Great Chesterford Junction Part One ( Pre P1MRC )

G`day Folks,

Just for a change of pace and something that can be done in little sessions, I`ve started repair and restoration on Little Bardfield platform.

It got knocked around a bit when dismantled and then it was moved to my place and then chopped about a bit more.....so there you are......95% of it survived OK. The thing is, it was looking a little tired and in need of a make over.

I found some polystyrene of the right thickness the other day.....so that spurred me on to do something about it. So armed with my polystyrene and some cereal packet card and some PVA....away we go.

I`ve decided I would like it to look something like the little station in the Titfield Thunderbolt movie. I have a building that can be modified and the platform will have some paving, some grass edges and some flower gardens etc. plus all the usual accessories like fencing and signs and so on.

So here is the original with the nearest end of the platform missing....thanks to Gormo!!




And here below is the new section added.

The white chisel shaped section at the end is the new bit. The original track plan curved a little more at this point, so the end of the old platform had to be straightened out to meet the new section. This was done by carefully padding out using varying lengths of cereal box card in layers to bring the edge out and straighten it. You can see the new card is a different colour in that area.

I`ve also sanded the original platform surface to achieve a flat base for glueing card to.






Here is the old meeting the new. The ballast along the platform edge at this point had to be excavated as well to allow a flush fit for the card.



New edge strips and vertical supports / piers were added as well to try and match the original.



Packing has been added to the new section top to bring it up to the right height. The polystyrene at the back has been rounded off since this pic was taken.



And here we are waiting for a new top to go on. It will be flush with the front edge of the platform. I`m still working on a couple of ideas for that but test fits are looking good.



A close up showing all the faults. Not to worry...as they say..."a coat of paint can hide a multitude of sins"



I am experimenting with scoring my own paving and painting same to suit the site. I learned of a method some time back where instead of using a scribe, you use a pencil. With the pencil method, you don`t have to worry about colouring the scribe lines because the pencil does it for you. You need to exert some pressure on the pencil to leave an indentation, but it`s easy enough to get the hang of. I tried it this afternoon and then gave it a coat of acrylic and then carefully wiped off the excess. It looked pretty good for a first attempt. So now I need to play with some colours and get it right.!!

Oooops!!!....dinner is on the table.....got to go.!!

Gormo


____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

Thanks Toto,

I think it will look good when it`s done....it`s a part time project really....so I can plug away at it at my own pace.

By the way....I don`t think you guys have seen a train do a lap of the back shed....you know, over Cambridge Viaduct and onto the incline.....well here`s a short video. The Auto Shuttle runs the train for me.





Gormo


____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

G`day Folks,

Nothing drastic to report on the railway build. I`ve allowed myself to try something a little different for a while.

The railway room is all tidied up.....neat as a pin and ready to roll for the Easter running session tomorrow. Family will be visiting and the blokes young and old will want to see something running.

None of them have seen the shuttle operating, so I`ll be able to dazzle them with four trains operating at the same time. I guess I should give my shuttle a name as Toto has done with his Multi-Table.???

As it performs like an extra person....I will name it after an old school friend.....Geoffrey Shuttleworth...an appropriate name for such a thing.

So Geoffrey and I will be running trains tomorrow for the troops

Here`s a sample of what will run.





I would like to wish you all a Happy and Safe Easter.

Gormo


____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

G`day Folks,

Here`s another running session for you folks who enjoyed the last one.

I`m off to Queensland to visit family for a short holiday.....so no more updates for a wee while.





Gormo


____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!

 

The method I have used is, that only one controller is used and shared for the Shuttle. It`s my Branch Line controller and it`s switchable between the Auto and Manual control, made possible by using relays to protect the circuits. So what we are looking at below is basically the switches for Auto and Manual control. When the Shuttle was originally set up there were just breaks between B,C & D. So when the Shuttle was off, A,B,C & D were live and D had a separate feed from the adjoining loop siding.

So when I introduced the break between A & B for a switchable manual isolated section, I compromised the Shuttle, in that the Manual Red switch would need to be set to ON for the Shuttle to work. The introduction of an isolated section into the adjoining loop also affected the feed to D.



The solution was as above.

When The Shuttle is ON....B & C are isolated, however A & B are connected via the Purple feed regardless of whether the Red switch is ON or OFF.
When the Shuttle is OFF...B & C are connected and the break between A & B is now controlled by the Red Manual switch. With the additional Green feed to D, the Red switch allows access to the whole ( A,B,C,D ) line or if the Red switch is OFF, B plus C are isolated.

The result is that when the Auto Shuttle is ON, it doesn`t matter whether the Manual control is switched ON or OFF. When the Shuttle is OFF, the line can either be live, or isolated between A & D by using the Manual Red switch.

I hope that makes sense???

Gormo


____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

Meanwhile,... back at the Ranch,

Gormo has been cutting bits of timber this afternoon in preparation for building lever frame housings.

The timber has been cut, trimmed and planed down to the dimensions of the parts used in the first frame I built. I will try and keep things consistent so the finished control system for the whole railway doesn`t look like a mix and match of different ideas........hopefully?????.....fingers crossed.

Anyway here are some pics of the parts just fitted together......no fixings yet....just a trial fit.

Oh by the way, I didn`t mention I`m building two at once.......a six and a nine lever.

Here we are with levers in place and their matching rockers behind. The ends of the front panels will be rounded to avoid any sharp edges.



Here`s the six with front cover removed



And here`s the nine



The timber is Radiata Pine and most of it is recycled from various sources and uses. Once you put it through the Thicknesser it`s like new again.

Assembly is the next task which includes making some backing plates and spacers out of Aluminium Angle and Flat Bar. They will be fitted behind the levers. So plenty to do yet!!!

More as it happens.

Gormo




____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

G`day Folks,

Just some progress pics here for the lever frames.

The nine lever box is assembled, however Aluminium angle still has to be sorted for the back stop and the front edge. All in good time.???



A view from the back and I have also added an extra strip behind the rockers to allow a bit more travel. The original frame I built doesn`t have this and works OK.....but the tolerances are right on the limit. So I may even revisit the original frame and modify it. You learn as you go along??



The extra strip is 10mm and makes a massive difference to the allowable travel. It`s probably overkill but it`s also peace of mind.



And finally, here`s the six lever parts ready for assembly. These parts, except for the front removable panel, are glued and screwed or pinned into place. Once the glue goes off, it`s solid as a rock



So there you are folks.....more as it happens.....I might get that little box together tonight or I might not......we`ll see how it pans out.????

Gormo


____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

G`day Folks,
The six lever frame is now pretty much ready to be varnished. The Aluminium sections have been made today and a new approach to the combing between the levers is being tried.

So here we have the frame with it`s rear Aluminium angle and spacer fitted.



And a view from below the levers



Now onto the combing.

This ( below ) was the original set up using arched aluminium sections, cut to fit in between each lever, and then Superglued to the front aluminium angle mounted on the removable front timber.Visually, elegant, however in practice, too delicate. The problem being that where the arched bar meets the aluminium angle there is not enough surface area between the parts to achieve a good purchase. The result was that the slightest knock would dislodge them. In the end I didn`t bother replacing them.




So what I am trying this time is laying the sections flat. I am using iced confectionery sticks, or craft sticks if you prefer, cut to size and again Superglued to the angle. The surface area between the parts this time is many times larger and I am hopeful that it will be successful. It will not look as elegant as the first method but it may stay stuck considerably longer or even better....permanently!



A view of the underside.



This is how it fits into the frame



I have also added some card over the joins in the planks at either end and then it was off to the paint shop. Here`s a pic of it still wet.



It`s difficult to visualize it all in bits, but I think once the parts reach final assembly, with a bit of labelling and the actual levers painted in their colour codes, the overall effect will be OK.

So there you have today`s efforts........more as it happens.

Gormo






____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

G`day Folks,

Thanks Ed & Toto......yes!!!.....oh well..??????.....it`s no good looking good if it doesn`t work properly.??

But!!!......I think the alternative is going to shape up OK. The combing is dry enough now to try a trial run, so I whacked it on the frame and took some pics.







This Matt Black paint just transforms anything you paint with it. I think with some point numbers added and the levers coloured, the box varnished and some signage added, she`s gonna be alright!!

Gormo


____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

G`day Folks,

Thanks for the encouragement Marty.......I`ll get there mate......slowly but surely.!

Toto......yes I want to replicate the first lever frame. These new frames are made from the same species of timber and should react in a similar way to the previous applications of stain and varnish. Even though the species is the same, individual pieces of timber will vary and therefore exact matching is not always possible, however we will do our best to bring about a reasonable result.

Just to jog your memory.....this is what I want to copy.




This original frame will have some mods done to it as well. The combing will be updated to the new version shown below and the signage will be replaced to match the new frames, therefore hopefully continuing a common theme.



More to follow

Gormo


____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

G`day Folks,

I`m going through another period where most of my time is required for other matters. However, I`ve decided to take my lever frames one step further and set them up as mini signal boxes or as facsimiles thereof. I had a little free time today to play about with the idea, which is basically to create a signal box like background to be fitted to the back walls of the frames.

Here`s a couple of trial runs below. Not fitting exactly yet and not dressed and tarted up as much as it could be. I`ve decided to do the test run on my first frame because it`s up for a makeover anyway. My printer is just starting to run out of ink as well so the end results will look better and fit properly.







So based on this trial run, I`ve gone back to the computer / drawing board and re-jigged this back scene to fit properly and I`ve also played with the colour settings and contrast etc. etc.. and this is how it`s shaping up........still more to detail and improve, but it`s getting there.



So there you go folks..........a short time spent at the computer on a cold Sydney day and voila!!!!

I`ve also re-jigged the name plates to Black and White and I think I prefer it

 

Thanks Toto,

Well...?????.....I just had to do it.!!!!!

Plus cat........



Meow!!!!!

Gormo

 

G`day Folks,

Well my little timber lever frame housings have today had their second coat of varnish. The first was yesterday after sanding and cleaning, then wait 24 hours, rub it back, smooth it off and away we go again. I`ll rub the second coat back tomorrow and then decide whether to go for a third or not. The finish is already starting to get that glassy look which has to go actually. The end finish will be more of a satin look to match the original frame. I am using a gloss Teak varnish combo therefore I have to watch the colour. The more coats you do, the darker it gets. Tomorrow will tell.

In the meantime here`s a couple of pics. The two boxes separated into parts for finishing.



The second set of combing sprayed ready for installation.



And while I`ve been waiting for varnish and paint to dry, I`ve started installing some scenery formers on fixed areas, just to move things along a bit faster.

I have some old polystyrene that was used by a local supermarket chain as advertising signs. It is quite thick but the main thing is that it is quite dense and hard compared to standard packing polystyrene. I wanted to shape the formers for a raised area that will have a bridge over it and I cut it with a saw. The cut was not accurate by any means and I cleaned up the shape by using a rasp.

By accident, the rasp left what I would call brick coarses in the material, so I painted it to see how it looked. You can see it sort of resembles dry stone walling.????



Here`s a closer view. This was painted in about 5 minutes.



My intention is to cover this with card and brick paper but I thought it may be of interest to you scenic modellers out there. To my eye, it looks good and from a distance it looks even better....the old 3 foot rule.

More as it happens

Gormo


____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

G`day Folks,

Well I`ve decided that two coats will do on the lever frame boxes. Colour matching is about right and probably tending towards a little darker than the original, however as all of the frames will be spaced apart from one another, it will take a keen eye to spot the difference.

Here`s a comparison with the old and the new



The boxes were rubbed back again to a dull finish. Even though this may seem like a backward step in preparing the finish, it actually improves the end result. The material you leave behind is sealing the timber and smoothing the surface at the same time. I always rub back with steel wool. Not the stuff for the kitchen with soap in it, but plain steel wool. It comes in various grades from coarse to smooth available at your local hardware store.It leaves fine papers for dead. Anyway after the varnish is rubbed back, I apply Beeswax to the surface quite aggressively and rub it off and buff it almost immediately. It takes three cloths to do this....1 for application, 1 for rubbing off the excess Beeswax and the third for buffing. By the time you`ve buffed the surface you will see what you`ve created.

This method turns a gloss finish into a satin finish and to the touch it`s as smooth as a baby`s bum. I much prefer this finish and as I`ve mentioned in the past, it`s the old but cared for look....hopefully.???

So here we have the varnished and waxed boxes



The small one close up



And the large



I now have to get some new ink cartridges for my printer so I can produce the labels and backgrounds but in the meantime, the connecting rods, to link the levers to the rocker arms, have to be made. I`m using old welding rods for the connecting rods, so they have to be cleaned up first, but they shape up fairly well.

Now on a different tack....I mentioned in an earlier post that I`d used a rasp for shaping the polystyrene. Here are some detailed pics of the tool for anyone contemplating having a go.



The flat side



The rounded side





More as it happens

Gormo


____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

Thanks Marty,

I am pleased with it.......another hurdle jumped you might say.???

OK. folks......probably the last update today. The connecting rods have been cut and fitted. The welding rod didn`t work out because it was a tad too thick, so I`ve used wire coat hanger instead.

The rods have been given extra length in case it`s needed for future adjustments. Here`s the two boxes side by side.



Now we turn them upside down and view the engine room for the larger 9 lever frame



And the smaller 6 lever frame.



They are all tested and working as they should. They have a good, firm, feel with ease of movement.

Now the next stage is to prepare for below baseboard fitting and when the labelling is completed,
they will be permanently attached to the baseboard.

Brian


____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

G`day Folks & thanks Bill,

No more progress on the levers yet. Two reasons......I`m waiting for pay day and also not feeling too sharp at the moment. I`ve picked up one of our local winter cold germs.....b****r.

Anyway.......I`ve moved onto some scenery......no cost involved and not much concentration required.

So here we are.......I`ve done a little video which seems to cover it so I won`t waffle on.





And a couple of pics.





Brian


____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

Thanks Ed,

Yes it is called Velcro in Oz and I have quite a good supply of it actually.

The reason I mentioned magnets is because I`ve already done it on Little Bardfield. I have a large sheet of ply that covers the fiddle yard behind and below Little Bardfield. One corner of the ply was bowing up a little and I`ve used magnets to secure it and the opposite end. It works a treat and really locks it in place.
The magnets I use are designed with a screw in hook for hanging up tools or whatever, so they are quite strong. They are circular....about 40mm in diameter...and they are cheap. I remove the screw in hook and replace it with a screw which then secures the magnet from behind. The magnet has to be set into the surface it sits on and then it`s ready to go.

Edit.

On reflection I thought it may be better to provide some pics.

Here are the magnets in original packaging.



And fitted to the removable sheet of ply. I drilled a 40 odd mm hole through the board.Fitted a thread in place of the hook, a piece of 10x3mm Aluminium flat bar to suit and locked it down.



Underneath it`s pretty much flush with the bottom of the board.



A hinge was fitted as the contact point for the magnet.



And finally a video of it working.





Gormo


____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

G`day Folks,

Just a short update.

I have started labelling the lever frames.

Pics of the first one below.





I still need to paint the levers in their respective coded colours but at this stage we`re moving along OK.
More as it happens.

Gormo


____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

Food for thought Matt,

I`ll check it out.....thanks.

Meanwhile.....the levers are painted and in various stages of drying and soon to be installed.

The original box has been re-detailed to suit the new ones and that is set and in service. The colour coding has been re-done to accurately depict which levers are used for which line.



The other two are ready as well and will be installed shortly......just waiting for paint to dry.





While I`m waiting I`ve done a little more scenery along the back wall. I fitted this polystyrene the other day and today I gave it a skim coat. There is also corrugated card filler between the track and the scenery.



And a second section added today and weighted down whilst the glue dries.



More as it happens.

Gormo


____________________
"Anyone who claims to have never made a mistake, never made anything!!"

 

G`day Folks,
Thanks for the input / suggestions. I understand what you are all saying and on balance I think I`ll start with Toto`s suggestion.....try the trees and see how it looks. The trees are going in anyway so one step at a time, trial and error if you like.
The original idea was no scenic background based on layouts I`ve seen without. I think without, if done properly, suggests there may be more over the hill out of site as it were.
Anyway it`s a matter of taste so we`ll see how it develops.
One thing I just thought of. A lot of the pics I`ve seen of commercial backgrounds seem to have a bit of a shine to them. Home made printed on A4 plain paper would eliminate that problem for a start.
So folks....it`s getting late.....I`ve just been out for the night to see a band.....very good....but the eyes are getting heavy and the grey matter is kicking back to first gear. Not a good time to be making decisions.
Good night all
Gormo