[Piemanlarger]

Anyway, the thing that got me interested in modern railways was seeing the class 67 hauled Tpo + pcv formations pass the house in the "good old days," it was about the only loco hauled stock i saw on the Swansea - London line that sits at the bottom of my garden.

So, after 4+ years and about 6 shows I decided to retire rimenough mpd as I think too many layouts are seen too often on the show cuircuit. Plus it was a pain transporting it as it was never designed to leave the house and now i can play when ever i want, least will be able to when the last (?) track alteration takes place.

I was going to do another depot but in the last few years there seems to be more than enough of them about, sadly not all with sound!!!

A good friend constructed the new coffin for the new "MPD" in the summer. Its 2 x 10 foot and letter box design (roof) so the sound bounces about inside and I have to say it sounds much better than the open (no roof) plan of Rimenough.

Thus, After several weeks of scribling (trackplanning) i have the basis of the new RMD layout, though I dont see me laying track until the 1st of December. Hopefully it wont take long to do as its already booked for its first show on Jan 31st lol

Its loosly based on Bristol RMD but I will have two platforms that can each hold a 4 coach Pcv formation.
Simple one man operation, train in off fiddle, backs into platform via Pcv control. On platform one i hope to have a run round loop so the 67 runs round surprisingly enough, while on the other it will envolve some shunting. Should provide a bit of variety at shows in operation. If not, I plan on including on the layout a small stabling road area based roughly on Godfrey road (as was at Newport station) so other locos (37,60,66) can come in rest etc.

Photos and as it happens, as it happens.

plus lots of questions no dought and the obviuos complete change of plan over the festive period.

Note to self, no Xmas track laying when drunk!

 

[neil_s_wood]

Sounds good. Look forward to seeing some pictures, possibly a video to get some that sound on too.

 

[7113]

QUOTE (Piemanlarger @ 12 Nov 2008, 14:50) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Note to self, no Xmas track laying when drunk!

Sound advice, but will it be heeded?

Seriously though I look forward to seeing (and hearing) more.

Regards

 

[Piemanlarger]

Well, after several false starts and re-planning, This is the first result of track laying.

Its got more points that Iwanted, but I am going to have a play and see if some can be removed?
The reason there are more than i wanted is i think it gives more operation variety for exhibition?

Move 1
67 + 4 coach PCV train enters from Fiddle yard (black track bottom of scibble, err diagram) and takes points 1 then 2 into Platform 1. 67 runs round via loop 1 and re-joins pcv. Driver backs train into platform for unloading of pressies!

Thats really all i intended to happen here as not much else needs to.

Move 2
67 + 4 coach PCv enters from fiddle yard, crosses points 1, 2, 3 and takes left turn on point 5 into platform 2.
It then backs out of platform 2 and turns off point 3 to head into loco exchange siding via point 4.

In the loco exchange siding is another 67 waiting to take over.

PCV couples up to new 67 in exchange siding while the 67 that braught the train in uncouples, heads back down platform 2 (layout not big enough, should have made it 12 x 2 foot instad of 10 x 2 foot) and via point 7 enters loop 2.

New 67 now backs the pcv train into platform 2 and the train is unloaded / loaded.

67 in loop 2 can now either head to exchange siding or head to freight line 1,2 or more usually 3.

Move 3

67+ 3 coach NBA/NIA mail train enters from fiddle yard, crosses points 1, 2, 3, and enters platform 2. Loco runs round via loop 2 and re-joins the 3 coaches.

Move 4
Same move as no 3 above can happen on platform 1

Tpo sidings just have a single tpo coach there, not used during shows.

Any 67 can be replaced by a loco from the Frieght sidings. Lines 1, 2 and 3 are a small stabling point loosly based on Godfrey road at Newport. Light engine class 37, 60, 66 and the odd 67 will enter from the (rear of board) fiddle yard and simply either shut down until needed, or idle away until new driver books on. The idea is that rather than just 67 on the layout it allows a bit of vairety.

If i dont have loop 2 i cant run a 4 coach PCV train into platform 2, only the 3 coach mail train. Seems to me all day at a show just running round in platform 1 and exchange in platform 2 may not have enoguh operator variety?

Hence the over complicated track plan I have arrived at lol?

Any comments for improvements, for or against, all will be considered.

 

[Piemanlarger]

just a couple of pics showing the start of the platform and rmd building. yes, it does look like the hornby factory!

Two pcv trains sit ready to depart back to main lin having run round!
Class 60 is sitting on the far stabling road.
Pcv is is in platfrom 2.

Hope to pick up the backdrops Sunday and then if they are ok, the modelling can start, only 3 weeks late!

 

[harkins77]

Cracking work so far. Can't wait for it to take shape. Just out of curiosity are those 67's from one of the custom build sites like cjm?

 

[Piemanlarger]

QUOTE (harkins77 @ 4 Jan 2009, 12:57) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Cracking work so far. Can't wait for it to take shape. Just out of curiosity are those 67's from one of the custom build sites like cjm?

67027 is hornby, all others are Lima. (00)

 

[neil_s_wood]

Looks good so far. What are you going to have on your backdrops?

I like the concrete sleepers. I wish I had thought more about that when I laid mine.

 

[Brian Considine]

Looks good - thanks for the pictures.

 

[Piemanlarger]

Things are progressing, but a bit slower than i had hopped.

Backdrops are in so permenat modelling has began. Well, three lengths of track were pre wired and laid for the stabling roads!

Hope to test the point motors today on a couple of points, see how much of a difference there is between the standard peco point motor and the "W" version using Ls 150.

More as it happens

 

[7113]

Certainly looks like a promising start.

Regards

 

[Piemanlarger]

I worked out why things are progressing slowly.

1/ I am building the layout 3 foot from my pc, so i keep getting distracted!
2/ I dont know what I am doing!
3/ and probably the biggest problem, tangents.

I keep starting one thing, then have an idea / see something on the net or in the to do box and change course. As such, a little bit of this and that was being done and not much of anything.
So, i have drawn up a plan of how to proceed.

One tangent has been how do Lenz Ls150 + Dynamis work, having had them here for over a year and never opened them, the ls 150 that is. I think i sorted that problem. Poor layout building, caused by tangents and not concentrating!

I thus concluded that I needed to progress with the stabling point section of the layout. It only three points and 3 stabling roads so I put some effort into getting this area done, laying the track and feeds, putting in the lighting and security fence. Ballast is the last thing going to be done so its the grey primed ply boards for ground at the moment.

The photos will give some idea of how it looks. The layout is enclosed, something like a postal box hence the framework has been painted in as close a match for royal mail red I could get. The top section of this will be lettered up with the layout's title plus smaller "words" with contact details, layout details, links to variuos forums (rmweb, modelrail, Demu etc).

The first pics should show the 5 foot "busy" section of the layout. The platforms are in though track has to be re-laid for these. The buildings are a Hornby Factory and a bachmann office block. These will be "bashed" a bit to form the sorting office.
A couple of pics them sowing the stabling point.
The Slightly darker picture is about how the eyes see it with no lighting apart from the yard lamps.

So plan A:

1/Finsih track laying for platforms 1 and 2, install power feeds.

2/Install points + motors

3/Move onto other board to do trackwork on that!

4/Time for new plan!

 

[Brian Considine]

Superb nightime photos - thanks for showing them.

 

[zmil]

Hi PML

I like the sky and the lighting , are some of the buildings lit (they look to be part of the back drop but are very convincing) or is that just reflection of the lights?

Regards

Zmil

 

[Chinahand]

Hi Piemanlarger.

Those are some really superb, dramatic shots of the layout. Love the sky and lighting.

For someone who claims to be going off at atangent all the while I think you have made excellent progress.

I look forward to seeing your further progress.

 

[dwb]

That looks like a lot of good progress to me

David

 

[Piemanlarger]

QUOTE (Expat @ 17 Jan 2009, 11:12) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Piemanlarger.

Those are some really superb, dramatic shots of the layout. Love the sky and lighting.

For someone who claims to be going off at atangent all the while I think you have made excellent progress.

I look forward to seeing your further progress.

lol, the layout should have been finished by now! There have been many distractions over the last month, even tonight, Bugger all on Tv until match of the day at 10.10pm. Do I do another bit on the layout or have a (these days rare) Drink (Larger!)

I will looki at lighting the backscene windows in full or part once the rest is done, i dont want the backscene to detrat from the layout.
Will know how that is in a couple of weeks as the layout should be finished by Feb 1st?

Well, finished the first time, i usually change things once i step back and look at the finished project, but dont we all!

thanks for comments.

 

[neil_s_wood]

That backscene's really good. Excellent effect.

 

[harkins77]

QUOTE (dwb @ 17 Jan 2009, 11:31) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>That looks like a lot of good progress to me

David

It's more progress than I've done on mine's.

It is a cracking layout as well. It just shows that simple layouts are the best. And that you don't really need a complicated track plan to have a nice layout.

 

[Piemanlarger]

Finished laying the track yesterday and installing the power feed droppers. Whilst doing so, there was a slight revision in the track plan in that the "TPO" siding is now heading towards the platform. It now splits platform 1 & 2 tracks and the tpo line finishes about 3 inches from the end of the platform. Doing this has double benifits (?) One, more of the points are square on with the baseboard edge so it looks neater, i think?

Better still, I can now use the Tpo siding as loco exchange for platform 1 (or 2), thus bringing in another movement to help vary operations. Have also worked out i can double head Pcv train for another movement.

Right, point motor installation today!