WEST ORTON

[Steve M]

More paper pushing this morning - and lots of head scratching.

I’ve shifted the position of the junction slightly which has given a little more latitude around the station. I’ve changed the branch bay siding and connected it back to the mainline to create an island platform although I’m not yet convinced this is the right way to go. Operationally, it gives options but shortens the platform somewhat.

Created a new bay towards the back of the layout - probably keep that as it’s reminiscent of how the line from Windsor (home town) reaches Slough.

3632DE81-81CA-44E7-A584-E3304638244D by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

And as you can see, I can just fit five coaches at the back and four on the island platform.
The siding with the black box on it could be for a coal drop which would mean creating a step in the baseboard to lower the front edge. Or I could use it as a siding alongside a canal.........I didn’t mention the canal before, did I?

2021-03-24_01-23-31 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

[Walkingthedog]

Boarded quire a few trains from that bay platform to Windsor Steve.

[Steve M]

Me too Brian, but not in the last 40+ years since I moved out.

Just for good measure I think I may have solved the problem of the short island platform.

2021-03-24_02-31-34 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

The three tracks leading at the bottom left run directly onto the lift out section which also incorporates the last of the curve to get the tracks round the corner to the fiddleyard - that should be fun to make and keep lined up.

[Steve M]

A few more sets of points arrived in the post yesterday so it’s time to put the baseboard modules together. I spent a lot of time yesterday cutting 18mm and 12mm ply into strips for the sides and ends. This morning the ends have been cut and drilled in matched pairs - the bolt holes are sleeved with two short pieces of aluminium tube glued into place and bolted up while the glue is still setting. Hoping this will make alignment spot on each time a section is assembled.

2021-03-28_03-51-30 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

Also cut a decent sized hole in each pair - the prime purpose is to allow a D-sub plug to pass through for the electrics but will also double as a handhold when moving the boards around. It’s a bit quick and dirty - cut by eye rather than using a guide.

[Steve M]

Some progress on the board tops. No stretchers in yet as they need to be placed to miss the points.

20210328_185553 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

20210328_185932 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

[Brian]

Steve, you need to be aware that your locos will never jump up/down that step in baseboards

Seriously though, your speed of work and excellence of products excels. You need to stop for the month of April and allow the rest of us to catch up

[Steve M]

Steve, you need to be aware that your locos will never jump up/down that step in baseboards

Damn! I knew there was something wrong. Or is it a case of measure once, cut twice?

[Steve M]

The return of the hinged flap!
Using this as the fixed starting point, I’ve laid out the track for the junction and spent some time pushing coaches around to check clearances as this whole area is on a curve. Four tracks through the station plus a bay at the back.

20210330_125146 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr


20210330_125223 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

[Steve M]

A thought about the bridge end of the layout - a siding that was originally for the engine shed actually lend some itself to a branch that dives under the twin mainline as they sweep round towards the bridge over the valley board. The branch can go into a tunnel and sweep behind a back scene behind the mainline bridge.

The branch gradient is too steep but by cutting into the main board it can be eased to 1:35, the mainline comes out at 1:45. I’ll cut some support blocks from 18mm ply to test further and possibly complete the hidden curves with R2/R3 Setrack.

2021-03-30_08-01-35 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

[Hound Dog]

Hi Steve,

It might already be obvious to a man of your modelling experience, but when I was struggling with a similar gradient challenge, I cut out a section of the main board that was slightly wider than the width of my trackbed and glued another piece of board to the underside of the main board, and in doing so I dropped the mainline and thus gained the thickness of the main board...... every little helps to reduce the height you have to achieve for the line that passes overhead.

Hope that makes sense and is of some help - cheers Richard