SRman's Current Layout - Newton Broadway

[Gwiwer]

A nice little haul there Jeff.

 

 

2603 in green with fye has already arrived.  A blue unit also with fye is still to arrive.

  

 

Oddly my 2603 which was ordered at pretty much the same time shows no sign of arriving just yet (and will therefore not be in my hands until I get back from the UK now); I passed up the opportunity of also acquiring a blue one. The Southern Electric Group's official Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Southern-Electric-Group-350543218317208/ bemoaned, tongue-in-cheek, the absence of third rail from my layout when they kindly posted a "share" of our Driver's Eye View video which reminded me I have no SR themed layout for these units and only a part-built shelf diorama which at most will accommodate two of the several Bil and Hal units I already own.

 

Now - about those Thumpers .........

[SRman]

While I was doing a little digging for information on the HAL units, I was browsing the Blood and Custard web site page specifically devoted to the HALs. I spotted an error in the photo and caption on the page showing a 2 BIL with a 'Tin' HAL Driving Trailer, so I emailed the address on the "contact" page to let the owner know. I was very careful to emphasise that I intended no criticism of the owner's efforts as it is a very useful and informative site, and in a fairly short time received a very nice reply from Colin to thank me for the correction and to say that he had moved the photo to the correct page (on the 2 BILs) with a correct identification of the coach and the unit. 

On a different tack altogether, I have been contemplating fitting lights into my London Underground S Stock train, and possible some of the BIL and HAL units as well, later. I've just fitted lights into the first two of the S Stock cars.

 

I'm using the strips of surface-mount LEDs that can be purchased quite cheaply from eBay sellers, which are arranged in sets of three LEDs with a resistor included in each set to allow for direct wiring up to 12 Volts DC. I tested one group of three sets of three on DCC wired straight to the track and that worked fine, so proceeded to wire up the first two cars of my six-car S Stock. The Driving Motor cars are easier as they already have a PCB feeding from the bogie pickups, but Bachmann have been very kind to us in fitting pickups to all of the trailer coach bogies as well - wiring the lights involves more wire and soldering than the DM but is still relatively easy.

 

The lights are very bright, so I may look at ways to dim them a little (especially if I want to light the BILs and HALs!), but I'd say the experiment has been a success, so I have four more cars to wire up in the near future. I have posed an unlit car beside the two with lights for comparison.

Some of this really belongs in the workbench blog, so I will post the same thing there, plus an update on making a centre coach for the 2H unit to make it a 3H.


 

Edited May 15, 2016 by SRman

[Gwiwer]

Those lights are very bright Jeff and while they do justice to the S-stock I'd suggest something closer to yellow for the early SR units.  Those, as many of us know and remember, were lit only by incandescent bulbs wired in series.  Not only was the illumination dim by present standards (though it was perfectly adequate and meant you could actually see out and detect which station you had stopped at in the dark!) but if one bulb failed or had been removed - as was to often the case - the entire side was in darkness.  I've known some Bil and Hal units to run at night devoid of any lighting for this reason.  Today that would be considered a safety-critical failure and the train would be cancelled.  Perhaps grain-of-rice bulbs wired in series might give the desired effect as that increases the resistance and dims the output.

[SRman]

Hi Rick. I do have a strip of warm white LEDs too, with the older stock in mind. For the S Stock I used the cool white as it seems to match the real thing better. I may shop around for another strip that isn't "ultra bright", as the descriptions sometimes go!

All of the pre-EPB stocks had their lights on the 600 Volts in series like Christmas tree lights, with two sets per coach. A (late) friend who worked at Stewarts Lane Electrical used to regale us with tales of how difficult it was to trace the faulty light bulbs on occasions, as well as numerous tales of other misadventures on the third rail system.

 

[Gwiwer]

We who have worked on preserved 4Cor 3142 find the same to this day.  It's trickier than you expect to find faults in series-wired 600v lighting.  That's why the motor coaches which are useable ran with battery powered lighting recently as passing through Golgotha Tunnel unlit is not allowed.

[sandwich station]

Golgotha Tunnel

 

Thanks a name I'm familiar with being from East Kent.

[St Enodoc]

Hi Rick. I do have a strip of warm white LEDs too, with the older stock in mind. For the S Stock I used the cool white as it seems to match the real thing better. I may shop around for another strip that isn't "ultra bright", as the descriptions sometimes go!

 

All of the pre-EPB stocks had their lights on the 600 Volts in series like Christmas tree lights, with two sets per coach. A (late) friend who worked at Stewarts Lane Electrical used to regale us with tales of how difficult it was to trace the faulty light bulbs on occasions, as well as numerous tales of other misadventures on the third rail system.

 

 

I was told by an old Brighton driver that they used to light their cigarettes by opening the two-point switch to draw an arc.

[d winpenny]

Those lights look great

 

David

[SRman]

Blue Hornby 2 HAL unit 2677 arrived on Tuesday and has been run-in, fitted with a Lenz decoder and Kadee #19 couplings fitted at each end. Because Hornby made a mistake with the length of the coupling pocket mounting at the driving trailer cab end, these units really need Kadee #20 couplings, but I don't have any of those left so the #19s will have to do until I can order some. The unit is seen here running in multiple (DCC consist) with the green HAL 2603.

 

[SRman]

A small but significant step was taken yesterday: I finally got around to fixing the gap in the woodwork on the upper level at the current (temporary) end of the fiddle yard loops. I have been toying with the idea of using the existing board as a template to cut an entirely new one, but after assessing the degree of support under it, I decided to just cut the small, oddly shaped bit of MDF from an off-cut, trimming it with the jigsaw in small increments for the final fit.




This now allows me to screw down the adjacent board, which is already cut to the correct shape and fit, which, in turn, allows me to start more track laying.

As a preliminary to the laying of further track, I have placed a few lengths of rail and posed a 9-car unit as being the maximum allowed length: 2 x 4 CEP units and an MLV were loose coupled to gauge where the end of the loop is needed (with a little leeway built in) and where the next lot of points will go.

There is, as always, still much to do (that's almost become my mantra!), but it feels like a new start on progress after a period of stagnation.

[stevescan]

I like the look of this one, very nice.

[DougN]

Looking great. Didn't mention today to just give me a call if you need some help to get more of the upper level installed. It will be nice to see the upper level running in the medium term!

[SRman]

I have been laid up a bit over the last few days with sciatica on the left-hand side. The doctor gave me two days off work and said "Rest, but don't spend too long lying down or sitting in one position". I decided to do a little track positioning (not laying, as such!) which I could do standing up without much bending involved (even so, I fear I have overdone it a little). Using my new Xuron track cutters made this a relatively quick and easy job, too.

What I have done is cut and fit the track along the front of the layout, on the bridges and viaducts. It is not fully laid as it is not fixed down in any way, yet, a job that has to await my finishing the bridges and viaducts and also completing the third and fourth rail laying on the lower level (the viaducts get in the way of this).

Anyway, here are a couple of photos to show how the alignment will look when finished. The curve under the 2 HAP unit (the unpainted resin kit at top left) is a set track 3rd radius item. If I can ease this out a little I will do so.

[DougN]

Looking very nice and sinuous. looks like it could be a big push to get the upper levels completed so that trains can run. It will be very nice for another 2 trains to be running... you can get all that rolling stock circuiting the layout at the same time.

[SRman]

With enough operators, we can run more trains! I have enough cabs for six people to each operate one or more trains - for ease of use and safety, one train per operator would work nicely.

[P.C.M]

Hi Jeff,

You are making some good progress. At this rate you will have the top level running in time for your meeting.

 

Cheers Peter.

[SRman]

I'm not sure if I will have it running or not, Peter. I will have it looking presentable, and the wiring will be simpler than the low level as I won't be allowing for analogue DC at all on the upper level. As long as I can temporarily hold all the viaduct tracks in place, I may possibly be able to run a service of sorts, perhaps without working point motors. We'll have to see ... if my back goes out again I won't be able to complete some of the work in time.

[P.C.M]

I'm not sure if I will have it running or not, Peter. I will have it looking presentable, and the wiring will be simpler than the low level as I won't be allowing for analogue DC at all on the upper level. As long as I can temporarily hold all the viaduct tracks in place, I may possibly be able to run a service of sorts, perhaps without working point motors. We'll have to see ... if my back goes out again I won't be able to complete some of the work in time.

Hi Jeff,

It will be nice to see whatever you get done Mate. Sorry to hear the back has been giving you trouble again, I know how painful it can be.

 

Cheers Peter.

[SRman]

One more from me, with a nine-car set of units (MLV + 4 CEP + 4 CEP) posed on the viaducts to show how the longest proposed trains will look snaking along the top.

[DougN]

SRman I think the full 9 coach train will be a little large. I can see you on average running 4 to5 coach trains. The old train no longer than 1/3 the length of the layout will come in. Yes, I know you and I ignore this at times. 26 wagons and a S15 on my layout! Been a bit cold for dragging timber in and out of the house at the moment 8)

[SRman]

SRman I think the full 9 coach train will be a little large. I can see you on average running 4 to5 coach trains. The old train no longer than 1/3 the length of the layout will come in. Yes, I know you and I ignore this at times. 26 wagons and a S15 on my layout! Been a bit cold for dragging timber in and out of the house at the moment 8)

 

I still want that as the maximum, but I am aiming to have the ability to run such trains occasionally. The MLVs look a little silly on a single 4 CEP unit! Once I get the Ayjay Bulleid 2 HAP going, that can attach to a four-car CEP or VEP to make a six car train (the Bachmann BR HAPs are probably still some way off). That also allows for a reasonable length Bournemouth Belle plus loco. The fiddle yard loops won't all have to accommodate the full nine cars, but I will be making at least two of them long enough. Looking at where the points will fall on the baseboards, that also fits for easier access and maintenance as they will be clear of the Underground tracks and boards running underneath.

 

But yes, on average I'll be running trains of between two and six coaches long (with or without locomotives), and maybe six to 21 four-wheel wagons. Some loops may be asked to accommodate more than one shorter train, which may mean working out a sequence carefully to allow them to be shuffled along without impeding others.

 

I have been sketching  few ideas for the engine shed and goods sidings in the middle of the end board, but haven't really come up with anything I'm satisfied with, yet.

 

I seem to recall the S15 managed 31 wagons on your layout (you must get a name for it!), although it struggled a little. 

Edited May 28, 2016 by SRman

[SRman]

For DougN: I know you have seen Newton Broadway quite regularly, but here is a photo to put the train lengths against layout/track length in a better context, taken from further back so most of the layout can be seen, including "around the bend". An 8 VEP set is also posed on the viaducts, as well as the MLV + 8 CEP.

[SRman]

SWMBO decided that we needed to pull curtains down for washing in various rooms of our house. This also involved swapping to different curtains in our bedroom. That meant that the dark blue crushed velvet curtains from there were now spare.The orange curtains in the train room, while very heavy duty, didn't really make a good backdrop for my models, so I suggested that the blue ones would be rather better (ideally I wanted some sky blue ones but none were available in the local Spotlight store when we looked). The result is this:

[Markeg]

Hi Jeff,

 

All I can say is that they look very plush!

 

Won't be visiting in August as I will be at caulfield with my O gauge layout Filching Rd Yard.

 

Mark

[SRman]

If you have been following my blogs, you will have seen my rapid building of three pre-grouping period Great Western Wagons from Parkside Dundas.

 

The first lettering has now been added. As I said earlier in the blog, the pre-grouping period GWR wagons really should have 25" lettering for the "G W", but I only have 16" lettering available. This is probably correct for the Mink D, but not for the other two, but it will have to do until I can get hold of something better. I haven't any of the small weight and number transfers in the script typeface they used, so they too will have to wait.

This, then, is how they currently look, posed with my Hornby LSWR M7 0-4-4T and a Smallbrook Studios LSWR 18 ton road van.