West Kirby Town: narrow gauge is coming to town.

[DLT]

On 15/06/2024 at 16:39, railwayrod said:

As for adding a narrow gauge feeder into  Ramchester well I think not but wait and see.

 

Rod

Slippery slope time, Rod!

[Dmudriver]

On 31/07/2024 at 10:54, billy_anorak59 said:

WK did get DMUs from time to time...!

Yes, thanks - I've got that one in my collection already, though don't know where I found it!

 

Rod

[Dmudriver]

Way back on July 13th I mentioned what needed doing after relaying the track.  So ....... the new bits of track have been wired to the bus bars - without the help of my grandson who went off to France on holiday with his family! - all tested and working OK.  A lot of redundant wiring has been removed and I have reworked the diode matrix for the signal interlocking.  Here's what it looked like before I started reworking it:

 

 

And this is what it looks like now!!

 

 

I've only tested signal 20 so far (the ground signal on the rear siding), but that works correctly.

 

I've checked over 10 redundant Tortoise motors - renewing wires if necessary and checking the microswitches work OK - before I put them up for sale.  (If anyone is interested, please PM me).  Here are the 10:

 

 

And finally, the starter signals have been replaced on the layout but are not wired up yet: that's one of tomorrow's jobs:

 

 

Things are coming along!!

 

Work's also been ongoing on the NG layout - progress  is on ngrmonline.com, under the layout name "Rixteth".

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

Edited August 10 by Dmudriver

[jcarta]

That certainly has thinned out the wiring Rod 😯

[Dmudriver]

15 hours ago, jcarta said:

That certainly has thinned out the wiring Rod 😯

 

I've got out quite a bit so far!!  Suspect more to come yet, when I start resiting the Inner Home signal.

 

 

Rod

[Dmudriver]

Today's job - or the first one, at least - was to wire up the starter signals.  I've done this and am pleased to say that they both work correctly, as does the interlocking.

 

I've a job to do on one of my DMUs - to bring the vehicles closer together as there's a gap between the corridor connections. 

 

A repaired/replaced decoder for one of my NG locos has arrived and I may fit that later but today is SG day, really.

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

[muddys-blues]

16 minutes ago, Dmudriver said:

Today's job - or the first one, at least - was to wire up the starter signals.  I've done this and am pleased to say that they both work correctly, as does the interlocking.

 

I've a job to do on one of my DMUs - to bring the vehicles closer together as there's a gap between the corridor connections. 

 

A repaired/replaced decoder for one of my NG locos has arrived and I may fit that later but today is SG day, really.

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

Hi Rod, nice to see the changes, I for one loved the operating sessions on WKT as it was.

 

Good to see you throwing yourself into the NG, but please remember Bogs(carts) are for life …. Not just for Christmas !!! Is that neglected 115 set looking for a loving home yet ? 😉

 

Best regards as always

Craig 

[Dmudriver]

3 hours ago, muddys-blues said:

Is that neglected 115 set looking for a loving home yet ? 😉

 

Not yet, Craig!!  The layout from now on will be just DMUs and the occasional steam special.  So the 115 will still have a home.  I've a fair amount of blue parcels stock to dispose of, though - eventually.

 

Rod

Edited August 10 by Dmudriver

[Dmudriver]

This afternoon didn't quite go as planned as the Kadee couplings between the coaches of the 101 DMU are bolted on as opposed to being screwed.  So I gave that idea up and gave all the wheels a good clean.  I've an idea for moving the couplings without taking the body off which I'll try next.

 

However, having got the 101 out of her box I thought it would be rude not to give her a run.  Here she is having just arrived in platform 2:

 

 

After a quick turnround, the unit sets off again, past the newly re-installed starter signals bracket:

 

 

And arrives in road 1 in the fiddle yard, looking decidedly lonely amongst those tracks!!  (Each road can take 5 cars):

 

 

And, at the end of the day, diagram completed, she is stabled in no.2 siding:

 

 

Although there is now only 1 siding, it will be forever known as no.2 siding.  Newcomers will really wonder why!!

 

Next job is to plant the Inner Home signal but there's an NG job to do first - fit a new chip to replace the one I blew recently.

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

Edited August 10 by Dmudriver
punctuation.

[5BarVT]

57 minutes ago, Dmudriver said:

Although there is now only 1 siding, it will be forever known as no.2 siding.  Newcomers will really wonder why!!

The railway is like that!  There’s quite a lot of work involved in changing names and making sure all the reference documents are correctly updated.  Sometimes historical research is aided by such things.  Sometimes it just adds more confusion.

Paul.

[Hroth]

17 hours ago, Dmudriver said:

This afternoon didn't quite go as planned as the Kadee couplings between the coaches of the 101 DMU are bolted on as opposed to being screwed.  So I gave that idea up and gave all the wheels a good clean.  I've an idea for moving the couplings without taking the body off which I'll try next.

 

However, having got the 101 out of her box I thought it would be rude not to give her a run.  Here she is having just arrived in platform 2:

 

 

After a quick turnround, the unit sets off again, past the newly re-installed starter signals bracket:

 

 

And arrives in road 1 in the fiddle yard, looking decidedly lonely amongst those tracks!!  (Each road can take 5 cars):

 

 

And, at the end of the day, diagram completed, she is stabled in no.2 siding:

 

 

Although there is now only 1 siding, it will be forever known as no.2 siding.  Newcomers will really wonder why!!

 

Next job is to plant the Inner Home signal but there's an NG job to do first - fit a new chip to replace the one I blew recently.

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

 

Although the track layout of the real WK had been "rationalised" since the DMU photo, and is more reminiscent of the current layout above, it's still double tracked... 🙃

 

Will you be having races between NG trains and the DMU fleet? 🤔

 

[Dmudriver]

On 11/08/2024 at 14:39, Hroth said:

Will you be having races between NG trains and the DMU fleet? 🤔

 

Somehow I think the SG would win!!  Though maybe the NG might put up a bit of a fight with a Lynton & Barnstaple loco?  They look a bit powerful!!

 

Anyway ... the Down Inner Home signal is now planted:

 

 

but unfortunately the interlocking doesn't work correctly - it can show the above but with the near point set for the siding, which is definitely not right!!  I've spent hours and days trying to find out why and I think I've finally cracked it.  Some work to do tomorrow then I'm keeping  my fingers crossed!!

 

However, the layout of the NG station is coming along - these are my initial thoughts.  Firstly a little engine shed just off the release crossover:

 

 

A general view of the platform line and loop:

 

 

The main line comes in from bottom right, the track to the right is a bay: the left-hand line coming back off the loop is a goods shed/transhipment road and the 2 roads in the bottom middle of the pic are a carriage shed.  Further thoughts altered the bottom end of the layout a bit, as here:

 

 

The carriage shed would be the 2 roads on the right: the road next to them would go to a new, later addition, 2 road engine shed - here:

 

 

But this shed would only be a later addition, once my loco stud grows.

 

The immediate priority, though, is to get the above signal interlocking working correctly, then ballast the new track and then get on with the NG.

 

Plenty to do!!  More soon.

 

 

Rod

 

PS   The blue and brown wiring and bits of copperclad strip along the edge of the NG section is the bus bars for the NG track.   I've had enough of going under that baseboard!!

[Dmudriver]

I am (finally!!) pleased to say that the point interlocking with the signals is now working correctly.  The problem was with the 2 arms on the Down Inner Home - with the theatre indicator - i.e. the main and the calling-on.  Each arm is worked by its own servo, but that servo can be operated by 2 signal switches, depending on the road that is set.  I know what I've done to fix it, but I don't know why it wasn't working in the first place, or how the fix has worked.  Annoying, but I've a lot more to do and life's too short to try and work that out, plus I've got plenty more to do on the layout.

 

I've laid the ballast on the new stretches of track but not glued it yet:  that's for tomorrow or Monday.  Here are a couple of pics, though.  First, looking away from the station along the new length of plain line, where the trailing crossover was:

 

 

And in the opposite direction to the station throat, showing the new point and more plain line:

 

 

Tamping was done by gently tapping the rails with a light hammer!!  The signal box has been moved whilst the ballasting is going on. 

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

 

[Phil Traxson]

On 11/08/2024 at 14:39, Hroth said:

 

 

 

Will you be having races between NG trains and the DMU fleet? 🤔

 

In days past, when the FR and BR (that alone dates it) were timed to leave Blaenau Ffestiniog station  close together, there were often some very smart departures by the FR train!

Edited September 1 by Phil Traxson

[Dmudriver]

Work is still ongoing, but I'm getting there!!  I've sorted out a lot of the redundant wiring under the baseboard and checked the Outer Home signals were working - but they weren't!!  It turned out that 1) I'd undone a return wire from the signals and 2) in my enthusiasm I'd taken out a section of the lighting wires.  Anyway, both signals now work as they should except that the LED on the Down Outer Home has packed up.  Drivers will get the appropriate instructions.  The Down signal also needs replanting but the baseboard is right over a main bearing beam where it needs to go!!  I'm sure that can be overcome, though!!

 

The glue on the new ballast has now dried and the loose stone vacuumed off: just the spraying to do now.  I could leave it clean to indicate the work that's been done but overall I think it will look better sprayed dirty.

 

Here's a pic of how the main area is looking now:

 

 

I'm rather pleased with that!!  And there's plenty of space around the narrow gauge.  There's a couple of speed restriction (10 mph) signs to go up, but I'll leave those until I've sprayed the track.

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

[Dmudriver]

The Down Outer Home signal has now been planted:

 

 

A bit further from the track than I wanted, but at least I avoided the main beam underneath.  This is a view showing how close it came to the main beam:

 

 

The wire that's visible is one of the control wires seen in the first pic.  I try and make these holes spider- and other insect-proof:

 

 

The clear yoghurt pot is under the hole for the signal's original location and has been there for 12 years or so and has done it's job, the labelled one is for the hole I've just planted the signal in.  Unfortunately it looks like I've missed a bit so I'll fix that tomorrow (provided it's not raining!!):  I did this without uprooting the signal but that meant I couldn't see all the hole properly.

 

The signal, apart from the LED, works as it should.

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

Edited September 7 by Dmudriver