Skaledale Platforms

[maw78]

Hello all ....

I'm looking at replacing my older style grey plastic hornby platforms with some skaledale ones. Just wondered if the sections / ramps of the skaledale ones have the same dimensions ( length / width / height ) as the plastic ones ?

Thanks in advance !!

[Chrissaf]

No, a completely different product line, not even made by the same manufacturer. They just carry a Hornby licensed branding. Any similarity in any dimension will be purely coincidental.

[ColinB]

They are also not very practical. I bought the station as it is Goathland station, but the platform is not very useful as the ramp is moulded to the piece that comes with the station. As to the other side, the pack comes with a centre section and two ramps, so if you want to extend it you have to buy the same again and throw the ramps away. Also in their wisdom Hornby have decided that at the booking hall and toilets end the ramp will curve away, whereas in reality it should be straight. I think Hornby just made it for Harry Potter fans, shame though, as they are really nice platforms. In the end I made some from Wills sheets of plastic. It is a shame though as Hornby have modelled it superbly, they have changed the distance between the bottom windows and top windows but that is so it fits the platform. I took tons of photos of the real station as I wanted to model it with the Hornby buildings, and they are very good.

[morairamike]

Just a thought, if you are changing your station try Metcalfe platforms. They are totally adaptable as I found when I built my layout.

[ColinB]

Thanks morairamike I might try that. My ones built from Wills sheet distorted in the heat last summer. It has never happened before with Wills sheet, I don't know if they have changed the plastic.

[96RAF]

You can get distortion on plastic buildings, etc due to the solvent fumes from the glue being trapped in their ‘boxes’. This makes them softer and prone to heat/cooling effects. I have seen this on a soft plastic Dapol tank wagon kit I made, the tank barrel has ‘dinted’.

Superb attention to detail Mike.

[ace2507]

Colin in addition to the Skaledale Harry Potter (Goathland) platforms there are two other skaledale platform types in the range which come in packs containing straight sections or ramps so no waste with these ones. R6814/R8615 and R7285/R7286 these could be the ones the op is referring to.

I do however know what you mean with the Harry Potter platforms as I stuck with them and have been left with a lot of unused ramps after buying three sets for platform two and another three sets for platform one which I used instead of the sections that came with the buildings.

[Brew Man]

I agree with morairamike, the Metcalfe platforms are superb and completely adaptable.

[maw78]

Yes ace2507 i was thinking of the R8614/8615 ones which seem to be quite cheaper ( and readily available ) then the R7285/7286 ones. After delving deeper there seems to be 2-3mm difference between both of these and the plastic ones. Have to admit the metcalfe ones look pretty good though !!

[Brew Man]

@morairamike

I see you have a cross over in your station. What point motors did you use, (if any)? I know under layout motors are the best solution, but given the state of my back, fiddling about on the under side of the base board is almost out of the question. So, I am thinking of using Peco surface mounts hidden under the platforms. This should be possible using the long reach connectors that come with them. It will mean cutting away some parts of the triangular strengtheners to accommodate the motor bodies but hopefully not enough to make the platforms sag.

I can't really see any other alternative as the platforms are too close to the rails to fit a motor in between.

[96RAF]

@brewman

I have used Hornby surface mount motors at my crossover with normal motors mounted topside for the bus stop loop points.

You can just about make out the cross over motors, but plenty of room to fit Peco version instead.

[Brew Man]

@96RAF

I can see your Hornby motors. Unfortunately I only have two roads through my station. I'm pretty sure I tried positioning the motors on the opposite side of the points, i.e. both between the two roads but decided there still wasn't quite enough room. I'll have to look at that again. Your inside two tracks look like they are spaced at 67mm, whereas mine are 50mm, so a bit tight.

[morairamike]

@Brewman.

My layout is DCC. All my points are Peco electro frog. The motors are all SEEP motors with auxiliary contacts, mounted under the boards. I started the layout in June 2017 but after only 4 years the auxillary contacts that I used to switch the frog polarity became unreliable leaving the frog at the wrong polarity when the locos crossed resulting in a short circuit. So a change of design of frog switching has been carried out using relays.

Hiding your motor under the platform sounds feasible.

[96RAF]

Yes well spotted - I used express points so the track gap is wider than normal. Also you need to be able to get the motor into the V of the point and even with the Hornby motors a loco can foul on the casing, requiring the use of a file to take the corner off for clearance.

I have used set back point motors before using a large paper clip straightened out and fashioned to shape as my extended link. You may need to retain the link wire to prevent lift off - threading it through a bit of biro refill glued to the board works well.

[Brew Man]

@96RAF

Shouldn't be a problem if I use the Peco surface mounts as they come with a rigid link extender similar to the one that comes with the Hornby concealment huts. I just need to get my station platforms properly finished so I correctly position them. What jolly fun! grinning

[Brew Man]

@morairamike

Yes, I'm using Peco Electrofrogs too, great points. I don't use the frog switching feature though, relying instead on IRCs, which work fine as long as the rails beyond are properly wired to the bus. I now have a ton of Hornby standard points which I'm sure will get used in my goods sidings when I get that far.

[ColinB]

I have found with the electrofrogs especially on the ones I bought recently, those removable links that you supposed to push out to insulate the frog become disconnected all on their own so you are forced to use the frog switching feature. Also I found sometimes the trailing wheel on a loco will short across the point occasionally if you don't switch the frog.

[Brew Man]

Oooh! that's not good news. I hope it doesn't happen. Removing a point to work on from a laid track is a pain. I wonder if there is a way to better secure the links before installation.

EDIT: Now I think about it, my Elite has occasionally been throwing an error when one of my locos traverses a point. Sounds like it might be the frog-shorting problem you mention. Might have to review the situation.