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Worsley Dale Garden Railway


mick
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Andrew said:

Your new point motor looks great, Mick. A practical inspiration for the rest of us.....

The motors are very reliable in use once you've got the mechanical linkages set up correctly. I'm now very confident that both points will throw when programmed and the only mishap I've had so far was quickly remedied by moving a point motor back a few millimetres to ensure the point was fully thrown. The Frog Juicer has also proved 100% reliable so far and it's so simple and unobtrusive that you'd hardly know it was there. Having now got used to the remote switching of points (and with the wireless handset I can change them from almost any position in the garden) I don't think I could ever go back to manual operation again.

And finally, as pointed out in a recent post, none of this is my own idea - I'm just following the lead of those members previously mentioned who deserve all the credit.

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Hi Mick, I think a castle be the way to go will hide that block nicely as over in the UK there would be castles on the side of a railway.

I am going to check out the auto wreckers for those auto lock motors will be half the price, will let you know how I go, will have to make sure the motors have only two wires coming out some I have seen have five, that will be a big saving and worth the while changing all the point motors over, don't like the Peco signal switch they have a habit to fall apart.

Asked IanR if I could use those SPDT slide switches for the signals since I don't have DCC and he said that will work.

Tony

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  • 2 weeks later...

I must read your report on point motors in more detail, as I am upgrading the points at Quarry Junction to electrofrog remote control. Although it is not really necessary as part of my "tree root" recovery programme, it makes sense to do it at the same time. It will make the junction more usable; small shunting engines and insulated frog points don't go well together!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Fungus, if you go to IanR's post on in outdoor wiring on point motors, he explains on how he is using the auto locking door motor for switching point motors on outdoor layouts, Mick's idea is pretty good to the way he is installing those motors to the points.

If you want to be on the cheap have a look at your local auto wreakers , worth a look.

Here is IanR's post link, go to page two.

http://www.oogardenrailway.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=84

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Mick, I came across a pic of a viaduct in Pen-y-Bont UK but couldn't find it on Google earth, do you know anything about Pen-Y-bont as the viaduct is worth modelling, amazing what comes up what searching for something else, also wanted to measure the length of the viaduct to get the length of the arches.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/travel-special-2014-escape-the-bustle-of-london-on-a-rail-journey-to-penybont-9080425.html

Tony

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  • 3 weeks later...

It's been a few weeks since I did anything on Worsley Dale. During that time there's been no sign of any loco's and the tracks have fallen silent. The tops of the rails show evidence of past workings but the lineside vegetation is beginning to take over. I'll need to get out the clippers in order to restore some order and regain control.

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I've not lost interest in the layout and there will be further progress in the not too distant future but we have been having a short break from everything and in the future I will have to manage my time a bit better.

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aussietmrail said:

Hi Mick, I came across a pic of a viaduct in Pen-y-Bont UK but couldn't find it on Google earth, do you know anything about Pen-Y-bont as the viaduct is worth modelling.....

Not one that I am familiar with Tony but any viaduct is worth modelling!

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From the Bachmann 25-2014 Silver Jubilee Commemorative Set here's 47164 in BR Blue and with the large Union flag on the loco sides commemorating the Queens Silver Jubilee in 1977. 47164 is one of two locomotives represented in the set, the other being the Jubilee class locomotive 45552 'Silver Jubilee' in BR Green.

It is assumed that 47164 has just exited the tunnel beneath the Koi pond pathway and is making its way towards the viaduct but between ourselves it's just posing for the mandatory photographs.

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Of note in the above photo is the state of the roofing felt alongside the loco and between the two running lines. It has split and it maybe worth mentioning the reason why.

I have been trying different methods of fixing ballast and this small area between the two lines was coated with exterior PVA glue and sprinkled with granite ballast. The glue dried okay but in the first few days after application it turned a milky white colour and since then it appears to have shrunk and, stuck firmly to the roofing felt, it has caused the felt to split and tear. Something worth bearing in mind perhaps.

47164 atop the viaduct

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I seem to be living my garden railway aspirations vicariously through other peoples setups at the moment, not having had enough time on hand to enjoy my own. But Mick, its always your posts that find me just aching to get out into the garden. I love the way you have inspired so many of us with both your original layout and now this one. Its really developing into a great experience... not only for its owner, but also for us observers.

Great work as always.

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Well I'm pleased that my lack of progress is still managing to keep everyone entertained :)

A change in my circumstances means that I now have less time to spend on the layout, or rather, it means that I need to begin to manage my available time better in order to continue working towards that finishing line. Worsley Dale is still very much alive and I'll continue to provide updates as and when but hopefully I'll be able to add other things of interest to the forum too in between those updates.

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Just got back from another few days away but earlier this week Worsley Dale received a visit from the majority shareholder of the Kirkfield & Warmthorpe Railway and I'm pleased to report that plans for a new line connecting the two railways have now been approved.

Okay, so I'm kidding about the connecting line (wonder how many lengths of Peco track that would take?) but I did actually have a very pleasant few hours chatting with Ian of the K&WR and although circumstances meant I didn't have any trains in operation on the day it's left me with renewed enthusiasm to ensure that any future visits will see more progress having been made on the layout and more especially, some trains in operation.

It was very nice to meet you Ian and I hope the '3D' version of Worsley Dale lived up to its description on the forum.

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Quote

It was very nice to meet you Ian and I hope the '3D' version of Worsley Dale lived up to its description on the forum.

Great to meet you too Mick. Worsley Dale is even better in real life, the viaducts look superb!

Looking forward to the next time, trains running or not.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was doing a bit of tidying up in the garden this afternoon and my mind went back to the possibility of creating a river effect beneath the girder bridges which form part of the second viaduct. I'm not intending to depict a flowing river but merely the hint of a river bed even if it's bone dry for the majority of the time. First of all the soil in the border to the left of the bridges needs holding back and so to test things out I've placed a few large stones between the viaduct and the boundary wall. Some stones were first laid flat and then subsequent stones on top set slightly back to create a narrow ledge which I hope might resemble a towpath or walkway along the bank of the waterway.

Already I can see my favourite Thyme plants growing out of the borders and down over the stones towards the water. I have some old pond liner that I could use to line the river section before filling it with small stones - that way it might just hold a small amount of rainwater after it's been raining. The concrete foundations beneath the bridges doesn't help when trying to gauge the effect at the moment but once the river bed is in place the foundations for the viaduct will be hidden from view.

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I've been seeing people in my area use colored aquarium gravel in gardens to represent blue watery areas with rock. What ever you do use, I do believe we'll need to see a tugbot floating in there. ;)

I do like the rain fill idea too. A pond would just get all green, but occasional water might be a nice touch.

I am still curious about that back corner what is going to go in back there?

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Hi Mick nice touch the way the garden has come up around the bridge, like the idea of a dry river bed so it can retain some water after rain, over here in the outback that's what the rivers are most of the time till the rainy season comes in and they flood, what a waste of water, lake Eyre fills up only every few years in South Australia.

Gee you have some good stuff for fence building, like those posts and the retaining wall under the fence, blends in nicely.

How did you go fixing up the roof felt.

I have been back working on the second module that slides into the tunnel module blending the dirt road in and the right side cutting, will be added a bit more ply so I can continue the small hill I am working on instead of it half done, going to look good when finished with added small shrubs.

That would cost a fair bit to buy the blue aquarium gravel, over here we can get different coloured gravel, haven't seen blue gravel, we do have blue stone they use for gravel roads and drive ways.

Mick do you have to upload to you tube to load on video clips to the forum, the new iPhone6 has iTunes format, my son is looking at changing the format.

Keep the good work up and pics flowing, that means you will be starting on the next stage from the viaduct soon.

Tony

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That's some impressive viaduct Mick, and I especially like the girder section in the middle. Your viaducts look tidy and professionally built (though I know you built them). Yours will still be standing long after mine have fallen down!

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