Wednesday 24th April 2024

Worklist:

'Show and tell'.

Fiddleyard storage shelf brackets.

Extra foliage.

Pipework.

Pigeons.

Yard clutter.

Both of us had 'homework' to display. Geoff had developed and made a new wagon for transporting large blocks of stone - a 3D printed, two-part chassis with additional timber detail. The Kadee couplings push neatly into the sockets. 

Stephen had added coloured track section markers to the control panel. Although newly purchased vinyl was used, the adhesive was not very strong, but it will be ok for the time being.

The main job of the day was to take a shelf support arm from a trestle and re-fix it to the new 4-leg framework. The shelf provides additional storage for cassettes adjacent to the fiddleyard. It normally comprises two hinged shelves, but only one could be fitted to the new frame, so a stop-end panel has been added.

More gutters and downpipes were added to the factory building.

Geoff had printed some pigeons - primarily to indicate the position of the magnet below the loading dock roof. The remaining pigeons were added to the parapet above. Barely discernible, they are a  nice addition, so a few more will no doubt appear in due course.

Geoff was finally able to strike the pipework foliage from the to-do list.

And another to-do was completed - a bare patch of ground behind the engine shed received some foliage as well.

The yard clutter has been a thorny issue for some time, but agreement was reached at last. 3D printed pallets, stoneware items and an early forklift truck would be used to populate the area.  Crates and loads will also be printed to carry the main products of paving slabs and architectural stone components.

Current stone wagon list and uses:

4/5 plank wagons will convey crushed stone direct from the quarry to the mainline interchange. The same wagons will convey waste stone from Edwards yard to the mainline.

2 plank versions of the 4/5 plank wagons (photo above) together with the new wagons will bring large slabs to Edwards yard.

4/5 plank wagons and vans will convey crated slabs and architectural stoneware from Edwards to the mainline.

Empties will return to the quarry and Edwards yard. Some movements will be with dedicated trains, but the addition of wagons to other trains 'en-route' is also anticipated, which should make for some interesting shunting!

Wednesday 17th April 2024

Worklist:

Fit a new controller socket on the main control panel.

Check-out the electrics on/in the main control panels.

Paint the backscenes.

Paul, another of our guest operators, made an interesting suggestion when he visited recently; why not add another socket for the handheld controller to allow a great extent of control along the layout? He was correct - our current socket was plugged into the left-hand end of the panel i.e. close to the end of the layout, whereas a socket at the other end (mid-way down the layout) would allow operators to move further down the layout - a 'no brainer'. A hole was drilled in the other end, another set of wires and socket was made-up and fitted. The new socket will be a great addition.

After making the changes, the main control panel was examined for potential failures. A number of issues were identified and rectified, which although taking longer than expected, left us with a lot more confidence in the system.

Some time ago, Geoff had 3D printed some ogee gutters and downpipes for the factory building, which Stephen had recently painted and weathered. Pre-glued in two sections, they were easily trimmed to length and glued in place. We were very pleased with the effect. Two other sets will be added elsewhere.

The layout was then taken apart and stored away. Some went into the main rack, but the two new boards went into their dedicated rack next door. However, the now completed cottages were too high for the designated space so a shuffle-round was required - but it all fitted - just.

The final job was to hoover everything as much as possible, set out all of the trestles and cover with newspaper. All of the backscene boards were then laid out, ready to be painted. To a half used tin of white undercoat, some grey undercoat (used on the baseboards and panel backs) was mixed in. Several existing boards had a creamy tinge, so some magnolia undercoat was also added. Eventually, all of the panels were painted. It looked good at the time, but we'll reserve judgement for when it has fully dried. 

Wednesday 10th April 2024

Worklist:

Check new extension drapes are OK.

Check faulty electrics on Worton Court.

Test the Land Rover on the stone yard road.

Review the stone blocks and discuss stone transportation generally.

Christine (Stephen's wife) had produced a new set of drapes for the 'extension', and as the full layout was still up, it was the perfect time to see how they fitted and decide where the Velcro strips were needed. A few alterations were required, but we will have a full set of drapes for the show.

The key job for this week was the electrics on the station boards. Some lights lights were working but others, and the two sound units weren't. The boards were dismantled and the two stations boards were clamped vertically onto the trestles. It is a bit of a mess, but some of this wiring is 50 years old!

After thorough testing, one loose wire was found and refitted, but then we found that some of the soldered joints and the attached wires were corroding and had broken. These wires were cut back or replaced, and resoldered. Once completed, everything was tested satisfactorily, to great relief. Whilst the underside was accessible, a survey of the many voltage regulators for the various features was carried out. Labels identifying each use and the output voltage of each were printed and fitted next to the units. This will make replacing a unit much easier in the future.

Stephen's motorised Land Rover was given its first proper run on the stonemasons yard. The gritted surface provided super grip and two loaded wagons were comfortably moved up and down. The two wagons were trial 2 plank versions of our standard wagons, specifically made for transporting large stone blocks. They also incorporated our 3D printed axle boxes. The stone is plaster filler, 'cast' into moulds of clingfilm draped over wood strips. They will need to be coloured to match the stone used generally on the layout.

We won't have time to create more of these wagons, but our 4/5 plank 'empties' will suffice.

The wagons and the way the stone loads were piled on was inspired by the photo below.

Wednesday 3rd April 2024

Worklist:

Welcome a visitor.

Play trains.

Test things out.

Carry out a few repairs.

Geoff had completed reworking the frame for the 2 new boards. A much better job. 

Chris Holmes has been a guest operator on Worton Court and Cottesmore West (he even had his own Cottesmore module and was part of the 65ft long display at the Sandown Model show!). He has agreed to assist us with the Salisbury Show and so a running session to learn the 'new' ropes made good sense.

The full layout was set up just before Chris arrived. After having a good look at the new boards, he was given a run-through of the new control panel, track section breaks and magnet positions. Stock was put out and we played trains.

Chris was asked to particularly look at shunting in Edwards yard. To do this, he needed to know the different stock moves, and was given 'this weeks' scenario:

Edwards is now considered to have two lines of production. Slabs/paving/architectural stonework and 'bespoke' goods - garden features/ornaments/headstones, etc. Stone slabs come from the quarry in 2 or 3 plank 4w wagons which are delivered to the front yard and shunted to the rear yard (a yard shunter is available). Vans or wagons with finished stone are brought up from the rear yard where they are shunted onto a waiting loco, or added to normal traffic. Bulk bespoke items are despatched from the rear yard or via the loading dock for local distribution. Residual stone 'waste' is despatched in 4w open wagons. Empty vans and wagons are returned to the front yard and then taken down to the rear yard.

Empty vans being returned.

One thing that a hidden magnet layout needs is good, unobtrusive clues about their locations and Chris's presence forced us to provide proper indicators. Normally, stones work well, or some clumps of grass, or a fence post etc.  There are two magnets in the photo below, which perplexed us, for a while. There is one magnet in the loading bay. Chris suggested a seagull on the edge of the canopy, directly over the magnet. There is also one on the road crossing the track where a pencil dot had been applied previously, but it was not easy to see when a train is over it.

After some thought, Geoff decided that the area is a likely place to drain the cylinders before starting off, so he added some rusty water drops/tracks, starting at the magnet centre.

It was a great session and we now look forward to the Salisbury show on May 18 &19th.

Wednesday 27th March 2024

Worklist:

Make and fit diagonal bracing for the new board legs.

Make and fit end panels for transporting new boards in one unit.

Fix faulty point outside engine shed.

Wire-up power supply for engine shed lights.

Having made the two leg frames for the new boards, it was decided that adding diagonal bracing would turn them into a rigid frame that was safer and more useful. Two lengths of timber were cut to length and bolts holes drilled at the ends. Self-tapping M6 sockets were fitted in pre-drilled holes in the uprights and the cross-braces fitted. However, these braces were fitted with one on each side, which did not provide the rigidity assumed. The last job of the day was to modify one of the braces so that they could be fitted beside each other, with a bolt in the centre, to make it rigid.

A fault had been noted in the operation of the point from the engine shed into the ash siding. The boards were clamped vertically on the frame for easy access to the underside.

After much investigation, Geoff determined the travel of the servo horn was excessive, causing 'bounce-back'. The only solution was to reprogram the point motor on the master servo control module. Instructions had to be re-read and the handheld programmer tracked down, but the issue was resolved, eventually. (Good practice for the exhibition!).

After unbolting and placing the two new boards on the floor, a compact and comfortable overlapping arrangement was established. 

The ends, bolt hole and pin positions were measured, before two pieces of MDF were cut to size and holes drilled. The ends were then bolted in place and a very neat transportable module was revealed.

Meanwhile, Stephen was able to wire-up the shed lights to the power supply unit installed many months previously, which provided a much better view of the interior.

The lamp shades were cut from a strip of pill holding plastic.

Wednesday 20th March 2024

Worklist:

Have a clear-up.

Set up the whole layout and check everything over.

Identify anything that needs repairing. (We started a list...)

Check the new control panel is working correctly.

The first job was to have a clear-up. Geoff's main workshop (next door) was being used for a large amount of woodwork, and sawdust had crept into the railway area. As much dust as possible was swept and hoovered away, including a fine dusting that lay over the layout itself, despite protection from several sheets.

The next job was setting-up the layout, making sure the trestles were in the right place and the positions recorded. We started at the window/station end, which rests on a purpose-made frame, that sits on the bench, and finished with the fiddleyard resting on the storage frame.

  

Stephen set about testing everything on the main station boards - track sections, points, lights etc. Only the goods shed lights had failed, which weren't critical. At the other end, Geoff bolted the new control panel in place and connected the loom. Testing with Stephen's loco running from the other end, only one of the three section switches was the wrong way around. However, it was quickly realised that the painted panels on the panel were not correct. The track in Edwards' yard (unpainted) is actually in the same controller selector as the engine shed, which initially seemed odd. However, after considering likely stock movements, it was decided that this was quite reasonable, so the grey area will be extended to make this clear. Essentially: one section for the mainline. One for the fiddleyard track and a central section for the engine shed and the stone masons yard, which runs onto the fiddleyard. Got that?

The handover areas between the new and old boards were rediscovered by trial and error. And, it seemed, there were more options than we remembered, which should provide many brain-stretching episodes when we run 'in earnest'.

We next located and put small blocks next to the magnet uncoupling positions, refining the positions with multiple test uncouplings. When satisfied, small marks were made on the road surface, which will be adapted to become oil stains or such, to aid operators. It was very satisfying to finally run stock over the new boards. The new boards are working out to be great additions to the layout.

Everything was packed away to avoid being drenched with sawdust, as Geoff had a lot more woodwork to finish that evening.

Geoff dropped into the conversation that the Salisbury show is 8 Wednesdays away - a sobering thought. Logistical planning is underway and accommodation was top of the list. Layout-wise, we still have to make end plates to bolt the two new boards together, for transporting. Geoff still thinks we can get everything into our 2 cars (emoji fingers-crossed!).

Wednesday 13th March 2024

Worklist:

Progress lighting system.

The new LED's had arrived and were tested. We only needed 2m lengths of warm and bright strips, but the bright light supplier provided 5m. Inadvertently, this allowed us to install two rows of bright white, which exactly copies the main layout lighting. 

The strips were tested and thankfully, the colours matched the existing LED's.

The separately purchased power extension leads were then fed down the support poles/tubes.

Self-adhesive silver tape was applied to the inside of the guttering.

And the LED's installed.

The lighting was consistent.

The number of power supplies has increased!

The control panel masked-off and the fiddleyard route was sprayed with yellow 'plastic' primer. It looks odd, so we might paint the 'mainline', to even it up. It does the job, and only operators will see it!