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Camdale layout


aussietmrail
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Hi Thomas, thanks,  I am taking what I have made up so far for a test run on the club show layout today, more pics to come, will try with the lead loco of that Bachman Virgin DMU set.

Thinking of doing the same for the Thalys  TGV SET .

 

Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead.

 

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The cassette idea is well worthwhile Tony. I've been thinking of incorporating something similar in order to be able to change stock over quickly and with less hassle than taking items out of boxes all the time. However, I wish I'd thought about it earlier and made some kind of provision for it. As it is I now need to think of an area where I can slot cassettes in.

I've always considered using aluminium angle for the 'tracks' on perhaps an MDF base though there are lots of ideas online using other materials. Well worth doing a search for inspiration.

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Does this make sense? Make your cassette with say a 6mm thick bottom with the track laid onto it. You then need an area where the track is lifted to a flat 6mm height from the baseboard, and finishing in a square dead end. Place cassette up to and in line with track and just drive on or off. I suppose I am saying to build the rap as a permanent feature somewhere on the layout. In fact if space is at a minimum, the cassette could sit on unoccupied track in say a fiddle yard, and the ramp would then need to be the height of a track higher than the previous thought.

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The cassette idea is well worthwhile Tony. I've been thinking of incorporating something similar in order to be able to change stock over quickly and with less hassle than taking items out of boxes all the time.

I've always considered using aluminium angle for the 'tracks' on perhaps an MDF base though there are lots of ideas online using other materials. Well worth doing a search for inspiration.

Hi Mick and Roddy, many thanks Roddy, that is what I plan to do since I have had a few test runs on the club layout keeping that dead straight is spot on, had trouble with the front loco being powered the front bogie kept on derailing because the ramp track wasn't lining up and needs to be kept from spreading out being a gauge issue, sort that out over the next few nights before I go back to the train club next Tuesday.

So if I can get the track to clamp down some how to get power to the track in the storage box, wont be able to that box in a train to the club. 

I have thought of MDF since I had a big mower and whipper sniper box, why not recycle the cardboard, a bit of work get there in the end and do the same job as wood, best thing cos non-thing as the mower and whipper sniper were warranty replacements, both packed up together , got another 6 years warranty.

I am redrawing  the bow of the ship tonight, to improve it and fix up some mistakes and to save on having too much plaster to fix mistakes.

Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead.

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  • 1 month later...

After a month spell, Camdale is back on track, got the main modules I needed out of the shed so I can work on the spiral, full swing now, got a dea line 12th of September, for the first train to run , will be my son's Thomas have the honors in memory of him passing away  11-9 -2017 . HIs Thomas is in getting a new replacement motor, the guy at the train show had a look and said the motor had seen better days, having a brass spike ceremony, will meet up with the Indian Pacific.  

I re-a lined the track and points on the corner spiral module, much better now, need to rewire the blocks as well, will pull the wiring of each block and start over again, all up is 7 blocks on this module 

The first pic after the layout is up and running I plan to move the double track over a couple of inches, the track to the left of the pic, so the terminus platforms can be 4 inches wide instead of 3 and a half. The suburban station will have four through track with two island platforms, have worked out how I can hold one train at a platform using the same block DC , will be doing that with the second suburban station.

I am waiting on plans from Brisbane library of the Story Bridge my bridge is bases on, can't wait to see them get it right like the ship, won't be a river be a harbour 

Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead

 

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  • 1 month later...

Has being over a month with a few illness issues and a stay in hospital for a few days to have tests done, have being given some breathing space, but is on going to the hospital every couple of months , better than what it was going to turn to be  cancer, the changes are there the docs have to keep an eye on it.

So back into the layout with yet a few changes to approach and first station module, the two others station modules will get changed as well, a lot with my newest train when it arrives , here is a video clip on a test run on my friends layout in Slovenia, hope she is on her 

Can see where I made the changes, flatforms are wider and can be left when changing station building around to a different name with ease, I will be starting off modelling East Perth station terminus the end of the line for the Indian Pacific, want to make sure I have enough track for the main line. Be five platforms in the terminus station platforms.

Train show tomorrow I be only going for one day, Sunday will start rewiring the track blocks and have renumbered them two spare blocks to play with .

Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead

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  • 2 weeks later...

My train is here, don't know when I be able to test run her, friend isn't well, the train club is meeting at other members homes at the moment, I can't go Tuesday have another meeting Tuesday night.

Have being busy working on Camdale , have finished shifting points and track now sorting out the bus feeder wires and bus plugs. 

All up will have 7 platforms now with the changes and 3 through suburban platforms and a passing loop for freight trains when the suburban extension is finished., third and forth pic changes taking out a diamond cross over  and moving down the three way point. Now I be able to shunt the Indian Pacific and other trains can get past , the chief controller will be on his toes when trains are running  switching points and controlling the blocks too, pic five   close up of the new points for access to the right train from left track.

 

Tony from very cold down under keeping on moving ahead.

 

 

 

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Have started work on sorting out the bus feeder wires today, finding out I only needed half the plugs, got carried away, so the blocks start at on the station module  the double plug blocks 1&2, 6,7,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 .

Blocks 3,4,56,,8,9 wired direct to the  main panel in pic three, pic four have taken the wires out and just hanging down , there is about 8 blocks and the cables are coded, will make it easier to store the module on it's side, will finish the     wiring off tomorrow.

Tony from cold down under keeping on moving ahead.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Before I ended up in Hospital Monday just gone, I sorted out the bus wire plugs  on the approach to first station module , didn't need two pairs of plugs , will fill the holes in with putty , looking good be a lot easier to plug  up .

First pic I will do the same with those hols and code the bus wires hanging down , the last pic I will make up the coded stickers as the ones above, a light job I can do.

Tony from cold down under keeping on moving ahead.

 

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I had a short stay in hospital last week and recovering for a couple of days I decided to go back to the old design  design where the bridge was at the back of the layout and station module complex at the front  but in a foot  so th extension wont be sticking outside the pergola , will have to get a couple of tarps to cover the modules if it rains .

 First two pics is of the  new spiral module, the spiral be based on the Tehachapi loop in California, I be calling the it the garden loop similar to the first loop nhe third pic is the car port corner module  which joins up to the forth pic being the approach module  fifth pic is the big changes to the point and cross over, using curved points , lucky last pic is the where the new corner spiral model be sitting. . Going to be a set back, should only take a couple of days to relevel the modules and rewire them , I be switching the control panel connector panel over to the other side as well take a couple of days .

Be starting work on the bridge cutting the sides of the piers tomorrow all goes well and depending on how strong the westerly winds b if I get a chance to do anything, sadly no work shop , we are are copping it as well, temps to drop down to 20 Sunday, Monday the coldest day .

Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead.

 

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You do like going on these short breaks Tony don't you? I'm only teasing of course so I do hope that you're on the road to recovery now and able to get back to doing the things you enjoy.

Have you considered being a little less ambitious with the layout design, making it more manageable for you? It's only a thought but if your health is a problem, and I sincerely hope it doesn't prove to be long-term, can't you simplify the layout a bit so that you can get something running and enjoy what you've constructed? I understand that Camdale has been a long time in the planning and that you've spent a lot of time on it already but I wouldn't want to see nothing ever come of it. There's also the fact that it's mainly a modular design so is going to need a lot of man-handling and those boards look pretty substantial.

I remember Roy (cleanerg6e) and the amount of effort he put into building Faulconwood only for it all to fall under the big hammer. Sometimes the amount of space available to us outdoors makes us come up with plans that for one reason or another turn out to be, for want of a better term, overly ambitious and it eventually gets the better of us. A large layout is a big task for one man to construct even when he's in good health.

I know I'm not the quickest worker, (though I do have my moments!), but I just think of how long it's taken me to build a single line round the garden with a couple of small stations in-between. I do know how it makes you feel when you've finally got to a point where you can almost call it finished and how it allows you to turn your attention to other things, like sorting out the wagons, forming trains, and actually being able to run something round and into a station.

I don't want to dis-hearten you in any way if you feel able to continue with Camdale as planned and take it through to completion - in fact here's hoping that you can and do. I for one will be delighted to see it finished.

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Hi mick, many thank's what happened to Roy I wont let happen it has being 4 and a half years now with quite q few changes I know, yes to ambitious I know but I will not give up, the hospital say wasn't planned  I had a blocked bowel, luckily  it unblocked it's self and didn't need surgery is what the doctors were talking meaning going to another hospital, I was in a lot of pain  wife had to call the ambo's , the medical condition I have  and previous stomach surgeries I had in the past   the course as well.. I had an argument  with a tree branch two weeks back  , the branch won, going to take some time to heal but that isn't going to stop me working on the hobby I love, the trains will run this year, got that new ICE3 train to run, will have to go to my train clug next week to run it.

Today I be cutting up the timber for the two main piers 19 inches clearance, it is pretty windy her, how are you going with the wild weather in the UK, see Scotland is copping it bad  with main line tunnel flooding., cutting the piers for the bridge is out  also the wild is pretty cold too,  got plenty of wiring to do and might be able to level the modules as well..

Actually it be 5 years next year, didn't take you 5 years to finish your layout, not going to give up, as I said  designing if we ever have to move the layout be going to my mum's house, here front yard be perfect for a garden railway and no need fora lock.

My ship project is coming along, working on the double stern ramp, lot of work there with special hinges =, mine are pretty close to the ships, will post an update today 

I will keep pressing on, gone too far to give up  now,  have three full boxes of flexi track in the spare room  for the layout hopefully enough  for the main circuit, keep posted Camdale is moving a head.

Tony from cold windy down under keeping on moving ahead.

 

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23 hours ago, aussietmrail said:

...didn't take you 5 years to finish your layout...

Well I've not finished yet Tony and I started in 2012 so I've been going at it for 7 years! It's been that long that I'm already at the stage of having to replace sections of base before the layouts even completed.

It's been wet and windy here and yes, the west coast main line was stopped earlier north of Carlisle due to flooding. The West Highland was stopped a few days ago likewise. It's been much the same all over the country.

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Hi Mick, has the wild weather settled down , herd that the Uk had a total block out , not good for that to happen, how long did it last, we have being lucky not to have a black out that lasted days like in some  parts of Brisbane and Ipswich with wild storms.

That is a long time , I am not so worried now, be great if I can get the trains running this year, yesterday I started work on re doing the bus and feeder wiring on the corner module, I wont have that issue my layout being a module layout why I has taken so long to build, a bit longer with the changes.. It has being very windy here, yesterday I couldn't do any cutting,, today was worse so we went out to visit my wife's mum , had lunch there, she had a town house with a good size court yard, at the end  she had the side as well could have a good size layout around the fence line.and out into her car port and back.

Once I level the spiral module after changing the way I be hinging the legs to fold inwards,  will start work on the spiral next weekend , as soon as the wind stops will cut the timber for the piers.

Tony from windy and cold down under, could be snowing in QLD tomorrow in the highlands.

 

 

 

 

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Hi Mick, good to hear that bad weather has settled down, we are heading for silly weather, next Monday going to be 31 degrees, crazy, hope that doesn't mead we will have a hot summer., hopefully the layout be up and running by then.

I cut out and made the piers for the bridge today, made the them big enough for four pavers each side of the arch for weight so the bridge be able to stand up on its own without having to screw to the floor., main part of the bridge is nearly finished, next will paint the rail deck so I can nail down the track, wont be having bus wires , just solder in feeder wires to at each flexi track join .

In the first pic is what my piers be like when finished with the arch , can see just before the bridge a maintenance gantry bridge, plan to have one on my bridge too, be cutting out a hole so the gantry can access the other side of the bridge, be like the last two  pics, actually what my double deck bridge is based on the double deck cable stay bridge between the Sweden and Denmark , was my first bridge .

 

Tony from nice donw under keeping on moving ahead. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Getting back into working on Camdale  with a few improvements to the  northern corner module, on the way I had the points, much better mix than before  and the three way point has being moved as well, I have had trouble with asthma the last few days , with the strong winds we have had , a good time to sort the points and track out.

The double track to the right of the three way point will be the main line till  the suburban line and freight passing loop extension   after the layout is up and running,, bus wiring be easier , I need to gain 7 inches to the bridge, just have enough room for a good size ramp, at 2.5 percent grade .

Tomorrow will finish that module off and start sorting out the wires,, trains be running this year..

Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead

 

 

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Have now got the  shunt track in so when I am shunting around the Indian Pacific another train can pass on the passing loop, started on the bus wiring and decided to change the bus blocks numbers around.

Block three is the main line track to the three way point , Blocks 4 to 6 , blocks 7 and 8 the temporary main line , block 9 be the auto carrier siding loading unloading dock , good way to make up use of spare curved points I have .

Tomorrow will finish the bus feed we wires and solder them onto the track and , that module is complete.

Still not a 100 percent so  can't go cutting up any timer till at least the weekend , want to finish the bridge piers off.

Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead.

 

 

 

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