Green Frog Brewery - A Inglenook Shunting Layout

[Dad-1]

Right, This project was borne out of my local club always wanting to use my HS-II Shunting
Puzzle layout. When it came back with a loading gauge destroyed and bicycle shed damaged
and a home made frog polarity switch broken I said NO MORE will it go anywhere if I'm not
there to look after it.

With our exhibition manager having already got a booking for July it was decided that we would
make a Club version, slightly more robust so less likely to have accidental damage. Ahh, but who
has the knowledge of the exact dimensions required ...... Me. Guess who will be doing the majority
of the work, although we are trying to get club members to do something.

Exhibition manager made the 'Box' using dimensions I advised. This was easy enough as overall
board length of 48" is exactly the width of sheets of ply. Not only that, but we had a spare piece
mouldering away in the village hall cellar.
Now 48" is the absolute minimum for the design I used, in fact my original was 49.1/2" long,
believe me you need every mm for the 4x5x3x3 track plan. It's partially because we're using Kadee
couplings for what should be hands free operation. The Kadee magnets need enough space to
the siding ends for coupling-up wagons that have been 'Free Shunted' in.

So the 4x5x3x3 consists of a head shunt long enough for your small yard loco and 4 wagons (17.6)
over the headstocks. The 5 represents the length needed by wagons alongside the loading bay.
The two 3's are the wagon numbers that fit into the two small sidings.
The layout runs with 9 wagons, each individually recogniseable and listed in assorted order on cards
of 5, you then have to shunt wagons until the required 5 by the bay are in the right order. This type
of layout has to be driven using quite a lot of forward planning - all great fun, which is why the
club now wants it's own version.

All the scenery is up to the builders imagination ........

Off out now, but another posting with a couple of photos later today.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

A Picture worth a thousand words ...... Anything to save me from typing too much !!

O.K this is the headshunt end. As I said clearances are tight, to get a few extra mm there is a hole cut in the end
to allow any fitted coupling to fit in, thereby gaining a few mm.





Even then, using a GWR 57XX you have less than an inch from clearing point blades to bumping into the wall. Remember
though you don't always have 4 wagons ! My favourite loco for HS-II is a Bachmann Midland 1F, nice & short + super running.



Your clearance is from the screwdriver point to the first wheel of that 4th wagon. I usually have a level crossing here and
use the edge of that to indicate clear from point blades.
Also note the 'crib' cards giving the order by which you have to shunt into place.

Here we have the action end, the platform siding for the assembled puzzle, with the two short sorting sidings.



I should have trimmed these magnets slightly, it gives a tighter uncoupling zone but provides more usable siding space.





I'm making up platforms and a canopy as part of the scenic build. Some of this can be done away from the 'Box'



There is an awful lot of buildings and scenic stuff to do, I do have donated building .... IF ??

Geoff T.

[Stainsacre]

Like button pressed

[glencairn]

Looking very impressive. Well done.

Glencairn

[Dad-1]

Thanks for the comments Glencairn & Stainsacre,

No photograph yet, but I have made the track infill for the level crossing by gluing standard matchsticks together.
Also roughly painted some grey where roads are expected to be.

I thought I'd explain why I'm using the unsightly Kadee above board magnets. I'd much prefer to use underboard
fitting, but experience tells me that setting them up can be a nightmare and takes a considerable amount of time.
Here on HS II you see where the magnetic zones are, between each wooden peg. So when fully ballasted there was
no visual identification that a magnet was hidden, the pegs provided a drivers aid. This new project in on a tight
build timetable.

We also like a good laugh, Green Frog Brewery, their beers have more Hops. With under the name on our building
"A Taste To Make You Jump For Joy". I suppose the building problem is that we don't have one yet !!



Again on HS II I added point rodding with a twin lever frame. I consider these to be far too vulnerable for general
club use, particularly when track cleaning.

Just thinking - If I had to Self-Isolate there is enough work here to last me 2 weeks !!

Geoff T

[Dad-1]

Not much going to get done this weekend as I'm away at the Wessex Association exhibition at
Wimborne on both Saturday & Sunday. A 'Thomas' outing

I've just about done all the rail painting I can do in one sitting, about 1/3 of the tracks. Also sanded
the matchstick track central infill for the level crossing. Still some sanding to do for best fit, but with
tracks painted at that location now I can soon fix in place.



A box arrived from big 'H' today. One complete RTR, and 9 assorted kits, or Dapol self paint. I suppose
we could have just bought RTR, but then we would end up with duplicates of the same number, something
I hate !!

Geoff T

[Dad-1]

After a good weekend running my Thomas layout I've come back to do a few jobs without bursting with
energy. It was good to meet up with Heda, I hope he enjoyed the outing.


All I managed was sticking the timber level crossing infill and then painting once in place. I then did some
more rail side painting, this must be amongst the worst of railway modelling jobs. I know some spray with
Railmatch track grime, I'll still work with a brush and can of Humbrol paint, but understand why spraying
sounds attractive.



The layout has a few areas painted for future developments.



With a funeral tomorrow I won't be back to do more before Wednesday. This will give me time to think about
what I'm going to build !!

Geoff T.

[heda]

Yes it was good to meet and we had a pleasant couple of hours browsing.
If it wasn't for the fact you mentioned it in a post on Friday we wouldn't have known it was on. Note to myself, pay more attention.
Dave

[Dad-1]

Good to see you Dave - Last one for quite a while I fear.

As I'm old and not allowed out I have to pass my time working on the railway !!

While mucking about with the platform area and it's supports I did a shunt about. Note the unpainted wagons.



By teatime - O.K 16.00 Hrs to be precise some of those wagons are part painted.







Note the old Airfix Meat Van, these were repainted and used for Ale Wagons before filtering into standard revenue
stock. The Bauxite is a 'late' colour, but I believe near to the original LNER.
The Bachmann SR wagon has had the old mountings sawn off to enable me to fit dovetail mountings with NEM pockets
for fitting Kadee No.18 couplings.

Supposed to be confined indoors, but I have LOTS to do.

Geoff T.

[heda]

Clouds and silver linings Geoff !
Were not actually locked indoors at the moment but not going out so much so I've been using the home time to catch up on some of the little railway jobs that I've been putting off. Only problem is I'm getting prompted to catch up on some decorating too !
Dave

[Dad-1]

Dave,

I dodge the decorating jobs by getting the hoover out, the noise blocks out what she's
saying. Craft ehh ?

The danger is that I can all too easily spend money on-line. Look at it this way, the Bank
of England is printing money, call it quantative easing, the economy is shot to pieces like
nothing since WWII. This will without doubt lead to increased inflation - remember this is
also a world wide problem and usually it's the savers who indirectly bale out governments,
answer if you have the money and want it buy it NOW.
Don't believe me ? let history say if I'm right, or wrong.

Back to the layout now, with biscuit and hot drink in hand, the garage is cold today.

Geoff T

[Dad-1]

I must be getting old, I seem to have slowed down so much, everything I do takes longer.
Not been on line much because of so much to do ?
However in these times of House Arrest, or safety separation whatever you call it we're stuck at home
more than usual. Time to do work on - just about everything.
First has been getting a bufferstop on the platform siding. This layout being just 48" long every mm is
important. It will just about accommodate a cut down Peco sleeper built stop, giving between 1" & 3/4 "
of space with 5 wagons alongside



At the uncoupling end it must be impossible for a 6th wagon to be over the uncoupler, or you will never be
able to remove the stock !! This is No.6.



This will be where wagon 5 sits with the far end wagon resting against the stop. If re-coupling wagons you
have to drive very slowly and carefully.



When a train is against the end, and I do meant touching this is the clearance between the 4th wagon in the
headshunt and point blades for our platform line.



I hate things interfering with the scene, but controllers have to go somewhere. This is a convenient hand held
controller, but it's always had Velcro to hold in place on the clubs test track. So my idea is to put two blocks
camouflaged by brick finish having Velcro on the top to hold clear when not hand held. I might even put a door
on the side ?



In line with a mammoth 'Build & Paint' exercise I fancied making an early 9ft wheelbase wooden wagon look like
it's coming to the end of it's life. I didn't have the patience to cut lumps out of the wooden sides, but though
bowed sides would help, plus loads of weathering still to come. The coal load is Jarvis coal hiding a piece of plastic
sprue wedged in to spread.



Not all the wagons have couplings fitted, but those so fitted work well, promising !
Loads to do with the platform and even box sides. I MUST paint first white ceiling paint, then a layer of pale blue
on the top 4, or 5" before more scenic edging can be added.

I'll be back ..... Number 19 permitting !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Things can go wrong, I've had to lift out one of the points. I was having problems and couldn't work out
exactly what it was. I hope they will vanish when I replace the point that's giving trouble, I believe that
the problems relate to intermittent power failures from the factory attached frog feed wires. Already I'd
had to bypass one wing rail feed as it had suffered complete failure.

Any way more wagons painted ad decalled and progress towards the level crossing.







This one was a problem, the scale wheels are plastic with steel rims and were reacting badly with the above
board magnets. Now replaced with Hornby wheel sets.



Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Not added anything constructive on this thread recently because of a "Problem" that became evident
when changing the testing locomotive from a reasonably heavy Bachmann 57XX to the shortest, but
powerful enough loco for the job, namely a Hornby Sentinel 0-4-0.

What happened ? The locomotive was jerking, stalling, at random times and places, usually over the switched
live frog areas. By substitution it appeared that small light locos were most severely affected. I knew all the
track wiring was spot-on and various DCC systems all displayed exactly the same problem. In effect the layout
was unworkable. All stop until the reasons fully understood and cured - See in the DCC electrics threads trials
title of thread including "Frog Juicers".

Finally I can get back to the actual layout and it's build, because I do know the reasons and will be adding a
longer term fix when components are received.

Decalling of most un-painted wagons & kits completed. The Kadees are more or less behaving themselves
although some additional braking needs adding to a couple as they push so easily the Kadees are not re-coupling
easily enough an with so little space available immediate function is sought after.

Almost time to add some ballast. One thing I do to prevent too much drip through is to try and seal the dropper
wire holes with plugs of BlueTack.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

The Frog Juicer problem now tamed and they will stay on this layout although most true electronics
enthusiasts wouldn't touch them. I was also rather iffy, but a good friend who is an engineer (not
electronics) had been having so much trouble with the Peco sliding polarity switches that he used
on his 3 way point and has had no problems since fitting, in fact he's delighted with them.

Here is the anti spike module that cost me about 30 pence, before postage of course !!



Now I'm able to return to finishing off making the last few wagon kits for this job, a couple of Dapol
16 ton minerals.
In addition I've now fixed up one of the mechanical point changes. This stack of aluminium beer
kegs is the point lever.



I do enjoy playing games, my original shunting layout used a car and a van for the two point changers.
I've also now added a decoder to my 48 HP Ruston and removed the attached pick-up carrying match
truck. I was amazed at it's quiet running and considerable pulling power. Not quite enough to pull 6
Kadee equipped wagons with the mandatory braking required to make Kadees work well.



Tempted to add a link to a short video of it running across points at super slow speed (speed step 1 on
the Gaugemaster system).

Geoff T.