7mm Blackbridge Town

[Jordan]

I believe the Moor St traversers also had four tracks each? (but can't remember where I read/saw that? surely 3 tracks would do??)

 

[cbrailways]

I believe the Moor St traversers also had four tracks each? (but can't remember where I read/saw that? surely 3 tracks would do??)

3 tracks: Moor Street Station: Cross section through the traverser table, showing how one of the three rail roads could be moved sideways

 

[cbrailways]

Had a session mocking up the track layout on Boards B, C and D. Crikey, it all fits

Board B. The upper paper template under the track shows the position of the replacement Single Slip point:


Boards C (lower) and D with fiddle yard traverser (upper):

 

[cbrailways]

Well, I have had a few weeks mulling over the final layout arrangement. I decided that having a three way point on the traverser was not a good idea. I have partially reverted to my original concept and no longer need to purchase a single slip and three way curved turnout (I didn't make it to Kettering so saved some money in the process).

Here is the layout as it will now be constructed:

Yellow: Locomotive Traverser (as per Birmingham Moor Street)
Dark Pink: Footbridge and steps to platform (there is no road access to the platform)
Light Blue: Station Building
Dark Blue: Station Platform
Dark Grey: Road Overbridge(s)
Red: Signalbox
Purple: Fiddle Yard Cassette
Light Grey: Elevated Goods Yard
Orange: Goods Shed (at elevated level above fiddle yard traverser)
Green: Wagon Hoist (as per Birmingham Moor Street)
Light Pink: Fiddle Yard Traverser (under Goods Yard)
Hidden Track: Dark Grey Solid Sleepers
Orange Line: Retaining Wall
Red Line: Baseboard Joints

So essentially I have an scenario whereby I can operate the following:
Passenger Trains: Two Coach B Set; Autotrain; ex-GW Diesel Railcar
Freight Trains: Fish, Oil and Coal to/from the Dockside Branch (connecting line to fiddle yard through short tunnel upper middle); Sorting Sidings (four sidings to lower right); Elevated Goods Shed fed by Wagon Hoist from lower level (middle right)

As this will be very much a 'hands off' layout I am looking at Kaydee or Dingham autocouplers. Be interested to hear thoughts on this.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Kaydee or Dingham autocouplers

There are two camps on this.

Personally I would go for Kadee couplers as I have had experience with their reliability in HO scale. However, buckeye couplers are unprototypical for most UK stock and the draft gear box will sit under and jut out from the buffer beam (thereby making it obtrusive) in order to place the back face of the coupler in line with the bufferheads for reliable operation. Having looked at your layout plan you may struggle to couple up on curves especially with the bogie stock. Also there's the question of retrofitting them to existing locomotives and stock without resorting major surgery.

Although still unprototypical the Dingham coupler is the least obtrusive, especially if blackened. Their website suggests electromagnets but I'm sure you could use neodymium magnets instead. I've looked at these for my own stock but never got around to trying them. These do not require surgery to retro fit as they use the same mounting as the coupling hook. The only downside to these is all the vehicles have to be the same way round in order to have the hook or loop facing in the same direction.

As for my P48 US stuff I'm using Protocraft scale buckeye couplers which require operating cut levers on the vehicle, or a magnet on a stick and therefore not 'hands off' .

 

[cbrailways]

Hi Dave, thanks for your thoughts. I have seen both types of couplings in use on my 0 gauge groups test track. Dinghams look to be very fragile but I don't intend to manhandle (whoops, should that be personhandle) my rolling stock too much. The guy who uses Kaydees only has them between a fixed rake of coaches and uses 3 links for everything else. However, I am tempted to go for Dinghams because, as you say, they fit in the existing coupling pockets in the buffer beam so require less work. I'm going to experiment on a Peco wagon kit I have under construction. I like the idea of blackening them to make them even more less intrusive. How do you do that?

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I like the idea of blackening them to make them even more less intrusive. How do you do that?

If they are brass I would use one of gun blue solutions available on the market. I use Birchwood Casey Gun Blue which I picked up at an exhibition but you do have to read the container label to see which metals they will blacken. My approach is below but I'm sure other WT'rs will have their methodology.

After reading the instructions I poured some of the solution into a small jar or pot and also have a second jar or pot of water. The couplers were dunked into the blackening solution and as a soon as they went black I removed and transferred them to a pot of water to arrest the blackening process. They were then dried and cleaned with kitchen towel.

If the Dingham couplers do not require soldering then I would blacken them on the fret using cotton wool buds dipped in the blackening solution and wiped over the couplers until black. Once blackened and dried they can be cut from the fret and assembled. If any brass is still showing then you can retouch them with the solution.

The picture below is one of my Protocraft P48 cast brass buckeye couplers (in the open position) treated with gun blue. For scale the cutting mat squares are 10mm.

 

[cbrailways]

Thanks for the further information. I'm going to construct a sample blackened Dingham.

I have also been looking at Sprat and Winkle couplings (made by Model Signal Engineering). Does anybody have experience of these?

As stated in previous posts above I'm looking for 'hands off' operation as much as possible.

 

[cbrailways]

Just succumbed to purchasing a Tower Models DCC/Sound version of 0-6-0T Saddle Tank No.1363 in weathered black with early lion over wheel crest. Fantastic loco. Will add some photographs later.

I have started serious construction work on the layout. Progress photographs to follow.

 

[cbrailways]

Sorry its been a bit quite since my last post but its been a bit busy at work and at home. As I mentioned elsewhere above, in addition to the Blackbridge Town model I am building I also have another smaller layout in preparation called Blackbridge Town Riverside. To avoid clogging up the main thread I have created a new one for this layout in the Layouts section.