A Pointer

I decided after all to do a couple of photos relating to my last entry in the blog. These illustrate the points, which have changed a little since the last time I showed them here. Click on the images for a larger view.

Firstly, the point on the scenic section -


This needs a lot of detailing work to make it look more realistic - but at least it works. The switching arrangement, using a DPDT switch, is temporary and will be replaced when I widen the baseboards after the GJLC.

And now one of the swiveling points on the corner boards -


These are working fine without any locking mechanism at the moment. I expect them to free up with use, so some kind of locking will probably be necessary for the GJLC.

Having built and tested the two I built for Rothervale, I am surprised that the idea has not become more common, as it really does work very well.

Richard

Power Surge

The three scenic boards and the two end boards have now been wired up. This has allowed me to thoroughly test the track for the first time. It was a wonderful feeling to finally get something running around so much of the layout - and very addictive too!

Wiring
The wiring has been kept very simple - at least for the time being. I will be using DC control for the trains during the GJLC. I will operate the layout with just one controller.

I ringed the layout with just 2 wires for the power feed, using bell wire. These are connected across baseboard joint with phono plugs and sockets. On each baseboard, I have installed a temporary plywood panel containing the on/off switches for the power to each track. Almost every track on each baseboard can be isolated separately.

No other electrics are required at baseboard level. There will be no uncouplers or point motors on the layout. Even the colour light signals will be dead for the GJLC.

The feeds to the rails have been fixed at the baseboard ends, where possible. Wires are soldered to the PCB strips under the rails. These will be completely hidden once cosmetic sleepers have been added on top. I installed feed wires at both ends of each baseboard, as it will be impossible to access the PCB once the ballasting has been done.

I intend to play a little more with the layout before I tidy up of the wiring, just in case I find any problems.

After the GJLC, I hope to do something a lot more sophisticated, so that several trains can run at once. I should then have the time to gradually convert the layout and stock to DCC.

Track Bash
The track has been thoroughly tested at various speeds and with various stock, to make sure that everything runs smoothly for the future.

The only (minor) problems were on the transition from the scenic boards to the end boards, where I had to switch from super-elevated track at varying heights above the baseboard, to a flat, slightly lower baseboard top on the end boards. A few tweaks with the soldering iron sorted this out fairly quickly.

In the long-term, all of the track on the end boards will be replaced. The difference in levels between the track on the scenic boards and the end boards is just a short term expedient for the GJLC.

Point Power
The pointwork is now fully operational. For the one conventional point on the scenic section, the set-up is temporary, as I hope to widen the scenic area quite a bit after the GJLC. I used a DPDT switch, attached to the tie bar by a brass rod in a brass tube. The switch also changes the polarity of the frog. The point still requires a lot of detailing, but this is not a high priority at the moment.

The revolving points on the end boards (based on Brian Tilbury's design) are temporarily operated by pulling or pushing with a finger. There seems to be enough friction to hold them in place whilst trains pass over. I will do something a little more professional before the GJLC, though no switching of polarity is required - just a locking mechanism.

No photos this time, I'm afraid - wiring is pretty boring!

There should be lots of pictures once I start the scenic work.

Richard

Rothervale Track Bash - Part Two

With the arrival of Easitrac concrete sleepers, track laying on the scenic section of Rothervale began in earnest. Here are the results so far - unpainted and not yet ballasted, but still looking good! Click on images for an enlarged view.

Plain Sailing
Assembling up the plain track was very easy using the recommended track jig. The only useful thing to mention is that I carefully filed the rail ends, so they slid smoothly into the sleeper bases. I assembled sections long enough to fit each baseboard - just over 1 metre each.

At baseboard joints I left a short section of rail without sleepers. Short lengths of flat-bottomed rail were soldered upside down underneath the exposed rail ends. These were later soldered to PCB that had already been recessed and glued into the baseboard top. The rail height is almost exactly the height of the sleepers, so this works very well.Before I started, I worried that the soldering iron might melt adjacent sleepers. In practice this has not been much of a problem.

The Easitrac was stuck down using diluted PVA adhesive. The dilution increases the capillary action, allowing a relatively thin layer of glue to creep over the tabs separating the sleepers. I aligned the track using one edge of the trackbed as a guide. The track was then held down with various weights until the PVA had set.

Here is a view of the southern scenic board. The DMU is on the point leading to the bay platform. The HST in the background is on the down fast line.

On my trackwork, the different tracks are laid a slightly different heights above the baseboard top. They also have different degrees of super-elevation. For this reason, I laid one piece of track at a time, waiting for each to set before laying the next.

To finish things off, bits of spare sleeper base will be cut up and added cosmetically over the PCB at the baseboard ends. This should result in very strong, stable ends to the track - and look good too. The exposed PCB is also being used to connect electric feed wires to the track, before it is covered with ballast. I don't propose to add the cosmetic sleepers or do any ballasting until the trackwork has been thoroughly tested - a bit of fun at last!

Here is a view from the end of the baseboard. Notice the different track heights above the baseboard and also the super-elevation on the main lines - 2nd and 4th from the left. The up slow and the bay platform line were laid without super-elevation.


In addition to the concrete track, there is a short section of bullhead track at the terminal end of the bay platform. I am just waiting for the new 2mm etched buffer stops to become available to finish this off.

Pointwork
I had already made the pointwork some time ago - the bay platform point and a relatively high-speed point for the crossover between the down fast and the bi-directional middle track at the south end of the layout. In the end I decided that the high speed point was too close to the platforms, so it has been dispensed with - temporarily at least. I still have to add a tie bar, operating mechanism and detailing to the one remaining point.

Here is the revised track plan for the front of the layout. Click on it for a larger image.

In the long term I would like to add one more baseboard at the southern end and 2 or 3 at the northern end (right-hand end on the above diagram) - but not for the GJLC. The high speed point can then be used on the centre track at the junction of the Sheffield and Rotherham lines.

No more pointwork would be necessary in the modelled area, so the outer tracks will still be able to run stock with N gauge wheels. Only the centre tracks will be finescale-only. At the back of the layout, I would than build 3 separate sets of sidings in the fiddle yard. One bi-directional yard for the finescale road and 2 separate yards for the outer tracks - one up and one down.

End Board Trackwork
Most of the track on the end boards, which are not scenic, was laid some time ago. I have now added the connecting trackwork to link this with the track on the scenic boards. Following the abandonment of the high speed point, one of the tracks at the south end is redundant. I still have the last few centimetres to lay to connect with the fiddle yard at the back of the layout.

The hidden ends of the middle track each have 2 isolating sections. This will allow me to operate 3 DMUs in total - a Northern Spirit train for the Sheffield-Worksop service, a Central Trains unit for the Robin Hood line service and another Central Trains unit for through trains.

Platform
The island platform has been started, as I can't do the ballasting until the side walls are installed. I am using Peco brick platform walls, which will probably be painted to represent engineering bricks. I will add a top of plasticard to represent modern platform edging. More of this another time.

Conclusions
I found the Easitrac very easy to work with. Progress so far took just over a month in all, but that was almost entirely due to a severe lack of spare time. The only awkward part was over the baseboard joints where, to be honest, most people would not find it necessary to try anything quite as complicated as my own idea. Having said that, I would now be tempted to try something similar even if I were laying bullhead track.

The final result is by far the best flat-bottomed track I have seen so far in this kind of scale. I am also impressed with the smooth curves and super-elevation achieved by using individual, thin wooden strips as the trackbed.

Many thanks to all the people who made concrete Easitrac a reality. At last, we can model realistic modern image trackwork quickly and easily!

Concrete Jungle

A large consignment of Easitrac concrete sleepers arrived today, thanks to Owen Adams, proprietor of the 2mm Scale Association's Track Hypermarket (shop 1). Despite showing as "not yet available" on the 2mm website, Owen informed me that they were in fact in stock, so I put in a very quick order.

I procured enough Easitrac and rail to lay the whole of the scenic area - plus a track jig, which is strongly recommended for these track bases. Here are a couple of photos of the product.


First impressions are very good! I hope to start laying all the track on the scenic area of Rothervale over the next few weeks. Needless to say, there will be an update in due course!

Richard

Parking Zone

Work is definitely slowing down on Rothervale, as my job takes up most of my life at this time of year. Even so, I have managed to make good progress on the train storage area at the back of the layout.

Short Term Parking?
I decided that the cassette route was the only way forward - even though some of my trains could be up to 2.5 metres long. I was only really looking for a short-term solution to get me through the GJLC next July. Not exceeding the layout area limit is currently far more important than operating convenience.

The Long And The Short Of It!
The baseboards consist of short, narrow stubs of softwood, used to support the cassettes when in use on the layout. Either side of these is a cassette storage and handling area made from the sides of cheap wooden CD racks. Cassettes for the longest trains will be stored here, so that all I have to do is slide them sideways when needed. The shorter cassettes will be stored elsewhere and lifted into place when required.

Cassette storage is not counted towards the 9.42 sq ft limit of the GJLC, so the baseboard area is much smaller than it seems at first sight!

This all means that the baseboards are now pretty well complete and ready for me to finish off the track-laying. I also need to build some cassettes, though the cost of all that aluminium angle is worrying me a bit!
Buried In Concrete
The Easitrack concrete track bases have now been announced by the 2mm Scale Association, but are not yet on sale. As soon as I can get hold of some, I plan to start the track-laying at the front of the layout.

Rothervale Track Bash - Part One

My latest efforts on Rothervale include the trackbed for the scenic boards and most of the trackwork for the end boards. I should really slow down a bit, as I risk ruining my hard-earned reputation for gross under-achievement. In truth, I am desperately trying to get as much work done as possible before my job takes over my life, as it always does from mid-summer to late autumn.

Click on the images for a larger view

Trackbed Trickery
The trackbed for the scenic boards has been made from 4mm thick strips of wood, 18mm wide, laid over the remains of the original trackbed. I had a bit of fun getting everything level, as the new track reaches places the old track did not go.

The strips were bent into nice, smooth curves and super-elevated where appropriate, using small slivers of plasticard. I used PVA and panel pins to secure the wood firmly in place.The square, tall edge should make it easy for me to align the track properly when I lay it. I was reluctant to do a photo, as this reveals the mess underneath. Nevertheless, here it is - the mess will (of course) be hidden under scenery before too long.

The first view is looking south from the road overbridge. The second view is looking north from the operator's side of the layout. The pictures were taken in poor light, unfortunately - there was heavy rain outside at the time. You can still see some of the remains of the original track plan - I am really glad I changed my mind, as the old plan would not have looked even remotely prototypical..

The Central Trains 170 is more or less where the buffer stops will be situated on the bay platform. A 4-car Voyager is at the north end of the main down (Sheffield) platform. The 8-coach HST on the bi-directional middle line shows the extremely gentle curve here, plus how much space there is for realistically long and wide platforms. On the up slow line, which will be used mainly by freight trains, I have deliberately added some slight undulations to make it look like poorly-maintained track. I will only be sure how effective this is when I finally run trains.

Looking Good!
The aim is to produce a close-to-scale model of what a real railway might look like, rather than a traditional model railway. The sweeping curves on the scenic section really look fantastic, to my eye. I can't wait to finish the track laying and see the trains running through. The tightest curve is about 1.25 metres, on the curve into the bay platform. On the main lines, the radii are huge. Using the strips of wood to form the trackbed meant that I could create smooth transition curves without any complex calculations or accurate plans of exactly where everything had to go.

Since these photos were taken, I have added baseboard dowels to the end boards and the extreme ends of the scenic section, so that they can be joined together in proper alignment.

Plain and Simple Track
For the end boards, I soldered up some plain track using PCB sleepers. The photo on the left shows the south end board just about finished.

Thankfully, I managed to find a coil of long-forgotten plain rail hidden amongst my secret hoard of bullhead and flat-bottomed rail. Much of one end had to be laid with bullhead, as I finally ran out of the plain rail altogether - including some with bullhead for one rail and plain rail for the other! The plain track takes very little time to build, so I did the whole lot over a few evenings. For the most part, I stuck the sleepers down first and only then soldered on the rail. A few sections were done as half-track in a jig and stuck down before the second rail was added.

The "points" are to a design from an article in the 2mm Magazine many years ago, by Brian Tilbury. These are designed to pivot in the middle. There are no check rails. Apart from being easy to build, they allow 2FS and N gauge stock to run through without any problems. Thanks for a brilliant idea, Brian! The photo on the left shows one aligned to the lower track on the right. I still had to add an operating mechanism and cut the insulation gaps when the photo was taken.

The tightest radius on the corner boards - and indeed on the layout as a whole - is 2 feet. This should allow me to close couple the stock. Cross-baseboard sections will only be completed when the track on the scenic section is built.

The First Run
I couldn't resist a trial run of the new track, so I did a bit of temporary wiring on the south end board and away we went! Everything went very well, with 2FS and N gauge stock taking to the track very well.

It was a very atmospheric occasion, as thunder, lightning, hailstones and heavy rain were creating quite a dramatic picture outside the window - a bit like the scene in "Frankenstein" where the monster finally comes to life. I was very tempted to shout "Its alive, it's alive!" or whatever the line is, but just managed to keep control of myself.

(The actual quote from the 1930's film is "Look! It's moving. It's alive. It's alive... It's alive, it's moving, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, IT'S ALIVE!") - just a bit too melodramatic for a sober member of the 2mm Scale Association, perhaps?

Fiddle Yard Blues
I will give the fiddle yard a lot of thought before I finalise the design. I managed to retrieve a few precious square inches by trimming the back of the main boards.

Looking On
Look! It's moving. It's alive. It's alive... It's alive, it's moving, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, it's alive, IT'S ALIVE! Sorry - I had better stop playing trains right now, or I won't get much more modelling done at all.

I won't be able to do much more on Rothervale until the plastic track bases for concrete track become available, some time in the future. I guess it's time to get back to working on Mount Royal then!

For Whom The Bell Tolls.... (amended)

Well now, it is just about a year to the 2mm Scale Association's Golden Jubilee Exhibition and the conclusion of the Golden Jubilee Layout Challenge. I have some photos of the baseboards made for Rothervale so far. Panic hasn't set in yet, I'm pleased to say - though it probably should have done by now.

"Send not to find for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee!"

In truth, I am still very pleased to be participating - even though I don't expect to have a particularly brilliant layout by this time next year. It is the taking part that matters. Without the Challenge, I would never have got this far this quickly, though there is still a huge amount to do.

Research
A trip to Beighton Junction, on the hottest day of the year so far, produced some excellent photos and information for Rothervale. It also answered a few questions and doubts in my mind. Though it never happened, a station on the MR at Beighton Junction (which I am calling Rothervale) really could have been a decent possibility.

I also found out that the MS&LR (later GCR) re-sited its station at Beighton in 1893. I am now thinking that they might have moved it adjacent to my imaginary MR station, instead of on the far side of Rotherham Road. In the very long run, that would make a great site for a model of a preserved line. The 2 lines were no more than a few inches apart in 2mm scale, at this point.

Baseboards.
I have been working on the baseboards to get them ready for laying track. For the non-scenic ends of the layout, I have stripped the old end boards down to basics and laid a new 9mm ply trackbed on top. This is a bit of a bodge, as the boards were built for track laid on a slightly different alignment. Still, it saves a lot of work - and the end result doesn't look too bad. I have also widened the scenic board at the north end of the layout slightly, to accommodate the station building.

The photos show what exists of the layout now. The lawn is a bit uneven, so I was unable to get everything level. Click on the pictures for a larger view. I have placed a Midland mainline HST and the ground floor of the station building on the baseboards to give an idea of scale.

The end boards are very strong, despite their slender appearance. One is an 'I' beam, the other a rectangular tube, both made out of softwood. Of the 2, the tube is definitely the better, but I am happy enough with the 'I' beam to keep it.

The top of the scenic boards looks a bit of a mess as it still has the track plan and plywood underlay for the old track plan. This will all disappear under the scenery, in due course. For the new track, I intend to lay some 4mm thick wood strips over the old trackbed.

Inflation
The bad news is that this work has increased the area of the boards quite a bit. The scenic boards now come to 6.76 sq ft, a relatively small increase. On the other hand, the end boards (excluding the area built solely for future expansion) are now just over 2 sq ft in total - pretty well double my estimate for the original design. The extra is largely due to the space required for DMU sidings between the 2 main running tracks. That leaves almost nothing for a fiddle yard at the back of the layout.

(The sections below amended or added)

However, the middle scenic board and the south end board do not have to be as wide now, so I could increase the area available for a fiddle yard by losing some of this width - by hiding it behind the backscene, rather than physically removing it.

Comparisons
I found the recent article in BRM about Runswick Leamside, probably my favourite modern image layout. Amazingly, the length of Rothervale is not far short of Runswick, scale for scale - though Runswick has scenery around the corners too.