Mr Murgatroyd's Layout

Ralph and myself went up to Mr "Murgatroyd's" (aka John the Master cake maker in WA) house today to help plan his new layout. Not much to do really as John had printed off some peco templates and arranged the point-work. After a bit of "theory play /testing" of the design we suggested changing the peco set track work over to medium peco points all with electrofrogs. Leaving just one set track point in the engine shed area.Layout measures 2.4 x 600mm and is inspired by the bridge and road diorama John built a while ago. If his plans are successful, this end to end will be incorporated in a twin main line layout....but that's for later on For now he intends to use small locos to shunt his beloved tankers around

Bridge diorama at the left hand end, mainline will just be used as storage and head shunts for now


Cross over will in fact be a double slip, plastic box is where the goods shed will be built. You can see the cassette lift out storage that John has built, in fact he's built a few, as like most of us he has far more models than can be used on the layout in one go.


shot from the back of the right hand corner. Cassette storage at the front. You may have noticed where his nickname comes from...as of today he has 9 of them....but don't tell his better half



so the day was ended with yet more cake and tea and an order placed to our friends at Hatton's for the point work.....more updates in a couple of weeks. Kim

 

We returned to John "Snowy" first layout plan, to spend the day helping him lay the track work which had arrived from the UK (postal system seems to be getting slower and slower).First job to re check all the peco pointwork plans were in the correct positions and make sure John was happy with his plan......Tick.









Attacking the left hand end first, the track work was put in position and cut to length, fish plates and insulated plates added, holes marked for all the droppers and frog wires plus the all important holes for the slow action points lever arm. Tape was then added to the sides of the track work to mark where the ballast would be. Removing this section carefully the holes were drilled and then the area was painted with PVA, making sure the area around the point switch bars were left clear.


The first section was then lowered into position carefully pulling the dropper wires through their holes and once in position a liberal amount of ballast was added and then weights put on the section to hold it all down nice and firmly



Repeat the process again with another section.....this was quite a difficult section to work on because of the double slip and all the points, plus it was a hot day and the glue was drying very fast



Third section just repeat previous method. You can see the section in the back ground with all the droppers soldered on



By the time we had our lunch break the glue was dry enough to vacuum off the surplus ballast using your best tights, cut off the foot section and insert it down the vacuum hose, put the brush adaptor on the vacuum and carefully suck up all the loose ballast. Not a 100% perfect finish but it does make ballasting a layout a whole lot quicker and easier. Remove the tape and you should end up with a nice clean edge.



a few areas on the middle section where the pva dried to quickly to sort out but a lot easier to do over the next few modelling session. As this will be a shunting layout there will be plenty of un-coupling points to install.







So in one day quite a successful result. As I was staying over night at my sons accommodation just up the road from John's, I called in the following day and managed to wire up the whole layout and install 5 of the slow action point motors. By lunch time day two there were sound loco's running on "Snowy's" first layout.
Over to John now to finish the ballasting and save up his pennies for the next batch of point motors.
Kim

 

paul_l wrote:

Between you and me Paul, when I last spoke to John he said the ballasting was still on going.... so I think the tankers may have a few more miles on them by now...
Ron, may be a later project once "extensive" testing has taken place.
Pete, will do as soon as I get invited back up there. You never know posting the start of this build, might just get John to start up dating us

 

Well I can't believe it's been so long with an update on Snowy's layout build, but due to family commitments for both John and myself, plus Xmas and New Year here we are.
So I've made the journey “up North” of Perth to spend the night with my son, who just happens to live five minutes away from Johns. So nice early start tomorrow to complete the Point motors installation and then program them all up onto Macros for easy route switching.
Will update with photos tomorrow as John tells me he's changed the scenery to the right hand side of the layout.....

Kim

 

Well arrived early at snowy's for a work morning and this is the right hand side of the layout with his scenery alterations.

Attached files

 

And the two mainlines

Attached files

 

Looking from the right hand side

Attached files

 

The tanker area.

Attached files

 

Not the pipe work in the previous photo...nice and cheap idea , nice one John.

Attached files

 

Thanks for you hospitality today John, and thanks to Ali, Ralph and Roger for their help and support. Point motors finished, I just need to sit down quietly and work out the macros and program them in on the next visit. Great day again up at Ocean Reef. Kim

Attached files

 

Hi Gary, I think they may be going to some hidden storage. The crew are planning to help John turn this into a working roundy roundy layout for the Perth show in June, so a bit of off scene storage will be quite useful...I'm sure there will be more updates to come.
Kim