Great Chesterford Junction Part One ( Pre P1MRC )

G`day Folks,

Welcome to 2015.....how did that happen???....2014 was a blur???

Oh well kick off time again and I`ve decided to kick off 2015 by showing you guys my new acquisition. I had a little spare money floating around, burning a hole in my pocket, at the end of 2014, so I decided to start cruising the Bay to see what was on offer.

What came up as a strong contender was a lovely little GWR Pannier Tank with the half roof set up. It looked to be in mint condition and was listed as running smooth in both directions. To cut a long story short, I was the successful bidder at 13 pound 50 or $25.57 Aust. The postage to Australia was nearly the same amount but I felt I got a good deal and would probably pay more than that here for a similar item.

The little pannier arrived today so I took it out to the shed to give it a run. I must say the condition is mint....as good as new. The running on the other hand was inconsistent to start with. What was obvious from the start, was that the little engine was given a little too much kindness in the lubrication area. So I pulled it apart. It`s beautifully put together with brass bearings on the axles etc and internally as clean as a whistle.....just too much oil. I cleaned it up, cleaned the wheels and the backs of the wheels where the pick ups make contact, cleaned the pickups too and wiped off the oily areas. I adjusted the pick ups to give a bit more pressure against the wheel backs and just a little dob of my favorite cream lubricant to the gears and away we go.

Once back on the track, she`s running sweet as a nut. It can now crawl over areas where it was at first hesitating and stopping......so Gormo is a very satisfied customer now.!!

I`ve also removed the standard Hornby couplings and fitted some short small Bachmanns.

Some pics below

This is how it appeared on the Bay. Note the standard Hornby ( older ) coupling



Here with the Bachmann couplings fitted.



The underside...note traction tyres on the center drive wheels



And a more rearward view



Next thing is to fit a crew. With the half roof it looks incomplete without a crew.

So there you go.....a little work involved to get it to run sweetly....but worth the effort and no hard feelings. I still think it was worth the money.

I`ve got another one on the way too....an LMS Jinty........LMS yes....No I`ve haven`t lost my marbles. You see..the branch line that leaves Great Chesterford Junction is actually now the Bamford Heritage Railway. It came to me one night in a blinding burst of inspiration. Why not have a heritage railway meeting up with the main line.???? Sightseers and visitors can arrive on the mainline at Great Chesterford Junction or come in from the other branches ...Newmarket or Duxford and change at Great Chesterford and have a day out on the Bamford Heritage Railway.

So you see.....I can run whatever takes my fancy because the stock can be on loan to the railway or indeed it can be part of their fleet or visiting for a short term.

I have pinched this idea from the KWVR in England because it gives me the freedom to do what I like...HaHa!!!!

Ain`t artistic license great!!!!!

Gormo





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

 

G`day Folks,

Well my little LMS Jinty turned up today in the post. Here`s the condition it arrived in.





A little ripper to look at....but it did not run as smooth as specified in the advertisement.

The problem......you guessed it.....over lubricating with oil. What`s with these people????.....they don`t realize they are killing the performance and the plastic at the same time. It won`t run better with a bottle of oil shoved up it.???

Anyway......I guess that`s why it was on the Bay. Somebody was frustrated with it and decided to unload.

So....out with the tools and take it apart and clean it.....sounds familiar!!!

The shine on the plastic is oil



A lot on the chassis as well



Pools of oil inside the cover plate



Well all the cleaning was done. The backs of the wheels were cleaned. The pick ups were brushed clean and shiny and reset. The wheel treads were cleaned. The chassis and motor were blown out gently with compressed air to blow out hidden oil and then the lot was put back together.

Now it`s running a lot better, however in reverse it seemed to be catching on something. This turned out to be the front brake shoes. In reverse the front wheels were just clipping their brake shoes and causing uneven running. So I trimmed them off. That did it....problem fixed and you would barely notice....See below. It`s nice to have all the proper detail on these models but surely it has to be manufactured in such a way as to not interfere with the smooth running of the model??




So now the little loco is running sweetly. It has also been given smaller couplings to improve the look. There is more that can be done to improve the look of it but the main thing is that now it runs properly. I guess this is the risk you take when buying second hand stock.

So here it is after Doctor Gormo has given it some treatment





Gormo






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

 

G`day Folks,

Today I decided to tackle cutting the curved section of baseboard that is the entrance to Bamford terminus. The baseboard requires a corner to be removed at a 40 degree angle to match up with my peninsular wall. Correct placement is critical, so I`ve taken my time working this out, because one wrong move and it`s stuffed. The board originally would have been fitted into a corner but now it will be rotated 40 degrees and still has to fit in a corner.....tricky???

Anyway everything was checked twice and then I went for it. here`s the board marked up ready for cutting and ready to lose the top corner.



Fortunately it fits. There is a gap in the back corner that will be filled once I have a baseboard frame fitted.



So now a bit of checking for train length. Five coaches is possible but tight for the run around.



My intention here is to use the track on the right hand side of the platform for a bay platform. This also means that the run around loop will be removed to allow for scenery. I find it difficult to remove sidings but I think the simpler track plan will look better. I may be able to add an extra siding in the left hand yard. I`m just trying to exercise a bit of restraint though?????



A bit of a birds eye view



This method of construction is in reverse. Normally we build the frame and then put the top on. Because of the odd angles and shapes here, I felt it better to sort out the top first and then fit the frames underneath.

There is still more track to be removed up in the corner. This will create plenty of room for Bamford village etc.

I know I am making serious changes to Murray`s original scheme, but I can`t get over how well everything is fitting into place. For example ,the curve that heads straight for the wall up the top there could have been designed exactly for this site.???

Anyhoo!!!....it`s all going well. Next up I`ve got rip up some 40 x 20 mm timber. I`ll have to check the recycle bin and see what`s left.

Gormo


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

 

G`day Folks,

Yes you`re right Matt......it will sort itself out in the end. Thanks for the back up.

I think I`ve solved the baseboard connection problem whilst still being able to keep the height down.

The penny dropped this afternoon while I was out in the shed running some trains. I am going to remove one of the steel brackets and drill a couple of holes in it. These holes will allow bolts to travel through the baseboard frame, through the steel and then through another frame on the other side of the steel.......Problem sorted. Now I can move forward....everything just fell into place.

Here is a drawing to show what I`m on about



This will allow the baseboard top to rest on the steel. The holes will be slightly over size to allow for a bit of play / adjustment. The baseboard top will only extend half way across the steel.

There you go folks....Gormo`s back in gear and ready to Rock n Roll......bring it on baby!!!!

Gormo


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

 

G`day Folks,

This afternoon I was able to manufacture the first baseboard frame for Bamford terminus.

The simplest and most accurate method of building it was to actually put it together on top of the steel support arms.

Here I have set out the parts in preparation for assembly.



Of course prior to sorting out the frame, the support arm had to be removed and drilled accordingly for the baseboard connecting bolts.



OK...here is the frame going together. The two parallel timbers at the back are to provide support for a narrow strip that has to be added to the top. Murray`s original board is about 35mm too narrow. No problem...that`s an easy fix.



The middle longitudinal timber has been placed off centre to line up under the platform and not foul any point locations.






The baseboard top was then placed on top and clamped in place. The whole lot was then lifted off and the frame was screwed to the top from below. Here`s the main board after the frame was secured to it.




And now fitted back in place.



And now with a new section fitted on top at the end.



So all this board needs now is a narrow fill strip at the back and a lot of restoration. The two points on the right hand side will be removed. That will leave a bay platform line and a siding to the right of it. I am considering lifting the two points on the left as well. If I replace the one on the platform side and convert it from a left hand to a right hand point starting at the end of the platform, then it will give the length required to bring in five coach trains and run around easily. The short head shunt for loco release will then be on an angle roughly matching the angled edge of the baseboard.

I think it will make it a little more interesting visually and also allow plenty of length for locos.

Well I have to sort out some additional steel support for board number two, but I think that will sort itself out in due course.

More as it happens

Gormo


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

 

Sorry Ed,

No videos yet old mate.....still lots to do before the first train pulls into Bamford.

Speaking of Bamford....the second board was completed today. Board number two is a very odd shape and consequently required some creative woodwork to fit a frame to it. Here is a pic of the little sucker. It`s interesting to note also, that this is not the first time this board has been recycled. You can see the grey markings where track has been before, then removed and then track was fitted to the other side of the board. Talk about saving the environment!!!



The next thing required was some extra supports (the black bits) placed strategically so as not to interfere with the workings. These are made from unused pieces of baseboard from Murray`s railway.



And now the board is fitted into place. Both boards are locked together with bolts through the steel supports. Nothing moves.



A view from underneath showing plenty of clearance.



I`ve used the platform to work out the alignment because the tracks across the join have to be replaced. This is as good as the join gets....the thickness of a saw blade that cannot be avoided but can be improved with a new surface on the platform.



Now some pics to stir the imagination and anticipation of what is to come









So there you go folks....onwards and upwards......it`s nice to have these boards fitted even though there is tidying up to do. The detail can be done at night without creating too much noise, so I can beaver away at my leisure.

More as it happens

Gormo




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

 

G`day Ed,

I fear I may not have explained myself very well in that previous post you are referring to and consequently I`ve given you the wrong end of the stick, as they say.

This is the current set up. Excuse the blurry picture. I`ve just got back from the club and I`ve had a couple of sherbets.



Now this pic shows what I propose to do. Remove the points on the upper and lower left ( the current set up) and replace them with a couple of pieces of straight track which will lead up to the two points which I`ve overlayed on the right hand side. The top right hand point now starts at the end of the platform and is angled more towards the center of the board. I gain about 5 or 6 inches extra length here for the uncoupling position which will improve the situation dramatically.



This pic shows the preferred line to follow, to allow the head shunt / loco release a good length of track



I hope this get`s me off the hook with the boys at the board of trade.

Gormo


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

 

G`day Folks,

Well in between engagements today I`ve managed to start on the track on Bamford. I`ve started with the run around end which as mentioned before was to be extended to make it easier to hold five coaches at the platform.

The two original points were lifted and put aside for future use and two points from another part of Murrays board were used in their place. The pic below shows the change of angle at the end of the platform and my Jubilee loco Mars ready for testing.



Mars fits easily and clears the point plus a brake van fits nicely into the other siding. Buffers can`t come quick enough and I may raise the fascia on this end to prevent the leap of death



A couple of days ago I also fitted this top over the Newmarket Yard control panel. It`s to protect the panel and my elbows from harm and it has two magnetic catches fitted underneath.



Here are the catches and a string support for when the panel is down





And now the loco running around five coaches with plenty of clearance this end. You can see the cork bed from where the points were originally placed, in between the loco and the coach.



And the other end......no dramas now.





More as it happens

for now

Gormo


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

 

G`day Folks,

Here is the latest. Two lots of track over the baseboard join.

I have removed cork track bed where necessary if it has a ragged edge near the baseboard join. Then fill the gap with five layers of Aldi Corn Flakes card, each layer glued to the next and let it set.




Then I`ve Superglued PCB sleepers to the card either side of the baseboard join and fitted the track over the top.



Solder the sleepers in place



Then cut through the rails with a cutting disk. Next use a knife with a snap off blade and start with a fresh edge. Now fit the blade down in between the cuts in the rails and cut through the card track bed. This one has been done and the result just leaves a thin line. Track painted and tarted up a bit ready for painting again at a later stage.



This is the first section I did using this method. Just a very short section of straight track between the points. You can slide a blade down along the join and then pull it out and it looks like this.



A close up of same just after I started painting it



I think when ballasting it may be worth sliding the blade into the join once again to give a clean edge. Once the glue sets in the ballast....remove the blade.

The rest of the baseboard join, without track on it, could have one layer of card fitted and cut with the blade and then scenery over the top.

More as it happens

Gormo


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

 

G`day Folks,

Today so far I`ve been out and purchased some more track so that I can carry on with Bamford.

I`ve pinched a curved point from another part of Murrays layout and used it for an extra siding next to the headshunt......possibly a cattle dock will end up on this siding....we`ll see.

I`ve also finished off the other two tracks which cross the baseboard join....so that`s all sorted and the bay platform road and parallel siding have been trimmed to length too.


Here`s the last two tracks across the join




The bay platform road and siding trimmed to length





The extra point fitted and a bundle of track ready to go



I also worked out where to put the air con. I fitted a 100mm plastic collar into the rear wall of the room. Then a short piece of 100mm pipe was fitted into the flexible ducting and this is the male fitting for the female collar. Once the compressor is on it blows hot air out the back here, so now the hot air is being channeled into the back shed. The back shed is only for storage and soon, my loop between Bamford and Little Bardfield. The male and female connections are only a push fit which allows an easy disconnect if the air con needs to be moved.



Here`s the little sucker sitting under the railway waiting to keep Gormo cool.



The air con seems to work pretty well......the real test will be when we have our next stinkin` hot day. It`s fairly mild and pleasant here at the moment.

More as it happens.

Gormo


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

 

G`day Folks,

Well the new siding is sorted so that now sorts out the track work. Wiring still has to be done and consequently nothing is connected......not to worry....I`ll sort that once Bamford is connected to the rest of the railway.

Anyway here`s the extra siding. The original siding ( the lower one ) almost blends into the ground cover. That`s OK....I like that and the new one will partially disappear once it gets the scenic treatment.



I`ve now also cut the opening in the wall ready to continue the track laying. The track is loosely connected to check clearances. You can also see the height difference between this section and the lower level coming from Little Bardfield



This is the other side of the wall in my storage area. The track supports are going in bracketed to the wall. The height difference between to two sections is 80mm so once the track has done a circuit of the shed, the gradient works out to be a comfortable 1 in 75. The gradient out in the workshop starts at 1 in 70, so I know this will work.



A curved section around the end wall is now required. Haven`t sorted that one yet.The drill is there just to hold the track in place so I can test stock going through the hole. All good...plenty of room.



It`s only a narrow shed...1300mm....but enough room for 600mm radius at the far end.





The entrance to Bamford looking through the latest and last mouse hole.

Well as you can see.......the track supports need to be finished off in the back shed and then the whole railway can be connected.

Gormo


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

 

G`day Folks,

Yesterday saw the rest of the track supports around the walls in the back shed go in. I am now left with building a slightly odd shaped bridge across the room to connect to the lower mouse hole.

I am still working on the connection method.....there are a number of options but I haven`t got that sorted yet in my mind. I can`t use hinges in this case because the bridge is on an angle and also it`s too long to raise up whilst hinged. It will have to be a lift in / out job I think??? The back shed is not visited very often so the bridge does not have to be an easy access model.

Anyway we`ll see how it goes.....I`ll post some pics later on today.

Gormo


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

 

G`day Folks,

Thanks guys.

Today I`ve managed to get my bridge built. This one is a folding one, due to it`s location and size and the lack of vertical height. The bridge is 1400mm long so requires a bit of space....therefore the folding version.

This is the completed track support. The fall is 1 in 75 from left to right. It doesn`t really impact on the storage capability of the room. Things just have to be arranged more carefully.



This section here is where the bridge has to be hinged at an angle to the wall. I decided to build this little frame to take the strain of the hinge and it doubles as support for the track coming out of the train room from Little Bardfield. Take no notice of the track position....it`s not fixed down yet.



Here`s the bridge spanning the gap. The two bits of steel angle near the middle, span the joint in the bridge and help take the strain of any downward force applied to the bridge. There is a hinge underneath the joint which allows the right hand section to fold under the left hand section.



The steel angle screwed down to the left hand side



The bridge from below with the hinge for the joint.



The connection to the wall



The locking mechanism on the other side. The piece of steel protruding from the bridge pivots and can be swung out of the way to raise or lower the bridge



And this is the bridge in the down position and folded up an under itself. Once I move some stuff it will hang down in the vertical position. Probably doesn`t matter because 99% of the time it will be up.



So there you go folks....the next stage is track laying and then I will have to fit some protective barriers each side of the bridge and also around the track supports in the room. I don`t want anything derailing and finishing up on the floor.

OK folks...here`s a little video demo as well....it`s been a while.





Gormo


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

 

G`day Folks,

Track laying in the back shed has been completed and also protective barriers have been put in place to stop any trains falling off the edge.

I have just used whatever was available so consequently it`s not the prettiest solution to the build, however as this track will rarely be seen , it doesn`t matter.

OK here`s the lower level with the bridge approach ( Cambridge Viaduct ) and you can see the entrance to the upper level has protective barriers in effect hiding the rail from this angle.



More protection installed



Extra steel also installed on the top edge of the viaduct / bridge to stop any movement.



Fairly straight forward electrical connection using alligator clips connected to screws which penetrate the timber bridge.



And the entry to the upper level



Now here`s a little video clip of the first train arriving at Bamford. Unfortunately all the wiring is not complete so the DMU can`t make it all the way into the bay platform, but you will get the picture.





An atmospheric shot, hopefully, of business at Bamford



More as it happens

Gormo


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

 

G`day folks,

I`ve just come in from the shed. I got into a soldering and wiring frenzy this afternoon and I`ve made some good progress. Time to pack it in though, I was starting to make stupid mistakes.

Anyway....I`ve been setting up the auto shuttle.

The hardware consists of the Shuttle, two DPDT relays and a 4PDT toggle switch. Because this shuttle is sharing the Branch controller with Cab control, I`ve incorporated the relays to completely isolate the two systems from each other. When the shuttle is ON the feed from the controller to Cab control is turned off. When the shuttle is OFF the second relay protects it from any feedback from the Cab system. The 4PDT switch uses one pole to switch the relays On & Off, one pole for LED indication, and one pole each for the two diodes. When the shuttle is off the diodes are switched off and the rail becomes live in both directions again.

It`s complicated but I think the protective circuits are a good idea.

Here`s one of the relays wired up and also I`ve made Meccano brackets to hold the relays up under the baseboard. I also stuck some self adhesive weather strip on the back of the relay to stop it sliding about in the bracket. They`re a nice snug fit.



The shuttle unit.....fairly compact.....time adjustable and easy wire connections at the terminals.



The second relay connected as well



The whole lot ready to go up under the board and be connected to power, rail, controller and switch.



And here we go......getting there....but still details to take care of.



Just before I packed it in, I installed the first diode to control the Eastern end of the run. I tested the shuttle over the diode. It rolls in, stops for 70 seconds and then reverses out in the opposite direction in search of the diode at the Western end, which ain`t there yet.!!

Tomorrow I reckon will see that sorted and I know this is going to work well. The only other thing to consider is whether to add extra diodes in sections to slow trains prior to stopping at either end.

I`ll get it up and running first and do some testing and make some assessments and see how it goes

Gormo






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

 

G`day Folks,

The shuttle wiring was finished today. The hard part actually. A wire link had to be fed all the way around the room to Bamford. I suppose there would be a simpler solution, but that`s the way I planned it.

Actually one good thing today.....Sydney`s first day of Autumn was a hot one ....38 celsius.....but Gormo was nice and cool in his railway room with the aircon going......Yippee!!!

The shuttle is working fine.....the timing may need to be adjusted and I think I will add some diodes in to slow the approach of trains to the platforms.

The timing works like this. If the shuttle is set to say 1 minute timing......this means that when the train travels from one end to the other, the journey and the waiting time at the other end are both included in that minute. So if the train takes 30 seconds to arrive at the other end, it will then sit there for 30 seconds before the shuttle switches on it`s relay to send it back again.

Fortunately, the timing can be set up to as much as 10 minutes for one direction, which solves any possible issues with slow train journeys.

So.....more testing and fine detail to be sorted, but that`s the easy stuff.

Here`s a video showing it working etc.





More as it happens

Gormo


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

 

Thank you Gentlemen for your kind replies,

Paul...the only trouble with resistors is they allow current to flow in both directions. Using diodes can reduce voltage in one direction and allow a different voltage in reverse and never the twains shall meet. Here`s a suggestion from the manufacturer. As you can see , there are lots of possibilities for extra control. I`ve done some experimenting tonight with something similar and it works quite well.



Ed....yes I was under the board fitting the system. The wiring was done first to connect all parts and then I got down on the floor under the board to screw the parts into place.

Yes the system is interlocked.....for example....if the branch was on Cab control and then the shuttle switch was thrown.....the Cab circuit would be switched off by the relays. The Branch controller is one system only at a time.

I am new to relays, as you know, but I like the possibilities they throw up......they`re cheap too. I`ve been looking at some 12volt 4PDT versions and considering how they might be used on other parts of the railway.

Gormo




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

 

G`day Folks,

Here`s a video showing braking sections added to the auto shuttle set up.

There are three sections. Sections 1 and 2 both have two diodes each and section 3 has one diode. The total reduction is 3.5 volts by the time the train leaves section three and finally stops.

This has been worked out by trial and error and is a compromise to suit different types of locos.

So here we go with a rail car leaving Bamford and upon arrival at Great Chesterford it hits the braking sections before slowing to a stop.






Gormo


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

 

Thanks guys,

One thing I forgot to mention is that the braking areas are individually switched. That gives a bit of extra control over braking and it can be tailored to suit particular locos.

Toto the next thing I think, should be knocking together some control panels for Bamford and Little Bardfield. I have to set up the saw for another project as well.....I`m making some Thomas The Tank Engine book ends for my youngest grandson for Easter. So while it`s all set up I might as well tackle a few tasks. I have some timber to prepare for a friends railway project as well.

For myself, I have some timber the same as was used on the folding bridge in the back shed. I need to rip that down to some thing like 40x20mm and then put it through the thicknesser to dress it. I think it`s Maple and should be ideal for the control panel frames.....it`s a semi hard wood with a nice grain and should look the part.

So with some commitments this weekend and work on Monday, I probably won`t get to it until at least Tuesday......such is life.???

Gormo



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

 

Gary ....the diode positions for stopping the train at either end were based simply on where I thought the various shuttles should stop. The DMU was given enough room at Great Chesterford because as you know it`s three cars long, so really the DMU determined the position at Great Chesterford.

I have set the DMU up to run power car first, so when it gets to Bamford it behaves the same as a rail car in that the power car is the first car to hit the rail break.

When the shuttle is switched OFF, those two rail breaks at either end of the run are switched ON. This makes those areas live again and running trains manually means you stop them where you like.

You can have any number of stopping sections to suit where you want to stop various trains, however they all would have to be switchable, otherwise a loco will stop at the first one it comes to.

So to answer your question properly .....the Auto Shuttle is either ON or OFF. The same with CAB control. The two systems are kept electrically isolated from each other by using 12 volt DPDT relays.
You switch ON the shuttle....it kills the CAB. Switch OFF the shuttle....CAB is back ON. I am only talking here about the Branch line. The rest of the system will still be operating on CAB control regardless of what`s happening on the Branch

When the shuttle is running on the branch line the only other activity on the line could be on sidings isolated from the shuttle yet able to be controlled manually......Haven`t got to that bit yet.

Have a look at this diagram ....it may explain the concept behind the diodes better than I can.

The second diode from the R/H side is an alternative stopping area controlled by a switch.




Gormo


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