Arise Canon Dale Colliery!
Thanks to layouts by the likes of smallman28 and MrT, the decision was made some time ago to build a tail chaser using the track from my abandoned DCC project and build it to as high a standard as I can muster. Until now I just haven't had the space to do so. During my house move I found a plan I had drawn and not completed some 15 years ago, so I decided to do the honourable thing and end its lament by actually building it rather than throwing it away...My apologies for not using xtrkcad, but I'm not using it for this layout, I'm working from a crusty old sketch
To check that the track plan was feasable, I laid out the remnants of my DCC project on some sheets of ply and had a play around with clearances. The plan had numbers relating to setrack radii on most of the curves, 2nd radius minimum on the inner running line, which I wasn't so keen on, so first off I altered that to 3rd radius and 4th radius. I also added in a second crossover so that the sidings at the rear of the plan were workable from both lines without having to reverse trains over a curved crossover which resulted in the following ~
More than surprised at the comfortable fit, it has now become all systems go. Because this is essentially a setrack layout, I want to make this look as uncluttered as possible while squeezing as much as I possibly can to make what is a small tailchaser operationally interesting. It is essentially a flat layout, and I have made open frame boards in the past to accomodate ground level changes, so for this I am going to go the whole hog! Not only that, the layout will need to be portable in case I have to move so it is going to be semi open framed and modular, with the intention that it can also be extended if I want! I opted for exhibition style entirely ply construction, 'egg box' baseboards for their lightweight and handy portability. The 8' x 4' layout will require four 4' x 2' baseboards, each being made from 6mm ply 'timbers' on a 12" x 12" framework for strength and rigidity and a 9mm ply top. The next series of photos show the skeleton of the first board as it is built.
The spine of the box assembled. Not very strong, in fact it was incredibly flimsy, there is nothing to hold it together yet. At this point I questioned my sanity in opting for this design of board.
The board edges were fixed in place and the land profile below rail height cut well clear. A slab of loft insulating board was cut to shape and inserted in the corner. Already the box was getting stronger.
The 9mm ply top was offered up to check the fit and all was level before fixing into position, and the rest of the loft foam was cut to shape before the board top was glued and screwed into place. If you check back the the plan, you can see how the seperate piece of foam will form the road which runs from the overbridge to the underbridge when it has also been carved out. I can confirm that this board when supported between two chairs will hold my bodyweight (only 12 1/2 stone...) comfortably with no sagging.
At this stage I got a little bored of woodwork and decided it would be more fun to get some trains out and have a play with photographic angles for the finished article...So back out with the track and I also carved the embankment roughly into shape. Some photos of my little indulgence ~
A pair of 47's on, err, 'clearance rechecking'.
A 37 backing it's train into the colliery to be loaded for domestic use (hence the use of HEA's)
37 254 runs light engine back to the colliery after refuelling at the small depot a little further down the line.
At this point I decided to keep the track out and lay it properly, so out came the cork underlay and the soldering iron for doing a little DCC DIY on the points. Hornby provides those horrible little staples to make their points all live, and as I prefer to use Peco track, I decided to go about things in a more permanent way so as to bypass those flimsy little contacts on the point blades. My apologies, I photographed that process too
The sleeper webs were cut just behind the point blades so I could gain access to the bottom of the rails.
Using some 0.5mm bare copper wire (as used on telephone lines) I electrically bodged the rails together. I used 0.5mm single strand with DCC here as it is sufficient as an emergency backup should the point blade contacts fail, and is easier to disguise than heavier duty wire. Being as I am providing a lot of track feeds via a 4mm bus and 1mm droppers, they'll never need to carry much current as there will always be a path of lower resistance.
Naturally before I laid the point on the layout, I made sure that it was electrically sound so as not to cause any shorts when in operation.
Also before laying, the copper links were resin coated for protection and painted to match the sleeper colour. From above they are quite discreet I think you will agree, and easy to hide when ballasting begins.
While I was at the track laying game on this board, I also soldered the droppers on to the rail joiners so they too could be hidden effectively. On this first board there are no less than 5 track feeds, one at each end of the circuits, and one for the headshunt. This is the first time I've bothered to attempt to hide the track feeds, and even in this under construction state, I can say I'll never solder a track feed to the side of a rail ever again!
Now that this board is pretty much complete in terms of tracklaying and basic electrics (well, the bus is still needed, as well as linkages to adjacent boards and point motors...) my focus for the weekend is going to be on building the board for the colliery itself. This board will include a 5 arch bridge with later built girder bridge extension built to accomodate a road realignment for the colliery, the exchange sidings, loading plant and a disused canal wharf (if it fits between the exchange sidings and the running lines...). Nothing like a woodwork challenge to keep you occupied is there?!
But on the plus side, the track feeds can stay where they are as it is just the track which needs to move and not the location of the joint! Hopefully a 3rd radius half curve between the point toes will do the trick.
