Branch Line - Roundy, roundy with some shunting

Blimey Mick!

Looks like the GWR provided shelters on their halts.

Don't get luxuries like that on the Great Eastern, lucky if you get a complete platform.

Disused Stations: Stane Street Halt

(scroll down to the bottom)


Ed

Hi Ed,

I'll look forward to see how they come along in the new year. Dirty black sounds good to me.

Cheers

Toto.

Steady progress Ed. I think that removing the curved factory siding was a good move. Dodgy curved points now are going to cause you nothing but grief later on.


Marty

'Needs must……….' as the saying goes Marty.

I've had to use some straight and curved setrack points to get something interesting to operate in a small space.

The two remaining curved points are Hornby and I've had no problems, this one was a Bachmann that I got as a test from that shop in Liverpool as they were considerably cheaper.

The problem seems to be that the stock rail tapers to a bit too much where it meets the switch rail, resulting in a small out of gauge section that's big enough for wheels to drop in to.



I could have bought a Hornby replacement, but decided I didn't need the spur/siding and one point less is one less potential stalling spot for small locos.

It also freed up a Gem point lever, which I've used elsewhere and has saved me having to buying one.

'Less is more' has worked out as a bit of a result in this case.


Ed

Hi Ed,

From memory, the Peco points stock rail don't taper over such a length. Just shows you how these things can have an effect.

Cheers

Toto

Quite right Toto, the Peco ones don't taper as much and on streamline points I have managed to slide the stock rail within it's chairs to adjust the gap.

Just shows, you get what you pay for.

Bit annoying though, when the Bachmann one is suggested as a cheaper substituted for Hornby.

http://www.hattons.co.uk/Search-Results?SearchTerm=r8074

Ed

G`day Ed,

 Points….point blades….tapers on rails etc….all of the above are critical. You only need the blades to be out by a fraction, possibly sitting a tad high at the rail connection or slightly out of gauge and your stock will derail every time…….Been there done that.

 Always have an extremely critical look at the cheaper versions….and then have another look. In the end it`s not worth saving small amounts on inferior track unless you can fix any issues. By the time you`ve fixed the problem…..it would have been easier to buy the quality product in the first place.

 Good second hand track can be bought of that well known and trusted brand from Devon, however the critical eye is still required. Plastic frogs wear down and create quite a drop for the wheels to fall into and sometimes the electrical connection between blade and rail is not so good either.

 The frogs are the important part to look at…..the electricals can be fixed easily.

 At the end of the day…..save your pennies and buy new and go electro frog from that trusted brand in Devon. The results will be worth the wait.

 Stay warm Ed…..sounds like the chill is setting in over there. Somebody left the oven door open outside over here plus it`s humid with it. SWMBO has got the aircon going flat out today.

:cheers  Gormo

 

Went to get a lamp from the garage today and despite the cold had a quick look around the layout.

I happened to notice a particular section of inclined curved track seemed to have a rather excessive camber, and on investigation found some of the track beds supports had moved, probably when the Plaster of Paris I put on to create the embankment shrank as it dried.

I have not been completely happy with the amount of track involved in the final track plan I came up with, but have been loath to change anything that may affect operations.

However I decided that if I wasn't completely satisfied with the plan as it was, then it had to change. Out came the Stanley knife and large screwdriver.

Dr Beeching strikes again.



End of the line.



The track plan below indicates what I've done, or propose to do.

On the left behind the factory I've scribbled across in blue the siding/spur I've already taken out mentioned in post #95. The black line indicates the curve section of track replacing the Bachmann curved point.

Above it the black line indicates a Hornby curved point to be removed and the blue scribbling shows where the line joining the outer and inner loops will be removed. (Part of this has already gone as it was the aforementioned curved incline in the pictures).

On the right hand side where the line from the outer loop joined the inner, the black line indicates a curved section of track which will replace the Peco streamline insulfrog left hand point.

The black line to the left at the bottom of the plan is the new crossing from outer and inner loops. Namely two Peco Streamline right hand Electrofrog points.




So I've got rid of another curved point and an insulfrog point (although it was Peco Streamline) and got two more Electrofrog points without altering the potential operational interest of the layout too much. It's just a shorter run by about one loop of the layout, from the storage sidings around both loops and into Latton Fields.

For the second time within a matter of days a potential problem has turned out rather well.


Ed

The best laid plans of mice and men. Sometimes a little disaster can help. Good luck with the mods.

Works for me Ed!
How long can you work in the garage for before needing to seek refuge indoors? 

cheers
Marty

Think this will look better and certainly work better by replacing two insulated frog points. Changes are the grey sections of track.

…………. and it's gets too cold to sit about for more than a few minutes in the Garage Marty. Doesn't get down to freezing as it's an integral garage, but I've seen it down as low as 3⁰C.



Ed



 

 G`day Ed,

 That`s quite a nice long run from end to end and the track plan flows nicely and gives a good deal of operating potential.

 
 Stay warm

:cheers  Gormo

Could be an even longer run Gormo, as I have plans for a potential layout extension next year.

Meanwhile, new colour printer cartridge has turned up so I can now print the warehouse kit, stay indoors and go back to card modelling .

Brrrrrrrrr.


Ed

I've managed a couple of very short trips to the shed and lifted the rest of the track from the embankment.



All I've got to do now is cover the old trackbed to make the embankment one nice flowing low hill.

I've also altered the plan a bit to remove one of the loops. The new track yet to be laid is in grey.



Trains still have to travel twice around the board to get from storage to Latton Fields which is a reasonable distance and I still have a loop for running in any new locos.

By altering the loops I've also made four of the storage roads 167mm (6") longer, which isn't much but every little helps.

Just waiting for Father Christmas to arrive from Liverpool with the new points and a warmer spell of weather.



Ed

Coming along nicely Ed,
I know the feeling with the cold,I need to use a couple of fan heater,s upstairs when working on the railway and the elecricity meter looks like its got an inbuilt supercharger reving it up.
Good luck with the build,
Derek.

Just realised I said shed earlier and meant garage.

That's because I've been rummaging around in the shed for chicken wire for the new embankment/hill.

Thanks Derek, it's just going to be very slow progress.

Know what you mean about fan heaters as we have one in the kitchen. Don't dare fire another one up in the garage in case the meter takes off.



Ed

Happy days, Ed.  It will be worth the effort.

I wish I had seen one of those Beware of Trains signs, some years ago - it would have saved me lots of money. 

It's for the spiders Max, but unfortunately they don't seem to be able to read

Hi Ed,

 Lookin` good !!!.

 I have one of those "Beware of the Trains" signs. It hasn`t stopped the spiders….the Aussie spiders can`t read either!!!…fortunately my resident Blue Tongue Lizard likes to eat spiders so I guess the sign is useless….the Blue Tongue can`t read either.

:cheers  Gormo