Pottery Quay. EM test track / shunting plank.

Phil O

Western Thunderer
On my coach bodging thread :- Phil's GW coach bodging I mentioned I would start a new thread on the subject of my test track come shunting plank.

Over the weekend I have been doodling on Templot and have come up with the following track plan.

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The layout will be 8 foot by 18 inches, the fiddleyard will use cassettes. It will be built too EM gauge.

I have given it the provisional tittle of Pottery Quay, which was the location of a proposed line from Devonport Station down to the Tamar River, by the Torpoint Ferry.

The Grey box will be a loco shed to hide the exit hole into the fiddleyard and the trach is extended to allow loco's to be added or removed.

The layout will be somewhere to check that my auto coaches will actually go around curves, even though they won't be used during normal operating.

Don't hold your breath for progress beyond building the baseboards and getting some track laid. The construction work is held up, by the lack of timber and ply at my local builders merchants, it's something to do with the bank holiday.
 

Phil O

Western Thunderer
Some Progress has been made here, I have printed out the templates and stuck them together.

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I am also going to experiment with building the track on foam board, so I have stuck copies of the templates to the foam board using Spray Mount and cut slots the drive stretchers.

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Short pieces of copperclad sleeper have been glued to the templates, I have used short pieces as I intend to inset this track and I only had some 00 sleepers.

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For some reason the closer copperclad has come out white, in the photo.
 

Phil O

Western Thunderer
A little progress, nearly all the bits of copper clad are down and the timbering for the tandem is done.

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The observant will notice that there's a break in the copper clad in one siding, this is because I set the printer up to print the turnouts, this led to some interlocking of foamboard on two adjacent pieces and the piece which is nearest and to the left on the bottom photo being printed to add the left hand road and the ends of the next two and this led to a bit of non template, but as it's plain track I will fudge it when I lay it. Also the "V's" for the diamond are nearly complete, just needs one more wing rail to finish it.

I have also completed the centre "v" for the tandem.

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and placed on the template.

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Sorry for the quality of this one.

Short sleepers are required for the two pits, one is the ash pit outside of the shed and the other is the inspection/oiling pit inside the shed.

Once the timbering is complete, I intend to mark the rail positions on the timbers and then ash ballast the relevant areas, before fitting the rails.
 

Phil O

Western Thunderer
Some progress, I got a paint pen from Hobby Craft and marked the rail positions on the tandem turnout.

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All three common crossings for the tandem are complete. I have drilled a 0.6mm holes at each end of the brass tie's which will take a brass lace making pin, I then aligned the crossing over the template and the timber drilled, the pins will align in the crossings correct positions and once I have some baseboards, which will also be drilled the pins will continue on through the board and snipped off with about 1/2" protruding, which will the be the droppers for the power supply.

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The slots at the bottom of the picture are to locate the shed walls.

I hope to purchase the ply for the baseboards on Saturday and I still need to cut the sleepers for the pits.
 

Phil O

Western Thunderer
I managed to get some ply at the weekend and the wood butchery has commenced. No photos as yet and I would advise any chippies to skip the next few posts as it's likely to be distressing to see my efforts.
 

Phil O

Western Thunderer
So a few photo's of the butchery so far. Sorry about the quality.

!st up the carcass of the quay side board.

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The top is not secured, it's just placed there.

Next up a couple of shots of the foamboard track bases in place.



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I can now work out where the cross stiffeners will go and some additional longitudinal support as well.
 

Phil O

Western Thunderer
Well the wood butchery continues, the quay are are is now nearly complete, it just needs the end wall fitting and that will be complete.

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I have made a start on the cross stiffeners and fit the quay end wall and this board will be complete, hopefully Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

The low relief shed is also showing some promise.
 

Phil O

Western Thunderer
Despite still having an ongoing problem with me stomach, I have managed to finish constructing the first board and get the foamboard stuck down.

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I just need to drill holes adjacent to the switch tips for the operating system and track laying can commence on this board. I at least need to get the track laid at the throat end so that when I have got to the position of getting the tandem turnout built I can ensure that the rail tops are level to set the baseboard top on board 2.
 

Phil O

Western Thunderer
Hi All

Not a lot of progress of late due to the ongoing problems with my stomach. Anyway some rail was laid and promptly removed as the foamboard had not properly stuck to the baseboard, I'd used spray mount. The mark 2 will be stuck down with PVA.

Pott 24.jpg

To maintain some progress I have made a start on ash ballasting the tandem turnout, but before this I placed he common crossings in place and drilled through everything and fitted brass lace making pins, these were duly soldered in place, they have the dual function of acting as locators and track feeds, once snipped off.

Pott 23.jpg

And whilst that was drying I have made a start on the first loco cassette.

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Just needs some rail adding.

All the rails will need to be in place, so that I can get the rail levels correct for the 2nd baseboard.

There won't be much progress now as it's the Plymouth Show this Saturday and as the organiser I ought to show some willing.
 

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Phil O

Western Thunderer
Not much progress, but I have managed to finish the ash and cinder ballasting of the tandem turnout and taken delivery of GW two bolt slide chairs from Modelu. Excellent service from Modelu, I placed the order on Monday expecting a two or three week delay, as per the ordering page and they turned up yesterday. Usual disclaimer, but a very satisfied customer.
 

Phil O

Western Thunderer
A little more progress and some pictures. I have almost got back to where I ripped the foamboard up and started again.

First the picture of the completed cinder ballasting.

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One or two holidays in the ballasting, but I will sort it out with some ashonce I have got this board together.

Progress on board 1 is now almst back to where I stopped and ripped it up, due to he foamboard not being properly stuck. There are a few more bits of copper clad to go, but the rail that I had already laid is back in place except for one elbow rail of the diamond, currently held in place with the roller gauges.

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More next week with luck, hopefully other distractions will give me a bit more modelling time after this weekend.
 

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Phil O

Western Thunderer
Having been out of circulation for various reasons, I have finally got to make some progress. Board 2 is starting to come together, the rail tops to board 1 are good, but a bit of tweaking is needed on one or two rails for them to align properly, but I expected that, none more than the width of the rail head. A couple of cassettes have been knocked up and need rails. I will also put some cork on the base to reduce the chance of slipping, the cork to be purchased tomorrow at Rail Wells.

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Once the cork and rail are fitted to the cassettes I can secure the fiddleyard deck in place. I can then finish the track work and hopefully get something running, but don't go holding your breath.
 

Phil O

Western Thunderer
A couple of photo's of this weeks progress, I didn't get as much done as I had hoped for, board 3 is now pretty much in one piece, but some fettling required and an extra stiffener is also required in the middle, but I will do this once the cassettes are finished and align with the track.
Pott 37.jpg

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Fettling of the cassettes is also required.
 

Phil O

Western Thunderer
Well, progress has been a bit slow of layout with other things taking up my time including learning how to use QCAD to produce artwork for etching. I would like to etch new cabs for the Alan Gibson 1076 loco's with the rectangular windows which most if not all were fitted with. If any one is interested in a replacement cab etch, please PM. me. I don't guarantee that the windows are 100% accurate as there is no drawing showing them. I did try modifying the original in the kit, but failed miserably.

Anyway on with the progress, I finished building the cassettes and thus the fiddleyard board.
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I have since modified the arrangement for aligning the cassettes with the layout track.

I then made a start on finishing the trackwork starting at the tandem and working my way to the far end.

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The last photo shows the stretcher bar being fitted.

More to follow, but I have to go out now.
 

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Phil O

Western Thunderer
This is looking great Phil.

Nothing like flowing hand built track :thumbs:

JB.

Thanks JB,

The only straight pieces of track are the shed road and just over half of the back siding, the rest all has a gentle curve, which too my mind helps to accentuate the flowing nature.
 
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