Monks Ferry: a layout for the Grandchildren.

[jonte]

With the arrival of straight sections of track courtesy of fellow WT-er @LarryG, and a pair of Hornby points for the crossovers mentioned last time, I’m almost ready to make a start on track laying. All that’s required now are the fishplates, metal and insulating, which should arrive any day now along with a couple of packets of track pins, as I still cannot trace the ones already in my possession. No doubt they’ll turn up when I’ve finished whilst searching for something else……

However, despite the above and all the tools, materials and adhesives with which to make a start, I still wasn’t in a position to do so. Why? The station roof!

After separating it from its ‘wings’, further work was required to make it acceptable; frankly,ideas evaded me along with the desire to address it. There is so much to do elsewhere to make this an operable layout, that this would figure towards the bottom of a seemingly endless list. Additionally, those bargeboards drove me to distraction (I’ll save you the angst of me explaining why once again……), but the wherewithal (like the ideas I’ve just mentioned) just wasn’t there. A reminder:




So, onto option two: the lower, shorter span roof. This also required remedial work having been damaged in storage (the fragility of this version was a concern handling wise), but was simple enough to resolve:





However, this would only provide cover for the two centre roads with ideas to cover the outer roads being rendered non viable due to the proximity of the running rails, a consequence of trying to squeeze a quart in to the proverbial pint pot…….
This made the decision for me.

So how to address option one without several weeks additional work?

I recall being struck by the roof without its lid on when constructing it; if it could be removed (a big ‘if’ as I’m not sure the umpteen soldered joints were up to rough handling to say nothing of the white wood, veneer and cardboard fascias) along with those ruddy awful bargeboards………….. A token attempt to conduct a trial ‘separation’ with a modelling screwdriver on one side, with a spare ten minutes last evening, provided a glimmer of hope. Thus with a morning and afternoon free today, I took the whole into the garden and made a start. With just a half dozen or so crossmember joints as casualties (this beast is tougher than it looks) sorted by lunch with the assistance of my big-fella Weller (80W), the afternoon was spent tidying up the solder and smoothing down the remains of those bargeboards, now narrower as when first constructed, and which will have a new set fashioned and adhered in their place; eventually.

So now, the stock at the platforms will all be undercover as before; what a relief (Swansea Victoria is called to mind):






Best of all, I’m now in a position to continue track laying, or at least when those fishplates arrive.

Cheers for now.

jonte

 

[daifly]

So now, the stock at the platforms will all be undercover as before; what a relief (Swansea Victoria is called to mind):

Swansea Victoria did spend the last 25 years of life with a rather less weatherproof covering!

Dave

 

[timbowales]

Swansea Victoria did spend the last 25 years of life with a rather less weatherproof covering!

Dave

View attachment 239260

Apparently we can thank the Luftwaffe for that

 

[40057]

Swansea Victoria did spend the last 25 years of life with a rather less weatherproof covering!

Dave

View attachment 239260

I like the roof advertising sign on Hancock’s brewery behind.

 

[jonte]

Once more I let you down fellow WT-ers, as track laying has yet again to begin in earnest, although what I’m about to bore with you I suppose is an embryonic approach to the task.

What I’m trying to relate is that reading around the topic of DCC (although browsing would be more accurate….) it would appear that ‘live’ rails are the way to go. Essentially, this translates to bonding closure rails with adjacent stock rails. Although the concept is not totally alien, as I’m most used to doing this with ‘electrofrog’ versions of RTR points, I’ve not done so before with Insulfrog stuff, and the proximity of a moulded plastic crossing (frog) to a potentially high temperature heat source seemed the stuff of nightmares. Indeed, Hornby provides a staple type clip for the purpose that simply flexes between the two on the surface of the sleepers most suitable I suppose for the younger type of modeller most likely to use this tripe of track; one perhaps who has yet to acquire the tools, experience and courage to wrestle with a hot iron and melting metal. However, to align with the values of my crusade in a vain attempt to make the track look as realistic as possible, my hamfistedness a given, I thought it appropriate to at least give it a go.

So, armed with the necessary tools to render a proprietary piece of track to melted plastic and the finest/thinnest wire I could purchase on line, I bit the bullet and set to.

First, a rotary tool was precariously dangled over the base of the point to remove the plastic at that the required locations to reveal the bare metal of the underside of the rails. The waste plastic was tidied with a file and sanded smooth, the rotary tool scratching the rail surface to prepare the rail for soldering:

It can be seen that I staggered the cuts for the task in an attempt to maintain structural integrity. It didn’t twist, so this will be the way forward.

The wire was taken, sleeve removed and twisted to make it as robust and slim as possible for sitting between base and rail without causing a ‘bump’. It was then tinned, along with the base of the rails and soldered:



This first attempt can be seen at the non-diverging side of the point. Despite being brave and using my second in command thirty watter, the idea being to get in quick with as much heat as possible to reduce risk of damage (Big Fella Weller’s bit was simply too big for this job), the first fix well, wasn’t, so back in I went to that section for a second attempt (be brave, jonte).

Despite this being the thinnest wire I could find, it was still a little chunky looking - although not obstructive in terms of the point not sitting flat - so with the second side (diverging side), I halved the wire, which despite looked a little more unobtrusive, allowed me to get the bit to fit alongside to ensure a good firm bond. Connectivity check showed appropriate flows of current. Success!



So now I’ve convinced myself that the task can be achieved without rendering each point useless, I can rest a little easier.

Just seventeen more to do before I fit the feeds to each………

jonte

 

[John57sharp]

Following with great interest, though I only have 2 or 3 to potentially do.

This stems from concern over my little W4 Peckett stalling on the dead frogs!

 

[jonte]

Following with great interest, though I only have 2 or 3 to potentially do.

This stems from concern over my little W4 Peckett stalling on the dead frogs!

Thanks, John

This is why I’ve opted for DCC: the option of a capacitor installed in offending locos is appealing, especially with so many plastic frogs in such close proximity. Had enough of that in my youth

Jon

 

[jonte]

Just re-read my post of yesterday and found it littered wtih topys yet aigan.

No idea how the word ‘tripe’ appeared in relation to my description of Hornby track. Think it was supposed to be ‘type’.

Apologies for failing to proof my pists before posting. Think it’s because my waffle bores me to death…..

jonte

 

[simond]

Just re-read my post of yesterday and found it littered wtih topys yet aigan.

No idea how the word ‘tripe’ appeared in relation to my description of Hornby track. Think it was supposed to be ‘type’.

Apologies for failing to proof my pists before posting. Think it’s because my waffle bores me to death…..

jonte

Well, it made me giggle, anyway.

Just a thought regarding your jumpers, if you can find some single strand wire - the kind the GPO used to use for fixed telephone wiring in the days of our youth, it’ll be thinner, and easier to install. Or an old relay or transformer, and just sand the varnish off the wire.

atb
Simon

 

[PaxtonP4]

Just a thought regarding your jumpers, if you can find some single strand wire - the kind the GPO used to use for fixed telephone wiring in the days of our youth,

Just make sure it's copper and not copper coated aluminium.

 

[Roger Pound]

Just re-read my post of yesterday and found it littered wtih topys yet aigan.

No idea how the word ‘tripe’ appeared in relation to my description of Hornby track. Think it was supposed to be ‘type’.

Apologies for failing to proof my pists before posting. Think it’s because my waffle bores me to death…..

jonte

Jon,

Did you graduate from the Professor Stanley Unwin School of Grammar?

Just wondered............ !

Roger .

 

[jonte]

Qitue possilamentablenoustyness, Rgeor

Jon

 

[jonte]

Well, it made me giggle, anyway.

Just a thought regarding your jumpers, if you can find some single strand wire - the kind the GPO used to use for fixed telephone wiring in the days of our youth, it’ll be thinner, and easier to install. Or an old relay or transformer, and just sand the varnish off the wire.

atb
Simon

Many thanks for your suggestion, Simon.

I’ll reconsider and have a nose although it’s occurred to me to try, perhaps, even a single strand of wire to serve as a jumper on the next one to see how it fares. I’m aware that with DCC maintaining voltage is key, although I was grateful for your past reassurance that in layouts of this relatively small size, it shouldn’t be too much of a worry (each rail will have its own feed in any case).

Here, I think I’m right in saying the jumper simply serves as a contact twixt stock and closure rails?

Incidentally, a quick check (albeit with a DC engine and controller) with track attached to each of the three paths of the turnout, saw it perform without issue (apart from the adjustment of the btb of a wheel set on the engine’s tender which annoyingly strikes the frog nose on the diverging road, something which also occurs on a wheel set or two of the Bachmann coaches used for testing seen earlier). Grateful thus far that wheel sets of the two locos tested to date seem okay in that respect, but in the event of me inevitably finding a couple of offending items, I’ve a modelling vice, full size vice and a GW Wheel Puller to assist. Still, I’m not relishing the thought…….

Cheers,

Jon

 

[simond]

Jon,

the jumper serves two purposes. It does ensure supply up to the frog, without the dodgy connections associated with blades being used as contacts, and, making the conversion was a way of ensuring that old-fashioned commercial points were rewired so that the back of a wheel could not touch a point blade of the opposite polarity, and bring the whole layout to a crashing stop.

A strand or two should be fine.

Atb
Simon

 

[jonte]

Jon,

the jumper serves two purposes. It does ensure supply up to the frog, without the dodgy connections associated with blades being used as contacts, and, making the conversion was a way of ensuring that old-fashioned commercial points were rewired so that the back of a wheel could not touch a point blade of the opposite polarity, and bring the whole layout to a crashing stop.

A strand or two should be fine.

Atb
Simon

Good to know.

Thanks, Simon.

Jon

 

[jonte]

Nobody will be more relieved than I that this litany of preliminary track laying posts are at an end………almost!

You may recall I intended to site a couple of sidings to the left of the station roof for vans and a possible shunting engine’s refuge. The problem was (because it was a change of plan no. 8 subsection c) i) ), the point required lay across a joint. Although I didn’t want to complicate matters by splicing a point and the rigmarole involved with an iron (not impossible, I just couldn’t be ar…, aherm, bothered ), more frustratingly, it took the curve leading into the far left platform a little too close for comfort to the pillar/tower base. I wasn’t going to risk it. Thus, after a little head scratching,the solution lay in placing said point to the fore of the station throat/junction with the main line, as poorly arrowed here:



With some more points acting as curves to show its proposed path adjacent to points serving station:



………and what it looks like from the building end of terminus:



This has been satisfactorily accomplished (for my peace of mind, anyway) without having to alter too much the throat itself. In fact, I took the opportunity of opening up some of joints to allow for expansion as in the summer, it tends to get quite warm in my modelling room.

Now to give the keyboard a well deserved rest.

Cheers,

jonte

 

[timbowales]

That is a quite amazing set of pointwork! The grandchildren will tie themselves in knots with that lot

 

[jonte]

That is a quite amazing set of pointwork! The grandchildren will tie themselves in knots with that lot

……….and me more so!

Thanks, Tim.

Jon

Edit: it’s why I’m intending to employ diodes to make selection of routes in the station area a little easier

 

[timbowales]

……….and me more so!

Thanks, Tim.

Jon

Edit: it’s why I’m intending to employ diodes to make selection of routes in the station area a little easier

I especially like the way you've achieved the equivalent of a single slip using a diamond crossing and two points.
What do you intend to do with the line next to the ruler that appears to be heading straight for the access hole?

 

[jonte]

I especially like the way you've achieved the equivalent of a single slip using a diamond crossing and two points.
What do you intend to do with the line next to the ruler that appears to be heading straight for the access hole?

Many thanks for the compliment Tim, however I can’t take any credit for a formation that’s simply evolved. For instance the pseudo slip you refer to was the result of a postponed attempt at trying to accommodate a train departing as one simultaneously arrived like many city termini such as Waterloo in the late steam era on which this make believe is (very) loosely based. Prior to this, all trains entering and leaving had to cross to the down main to do so, prohibiting the process mentioned.
The solution was reached by adding facing left and right handed points either side of the diamond. Sheer luck!

As for the line headed for the drop, apologies for the confusion but I was too idle to dig out suitably sized curves to trace the path of the latest addition i.e. the sidings for vans/shunter, so just picked up a couple of handy points lying around to represent the absent curves which handily share the same radius.

Thanks again for your interest, Tim.

Jon