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Parrot Hall - 80/90?s 25kv NW suburban in OO.


kevpeo
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I've had a little disaster!

 

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The platform surface has been added using 180 grade sandpaper, kindly donated by OzzyO, cheers bud, but the contact adhesive has soaked through and the writing is showing! I was hoping to get away without painting this, but it is a little too light a gray anyway. Kev.

 

edit to add -

 

Those of a 25kv disposition may wish to visit Perth Green show next weekend, 12/13th March, as Coppell will be making an appearance.

Edited by kevpeo
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As you can see the platform roads are freshly ballasted, to fit in with the engineering works theme.  And this poses a question.  My memory suggests that all that was used in the 70/80's to mark the beginning of a possession was a red flag/sheet on two posts.  And I remember taking a photo of such a thing, but can I bl**dy find it!  So am I wrong, should there be flashing lights etc?  Anybody got a photo they can post up?

 

5149221319_653325d911_z.jpgDalston West Junction in 1984 by Tom Burnham, on Flickr

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Well today didn't go very well!!!!!

 

 

But we do have some O/H wires -

 

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Yes, the three yard roads have the 'knitting up' at last! Including a non working tensioner -

 

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The wheels for this were found in a model shop in Blackpool and are for ship modelling. It pays to look around! It was upon testing these wires I found I'd lost a feed to the track, no doubt a dry soldered joint which worked perfectly before ballasting! So I've had to add a couple of wires to feed from the other end of the layout. That will teach me not to put them in in the first place.

 

Speaking of the overhead wires this is the order I did them, first I bent up five identical 'loose' wires, these are the ones that span the baseboard joint and have to be removed for transit -

 

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This was done on a simple jig using a piece of plywood and three panel pins -

 

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The outer two pins are 18 inches apart, which is the longest wires; the third is 12 inches in, which is the length of the above. The next job was to bend another length with only one end bent into a loop; the droppers are marked on the jig so they can be kept the same distance in. This was then hooked over the first registration arm with the top wire left long for now through the loop above the portal -

 

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The other non folded end was fed through the back(end)scene where it is bent up and soldered to a piece of copperclad. This is the anchor point -

 

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From that point it is just a case of bending and then soldering the wires into place in pairs -

 

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Until the other end is reached, which has the springs to tension it all up. On larger layouts, you may have to fix in the middle as per prototype to tensioning masts and spring both ends. Of course this is just the way I do it, and is by no means perfect, but looping every joint before soldering does make an immensely strong job of it. The top wires are left loose to allow the lower contact wire to expand and contract. It also looks as though I'm going to have to add another pull off to the curved back road, as the wire is pulling too far over. The 81 and 85 have been testing all this. Kev.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Not much has happened with Coppell's trip to the NE and work, but some shopping has arrived -

 

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After some kit-bashing, the contents became this -

 

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You can see some added/fill in pieces in white. Or from further out, both can be seen -

 

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The flags can also be seen, from brass rod and painted creased paper! In the foreground one of two Bachmann waiting shelters has appeared, but I'm still moving these around to find the best position. These also need some seating making. I'm thinking a dirty grey with blue handrails colour scheme for the steps to match the shelters. Still to do are some dummy registration arms under the bridge and the return/earth wires. Kev.

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

While the painting of the overhead wires has been progressing, a few small jobs have continued. First the platform shelters have been added along with a couple of benches inside. And some passengers have appeared -

 

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They are in for a long wait until October for the next train though! And at the other end the bridge has been fitted and a solitary 'train spotter' has appeared -

 

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This just needs a couple of walls finishing and some low relief buildings making now for this end. Kev

 

 

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