Construction of the MQR

[RichMQR]

Now, turnouts.

Earlier I said that I didn't expect working in 5inch gauge to cost me much more than 32mm. In fact, a 3m panel, using up-cycled wood for the sleepers costs me about £15. 3m of 32mm flexi-track would probably be around £30, so actually this is costing me half or what many of you pay per meter. But, then we come to turnouts. 32mm might be about £40 To but a 5inch turnout is about £360!!. Now, I know there is a lot of work in these and it is probably a fair price. Just more than I want to pay. Also, these are aluminium throughout, and this worries me at the crossing nose and switch blades. One derailment could do serious damage. I want to use steel. However, I haven't got access to milling machines, so I've come up with a simple. if somewhat tedious method of construction using 2 sizes of flat steel bar and a lot of filing! The switch blades are simply filed to a taper and notched to fit under the rail head. The crossing uses a section of steel bar set into the rail in the direction where most of the running will take place. the other route is possible through a flange sized notch filed into the bar. This means that the critical crossing nose is a single piece of steel. In this turnout the curved road is the main running road, the straight goes to the preparation and disposal road and is less used. I hope the pictures will make it clearer. Ideas welcome here, as I have only build one so far so there is scope for improvement. It took several hours, but only cost about £20 - Result!

In the area of the crossing and check rails I have screwed several sleepers together to give a solid base. The steel bar is 20mm deep and the rail only 16, so there is a 4mm slot to keep it aligned
This picture show the slot just routed. The steel bar clamped to the right is a guide for the baseplate of the router to get the slot straight and aligned




This picture shows the steel nose piece and the slot I have routed for it to sit in.



Finally, the nose bar in place



Here is the bar and the surrounding components made from standard rail



and start of construction from the crossing nose (this was my datum point)



I hope this last picture shows how the idea works. The main route runs along the length of the steel bar. The alternate route runs "through" the bar using the notch/ I checked this carefully against the flange profiles I have.

[Soar Valley Light]

Wow Rich, That is some construction! To be honest it's not that dissimilar to a semi-welded crossing nose vee, just fabricated from multiple parts. It should work well.

Have you considered though how you are going to keep the crossing nose firmly packed when there is such a big area of timber? It's a similar problem faced in 12" to the foot scale where timbers are interlaced.

I'm very impressed with the whole of your railway. Have you posted a track layout of it anywhere?

[RichMQR]

Thanks for the encouragement! I did think a bit about packing vs. support for the components of the vee. In reality the solid section of timbers is only about 9 inches by 6, so I'm hoping to be able to pack it OK. We'll see!

I've not posted the plan as it is just a continuous run with one siding for this phase. It circles the garage block so that you can't see it all together which I hope will make it seem larger. It is about 130m around. Half in the orchard and half skirting the drive. When it is complete I'll put a video on here.

[Keith S]

What a great deal of work so far!

[RichMQR]

Here you can see the turnout starting to take shape. The timbers are mostly set out and the trusty "window handle" track gauge is in use.



Now to the other end and the switch blades. I've chosen to pivot them for about the last 400mm of their length. This is where the steel bars take over from the aluminium rail again. They will be pivoted using a single fishplate packed out from the rail web sufficiently to bring the top of the steel bar in line with the rail head.



Here is the place where the joint from closure rail to bar will be, and a check rail lying across the top. To bend the ends of the check rails I needed to cut the rail wed on the outside of the bend and file a Vee on the inner web.

Testing! - with a check rail in place I can test run a wheelset through the curved route



Milling out the foot of the rail in the section of the stock rail where the switch rail will seat. This was actually done with a router and bit intended for wood (don't try this at home). It works - just - and wood router bits are cheap. Eye protection essential.



Shaping the switch blade for where it seats against the stock rail. the part nearest the camera goes under the rail head. The piece of angle iron clamped above the vice keeps the file in line as I file down the thickness of the top edge of the bar to a fine point to seat against the stock rail head.



Getting there. You can see that the bar is 20mm deep (and the rail 16) so the timber is recessed. A steel plate will be fixed here to take the place of the slide chairs.



bit more filing to do to get it right!

[RichMQR]

Ok, I'm guessing turnout construction isn't the most exciting subject. It took me a while to do it, so I ended up with quite a few photos. Let's jump forward to the finished item. It is a bit of a beast at over 2m long



I made the tie-rod and lever assembly adjustable - the weight on the lever keeps the switch blades firmly in place.





Meanwhile, back out on the formation, the roadbed is nearing completion. This is the top straight through a cutting, curving right to the place where natural ground level is reached. A by-product is a large new flower bed. This has weed control fabric underneath in an attempt to stop the field grass coming through - we'll see how well that works in time.

The formation is designed to have on top of what you see here, weed control fabric, 50mm of ballast, then the track ballasted into place.



looking this way there is a temporary bridge over the cutting. This is where the path round the house crosses. It will be replaced by a fitted but removable bridge in due course. The problem with 1:1 scale human passengers is that they are rather tall, so prototypical looking over bridges are impossible

Round the other side of the circuit, bridge abutments to carry this standard gauge sleeper.


It won't look like a prototype bridge, but I rather like the idea of using a real, used railway sleeper. It is certainly strong enough!



foundation for a concrete building block



and in place with brick sides to hold it in place - though weighing what it does, it won't go far.

[jim@NAL]

looking fantastic I love the point /turnout you made .keep up the good work and keep us updated its all looking rather good

[Soar Valley Light]

The turnout is a lovely job. Your use of loose heeled switches means that the weighted lever is exactly the correct operating mechanism.

The other construction shots are equally impressive and clearly demonstrate the high standards you have built to. Well done.

[RichMQR]

Thanks Guys. Soar Valley, you clearly know what you are talking about. I only pretend to. I have built many turnouts in 4mm in the past, and also spent too long wandering around the track on various NG lines looking at things. A lot of this build is trial and error. The mechanism worked, so I stuck with it.

[RichMQR]

Time for a change from track and formation. As soon as I started construction I bought some stock from Maxitrak. A small diesel (battery electric) Planet, a bogie wagon kit which can seat two people in sit astride style, and two extra bogies.



These extra bogies are to be the running gear for my first attempt at carriage construction.

For this project I have taken inspiration from this forum. Well, in the spirit of honesty and full disclosure, I have totally copied the efforts of our own Mr Bond (of the DVLR), in his coach construction for his WR/MGR line (http://gardenrails.myfreeforum.org/about4223.html).

So, if some of this look familiar, that's why. I departed from his coach style at the body stage, but the frame has come out similar. It works well, so thanks Mr. B.

So, first some steel, from Ebay



and time to get the welder out



I'm not too good at welding, I find it a bit too exciting at times! Sometimes it works really well, others less so. Anyway, this design means that very little of it will be visible, so as long as it holds together, all will be OK



Here is the main frame and the footwell frame.



and the bits to connect the two together



Always tricky to hold all the bits in place. It is very tempting to hold something by hand, but of course that risks electrocution or burning. Things get Very hot Very quickly!



Here is the basic frame assembled.



and then the cross pieces to mount the bogies



I wanted to keep the upper face of the main frame clear of obstructions so that the body would fit onto a single level throughout. This means that the cross pieces for the bogies go underneath the main frame, with the angle sticking up into what will be the space under the seats.

The bogies come with a mounting place with four holes. Here the corresponding mounting holes are drilled ready to fit the bogies. Then we will have a rolling chassis.

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[Andrew]

The problem with 1:1 scale human passengers is that they are rather tall, so prototypical looking over bridges are impossible

This should work, unless you're really tall...



Or how about this?



You shouldn't bang your head on that, although planning permission might be an issue ...

Glad to see the railway coming on so well. A passenger carrying line isn't on the cards for me, but I'm enjoying building yours vicariously - thank you!

All the best,

Andrew.

[RichMQR]

Andrew,
Excellent suggestions!
Being a quarry line I had plans for this


I'm just worried about the ramp up either side and I haven't that good a head for heights.
Glad you are enjoying the build.

[Dr. Bond of the DVLR]

I think your's is looking like what I wanted mine to look like but couldn't due to my "bird poo welding company" style welds...
Marvelous stuff. What style or scale body is going on it?

[RichMQR]

Hmmm - and I thought your welding looked better than mine! Still, yours didn't seem to fall apart, so I hope mine won't either.

The body will be one seat each end, facing the centre with a door on one side. This coach is intended for small children (though capable of carrying adults too I hope.

Here is the frame complete with the bogies attached



and painted with the body being test assembled before sanding and painting



This gives a fair impression of the intended result. There will be beading around the top and a door that can be held shut with a small bolt. The idea is that it will be more fun for children to get in and out through a door, and hopefully reduce the temptation to get out at inappropriate places (or when moving!)

[Dr. Bond of the DVLR]

I do like that! Its a 1:1 scale carriage just a small one. I've found that for adults to sit down into something it needs to be at least 16 inches wide which, I think, represents the very limit of 5 inch loading gauge. I really look forward to seeing how this carriage turns out.

[RichMQR]

Indeed, 16 inches is the width of this carriage. That is the width over the foot boards for the sit astride truck from Maxitrak, so I used the same dimension. Here is the finished body, minus door, with the beading added, ready for the paint shop.



Back outside I have come to the major engineering work. The oblique crossing of the drive. (think Penrhyn, or maybe parts of the WHR through Parthmadog). Here the track will be embedded in concrete for about 6 metres. I decided to make up the panel with continuous check rails to form the flangeway. Sleepers have been substituted for aluminium strips. These are something to do with a greenhouse, probably supports for shelves. The rails are held to these with the aluminium nuts and bolts also designed for greenhouses. These have convenient square heads which just fit nicely onto the foot of the rail. There aren't many of these sleepers because the whole lot will be set in concrete. This is just enough to hold it on place during constriction, and hopefully not corrode in the years to come.



The pot is grease that I am brushing onto the rail joiners that will get cast into the crossing.

I find this scale very satisfying because construction seems "real". Rail joints have real bolts and you need a spanner to do them up. The track is just laid in place at the moment so that I can mark out where the trench will have to be dug. This will have a 20cm thick slab cast, with the track on top set into concrete to the rail top. Not looking forward to the digging through the well compacted core and gravel of the drive.

[jim@NAL]

looking good

[Dr. Bond of the DVLR]

Carriage is looking good and the crossing is interesting, two questions:

Are all the bolts aluminium? (anything else could suffer from bi-metallic corrosion)

How will you make sure you can adjust fishplate bolts when the concrete has set?

[RichMQR]

Yes, all the bolts are all alloy except the fishplates themselves which are steel but well plated. As for adjustment, no idea! Fifth scale pneumatic drill?
In reality I don't think the track can move much. Not sure if expansion will have an effect. I have left a larger than usual rail gap and I can put some oil on it from above. Does anyone here with real railway connections know how this is handled on sections of tramway like track like over the Brittania bridge on the FR/WHR?

[laalratty]

All the track on Britannia Bridge is welded, on other railways it seems to be that plates embedded in crossing don't get greased. You can leave them if sufficient gaps have been left and the plates either side get greased regularly.