Petermac's Railway

That looks great Peter
I kind of remember you explaining the layout of the intemediate station and the sunken tracks but I didnt quite visualise…..now all is clear. Its very ingenious. Dare I ask where the tube is going?:pedal


Its also a clever idea to conceal the branch with station buildings so the the rising gradient isnt apparent……are you going to stop branch trains there and suggest the presence of a high level station with signage?

Great progress……

It's coming together…it looks like a long reach across the baseboard?

I hadn't thought about trains actually stopping there John but it is a possibility and one I shall explore.
The tube is a real tear-jerker John - I just can't find anywhere suitable at present ….    One problem is that, in it's present form, the loops either end of the station module are too big - the radius would require a good half of the width of the unit and allowing that much eould ruin the rest of the layout …..

It's very sad but, for now at least, Chocolate Pudding Lane will have to be a stand-alone exhibit ……

You asked about reach Phil - the board you see with the engine shed and coaling tower is the widest one and is 3ft wide.  As it's also 3ft high, I can reach over it easily but I will have to be careful what I put there in terms of structures once all is up and running.  The coaling tower is of course,  free standing.

This morning has been spent under the baseboards !!!
Whilst carrying out the redesign of parts of the layout, I am attempting to make some kind of sense of the wiring and renewing it where necessary.

Originally, everything relied on fishplate connection, the droppers being wired to them and drawing power from a copper tape bus on the facia board.

Whilst this made soldering new droppers an absolute doddle, it is both unsightly and vulnerable to physical damage.

I disconnected 2 small wires from the tape this morning and the whole of the loco shed board went dead !

I'm now adding a new power bus underneath (2.5mm household cable) and new droppers as required.  Soldering each end takes around 1 to 2 minutes - getting uncer the board and then upright again takes around 20 minutes and believe me, it's not a pretty sight !

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

You asked about reach Phil - the board you see with the engine shed and coaling tower is the widest one and is 3ft wide.  As it's also 3ft high, I can reach over it easily but I will have to be careful what I put there in terms of structures once all is up and running.  The coaling tower is of course,  free standing.

Looks more like 4ft in the picture Peter.

It does look wide Phil - maybe because all the tracks make it appear so.
It didn't seem too wide when reaching to the back of it doing the gradient but when you asked, I measured it.

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

This morning has been spent under the baseboards !!!
Whilst carrying out the redesign of parts of the layout, I am attempting to make some kind of sense of the wiring and renewing it where necessary.

Originally, everything relied on fishplate connection, the droppers being wired to them and drawing power from a copper tape bus on the facia board.

Whilst this made soldering new droppers an absolute doddle, it is both unsightly and vulnerable to physical damage.

I disconnected 2 small wires from the tape this morning and the whole of the loco shed board went dead !

I'm now adding a new power bus underneath (2.5mm household cable) and new droppers as required.  Soldering each end takes around 1 to 2 minutes - getting uncer the board and then upright again takes around 20 minutes and believe me, it's not a pretty sight !

Only 20 minutes. What a sprightly young thing you must be. But  seriously, I cut the legs off an old steel chair and put castors on,  well wheels actually. I now lower myself down by grabbing a layout leg  and the same when getting up.

That's a good idea Peter - a sort of "mechanics go-kart".  There's so much "stuff" underneath my baseboards, I wouldn't be able to roll anywhere on it.

I've learnt quite a bit about baseboards with this layout.  For me, 3ft high is probably the worst height to have one.  I can't sit upright underneath - not high enough, but lying down doesn't work either - it's then just a couple of inches too high. In a small space where one can't stand back from the boards, eye-level viewing is difficult unless one kneels down.  That in itself, is quite difficult but getting up again is nigh on impossible !  Today, I actually found myself consciously working out how I was going to get back on my feet from a kneeling position.  Grow old gracefully they said - there's absolutely nothing graceful about growing old !!!!!!!  When I think how I hopped about when we moved to France a mere 20 years ago …………………….

It's similar to mine Peter, in fact I think mine is a little wider, which is ok until something has to be fixed at the far end and behind trees etc  :roll:

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

Chocolate Pudding Lane

Now that is something I can relate to!
The slope to the viaduct looks like it’s coming on well. 

My layout is nearly four feet high which is good, any higher and it would be too difficult to stretch across.

Is there a way you could lift yours Peter?

[user=2057]TeaselBay[/user] wrote:

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

Chocolate Pudding Lane

Now that is something I can relate to!
………………………………………

The chocolate, the pudding or the mind blowing "Mind the doors" bit Chris ?   


Phil, nothing is impossible but attempting to raise it would create a massive amount of work and lead to other problems …………………  It is level with the window line where it is.  Lifting it a foot would bring it almost to the level of the sliding window latches - a problem I have yet to work around with a backscene.  The unit does have both air-con and heating installed but I still need to open the windows from time to time to give it a good airing.

Can you turn the windows upside down Peter ? So the catch is at the top ? Failing that you could fit sections of the backscene using magnets so you can 'Pop' A section out in front of the window to gain access
Cheers

Matt

The catch is fairly central Matt plus, even without the window situation, raising the whole thing would be a massive undertaking and, as I don't intend to spend my life inder the baseboards, the ends don't justify the means.  I'll live with it as it is.   :cheers

No Peter I didn't mention raising the whole thing lol That would probably be a nightmare task ! I just meant attaching some of the backscene sections with magnets so you can easily get behind them to open windows when needed  :thumbs
Cheers

Matt

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

….I've learnt quite a bit about baseboards with this layout.  For me, 3ft high is probably the worst height to have one.  I can't sit upright underneath - not high enough, but lying down doesn't work either - it's then just a couple of inches too high. In a small space where one can't stand back from the boards, eye-level viewing is difficult unless one kneels down.  ….

Hi Peter,

3ft: what luxury! My setting sits at just 65cm. The plan was to engage my (at the time) very young grandchildren and in that respect it was a success being at a suitable eye level for them and viewable from over the backscene; their "little world". I have to content myself with sitting for operations, otherwise it's helicopter viewing; you get used to it and of course W-H grew way beyond any original intentions!

Fortunately getting underneath is not too bad as it's a tiled floor and I can slide in on my back on a flat garden kneeler mat rather like on a car mechanic's trolley but more comfortable. Rarely needed anyway. Next time will be different! 

My piercing saw arrived today with 144 blades graded 1/0 to 6/0 - this should be fun !

Thinking about the viaduct cladding, what ought I to use for the "soldier courses" around the edge of the arches ?  Wills don't appear to make an appropriate design and I believe their sheets, being thicker than most,  are not compatible with other makes.

Phil - you said the coping around the bridge arch (I call them "soldier courses", probably incorrectly  :oops:) is "poly sheet" scored ……………

What do you mean by "poly sheet" - do you mean styrene sheet or something akin to styrofoam or the core of foam board ?  I was thinking of using DAS clay but apparently, it won't stick to card, then I saw Marklinofsweden make a tunnel portal from styrofoam which looked good although getting styrofoam thin enough would be nigh on impossible …………..

Any further ideas please Gents ………………. :hmm

Not sure if the arch radius is already set up

Wills do a brick arch overlay kit SS 55 which might work otherwise thin plastic strip cut and scored will do it…..but somewhat time consuming
Keep well

Thanks John - I'd missed that one ……………… :oops:


I wonder, how many arches does one get and what are their respective radii ?  My arches are already fixed so, unless there are several of the correct radius in the pack, it will work out pretty costly …………………..

I think the scored plasticard will be the way - I may be gone some time …………………………… :roll: :roll: