Wednesday 25th September

Worklist:
Extension boards - fit hinge locators.
Extension boards - new support legs.
New point.
Cork underlay.

Some weeks we take a while to get started, but this week, it was all-go from the start. Geoff had drawn up the Y point on Adaptor board #1 (the non-exhibition engine shed) and settled down to make it. The sleepers would be printed circuit board cropped to match the Peco sleepers, so out came the guillotine. Geoff had two types of copper-clad board and the first and cheapest merely shattered when cropped. Fortunately, the other could be cut nicely. A quick measure of the Peco flexitrack sleepers arrived at 8mm wide, but after offering the first strip, a little over 8mm was agreed. The point was drawn in CAD and printed on lightweight coloured card. The sleepers were then glued in place and the rails prepared and soldered onto the sleepers. The card is thin enough that it can be cut closely around the point and installed with the point onto the baseboard.

Stephen and Laurence retrieved Adaptor boards #3 & #4 and checked them for a smooth abutment. Some some small timber and glue fragments had to be removed to get a good fit. The pre-adapted flap-back hinges were then fitted, to complete the final connection of the Adaptor boards.

They then discussed the support leg design floated at the end of last week and drawn up for the blog. A datum for the layout top was required and although an exercise had been undertaken the previous week to level everything, a sag in the main shelf was discovered that put the boards out of level. Stephen and Geoff discussed options and a length of steel angle was retrieved from behind the shed that will be cleaned up and cut to size before next week.

 

After a brief discussion, and using a temporary datum, the size and positions of the holes for the first racking plate were agreed. Laurence opened the new pack of softwood then cut and prepared the first unit.

Meanwhile, Stephen pressed on gluing down the cork underlay around the long curve on the Adaptor boards.

By the end of the day, Geoff's point only lacked a wing rail and some check rails. Due to the Y being quite short, the blades were pivoted.

A great days work.

Wednesday 18th September

Worklist:
New baseboards

A busy session, with all three focused on the new baseboards. Laurence continued with the final, rectangular board, while Stephen and Geoff took a more overall view of the new boards. The trestles were set out and re-levelled following adjustment at the Burton show. The trestles are generally in the same position except they move further out, to increase the space inside the layout. The new positions were marked on the floor.

The centre line of the track was pencilled and cork underlay strips prepared and glued down with contact adhesive.

Laurence's board was completed and the hinge joiners fitted.

 

The elongated cut-out (to allow the board to be offered-up to the locator pins) had an accurate check for track clearance and passed comfortably. It is a non-scenic area, but the excess hole might be filled in, in due course.

Attention moved to the new boards down the racking wall and the support structure in particular. This now had to be finalised as it was the last opportunity to agree the spacing off the racking before the final locator pins were fitted between the rectangular board and the adjacent adaptor board. Work benches with packing on top were positioned to support a couple of boards. Numerous ideas for support were discussed. Intrusion into the room, ease of assembly, storage, stability, were all factors. A possible gap at the back to gain access to the hidden tunnel track became more important when the temporary boards in position allowed us to test the access. A larger gap than planned for was agreed. Laurence conformed that once Geoff had lost a bit of weight, two operators could pass each other in the reduced space.

The problem of storing legs tended to obviate sturdy, 'H' leg panels. Removable rods pushed through the racking holes supporting one side with single legs bolted to the outer side of the boards were discussed. Brackets on the face of the racking could be tolerated if removable. The final suggestion before the end of the day had some merit. Permanent, shallow timbers bolted to the racking where possible, with flush mount plates (as we'd used on the original control panel). Then a fold-up cross-brace with the second flush mount on the end, bolted to a simple timber leg. The frames could be set up in the order of assembly i.e. away from the end shelf unit, without needing to be held in place (hopefully). Successive layout boards could be easily fitted to previous boards and dropped onto the frame. Timber would be purchased and the old flush mounts located for a trial next week.

Wednesday 11th September

Worklist:
Continue building the new rectangular board
Make new knurled connector pins
Review hinge connectors for inaccessible boards

A full house today. Laurence continued building the new rectangular board, carefully incorporating the end previously made-up with the connector pins to the irregular shaped adaptor board.

Stephen and Geoff reviewed the back flap hinges purchased for the board connections where access underneath the boards for bolts was not possible. Geoff ground off one pin end and found a length of steel to form an easily removable replacement pin. Stephen them adapted the rest of the hinges.

The first two adaptor boards were securely clamped together and levelled. One hinge was then fixed to the side of one junction and after some adjustments, screwed in place. The other side was then fitted and the assembly successfully tested.

Meanwhile, Laurence continued to assemble the final adaptor board - the small rectangular board.

Stephen started to transpose the track layout onto the main adaptor boards ready to apply the cork underlay (probably next week). It was interesting the see the actual track layout at full size, for the first time.

Geoff started to make the two final knurled connector pin units, but due to having used all of the steel pin rodding (and an issue with the drill size system), the project became a bit more complicated and the first brass ferule split. Greater care and a bit more work will be needed.

The fabrication of four new adaptor boards and two new layout boards (not in their 'exhibition' positions) has caused some confusion (for some more than others). The diagram below should clarify the situation:

Wednesday 4th September

Worklist:
Continue making extension boards.

Back to three this week (2.5 actually).

Laurence took on the task of making the last board, the rectangular board sited on the shelving unit. Stephen and Geoff pressed on with fitting the knurled pin connectors to the transition boards assembled last week.

As the boards were already made, a drilling jig was required to locate the pins in each board end, separately. A piece of hardwood was used, with two pieces of ply screwed to the top. Holes were drilled and the pins glued and tapped into place. Two more pin units will be required, which Geoff will make in the week.

The boards located on the shelf can't be bolted together from underneath, so alternative methods were discussed. Consideration was particularly given to the angled interfaces and lack of room on top of some boards. The winner was 38mm flat-back hinges with the pins ground/drilled out and removable pins made to suit. These pins will be dropped in from above once the hinges are aligned. Stephen will procure hinges for next week.

Stephen and Geoff spent some time cutting strips of 2.5mm MDF to glue to the undersides of the board longitudinal frames, where the softwood frame is slightly lower than the plywood. These will be glued to all boards at the end of work sessions, over a few weeks.

Before lunch, the Peco O-16.5 track was discussed. 'Country member Chris Holmes had suggested that the sleepers be cut apart then re-spaced to at least 20mm centres to represent prototypical trackwork. Geoff argued that 2'-6" (17.5mm) to 3' (21mm) would be suitable although the former might be preferable. Existing Cottesmore/WC PCB track was then measured at 17/18mm, which was agreed.

Laurence had to leave after lunch, but Stephen and Geoff carried on with the location pins and finished off the afternoon by gluing some of the 2.5mm packers.