Construction of a Test Track

[Le Corbusier]

Er, no Tim!

There is a Templot plan which I suppose it would be OK to post if you are interested.

All the best,

Colin

Colin,

Only if you are happy to ... not meaning to be nosey ... its just that the more that is revealed the more interesting I am finding things

[Colin Parks]

Here is the Templot plan of the test track. Ignore the rather grand word 'super' in the file name, which just differentiated this plan from a previous, smaller scheme.

Super Test track #5.box

[Colin Parks]

Work on the second baseboard has now resched the smae stage as the first i.e. the tracks are fixed and wired up. The power inconnected via the aignment dowels as planned and this arrangement works very well. Despite some arears of this test track being quite complicated, the wiring For DCC is a simple as possible: no switches and no connecting plugs between boards. The only fiddly part about joining the boards is tightening the M6 bolts with wing nuts- especially the ones near the diagonal brace. I wonder if side latches of some kind would be as effective? There would then would be no need to turn the boards over to join them.

IMG_8792.JPG

Now the second photo shows what happens if the track is ballasted across the joint and you do not wrap the ends of the boards with cling film as Tony wilkins suggests! The Quick Shine floor polish had stuck the board ends together in one place where some of the product had dribbled down and spread out. I shall not try and smooth out the damage as the boards fit together perfectly anyway.

IMG_8794.JPG

The theory is that these broken edges of ballast will fit like a jigsaw when the boards are joined. Since the photo was taken, the edges have been reinforced with super glue and tomorrow I will see if the joints will still fit. The distressed look of the sleepers on the nearest track has come out quite well, with a bleached 'old timber' finish. All done with the trusty Peco track rubber.

IMG_8793 (2).JPG

This last photo shows all three boards on the production line. In fact, the way that the track is being worked on can only really be done on a bench, with easy access to the underside of the boards being a great advantage.

IMG_8798 (2).JPG

There is a crossover ot be made and that will have the rail assembies and timbers cut and shaped on the subframe which is resting on top of the nearest board. The crossover will be made using flat bottom rail with construction methods as before, though this with correct length switches from the start. (Unlike the other turnouts!)

[Phil O]

In my last two clubs, the layouts have used the dowels as you have and toggle clips to join the boards together, we have never had an issue with them and the bonus at the end of an exhibition once the D connectors have been parted and stowed, the boards are separated in seconds, so it usually means that we are amongst the first out of the show and on our way home, before most.

Phil

[Colin Parks]

In my last two clubs, the layouts have used the dowels as you have and toggle clips to join the boards together, we have never had an issue with them and the bonus at the end of an exhibition once the D connectors have been parted and stowed, the boards are separated in seconds, so it usually means that we are amongst the first out of the show and on our way home, before most.

Phil

It is good to know of your experience with toggle clips Phil.

The main reason for my interest not speed of assembly/disassembly, but that is that it is becoming harder for me to bend down and fiddle with fixings under baseboards. If toggle clips are strong enough to hold the boards tightly together, then that will be the way to go.

All the best,

Colin

[junctionmad]

This is actually for our club O gauge layout, but its uses bullet dowels and toggle latches on the side to connect the boards together , works really well

IMG_1657.jpg

[Colin Parks]

Hi Junctionmad,

Is there any particular make/supplier of toggle clips that you could recommend?

All the best,

Colin

[junctionmad]

protex , I use this model latch https://www.protex.com/27-1123MSZN-non- ... ilver-blue

[Allan Goodwillie]

Hi Colin,

These look like a particularly strong type, better than other types I have been experimenting with for my own layout. Thanks Junctionmad!

Allan

[shipbadger]

A couple of friends and myself have recently bought toggle latches of this type sold on ebay. As you can see they are adjustable which means that when fitted the pressure exerted between adjoining baseboards can be adjusted. I have a layout with 'standard' toggle latches, but that requires the application of a hammer to tighten or loosen the joint.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2Pcs-Adjusta ... 0505.m3226

Tony Comber

[Will L]

A couple of friends and myself have recently bought toggle latches of this type sold on ebay. As you can see they are adjustable which means that when fitted the pressure exerted between adjoining baseboards can be adjusted. I have a layout with 'standard' toggle latches, but that requires the application of a hammer to tighten or loosen the joint.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2Pcs-Adjusta ... 0505.m3226

They look very functional though perhaps not as presentable on the layout front as some. The question is going to be how firmly can you screw the latch hook to the baseboard with two fairly small screws

[Alan Turner]

A couple of friends and myself have recently bought toggle latches of this type sold on ebay. As you can see they are adjustable which means that when fitted the pressure exerted between adjoining baseboards can be adjusted. I have a layout with 'standard' toggle latches, but that requires the application of a hammer to tighten or loosen the joint.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2Pcs-Adjusta ... 0505.m3226

They look very functional though perhaps not as presentable on the layout front as some. The question is going to be how firmly can you screw the latch hook to the baseboard with two fairly small screws

You use bolts.

regards

Alan

[Will L]

.... Or two fairly small bolts?

[Colin Parks]

Re. some thoughts on securing toggle clips to baseboards: it would be possible to reinforce the baseboard sides with glued-on wood inserts to give the fixings adequate material to screw into. The mdf material alone would not hold bolts or screws firmly for very long, being only 6mm thick.

Meanwhile, there has not been much progress on the test track this week due to some rather pressing uni. assignment deadlines. All being well though, there should be progress on the third board's crossover next week. Due to lack of experience with turnout building, I am having to review photos of the process, because I cannot remember exactly what to do!

The greatest challenge on the third board is that I have yet to devise a way of driving the point operating escapement units across the baseboard joint. It looks like the best way will involve a sprung mechanism to return the switch blades to normal, but this is going to require a hefty pull on the relevant lever (much like the prototype for the longest rodding runs perhaps).

[Allan Goodwillie]

Hi Colin,

How about aircraft control rods and cranks with a separating joint below the baseboard using a super magnet? The West Group layout has used aircraft control gear - it was fitted about 40 years ago and worked directly from the lever frame. Has worked well for all these years. There are a couple of runs that go over the joints and when the lever is at normal and not pulled the rod is fully back and the adjoining rod has a spring to return it to the baseboard edge, so that when the boards are joined the lever pushes the rod into the next board and therefore pushes the rod on to the rod on the next board and compacts the spring in the process.

Using a super magnet instead of fitting a spring. All you would have to do would be to double check that the magnet will have coupled up to the other steel rod when the boards were put together, if that makes sense.

Unfortunately I have no photographs of the underside of Calderside - I will try to take some at some point, but it will not be this week as our AGM is on Tuesday evening and we are going to have a meal beforehand.

Allan

[Colin Parks]

Hi Allan,

I will have a think about magnets for connecting rodding linkage, though am unsure what a 'super magnet' would be! There is no need to go to the trouble of taking photos of the Calderside layout, but perhaps you would be able to tell me how the magnets attached to the rodding.

There are plenty of suppliers of magnets, including First4magnets.com who I have ordered from before and found to be very good. I also have a small supply of old Geomag bars, from the magnetic construction sets, which have quite strong magnets.

All the best,

Colin

[Phil O]

Here's a photo of our toggle clips, on Merryfield Lane, 00 layout.

the box.jpg

Phil.

[Allan Goodwillie]

Colin, super magnets

look like these, come in several sizes, really powerful difficult to separate!

DSC02905.JPG

I store mine in the open so that they are less likely to do damage. Do not put them in your pockets wipes cards and tapes!

DSC02906.JPG

Allan

[Philip Hall]

I have a friend who tells me of their use on 0 gauge carriage stock as inter rake couplings so although they may be small they must be pretty strong!

Philip

[Colin Parks]

Here's a photo of our toggle clips, on Merryfield Lane, 00 layout.

the box.jpg

Phil.

Thanks for posting the photo Phil. Those clips look neat enough for me and no fiddling around underneathnthe board!

All the best,

Colin

[Colin Parks]

Colin, super magnets

look like these, come in several sizes, really powerful difficult to separate!

DSC02905.JPG

I store mine in the open so that they are less likely to do damage. Do not put them in your pockets wipes cards and tapes!

DSC02906.JPG

Allan

Thanks for the photos Allan. I shall investigate sources for them.

[Colin Parks]

I have a friend who tells me of their use on 0 gauge carriage stock as inter rake couplings so although they may be small they must be pretty strong!

Philip

Hi Phillip,
In a similiar way, on the previous layout, I used a Geomag magnet (not the whole plastic bar!) to as a coupling between two 4mm scale 2-car EMUs (one motorised and one unpowered). This just consisted of the bare magnet suer glued to a wire which was fixed to one bogie transom and this engaged with a steel screw head on the transom of the bogie on the next unit. The arrangement was totally reliable and fairly unobtrusive. It took a reasonable tug to part the units in the fiddle yard!

All the best,

Colin

[billbedford]

Colin, super magnets

look like these, come in several sizes, really powerful difficult to separate!

DSC02905.JPG

Owww magnetic buffers?

[allanferguson]

I saw these in use as couplings on an "O" gauge layout a while back. Very effective and seemed totally reliable as automatic couplers; but I couldn't work out how to uncouple them other than a fairly sharp tug.

Allan F

[Allan Goodwillie]

HI Allan,

Fine for permanent rakes, but not for coupling or uncoupling, however we have used them on Burntisland, that is how the below baseboard mule works. The steel wheels on the wagons follow the super magnet as it travels below the turntables and takes them on to the hoist - it is the only way I could figure out a way of doing it without anyone touching the wagons. The magnet travels beyond where the wagons come to rest and the hoist motor overcomes any further resistance. One of the few better things about steel rail. It acts like "Magnahesion" (remember Hornby had magnets fitted in their locos for this?) in reverse.

Allan