Setforth Junction

Discussion in 'Members Personal Layouts' started by Dave C, Dec 5, 2016.

  1. Sol

    Sol Full Member

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    Yep they work now...
     
  2. Dave C

    Dave C Full Member

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    First signal installed. It’s a very old Ratio signal, purchased around 1980 from The Model Shop in Warwick for £2.12 according to the price label. I know the Ratio kits can be fiddly, but when the plastic parts are 35 plus years old it’s a bit brittle as well. Fortunately it was only the ladder and platforms that needed assembly.
    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    It will operate, but priorities at this moment in time mean it will remain ‘static’.
    Next kit on the list is a new Ratio one – 466 – where everything needs assembling. I may be some time...........
     
  3. Dave C

    Dave C Full Member

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    And here it is. I think I've gone a bit heavy on the weathering, but it is just downwind of the brewery which is powered by a dirty old steam engine - well that's my excuse anyway! It all works - manually.
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2018
  4. Dave C

    Dave C Full Member

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    Been some time since the last proper update – been busy buying locos on E Bay and from my local model shop as I seem to be getting a buzz from getting non-runners working again. New additions (not all non-runners) include a Bachmann GWR Manor, Horby Dublo Class 20, Lima Class 33 (2), 50 and 40, Bachmann Mogul and a Jouef Class 40 spring to mind – I suspect they were others but my sub conscious is suppressing my memory……

    There has been some progress on the layout – the main tracks though the station are now ballasted, so with the tunnel curve and the branch line done as well maybe its time to get the airbrush out and have a go at weathering track. Got lots of old set track to practice on.


    The town scene is currently on my father in laws dining table being built – much easier to do it there than leaning over the layout. Plus he generally eats in the kitchen! It will be similar to the church scene – removable, plus it allows you to go and operate trains without having to tidy up! Hopefully we will get that completed in the next couple of months.

    Got a full rake of Hornby Pullman coaches now, so the Flying Scotsman doesn’t look too out of place (!).

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/payb1kit0zzfpxc/Flying Scotsman with Pullman on P1MRC.mp4?dl=0

    (The mis matched colour Pullman coach has now been replaced).

    And I got round to purchasing one of those Rusty Rail models on E Bay – got a Goods van for the industrial sidings and a Pannier for one of the roads off the turntable in the MPD. Excellent products. I’m sure at some stage I’ll have a go at doing something like that myself, but at present other priorities such as finishing the town scene come first.
     
    Chris Doroszenko, ed and jakesdad13 like this.
  5. Dave C

    Dave C Full Member

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    I'm afraid that Setforth Junction has come to the end of the line for the foreseeable future. Regrettably my Father in Law Nigel passed away in October. The layout had been built in the spare room of the house he had lived in for the past 3 1/2 years, and has had had to be dismantled for obvious reasons. He got an awful lot of pleasure from Setforth Junction - from soldering point motors to building card kits, working out scale speeds, researching train formations, painting scenery and of course operating it. He called it a 'wonderous thing', and often commented that he enjoyed just looking at it before going to bed.

    Never built as a long term project (he was 85, and had not been in good health for a number of years) the dismantling wasn't easy - the boards had been built in situ, so getting them out proven problematic, but not impossible, and the track work remains pretty much undamaged at the joins. Storing them has become the problem due to their size - but SWMBO is tolerant. Managed to get one into my loft, one in a neighbours, and there are 2 leaning against the wall in my study. It will be resurrected at some stage in the future and will always retain the name Nigel gave to it, but we will need to move first.

    What is amazing is how those one off purchases of a loco, or a couple of coaches every month or so off E Bay or my local model shop adds up. I've made an inventory of almost every item that was on the layout or in boxes underneath it, and have filled nearly 20 storage crates. 4 years ago the original layout was 8 x 6 shed! Now it consists of 44 diesels, 3 electric, 62 steam, 182 items of freight rolling stock and 79 items of coaching stock. All now photographed too and indexed to each box number.

    So the plan is to build the branch terminus station that was originally planned to go over the fiddle yard of Setforth Junction - Bishops End. The board was built at the same time as the others, but fortunately is only 6' x 18" so storage isn't a problem, and I may cut it in half anyway for when we do move! Suitable rolling stock was segregated durign the packing, and is now marked 'Branch'. The build won't start until later in the year, probably October time, but will continue to be reported upon under Setforth Junction.

    Dave C.
     
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2019
  6. Timbersurf

    Timbersurf

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    Just caught up with your thread and got a shock when I got to the end! I am sorry about your father in law, but at least you helped him get much pleasure over the last few years. It was a wonderful layout and i hope you carry it on in the future.
    Best regards
    Timbs
     
  7. Dave C

    Dave C Full Member

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    Good news! Setforth Junction has been withdrawn from storage, moved location and is now residing in our new home north of the border, albeit still dismantled/boxed. There are some other priorities that need attending to before the autumn to make our home warmer and more comfortable, but when the nights start drawing in.......
    There is a slight snag - despite our new home being somewhat larger than where Setforth Junction was originally built the room configurations just don't work for the layout, so temporarily it's going from a continuous run to a terminus and out to a fiddle yard. It means I lose the turntable but retain most of the MPD, all the sidings, branch line and the scenery built to date.
    We never really used the layout 'operationally' so now I will have the opportunity to do so, but will miss having 6 coach trains pulling into the station, and some of the Pacifics might look a bit out of place so will stay boxed. I don't intend altering any trackwork as the long term plan is to revert back to a continuous run by either moving into a purpose built shed, or by a stroke of good fortune remodelling of the first floor room layouts.
    Looking forward to the Autumn and getting involved again :thumbup:
     
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  8. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Sorry to hear about your Father-in-law Dave, but I bet he would be happy to know you will get the layout up and running again....:thumbs:
    :cheers::tophat:Gormo
     
  9. Dave C

    Dave C Full Member

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    The re-build commences. The past 9 months has been spent making our new house atirtight and warmer - it was built in 1846 so understanding of energy efficiency wasnt too good in those days, and now I've made a start on the railway room. I've already made a decision to increase the baseboard height to 1m to make viewing better, and increase available storage underneath, but the one thing I want to sort out before baseboards are fitted is the lighting in the room.
    I was always disappointed with most of my photos and videos in the previous house, despite an attempt to improve it with some tracked lighting. I've spoken with a relative who knows a thing or two about photography and discovered all sorts of things about lighting that will assist, but I've just spent 20 minutes or so searching posts seeing if anyone has posted anything similar and can only find something from Ron back in 2017 - Learning Zone/Hints and Tips/Let there be light. If you search for 'lighting' all the posts seem to cover on the layout subjects. Can someone point me in the right direction, or, if there isnt anything, I'll probably start from Rons original thread.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2021
  10. Dave C

    Dave C Full Member

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    So, I now have 2 boards up and fixed to the wall. Took the opportunity to increase the baseboard height to 1m from 750mm.

    I had 3 major problems to overcome. Firstly whilst the room is slightly bigger, it has a dormer window. At first I thought I would have to totally scrap the end I had done most of the scenery work on, but found out once I had cleared some junk that the laid track would fit, but I needed to lose both far corners, so the church yard and church have gone. Secondly there was no chimney breast - doesn’t matter really as the likelihood of it fitting had a chimney breast existed was nil, so I removed the back of the long side so now its flush with the wall. It means I lose the brewery / factory area, but the siding could now be used for a cattle pen / coal yard.

    The third issue (big learning point coming up) was that when the boards were built they were not built in a modular fashion. So when I dismantled it I had to use a saw to cut the station area in two. That meant taking out about 4mm of rail along the running lines to allow the saw past. So of course, after adding a batten to the end of the longer thinner board end to give it rigidity I had a 2mm to 5mm gap in the running lines, and the up and down were ballasted. Creative thinking - measure the gap, cut a piece of rail to that length, then take the ends of some rail joiners and use the piece of rail to join them together - apply a spot of solder to the underside, cut away 2 chairs either side and attach it to one board. Repeat for all other lines, then slowly move the boards together until all are located. Shim the boards as necessary and fix in place.
    20210221_214915.jpg 20210221_214116.jpg 20210221_214014.jpg

    Also took the opportunity whilst I could to get round both sides of the boards before they were fitted to try out my airbrush and weather the track. Quite pleased with my first attempt, and still a bit more to do where locos would sit waiting Right Away.
    20210219_152639.jpg

    I've also rationalised some of the track - the shunting loco siding has gone, and the siding that ran beside it is being continued through to Dribblesdale Viaduct to make it look like it used to be an avoiding line for the down line but with pointwork removed at the end of the viaduct. Fits in with the original concept of Setforth Junction having had 2 main lines to the south. I've also got rid of the 3 way point to the main sidings, but I' now a bit stuck as to what to do with the 2 sidings as it’s just looking like 5 tracks running in parallel and it’s become a bit featureless I fear - the Goods shed has to go somewhere so one of those 2 sidings is the obvious choice - is it?
    20210303_195317.jpg
     

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    Last edited: Mar 16, 2021
  11. Dave C

    Dave C Full Member

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    Further learning point.
    When testing track, don't use a Pacific loco with tender and loco pick ups as they run superbly over dead frogs on Electrofrog points :hammer:. Switched to an 08 shunter and located the problem - will be seeking out Polly tomorrow somewhere in the 15 or so remaining packing crates that SJ is currently stored in and she will then become the official test locomotive.:)
     
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  12. Dave C

    Dave C Full Member

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    The revised track layout on the rebuild posed a problem with existing baseboard cross members prohibiting the use of point solenoids mounted under the baseboard so I've trialled a Hattons PM1 point solenoid with wire in tube. The Hattons PM1 comes with a crank so I've used that to operate the wire in tube point actuation and a Peco accessory switch for frog switching. First attempt pictured below. Some form of trackside building will cover this up - the remainder will be in the storage yard so will be left uncovered.
    Works fine. Any suggestions for improvement? (I will use a piece of plasticard for a baseplate for the accessory switch to allow for easier install next time).
     
    Chris Doroszenko likes this.
  13. Chris Doroszenko

    Chris Doroszenko Lost in the spare room Full Member

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    Your doing great mate... problem-solving is always interesting as every situation can call for different rescues...wish I could offer some advice but I am swamped in my own brain shorts.:headbanger::lol:
    Cheers for sharing.
     

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