match height wise with their bullhead laid on the thinner sleepers.

 

image.jpeg

 

Cheers,

Andrew

Andrew,

What did you use for spikes?

Chris

[Andrew Young]

The Medium spikes from Micro Engineering, sold by EDM. http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/Track2/track2.html

 

Post 109 on my Melyn Valley thread shows how I laid the track. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/81878-melyn-valley-railway/page-5

 

Cheers,

Andrew

Edited January 10, 2017 by Andrew Young

[81A Oldoak]

I installed anaother Tortoise on Tonfanau Camp this morning. The wiring of the main board with four points and the control paanel is now almost complete. Still to be added are the wires to three points on the adjacent boards and three signals. The layout has been wired for DC as nearly all of the loco stud for Tonfanau Camp are still DC. However, I have wired it for easy changeover to DCC. This has been an interesting exercise and the only equipment that would be redundant are the three section switches. Virtually all of the wiring in the photo is necessary for either DC or DCC thus exposing the great myth about needing only two wires for DCC. I just wish for the day when batteries will be sufficiently small, safe and easy to use so that we can rid ourselves of the curse of powered track and its associated current collection impedimenta.

 

Edit PS: The black cable hanging vertically in the photo is the smoothed DC power supply for the point and in due course signal motors.

[81A Oldoak]

A day off from wiring Tonfanau Camp. This evening I finished this little platelayers' hut for Tonfanau Camp, which is based on the drawing in Ericplans No1 (price 30p) of the GWR hut at Andoversford. The walls are plasticard covered with 0.8mm 3-ply wood. The roof is plasticard covered with a layer of tissue paper to simulate a felt. There is not much more to say. It is shown in a temporary location on Cwm Bach.

 

Regards,

 

Chris

[Simond]

Chris,

 

I recall a wee while back, you asked about my approach to crankpins - there's a photo on the PD thread.

 

Best

Simon

[MarshLane]

I installed anaother Tortoise on Tonfanau Camp this morning. The wiring of the main board with four points and the control paanel is now almost complete. Still to be added are the wires to three points on the adjacent boards and three signals. The layout has been wired for DC as nearly all of the loco stud for Tonfanau Camp are still DC. However, I have wired it for easy changeover to DCC. This has been an interesting exercise and the only equipment that would be redundant are the three section switches. Virtually all of the wiring in the photo is necessary for either DC or DCC thus exposing the great myth about needing only two wires for DCC. I just wish for the day when batteries will be sufficiently small, safe and easy to use so that we can rid ourselves of the curse of powered track and its associated current collection impedimenta.

 

Edit PS: The black cable hanging vertically in the photo is the smoothed DC power supply for the point and in due course signal motors.

 

 

Really nice neat wiring Chris!  Almost a shame its hidden away underneath!  Can I ask, what have you used to secure the 'looms' to the baseboard?

 

Rich