A GWR journey through the 1920s and 30s

Currently building baseboards and the drill battery has just expired, rats. The other battery died a while ago and I can't get Screwfix to deliver a new drill to France, double rats! Decent drills are available here, but at silly prices and not in a good way.

Okay, frustrated rant over. Time for a sarnie while some juice gets into the battery.

More later.

Bill

  Following my cordless drill rant, I thought I’d use my 40 year old mains drill, but it’s brutal unsophistication would have ruined the plywood frames needing delicate speed control, so I’ve been getting 10 minute chunks of work for every 45 minutes recharging time of the almost knackered battery. It will not last long, so Amazon are sending me a shiny new drill with a 5Ah battery.

To add to the night curfew, we’ve been back on lockdown since Friday morning, so I made what I thought would be a quick trolly dash on Thursday, as DIY stores are now closed. Both the garden centre and the DIY shops were heaving, so I concentrated on filling just my Briccoman trolly with more plywood, timber, adjustable feet and screws, to ensure I can complete the backscene and legs, as well as the baseboards, while non-essential shops are closed for at least 4 weeks.

Lightweight modular baseboards have always seemed a good idea to me for several reasons. My standard size will be 1200 x 600mm with 15 x 100mm high sides and braces, with 9mm tops.  I’m building the branch in advance of the main line, as it has just 6 points, and 3 boards, meaning I can practise all the new fangled ways of doing things since my previous layout 40 years ago.




Here’s the first board’s framework, almost ready for screwing and gluing. The sides are deep enough to mask the slow action point machines, while the holes will help reduce weight, as well as enabling easy cable routes. I’ll assemble it next and then see if the new drill arrives before the old battery finally gives up the ghost!

Bill

That looks very professional Bill.  You'll be pleased to finally be putting hammer to nails.
I know exactly what you mean about prices for "outilles" in France.  Some years ago, I bought an excellent Makita drill here - on offer with a smaller drill thrown in although the package still only had 2 batteries.

Both are very good drills, as one would expect from Makita.  I recommended the particular drill to my brother in UK.  He bought it for just over 50% of what I'd paid - and it wasn't on offer !! 

That was the last power tool I ever bought in France !  

Regarding batteries, I did buy a replacement for a Dewalt nail gun from an online retailer here.  So far, it's proved to be a good battery although, as I don't spend 24/7 using a nail gun, I can't say how long it will last.  It was certainly much cheaper than the Dewalt offering !  If you're likely to need replacement batteries in the future, I can give you the suppliers details ……

Hi Bill,

You might want to add a hole for the DCC control panel/plug at the front. Universal Throttle Panel (UTP). 6mm is not very much meat for screws, if you use chocblocks it helps if you have an additional piece glued in to give 18mm. 

Nigel

That looks very neat Bill.  What kind of plywood are you using?
Terry

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

That looks very professional Bill.  You'll be pleased to finally be putting hammer to nails.
I know exactly what you mean about prices for "outilles" in France.  Some years ago, I bought an excellent Makita drill here - on offer with a smaller drill thrown in although the package still only had 2 batteries.

Both are very good drills, as one would expect from Makita.  I recommended the particular drill to my brother in UK.  He bought it for just over 50% of what I'd paid - and it wasn't on offer !! 

That was the last power tool I ever bought in France !  

Regarding batteries, I did buy a replacement for a Dewalt nail gun from an online retailer here.  So far, it's proved to be a good battery although, as I don't spend 24/7 using a nail gun, I can't say how long it will last.  It was certainly much cheaper than the Dewalt offering !  If you're likely to need replacement batteries in the future, I can give you the suppliers details ……

Thanks Peter and yes, it’s good to be building something and having sufficient materials to keep busy during the lockdown.

Despite a new drill winging its way to my workshop, I’m keen to source a new replacement battery for the old Dewalt, so I can keep it in reserve. I found trying to source a reliable battery with so many poor reviews a minefield, so I gave up. Do your suppliers have a website? I’d be pleased to receive a PM with details.

Many thanks,

Bill

[user=1632]BCDR[/user] wrote:

Hi Bill,

You might want to add a hole for the DCC control panel/plug at the front. Universal Throttle Panel (UTP). 6mm is not very much meat for screws, if you use chocblocks it helps if you have an additional piece glued in to give 18mm. 

Nigel

 Thanks Nigel and I will need to fit my NCE socket panel to the front fascia, which shouldn’t be a problem when I decide just where to place it. The frames are 15mm thick, so should be fine, although I’ll use a pattress if necessary.
  
Bill
  

[user=711]col.stephens[/user] wrote:

That looks very neat Bill.  What kind of plywood are you using?
Terry

Thanks Terry, it’s commercial name is Powerplex Plus, FSC certified and is red hardwood faced over an eucalyptus core and comes from Holland. I’m using 15mm thickness for the frames, 10mm for the tops and 5mm for the backscenes.I have timber for the legs and braces, adjustable feet, and also alignment dowells in the post from DCC Concepts, so am looking forwad to some more relaxing carpentry.

I’m using power tools for all cutting and drilling and despite a temporary setback with an ailing cordless drill, working with this product is a pleasure.

Bill

PM sent Bill.  :cheers

Hi Bill,

Given the size of the layout I would plan on having a couple of UTP terminals plus at least one hand controller with a flexible lead so you can do walk around rather than being fixed in one location.

Nigel

  Hi Nigel,
  
I agree entirely with the need for two UTPs and when I upgrade my NCE Power Cab with the 5amp booster system to run the larger layout, it comes with an additional throttle. For now though, I’ll build and test the branch with my 2amp Power Cab.
  
Bill

  A quick update starting with good news, the new drill arrived on Saturday and in no time at all, well after an 8 hour first charge of the battery, the second board was done. If dry tomorrow, I’ll build the third and then get to the ironmonger on Wednesday for leg bolts and something to clamp the boards together.



  
Fingers crossed for having the three boards built, up on their feet and all joined together before the weekend.
  
More soon, be good,
  
Bill
  

Wow!  That looks great Bill…..you must be a very happy camper!
Keep well

Now I'm really jealous !!  That looks superb Bill.  How heavy are they - only 4ft x 2ft but pretty sturdy ply ?  You'll note I still think in old money although I have to buy in new ………….. :oops: :roll:   A sensible and manageable size - I haven't worked it out but can you get all the framing out of 1 sheet ?  The tops will leave almost enough for a 4th board in another sheet.

How's the new drill ?  If it's anything like the last one I bought, they're a bit like model railways - they've come on in leaps and bounds over the years !!  I thought I'd arrived in the space age when I bought my first cordless drill - no more tripping over extension cables or being tethered to the nearest power socket.  Then, when eventuallyI replaced it, the new one made it seem as if it had come from the ark.

  Slightly off topic, but Hattons have just notified me that my Dapol Mogul order has been processed and they are currently residing in my trunk, presumably in quarantine!
 
Soon,
 
Bill

Thats great…..be sure to tell me how it performs. 
Havent heard from Hattons yet but I expect that I wont see mine much before Christmas.

  Thanks John and Peter, they turned out fine and once a method and rhythm established, should be quick and easy to produce in quantity, as I’ll be needing just over a dozen more.

I haven’t weighed them Peter, but they are light and easy to handle. I bought factory produced sheet sizes, so the tops are single 1200 x 600 x 10 mm thick sheets and I rip the sides and ends with the circular saw from 15mm thick x 1200 x 600 and 600 x 400mm long boards respectively, so the only waste are the 50mm diameter holes and 15 x 100mm strips from the ends and braces, if I can’t find a use for them!

While not quite standing on their feet, the boards are now ready and eager for a coat of paint and to begin to resemble something looking like a model railway.




I’m using a jig to mark consistent locations of threaded sockets and bolts for the legs, thus making the legs a universal fit for any baseboard. I must find a safe home for the jig, so I can find it when the mainline boards are made. Now where did I put the ‘Where did I put it Book’?

The alignment dowels were a snip to fix and I was pleased to learn that Peco’s unifrog points need no wiring enhancements before laying. The frog is pre-wired, so the wire just needs bringing down below the baseboard for attachment to a polarity switched power supply from the point motor. I just hope it’s as easy as it sounds, bearing in mind the slow motion point motors have bulit in polarity switching.

I’ve legs to make up, then with the boards at a convenient working height, I can set out some track and determine just how long this branch is going to be. What fun!

Bill

Lovely boards there Bill. I was going to ask if they were going to have a top or be open, but I see they have a top in the last photo.  
Very exciting to see a new layout developing from scratch!

Michael

  Thanks Michael, I’d researched open frame boards and they are great for undulating landscapes and facilitate the ‘Pendon’ method of planting buildings, rather than plonking them. However, as the branch will reside in another building until the railway room is fully operational, more robust solid tops seemed the way to go for mobility, although the single track incline, skirting the moor on its way to Newton Regis, will almost certainly be constructed with open frame boards.
 
The sun is shining today, so as soon as I cut the grass, I’ll be back tramping the boards in getting the trackwork planned out in detail. Not enormous pressure, but I now have the Tortoise point motors ready for dispatch from Suffolk.

On-y-va!

Bill

  I had a quick panic after something Peter said recently, possibly tongue in cheek, but as rumour has it that a true word is often spoken in jest, I took the possibility of delayed postal deliveries between the UK and France after 31^st December very seriously, not wanting to be short of materials as Newton Regis begins its journey into reality. BREXIT? Humbug!
 
I have point motors on their way and have now added a range of static grass fibres, together with associated adhesives. As soon as I get the track and electrics laid and tested, I want to get some scenery on the boards before adding ballast or man made items.
 
On reflection, there’s probably not an issue with long scenics delivery, as I have no misconception of just how long the trackwork and electrics might take me, this being the first time for experimenting with dark things such as DCC electrics (thanks though John), with unifrog points, point motors and then the big one, the control panel. Big swallow!
 
I freely admit that I’ve never took the time to really understand electrical theory and practice, although I’m perfectly capable at moving mains sockets, switches, etc and am very careful. It will be a while then, before you may see any great progress other than seeing some track going down, although I’m reading up on how to get things done, so fingers crossed.




I have however finished the boards, joined and painted them and set out the station run round which determines the overall dimensions. The boards length is currently 2 400mm (8 feet, give of take) and to model the station access, I’ll add an additional 400mm board, so just a little more woodwork, before laying some track.
 
TTFN,
 
Bill