Cadhay Sidings layout thread

Tell us about your layout, where you put it, how you built it, how you operate it.
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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Sat Jan 30, 2016 11:34 pm

This weeks progress has mainly revolved around electrics.

I've completed the re-wire and CBus installation of Board A
I've also built the second Block Instrument so I have a pair that can talk to each other
I finally made a start on the Lever Frame for Cadhay Sidings Box (Jacki bought me them for Christmas with somewhat of an air of disgust!!)

CSM16-1-4.jpg


Finally I am now in possession of the timber and aluminium angle to enable fiddle yard construction

Cheers

CDG
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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Thu Feb 04, 2016 3:40 pm

And now completed ready for dis-assembly, clean and paint....
CSM16-2-1.jpg


Cheers

Chris
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Knuckles
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Knuckles » Fri Feb 05, 2016 4:27 pm

I've always been tempted by these levers. Would they be able to operate Tortoise point motors with the automatic crossing polarity switching? I currently use bog standard Maplin switches (SPST or DPDT can't remember) that look like Peco ones and once I flick of those the point moves and the polarity is switched.

If these realisic levers can easily do the same I may be tempted to utalise a set.

Of course it would be a nightmare working out how many I'd need but the idea of building a removable overscale signalbox as a control panel to play in appeals!
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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Fri Feb 05, 2016 5:13 pm

It's been great to build and has made up into what I think is a good looking frame.

Here it is painted and just awaiting it's electrical switches, locking leads and locking tray connections added:
CSM16-2-2.jpg

It will be integrated onto Cadhay without the Locking Tray being completed (although I have the Locking Schedule complete) so the Board of Trade will need to turn a blind eye for the moment! Needs must.


Knuckles - each lever can be made to operate a SPDT microswitch. The fixings for these are designed into the frame. The following pic shows one of them in place (the rest left out for clarity) with the blue lever in contact and switching the switch. Two of the three contact strips sticking out of the back will have wires soldered to them to run my turnout rodding, Crossing lock, FPL and signals. You should be able to switch a tortoise from it and you could switch the crossing polarity using the tortoise's accessory switch.
CSM16-2-3.jpg


I love the idea of a miniature Signal Box - this is what I'm aiming for. This lever frame will be at waist height but there will be a block shelf up above with the Block Instruments (shown on the previous page) and bells and the Box Diagram (pdf copy of the current version is attached):

CS Signalling Diagram.pdf


Cheers

Chris
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Knuckles
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Knuckles » Sat Feb 13, 2016 4:46 am

Thanks for the info.

The painted result truly looks tasty and that is mildly put. These last posts are doing a good job of becoming an advert to me because seeing them painted in place of imaging them painted is a world of difference.

Sadly though I'm doubting I'll ever do actual interlocking.

I've read a couple books on signalling but currently I'm too dense to comprehend much of it. Knowing where to put put what signal where is challenge enough and I say I want to model point rodding too!

Anyway I wish you well with the progress and watch with interest. :)

Maybe the levers would scale up in a Guage 3 or 3.5" Gauge/Scale signal box?
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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Sat Feb 13, 2016 9:12 am

Thanks for the kind comments Knuckles. I'd certainly recommend the lever frame - it's been good fun to build and paint.

Here's how the (almost) finished Cadhay Sidings Box is looking:

CSM16-2-4.jpg

Apologies for the poor photo!
The box will be free standing and can be plugged in to the layout either front or back. The woodwork still needs painting, and then the lever lead details will be added in front of the frame, but it's pretty much there.

I'd recommend Jeff Geary's book called Trax, which comes with his Trax computer software. It not only gives info on planning but the software is quite helpful in working out the locking (and trialing it on screen). Only problem is you can get completely sidetracked with it using it as a locking simulation!!

Cheers

Chris
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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Sat Mar 12, 2016 1:50 pm

Taking advantage of Jacki being away for a long weekend, I've spent the last few weeks working on re-wiring and completing the fiddle yards in preparation for getting Cadhay set up in full for the first time since Scaleforum!

Here's a couple of snaps of our lounge as it currently looks:

CSM16-3-1.jpg

CSM16-3-2.jpg

Connected the Cadhay Sidings Box and the fiddle yard Block Instruments via MERG Cbus and now programmed, but a mishap when ordering resistors (180R no good when 180K needed!) meant that I couldn't complete the servo boards for the indicators on the Cadhay Sidings-Sidmouth Junction pair. Signal Box legs still to be built!!!

CSM16-3-5.jpg

And a few snaps of the M7 newly AJ converted pulling Jim Summers' rake of NBR coaches

CSM16-3-3.jpg

CSM16-3-4.jpg

CSM16-3-6.jpg

CSM16-3-7.jpg

Had a great deal of help from my East of Scotland colleagues on Thursday to set up, and then we had a really enjoyable running session yesterday afternoon. Got another session booked on Monday! Dogs don't seem to mind the bell signals, which is a bonus :D .

Cheers

Chris
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Le Corbusier
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Le Corbusier » Sun Mar 13, 2016 10:11 am

I have to admit I am still so impressed with the landscape modelling on this .... though not the subject of the post. Having spent much time looking at the model at scale forum, it just seems to go from strength to strength - in the last 2 or three pictures, to me the realism really jumps out at you. If you had any time over the next few weeks/months it would be fascinating to understand the processes used to achieve such a great result .... in the spirit of tutorials as discussed elsewhere. In the posts to date the grass/undergrowth/tracks/trees/water miraculously appear as if by magic!

I am currently starting my first foray into track building with a trial test track ...on which I will also be doing some experimental landscape modelling and ballasting .... Cadhay is such an inspiration.

Have you had any thoughts about the back scene at all yet?

Tim
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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Sun Mar 13, 2016 12:18 pm

Tim - thanks for the comments!

How are you getting on with your track build? Be sure to post your progress.

I started this thread really as a way to document progress. I felt this was important to aid forward momentum by being able to see (all in one place) where it's come from. I didn't really think there'd be that much interest in the techniques but you're not the first to ask. I'm currently looking to put together an article on the block instruments so once that's done I will maybe start a "workbench" type thread for the technique/in progress discussions.

If I do so then any comments on what people would like to see would be appreciated.

I will also need to spend some non-modelling time shortly to payback Jack for taking over the lounge for the best part of a week!! Back to the spare room and one board at a time for me I think.

cheers

Chris

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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Sun Mar 13, 2016 8:49 pm

Took advantage of some realistic Layout lighting - i.e. the sunshine this morning - to take these snaps:

CSM16-3-8.jpg

CSM16-3-9.jpg


If only this could be replicated with layout lighting!!!

CDG
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Le Corbusier
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Le Corbusier » Sun Mar 13, 2016 9:15 pm

I rest my case! ..... wonderful
Tim Lee

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Le Corbusier
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Le Corbusier » Mon Mar 14, 2016 10:40 am

CDGFife wrote:Tim - thanks for the comments!

How are you getting on with your track build? Be sure to post your progress.

cheers

Chris



Hopefully I will in due course .... unfortunately I have a real push on at work over the next few months so all has ground to a halt at the moment! I have one switch blade completed using Howard's design for the jig (don't know if it works yet) and the crossing V filed up using Brian Harrap's method which worked a treat. I am going to have a bash at producing sub assemblies and we'll see how we go from there.

All the best

Tim
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Serjt-Dave
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Serjt-Dave » Tue Mar 15, 2016 7:57 am

Well done Chris, your layout is coming on really great. Your images using the natural sunlight coming through makes it pop, but what I really like is that there's no Great Western thingies on your layout. LOL.

When is your layout due to have it's first outing?

All Best

Dave

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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Tue May 10, 2016 2:22 pm

Can't quite believe it's been over a month since I last posted anything on here!!

There's not actually been much layout work done of late as I've been concentrating a little on stock making. I've started a thread in the My Workbench to detail this if anyone is interested, but still intend to post layout progress here. On the layout front I've been building drainpipes & guttering for the stables but don't have any pics yet.

I have actually been doing some 4mm modelling recently, but it's not for Cadhay:

NB-16-1.jpg

NB-16-2.jpg

NB-16-3.jpg


It's actually a commission. There will be a skew plate girder bridge over the lock tail, where the track goes over the hole this is to fill!

Cheers

Chris
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Serjt-Dave
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Serjt-Dave » Tue May 10, 2016 7:20 pm

All looking good Chris and not a GWR thing in sight, yea!

Keep up the good work.

Dave

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Andy W
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Andy W » Tue May 10, 2016 7:51 pm

Shame it's not destined for Cadhay, it looks terrific.
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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Sat Oct 22, 2016 9:45 pm

It's been a bit of an awful summer for us this year, mainly taken up with my Mum passing away. Not done a great deal of modelling on Cadhay (excepting the stock side that is covered in the workbench thread) hence the scandalous lack of reports on here.

We did manage to get Cadhay up and running this week for the first time in full since March. Had a couple of running sessions and got some work done on the fiddle yards. It's was highly enjoyable and has maybe given me the kick up the backside required to get back to the scenics whilst still progressing the stock, so watch this space....

Meanwhile here's a couple of pics of the new (to me but very old) 700 getting it's first run in a long time given the condition of the wheels.

CSM16-10-3.jpg

CSM16-10-2.jpg


Cheers

Chris
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Knuckles
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Knuckles » Sun Oct 23, 2016 10:12 am

All the pics on this page have some of the best and most convincing scenic modelling I have seen in a long time. Highly convincing and inspirational I must say. When I get around to it this will be the 'look' I'm generally after.

I think your undulations and non straight banks help too.
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Russ Elliott
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Russ Elliott » Sun Oct 23, 2016 8:38 pm

Knuckles wrote:All the pics on this page have some of the best and most convincing scenic modelling I have seen in a long time.

Yes indeed. A real bit of landscape that 'happens' to have a railway line going through it.

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Mike Garwood
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Mike Garwood » Sun Oct 23, 2016 8:55 pm

Hi Chris

I'm so sorry to hear of the passing of your Mum. Losing a loved one puts all our models/modeling in perspective.

kindest regards & best wishes

Mike

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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Sun Oct 23, 2016 9:15 pm

Thanks guys for your comments and Mike for your wishes. It was my maternal Grandfather and his Leicester Railway Room that got me hooked on modelling when I was very young. At first I've found it difficult to get back to modelling partly for that reason but actually I'm now finding it quite therapeutic. It's also something my Dad and I used to do together before Mom got too ill and we've recently started doing again so it all helps.

The railway in landscape thing is exactly what my original intention was and from baseboard design onward that has been the goal. I'm glad you think it's starting to look ok. I certainly think it is starting to achieve the effect I wanted. Also with the Block Instruments and Block Bells it's starting to become good fun to operate!

However if I want to hit the exhibition trail then I do need to get moving on the scenics again. Made a small start this week with the water tank on the end of the barn. You can just see it on the top photo above. Believe it or not this little bit of scratch building has been holding up the entire Railway fence in that area for months! Now it's done I can get the fencing planted and move down the layout a bit.

Cheers All

Chris

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CDGFife
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby CDGFife » Thu Nov 24, 2016 12:47 pm

INspired by some really good looking Sash window frames supplied to me by Lindsay Galloway for the new Burntisland Machine Shop which were cut using his Sillouette Cutter, I recently took the plunge and invested in one. Finally this week I've had the chance to give it a shot.

I started off drawing up and cutting some sash windows for Cadhay's farmhouse which has been stuck waiting for me to summon the will to cut them by hand. I'd done the first three at about 2 hours each window and lost heart. With the cutter I was able to run a five piece laminate out of 10thou plasticard and laminate them together to make sash windows I'm pretty happy with. Also I was pretty happy that I was able to knock up the remaining 12 windows in about the 2 hours it was taking to do one by hand!!

CSM16-11-6.jpg


So now I've added them into the farmhouse it's ready for the polyfiller, sills, paint (the walls are cob) and thatch.

CSM16-11-7.jpg

CSM16-11-8.jpg


Some have commented on my reluctance to roof the Cadhay Signal Cabin as a reflection of a wish to keep looking at the fully modelled interior!! Actually what has been holding me back was how to model the LSWR valance that I had sadistically decided the SR had not yet removed like they did to so many LSWR boxes. I thought I'd try it with the Sillouette cutter. Here's the results:

CSM16-11-9.jpg


And attached to the cabin
CSM16-11-10.jpg


Just needing paint, tiles, and flashing plus guttering.
CSM16-11-11.jpg


All in all I'm really pleased with the cutter and my mind is now full of other possibilities for it!

Cheers

Chris
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Le Corbusier
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Le Corbusier » Thu Nov 24, 2016 1:47 pm

Looking good .... sash windows are something I know a bit about!

I'm not familiar with a silhouette cutter? Do you have/could you link to a video of it in use?

...does it simply cut, or does it have other functions (embossing/routing). How thick a material can it handle?

The results set one thinking.

Tim
Tim Lee

shipbadger
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby shipbadger » Thu Nov 24, 2016 3:07 pm

Tim,

This thread http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... eo-cutter/ on RM web probably has more than you will ever want to know. I think it is usually regarded as the reference source for using these cutters for railway modelling nowadays.

Tony Comber

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Le Corbusier
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Re: Finally Made A Start in P4!

Postby Le Corbusier » Thu Nov 24, 2016 4:35 pm

shipbadger wrote:Tim,

This thread http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... eo-cutter/ on RM web probably has more than you will ever want to know. I think it is usually regarded as the reference source for using these cutters for railway modelling nowadays.

Tony Comber


Thanks ... very interesting thread - I will have to spend some time digesting.

Tim
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