Scrayingham

[jaymzhatstand]

Well Scrayingham's first outing has passed, and on the whole, I'd say it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and would like to extend my thanks the the Whitby & District MRC for inviting me.  I'd also like to thank all those who came to the show, and those whom I met, even if it was only briefly.

The first hour or so was a little stressful, as most of my stock decided it didn't want to play, one of my locos failed, and things just seemed to be going totally pear shaped, so apologies if any of you were there at that point and I appeared a little distracted!  After a deep breath, and a bit of re-marshalling, a workable operating sequence appeared, and once that was sorted, I could try to get the problem items sorted.

I have come to the conclusion that the GEM point levers need some sort of padding, as continual use of the brass levers gets rather painful!

Here are some pictures of the layout at the show, if anyone else has any, I'd like to see them, I did notice a couple of cameras about!

Once again thanks to the W&DMRC and all those who came along, hopefully I'll be able to take it out on the road again one day.








J

[rhydddu009]

Great little layout, well done! 

Would you be able to post some details on how you modelled the interior of your FR 111 Obs?

[jaymzhatstand]

I'll create a thread in the rolling stock section for it once I've taken some pictures of it

Cheers for the compliments too!

J

[Darren Hedges]

This layout has really come together well.

If I may just make a couple of suggestions, firstly you might want to tone things down a little with a bit of overall weathering, if you have access to an air brush that would be an advantage. Everything looks a bit too clean and new so try giving everything a light dusting of a paint, use a very light mist and build tones up using several layers, you can also add shadows with this technique.

Secondly, you might want to sort that rail joint in the image second up from bottom, the joint in front of the FR coach, where the rail meets the tail end of the frog, looks like there might be a fishplate missing. this will probably give you no end of grief if not rectified.

Please don't think of these comments as criticism, they are merely intended as suggestions.

Regards,
Darren.

[jaymzhatstand]

Thanks,  I do intend to tone it down a bit, I just hadn't had time before the show, there's many other small details to fit too, name boards, dummy point levers, general clutter and such.

The gap in the track is one of the section breaks, so it's completely intentional, bet well done to your eagle-eyes!

J

[rhydddu009]

even so it looks quite a height change - maybe it's just the photo, but did you use isolating joiners?

[jaymzhatstand]

Well, it's been rather a while since there was any news on here, but it seems that my trip to the NEC has stirred some inspiration somewhere, and I started having a bit of a play with some stock, N Settrack and some old Hornby gradient piers to see what I could get away with.  It seems I can get a 9 inch radius semicircle from flat to high enough to clear itself workable by my locos, which is rather good for the plan I'm toying with.

Here a couple of photos of my trials






Now to do a bit more paper planning before I start getting too carried away!  Once I've got some solid plans, I'll let you all know what's on the cards, I just thought I'd let you all know I haven't given up!

Feel free to speculate as to what is going on!

J

[NeilMac]

Looks like your testing and planning is going in a similar direction to mine.

I am preparing to set up a test to determine what is the steepest spiral my stock will take, although I was planning on trying to gain height clearance over a full circle but then see how sharp I could make the circle without the loco slipping or anything derailing. Having seen what you are doing maybe I will need a second test to see how quickly I can get height clearance on a larger radius (only a confirmed narrow gauger could refer to 9" on 9mm track as a larger radius!)

Would be interested in amy feedback as to what trains you can run up your test track - although I do accept that the only valid test is one that uses the actuall stock you will yourself be running, so I will still need to do my own testing before planning a layout.

[jaymzhatstand]

Playing about with bits of track and stock can be a remarkably entertaining way of passing a few hours!  I highly recommend it!

I managed to get all of my locos up my test curve, with the three WWI tub waggons seen in the photos, I also managed it with a Parkside bogie waggon, and a Ffestiniog open bogie coach (although not all together).  I won't be running a lot up, or down the hill as it's going to be a spur off the main line, so large amounts of stock won't be using it which will hopefully make it easier on the locos.

Thanks for looking

J

[jaymzhatstand]

Finally, I've done a bit!

To be fair I have been moving house recently, so apparently, modelling has to take a back seat!  I have been building stock, and doing little sundry bits, but nothing really worth reporting for a while, until today!

I've finally started to replace the point in the run-round loop which feeds the second shed road/coal siding which got damaged when fitting the point motor ages ago!  It managed to get through the exhibition last year (by not using it!), but I've finally got around to ordering a new one.

So this morning, in the hope that the posty would bring me a present, I began a P-way occupation of the passing loop.  Fishplates were cut, and the track lifted (without too much damage) and the ballast cleared in preparation for the new one to arrive.  With the loop out of commission, passenger services have had to be reduced to the push-pull set only (as can be seen in the bottom photo).




So that's the progress so far, the flapping letterbox while I was track lifting (and sop excitedly ran downstairs to meet) produced only a bill, though fortunately not for me!  So track laying will have to wait.  Followed by re-ballasting, then testing of course!

I'll keep you updated!

J

[MickT]

Welcome back J, looking forward to more progress reports when the new turnout has arrived!

Did you ever take photos of the stock building you reported?

Mick

[jaymzhatstand]

I'm intending to take photos of the stock as it reaches a stage of completion, then post them, however, I keep getting bits to a semi finished stage, and then working on something else!  I'll have to get my finger out I suppose!  I'm in the process of painting some figures to fit in my carriages, so that is slowing the carriage building, as the roofs aren't getting fitted!

I'll endeavour to do a bit of photography tomorrow and post it in the 'Rolling Stock' section of the site.

Cheers

J

[jaymzhatstand]

Last night at work, while my mind was wandering (as it often does) and I decided to have a bit more of a planning and experimenting session.  Further to the gradient tests I counducted, oh months ago, I decided to see what I can fit onto the board sizes I intend to use.  The photo (which has been cleaned up in Paint Shop Pro) might be a little confusing, so I shall explain...

The station feeds onto the bottom of the photo, and the main line progresses over the set of points and continues in the long arc (15inch radius) until it straightens out and crosses the river (represshented by the dased lines) on an as yet undesigned bridge, possibly a girder one.  The line that branches off the main line, begins to descend (at the marked gradient post) and curves round on a 9 inch radius curve until it passes under the main line and ont a warf next to the river.  The set of points at the bottom of the gradient will have a small cassette so a train can use it as a headshunt before running onto the viewing side of the layou again.



Hopefully that has explained what can be seen above, how long it'll be befor I start building it, I don't know, but now I know it'll fit, I can start actually planning the boards!

If anyone has any advice, questions, or anything else they'd like to pass on, I'd be most interested and grateful to hear (or rather read) your thoughts

Thanks

J

[jaymzhatstand]

Well, I've been meaning to alter the fiddle yard arrangement on Scrayingham for over a year, and I've finally got around to starting!  Not sure if I've mentioned it in the past, but I'm going for a traverser as opposed to a fan of sidings, this way I don't have to worry about overhangs or long stock not agreeing with reverse curves (i.e. the Sandhutton coach!)

I have cut the wood and assembled the frame, but not fitted the top surfaces or drawer runners as yet.  I'm waiting for the pattern makers dowels to arrive before I make the connecting end of the board inaccessible for drilling!  Below are a couple of photos of the current state of affairs.  The track and scenery is still on  the original fiddle yard board, and this is soon to be lifted and changed to a scenic section so there is a bit more of a run between fiddle yard and station.




The observant amongst you may also notice that the platform shelter is not present in the photos, and a Will's Crossing Keepers Cottage has appeared.  The cottage is going to become the ticket office/refreshment room, and the shelter will be moved up the platform (I just forgot to bring it downstairs for the photos!).  I also intend to pave the platform as I've never been fully satisfied with the gravelled look I have at present.



While watching something no doubt thrilling on telly the other week, I also made a start on a ground frame to represent the control mechanism for the run-round loop points, this is now in need of painting and levers fitting.  Also I've built a Parkside DM48 Festiniog 2 Balcony Brake Van, which will be finished as Van 7 as seen here http://www.festipedia.org.uk/wiki/Van_7 and will eventually joined by the single balcony version and an open bogie waggon to make the 'Greasers Express' as seen on the link above.  I'm quite pleased with my rendition of the green used on the FR, being a mix of Railmatch 314 Southern Stock Green with a dash of 61 LMS Freight Grey.



So that's where Scrayingham is at present, hopefully there'll be a bit more progress over the coming weeks than there has been recently, but I keep getting sidetracked with other projects, must stay focussed!

As ever, any comments/suggestions/questions are welcomed!

Cheers

J

[MickT]

Good to see you back on the postings J and congrats on the progress!

If you can accept a bit of constructive criticism, that is a mean looking gap in the rail ahead of the point frog in the photo showing your new ground frame - needs a touch of realignment and "tuning" before you open for traffic I think!

Looking forward to seeing more reports from you now that you have recommenced the project.

Mick