Banavie Road - Caledonian in S Scale

[Stephen Rabone]

I've only just found out about this forum and, since my name is mentioned above, I thought I'd post some of the photos.

First though, what a fascinating concept Banavie Road is and also the skill both in woodwork, design and track-building is obviously superb. It makes me wonder whether something similar would be suitable in the space I have.

I shall look forward to seeing some trains on the layout photos in due course. What sort of length of train can you run on the layout?


The photos below are ones that Steve Flint has kindly allowed me to use on my website about my layout Halifax Midland.

Since he took the photos for my articles in Railway Modeller the layout has undergone more changes so I'll start a new thread shortly to show progress - a revised fiddle yard, locomotive depot and more locomotives have moved the layout on a bit.

I've built an S Scale section to my own website at:

http://www.steverabone.com

Just click on the S Scale link on the home page.

 

[Rob Pulham]

Welcome Steve. Lovely photo's I look forward to seeing more.

 

[Steve Cook]

Welcome aboard Stephen
As Rob said above, nice photos and we look forward to seeing some more of the layout - especially with teh revisions you've made.
Steve

 

[JimG]

I've only just found out about this forum and, since my name is mentioned above, I thought I'd post some of the photos.

First though, what a fascinating concept Banavie Road is and also the skill both in woodwork, design and track-building is obviously superb. It makes me wonder whether something similar would be suitable in the space I have.

I shall look forward to seeing some trains on the layout photos in due course. What sort of length of train can you run on the layout?

Welcome aboard Stephen. You just reminded me that I haven't posted on this thread for a while. However I have been working on the layout and all the track is built and about three quarters of it has been laid. I was waiting until I had got it all down until I posted again.

Of necessity, the trains will be rather short. The cassette roads in the hidden sidings are no longer than 40 inches which will hold a tank loco and a rake of five four wheeled coaches or three 48ft bogie coaches, which were typical shorter train lengths for Glasgow suburban lines. Goods trains will probably have a maximum of seven vehicles - maybe eight if I use a goods tank loco. However the platforms can hold longer trains and the through roads in the hidden sidings can store longer trains so I might well run longer passenger trains and emulate the Caledonian's practice of augmenting their five coach rakes with additional coaches at peak times. I am intending running a terminating (and originating) workers' train using the long carriage siding for stock storage and this coach siding will also store singleton coaches for train augmentation - all this with the intention of running a slightly more complex service than simply running passenger trains round and round.

And in S scale, short trains are no great problem - less stock to build.

Jim.

 

[Jordan]

Welcome Steve to the madhouse!!
I do find S Scale fascinating, and did like the RM articles about Halifax Midland even though it's not my 'usual' sphere of interest...

 

[Simon Dunkley]

Welcome Steve to the madhouse!!
I do find S Scale fascinating, and did like the RM articles about Halifax Midland even though it's not my 'usual' sphere of interest...

There is some nice stuff from the darkside, too...

 

[28ten]

Welcome aboard Stephen. You just reminded me that I haven't posted on this thread for a while. However I have been working on the layout and all the track is built and about three quarters of it has been laid. I was waiting until I had got it all down until I posted again.


Jim.

I like to see the track while it is being laid

 

[Steve Cook]

I was waiting until I had got it all down until I posted again.

Jim.

Boo I'm with Cynric on this Jim, get some pics up - even if you aren't happy with the camera. Nothing like seeing someone elses progress for a quick motivational punt up the posterior

 

[JimG]

Boo I'm with Cynric on this Jim, get some pics up - even if you aren't happy with the camera. Nothing like seeing someone elses progress for a quick motivational punt up the posterior

I'll see if I can do something in the morning when daylight appears. The artificial lighting in the bedroom is not wonderful and, coupled with this rubbish camera, won't give very good results.

Jim.

 

[Jordan]

There is some nice stuff from the darkside, too...

Yes, someone has tried to tempt me already.... trouble is the stuff costs as much/more than Dark Side O Scale...

 

[JimG]

Boo I'm with Cynric on this Jim, get some pics up - even if you aren't happy with the camera. Nothing like seeing someone elses progress for a quick motivational punt up the posterior

OK, I knocked of some pictures this morning to show the latest state of play.



The window end of the layout (no kidding ) On the three baseboards across the window, the track is laid on C&L 5mm foam using carpet glue to stick the foam down and 50/50 dilute Copydex to stick the track to the foam. I keep the Templot paper plan stuck to the sleepers to keep them all in place and the paper will be stained with the sleepers to help disguise it below the ballast layer. The signal box is really the reason for the layout. My friend Jim Hadwin in Scotland built it for a previous layout which didn't progress and I felt I had to build something to justify the signal box and keep him happy.



These three boards across the back of the room hold the station platform with a goods yard siding by the curtain and another two sidings at the very left of the picture. The platform will extend from about a foot onto the left hand board to just under the crooked picture on the rightmost board which gives a length of nearly six feet, which is nearly twice the length of the average trains I intend to run. The track has been laid up to the left edge of the middle board. One of these days I'll re-hang that picture.



The left end of the layout with the long trailing crossover stretching across the two leftmost boards. The track on these two boards is awaiting underlay being laid and is just lying in place at the moment.



These are the hidden siding boards. The upper picture shows the board with the recess for the cassettes - the aerosol, glue bottle and tenon saw are sitting on it. The tracks at the back are the two through/storage roads, just lying roughly in place at the moment. The lower picture shows the other double junction in the doorway. All the hidden siding track is built using 4mm scale PCB sleepering and Code 80 FB rail salvaged from previous projects.

I might get round to laying down the remaining track tomorrow and get that done and out of the way. Then other non-modelling matters have to take precedence in the coming week.

Jim.

 

[Simon Dunkley]

OK, I knocked of some pictures this morning to show the latest state of play.

View attachment 8786

Would that be the picture on the skew?

PS - Looking good, old friend!

 

[Steve Cook]

Excellent work Jim, thanks for taking and posting the photos
You really have squeezed a lot of track into the space you've got, and that trailing crossover looks superb

How's your solution to the track joins between boards working out? You mentioned earlier that you had machined up some components and created spaces between boards for the dowels and sockets, I'm just interested to see how the system copes with laying track on the 5mm underlay and getting good alignment (I've not progressed beyond copper clad glued to cork base, or brass screws driven into the board frames and cut to size).

Steve

 

[JimG]

I thought I'd just add a bit to this thread to show that I've not really forgotten about building the layout - Steve Cook will have half a dozen layouts finished before I get this one done.

But I have been busy with the milling machine and I've also got lumbered with the job of exhibition organiser for the club's next exhibition. That and various other tasks have diverted attention from the layout - like all the pointwork for another S scale modeller's layout. These are the final turnouts almost complete - just waiting for point blades and some check rails



Using plywood sleepers and SSMRS plastic chairs and rail.

And the other project is a 7mm scale goods shed for a new club layout. The shed is being modelled in section so is, in effect, being modelled from the inside.



All wood with fully lapped outside skin. It's based on a Caledonian standard design shown in the "LMS Architecture" book which gives good details of the actual construction. Work on finishing the roof has halted at the moment while I work out how to do the roof vents.

Jim.

 

[ScottW]

The goods shed is looking mighty impressive Jim.

Regards

Scott

 

[Simon Dunkley]

And the other project is a 7mm scale goods shed for a new club layout.

Nice, but when I saw the picture (before I read the words) I got quite excited as I thought you might be making a platform canopy for S!

 

[Steve Cook]

Some lovely tidy workmanship there Jim, the goods shed is particularly impressive

Is all of the pointwork fixed down on one single board, or is is just your 'assembly surface'?

I have a sneaky suspicion you are working in the lounge / dining room too

 

[JimG]

Is all of the pointwork fixed down on one single board, or is is just your 'assembly surface'?

It's a long sheet of Contiboard and the Templot plan is laid down on it, and the track is built on it, then lifted and laid on the baseboards; or , in this case, the pointwork goes off to Charles Vier. All of the Banavie Road track was built on this board

I have a sneaky suspicion you are working in the lounge / dining room too

It's the only place in the house that I can set up this board and work on and around it. It sits on an ancient, folding leaf oak table, but the whole place can be cleared and tidied in about ten minutes.

Jim.

 

[Steve Cook]

Thanks Jim Do you just tape the template to the board and then glue the track to the template to keep it all in alignment?

Lounges are good for being able to work on and around something I have to agree. The tidying up bit though...I've discovered that laminate flooring is a lot easier than carpet for that aspect - when I re-do the modelling room, the carpet monster is going to be banished

 

[JimG]

Thanks Jim Do you just tape the template to the board and then glue the track to the template to keep it all in alignment?

Yes, I stick the Templot sheets together with Selotape then stick the sheets to the Contiboard with Selotape. I stick the ply sleepers to the plan with very small dabs of PVA so that they could be removed from the sheets if necessary. But I leave the track plan stuck to the sleepers and stick the lot down to the trackbed and cover the plan with ballast. I have stained my sleepers with Tudor Dark Oak stain in situ so the stain will help to make the paper plan a bit more "invisible". Though I might try your sleeper weathering methods instead.

Lounges are good for being able to work on and around something I have to agree. The tidying up bit though...I've discovered that laminate flooring is a lot easier than carpet for that aspect - when I re-do the modelling room, the carpet monster is going to be banished

I agree with the practicality of a laminate surface for cleaning, but I do prefer carpet underfoot. I've come to a sort of compromise in the back bedroom where the layout is and I've laid carpet tiles with a shallow pile, which clean up quite easily.

Jim.