Where will this lead......

Phil O
Posts: 363
Joined: Sun May 05, 2013 5:23 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby Phil O » Sun Nov 19, 2017 10:55 am

RobM wrote:
Am I right in thinking that their are two turnouts.....? My original intention was to use a 3 way to save space. Thanks for doing that though.... :thumb
The reason for having the screens where I have them positioned becomes clearer if what I mention in my reply to Noel works.
.


Rob

I have done it as two turnouts, but I can do it as a tandem if you would like. Do you have any preference for a minimum radius? I have used Templots minimum, so far.

Phil

User avatar
RobM
Posts: 1087
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby RobM » Sun Nov 19, 2017 5:49 pm

Terry Bendall wrote:
RobM wrote:It has now led to drawing up an initial plan. All contained on a 4' x 2' baseboard


Just looked at this for the first time in several days. At your usual rate of progress Rob shall I put you down for Scaleforum 2019? ;) :D

Terry Bendall


Terry, seems like a reasonable time scale, perhaps pencil it, whether it be a work in progress or finished.
Rob

Phil O wrote:
Rob

I have done it as two turnouts, but I can do it as a tandem if you would like. Do you have any preference for a minimum radius? I have used Templots minimum, so far.

Phil


Phil, very nice gesture and thank you, it will be a tandem with minimum radius. I'm only a slightly advanced novice with Templot but first I have to see how things pan out with the various ideas I have, i.e. need to do the buildings and see how they come together, if the 'working' screen materialises then the positioning of them is important to give the effect I want. I may take up your offer of the tandem at a later stage and will mention you in dispatches...... ;).........many things to develop and I'm already revising the initial plan with plan B, plan C etc......
At the end of the day my approach is to provide a visually interesting and convincing display, the railway is secondary.......albeit an important part of the display......
Rob

Terry Bendall
Forum Team
Posts: 2420
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2008 7:46 am

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby Terry Bendall » Mon Nov 20, 2017 8:18 am

RobM wrote:Terry, seems like a reasonable time scale, perhaps pencil it, whether it be a work in progress or finished.


Thanks Rob. You are now in!!

Terry Bendall

User avatar
RobM
Posts: 1087
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby RobM » Wed Jan 17, 2018 3:11 pm

I guess that it is about time for an update.

Since my last I have started on the pit head buildings and the winding house.

pit-head.jpg


winding-house.jpg


I have drawn up the railings and steps for the up cast shaft, various other railings and the bodies of the coal tubs. They are now being etched.
With Martin's new tool in Templot I have now drawn up the track plan with a 3 way tandem.
Have also designed the proposed method for making the screens load coal into wagons, fingers crossed on that one. I needed a 12v motor with an eccentric so that it would vibrate a chute. Googled vibrating motor and was not surprised at what results came up.... :o .... but I did get 2 motors which fit the bill and at only £7 for the 2 inc P & P from Hong Kong!

Rob
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

User avatar
Le Corbusier
Posts: 1600
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2015 3:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby Le Corbusier » Fri Jan 19, 2018 3:04 pm

Looking more interesting by the minute Rob ... looks like it will have a fair degree of scale to it :thumb

Whose doing your etches

Tim
Tim Lee

User avatar
RobM
Posts: 1087
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby RobM » Fri Jan 19, 2018 5:31 pm

Tim, it will all fit within 4' x 2'. Yesterday I finalised the track plan and started to draw up a 1:1 plan. Initially I had 3 roads through the screens but needed to return the empty wagons so sacrificed one of the roads which will now act as a return road.

full-plan.jpg


The up shaft and associated buildings are on the left, the screens a dirt bunker are towards the front and the down shaft is at right rear. Various enclosed conveyors connect the shaft to the screens. Also another conveyor will (if all works) connect the 'live' coal external hopper to the mechanism in the screens.

Today I have made a start on the screens with the girder iron work.

I have used PPD Ltd for the etches.
Rob
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

User avatar
Le Corbusier
Posts: 1600
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2015 3:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby Le Corbusier » Fri Jan 19, 2018 6:02 pm

small over all size ... great sense of scale .... you must be a wizard :D
Tim Lee

Colin Parks

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby Colin Parks » Fri Jan 19, 2018 10:37 pm

Hi Rob,

It is looking quite spectacular already with the pit head structures! Do you plan your layouts to this size due to space constraints - or is it just that you like them this way?!

All the best,

Colin

User avatar
RobM
Posts: 1087
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby RobM » Sat Jan 20, 2018 7:56 am

Le Corbusier wrote:small over all size ... great sense of scale .... you must be a wizard :D

Wish I had a magic wand though...........

Colin Parks wrote:Hi Rob,
It is looking quite spectacular already with the pit head structures! Do you plan your layouts to this size due to space constraints - or is it just that you like them this way?!

All the best,

Colin

Thanks Colin.
As mentioned before I have attempted 3 large projects and scrapped 3 large projects! When the SGW came along I managed to finish a layout. Then Mount Woodville came along again within the SGW guide lines. Both fit in my car and I can work in the spare bedroom. Of late I have taken over part of the living room (due to Jen's dementia so I can keep an eye on her...) so layouts will remain small and I do like them that way.
By the way, your track work looks exquisite...... :thumb
Rob

Colin Parks

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby Colin Parks » Sun Jan 21, 2018 4:38 pm

Hi Rob,

There is a lot to be said for completing a small project rather than abandoning something more grandiose. Like you, I am using four foot base boards, which can be easily lifted about, worked upon the domestic space and fit nicely in a car (although maybe not so easily with a large pit head attached!)

Have you not considered adding another board to extend the sidings? It would be very tempting if I were you and would not involve any more point work.

All the best,

Colin

User avatar
RobM
Posts: 1087
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby RobM » Sun Jan 21, 2018 6:06 pm

Colin Parks wrote:Hi Rob,

There is a lot to be said for completing a small project rather than abandoning something more grandiose. Like you, I am using four foot base boards, which can be easily lifted about, worked upon the domestic space and fit nicely in a car (although maybe not so easily with a large pit head attached!)

Have you not considered adding another board to extend the sidings? It would be very tempting if I were you and would not involve any more point work.

All the best,

Colin


Colin....don't tempt me......another board.....a small pit village?.....plenty of reference as I live in an old pit village.......but, heading rapidly towards my 70's and with COPD I will keep to the smaller stuff, well for now anyway. I will stick to my maxim which I adopted in my paintings and that is intimate close ups of the landscape.....but then never say never..........
Rob.... :)

User avatar
RobM
Posts: 1087
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby RobM » Tue Jan 30, 2018 5:50 pm

Work continues.......have made the 'coal shaker' which works but once installed in the screens building hope it does not look like a building in the middle of an earth quake! Currently working on the screens which have thrown up a number of issues which I am working through. Track, ballasting and making the building have all come down to building on a 'jig' as a stand alone. Slowly sorting out the probs and hopefully some photos soon ........
Rob

User avatar
RobM
Posts: 1087
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby RobM » Thu Feb 01, 2018 4:29 pm

Some photos of progress..............

screens01.jpg


The start of the screens. It has been built so far in 3 sections, the back, the middle supports with the inspection platform and the front with the dirt bunker. The supporting girders are Evergreen H section and other metal work are Evergreen strip. The handrails on the inspection platform were also fabricated from strip. The brick work is Southeastern Finecast and backed with 3mm foam board. The back of the brick work was roughened with sandpaper then stuck to the foam board with Unibond No More Nails. Windows are my usual method, self adhesive paper cut on the Silhouette Portrait. Access to the upper floors will be at the back. This was an after thought when I realised that I had forgot a stairway and door to the left of the dirt bunker...... :( Painting has started using artists acrylic paint.

screens02.jpg


The coal shaker........

coal-shaker.jpg


The chute is made from styrene and supported on springs soldered to brass strip and fastened to packing strip that Eileen's send out with the Evergreen materials. The motor mount was fabricated from brass. A small block of foam was glued to the wood under the motor, this was very much trial and error until until I got the right amount of damping.
Tomorrow I'll do a short video of the coal shaker in action.
Rob
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

User avatar
Le Corbusier
Posts: 1600
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2015 3:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby Le Corbusier » Thu Feb 01, 2018 4:35 pm

Exceptional progress Rob ... loving this :thumb
Tim Lee

User avatar
RobM
Posts: 1087
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby RobM » Fri Feb 02, 2018 11:41 am

Thanks Tim.....

Been messing about all morning trying to sort out a video. The first got slightly cropped and was a bit out of focus. Did another which was fine but my editing software just messed up so I uploaded the first one just to give an idea. Excuse the finger but the rig just wanted to move about, in the second video I had screwed it down and it was fine. Still more refinements to be made.......


Tony Wilkins
Posts: 814
Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2012 3:57 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby Tony Wilkins » Sun Feb 04, 2018 10:49 pm

Absolutely brill Rob.
Regards
Tony.
+1
Inspiration from the past. Dreams for the future.

User avatar
RobM
Posts: 1087
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby RobM » Mon Feb 05, 2018 7:09 am

Thanks Tony. However when I fixed it to the building and ran it the building was subject to a minor earthquake! It was only just noticeable so I need to decouple it from the building and am now experimenting with 4 legs made from M2 or M3 studding which will be bolted to the baseboard and in turn to the shaker. All but 1 of the legs will be clearly visible but that can be disguised as some kind of water down pipe.
Rob

User avatar
Will L
Posts: 2516
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 3:54 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby Will L » Mon Feb 05, 2018 9:37 am

RobM wrote:...when I fixed it to the building and ran it the building was subject to a minor earthquake! It was only just noticeable so I need to decouple it from the building and am now experimenting with 4 legs made from M2 or M3 studding which will be bolted to the baseboard...

Beware that what is no longer visible does not becomes only too audible!

User avatar
Le Corbusier
Posts: 1600
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2015 3:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby Le Corbusier » Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:08 am

Will L wrote:
RobM wrote:...when I fixed it to the building and ran it the building was subject to a minor earthquake! It was only just noticeable so I need to decouple it from the building and am now experimenting with 4 legs made from M2 or M3 studding which will be bolted to the baseboard...

Beware that what is no longer visible does not becomes only too audible!

Unless of course what is audible adds to the realism ... I nearly asked earlier if the mix of the motor and the shaking could be used to give some sense of the sheer noise of this kind of kit on the real thing. Perhaps a step too far, but it may be a way to manage unavoidable noise?
Tim Lee

User avatar
RobM
Posts: 1087
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby RobM » Mon Feb 05, 2018 5:45 pm

Will......there is a little noise as the coal clatters down the chute and a slight humming from the vibrating assembly but that does not bother me and as Tim says it may add to the realism although the noise is nowhere like DCC diesel horns sounding!
Tim, was expecting you to explain how you design buildings in earthquake zones.... ;)
Anyway, still much experimentation and no definite sign yet if it will work as it should do. Some critical areas are motor speed and direction, I had to slow down the fall of the coal as it just bounced in and out of a wagon which was achieved by glueing in some baffles in the loading chute....so now got to sort out how to keep the shaker chute filled, I do have a plan but am slowly running out of height space........it could still be a complete failure in which case I'll take up knitting..... ;)
Ordered some studding and other stuff from Eileen's today but in the meantime laid some track under the screens.........most of the ballasting/grot (as Knuckles would call it) can be completed before final assembly with some connecting ballasting having to be done post assembly.........what have I let myself in for..... :o
Rob

User avatar
Le Corbusier
Posts: 1600
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2015 3:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby Le Corbusier » Mon Feb 05, 2018 5:53 pm

RobM wrote:.........what have I let myself in for..... :o
Rob

Knitting :D
Tim Lee

User avatar
RobM
Posts: 1087
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby RobM » Thu Feb 08, 2018 5:21 pm

Some track through the screens has now been added and have been experimenting with ballasting. For the ash, coal dust ballast I have used normal BBQ charcoal finely ground. In the past I have used real coal to represent.... well....coal but I found the shine a bit too much. I am now using charcoal briquettes which have a matt finish. I have a sack of each in the garage but no longer BBQ so thought I'd make some use of it.
The shaker has now been decoupled from the building and is a stand alone and will be firmly attached to the baseboard. Some serious and awkward removal of some of the internal plastic structure ensured everything was clear of any vibrating parts. I used M3 studding for three of the legs and an M2 for the one that would be clearly visible. First efforts seem OK although after 6 run throughs only a couple of bit of coal managed to bounce out of the wagon. I will extend the loading hopper by another 6mm and this will be disguised by a conveyor in the lowered position and hopefully reduce the bouncing 'coal'. Here is where I am at the moment..........



Rob

Colin Parks

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby Colin Parks » Thu Feb 08, 2018 10:08 pm

Hi Rob,

The video is great! Some realistic loading going on there. Your idea for making ash ballast from charcoal briquettes is a brilliant idea, so much easier than grinding up coal ashes (as I did for my previous layout's sidings).

All the best,

Colin

User avatar
RobM
Posts: 1087
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby RobM » Fri Feb 09, 2018 7:24 am

Thanks Colin......
It is a messy job and after it has been laid needs to be sealed. I will try adding some talc to the mix to see if it alters the shade or else I will paint it.
In the past I have used Carr's ash ballast but found it became too irregular when soaking up the glue.
Rob

User avatar
RobM
Posts: 1087
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:39 pm

Re: Where will this lead......

Postby RobM » Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:23 pm

The mechanism is now complete. I had problems with the coal not sliding down the hopper, the angles were quite shallow in 2 areas in order to fit it within the building and be big enough to accommodate at least 3 wagon loads. As it is it will supply 4 wagons. I had removed a piece of foam which was causing the building to shake but having decouple the mechanism from the building I replaced the block of foam which very gently vibrates the hopper and the coal now flows perfectly.

final-loader.jpg


Here is the finished result, the finger will be replaced with a loco!



There is still the odd bit of bouncing coal which can be sorted with the use of a mini vacuum cleaner.
Bit of a pain fitting it into the building as it has to be taken apart completely then rebuilt in situ.

screens3.jpg


The whole structure is built on 60 thou styrene. Once the building has been located in its correct position on the base board with the tracks aligned holes for the studding will need to be drilled using the styrene base as a template. The building will then be cemented to the base and the remaining ballasting carried out between the supports.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


Return to “RobM”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests