Woolwich Dockyard/Charlton Junction - 80s/90s NSE in SE London - [On Hold]

Tell us about your layout, where you put it, how you built it, how you operate it.
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kelly
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Woolwich Dockyard/Charlton Junction - 80s/90s NSE in SE London - [On Hold]

Postby kelly » Tue May 31, 2016 11:36 pm

So thought I'd start a thread for the layout I'm currently working on at present. It is fairly simple in concept. Based upon a condensed plan of the Woolwich Dockyard/Charlton Junction area, with the station for Woolwich Dockyard being off scene and Charlton station being taken out in effect as part of the compression.

It currently exists as a templot plan as seen below:

woolwich_dockyardch_2016_05_31_2159_45.gif

sketchboard_2016_05_31_2221_17.png


I've been posting progress of the planning over on that other site for a few months now, and the above is the latest plan drawn up in templot.

The plan is for it to be to a modular design, to allow the length to be shorter at home and longer if it were taken (hopefully) to exhibitions. Due to storage limitations, all features aside from the track would be removable, which does give the possibility of changing the era with careful planning and changing of buildings, etc. So in theory anywhere from 1925-present could be represented, though going back before colour light signals is probably not feasible for practical reasons. But 60s-70s should be viable for the future, ensuring plenty of opportunity for stock variety. The genericness of the plan also makes it similar in part to other parts of the North Kent lines (Kidbrooke springs to mind).

Being a member of MERG, I intend to make use of their CBUS/DCC system for control of the points/signals and units/locos. The plan is to hopefully provide a eNtrance eXit panel type interface, but also allow for computer/smartphone control potentially.

Stock is mainly going to be class 415/416 EPBs and class 465/466 Networkers, which I'm currently working on four car versions of both, with several 466s and a Bachmann EPB awaiting conversion to P4 (remotoring in the case of the Hornby Networker). Other stock will probably be 33s, 73s, 56s, 60s and 92s (if timescale pushed to around 94).

As yet a final name for the layout hasn't been decided upon.

Anyway, I'll leave it there for the moment.
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Last edited by kelly on Wed Jul 05, 2017 10:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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James Wells
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Re: Woolwich Dockyard/Charlton Junction - 80s/90s NSE in SE London

Postby James Wells » Tue May 31, 2016 11:44 pm

I like the idea if a proper NX panel! I've seen something similar demonstrated on the MERG stand before and liked the idea!

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Re: Woolwich Dockyard/Charlton Junction - 80s/90s NSE in SE London

Postby kelly » Tue May 31, 2016 11:54 pm

James Wells wrote:I like the idea if a proper NX panel! I've seen something similar demonstrated on the MERG stand before and liked the idea!


Natalie, who I am working with on the layout plan, first mentioned wanting a NX pnael, so I did a search on the MERG site and came up with some helpful options :)

John Gowers of MERG is the owner of the panel you've probably seen on the stand in the past, and I intend to pick his brains about it at some point to adapt something similar for my needs. As it communicates with CBUS it should be adaptable for my needs.
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Re: Woolwich Dockyard/Charlton Junction - 80s/90s NSE in SE London

Postby ClikC » Wed Jun 01, 2016 1:11 am

Indeed, eNtrance eXit panel sounds interesting.

I've been considering making a scaled panel for the bits of Carlisle c. April 1974 I'm considering for a possible layout.

I'm not a MERG member, but I was considering using a PIC Microcontroller with direct DC control (i'm not a fan of DCC for point control), which would drastically simplify the panel wiring.

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kelly
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Re: Woolwich Dockyard/Charlton Junction - 80s/90s NSE in SE London

Postby kelly » Wed Jun 01, 2016 1:02 pm

ClikC wrote:Indeed, eNtrance eXit panel sounds interesting.

I've been considering making a scaled panel for the bits of Carlisle c. April 1974 I'm considering for a possible layout.

I'm not a MERG member, but I was considering using a PIC Microcontroller with direct DC control (i'm not a fan of DCC for point control), which would drastically simplify the panel wiring.

Regards

ClikC


It does seem to be good operationally to me. Being able to set a route, and have the points and signals operate accordingly to that route. Natalie being an ex-BR signaller favours this approach.

Whilst DCC controlled points/signals could be fun, I don't envisage doing so, computer control yes (via MERG CBUS/JMRI). Using their system will cut down a bit on costs as having been to one of their area groups and having had a go I think I can manage to put together (solder) a kit, the CANCAB handheld unit I'll need to work up to I think, but even that (with SMD components) doesn't seem excessively daunting to me. Definitely worth the joining cost imho for what I gained from it thus far (a wealth of information and help, much like I'm expecting to be the same here).
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Andy W
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Re: Woolwich Dockyard/Charlton Junction - 80s/90s NSE in SE London

Postby Andy W » Wed Jun 01, 2016 2:51 pm

Interesting layout. I'm starting to ponder one of my own, and may steal some of the elements here - if that's ok with you Kelly?
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Re: Woolwich Dockyard/Charlton Junction - 80s/90s NSE in SE London

Postby Winander » Wed Jun 01, 2016 3:42 pm

kelly wrote: the CANCAB handheld unit I'll need to work up to I think, but even that (with SMD components) doesn't seem excessively daunting to me.


I had no experience soldering electronic components, in fact precious little soldering, but found the CANCAB and CANCMD simple enough. The instructions are very good, just search for the paper on soldering SMCs and get the recommended solder/flux kit from RS Components. You will also need a small (1mm or 1/2mm) tip for your iron, but not a pointed one. I successfully used a 25W Antex iron.

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kelly
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Re: Woolwich Dockyard/Charlton Junction - 80s/90s NSE in SE London

Postby kelly » Wed Jun 01, 2016 4:13 pm

Andy W wrote:Interesting layout. I'm starting to ponder one of my own, and may steal some of the elements here - if that's ok with you Kelly?


Feel free :) it is based on the real location, so theres lots of interesting information on google/bing maps as well as ordinancy survey maps on places like old maps (the 1890s/early 1900s maps are particularly interesting when they feature some of the dockyard items that existed in the area (the junction on the left of the plan is to give impression of docks traffic coming from the Woolwich Dockyards, and off scene from the left spur of the crossover angerstein wharf connects, thus giving a extra bit of traffic variation).

Winander wrote:I had no experience soldering electronic components, in fact precious little soldering, but found the CANCAB and CANCMD simple enough. The instructions are very good, just search for the paper on soldering SMCs and get the recommended solder/flux kit from RS Components. You will also need a small (1mm or 1/2mm) tip for your iron, but not a pointed one. I successfully used a 25W Antex iron.

regards


I have a couple of irons (both Antex) and a soldering station (cheap one) on order,so should be covered by those I think. The kits (CANACC8 for instance) look fairly straight forward, and the instructions are well laid out as you say. I'm fortunate that there is an area group near enough for me to go to, where part of the meetings is help with such matters, it proved enlightening last month I found and dispelled the 'I can't do that' worries I had.
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Re: Woolwich Dockyard/Charlton Junction - 80s/90s NSE in SE London

Postby kelly » Thu Jun 16, 2016 12:03 am

A bit of a small update. Have acquired a 3'2' board from Tim Horn and given it a coat of emulsion (to protect the ply from damp etc) and been tweaking the plan in templot further.

post-11572-0-33107900-1465137062.jpg


The first of several baseboards from Tim Horn. I'll be picking up a couple more at Scaleforum in September hopefully.

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The images show the evolution of the plan from the first drawing with curves and crossover on a transition curve to the current plan with a single slip on the left and straight lines (to allow boards to be modular and to operate in different size configurations).

The final pair of images show a suggested change Natalie (whom I'm working on the plan with, she'll do all the signalling as that is her forte). I'm unsure about it myself. I've also added a bit of a curve to the exit of the crossover. It would probably look better in more of a Y configuration but I haven't worked out how to acheive that with Templot as yet.

Pros/Cons for single slip version
+2ft shorter
"less pointwork to build, though a single slip feels a bit daunting!
-less operating options

Pros/Cons for suggested change
-2ft longer
+no single slip
-6 extra points to build
+more varied operations
+better suited to the multiple era plans perhaps

The boxes drawn over each plan represent 3'x2' and 2'x2' boards, the second plan I think would need to be altered so the 2nd 2'x2' board is a 3'x2' board to put the point work on the same board to make board joins easier.

Thoughts/suggestions welcome.

At some point I'll have to think of a name for the layout!
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