Wantage Upper Yard

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
I think that I understand the MO for laying the sleepers and track... and yet I am puzzled as to why there are some rails with "spikes" where the spikes are not over a sleeper (your photos in the post of a couple of days back).

What have I missed in the story so far?

I do like Sopwith's contributions to the story, how does he cope with the dexterity of rolling rails to match the template?

regards, Graham
 
S

Simon Dunkley

Guest
I think that I understand the MO for laying the sleepers and track... and yet I am puzzled as to why there are some rails with "spikes" where the spikes are not over a sleeper (your photos in the post of a couple of days back).
The templates have normal sleepers, the track will be laid on baulk road.
What have I missed in the story so far?
The pictures of the track in Wantage yard, post 15 in the thread?
 
S

Simon Dunkley

Guest
That light isn't the end of the tunnel: it's just some ******* bringing more work!
 

Stevesopwith

Western Thunderer
I'll try to clarify what I'm planning to do.

The track at Wantage is quite unlike normal chaired, cross sleepered track, and requires very different constructional methods.

I wanted soldered construction, metal and wood as appropriate, ( so no plastic, or glued structural joints ). I wanted the track panels to be free standing, to allow easier post assembly detailing, (so not built fixed to the baseboard.) I also wanted the track to be fixed and located in a way that would allow removal and accurate replacement while ancilliary work, like TOUs and uncoupling magnets, could be carried out.

The method I use is not my original idea; over the years there have been several similar examples in MRJ etc. What they all have in common is some means of raising the rail above the sleeper. So, in my case, each 'sub-sleeper' has two 'chairs' of 1/16th x 1/32 brass strip, soldered approximately to track gauge, as in photo 1.

Initially, the prepared rails are soldered as normal to 'sacrificial' sleepers, placed adjacent to the positions marked on the track plan. Once completed and tested, each track panel is removed, and sub-sleepers and their chairs are soldered to the underside of the rail, using the sacrificial sleepers as alignment guides. The redundant sacrificial sleepers are then removed. Points are a little more involved, but end up the same. I appreciate that this in effect means building the track twice, but there isn't an enormous amount, and I believe it to be the easiest and most reliable method.

The 1/16th gap between sleeper and rail foot can be filled on each side with suitable bass or lime stripwood, as in photo 2. 3/32 wide stock gives an apparent total baulk width of about 10", for plain track, while 1/8th gives 12" baulks for points. Wider stock for the switch and crossing timbers can be cut from sheet.

The panels will be fixed down to the sundeala trackbed using brass countersunk screws every fourth or fifth sleeper.

I hope some of the 'Hows' arising from the above outline will be clarified in later posts.Wantage Sub Sleepers.jpg


Wantage Rail Section b.jpg
 

Stevesopwith

Western Thunderer
Cheers Guys..... I get pretty much the same response when attempting to explain it to people standing right in front of it. :'(

Perhaps it will get clearer as the work progresses. :thumbs:
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
Looking at the photographs and your descriptions were the spikes driven through the flat bottom of the rail rather than from the outside similar to the US?
 

Stevesopwith

Western Thunderer
That's correct Dave..... besides my interpretation of the photographic evidence, there is an entry in the W.T.Co. minutes to the effect that a usual supplier was now unable to provide ready punched rail of a larger size......suggesting that that had been the practice previously.

Attached is a 1952 redrawing of the proposed track construction diagram, probably part of the evidence supplied to obtain the Parliamentary Order in 1873/4. It gives more than a nod to contemporary GWR Broad Gauge design, although bridge rail had been phased out by the '90s, and I've not found any photographic evidence of square headed fang bolts.

As a horse drawn tramway, the 4ft way was macadamised to the level of the rails and the adjacent roadway. I assume the station area would have been the same; but following the establishment of steam power during the '80s, major revision of the station layout, and rail renewal, the track took on the form I am modelling, with the 'ballast' .. (probably mainly clinker and ash from the gasworks ).. roughly level with the top of the baulks.


Wantage Original Track Section.jpg
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
I have just re-read the post which has produced a +2 / -2 response above... and there are some aspects of the text which I do not "see" as yet. I shall seek enlightenment via the WT-PM channel, hopefully Sopwith will be able to assist in return for some Bonio (other treats are available).

regards, Graham
 

Caggers

Western Thunderer
Hi Steve,

I have enjoyed this thread and think it may have helped make my mind up about building track as opposed to using Peco...

As I have access to some machinery at work I think I might follow steal your jig idea.:D

Anyway keep up the good work and I look forward to future updates...

Cheers Simon...
 

Wagonman

Western Thunderer
Wantage really seems to be flavour of the month: the latest MRJ, which has just landed on my doormat, has an article on building coach/tram no.4 while the current Railway Archive has a piece on the Matthews tram engine no.6!

It's all systems go...
 

Stevesopwith

Western Thunderer
Sorry for the quiet patch..... it's hard to think up fresh and exciting reports for each of 20+ days of rail bending, spike detailing, cross tie hole drilling.... 3 to 4 hrs a day. :(

But that stage is now complete. :)

Wantage Rail Prep 1.jpg

The next job is the fitting of fishplates. I've not found any commercially available items for the Karlgarin Code 100 FB rail; so I considered getting some etched. The idea was to half etch and emboss the bolt heads on the inside, and apply Grandt-Line hex nuts to fully etched holes on the outside. This plan was rejected due to problems such as distortion during embossing, and the need to carry out soldering assembly after the nuts would be fitted..... ie. melting... but mainly because the etched items could not have bevelled edges to match the rail section, so left unacceptable gaps between the plate and the rail foot.

So I made my own from 1.5 x 0.5 mm brass strip. I made a 24 plate 'ruler', showing the plate ends and bolt holes, and a jig that allowed me to scribe across 5 strips at once. The holes were then drilled with a 0.5 mm centre drill on my old Unimat. Next, the edges of each strip were filed to a bevel in a holding jig, and each plate was cut to length with a Xuron edge cutter. The rail has dummy gaps cut into the foot and head. The inside plate is soldered centally over the joint, and the bolt holes are drilled through the web, ( very carefully.... we don't want broken bits jamming up the holes! 'Scale Hardware' 1 mm rivets are inserted, the outside plate is fitted over them, followed by 'SH' hex nuts, soldered using the RSU....the excess bolt stem is cut off , and that's it. Easy! .... or at least the first six I did today were.

Wantage Fishplate.jpg

Wantage Fishplate Nuts.jpg
While making the plates I did work out how many are needed, but I'm more comfortable forgetting that figure.

Also, it's better to pay for the Scale Hardware items by Paypal... If you click quickly enough you don't actually register how much they cost!
 
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