Midsomer

[madharry]

Continuing.............

The turnouts are being relaid and it is almost time to bridge the gap across the two boards.

First I need to make a cut in the copper clad ties in the middle to prevent a short occuring when the copper clad ties are soldered to both rails of the track. It is best to have at least two ties either side of the break in the boards.

Mike

[madharry]

Continuing............

I am using Paxoline copper clad material cut to the size of ties. I tinned the underside of the rail before soldering the ties into position.

I use four ties, two each side of the join.

Four lines cross the boards. The copper clad material is mounted on a wood base and glued to this with contact adhesive.

Mike

[madharry]

Continuing............

Once everything is soldered I used a slitting disc in my Minicraft electric drill to cut the rails at the join.

I then separated the two boards.

Mike

[PRR Modeler]

Very nice work.

[ACL1504]

Mike,

I agree, very well done.

Tom

[madharry]

Thanks Curt and Tom.

Whilst I am building a portable module the same technique could be used for the removable door access on an home layout.

Mike

[madharry]

With all this boring track laying I could not resist a photo of my little tank engine fleet.

Left to right from the front.

DJ Models Southern O2, Oxford Rail LSWR Adams Radial

Bachmann Southern E4, Hornby Southern M7, Hornby LSWR M7

Back row: two Hornby Southern Ex. LSWR Non-Corridor coaches

Mike 

[PRR Modeler]

Beautiful looking locomotives.

[madharry]

Thanks Curt. I am really pleased with the models. Southern Railway locos have been a little light on the ground as ready to run until recently. Previously you had to build your loco from a white metal kit. All the prototype locos shown were built between 1882 and 1897 and at least one example of each type has survived into preservation.

Mike

[madharry]

Continuing.........

Hurrah! I have finished laying track on the last board - the fiddle yard. This one is a little narrower than the others as it will be "off scene". I plan to mount a scenic module in front of it - possibly a canal scene with a lock and pub. There will be a backscene behind this and then behind that the two off scene tracks.

Once again this is connected to the middle board with dowels and the crossing tracks are held down with copper clad sleepers. the last turnout before the fiddle yard is planned to be off scene in a tunnel.

Mike

[madharry]

And I am back.....................I have been exhibiting Red Hook Bay...........

Hurrah the electrics are done and the track has been ballasted in Woodlands Scenics N scale grey ballast. I have cleaned the track and tested everything works with a sound equipped loco. I have linked in six Tam Valley frog juicers to the DCC Concepts Cobalt IQ turnout motors.

Now I can get on to more interesting stuff!

Mike

[madharry]

Continuing..............

The new layout is going to run a combination of steam and electric trains. The Southern Railway started electrication in 1929. The 2-HAL shown was out shopped in 1938. The two car sets had a top speed of 75mph and carried a maximum of 32 in First Class and 102 in Third Class.

So I will have to add third rail to the layout. Peco offer the conductor chairs which are fitted to the outside of every fourth sleeper/tie. Code 60 flat bottom rail is threaded through the chairs. First of all I have to paint the top of each conductor chair brown.

Mike

[madharry]

Continuing..............

The third rail was a a trial. I tried five times to lay the outside rail using the Peco code 60 rail. Everytime the outside rail ended up higher than the running rails and caused the current collector on the Electric Motor Units (EMU) to foul at the turnouts. In the end I found some narrow gauge Micro-engineering code 55 track instead and it eventually worked out.

Mike 

[madharry]

Continuing............

Now to the fun bit................

On the middle board towards the backdrop will be a country road.

On the road will be a Magnorail scene of peddling cyclists.

In readiness for this I purchased a 3/4 inch plank of wood some 4 ft long. I then mounted the channel on the board using the screws provided. There are two turning circles with one at each end. A flexible blue plastic cable is driven by a 12v DC motor within the channel. Within the channel at three points I have inserted two small magnets 14mm apart. Then a plasticard sheet representing the road has been kept in place by clips to test  the equipment. Small HO cyclists are then attached to road above the positions of the embedded magnets. Once power is applied the chain moves through the channel below the road surface propelling the cyclists above.

Mike

[PRR Modeler]

That is cool as hell!