Loxley Lane, 6x4, OO layout

[Graymee]

LARGE INTAKE OF BREATH....BEGIN

Thanks for the advice guys, I'm gonna continue with Loxley Lane and sort the loft at the same time, i figure that, worst case scenario, when the move up top finally happens, I strip the layout and re-use all of the track and point motors etc on the new one. If i just fit buildings etc down with good old blutack or similar then they can be easily lifted too. I need more time to prepare the loft after speaking to the site manager today. He has said that the builders advise against using the loft as the ceiling joists will sag and may crack the ceiling, if that happens there will be no insurance liability either! So he is looking at drawings for me to see how feasable it is to add additional joists from the tops of the supporting walls. Only snag with that, may be a loss of height, something i need being a lanky bugger. We'll see but i have also considered building a big room inside the garage mainly to ensure warmth and no damp but that's another issue....

So the little 6x4 gets it's reprieve(sp) and i have got renewed enthusiasm. I have fiddled around with the trackplan again and could use some advice please. This is what i settled on and have been quite happily playing with:-


I have already messed around with the headshunt and made it a bit longer with some odd bits of settrack but i've got a length of semi-flexi which i think i'll be brave and try and use instead. I've also already moved the extra siding from the top to the bottom giving the option of using it for storage or an extra platform. but my storage/goods/shunting area (i am gonna get a book about basic railways to learn what the proper terms and uses are) is bugging me i think it looks a bit awkward so ive changed it around and come up with this:-


I've not actually taken up the track and relaid to try it yet but wanted to know if this is a bit more prototypical. looking a other layouts it seems a bit more normal and seems to flow a bit better?

I want's to finalise the plan asap cos now that i've took my head out of my A&$£ i want to get things moving again. cork needs cutting out and points motors should be here tomorrow. On the subject of cutting cork, my mother recommended a bit of needlework kit to help. It's got the flamboyant name of "Quilter's Magic Seamer" and i got it from hobbycraft for about 2quid. It is really just a brass disc with a hole in the middle, put point of pen in hole press disc against edge of track and draw around it. leaves a perfect 1/4inch overhang, i assume thats how much you need for a seam in fabric?? I've done a dry run and it seems to work really well. I tried other methods but ended up with lines all over the place and didn't think it would look neat enough even when ballasted so this should be a great help. Thanks Mam!

Ok that's all for now, thoughts on the trackplan would be really appreciated please.

Vive La Loxley Lane

Cheers

Graeme

[Graymee]

Hello again,

I've stuck the trackplans into another thread in the trackplanning section : viewtopic.php?f=15&t=20772&p=264860#p264860

Meanwhile i've built a CDU !!

and the soldering isn't bad either

Never attempted anything like this before so i quite chuffed! Left mir wire strippers etc in my van and can't be bothered to go outside now but i'll get some in and out wiring on there tomorrow. Anyone know a good way to test it without risking burning out a motor. I do have a MEGGAR but i only use it on 240v appliances so it puts about 500volts thru, not sure if i can reduce that to test a 35v capacitor. (I may have to do the sensible thing and ask this question again in the electronics section?? )

That's all for now

Cheers

Graeme

[Rammy]

I'm no expert on electronics, but don't some of those tracks need cutting? The diode & resistor have all legs on the same copper track.
I was planning on making my own CDU eventually but the plan I downloaded (can't remember where from, or actually where it is now I'm thinking about it) had far more components on than that.
Dave

[Graymee]

Hi Dave,

Got this from Brian Lambert site http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/Electrical.htm although i've just tried to have another look and there is some kind of Java error on the site which windows will not let me get past?? It's on page 2 of the electrical section... it is the "basic CDU" You could well be right, i've never done this before and know zip but there is nothing about cutting tacks on the diagram??

Have a look and let me know though (if you can have a look!)

Cheers

Graeme

Edit! Have a look at this thread, same CDU apart from he's used 2x 2200uf and i've used 1x4700uf capacitor. viewtopic.php?f=22&t=19590&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=45
Might have just made your CDU building a bit easier??

[Class 66]

Hi Dave,

Got this from Brian Lambert site http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/Electrical.htm although i've just tried to have another look and there is some kind of Java error on the site which windows will not let me get past?? It's on page 2 of the electrical section... it is the "basic CDU" You could well be right, i've never done this before and know zip but there is nothing about cutting tacks on the diagram??

Have a look and let me know though (if you can have a look!)

Cheers

Graeme

Edit! Have a look at this thread, same CDU apart from he's used 2x 2200uf and i've used 1x4700uf capacitor. viewtopic.php?f=22&t=19590&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=45
Might have just made your CDU building a bit easier??

I've acctually now changed the capacitors around from the 2200uf ones to the 4700uf ones and would highly recommend it's done. The recharge times are so much quicker with a 4700uf capacitor

BUT. Rammy is right. Your current CDU stripboard layout will cause a short circuit. You need to put a cut between certain tracks. The first being between the 1st diode pins and the second being between the 220R resistor pins.

Once you've done it's best to solder some wires onto the tracks so you can connect them up to terminal blocks for the PSU and the point motors.

To help heres a picture of the underside of my CDU :-


Hopefully you get what I mean

You've done a very good job though

[Graymee]

Thanks Stephen,

I can see where you've cut now that i look closely ,didn't see it on the diagram but makes sense when i look at it again!! I'll get it finished later. How did you test yours?

Cheers

Graeme

[Rammy]

Have a look at this thread, same CDU apart from he's used 2x 2200uf and i've used 1x4700uf capacitor. viewtopic.php?f=22&t=19590&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=45
Might have just made your CDU building a bit easier??

Thanks Graeme. I think I did get my design from Brian Lambert's site but I think I had bought bits for the advanced CDU. That basic one looks much easier.

[Class 66]

Thanks Stephen,

I can see where you've cut now that i look closely ,didn't see it on the diagram but makes sense when i look at it again!! I'll get it finished later. How did you test yours?

Cheers

Graeme

I fed the power supply wires through the power supply side (the side without the capacitor) and tested the output with a multimetre on the other side.

Wiring up a point motor to see if it will work shouldn't damage it though I believe.

[Steve with the Hat]

Hi Graeme,

Great thread and interesting to see how your plan has evolved. Very similar to our own experiences in starting out. After many revisions of our plan we added a fiddle yard too so we can run trains 'off stage' - (and collect loads more stock and locos hehe), are you tempted to try and squeeze one on somewhere?

Those small shunters, how are they at slow running? We have a hornby 0-4-0 from our starter set and its either all or nothing - not very good for shunting....

cheers

Steve

[Graymee]

Hi Steve,

Been following your thread too and have to say that i'm very impressed with your modelling skills, those tunnel portals are great!
Right enough bum smooching and onto task in hand!

The plan has evolved a little further:

The switchover has been moved after much deliberation, mainly to avoid problems of overhang in the station area, advised that the platforms would have to be set too far back and would look wrong. Will mean a little more work when "running around" but seems like the better option. There will be a failsafe in place before anyone screams about facing points! There was no other way i could do it. There's a link to another trackplanning thread in my sig box now. Also the main feature is an extra siding in the "yard" area, which should give me a bit more playability. I have also considered shortening the space for the bottom platform and adding an extra siding off the end of the bottom siding (if that makes sense?) just to put another loco shed on and store more locos. Similar to your fiddle yard but perhaps only room for one or maybe two engines.

The problem i have is in committing to what i have, every time i think i'm ready to move on i think, "but what if i changed this" or "could that be improved?" It feels like i'm dithering but i know deep down that i could have rushed in three weeks ago and pinned the track down etc etc and i'd now be doing that repenting at leisure thing, which i really don't go in for.

Hopefully though that's it now, I've got my folks visiting for the next few days but after that i'll get cork down and wiring done as soon as poss so that i can actually start some modelling!

Those little shunters seem to run very well btw, however i have nothing to compare them to other than the little 0-4-0 hornby which you can see in some of my pics i think. That isn't DCC ready so it hasn't had a lot of running anyway. At present the track is just wired for testing with the clips that came attached to the controller at one point of track and the points are all converted to electrofrog. Obviously this isn't the best way to wire a layout for slow running and once i get my bus and droppers fitted i will have a better idea. Despite the shoddy wiring though, they do seem to like to creep along. ( i get a bit scareed when doing that though because it feels like i'm putting a lot of load thru the transformer to keep the voltage down?? I have the same fear about dimmer switches for lamps/ceiling lights, i guess it's the buzzing that gets louder when dimmed that gives me the eebie jeebies! )

Anyway thanks for the interest, you may get pestered for modelling tips in the near future

Cheers

Graeme

[Steve with the Hat]

cheers G, although I think you have me mixed up with someone else - my best moments are a mixture of luck, cider and impatience

might have a punt on a bachmann shunter then trainsontime have them unboxed for a tenner

our plans are looking quite similar now, there being only so many permutations of round layouts when you boil it down. we ended up moving our station to the straight so we can get 3 full length coaches pulling up which looks sweet. i'd suggest making your platforms as long as possible!

concreting track down with pva and sand definately cures indecisiveness (<<couldn't decide how to spell that)

although for gods sake check track seperations 3 times as we now have on area on a curve where full coaches 'catch' a little

what do have planned for the corners scenic wise? are you having a back scene?

ah i re-read that you are moving upstairs possibly so i guess you dont have to ballast - handy!

anyway enough early morning mutterings - looking forward to your next update pics please

[Graymee]

Been a bit busy for last couple of weeks, so not much progress but here goes:

Firstly I have FINALLY settled on a trackplan and there is no going back!

decided just to have a thru station and use the extra siding as just that. will probably put a small engine shed or two at the end of it???
but that is absolutely the final plan because i have finally cut he cork trackbed out so i can't really change it!
I used the Quilter's tool mentioned earlier in the thread (i've also posted details in the "new discoveries" section)

works really well

end result is:

took about half an hour to draw around the whole track, after i'd pinned it all around, then about anothe half hour to cut out all of the cork (just lifted each sheet and cut with scissors) had a little bit of waste


But it's done at last. No way could i have done such a neat job without that little brass disc!

I'm now debating whether to glue the cork down or just pin the track and let that and the ballast keep it in place?

Next move is to fit points motors and bus and droppers, hopefully this week, work permitting...

I'm gonna try and use magnets and staples for uncoupling see this thread viewtopic.php?f=8&t=20801 but i'm not sure where the best position for them is? I have enough magnets to make five uncouplers so any help would be appreciated as i really need to get them under the track, but I might actually just cut away the sleepers and fit them in to save me chiseling away at my baseboard.

Well i think that's about it for now.

Cheers

Graeme

[f1_mw]

Looking good Graymee. With regards to the magnets, are they thin enough that you can just cut out a section of your cork underlay and have them under the track? If that doesn't work, are they strong enough to work through the baseboard?

[Graymee]

Hi Chris,

No they are just too thick to sit in the cork, baseboard is 12mm ply so not strong enough to pull thru. I kind of figure that if i cut away the cork and sleepers they will look ok when ballasted, certainly better than hornby uncoupling ramps and no worse that some of the exposed electromagnets that i've seen on some exhibition layouts using Kadee type couplings.

what do have planned for the corners scenic wise? are you having a back scene?

ah i re-read that you are moving upstairs possibly so i guess you dont have to ballast - handy!

Scenic ideas are still floating around in the empty vessel that passes for a brain, probably a hill/tunnel at top right corner, possibly a road over bridge comimg in from left somewhere...headshunt gets in the way a bit, although it is not as shown on the trackplan now, i've actually used a length of semi-flexi which has allowed me to bring it closer to inner oval, I'm thinking maybe a double width portal over the mainline then create a second tunnel to the side for the headshunt from polystyrene. I had thought about leaving the headshunt tunnel as "bare rock" without a portal for a bit more interest.
I'm probably just gonna use a plain backscene, sky blue and clouds, maybe a hill or two??
Anyway that's a while off yet, need to pull my finger out and get the boring stuff out of the way first.

As for the loft move, it's still on the cards but I'm gonna stick with the 6x4 for now, so ballasting etc will all be done...

Thanks for the interest fellas.

Cheers

Graeme

[bizzyd6405]

the track plan looks great and looks like you've made a good start with laying the track, i'll keep coming back to look at your progress as i think you layout will turn out good, keep up the good work

Cheers
Darren