Aberfan 1908

[Phil Hudson]

Latest progress update

Since my last post I've been hard at work doing the wiring. I'm about 99% complete under the boards with the next stage being the control panel. The layout is wired for DC operation but I'm likely to convert my locos to DCC at some future date. With this in mind I know that some of my section breaks become redundant.
All main power lines are 14AWG going down to 16AWG daisy chain wires picking up the 18AWG droppers. I have no soldered joints under the boards and rely on insulation displacement connectors and screw connectors. All wires relying on screw connections have crimped ferrules.
I use pluggable terminal blocks with large wire loops between baseboards. I can separate the boards and slide them apart whilst leaving them electrically connected.
Regrets so far:
1. I wish I had made the dropper wires longer. Trying to connect short droppers in a tight space with my fat fingers is not easy.
2. I'm not convinced by the screw type barrier strips in the middle of boards 2,3 & 4. I may replace these with something more robust or even replace them with soldered Tag strips.

I've also added the Megapoints System 2 servo drivers on boards 2 & 4. I did a trial setup on my workbench and all seemed to work quite nicely with a random collection of actuators (turnout, signal, ground signal). More about this at a later date.

I'll spend the next few days wiring up my Control Panel which was bolted to board 2 this evening. I have a laser cut piece of 3mm white gloss acrylic sheet on order. This will drop into the recess on the top of my control panel. The lever frame will be added at a later date.

I need to sort out my turnout tiebars and fit the MERG actuators. Then I can start some serious electrical testing.

[Phil Hudson]

I plan to operate from the front/viewing side and adopted the 1,2,3.... from the left which appears be the normal convention BUT this assumes this view is the signalman's in the box. Of course it isn't and as a result I've reversed the layout. Ouch, didn't think about that.

This was the problem that Barry Luck had when planning Plumpton Green. Originally the lever frame was going to be at the rear of the layout which would have meant reversing the order of the levers since the actual signal box is on the viewing side of the layout. In the end the frame ended up on the viewing side as well which works very well.

Terry Bendall

Signalling - Update

Taking advice I have updated my signalling layout to switch 1 to 4 for 15 to 12 and visa versa. I have also added a ground disc signal release from the goods yard onto the down main. I've also updated the Locking Table and retained the Lock BOTH WAYS.

[Phil Hudson]

Control Panel
The control panel has been finished and tested. All the LED's and actuators do what they are meant to do via the Megapoints system. I need to do some adjustments to the actuator movement but I can already enjoy seeing a signal bounce like the real thing.

The control panel has the following:
1. A DC/DCC switch to accommodate my longer term plans to convert to DCC
2. A series of section switches which I can rationalise to form power districts for DCC conversion at a later date
3. Toggle switches controlling the goods yard turnouts
4. Temporary lever frame with 15 toggle switches. In due course this will be replaced with a S4 lever set and locking frame
5. Push buttons to control Seep uncouplers....not sure if I'm going with Jackson, Dingham or S&W at present

The only bug I've detected is that operating a Seep uncoupler seems to drop all the signals. I think I need to put the uncouplers on their own 12v DC supply and not piggy back them on the Megapoints power supply. I sense some feedback in the system.

Next stop....Scaleforum on saturday for my yearly heavy dose of inspiration!

[Phil Hudson]

Just over three months since the laser cut plywood arrived and today I finally got some trains moving.
Check out my first collection of YouTube videos:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... z1dsBaTo8k

I now need to assemble a lot more cassettes and then really test the layout. I've already noticed some clearance problems and a few electrical problems with my current cassette design. I also need to do some work on the signals and ground discs.
If all goes to plan I want to start painting and ballast work by christmas.

[nberrington]

Lovely stuff! I can’t believe the speed with which this is coming together!

[andrewnummelin]

Lovely stuff! I can’t believe the speed with which this is coming together!

Here, here!

[davebradwell]

Why not just dig out Chris Pendlenton's original cassette article in MRJ 27? Why re-invent the wheel? All appear to derive from this with various simplifications reducing the certainty of alignment and connection that are features of the original. I think Mike Clark makes a connector if you want to speed things up a bit.

DaveB

[Phil Hudson]

Why not just dig out Chris Pendlenton's original cassette article in MRJ 27? Why re-invent the wheel? All appear to derive from this with various simplifications reducing the certainty of alignment and connection that are features of the original. I think Mike Clark makes a connector if you want to speed things up a bit.

DaveB

Dave
I may well go down this route if my current efforts prove unreliable. No rocket science but my crude sketch shows what I’m trying to achieve. Lessons learnt:
1. The brass clips need to be stiff enough to grip the angle up stands. I’m about to fabricate 20mm wide clips from .3mm brass.
2. Don’t use countersunk screws to fix down the Ali angles. This gives no adjustment for gauge. Use round head screws BUT push them out as far as possible since low hanging valve gear and lower footboards on carriages seem to find everyone of them if they stray too close to the action.

[Phil Hudson]

....and my crude sketch

[davebradwell]

This is a very common interpretation and has been discussed here recently - see gingergiant, I think. Trouble is it relies on having a flat board for vertical alignment - the coupling isn't doing this as the original did. The cassettes consist of metal bolted to wood so there is differential expansion and my cassettes bow one way in Summer and the other in Winter so this would never work for me. If your temperature is pretty stable you will get away with it but I prefer things to be rather more certain. Your brass clips may not be very springy and phos bronze or beryllium copper should be better.

You have the original 1/2" angle which enables you to match the double track spacing and the later strip down the centre for railing. Suggest ply base extends slightly outside angle to prevent adjacent cassettes shorting.....or just put tape down the sides. Suspect you might be safer with csk screws but I use csk machine screws from under, tapped into the angle and dressed flush. Avoid putting them right at the end of the angle so there is some flexibility. You could almost double the screw spacing.

DaveB

[Terry Bendall]

Don’t use countersunk screws to fix down the Ali angles.

My cassettes use 16mm x 16mm x 1.5mm thick aluminium angle on a 12mm thick MDF base. No distortion in 15 years but they are only around 650mm long. I use countersunk 12mm x 3mm twin thread wood screws to fix the angle to the base at about 120mm centres. Drill pilot holes in the MDF, ideally with a drilling machine so they are vertical and fix one side down. Use a mint guage to set the gauge, mark the position of the first hole in the wood through the first one in the aluminium, pilot hole in the MDF again and inset the screw with the mint gauge still in place. Then proceed down the length of the aluminium with the same method. With a bit of care the gauge should be within tolerances and no need for adjustment. It works.

Terry Bendall

[davebradwell]

Let's see what havoc I can wreak here! My cassettes are the original 4ft 8 1/2in and curve with the seasons. The original design allows for this by lifting the cassette off the deck with 2 strips of firm foam draught excluder stuck under. These allow the centre to rise or fall and ends will still engage with the suitably positioned track. I've no idea how long your cassettes will be but these posts should give you some idea of what goes on. Only problem with your 6 mm base will be very fiddly screws.

DaveB

[Jeremy Good]

I’ve been using 1m cassettes on Wheal Elizabeth made from 9mm ply. Like DaveB’s they do curve/warp a little.

I’ve found the Masokits Cassette Connections to be effective in ensuring good alignment at the “join”. I haven’t added any foam strips largely because I didn’t allow for the extra thickness when I set them up!

Jeremy

[Phil Hudson]

One of my tasks over the holiday included building lots of cassettes for my fiddle yards. I built 25 at 1185mm or 1085mm and over 30 at 145 or 245mm.
After the discussions in October I ditched my 6mm plywood solution with brass clips. I decided that this just didn't give a reliably robust connection. I went for the Chris Pendleton solution and resorted to having 9mm plywood laser cut into 45mm strips with all the end rebates. I also went to an online Aluminium stockist called Aluminium Warehouse who cut all the 1/2"x1/2"x1/16" angles to size....all accurate and square at the ends. I used the Mike Clark connectors and fixed the angles down with round headed screws set in 3mm diameter holes in the aluminium angles. Finally I glued a laser cut strip of 1.5mm plywood down the centre of each cassette.
The assembly process went well and so far the cassettes are working well.

[petermeyer]

55-that’s a lot of cassettes. How are you going to store them and the stock that goes on them?

[Phil Hudson]

55-that’s a lot of cassettes. How are you going to store them and the stock that goes on them?

My next project is to construct back panels for the two fiddle yard, each fitted with metal shelving brackets.....quite similar to the Chris Pendleton solution. This should boost the storage space for the long cassettes. I'll post some more pics later in the month when I've made progress on this.

[Terry Bendall]

My next project is to construct back panels for the two fiddle yard, each fitted with metal shelving brackets

I have seen this in use on a few exhibition layouts. At one exhibition the panel got knocked and several of the cassettes and the stock on them crashed down on the fiddle yard below. I have no idea what, if any, damage was caused but I would suggest that caution is needed when using such a system. There obviously needs to be some sort of end stops on the cassettes.

Terry Bendall

[petermeyer]

My next project is to construct back panels for the two fiddle yard, each fitted with metal shelving brackets

I have seen this in use on a few exhibition layouts. At one exhibition the panel got knocked and several of the cassettes and the stock on them crashed down on the fiddle yard below. I have no idea what, if any, damage was caused but I would suggest that caution is needed when using such a system. There obviously needs to be some sort of end stops on the cassettes.

Terry Bendall

This is a concern of mine as I have a house occupied by cats who climb and hence my initial question. I am considering options for a unit below below baseboard level to store the stock on cassettes. Probably not capable of accommodating 1m long cassettes though.

[davebradwell]

The idea is sound, it's just the wobbly baseboard legs that strike fear. Chris P certainly used the arrangement shown in the magazine on the 2 occasions he exhibited North Shields but it was and still is all quite solid. His stock box would be more rigid than your single sheet panel for starters. Suggest your idea just needs a bit of engineering. The angle on the cassettes will restrain any stock and they shouldn't slide off their perches so scope for disaster is fairly limited as long as the structure is stable, which it should be for the sake of the layout.

DaveB

[Hardwicke]

I cut a slot in the ends of my cassettes and strung a thick elastic band through the slot. The addition of a kitchen sponge is just the right width too and the babd can bu used to hold it in place. I cut the sponge to half it's length. Both methods have save stuff falling off after ny 08 dropped off at Wells whilst I was talking to a family. (Forge Mill Sidings at Scalefour Southwest). Buffer dislodged but no other damage as the floor has a carpet.

[Phil Hudson]

Plenty to think about in the coming days. I can deal with the stability of my baseboards by anchoring the trestles back to the adjacent wall. As for the cassettes I can insert foam pads at the ends whilst on their shelf brackets. Alternatively I'll fabricate some caps with a positive grip on the cassettes. I want to get this sorted by the end of the month and then get back to the permanent way

[Phil Hudson]

I've made steady progress over recent weeks. Christmas was dominated by building Cassettes when I wasn't eating! I mulled over the storage problem and added back & end boards to both fiddle yards. These provide a base for shelving brackets which has sorted out the storage problem.

I completed the point rodding in recent days. The Brassmasters (now London Road Models I believe) rodding components look good although they tested my patience and eye sight. Today I took a huge leap by priming all the track ready for painting and ballasting. I went back to my well thumbed book by Iain Rice on track building. Out came a can of grey primer, a face mask and some 2mm Tamiya masking tape.

My other project over christmas was converting my late fathers six OO locomotives to scalefour. I built them for my father in the early 90's and they worked well enough at the time. Conversion of the chassis ended up as a rebuild where the Portescaps, coupling rods and chassis side frames were the only items that survived. The converted engines are now happily running on my layout.

[BarryL]

Referencing Terry Bendall's comment about Plumpton, Terry is correct that the lever frame was originally going to be at the back of the layout. However, I didn't move the lever frame, but decided to turn the whole layout round, so that what was the back became the front. Having the lever frame at the front has many advantages: visitors can see and ask questions about the lever frame and block instruments; the drivers at the rear of the layout have more freedom of movement without the signalman getting in the way; and the signalman has good eye contact with the drivers.
However, on Plumpton there is also a ground frame in the yard which faces south, whereas the signal box faces north. The signal box levers are in the correct order, but the ground frame levers have been reversed, to make life a little easier for the signalman!
Barry

[Phil Hudson]

The past month has been dominated by track ballasting and applying DAS to the retaining and boundary walls.

Ballasting
After masking the rails I primed the track work and surrounds with rattle can primers of grey and black. I then painted the sleepers with an acrylic mix of 50/50 black and brown. Rail sides and rodding were painted with Humbrol Rust 113.
The ballast uses a 50/50 mix of the fine sand used in Living Flame gas fires and Woodland Scenics N gauge Ash Ballast. I added some black powder paint to the mix. The bonding solution I used was a 40/60 mix of Super Matte Medium and Water with a splash of IPA. Ballast was sprinkled into position and scraped/brushed from the sleeper tops prior to spraying with a fine mist of IPA as the wetting agent. I used a pipette to apply the solution and it was satisfying to see it soak into the ballast. A few hours later it was setting quite nicely with a completely matte appearance i.e no PVA sheen.
The results look OK but the copper sleepers lost too much paint and the result is too black. The WS Ash ballast mix is too coarse and probably not what I was looking for i.e a ballast of fine ash, cinders and dust with a dry summer feel of grey and brown. I plan to invest in an airbrush shortly and inspired by Boomer in his Youtube videos I will get to work on toning everything down.

Stonework for the Retaining ad Boundary walls
On my first lockdown layout I used Wills coarse stone sheet but struggled with jointing and its over heavy texture. The walls would be no more than 30 years old by 1908 so the ravages of frost and rain would not be too obvious. This is why I felt the Wills sheet is too heavily textured although I could have smeared DAS over the surface to fill up the joints. Doing small and mitred sections was also a pain. Therefore I resolved to do all stonework for my current project using worked DAS.
The substrate is 99% plywood. I wet the working surface with water and a touch of PVA. I apply the DAS in small sections and once it attains a slight surface sheen/skin I use scalpel blades to press in the stone coursing. Dragging the blades breaks up the surface too much so I try not to do this. I used a brass wire brush to texture the surface. The results are OK but I think I rushed things a bit and my early sections will probably be stripped and redone. The whole process was not as daunting as I feared and will be used for the buildings.
My next task is to add the coping stones, build the two bridges and then start painting. All the walls are removable so I can do all this work in comfort at the workbench with good light.
DAS is a remarkable material. It has a slightly fibrous texture which is probably why it doesn't shrink and crack as it dries. I experimented with a pack of grey coloured sculpting clay but this shrunk and cracked badly as it dried. Does anyone know the constituents of DAS?

[garethashenden]

The speed at which you are progressing is astounding!