Re: The Ulpha Light Railway
Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:35 pm
This afternoon I popped up to Sheffield and got some track supplies, including SMP plain track, rail and sleepers for the pointwork. Since then, I have been busy preparing a design for the new track and stripping the old track off the first baseboard. I also did a deeper investigation into the problems with the river varnish.
I traced the old track on board 1 to capture its alignment exactly. I then used the tracing as a background in Templot to help me design the replacement track. I found that the old turnout had a kink in it around 2/3 of the way between the switch and the crossing. This might explain one of the more serious gauge problems - and why my stock kept derailing there. I also decided to model straight-cut point blades. As a result, it was impossible to exactly copy the alignment of the siding without making an awkward S bend in the siding. At worst, the cattle dock needs a small realignment.
Ripping up the old track was fairly straightforward, though tinged with sadness. I carefully removed the Colin Waite point rodding first. The track was laid on cork, which came up relatively easily. The trackbed is 5/8" blockboard, by the way, so very robust. No damage was done, other than the loss of the cosmetic signal operating wire, which was very loose in places anyway.
As for the river, I discovered that the varnish was painted over a thick layer of clear resin, or similar. The two did not like each other very much! The varnish layer had shrunk, lifted up and curled at the edges in various places. I was hoping to be able to get right down to the river bed to start again with the water. This now seems impossible. More head-scratching!
Here are some photos. Firstly, the pointwork as it was. To the right is part of the old waggonway track, which was laid on stone blocks. Notice also the Colin Waite point rodding. You can probably just about make out the signal wire and posts, running along the left-hand side of the track.
and as it is now.
This is part of the stripped-away river bed. The paler colour is the underlying resin. The orange colour is what remains of the overlying varnish.
Tomorrow promises to be very hot again, so further work indoors seems likely. A start on the new turnout and catch point are the likely targets.
I traced the old track on board 1 to capture its alignment exactly. I then used the tracing as a background in Templot to help me design the replacement track. I found that the old turnout had a kink in it around 2/3 of the way between the switch and the crossing. This might explain one of the more serious gauge problems - and why my stock kept derailing there. I also decided to model straight-cut point blades. As a result, it was impossible to exactly copy the alignment of the siding without making an awkward S bend in the siding. At worst, the cattle dock needs a small realignment.
Ripping up the old track was fairly straightforward, though tinged with sadness. I carefully removed the Colin Waite point rodding first. The track was laid on cork, which came up relatively easily. The trackbed is 5/8" blockboard, by the way, so very robust. No damage was done, other than the loss of the cosmetic signal operating wire, which was very loose in places anyway.
As for the river, I discovered that the varnish was painted over a thick layer of clear resin, or similar. The two did not like each other very much! The varnish layer had shrunk, lifted up and curled at the edges in various places. I was hoping to be able to get right down to the river bed to start again with the water. This now seems impossible. More head-scratching!
Here are some photos. Firstly, the pointwork as it was. To the right is part of the old waggonway track, which was laid on stone blocks. Notice also the Colin Waite point rodding. You can probably just about make out the signal wire and posts, running along the left-hand side of the track.
and as it is now.
This is part of the stripped-away river bed. The paler colour is the underlying resin. The orange colour is what remains of the overlying varnish.
Tomorrow promises to be very hot again, so further work indoors seems likely. A start on the new turnout and catch point are the likely targets.