The Russet Lines - a model railway project

[96RAF]

A couple more pictures to test image loading from iPad.

It now appears you can load pictures direct from the iPad camera roll rather than using the send to files method.

One problem seems to be you can only post one picture at a time, then have to go back and edit to add the next one and so on ...

[96RAF]

A while since posted an update but here are a few pictures showing progress to date. A few more Metcalfe buildings and platforms and a scratch built barn using left over bits of their kits.

I have also added a DC powered Tram shuttle serving the station which has an underground car park. I still need lower floor access to the platform.

Point motors are wired up and all working under DCC only for now.

Much more to do but its getting there.

Its only when you take pictures you notice things like the track aligned is awry in the long station due to track geometry when using express points. I will fix that.

[Brew Man]

Nice pictures, Rob. I wish I had more space to work with but I shall do what I can with the space I've got. Nearly at the point when I can start laying my track again. I like the Metcalfe buildings. I've been collecting a few of those too.

Those camouflage huts for the point motors are effective but it works out quite expensive along with the cost of the motor.

[RB51]

Great photos Rob. Inspirational in fact. R-

[96RAF]

... I like the Metcalfe buildings. I've been collecting a few of those too.

 

 

They are addictive. Just as well our local Poundland sells big tubes of UHU for a £1.

[Bulleidboy]

Nice layout Rob - good size and multi-level - I'm enviousgrinning Barry

[Howbi]

Great progress, Rob. Excellent design full of interest. sunglasses HB

[Chrissaf]

Very rapid progress too.

[96RAF]

Sacrificed part of my storage sidings for a Turntable. Not totally convinced yet, but it does allow me to turn locos and escape down the diesel service road.

Before...

After...

[37lover]

Been a while since you posted progress but I think that's a good move given the length of your sidings, at least they look long in the photos. How's the rest of the layout coming along?

[96RAF]

Having legacy pictures disappear into the wind is a pest as I don’t know if I am posting repeat pictures or not.

The whole layout is progressing in tiny stages as I fiddle with this and that, add the odd building, improve others and generally attempt to make track running and points operation totally reliable. I still have to slave in the manual points switching system with the existing DCC operation - keep putting that job off, although it would sort out any sticky point motors. The other option is to rig points operation via the HM | DC system.

I have added a DC tram shuttle that runs from the underground car park area under the high level station / goods depot to somewhere else, but having problems with a standard point. The tiny wheels on the tram do not like Hornby points. The point of the point is to divert trams into a siding where I can store a spare tram under the guise of a tram maintenance depot. More work with the file methinks.

I also need to finalise platforms for the main low level station then build some more Dapol bridges to connect them.

I will post more pictures soon.

Sidings - long one is seven feet long and two shorter ones are five feet long, but no doubt I will still run out of storage.

[atom3624]

Looking very tidy there.

A lot of thought going into the layout.

What's your minimum mainline radius - thinking of locomotives being detailed or not?

Al.

[96RAF]

Mainlines are Rad 3 inner and Rad 4 outer. Mainlines and most of the sidings and cross-overs use Express points with the odd siding complex using a Rad 2 standard point. Semi-flex was used where set-track wouldn’t fit.

TT is wired per Chris’ guide Option 2 with an R8249 decoder driving the rotation through RM. It is a dire bit of kit but will suffice for the limited use it will get.

[Bulleidboy]

It's all looking very good - a bit at a time - best way to proceed - no need to rush it.

[96RAF]

A few more photos around the layout...

All scenic items may look rough in places but will be made better as the scenic design firms up.

A scenic valley - one day in the near future. Suggestions welcomed.

The other end of the tram track desperately asking for some sort of development. Temp platform covers a power bus terminal block for now.

Class 395 at the coal drop - obviously. Couple of Metcalfed Hornby buildings hiding a topside terminal block and point motor. 321 test mule is awaiting a replacement test article dual mode diesel/electric sound decoder - yes I know its a diesel but it has the correct socket.

Turntable area. Scratch-built Metcalfe bitza building - purpose TBD.

Entrance to storage sidings with diesel service area and single engine shed. Far corner awaiting development. Need something to cover the R8247.

Engine shed area. Poly blocks will be sculpted into low relief buildings.

General view of the lower station area with footbridge that needs replacing with a better proportioned one. dapol kits in hand.

DC auto-shuttle Tram track into underground terminus with problematic point into maintenance depot siding..

Pedestrian stairs access to high level station from underground car park. Signal gantry awaiting conversion to leds.

High and low level stations. I thought I had the inner track cross-over behind the bridge laid the wrong way but I have seen prototype photos showing them facing both ways, so happy with that as I need it that way for operations in and out of the sidings.

Goods yard and high level station. Entrance to underground car park and tram terminus.

[Brew Man]

Looking really good that, Rob. It's giving me some pointers for my layout. Thinking back to my thread on Turntable options, I'm thinking I might still be able to fit in a reverse loop in the form of a viaduct across the central void. It would be a long viaduct, about a meter but it might work. I don't see any signals on your setup. Is that deliberate, or have you just not got around to it yet?

[96RAF]

I have a box of R406 signals but little clue as to where to put them.

In the past I have simply had point direction indicators visible from the operator position, but if I place proper signals on this plan then many will not be in view unless I walk down the centre aisle.

These are the old diy point indicators.

[Brew Man]

Yes, that is a down side to a larger layout and ageing eye sight - being able to see the far end. I suppose that's where an electronic layout map, a la era 5 or 6 and beyond signal boxes would be handy.

[96RAF]

Railmaster will be the operating system until something better comes along, but without feedback and detection it is a bit limiting.

[Brew Man]

I'm resisting Railmaster ATM. I envisage having a laptop in the frame rather cumbersome and cluttering, but who knows where the future may lead.

[96RAF]

I am happy operating things manually, but at some stage I will need the assistance of detection or prediction to ensure there are no collisions when several locos are in motion. E.g. DMU from the high level station bay platform en-route anti-clockwise stopping in various places, then returning and reversing into the bay, whilst main line express workings stop at the low level station bus stop sidings clockwise and anti-clockwise and shunting of locos and rolling stock takes place from the sidings onto the main line.

I await any developments on the automation front. Railmagic has been the subject of much discussion on RMWeb forum, which uses magnetic field disruption as its loco detection medium, however this needs decoder add-on modules.

Maybe Hornby will come up with something based on new tech - who knows.

[Brew Man]

Yes, as age advances the complexity of a medium to large layout can get confusing. It's one of the, (several) reasons I like levers, in my case the Peco ones for points as the position, forward or backward tells you which way the point is switched to. I think eventually I'll be looking at installing block system detection too.

[Brew Man]

Looking really good that, Rob. It's giving me some pointers for my layout. Thinking back to my thread on Turntable options, I'm thinking I might still be able to fit in a reverse loop in the form of a viaduct across the central void. It would be a long viaduct, about a meter but it might work. I don't see any signals on your setup. Is that deliberate, or have you just not got around to it yet?

 

 

@96RAF

As a matter of interest, Rob, what is the length of your layout? I'm just about to fix down the boards to my 3m x 2m layout and am wondering whay I might be able to fit in. It's quite a bit bigger than my previous attempt anyway now I have the extra space in the loft.

 

 

Pictures:

[96RAF]

My two main side benches are 12’ long x 3’ wide with the linking boards approx 2’6” across x 2’ deep. The far end board being dropped for a bridge over valley and the near end made to slide out.

The main bench frames are 150 mm deep with 9mm tops. Upper level track is built by cutting the baseboard tops and lifting on risers, ditto in reverse from the top down, with the main sloped track being held on even plane between transitions.

Apologies for mixing my measurements but I think in one and build in the other.

I can send you the Scarm files for the long sidings and turntable variants if you would like it.

[Brew Man]

@96RAF

Thanks, Rob that would be very useful. It will also give me an opportunity to venture into SCARM. I've had a very brief look at it but so far have found it not very intuitive. The fact that your main boards are 12' long as mine are is very encouraging seeing what a lot you have in there.

How will you get the files to me?