Branch Line - Roundy, roundy with some shunting

That`s right mate.

Such is life…..but you can`t have it all your own way……but I tried??

:cheers  Gormo
 

Permanent Way Gang have been busy this Sunday Morning.







Unlike Network Rail though, don't think it'll all be back in time after the bank holiday



Ed

Certainly have been busy Ed. All services cancelled until further notice.

Looking good

Cheers

Toto

Crikey !!!!!
What happened????????
Ed ……have you been taking your medication old mate??????

:cheers  Gormo

… And they've demolished the trackside buildings too… :shock:

Marty

I won the 'idiot of the week award' yesterday.

Spent ages earlier in the week attaching new droppers and wires to switch frogs closure rails, with a fine tipped soldering iron and didn't melt any sleepers.



Installed the first left hand point of the crossover yesterday and the system shorted.

Thought it must be a damaged slide switch, so cut the wires I had so painstakingly attached with said soldering iron and ………..

system still shorted.

Checked droppers were connected correctly, blue dropper to black bus wire and brown dropper to red bus wire, all fine.

Cut the droppers and …………….

no short :hmm


Something wrong I thought and went back to check the drawing below.



The it struck me, if you install the wrong left hand point in the wrong place you will short the system :oops::oops::oops:


Just off to start again :sad:


Ed

PS Try and put 'em in the right place this time.

Ed old mate.??

Welcome to the club………hands up those of us reading your thread who never made a boo boo???

OK you made a boo boo……but hey!!…..you worked it out and I bet you won`t get caught that way again.

Can`t see any hands yet and I don`t expect to either.  :It's a no no

:cheers  Gormo



 

My hands are up ……………reaching for another beer..

Ed hi ……. From the master of boo boo's. I'd win an award.  How low does your heart sink when you realise what you've done. However, quickly followed by the elation I knowing that you can move on.

Done well to have no sleeper casualties.

Carry on the great work.

Cheers

Toto

No pictures, but it's in and working.

Slight "I don't believe it" moment when I had a short when I first turned the power on, but I'd left a coil of solder wire across the track :thud

The other left hand point is in but not got it's droppers or switch wires connected, so it's relying on rail joiners and switch blades for connectivity. Today's job!


However the Hornby Class 31 which was tending to short as it went over the crossover (unless I had nail varnish painted on the frog tips), now goes across no problem.

Ed

You are winning the battle Ed
:cheers  Gormo

I'm always reminding myself of that old British Railways slogan Gormo,

We're Getting There

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h80Gt0rG8Jo



Ed

Good to see it coming together for you Ed.

I feel a running session coming on for you.

Have fun.

Cheers

Toto.

The Permanent Way Gang would like to apologise for the delay in essential track maintenance work, but all lines are now open.



The slide switches providing additional conductivity are in the bottom left hand corner of the picture below.



Don't think there is any way to make a insulfrog point more reliable to protect against short circuits and not rely solely on switch blade contacts for connectivity.

Haven't put platform two back yet, as I think I really need to do some work on ground cover for this goods yard area.

I've got some air-drying clay which I might try out, but I know Gary and others have had trouble with it cracking as it dries.


Ed

G`day Ed,

Lookin` good!!!

The ground cover in the goods area.???….that goods area looks like most of it would be paved or tarmac or cobbles or are you considering a blend of man made surfaces and natural.???

:cheers  Gormo

 

Want to infill the track Gormo, and get a sort ash/ballast/gravel type look.

I could try the clay as Gary has done on Industry Lane, or Polyfilla the lot (but it may look a bit too much like smooth concrete), or of  card inserts for between the rails. Maybe a mixture of all of it :roll:

Seem to remember we had non-slip paint for the deck when I was in the MN, which was basically paint with sand in it. Don't know if you can still get that and I'd only want a small quantity. Could always add some fine sand to some brown acrylic and see was the result is like :hmm


Ed


Edit Just remembered I read somewhere talcum powder in paint  is another option :shock:

Sounds like a plan Ed,

In the past I have made up my own colour chart ( for want of a better description ) with experiments in colour and texture. Just mix `em up and slap `em on a bit of board whilst making notes about each formula. Quite often the fact that they are all there in front of you for comparison, makes the choice, or at least the elimination, of some much easier.
You could even use some off cuts of track stuck to the board and filled in with various scenic concoctions to see how they pan out.
Just a thought to help with your decision making.:hmm

:cheers  Gormo
 

Chris Nevards method of using clay is the opposite of how I applied it. He ballasts his track first, as you would normally do it, then follow up with the clay (between the tracks), bringing it to the same level as the ballast. As you are aware, the clay did dry and crack slightly back into the individual pieces/sections that I applied. Chris recommends keeping an eye on the clay and when you start to see this happen, use a damp finger to push/massage the clay back together.

If you intend on covering the clay (or whatever you choose to use), having cracks appearing may not be that much of a problem then. If you are looking at a fine gravel look, why not use sand, glued to the pre-painted surface, then dry brushing or airbrushing the sand to your required colour. Another option is to cover the clayed area with ash from a fire place.

Cheers, Gary.

Or talcum powder added to the paint Ed.

Marty

Thanks Guys, I was beginning to think that maybe testing on a piece of track stuck to a bit of MDF was the way to go :thumbs

Lost count of how many times I've read some of the posts by Chris Nevard, but I know what I do will be nowhere near his standards.

Just having lunch and it's back to the garage to look for some off-cuts of MDF.


Ed

Model Railway Journal built a layout called Inkerman Street a few years ago and they painted the road surfaces but before it dried dusted it with talcum powder pressed into the paint and once it had dried hoovered the surplus off, I can,t remember if they painted over the talc afterwards though, but it did look very effective though.


Pete.