Small beginnings - Scottish timber loading point

[jhock]

In order to ensure I manage to complete a layout I have decided to start very small to test out some ideas and techniques.

Whilst reading Chris Nevards blog I was some what inspired by his latest creation, a small 3' by 1' layout,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nevardmedia/6186238153/in/set-72157627636122237

This coupled with my fascination for timber industry meant I had the basis of an idea, then when I read that a disused branch in Devon had been reopened for timber traffic I was sold.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/39662-heathfield-branch-developments/page__hl__heathfield__fromsearch__1

Construction will commence very soon and I will post pictures when I haven something to show, I hope that diorama plus (working title courtesy of Flymo) will be fun and useful learning tool.

[Paul Willis]

This coupled with my fascination for timber industry meant I had the basis of an idea, then when I read that a disused branch in Devon had been reopened for timber traffic I was sold.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/39662-heathfield-branch-developments/page__hl__heathfield__fromsearch__1

Construction will commence very soon and I will post pictures when I haven something to show, I hope that diorama plus (working title courtesy of Flymo) will be fun and useful learning tool.

That's a very interesting prototypical thread. Compared to the situation here in the South East, we have a much higher density of trains, yet I'm sure that anything like that trackbed would have been ripped up and sold very rapidly once it became disused...

The rail infrastructure seems to be much more intact the further that you go from London. That said, every year I see the vegetation advance and retreat over the long-disused passing loops of the Brimsdown section of the London-Cambridge line. Someone from Network Rail must know that they are there!

All the best with the diorama-plus. I had immense satisfaction at the CHEAG workshop yesterday just running my Pug back and forth on six inches of track. Although I am a very simple soul

Looking forward to further progress reports.
Flymo

[jhock]

Quick update

I made the baseboard today, no pics at the moment but I will take some later this week. I still need make the back scene and the frame for the front of the layout.

[jhock]

Following a discussion with Paul (Flymo) I decided not to use the baseboards I had made and instead took Paul up on his offer to help me build some baseboards that would be more suitable.

So today myself and Paul spent most of the day in his garage (plus a trip to pub for essential sustenance), I will confess now that Paul did most of the work and fantastic job he has done!







I still need to put some cassettes together, hence the smaller board is lower than the main board and the back scene, frame and lighting rig all need to be constructed but the point is I have some baseboards to start work on!

In the future there will be another fiddle yard so I can run through trains (when Paul lets be back round to abuse his garage again!) but for now I have enough to be working on.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Paul for giving up his time to build the baseboards.

I have also had a rethink about the track plan,as you will notice the main board is now 4' long and 18" wide, so I will produce a track plan and post it a bit later.

Please don't laugh!

[Terry Bendall]

Excellent news. So just build the track, get it laid and wired up and build the scenery and it will be finished.

And when it is, let me know and we will have it to Scaleforum. (but I guess not this year)

Terry Bendall

[jhock]

Terry,

You forgot 'build the stock'! I think you might be right that scale forum this year might be a bit close for comfort!

[jhock]

Time for a quick update,

The setting for layout will be Scotland, althrough the thread I linked to relates to a branch line in Devon most of the stock I own and the kits I have to build lend themselves towards a Scottish setting. If I am careful with the scenery I should be able to have the period range from the early 80's to about 2005.

On the modelling front there has been progress too, I have completed the second turnout for the layout, both are P4 track company A5's, about 3 hours to build so about 2 hours quicker than the first attempt.

[Mark Tatlow]

On the modelling front there has been progress too, I have completed the second turnout for the layout, both are P4 track company A5's, about 3 hours to build so about 2 hours quicker than the first attempt.

That would be about right!! Your next one will be even quicker.

Good luck and I am looking forward to seeing things unfolding.

[jhock]

Next jobs on the list are to fit the C & L dowels to align the boards and the track base. I am going to try the Woodland Scenics foam base, does any one have any experience of it?

[Paul Townsend]

Terry,

You forgot 'build the stock'! I think you might be right that scale forum this year might be a bit close for comfort!

The beauty of consistent P4 standards is that you can borrow stock and know it will just run!

[Paul Townsend]

Next jobs on the list are to fit the C & L dowels to align the boards and the track base. I am going to try the Woodland Scenics foam base, does any one have any experience of it?

You will find it quite tricky to accurately retro fit the dowels to completed baseboards, take advice from someone who has done this.
A tip for future baseboards is to fit the dowel pairs to adjoining baseboard end timbers before they are assembled. This makes it a doddle to clamp the ends in vice and do necessary drilling for dowelas and fixing bolts.

I believe the WS black foam base is the same as Studiolith sold in 1970s and S4 stores also in 80s, C&L and Exactoscale now. I used it with PVA under all my track and have had no problems. still got unused stock too! I would try a latex glue now rather than PVA....less rigid and so less noise. Even with PVA it is quieter than cork.

[Paul Willis]

Next jobs on the list are to fit the C & L dowels to align the boards and the track base. I am going to try the Woodland Scenics foam base, does any one have any experience of it?

You will find it quite tricky to accurately retro fit the dowels to completed baseboards, take advice from someone who has done this.
A tip for future baseboards is to fit the dowel pairs to adjoining baseboard end timbers before they are assembled. This makes it a doddle to clamp the ends in vice and do necessary drilling for dowelas and fixing bolts.

That will be my fault if it becomes a struggle, not James'...

We did do a bit of research first before continuing to build the boards last weekend. I had a recollection that there was a school of thought for mating the matching pairs of ends before building the boards. However we found an alternative approach that said it could be done afterwards, and that is facilitated by the sharp "cone" on one part of the C&L dowels to make a locating mark on the second board end after the first one has been fitted.

We would have had a go at fitting them last Saturday. Unfortunately on our foraging trip to Wickes, both of us forgot to buy a 25mm spade bit, after my drill collection at home hadn't yielded one.

I'm sure that James will make a decent job of it though.

Flymo

[Mark Tatlow]

I would try a latex glue now rather than PVA....less rigid and so less noise. Even with PVA it is quieter than cork.

Careful with latex glues. If you go to something like copydex then when you drill into it once it has dryed, you find that you pull it off over a large area as it strings around the drill.

[Terry Bendall]

You will find it quite tricky to accurately retro fit the dowels to completed baseboards

Err... pages 8-9 of the News 173 shows this being done. It does work and the proof will be at Scalefour North this year. And if the tops are a bit out of line, some work with a plane on the top will sort things out.

Terry Bendall

[Paul Willis]

You will find it quite tricky to accurately retro fit the dowels to completed baseboards

Err... pages 8-9 of the News 173 shows this being done. It does work and the proof will be at Scalefour North this year. And if the tops are a bit out of line, some work with a plane on the top will sort things out.

Terry Bendall

Well, yes. It was indeed Scalefour News that James remembered this being seen in, and we repaired upstairs to my study to consult whichever article in the useful baseboard building series it was to check this out before putting saw to timber.

However given that the Carpentry Pedants had already been on your case about holding a depth gauge in an incorrect style, I didn't want to poke your head over the parapet yet again

OTSOPedants, Chris Nevard has a humorous take on life:

http://nevardmedia.blogspot.com/2011/12/dedication.html

Cheers!
Flymo

[John McAleely]

Err... pages 8-9 of the News 173 shows this being done.

I think this technique applies to the C&L dowels you can get? I bought mine from Station Road Basboards (advertised in MRJ), and they lack the pointed pip (or indeed any pip!) on the back.

I found I could mount them pretty accurately by using a clamp to hold things together, and a pilot hole between both boards. I did mine before the diagonal bracing went in, which made for plenty of room to breathe with my drill.

So, I think the techniques might need to differ, depending on your source of pattern makers dowels.

Thanks for the baseboard series in S4N, it gave me the confidence to have a go this week

[Paul Willis]

Err... pages 8-9 of the News 173 shows this being done.

I think this technique applies to the C&L dowels you can get?

Thanks for the baseboard series in S4N, it gave me the confidence to have a go this week

Yes, they were C&L dowels, which did have the "pip" to centre the drill. It sounds like that is a feature that prospective purchasers should be aware of (or the lack of...).

Good news on the boards. Update at the next CHEAG meeting? I don't expect you to bring them along on the Brompton!

Cheers
Flymo

[jhock]

I intend to join the boards this weekend, I am waiting for the post man to deliver my track base and then I lay can the track now that both turnouts are constructed.

I do intend to make the next CHEAG meeting (must confirm the details with Paul) so with luck plenty of progress to update on!

I have also been doing research, I do not intend base the layout on any specific location but I have found a few pictures of some structures and features I would like to include:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/5742550097/in/set-72157626646281993/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/5742318549/in/set-72157626645865977/lightbox/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/5742945364/in/set-72157626645865977/lightbox/

[Paul Townsend]

Err... pages 8-9 of the News 173 shows this being done.

I think this technique applies to the C&L dowels you can get? I bought mine from Station Road Basboards (advertised in MRJ), and they lack the pointed pip (or indeed any pip!) on the back.

I found I could mount them pretty accurately by using a clamp to hold things together, and a pilot hole between both boards. I did mine before the diagonal bracing went in, which made for plenty of room to breathe with my drill.

So, I think the techniques might need to differ, depending on your source of pattern makers dowels.

My dowels are mostly cast iron bought (because I needed a lot) direct from a Midland Pattern maker supplier. They don't have a pip, they do have a wicked spike tho' !
I agree it is possible to retrofit and I have done so but it is easier to get the desired accuracy by pre-assembling the ends so I still recommend that where possible, especially where carpentry tools/skills are limited

[Terry Bendall]

I think this technique applies to the C&L dowels you can get? I bought mine from Station Road Basboards (advertised in MRJ), and they lack the pointed pip (or indeed any pip!) on the back.

Yes it would. I have only ever used the type with the pip on. In the absence of a pip, then John's method would work equally well.

Terry Bendall

[jhock]

Quick update, the baseboards are joined...on the second attempt!

It is good job baseboards have 2 ends, my moto always is measure 27 times, get it wrong, do it again!

[Paul Willis]

I do intend to make the next CHEAG meeting (must confirm the details with Paul) so with luck plenty of progress to update on!

I have also been doing research, I do not intend base the layout on any specific location but I have found a few pictures of some structures and features I would like to include:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/5742550097/in/set-72157626646281993/lightbox/

I do like that... It has a fantastically run down atmosphere that would be at home on almost any light railway.

Nice find, and something that would look very much in place on your layout. I'm looking forward to seeing how you model it.

Cheers
Flymo

[John McAleely]

Quick update, the baseboards are joined...on the second attempt!

It is good job baseboards have 2 ends, my moto always is measure 27 times, get wrong, do it again!

Sounds good. close inspection of the boards I made this week will reveal a 'spare' 25mm hole where a dowel was in the wrong place

[Trevor Grout]

Quick update, the baseboards are joined...on the second attempt!

It is good job baseboards have 2 ends, my moto always is measure 27 times, get wrong, do it again!

Sounds good. close inspection of the boards I made this week will reveal a 'spare' 25mm hole where a dowel was in the wrong place

if it was a spare hole John should they not be as a pair?,
or was a test hole, to ensure that the bit run straight & true....

[John McAleely]

if it was a spare hole John should they not be as a pair?,
or was a test hole, to ensure that the bit run straight & true....

Well observed! Each board has a spare mounting hole I haven't figured out the mistake I made, but a second, careful, attempt worked a charm.