LNER4479 Posted March 7, 2022 Share Posted March 7, 2022 6 hours ago, Barry O said: Heavyweight ballast removed.. concrete "work area" added. Finer ballast to be applied. Concrete to be weathered to "in use" condition. Baz That looks much more betterer 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted March 7, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 7, 2022 Ballast in the depot area would most likely be ash or clinker. Plenty available at no cost to the company. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted March 31, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 31, 2022 a coat of paint on the coaling tower, handrails to be fitted then weathering applied.. 11 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin S-C Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 (edited) On 15/10/2021 at 20:42, LNER4479 said: OK - found some (pictures). Wot I took for a series of articles in Railway Modeller a few years ago. Used as supplied, a pair of points result in a 'too wide' track centre spacing (modellers of ex-GWR broad gauge routes look away now. and see note at end) Remove a length of wing rail (as you surmised) and sleepers (first rough cut for now) like so. You'll need to - carefully(!) - slice away the chairs from the sleepers either side of the cut like this in order to get rail joiners in Repeat with other point and trim sleepers in relation to each other until they just nicely butt up against each other. Note that this thereby removes the 'silly' angled end sleeper arrangement. Ta-daa! Note how the careful sleeper trimming gives the illusion of long central crossing timbers, much more satisfying visually than the opening photo. Exactly the same technique for a pair of large radius points. Same can be done for slips to create a classic steam age trailing slip / crossover arrangement (for reversal into goods yards). However, the angle of the sleepers on the slip (and long crossing) means that the join isn't quite so good in this instance. And now the caveat - ONLY suitable for straight or gently curved stretches of double track. Do NOT attempt this for three foot radius curves (unless you want all your door handles knocking off). The main curve at Grantham North End is six foot radius and that's about the minimum radius I'd advise trying this on. See separate tutorial about curving points ... Hope that helps. 'Robert' (Graham, really - AKA Red Leader) @LNER4479 Hi Graham I appreciate this advice was given yonks ago and I absolutely know I took copies of the pictures and text but I'm blowed if I can find them now - and after the RMWeb host change the pics are lost. I don't suppose you'd be happy to re-upload these pics again pretty please? Incredible as it may seem I am actually about to get off my lazy behind and begin track-laying on my second attempt at Nether Madder and I need to get my head around these points cutting tricks again. I do need to ask however - and sorry to Barry for hi-jacking his topic but is there any practical reason why one cannot just cut across the two points like so - cutting through just a single sleeper? (this is a pair of medium radius code 75 points). As long as one preserves the straight sleeper alignment and you have enough rail to slide a fishplate onto is there a particular reason for your method of asymmetric cuts? Thanks. Edited June 7, 2022 by Martin S-C Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 Hi Martin, Apologies for delay in picking this up. The asymmetric cut I've adopted is partly to protect the frog and partly laziness in that it only requires 2 cuts, rather than 4. Each time you cut, you also need to remove or dig out some of the plastic sleepering underneath to get the fishplate in. So I prefer to do that twice rather than four times. Graham 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted July 14, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted July 14, 2022 long time no update. Why? Simples! Cricket umpiring and scoring is getting in the way of muddling BUT I have sorted out a mysterious wiring fault on the layout so trains can now exit and enter the goods yard (via either a crossover in one direction or a crossover/diamond in the other direction). Theses are done using a "black" section as discussed in Mike Edges Herculaneum Dock thread. I would not recommend PECO double microswitch units. I have also been removing some of the grey ballast fitted on the layout. It was far too overscale and will be redone using Green Scene ballast (now available from Squires). Now back to my cricket! Baz 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erichill16 Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 2 minutes ago, Barry O said: I would not recommend PECO double microswitch units. I used them on a layout which was hurriedly finished to attend an exhibition and didn’t really get chance to test them. I don’t think they made it to the end of the exhibition! 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted July 14, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted July 14, 2022 They seem to go out of kilter far too easily for my liking .. replaced by a H& M point motor and a set of microswitches from Wistons form many years ago! baz 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erichill16 Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 21 minutes ago, Barry O said: .. replaced by a H& M point motor baz I hope the baseboards are stoutly built! 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted July 15, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 15, 2022 22 hours ago, Barry O said: They seem to go out of kilter far too easily for my liking .. replaced by a H& M point motor and a set of microswitches from Wistons form many years ago! baz I gave up with them before Banbury's first show back in 2011.far worse than the SEEP solenoid switch. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted July 15, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 15, 2022 22 hours ago, Barry O said: .. replaced by a H& M point motor and a set of microswitches from Wistons form many years ago! They do seem to be indestructible… apart from when they fall apart. Fortunately easily put back together again. I wonder just how long they have been going on Corfe. As you know they get a fair old hammering 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erichill16 Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 I’ve used SEEP, Peco micro switches and Peco PL-13 on exhibition layouts and can’t recommend any off them. For my next endeavour I’m thinking of using servos which may require a bit of faffing about or blow the budget and get some Cobalts. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted July 15, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted July 15, 2022 I have a fair few H&M point motors. I don't use their switches (ev3n though I have replacement plates for them. In addition I have some Tortoise motors tucked away for use on another project. The peco motors are a bit hit and miss but their dual microswitch units are not really up to much use. Baz 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted July 16, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 16, 2022 In the past I've used H&Ms (separate microswitches needed), and SEEPs (OK as long as you ensure there is enough throw at the point to operate the switch). Now I use only Cobalts (digital and analogue in different applications). Usual disclaimer. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Sasquatch Posted July 16, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 16, 2022 Not had any problem with SEEPs (well not the Gaugemaster ones at least) Only problems I did have was with some sprung ones, where the spring was making contact with the built-in switch and causing shorts. However, my layouts have been armed with 24V power which compensates for any voltage loss over long runs. I also mark up the optimum position before hot gluing them in place. I've even hot glued Peco switches to them with great success. Dunster is 14 years old, all SEEP, still running strong and no doubt will attend more exhibitions. I've not tried the double micro switch yet. There's a couple in the stores drawer and I'll be weary of any faults if I use them. There's also about a dozen H&M ones in there too that I've had for years. Just not as easy to connect to the tie bars! They don't make things like they used ta. Regards Shaun. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted August 4, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 4, 2022 The heat has caused a problem or two..who forgot to lower the blackout blinds in the loft? That'll be me then! Outcome..a bit of ballast removal then redoing as some of the glue had cracked up inthe heat. New photos soon... Baz 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted August 5, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 5, 2022 Ballasting not complete .. but its getting there! signal box baz 17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted August 26, 2022 Share Posted August 26, 2022 Progress from latest working visit... Some additional structure to beef up the hitherto basic (= wobbly) supports for the main station. If you look past the last of the tracks behind the shed then we now have the slim trackbed piece for the station headshunt. The main man looking a little apprehensive (?) as he surveys the scene. Behind him, the right hand baseboard piece is now fixed in for keeps. Potential tracklaying session next visit 😝 15 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted August 28, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 28, 2022 A bit of Cork had been laid today. It was warm in the loft so it should be dry tomorrow. An investigation of why the fiddle yard turntable has stopped working has bee undertaken. More repairs required pah! Baz 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted August 28, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 28, 2022 On 26/08/2022 at 01:27, LNER4479 said: Progress from latest working visit... Some additional structure to beef up the hitherto basic (= wobbly) supports for the main station. If you look past the last of the tracks behind the shed then we now have the slim trackbed piece for the station headshunt. The main man looking a little apprehensive (?) as he surveys the scene. Behind him, the right hand baseboard piece is now fixed in for keeps. Potential tracklaying session next visit 😝 That corner's going to take some reaching? 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted August 28, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 28, 2022 Certainly is.. a few more bits of Cork required.. Baz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted August 28, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 28, 2022 3 minutes ago, Barry O said: Certainly is.. a few more bits of Cork required.. Baz Just as well you're a big lad with long arms! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted August 28, 2022 Share Posted August 28, 2022 And I'm a big lad who had a bad back for three days following my visit 🤨 Better make sure it's ultra-reliable once tracks are installed ... 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted September 24, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 24, 2022 Been doing some wiring upgrades.. no photos though. A bit more scenic work is also on going. I need some more ballast from Squires.. who will be at our show at the end of October. Things are coming together, slowly but surely! Baz 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted October 19, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted October 19, 2022 More wire strangling completed. Turntable in the steam mode is wired up, controller sockets wired in and... work (I am using standard Leeds MRS CIO 5 pin din plugs/sockets to give flexibility of controller location). Pictures of a bit of walling to be taken today... Baz 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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