The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by IrishPeter » Thu Mar 28, 2019 9:56 pm

Peter,

They are kind of halfway between the two here. 'Decking boards' are some sort of pressure treated planed soft wood over here, though you can get things like cedar for a premium price. It has a slight greenish hue which the camera did not pick up, and it smells a bit weird too. With regular treatment it is supposed to last 10 to 15 years, but I am thinking this stuff may well be in the 'we'll see' category, but as it is elevated off the ground and will be getting plenty of fresh air it should be OK. When it goes rotten, if I can still bend and lift well enough to continue with this railway, it will be replaced with composite. Composite has at least three times the life of pressure treated boards, but it is three times the price.

Andrew,
Yes, I wanted to make the terminus somewhat raised to ease shunting operations. I intend following the same sort of sequence operation I used to do in 'OO' when I was a teenager, so there will be several trains each session to be made up and disposed of. This meant a ground level terminus was absolutely out of the question, and if I can negotiate the way leaves with SWMBO, the upper terminus will also be elevated. An intermediate station where a wagon or two a day/week is dropped off and collected can happily be at ground level, especially as NG vehicles were often manhandled to ease operations.

Picture will come when there is something a bit more interesting than a coat of paint - which is my next move.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by IrishPeter » Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:52 am

The coat of paint was duly slapped on last Saturday followed by a second on Sunday when the weather was reasonably warm. The net result was an area 11' by 4' that looked as though it had been assaulted by the Royal Navy's finest wielding paint brushes - though judging from the shade of grey it looks as though the German Imperial Navy may have been culprit. Anyway, all that acreage of empty timber was just begging to have some track attached to it. Monday came and I marked out where the mainline, head shunt and loop should go, Tuesday they were laid down, so inevitably today I was outside with a coach, a wagon, and a small loco today to see if I could get anything to derail.

HGLW diesel, a tin van, and the 4-wh third take the loop
April 3A.JPG
April 3A.JPG (51.77 KiB) Viewed 7032 times
Reverse angle. The area to the left of the train is intended for a goods shed, but I may just build an sort of representative extension to the Bazaar - a loop with a couple of sidings - instead. It just depends on how Darjeeling I want to make this. The original thought was more Darjeeling-esque than a true model of a prototype. The second Darjeeling station (fl.1891-1947) was in my mind when designing this railway. I find the present Art Deco building is rather attractive - though the effect is rather spoiled by the concrete box (hotel? hostel?) over platform 2 - but decided it would a pain to model. However, all was not lost as the old station had a slightly quirky charm to it with its many gabled canopy (a different sort of a pain to model) and very simple track layout.
April 3C.JPG
April 3C.JPG (43.73 KiB) Viewed 7032 times
An attempt at the traditional train approaching three-quarter shot. This should be the main platform road when things go a bit further than 8 feet.
April 3G.JPG
April 3G.JPG (33.32 KiB) Viewed 7032 times
Alas we can go no further... for now!
April 3H.JPG
April 3H.JPG (56.24 KiB) Viewed 7032 times
That's it for now!

Peter in VA
Last edited by IrishPeter on Thu Apr 04, 2019 4:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by Peter Butler » Thu Apr 04, 2019 1:46 pm

You must be feeling rather pleased with yourself after all of the planning and preparation. It is going to be good regardless of what you decide to do.
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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by IrishPeter » Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:54 pm

I gave some serious thought to the post-1947 station. The 1947 track layout is a little larger than its predecessor - two bay platforms, through platform, loop and through siding; turntable road, and two road loco shed. The older station lacked the through roads, and was simply a loop and a couple of sidings. The 1947 canopy is a lot simpler, but the 1947 building has radiused corners with windows in them, and a bunch of other things that would drive me to distraction trying to model them. The 'I do this to enjoy it' rule was applied and decided the older building was more doable with my limited patience/modelling skills, despite the canopy. The other consideration is that the DHR was busier in the 1930s than it was later, so the rather small 2nd station dealt with three through trains a day, with the Mail often running in several sections, plus the two Kurseong locals.

One thing the research has showed me is that the DHR was built on shoestring budget considering the sort of country through which it passes. The original station at Darjeeling was nothing but a rather extensive tin shed, and probably consisted of no more than a loop and possibly a siding (not apparent in the one surviving photo.) The railway built some more permanent digs after 10 years (1891) but that was a relatively simple stone structure, and the track layout was not altered until somewhat later when they took the loop out of the roadway, and re-routed it across the back of the railway's property. I am sure that a line of trolleys and wagons sat in the Hill Cart Road was none too popular even in the days of mainly pedestrian and horse drawn traffic. Given the propensity of the DHR to operate trains in several sections by "visual interval and smoke signals" there must have been times when the station was very hard pressed indeed.

The big compromise in the design was not having the room for the extension to the Bazaar. That could have curved round to run along the back of the house, but I decided a lifting section would be a monumental nuisance. Also given the width of the station I need to be able to move swiftly and easily from one side to the other when shunting. As a result, the initial plan places an iron goods shed similar to the one that survives at Kurseong in one corner of the station bench work. Operationally it will be a bit of a pig, as to shunt the goods one will need to have the loop platform clear, but I like a minor operational headache or two.

Sorry, I rather when off there!

Cheers,
Peter in Va

P.S. I wonder what the HMI will make of staff and ticket with permissive block working. Should be an interesting report! :D
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by Andrew » Thu Apr 04, 2019 4:13 pm

It's great to see some track going down - and doesn't your new stock look fantastic in the sunshine?!

The "I only do this to enjoy it" rule is a good one - and one I often only remember after I've tied myself up in knots over some obscure and irrelevant detail or other!

Cheers,

Andrew.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by IrishPeter » Fri Apr 05, 2019 2:06 pm

Andrew wrote: Thu Apr 04, 2019 4:13 pm It's great to see some track going down - and doesn't your new stock look fantastic in the sunshine?!

The "I only do this to enjoy it" rule is a good one - and one I often only remember after I've tied myself up in knots over some obscure and irrelevant detail or other!

Cheers,

Andrew.
Being out in the sun was rather nice, but the wind whipping around the back corner of the house was a nuisance! However, it did let me know that I need to ballast these vehicles quite a bit more than I am used to doing. If I remember correctly, the Darj iron vans weigh about 2250kg, so when the conversion and scaling shenanigans are finished that works out to 11 oz. I think they only weight about 4 at present, so no wonder they were trying to blow away!

The irrelevant detail thing is something I can fall victim to also. One reason I do not model the Isle of Man Railway is that I am too familiar with it and would pick up on every single mistake. The Skebawn and Castleknox, and now the Far End Tramway project have their roots in a definite prototype, but they are not intended as scale models but rather homages to a particular type of railway - the Irish roadside tramway, and the Mountain Railway respectively.

Anyway, I am suffering from rain stopped play today, and according to the weather forecast (usually frustratingly accurate) it is in for the day. I had hoped to finish varnishing the front and back doors (about an hour) and get on with some outside work with the railway, but not with water falling out of the sky I'm not! When I have tidied up a few work related things, I suppose I ought to think about some wagon building.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by Just Julie » Fri Apr 05, 2019 5:09 pm

Great, you have had your line built and up and running so quickly, looking forward to seeing how it progresses.

Julie

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by IrishPeter » Sat Apr 06, 2019 10:10 pm

The odd thing is that I think I may be back to the drawing board. Somethings work on paper that do not work out of doors. The main thing I need to do now is get the benchwork completed so I can work out how that station throat is going to work. I cannot seem to get it put together in my head. I find I need to get something laid down in order to get construction moving. Otherwise I am inclined to stay in the basement building rolling stock!

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by ge_rik » Sun Apr 07, 2019 7:38 am

It must be very satisfying to have some track laid at last, Peter. It's going to be fun to see how it develops.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by IrishPeter » Tue Apr 09, 2019 11:48 pm

Dear Rik,

It is satisfying and slightly worrying at this stage. I seem to suffer rather badly from revisions in the early stages of a project, and it has to be said that this one is no exception. It is the main station that is proving to be the bother - getting up the hill is going to be less stressful!

The original design concept was based on the Darjeeling station that existed from the early 1920s to 1947, but it is proving remarkably resistant to being wedged into the 17' by 4' I have available for the main part of the station. I am currently working on a plan B (for Baldrick, or it could be Baldrick's Trousers - it depends) which will revert to what I know of the 1891-c.1914 station which seems to be more readily compressible. Anyway, I was due to order some more point work, so I ordered small radius PECO points this time, which should make the geometry workable, especially as there are no short main-to-main crossovers.

Once we get out of the station area things will be a lot easier. However, the modelling headaches give me something different to think about.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by ge_rik » Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:31 am

Would a sector plate or turntable help to save space, or is the problem elsewhere? No space or planning permission for a small extension? I have no doubt your ingenuity and imagination will find a solution. ;)

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by IrishPeter » Wed Apr 10, 2019 6:09 pm

Good thought that, Rik, especially as the difficult is with what is effectively the engine release. However, I think - as in, 'I am 99% certain' - that 20" on one end, plus small radius points and a wee bit of compromise will solve the problem. The mediums can then be used further up the line where I have more room to play with.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by Andrew » Thu Apr 11, 2019 12:04 pm

I've had to use Peco small radius points at both ends of my line in order to cram things in and still have acceptable length loops, and I think it was a good compromise. Operationally it seems to work fine, largely because at a terminus station speeds are always low, I think. I guess you might have trouble shunting through the reverse curve created by a crossover, but that's not so bad if you can add a straight bit in the middle - and am I right in thinking that much DHR stock is fairly short, which should also help?

Good luck with it,

Andrew.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by IrishPeter » Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:47 pm

The penny dropped when I realised that there were no reverse curves involved in the track layout, at which point I felt I could use small radius points with impunity. A scale 'sixty-foot-and-a-bit' radius is not too much of a problem as the DHR mainline originally went down to 59' radius, and even today Agony Point is still only 69' radius! Vehicle lengths are short, but not as short as you might think. The four wheel firsts were 13' long, and the bogies are 24'3" over the body or 26'6" over the buffers. The longest vehicles on the DHR is a 32' timber wagon. They also had some big bogie wagons which I imagine were 24' by 6.' However everything (eventually) had dumb buffers so they could get around those bends!

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by Andrew » Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:09 pm

IrishPeter wrote: Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:47 pm However everything (eventually) had dumb buffers so they could get around those bends!
Ah, those big semi-circular type buffers? Not attractive to look at, but I kinda wish the NWNGR had gone down that route for its carriages, would've sorted my buffer-locking problems!

Cheers,

Andrew.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by IrishPeter » Thu Apr 11, 2019 3:40 pm

My builds for my 45mm line so far have used either Accucraft Choppers, or Binney's Caernarfon couplers which have a nice wide head on them. Both of these seem to prevent them doing the buffer interlock tango.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by IrishPeter » Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:07 am

I was on another spurt of construction today, feeling it was about time to wrap up the woodworking side of the project. The last section of raised bench work was framed and about half the boards put on. Before I put the rest into position, I need to let the concrete cure for about 48 hours before replacing the soil around the foundation and creating a brick edging so boards and ground do not come into contact with one another. I have laid some spare composite roof shingles under the ends of the joists to make sure that they do not make soil contact. There will need to be a short culvert type structure to separate the station area from the gravelly trench that will carry the ground level tracks.

Small radius points are on order, and I am expecting them to arrive Monday or Tuesday. A big track laying effort middle of next week seems likely, but not inevitable. I am supposed to have a quiet Holy Week this year, but someone could still go off sick. I need to run amok with the camera again so that you have some idea what I am blethering on about, and to record the evolution of the line.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by IrishPeter » Wed Apr 17, 2019 4:34 am

So much for my hopes of a quiet week, as we have had a major visit from the 'foul-up fairy' at work. The district is purchasing some property, which is under contract, and the present owners decided to pick this week to tell the trustees they would not be vacating the premises on time. So having listened to various folks vent, and deciding that we need to kick it across to the professionals, I disappeared into the back garden for a play.

Anyway, last Thursday I had mounted the uphill end of the stringers to hold the remaining section of the station area on two steel brackets of the type used to secure wall studs. In turn these are concreted into a couple of old concrete blocks I was able to recycle from the garden 'this'll come in useful' pile. Friday I managed to attach a few decking boards before making a quick trip out of town for an ordination on Saturday. It persisted it down all day Sunday, and everything was too wet still yesterday to do much. I finally got out there this morning and attached the remainder of the deck boards. I used bricks to edge the top end of the station 'base board' so hopefully there will be enough air circulating to keep rot at bay. I also came across a land drain I only half knew was there, so I am going to have to modify the entry into the station slightly to avoid that. Otherwise it was one of my better sessions outside.

Tomorrow it will get a coat or two of paint, then maybe some track laying on Thursday. A day behind the plan for this week, but not bad under the circumstances.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by IrishPeter » Thu Apr 18, 2019 3:56 pm

And of course, I have a clear day and it is raining... not forecasted, naturally.

Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Far End Tramway - Construction starts!

Post by IrishPeter » Sat Apr 27, 2019 4:00 am

I finally got the terminus of the Far End Tramway put together on Wednesday. I had a little potter about with the little black diesel, a wagon, and a coach, and took a few photographs.
Testing the loop line
Testing the loop line
April train1.JPG (39.07 KiB) Viewed 7280 times
The Bay Platform
The Bay Platform
April train4.JPG (48.04 KiB) Viewed 7280 times
Trundling up the main Platform road
Trundling up the main Platform road
April train6.JPG (48.84 KiB) Viewed 7280 times
The station throat
The station throat
April train7.JPG (50.18 KiB) Viewed 7280 times
There is going to be a certain amount of trimming down in the back corner of the layout where the loop road comes back into the mainline, but I am going to wait until I have some of the mainline laid before faffing about with that.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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