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Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 7:54 pm
by tom_tom_go
Why don't you make the point sprung so it always resets so it is set for the siding (assuming you always go round the circle the same way).
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 8:52 pm
by DonW
They look very nice and would do the job but I thought you might be going for something home brewed like your excellent signals. I hadn't realise the turnout included a locking mech, I had imagined a quadrant or semicircle of ply standing up from a base with the lever pivoted from the centre and using a peg into the ply to lock the lever in position. A simple rod from the lever would be attached to the operating arm.
Sprung or weighted turnouts can be useful but do have one problem you can stop with a train part way over the turnout against the spring or weight and reverse it. A friend has several on his 0 gauge garden line and people do it without thinking and are rather surprised to find the portion of train which had passed the blade tips taking a different route on reverse. Especially if you have a bogie vehicle doing the splits. Say you have sprung turnouts at each end of a passing loop and someone overshoots the end or starts off and then spots a train coming towards them. You cannot simply reverse.
Probably not such an issue on your line but I could see it being confusing for junior operators.
Don
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 7:38 am
by FWLR
Looks great your point Dave. Keep it simple on the lever though. Too complicated and you may end up with all sorts of hassle....
Running trains is supposed to be enjoyable....
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 9:03 am
by idlemarvel
tom_tom_go wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2019 7:54 pm
Why don't you make the point sprung so it always resets so it is set for the siding (assuming you always go round the circle the same way).
That's an excellent idea Tom. I might give that a try. I guess the trick is to get the tension in the spring strong enough to hold it open but not too strong to cause derailments. I should incorporate some kind of adjustment mechanism.
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 9:09 am
by idlemarvel
DonW wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2019 8:52 pm
They look very nice and would do the job but I thought you might be going for something home brewed like your excellent signals. I hadn't realise the turnout included a locking mech, I had imagined a quadrant or semicircle of ply standing up from a base with the lever pivoted from the centre and using a peg into the ply to lock the lever in position. A simple rod from the lever would be attached to the operating arm.
Sprung or weighted turnouts can be useful but do have one problem you can stop with a train part way over the turnout against the spring or weight and reverse it. A friend has several on his 0 gauge garden line and people do it without thinking and are rather surprised to find the portion of train which had passed the blade tips taking a different route on reverse. Especially if you have a bogie vehicle doing the splits. Say you have sprung turnouts at each end of a passing loop and someone overshoots the end or starts off and then spots a train coming towards them. You cannot simply reverse.
Probably not such an issue on your line but I could see it being confusing for junior operators.
Don
You are full of useful advice Don, thanks.
I would prefer to make my own point lever. Your comment about sprung points are sound but I don't think I'll ever have room for a passing loop and my trains will always be going clockwise except when they reverse into the siding. I'll ponder this for a week or two but I do like the idea of a sprung point.
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 1:20 pm
by DonW
Dave
you may find a weighted point easier to do and adjust. A bell crank mounted in the vertical plain with the operating arm attached to the high end and a weight attached to the low end. A train passing through in the trailing direction will push the open point blade against the stock rail which will cause the weight to lift as each wheel has passed the weight will re-open the blade. It works on my friends O gauge layout and I know there was a weighted catch point at Doglellau to catch any runaways coming down the hill towards the platform
Here is a US example
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railroad_ ... apolis.jpg
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 1:29 pm
by idlemarvel
DonW wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2019 1:20 pm
Dave
you may find a weighted point easier to do and adjust. A bell crank mounted in the vertical plain with the operating arm attached to the high end and a weight attached to the low end. A train passing through in the trailing direction will push the open point blade against the stock rail which will cause the weight to lift as each wheel has passed the weight will re-open the blade. It works on my friends O gauge layout and I know there was a weighted catch point at Doglellau to catch any runaways coming down the hill towards the platform
Here is a US example
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railroad_ ... apolis.jpg
Thanks Don, nice idea, even better when there is a prototype for it
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 1:38 pm
by idlemarvel
As if the new point wasn't enough excitement, I got my new carriage and have had a chance to test it with and without passengers.
- IMG_20190815_170353.jpg (339.84 KiB) Viewed 17002 times
Here is is with loco and driving truck/open wagon.
- IMG_20190815_170414.jpg (371.35 KiB) Viewed 17002 times
It needs the trim painting and logo, 1st and 3rd class lettering and a few other embellishments. I'm going for GWR livery.
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 4:58 pm
by DonW
Oooh! that looks nice. GWR livery will suit it. I may have to stop following this thread or I will not be able to resist 5inch gauge.
Don
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 5:21 pm
by tom_tom_go
Join us (in a zombie toned voice)...
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 5:22 pm
by tom_tom_go
When I sprung my points in 16mm scale I just used electrical wire placed under the track as a tension rod.
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 11:30 pm
by Busted Bricks
tom_tom_go wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2019 5:21 pm
Join us (in a zombie toned voice)...
Tempted but would probably go 7 1/4" if that were the case. I have close to 2.5 acre land to build on. Affording track would be an issue but I would probaly weld it up from rectangular lengths of steel. Then there is the lack of spare time.....
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2019 7:00 am
by FWLR
Nice coach there. Looks the part.
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2019 8:03 am
by DonW
Although we have the room the ground slopes quite steeply.
Don
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2019 10:00 am
by idlemarvel
DonW wrote: Sun Aug 18, 2019 8:03 am
Although we have the room the ground slopes quite steeply.
Don
That would be a problem. It's hard enough work laying 5" track on the flat, to have to build embankments and cuttings as well would be a tremendous amount of time and labour if you were doing it, or money if you contracted it out.
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2019 7:00 pm
by idlemarvel
I took advantage of today's nice weather to install my point. It wasn't too bad a job. I cut out the portion of track corresponding to where I wanted the points to go, squared off the ends with a file, drilled a couple of holes in each end rail to take the fish plate bolts (the points came pre-drilled), scraped the ballast off to "bottom of sleeper" depth, bolted it in place and levelled it off. Picture below:
- IMG_20190823_184110.jpg (431.09 KiB) Viewed 16736 times
I have tested it running on the main line, fast and slow, forward and reverse, and it seems to be fine, no hint of derailments! The removed curve piece is shown top right. Tomorrow's job it to attach the sidings panel (top left). I will put a slight down slope away from the point so that any rolling stock left in the siding will tend to hit the buffers rather than roll onto the main line.
I have a plan for a point lever but I think I will start another thread for that.
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:02 am
by DonW
Nice job there Dave. Looks like a perfect fit.
Don
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2019 6:39 am
by FWLR
Neat job Dave, very professional.
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2019 1:53 pm
by idlemarvel
Thanks for the comments Don and Rod, much appreciated.
I have installed the sidings track panel and it now looks like this, just big enough to fit a bogie wagon / driving truck.
As I said yesterday I have put a gentle slope on the siding so the truck rolls gently into the buffers (circled yellow).
- IMG_20190824_130438.jpg (333.62 KiB) Viewed 16689 times
The buffer stop is a kit from PNP. It is more 1:12 scale so a bit small for my 1:6 railway, but it does the job. It comes with a small section of track which is attached to the siding but the fish plates are not bolted in place, so if there is a crash into the buffers it won't disrupt the points (hopefully).
Re: The Circle Line
Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2019 2:32 pm
by tom_tom_go
Great fit there Dave, I have been looking at PNP track myself just so I can have a small run up and down my drive or in the garden.
