A table-top train set.

jonte

Western Thunderer
You say not a lot done Jonte,but you`ll soon be running trains now the circuit is complete and perhaps even doing some switching....Ooop`s sorry....shunting....!!

Brian.


Hopefully, Brian. The existing wiring should speed things up, but I’m hoping to get back to the ‘shed’ :)

Thanks for your interest,

Jonte.
 

jonte

Western Thunderer
Took a break from welding wire to barely visible fish plates, fellow Westerners, and had a bash at some window dressing:

BA7DAC08-8AA2-459A-8A74-B64CC5E787CC.jpeg 3C03F974-788E-4682-9B46-FB8721CF2CCA.jpeg 6EE1024D-8706-41C7-8261-4CDD9228FC41.jpeg A9F7F370-0E59-42DE-8088-A8B17A9D3376.jpeg

This is my CP originally built for an HO project that will never see the light of day hence the skinny sleepers. Was going to fill in the gaps in the pcb sleepers, or ties as they were, but current thinking is that they’ll be buried in ballast or whatever leaving only the chairs exposed, so little point really.

Speaking of chairs, they’re left-over bits from a C&L kit that was built to OO-SF standard; I won’t share with you what I think the ‘SF’ stands for ;)

I’m hoping you can just make out the ends of the slide chairs in the third shot, but I doubt they’ll be visible on the layout.
After much umming and ahhh-ing, I decided against chairs inside the rails as they’d be a little too proud for smooth running. Never mind, just a nod to the real thing anyway.

When in place, I’ll fix another chair to the end of the diverting rail as in the picture of a CP at Llantisillio-gogogoch Road in Geoff Lloyd’s book of the TVR From Llangunllo to Llanbister Rd.

Incidentally you might just be able to make out the drilled piece of flat brass I’m using as part of the TOU (sounds a bit fancy for a train-set) sticking out from the second sleeper from the toe end in the first couple of piccies :)

And that’s about it for now, Westerners, as the primer coat dries in the late afternoon sun which rather reluctantly arrived eventually.

So there you are. Yet another case of style over substance. Just like its creator, really.

Luv and bestest,

Jonte
 

jonte

Western Thunderer
You may recall, fellow Westerners, my mention of adopting Kadee couplers for the joys of hands-free shunting when the occasion arose. To that end I purchased some Neo.... magnets from Spider Magnets, to adopt a relatively discrete way of operating Kadees that I’d read about elsewhere.

I was warned that these tiny mites of all but 3mm diameter were pretty strong, and oh boy, were they right. Blink, and you miss they’re escape velocity, as they disappear from hole, grip or any other device to secure them, faster than Ed Sheeran (who?) on reaching the Event Horizon (wishful thinking).

Yep, pretty attractive to themselves, files, blades and any other ferrous based metal known to man (oops, human-kind;)) apart, that is, from the curly bit of metal sticking out of the bottom of a Kadee coupling :headbang:

To be fair, they’re hit n miss at sleeper height with best results being obtained at rail height, but not only are they obtrusive at this height but also a possible obstruction to loco/stock wheels, so I’m afraid they’re a non-starter. Okay, it’s only a train set so the obtrusive bit is okay, but a bar to free-running is an absolute no-no.

Conclusion? I’m still opting for kadees, but it’s over to plan B: shunting by hand using a wooden skewer as per American railroad layouts. A recurring theme here don’t you think?

Anyway, a couple of photos to show you what I mean.

9338D62F-A8DE-48AD-AB48-36703C8D27DF.jpeg 5F6D0F0D-A418-4618-860A-0FEA71159341.jpeg

Jonte
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
I was warned that these tiny mites of all but 3mm diameter were pretty strong, and oh boy, were they right. Blink, and you miss they’re escape velocity, as they disappear from hole, grip or any other device to secure them, faster than Ed Sheeran (who?) on reaching the Event Horizon (wishful thinking).

Ah... but us as the observer they would appear stationary at the Event Horizon and never disappear from view.

I tried a similar thing with these magnets using Peco N scale setrack with a degree of success. I mounted four 3 x 2 mm magnets between the sleepers and under the rails - making sure the polarity was correct. The track was mounted on double sided foam tape 10m Strong 20mm Waterproof Adhesive Double Sided Foam Tape For Car Trim UK 937235103056 | eBay
Magnet 1.jpg
Magnet 2.jpg
 

jonte

Western Thunderer
Ah... but us as the observer they would appear stationary at the Event Horizon and never disappear from view.

I tried a similar thing with these magnets using Peco N scale setrack with a degree of success. I mounted four 3 x 2 mm magnets between the sleepers and under the rails - making sure the polarity was correct. The track was mounted on double sided foam tape 10m Strong 20mm Waterproof Adhesive Double Sided Foam Tape For Car Trim UK 937235103056 | eBay
View attachment 108378
View attachment 108379

Fair enough: just as long as we can’t hear him ;)

You are indeed a font of knowledge, Dave. I’ll check the polarity of each and give it another go.

Many thanks for your valuable help, Dave.

Jonte
 

JimG

Western Thunderer
Jonte,

I've had a fight with reliable remote uncoupling of Kadee couplers in N scale and S scale over the years. One fairly successful setup I had was using the coils and "U" shaped poles of a Carpenter relay driven by a capacitor discharge unit which gave a 70V kick and 40V holding voltage. But I've much preferred a magentic solution and recently I tried using neodymium magnets on an S scale test track with #802 couplers with reasonably good results. What I did was to select several rod magnets of varying strengths to find the most suitable. I then mounted the magnets in push fit holes and adjusted the heights until I got the required magnetic field strength which operated the couplers properly.

US-S-SwitchingLayout-X333.jpg

US-S-SwitchingLayout-X334.jpg

I selected the magnets from this web page in E-Magnets web site :-

Neodymium Rod Magnets - e-Magnets UK

...and selected three types of 4mm and 5mm diameters with varying pulls. The ones that worked well were the 4mm diameter ones with 0.7g pull, and the other variable, the height of the magnet, was adjusted by pushing up/down until the pull was just right. I also used three magnets each side to give a longer acceptance distance.

I've also re-discovered my N scale work from many years ago and I might try something similar with smaller diameter magnets.

However, I have noted on messing around on the test track that unwanted uncoupling can be a problem if there is not sufficient tension on the knuckles to prevent them being parted. that would point towards using retractable magnets or electro-magnetic setups to avoid this but that involves a lot more complexity than might be desired on a simple layout.

Jim.
 
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jonte

Western Thunderer
Jonte,

I've had a fight with reliable remote uncoupling of Kadee couplers in N scale and S scale over the years. One faitly successful setup I had was using the coils and "U" shaped poles of a Carpenter relay driven by a capacitor discharge unit which gave a 70V kick and 40V holding voltage. But I've much preferred a magentic solution and recently I tried using neodymium magnets on an S scale test track with #802 couplers with reasonably good results. What I did was to select several rod magnets of varying strengths to find the most suitable. I then mounted the magnets in push fit holes and adjusted the heights until I got the required magnetic field strength which operated the couplers properly.

View attachment 108424

View attachment 108425

I selected the magnets from this web page in E-Magnets web site :-

Neodymium Rod Magnets - e-Magnets UK

...and selected three types of 4mm and 5mm diameters with varying pulls. The ones that worked well were the 4mm diameter ones with 0.7g pull, and the other variable, the height of the magnet, was adjusted by pushing up/down until the pull was just right. I also used three magnets each side to give a longer acceptance distance.

I've also re-discovered my N scale work from many years ago and I might try something similar with smaller diameter magnets.

However, I have noted on messing around on the test track that unwanted uncoupling can be a problem if there is not sufficient tension on the knuckles to prevent them being parted. that would point towards using retractable magnets or electro-magnetic setups to avoid this but that involves a lot more complexity than might be desired on a simple layout.

Jim.

A most comprehensive reply indeed, Jim. Thank you.

Looks like it really is a case of trial and error and with many factors to consider.

Funnily enough, I was thinking about increasing the number of magnets ‘in parallel’ to see if it increased the draw of the magnets if, for no other reason, there are about 25 in a packet; I see you’ve used three. Interesting too that increased diameter does not necessarily improve performance.

I’ve used Kadees own under track magnets in the fiddle yard which work perfectly, but I found some time ago that ballast, depending on depth, reduces performance which is why I’m not bothering with them in the scenic section.

Since Yorkie Dave’s helpful post, I’ve since ensured that the polarities are all the same (but opposite poles on opposite rails) and an early test suggests there may be some improvement in swing, therefore, will pop out and buy a new drill bit and do some further testing.

Meanwhile, I’ve made a start temporarily laying the track and wiring up to test for faults.

Thanks again, Jim, and I just wish there was more stock and accessories available in S Scale; seems to me to be the ideal scale for indoor modellers :)

Jonte
 

jonte

Western Thunderer
After what seemed like an eon of soldering, fellow Westerners, I’m pleased to report that each piece of track now has its own electrical feed - and live frog in the case of points - and then primed, with all rail tops cleaned and ready for testing.

In fact, initial testing has already commenced (in between watching tennis) the ‘main line’ having been connected to the layout’s existing wiring:

69EBB6FC-EF45-451D-97D4-9D3F7360D578.jpeg 76E9DE9B-C7A9-45E5-9751-0BB50A0E73DD.jpeg


Thankfully no shorts yet, the SPDT switches seemingly doing their jobs on the proprietary replacements.

Pleased to also report that ‘Jones’ seems happy enough with the altered geometry.

Next will come the loop which I trust will also be okay as I’m wiring it up the same way as my hand built stuff, but knowing my luck, I won’t be lucky enough to get away without the odd hiccough or two:(

Then the whole lot can be marked and lifted again before being replaced on a bed of adhesive (magnets will also be marked and placed if tests with the Kadees prove fruitful).

But I’m afraid all of that will have to wait for now as I endure another short hiatus from railway modelling.

TTFN

Jonte
 

jonte

Western Thunderer
Another window has opened, fellow WT-ers, so I’ve gradually turned my attention to the layout once again.

Reluctantly, I’ve decided to forego all intentions of operating it remotely: points in the loop will be operated manually as considered in the beginning, and the working catch point will be non-operational. Additionally, there will be no automatic uncoupling.

Whilst I’ve played with wire-in-tube and angle cranks quite successfully on a previous occasion, this time it wasn’t. The problem seemed to be with slide switches I was using to provide the throw. Albeit the mechanism worked, but there was just too much resistance for my liking, with the inevitable future consequence of having to mend or replace when it all went pear-shaped. No thanks. I think it was probably down to the sloping hole I’d drilled in the plastic handle of the switch, but having not the foggiest about enjuneering stuff, I couldn’t quite be sure. In any case, even though train sets traditionally have their chunky mechanisms on show, the auxiliary bits of this method of operation were just too in your face, so out have come the tubes, cranks and slide switches (the holes that are left will need filling back in), and old Uncle Tom Cobbly an’ all.

Ideally, I would have liked to have connected the wire-in-tube system to a ‘Faringdon’ style brass slide mechanism, but apart from the existing problem of not being able to access the underside of the board, the hinged letter box style front would have put paid to any protrusions in the fascia. So that was that.

How I’m beginning to loathe that fascia and it’s frame: they’ve been nothing but an obstruction since I started the change of theme and, believe it or not, I find it a little claustrophobic. I wonder if that’s ever been said about a layout before?

Turning attention to uncoupling, I decided to give up on the cylindrical neo magnets I was harping on about last time and sent off for some long rectangular ones instead. Now these really were the business. Only trouble was, every time I opened the window, they shot off and attached themselves to a passing satellite so extreme care was required when anything made of metal was about. However......when push came to shove, I just couldn’t be bothered digging out the track bed at the required points (oh how I wish I’d laid the track on some form of underlay), so I gave up. Actually, the straw that broke the camel’s back was deciding the strategic points at which to place them. A quandary. And what about on bends? Would they fail to uncouple (or even recouple) when required? Enough was enough. It was back to uncoupling the Kaydees with a wooden skewer; the American way. I consoled myself by considering how unprototypical the Kaydee shuffle was ;)

Since then, I’ve also decided against Kaydees: there’s just no point now going to the trouble and expense of swapping over, so the tension locks stay. I’m opting for one of those plastic bent spoon type uncouplers available on the bay. But that’s quite some way off.

Now that those onerous decisions have finally been made, it’s on with the track laying. Here, things have fared a little better in as much as there were no short circuits or gremlins of any sort with the electrics (more down to fortune than design), so I’ve begun trying out some track painting methods which I’m just making up as I go along, working from photos from the ‘Steam Days’ mags as a guide.

This photo shows some sleeper colouring tests with different washes and powders on an offcut of rail:


ADF00AB3-4B56-4751-9110-5822D4C8A945.jpeg

Looks okay, especially for the siding, and a mix of washes should prevent a too uniform look to things. Please ignore the couple of light coloured ones which have been left as a reference.

Next, I’ve experimented with a thin wash of mixed up Humbrol enamels over Matt black on the rails, again in an attempt to keep things variegated. A lighter wash will be applied next, before dry brushing in places with a light rust mix - especially on the ‘dead-rail’ and the chairs.


FAB33C67-2E89-4EAE-B3E5-E3442E9643A5.jpeg

So that’s it for now.

Now I’m off to paint as much of the track before finally gluing it down.

Cheers for now,

Jonte
 

NHY 581

Western Thunderer
Evening Jonte.

Don't see this as anything other than a positive.

All my layouts ( as you may recall) have manual 'Pokey finger 'actuated points, tension locks and manual uncoupling.

I have soldered up brass 'spades ' to uncouple with and they work fine. I have since sleeved the brass rod with copper tube to provide better 'purchase'.

With regards track colouring, I initially spray all track with acrylic dark earth from an aerosol. Sleepers are painted with track colour.

Rust weathering powders are applied to the Rails and the sleepers are treated to various combinations of 'Smoke' black and dark earth weathering powders. Everything is blended to provide variation.

Once happy, seal with a LIGHT dusting of acrylic matt varnish from an aerosol.

Then add ballast/weeds/grass etc...

The view of Bleat Wharf is at this point.

Rob. images-10.jpeg20190324_083936-01.jpeg
 

jonte

Western Thunderer
Evening Jonte.

Don't see this as anything other than a positive.

All my layouts ( as you may recall) have manual 'Pokey finger 'actuated points, tension locks and manual uncoupling.

I have soldered up brass 'spades ' to uncouple with and they work fine. I have since sleeved the brass rod with copper tube to provide better 'purchase'.

With regards track colouring, I initially spray all track with acrylic dark earth from an aerosol. Sleepers are painted with track colour.

Rust weathering powders are applied to the Rails and the sleepers are treated to various combinations of 'Smoke' black and dark earth weathering powders. Everything is blended to provide variation.

Once happy, seal with a LIGHT dusting of acrylic matt varnish from an aerosol.

Then add ballast/weeds/grass etc...

The view of Bleat Wharf is at this point.

Rob. View attachment 110432View attachment 110433

Hiya Rob

Loving the spade; looks as though even I could make one. Perhaps I can find a use for the now redundant copper tube from the failed wire-in-tube experiment after all.

I wish I could be as methodical as you have been with the track weathering, but no matter how much I mentally prepare, I still go with an indefinable urge. This time I’m starting with a light base coat and going gradually going darker instead of the usual other way round. I’m even mixing acrylics with enamels for some unearthly reason, but if it doesn’t work, I’ll just hit it with the primer and start again :(

Then I’ll finally come to my senses and adopt a more methodical and reliable method such as yours ;)

Thanks for your interest, Rob, and for sharing. It looks swell in the accompanying piccie.

Jonte
 

NHY 581

Western Thunderer
Hi Jonte.

If it helps, I break things down.

Once sprayed with the dark earth, I leave things for a couple of days. Then paint the sleepers. Leave for a couple of days. Then I apply the powders. Once that's done I leave it for a day before sealing to make sure I am happy with the colours.

Then I ballast. For Bleat I reckon it took about a fortnight.

Here's a view of the finished (?)track.......

Rob 20190505_191254-01-01-01.jpeg
 
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jonte

Western Thunderer
Hi Jonte.

If it helps, I break things down.

Once sprayed with the dark earth, I leave things for a couple of days. Then paint the sleepers. Leave for a couple of days. Then I apply the powders. Once that's done I leave it for a day before sealing to make sure I am happy with the colours.

Then I ballast. For Bleat I reckon it took about a fortnight.

Here's a view of the finished (?)track.......

Rob View attachment 110474

Yes indeed it does, Rob, thank you.

In particular, I’ve studied your sleepers which display that characteristic - but subtle - variation of colour. It’s funny how a creosoted piece of wood can take on such differing hues, and you’ve done a grand job in replicating it. I guess from your previous post that this is due in no small part to your trusty powders that have served you so well with your weathered locos. This is the first time I’ve used them in this way, and I think they really help in achieving that washed out sleeper look that I’m after. I shall pop out and buy a suitable varnish to seal them - or break out the compressor if I can be bothered setting it up and cleaning the airbrush :( - as you suggest, and perhaps consider a further light wash happy in the knowledge that the powder is nicely sealed. I suppose it’s also easier to remove if the added wash then looks awful!

May I also add that your very neat ballasting provides a suitable ‘frame’ for that very realistic looking concrete: an art in itself.

Many thanks, Rob.

Jonte
 

NHY 581

Western Thunderer
Morning Jonte.

Thank you for your kind words. Things just sort of evolve really.

One thing about the varnish, I use Humbrol Matt Acrylic Varnish in an aerosol.

I also spray from a distance, a light dusting which is almost dry as it hits the track. Too close and it's too wet and you risk loosing the colour variation you've spent so long getting right. ( I know this....)


Rob
 

jonte

Western Thunderer
Morning Jonte.

Thank you for your kind words. Things just sort of evolve really.

One thing about the varnish, I use Humbrol Matt Acrylic Varnish in an aerosol.

I also spray from a distance, a light dusting which is almost dry as it hits the track. Too close and it's too wet and you risk loosing the colour variation you've spent so long getting right. ( I know this....)


Rob

Yes, I’d have discovered that without your kind words of caution :thumbs:

Thanks, Rob.

Jonte
 

jonte

Western Thunderer
At the risk of going off on a further tangent Jonte, this trackwork is spot on. Much to inspire.

Railroad Line Forums - The Depot (at Carendt)

The weathering is just sublime, not just re. the trackwork.

Rob.

Hi Rob

Whilst not in the same league as the model subject of your link to the model railroad forum kindly attached in your previous post, it put me in mind of my humble attempt to replicate the beat-up ‘ties’ of the ‘Downtown LA railroad’ that once traversed the streets and alleyways of Industrial Place and its environs:

2C78BC2B-4796-4142-919A-4F249DDAF57E.jpeg

Fabricated from a ‘ply’ of layers of thin veneer, they were distressed with a scalpel before being primed and washed with a variety of enamel washes, the intention being to powder down for that final ‘dusty’ look. Sadly, I never got that far, but it’s an example of how I’ve previously gone dark-to-light rather than light-to-dark as I’m attempting this time.

You never know, if it all goes shoulder-bags up this time, I may have to revert to type :)

Bestest,

Jonte
 

jonte

Western Thunderer
Having spent the weekend stripping, priming and undercoating my daughter’s front door, I thought I’d update my thread with....well.....not much really. It’s funny how mundane jobs like that give you time to think, and I seemed to spend most of it thinking about painting model track.

And the outcome of all this pondering, WT-ers?

Well, guys ‘n’ galz, I’ve come to the conclusion that my latest light-to-dark weathering of sleepers is pretty rubbish. No matter how much I try and kid myself that I’m going in the right direction, they ain’t nuthin’ like any pictures of sleeper I can find......apart from those that have been languishing in builders’ reclamation yards for donkeys’, waiting for some Alan Titchmarshey type to rescue them and place them centre stage in his latest Chelsea show-garden. So out of the window goes that idea along with the neo magnets. So much for a quick-fix.

Meanwhile, I’ve continued painting the rails and chairs Matt black, as a base for their final shades as I reckoned it’s easier to do it now than when it’s laid and, after all, there’s not that much of it.

Speaking of which, since the last photo, the CP has received a thin wash of black over the last shade to tone it:

7776D365-8726-4401-B81A-57EB455653B0.jpeg 9F82BAAA-19C3-4609-BC52-23160A2CBA98.jpeg

This will now receive a lighter thin wash of rust followed by some dry brushing around the chairs, which I’ll continue for all the rail in the siding to differentiate it from the mainline. Or that’s the plan. Of course, this will all continue towards the end of the week.....after I’ve applied and sanded the final top coats to that ‘real-world’ paint job :)

Thanks for looking and hope nobody minds me ‘thinking out loud’.

Jonte
 
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