UppyDownyRoundyRoundyRailway

[NedFlanders]

With the bridge deck out of the way it seemed like a good time to lay the platform foundations.

More thick card sections, held together with masking tape, were laid in the island platform area. the Eurostar loco and the Eurostar coaches were used again with an orange marker to lay out the lines.

The card template was then cut out and pinned to the aeroboard. Using the template I cut nice and slowly with a long craft knife. I found using a slow up and down motion with the blade leaning into the cut at 45 degree angle gave me a relatively clean cut. The blade was held (mostly) vertical against the card template as I was cutting with good effect.

And then it was test fitted in place. The red arrow shows one of the compromises, as the loco overhang goes out well wide on the curve and then comes back to the centre of the track on the straight it means at the end of the curve the platform has to be further in than on the straight ( yellow arrow location), as I thought this would look odd I have kept the platform edge back to the line of the end of the curve. It does mean the passengers will have a bit of leap, but you cant have everything.

Lets drive on to the upper platforms, the same method of marking out was used for the track side edges. Although to do the inside edges of the platforms I tried something different here. The black box represents a piece of cardboard cut to the width of the platform, I then slide this around the curve with a marker held to the inside edge to mark it out, I then cut ( slowly ) the inside curves freehand. The long break-off-able ( apologies to the English language) craft knifes worked well at this, it was just a matter to be slow and steady and to support the platforms the whole time.

Upper inner Platform.JPG (37.96 KiB) Viewed 3096 times

The outside platform followed the same method and then I put the two of them in place to check length and clearance - all good.

Here's a placement question - my two locations for the Station building at the upper station are marked with the red and yellow star. Now the line is supposed to be a circular commuter line like the Cathcart line in Scotland, so at the lower station I'm going to put something on the Island platform, the upper level I am thinking it might be in a slightly more upmarket area so the options in my head are:
1. No Station at all, ticket machines and (bus) shelters.
2. Old, slightly grand station like is on some of the Cathcart line
3. Modern CLASP or similar modular building.

If I put in a building then my two preferances are:
A. A low relief one at the Yellow star
B. A full building at the red.

My issue with the red star location is that it is that it might be too close to the lower station area. I want to keep the left hand side of the upper station for residential buildings so I'm reluctant to put a station building there.

Any thoughts, ruminations, observations etc. on the upper station building ( or not) location/design gratefully received.

Cheerio neighbours,

Ned.

[Ex-Pat]

I hadn’t followed your thread until very recently - if the truth be told the title rather put me off from looking at it in the first place. However, seeing your Workbench thread tempted me to take a look, and I do like your way of narrating progress.

As to the station quandary, my own preference is always prototype if at all possible. Here, you are talking about “a slightly more upmarket area”, so “The Station Winebar” (or even fancier title perhaps) as part of a relatively substantial original Cathcart Circle type station structure springs to mind. This would of course dominate the red star area. No doubt you will need a footbridge and which could be in the yellow star area.

The 2 stations are on different levels so I personally wouldn’t be too concerned about “My issue with the red star location is that it is that it might be too close to the lower station area”.

Just some thoughts!

[NedFlanders]

Ok, so where did I leave that again? Oh yes, that's where I put it!

Nope, I was mistaken.... No, still can't remember...... notes ( that I didn't do) - such a good idea in retrospect.

Well that was a bit of an interesting couple of months - I hope you are all well and your model railways have no mysterious short circuits or derailments ( I'm sure there's an old Irish proverb in there somewhere)

So, back in Feb I was busy on the platforms, I had cut out the upper and lower platforms and thoughts moved on to to how to face them. A quick visit to Wordsworth railway of this parish and I started printing out the sides of the platform.

I copied the sides at 100% to a new file so that each print out would give me multiple copies without the rest of the platform.

Ok, at this point I didn't realize my eyes were heading south at a wonderful rate and there I was thinking the light was bad, my cutting was poor etc. etc. - "No Rodney, you plonka, you're getting old(er)" - "The Light Dawned" moment was when I found I was saying to myself, "They're making serial numbers very small on the back of laptops now......" A quick emptying of my wallet in the opticians and I was the proud owner of a pair of reading glasses that dont stay on because they are so cool that they have straight legs ( i.e. nothing to hang on to the ear), so they fall off if I incline my head to far from the vertical - Doh!!!

Eventually with much squinting and pushing my glasses back to where they are supposed to be, I got the panels cut out and ready for application.

Now I'm not sure about you but one of my personal bugbears is bad joints of paper/plasticard etc. It just stands out each time I see it so I thought how can I do this and hide the join as best I can - I know - I'll get really complicated!!

Step 1: Glue two thicknesses of old calendars together with the joints well overlapped

Step 2: Colour the calendar in with brown marker where the joint between the platform panels will be.
Step 3: glue ( Prittstick or similar) the panels onto the calendars, using the ruler as the straight edge along the bottom and pushing each panel into the previous ones edge to ensure there was no gap between them.( note the little bits of brown marker appearing above the height of the facing)

Step 4: Cut out long stringy platform facing.

( No more attachments allowed in this Post - To Be Continued )

[NedFlanders]

Step 5: use spray varnish to fix the inkjet printing on the facing.
Step 6: Glue the long stringy platform facing to the Platforms using every limb, finger, appendage and anything else close to hand to keep them in the right place

I said Stay Still!

Step 7: Cut the platform ramps
(test first)

Careful now...

Step 8: Glue down the Platforms
Step 9: Cut the platform along the Baseboard joint
( Ignore the slightly lifted platform, it's a work in progress)

Step 10: realize you forgot Step 5 and now it will be a "touch" more awkward........ Doh!!!

And that is where the construction floundered since late Feb, not so much of the issue with the varnishing but work and everything else got a little bit more complicated.

So that brings us up to date with the start of September, hopefully updates with proceed slightly more regularly again, I've been tipping away at a couple of things to get in to the swing of things again - see you again soon.

All the best,

Ned.

[NedFlanders]

Howdy all,

After I fought my way through the playroom and cleared out 6 months of debris I considered where i had left things and what were my quandaries, having thus prevaricated enough I picked the first one and looked for my next opportunity for a mistake to make......

So, One of the operational issues I had was that the only way for a train to get from the inner loop to the outer loop(s) was through a rather torturous route in reverse at the lower station ( I have a point laid at the yellow line now which provides this)

As I built it I had thought -"sure this will add some operational interest.! Nah, it just added a pain in the rear. The only way I could make this easier was with a facing crossover - but hey are not allowed - you cant have wrong way running on the main line!

Or can you? Yup, the real world gave me an example - as I was on the way back from Dublin I passed through Mallow and there in all its glory was the Tralee train about to head off on the UP line in the wrong direction. Now whatever about facing points, this gave me the go ahead for wrong way running.

So where the red line is I figured this would give me the ability to have a train move over to the other line in the lower station and pass to the outer loop.

While it would still interfere with the other line it would be much easier to achieve this without any reversing so it should take less time and have less chance of derailments.

Out came the razor saw, the drill and the stock of peco point motors and

Voila!

Ok, So there's a bit of testing to be done and a bit of interlocking will probably be a good idea, but leaving a coach run down the incline and through the crossover resulted in 0 derailments out of 10 releases so hopefully that bodes well.

Now, where did I put the next quandary?

Cheerio Peoples,

Ned.

[Bigmet]

When it comes to testing your new facing point set up, do you have any known 'troublemakers' among your stock of vehicles? Coaches are typically pretty 'tame', with reasonably long wheelbase bogies and enough weight. Four wheel very long rigid wheelbase wagons, and long bogie wagons with small wheel diameter / short wheelbase bogies - especially light weight specimens - can be more trouble. Run a trainload of such when convenient, to spring any coupler problems that you won'see with individual vehicles. (I will admit to being somewhat obsessive in the matter of reliable running...)

[MiniMan64]

Just wanted to make a quick post and say how envious I am of this, I’m just starting out on a “roundy” design although I have a little more space to play with but you’ve got so much going on here, it’s just fantastic.

Bridges tunnels and stations galore!

[Bufferstop]

Ned I sympathize with the optical degeneration, from my own recent experience I can offer the comforting thought that it's not a linear progression, hopefully future steps in the curve will be smaller. I am now totally unapologetic for the expenditure on mechanical devices for the tool kit, X,y cutter 3D printer, and anything else that helps with the accuracy and dexterity. Mind you I did spot Geoff (Dad1) remarking on his eyesight at the same time commenting on his printer's inability to get below 6 point text
Keep on hacking at it.

John W

[NedFlanders]

When it comes to testing your new facing point set up, do you have any known 'troublemakers' among your stock of vehicles?

Thank you, yes, quite correct I am also concerned about the running - and that coach is one of the occasional miscreants. I don't have the crossover permanently fitted yet until I have the upper loop back in place for that very reason - good reminder! Thanks Bigmet

Bridges tunnels and stations galore!

Thanks MM, yes, that was the remit - it does look entertaining when running. albeit perhaps a little bit odd when trains pass each other when one is going up on one route and the other is going down the other - by my rough calculation it actually means that if you convert one to being level ( in your minds eye) the other is on a 1 in 15 gradient!!!!

Ned I sympathize with the optical degeneration

The last time i was told I needed reading glasses it was 30 years ago - the human body is a daft thing at the best of times! who knows which bit will act up out of pure devilment next? I appreciate the comment John.

[NedFlanders]

So now that the first quandary fix was (kind of) in place there needed to be a bit of testing but I wasn't happy with the build quality of the bridge deck over the lower station, so reinstatement of track was on hold for the moment.

i had knocked it together with bits I had to hand at the time but the quality of the base structure left me underwhelmed..... ok - going to have to replace that, but, the right angle tunnel entrance at the west end of the lower station also left me underwhelmed.....

The red Circle shows tunnel being at a right angle to the baseboard edge, so looking at the upper station i thought the sidings ( purpose as yet undetermined) would benefit to having a matching area over the lower station at least the same width where the closest track to us is all the way to the upper bridge ( pictures will hopefully make this clear)

So, much like the French Castle scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, much sawing and sanding and hammering were heard from the distance...

Some Sawing ( I hate the jigsaw - I can't keep it straight ever, so I use the mitre saw whenever possible)

Some sanding ( now this is a beast with the right paper in it - you really have to take it easy - note, must build that sanding table)
That is a nice sharp mitre joint...

A test fit ( the red box shows what I meant about expanding the upper area parallel to the sidings)

( the yellow arrow will become clear later)

And the mockup for the upper yard area in place with the new ( details later) bridge deck.

As a side question - as you look at the last photo - do you not also think "How many tools does it take to build a railway?"

[Mannick]

Nice backdrop !

[NedFlanders]

Nice backdrop !

Yes indeed. Another work in progress, I have a couple of options in my head, not sure which way to go yet.

There's a family story to the border, so removing it completely is not an option as yet. Hiding part of it on the other hand.....

[NedFlanders]

Howdy Neighbours.

As I was saying, The bridge deck left me less than enthused on its quality. At the time it was made out of two separate pieces of ply as I didn't have one long enough and it wasn't really that flat - the ply was obviously those offcuts/bad cuts from other sheets that I thought might do as they would be short. As well as that, from this photo you can see it is wider at the curve ( to accommodate the Eurostar carriages) than on the straight which, when I noticed it, irritated me no end. It had to go.

First things first I needed to sort out the bridge supports at the curve and so I took them out, matched the two pieces that would support the deck, put in some "pocket holes" to have hidden screws.
(Temporary support - showing packing to work out deck level)

(Some cutting on the table saw, clamping and pocket holes)

When I test fitted them on the baseboard and found I'd put the pocket holes directly below where I had stopped the track laying ( I had a few choice words for myself then). Sigh. no way for a screwdriver to get there. Out I went again and put in some more holes into the, now, swiss cheese support ( they can all be filled) and then secured it to the baseboard.

The deck itself used the curved section as a template and then I continued the straight section the same width as the curved section.

A quick covering in Cork to bring the roadbed up to the same height of the rest of the layout and we are ready to prevaricate on how to cover it.....
Hey-ho, it may be a bit wide, but at least its all the one width and flat now.

StraightandTrackbed.jpg (149.22 KiB) Viewed 2496 times

Until next time neighbours,

Cheerio

Ned.

[NedFlanders]

You may have noticed that the supports for the bridge deck don't appear to be symmetrical - you're correct.

In a classic case of coming up with a workaround and then discovering they do it already in the real world, I give you a flyover at Hornsey in London. "SpindleShanks" as supports as my aged Parents would describe them. These photos are screengrabs of a video so apologies for the quality.
As was said many years ago in a series in railway Modeler - "There's a Prototype for Everything."!

The supports I have in place at the moment are temporary, watch this space for when I come up with the first draft of my planned implementation - It will probably look nothing like this!

[NedFlanders]

Hello all,

It's been a bit piecemeal in the last while. A bit of this and a bit of that.

While doing a painful real world job one Saturday ( largely consists of monitoring devices and occasionally selecting options and sending commands for 12 hours). I had a lot of time where I had to watch a screen and not do much, my thoughts turned to the lower "goods yard". At its core is an inglenook but I wanted some excuse for modeling.

For a number of years I have fancied doing something based on the Tees Wagon repair depot after I found it on a random search at one time, so I re"searched" again
Google image results here https://www.google.com/search?q=tees+wa ... 00&bih=789

From the search above, I found that I am not the only one thinking that now and laserlines are producing a kit. That's convenient - not for buying - one of their images had the kit on a cutting board so I was able to get rough dimensions.

A quick knockup from a handy box and lo a mockup was produced.

A bit of test track before I lift the original siding

I shuffled the track closest to the outside to give more space for the building and this is what it looks like in place now

I think that will work fine for us - I will have to extend the building an inch or so, as the hornby container wagons don't quite fit.

Then, after many an internal debate and google image search I settled on what I would do with the bridge deck so I moved back to track laying.

after the usual fights with fishplates, glue and screws - we look good to go.

Ok - I forgot to put the powerbase under the last of the incline on it but, as its only down with copydex, that will be quickly fixed.

A nice 30 minute run time without any derailments ( apart from inside the tunnel with an errant goods wagon) and all looks good and the bridge deck is back removable again ( I had to wait for more brass screws as I found i was 2 short!).

That now allows me to look at a turnout that was under the bridge that has been giving me grief. As near as I can figure it - the frog is approximately 1mm higher than either end of the turnout. I'm not sure did I lay it on a raised bit on the cork, was it distorted or what(Red star above)? It was Mallard that showed it up first as it would keep stalling on it. I noticed she rocked on it so...

When I laid a rule on it I found it was very definitely not level - sigh. That's for the next time - unless I get distracted that is!

Until we meet again - Cheerio Neighbours.

Ned.