Buffer Stops

[Serjt-Dave]

Hi All. With my track work progressing on my layout, I need to sort out what lies at the end of my sidings to stop stuff from falling off the end of the track? Buffer Stops! As buffers stops are not very photogenic you have to trawl through images trying to find what type were used, and as Edington Junction is not the most photographed station on the S&D there's not a lot about. The only one I've found is not very clear as this is not the subject that was being photographed but happens to be in the background {see attached image}

071019 B3.jpg

What I can make out from the image is that it has long trailing legs two vertical rail supports and a wooden beam. However I think this image was taken after the Bridgwater branch was closed and the yard was lifted and a single siding relaid. So this could be a BR replacement {fitted with a wooden beam rather than a rail one?}.

Looking at other buffer stops on the Highbridge Branch they look sightly smaller with not so long trailing legs {but I could be wrong there}. Attached are a few more images of buffer stops at Highbridge and Bridgewater.

071019 B1.jpg

071019 B2.jpg

071019 B4.jpg

Looking at what's available from Lanarkshire Models I can't find anything to fit the bill, being either having a rail beam or only one or no vertical supports. The only ones that almost fit are and it pains me to say are Western ones.

Any thoughts, help and advice please.

All Best

Dave

[dal-t]

When I first saw your photo it struck me how close it looked to the Lanarkshire L&NWR components currently adorning my workbench (proved too long for an already built location - had to be substituted by a set from that nasty company that ran small red engines). They are not identical - the Nor'Western upright doesn't bend like that - but fo me it would be a toss-up whether to start from that (BS11) or the Green With Rivets 'standard' (BS13), unless you want to prevail on the good Mr Franks to add to his ever-expanding range with some specific castings?

[John Palmer]

I was going to say that the LSWR design of rail-built stop block was universally used throughout the S&D system, but that isn't quite true as exceptions can be found - e.g. the blocks on the dead end beyond the turntable at Templecombe are of a pattern I've never encountered elsewhere.

All the blocks shown in your pictures appear to follow the standard LSW design, but even so at least one detail variation is apparent: the verticals in the blocks shown at Bridgwater are cranked so as to lie inside the running rails, whereas those at Highbridge 'B' (your second picture) have the uprights cranked to lie outside. Note that those verticals are bolted to the runing rails, unlike the Lanarkshire BS11 arrangement which seems to involve some sort of gusset plate attachment.

I always think of stop blocks as forming part of a company's design 'signature', so that it is important (to me!) to make them accurately and thus help to establish the historical origin of the company a model seeks to portray. In your shoes, I would want to make my own from offcuts of rail, of which I feel sure you must have plenty following your trackbuilding blitz! Relevant rail bending techniques are touched upon in the thread at https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=5148&start=350.

Malcolm Cross did an article on pre-group stop block designs in the September 1965 edition of MRC, which included drawings and a picture of the LSW design. If you want to consult that article but can't readily lay your hands on a copy, PM me; I can help.

[Serjt-Dave]

Thanks David and John. As you can see from the image attached I had ago in making a buffer stop, well half of one anyway. Quite pleased with it but would like to improve on it. One problem I had was drilling the holes for the rivet details. I gave up after breaking 3 bits. What I might go for is the 3D printed rivet decals. I bent the rail by cutting V's into the inside of the bend but this left holes which I filled with solder which then promptly disappeared when all the parts were soldered together. I will look at the MRJ article mentioned in your link John and try to make a rail bending jig and yes I would like a copy of that article you mentioned in MRC please John.

20191012_135256.jpg

Sorry for the image upside down.

All Best

Dave

[John Palmer]

That doesn't look bad, though the nicks made to form the sharp bends will need careful making good. I managed to get acceptable bends in n/s rail without having to nick the rail foot, but had some fractures on the ouside of sharp bends and consequent rejection of some components. Annealing the metal may be a solution.

The bolt heads are quite large, so I'm a little surprised you were plagued by drill breakages. Possibly I dodged this by using n/s rather than steel rail.

Email on its way to you re the MRC article.

[Terry Bendall]

The design shown is not that different from a BR type which I have scratch built several times. I bend the rail by hand using a pair of pliers. There is Obviously some distortion and occasionally a piece will break but the parts can usually be salvaged and any gaps filled with solder.

Terry Bendall

[davebradwell]

I suspect you're on a loser trying to put tight bends in drawn steel rail......unless you do it at red heat which could be fun. Depends on the steel, of course and I'll bow out there quickly and hope someone will take this over. Why not just use N/S as it will be painted all over?

Wasn't there a Protofour rail bender? I'm sure I've seen one.

For drilling steel you might be better off with a lubricant. The old faithful is RTD (reaming-tapping-drilling) compound from a tube and it should significantly reduce breakages which occur under sensible conditions - but not when the pin-vice rolls on the floor. If drill is breaking as it breaks through then put piece of scrap in web at rear to drill into - even solder it in.

DaveB

[Le Corbusier]

Some earlier discussions/advice on making buffer stops on my thread here

https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=55479#p55479

In the end I borrowed Allan's Studiolith bender (a lovely bit of kit) and can confirm that it is possible to bend quite sharp right angles out of steel rail without the need to anneal.

Notes on the bender are attached as a pdf to Allan's post further down the page