Thursday 25th September

Worklist:
Check the alignment of the two joints prepared last week.
Re-adjust the middle joint.
Look at ballasting, scenery, bridge etc.

We started with item 2 - and almost spent the whole session on it.

The first thing we did was to break the existing pins out of their holes. Using glue (Araldite in this case) can have its downside, but very little damage was done to the timber frames as the studs were tapped out. Next - check the alignment pins and both were found to be a little undersized. Geoff set-to turning another pair. Before assembly, all pin and bolt holes were run-through with a larger drill, to make sure there was sufficient clearance to allow the boards/rails to be properly aligned.

It's a tricky board joint, with 4 tracks forming the main cross-over and one siding at the back. Whatever we did, all five lines could not be aligned, so the boards must have distorted over the 30+ years of the layouts life.  All we could do was get it as close as possible and accept that some rails would have to be re-soldered.

After our customary lunch-break when Laurence arrived, we finally got the alignment as best we could. We had to apply glue to the pin threads after everything was assembled and keep our fingers crossed that the glue expanded right up inside. We'll find out next week.

Stephen switched to fettling the mine road base, which needed quite a bit of work, as it was not entirely flat. Extra screws and packing were required, but it was eventually resolved.

Laurence switched to infilling the old magnet holes with thick plastic sleepers, ready for ballasting. 

A slightly frustrating session, but progress was made. 

Afternoon tea in the garden warmth was gratefully taken.

Thursday 18th September

Worklist:
Just the one this time - fit the alignment pins so the layout can be accurately assembled.

There are three joints on the layout and the centre joint has pins fitted already, so just two to do. However, the centre joint does not align the track properly, so remedial work will be required.

With Laurence exploring the Dorset of his youth, with the love of his youth, Geoff and Stephen set-to with the task at hand.

The process is complicated by the necessity of drilling holes from the 'outside' i.e. there isn't room to get a drill under the board.

Laurence had made the pins and drilled out some large washers to snugly fit over the pins. The washers were then drilled and countersunk to take three fixing screws each. Plain washers, the size of the bolts used for the pins were to hand. He's the process for upgrading our 'pre-existing' boards:

1. Take a rod of metal (approx 4-5mm dia.) with a point turned on the end - the pointer.
2. Drill a pair of holes in one board face that will take the pointer smoothly, but not too tight.
3. Assemble the boards aligning the track and tighten the board bolts.
4. Tap the pointer through each hole to the other face and remove.
5. Undo the bolts and separate the boards.
6. Using a wood bit, form a recess to take a large, plain washer.
7. Screw the washers into the middle of the recess.
8. Open up the pilot holes on the other board. These will take the alignment pin screw shanks. By over-sizing them, they can be manoeuvred into exact alignment by the washers, as the boards are joined.
9. Apply glue to the alignment pin screw holes and shanks. We used Gorilla glue - an expanding cyanoacrylate. 
10. Assemble the boards, tightening the nuts on the pin shanks. Check the track alignment at each phase.
11. Leave to set.

We managed to complete both joints, which surprised us both!

Next time, we'll test the assemblies and have a look at the centre joint again. Then, we'll be able to put the layout up with ease and finish off the mine track cassette interface.

Geoff had found a 00 track ballast that was very similar to the existing ballast, so some trial track repairs can be undertaken.

The pointer pushed through its hole. The other hole is the regular board bolt hole.

The pilot hole used as the centre for a large Forstner wood bit.

With the washer dropped into place to check the depth. These are original washers from the Cottesmore layout days - ex British Airways (we think).

A pin locator washer screwed into place.

With a pin head dropped in. With a plain washer on the screw thread, the pin will be glued into the other board face through an over-sized hole. Expanding glue with fill the void around the screw, which will be in perfect alignment (!)

Thursday 11th September

Worklist:
Adjust the ends of the three cassettes to suit the main line connection
Adjust the mine line connection to suit the cassettes
Finish off the alignment studs
Play trains!

And that's what we did (well, 1, 3 & 4)

Stephen's first job - cassette fettling. The cassette ends needed adjustment on two fronts:

1. Ensure that all of the running rails abutted the main line rails and there were no gaps.
2. Provide packing between the interlocking parts to ensure that the cassettes plugged in easily.

The cassettes and ends were numbered and lettered, and their status tabulated (he's into tables and schedules at present). Each end was then filed and packed until they fitted satisfactorily.

We had three working cassettes on the main line. However, having created the standard,  the mine line was found to be in need of serious work - both height and alignment needed adjustment, which would not be a quick job. As we wanted to play trains, we postponed it for next week.

Laurence finished off the set of alignment studs he'd started the week before. They were all run through the lathe again, to put a taper on them to 'facilitate easy insertion'.

After a nice lunch (still in the warm garden), we assembled the whole layout (four boards) for the first time. It needed an extra section of workbench to be cleared and packed to take the yard end, as the test-trestle wasn't ready yet. It went together well.

And we were soon playing trains.

We found a problem with the mine line / end section wiring which meant it would only work if the main line was switched on. Obviously a crossed-wire somewhere. Mañana!

Thursday 4th September

Worklist:
Make another full length cassette
Make the rest of the locator studs for the board joints
Discuss the future trestles
Charge the camera batteries up!

Yes, the camera lasted for one shot and died, but fortunately, L had his camera. However, there will be a short delay until he is able to submit his photos to the blog editor. To encourage a speedy delivery, a temporary photo will be employed. Blackmail - you bet.

It worked - the photos arrived!

The workshop was a hive of activity. During the week, Geoff had glued thin ply packer strips to some MDF cassette he had cut. He was then assigned to preparing the running rails for two, full-length cassettes.

Stephen was assigned to preparing the short connecting angles to go on the cassettes.

Laurence, with a view to improving the 'assemblability' of the layout, was assigned to turning up the remainder of the locator studs.

Ably assisted by his friend Wallace.

When all of the cassette pieces were made, we assembled them, but all was not well. They were very tight - too tight. Geoff cast his eye over the assemblies and noted several shortcomings in measurement, which will be rectified in due course. But they would not contribute to the tightness. The only answer is to take them apart and insert more tape between the critical faces.

With that postponed for another day, the subject of trestle legs was raised. Having given the thumbs up to the Ikea legs we assessed previously, we now had to extend them up to working height. 

Stephen had prepared and sent copies of a proposal during the week. Stephen cut two short lengths of aluminium angle (running rail) and taped them to the vertical sections of the trestles. A quick measure-up showed that a piece of ply profiled to the board side runners and screwed to the new angles, would provide a decent solution. Something else for next week.

"Heaven, I'm in heaven

And the cares that hung around me through the week

Seem to vanish like a gambler's lucky streak

When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek"

One more just to annoy him!

Thursday 28th August

Worklist:
Cut out depression in hill surface over entrance
Fit the surface sheet over the fiddle yard board
Fit cassette base unit on mine line

Laurence was given the job of cutting out the dip in the hill, directly over the entrance. 

When Stephen's firm folded a few years previous, he took delivery of a large bundle of polystyrene site boards. A 4' x 2' sheet was trimmed to size and cleaned ready for gluing.

Stephen had an aerosol can of spray glue - unused - which sounded ideal. It was, but the spray patten and spread were quite amazing - a large spiders-web of glue drifted from the nozzle. We were so pleased we had decided to do the spraying in the garden! Quite a lot of cleaning with white spirit was required - top sheet, baseboard, compost bin, trousers, shirt, but the sheet went down onto the ply surface perfectly.

The mine line cassette base unit was fitted. The same tightness occurred as the main line, and a lot of easing/packing was required to get a decent fit.

The new top sheet was shaped to allow the wires to be secreted nicely. Once another full-length cassette has be made, a full running session can take place!

As well as cutting the dip out, Laurence started to make a timber frame over the hidden mine line, which will form the tunnel through to the fiddleyard and provide a base to build a higher hill in the corner. 

Note the hole over the entrance. The resin was almost 10mm thick at some points - a typical John job.

To do:

Complete the tunnel and form the hill.

Make the cattle bridge. Note: the steepness of the hill probably lends itself to sheep rather than cattle. 

Fit alignment pins in the board junction, as the other boards.

Make another cassette.

Ballasting - we had a chat about what we should use to make good the ballast. Cottesmore was predominantly ballasted with a material John used at work - something similar to cat-litter, but for absorbing oil spills. Research and experimentation required.