Louville Lane Cameo

Alan

Western Thunderer
No progress on layout but I have just taken delivery of an 08 shunter to act as the pilot for the station/parcels part of the layout courtesy of Hattons second hand dept. It runs nicely and already had the wire goalpost couplings I use on my other locos and it is lightly weathered.











 

Alan

Western Thunderer
Today another very small step. I glued down the cork that will cover the yard on the scenic section.
I will be using wire in the tube point control buried in the cork and operated by a SPDT slide switch which will operate the polarity of the frog. A slight problem, I'm finding it difficult to source said switches which can be screwed into the baseboard top. Anybody any idea of a source please.
Reading the Mercontrol site I'm not sure that will work for me as they recommend drilling a hole near the pip on the tie bar, I would much prefer to use the hole that Peco have already put in the centre of the tie bar. So it may be brass rod and tube. Any thoughts.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
At last I've started work on the layout. Cork has been laid on the lower level and today I wired the points so that I can change the polarity of the frog when I change the points. It will be done with slide switches and wire in the tube. The tube will run on the surface buried in a slot cut into the cork to the slide switch which will be on the baseboard edge hidden under scenery. When I start laying the track, hopefully very soon, I will put some photos up. The slide switches have been sourced.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
Today I have been laying the first piece of track. The entrance into the refuelling yard.



The first photo shows the arrangement with 0.8mm brass wire led through 3/32inch plastic tube which has been sunk into a groove in the cork. The switch will be hidden under scenery and a cut out will be made in the fascia panel.







The second photo shows the slide switch which as well as changing the point will switch the frog.







And the final photo shows the tie-bar end and if you look carefully you will see the brass rod just poking through the hole in the centre of the tie-bar.







The weights you can see are to hold the point in place (it handed been fixed down) to ensure there was enough movement in the slide switch to change the point. All is now glued down and is drying with weights on.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
Laid a bit more track over the weekend, Now only one more point and the 3 way to go. when they are down and the resulting straight pieces I'll tip the layout on its back and join the wires up.







 

Alan

Western Thunderer
Last two points laid, the rest of the track coming towards the engine is just placed at the moment. I feel I have to cut another hole in the end board to allow a easier access to the re-fuel point, the hatched red area in the second photo. This way no loco should get blocked in.



 

Alan

Western Thunderer
Possibly Josh but apparently it didn't happen too often, so I'm trying to get it fairly prototypical. By the weekend I hope to have the last bits of track laid and then tip the layout on its back and connect all the wires up and hope it all works.
By the way how is yours coming along.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
I have finally finished the track laying in the yard. The next bit is cork and track laying on the upper bit (just 2 lengths of straight track, followed by connecting the wires.

















The knightwing shed acts a a view bock and if it stays will certainly have a new roof. the grey piece of plastic is the base to the refuelling point.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
I have spent the last few days making a simple small control panel and wiring the refuelling yard. I'm not the best at this sort of thing (although all my previous layouts worked). This was the first time I have wired in points to change the polarity of the frog and also the first time I've done wire in tube operation. I was pleased and dare I say slightly surprised that it all worked .. I still have to lay the two lengths of track on the upper section.

A poor quality photo of control panel.





The four empty holes at the top of the panel are for the upper level switches> The four larger lower switches are the section switches for the yardand the 4 smaller ones set out in a square are the isolating sections in the yard.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
A more in focus photo of the still incomplete control panel, now the two top lines re laid I will be able to complete it. At the moment beginning to make the cassettes for the fiddleyard.




I could not resist placing Bulldog and van on one of the new cassettes as if reversing into the parcels platform.






Hopefully wire up the upper section to morrow and start on my system for connecting the cassettes.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
The two tracks on the upper section are now laid and wired and work, so I've started on the cassettes. Tim Horn kindly cut 10 3ft strips 2 and1/2 inches wide and a friend who has a band saw cut them into the lengths I required, They have been covered with 3mm cork of various sorts(using up what is about in the railway room) to bring them up to the height of the scenic side of the layout. Tim made the fiddleyard board the thickness of the surface lower than the main board so that the cassettes would be at the correct height. When the scenic track was laid strip wood was placed at the exits and uncovered cassettes were placed where they would be needed to make sure tracks would line up. The strip wood was then screwed down to act as guides.



I do have ideas how to electrify them which I'll post later when I've experimented.











 

Alan

Western Thunderer
Work on Louville Lane has come to a halt over the holiday period as the room is emptied prior to re-decoration in the next couple of days. When that is finished there will be a few days truly sorting out the boxes etc as to what I really need in the railway room. eg do I need a draw for each colour of wire or could, particularly as I will have finished wiring, it all go in one draw. I am reducing the shelving space so some stuff will have to go, if not to the dump at least to the garage. So I suspect there will be no progress on the layout for at least another 7 or 8 days or so.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
Redecoration finished and main bookshelves rebuilt, there are more shelves to put in. The ones that you can see are fixed and give them stability along with the cross braces you can see.





There will be a small chest of draws next to the single unit and two, one on top of the other bedside units and that's the lot, ohaprt from two shelves over the layout. I'll post more pictures when I've finished sorting all the boxes of bits.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
At long last the room is now finished and re-furnished. So much more space I now have two chairs in the there and there is room for another if I so desired. Great when a friend comes round, in the past there was no room to swing the proverbial feline. Only one chair so some one always had to stand. So I can now get back to the layout. A quick photo tour.









And finally a small reminder of Wencombe and Kingsbridge Regis.



I was very pleased when a friend who had been looking out of the window turned round and thought that set of photos were of real railways It was only when he looked more closely did he realise they were of the previous layouts. In the words of Yoda "Dead chuffed I was"
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
Back to modelling this afternoon, as apart from refurbishing. Starting to lay another layer of cork, 2 mms this time, which will cover the point operating tubes. Pointless (sorry about that) showing any photos as all you would see are a load of weights holding it all down.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
Those photos at long last. I've also placed some "scenery" just to get some sort of impression as to what I need to do to clear the point operating system (that's the blue bits). I do have some kits for the upper level, again Walthers, as they are all warehouse type buildings.







 

Alan

Western Thunderer
I've been experimenting with joining the cassettes to the layout, a systm I've used before. I'll let the photos do the talking.











 

Alan

Western Thunderer
Couldn't resist starting some of the scenic side to give me an idea of how it will look, Spent the afternoon with the Wills retaining wall kit. I've placed it at the moment behind the fuel unloading point. I've got another 4ft at least of it to build yet. It isn't finished (even this bit) yet. Down pipes and painting. I am wondering whether to paint as read brick or engineers blue, Personally I'm tempted by the latter.







 
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