In the Distant

North East Area Group meeting information.

Saturday 2nd August 2008
Saint Barnabas Church Hall Bournmoor.
Time - Please Note 2.00pm – 5.00pm. (approx.)

Those who missed the expo in Oxford missed a pretty good do and the next one to look forward to is the AGM, which will be held in Bolton on the 18th October. I will have to apologise in advance for my absence at that event since Yvonne and I will be in Peterborough exhibiting Wansbeck Road.

For our next meeting on the 2nd we will be discussing 'favourite tools'. This was a gem of an idea by Dave Boorman and basically what will happen is everyone who does a bit of modelling now and again brings along and is prepared to speak for just a few minutes on the subject of their favourite tools. The only real rules if they can be called that are these:-

1/ all tools discussed/shown must be either currently available from mail order suppliers or readily adaptable from the same.

2/ Potential current source/s of tools and approximate prices must be specified by the presenter.

3/ each tool must be available to be demonstrated at the session - and preferably available for others to experience (in some cases maybe with guidance).

In the event of the item/technique needing more than just a simple demonstration (because of size, weight or whatever) we will look at further sessions during future meetings. If you feel something you have would fall into this category please get in touch with me and I can pencil just such a session in for a future meeting.

I personally have a few little favourites and I will set the thing away by just showing them and outlining the purpose for which they are used then let you know where they can be bought. What I envisage, from my perspective at least, is it will not be too long before my 'bit' is done, after which I will hand over to the next 'volunteer'. If we have multiple presenters at any one session we will add interest and encourage as many people as possible to take part by not expecting them to fill more than say, 15 – 30 minutes - easy!

Can I say that it is not the intention for this to be anything like a formal session because as you all know there's virtually no such thing in the North East group repertoire. It is intended to be a session in which we all exchange thoughts/methods/tools amongst ourselves and hopefully pick up a few hints/tips along the way.

If we all have a couple of items that we use often enough to be called favourites then we should spend an interesting and informative afternoon, especially when you all know how we bounce things off one another, usually with a degree of ‘banter’…!

For the future we will be looking at another suggestion that came from within the group - layout planning. Now this has been requested not just to include physical layout plans on paper which of course can include those drawn using such as templot, but also the addition of the whole design concept. Again I will be looking for audience participation because everyone has their own ideas. They're all worth hearing because there's always something that can be cribbed from someone else and there's no shame in it at all. It's a form of flattery..!

Hope to see you all on the 2nd

Mick Simpson

Brafferton Update - 4. Trackwork Pt i

Okay; now I can tell you about the tracklaying. Whilst the lie of the land around Brafferton is fairly flat, I do want some areas to be slightly below track level and try and avoid that "train set" look often evident when all of the scenery is above rail height.

So the track will be on a base of 4mm ply and this will sit on frequent blocks of 8mm ply (2 lots of 4mm!) giving a potential scale 6ft drop to the main baseboards. I used the computer to draw templates for the trackbed, tacked it with Pritt and then cut the ply with a sharp Stanley knife. I lightly scored the track centre with the knife and then inked it in following removal of the template:



Anybody not heard of Easitrac yet? Right I'll see you after class for detention then. I've mentioned before that I'd been trying out this new system and now I'm ready to dive in the deep end. Some sections of 10"-12" were made up using the Easitrac jig. Then using the recommended glue, I positioned one section at a time:

The glue seems to cure fairly quickly, but doesn't go hard like PVA; it retains a rubberyness and the very slightest "give". You will see that I am using PCB sleepers at each end of the section. This is more for electrical connection than anything else. At this radius (31") I have more than faith in the robustness of the Easitrac bases:

Here we have the trackwork completed for baseboard No.1. I may have to trim the track back slightly at the far end to fabricate an accurate cross-board joint:

Now onto board No.2 and some pointwork. If I get a pass out for Saturday, I'll bring the progress to date along.

Brafferton Update - 3. Site Visit

"But you said you'd tell us about Easitrac!"

I know; I lied. As I haven't got the tracklaying photos sorted yet, I thought I'd tell you about my site visit. This sort of thing is a must if you're modelling a real place. I used to live just 10 minutes away from Brafferton, but it's a bit more remote now. So I made plans to call in whilst in the area.

I've always known that the most of the station was demolished post closure, but nothing can prepare you for what is total obliteration of the railway artifacts. The saving grace is that the road bridge and associated cutting survive. Other than that, I'll have to rely on the handful of old photos and the snippet of cine-film that I have.

This is where the platform and maybe the station building would have been. We are standing on what was the track-bed.

Looking down the cutting. Other than the bridge, it is the only evidence of a railway ever having been here.

The bridge is in fairly good condition and I have comprehensive photos to aid my model building.

Looking back down the cutting from the road. No, that's not a goods shed!

Brafferton Update - 2. Design Pt ii

So, with the kind help of Alan Smith, I had a nice set of baseboards; albeit in flatpack form. I'm sorry to say that despite having these for several months now, they have not been progressed:


With the change in the geometry of the baseboards, I decided to change the layout design. There would still be three fully scenic boards, but the staging would be on two only and therefore the layout would be more than 50% scenic. I could not now show all of the scenic boards and meet the Layout Challenge criteria. Nevertheless, I will proceed. If I need to designate a smaller area for Challenge purposes, I will cross that bridge when I come to it. Here is my first stab at the redesign:

However the longer track length on the new design got me thinking; could I revisit the actual station plan (ie OS map) and get the layout plan almost to scale length? Here is the 1909 OS extract with various jottings and computations:

Better than I thought! The length from the bridge to the end of the coal drops can be modelled without compression and gives, what I think is, a rather elegant plan:

Now to progress the baseboards. Trackbuilding has already commenced, courtesy of Easitrac, but more of that next time...

Brafferton Update - 1. Design Pt i

How are you doing with your Challenge Layout? Better than me, I hope. Now, no doubt some of you can knock a layout out in three months, but when you have to bring home the bacon, organise the troops (especially the junior section), and numerous other bits and bobs, then things start to slow down. Anyway, I have made some progress and over the next few posts, I'll bring you up to speed.

Firstly planning. The idea for Brafferton originally germinated several years ago and I've kicked ideas around for quite a while. Whilst the actual station was dead straight, I've always thought it would be fun to build a circular layout. Here is an early attempt to present Brafferton in that format (undated, but probably c.2000):




Much of my information came from the Allanwood Press publication "The Pilmoor, Boroughbridge and Knaresborough Railway" by Patrick Howat. Here is the 1902 Signal Plan fron that book:

If it wasn't for the Layout Challenge, I suspect that nothing further would have happened. With the advent of the Challenge, I set to revising my plans to a. fit in with the Challenge rules and b. to meet my own operational requirements as a portable, exhibitable layout:



I commissioned Alan Smith to laser cut some baseboard pieces for me. At this point he suggested a five piece circle, rather than the six I had envisaged, to add structural stability to the erected layout. Fair comment, but now I would have to rethink my design, and it would take the layout outside the Challenge rules in terms of the total area of layout. I gave the go-ahead to the boards and returned to the drawing-board...

Working on the viaduct

What is it with me and viaducts?
I'm on Penruddock viaduct, a few miles east of Keswick on the old Cockermouth Keswick and Penrith line (1865 - 1972).
The rather ugly concrete strengthening to some of the piers was carried out around 1916.
My trip involved (including some hellish hills) an unplanned 13 mile round trip bike ride this weekend, hence my attire (couldn't find any bicycle clips).
Well worth it, but good job the return run was mostly downhill.


Bob.

Association Expo Next Day Outing to Pendon (Group Picture)

The picture here taken by yours truly (just managed to get into the line up before the shutter was released) shows those who went along to Pendon Museum on the Sunday following Expo 2mm in Oxford. Some fascinating sights at the museum.

Beautiful modelling by Roye England and some ageing but historically important modelling, the Madder Valley Railway there for all to see.

I think without exception everyone who attended Expo thoroughly enjoyed the day and although it has been written on the VAG a big thank you to the organisers, chiefly Mike Taylor.

Thanks also to Jim Allwood for organising the special entry to Pendon.

Mick S

Get on with some modelling, Simms!

Enough of all this prattle about looking at other peoples layouts and spending money! I have actually done a (very) small amount of modelling in the last week or so...


The D49 approaches the finish line albeit rather slowly. While I've been sticking small details onto the loco body, the chassis has been running in. Here you can see the addition of; cab side steps, buffers, steam pipes from the boiler to the cylinders, smokebox door, chimney and dome. There are still a fair number of items to go; front steps, grab handles, whistle, valves, Wakefield lubricators, not to mention the cab roof. I also need to fabricate a backhead to go in the cab.

The more eagle eyed of you will have noticed that the loco was stood on a piece of Easitrac. I assembled four lengths in less than 1/2 hour and even glued one down! You can see from the unglued sections that there is severe wobble on the rail. Gluing the track down overcame this issue, but I hope that the tension won't subsequently lift the track unit! Onward...

Money, its a hit

So, what did all the dosh get spent on at Expo? A major purchase for me, and the guys seemed to be doing a brisk trade all round, was a batch of Easitrac. I am hoping that this will speed the Layout Challenge entry along a bit faster; there are only 24 months to go after all!

From the main shop, I got a roll of rail. I'm still concerned how this curves about especially in the vertical plane. A Blackburn jig to help soldering Bob Jones point chairplates was also acquired; I don't think I can wait this time for the Easitrac guys to get their point system to the table. Additionally all the bits and bobs required to make a start on the J72 were assembled; wheels, bushes, gears etc. I already had a suitable motor so this eased the pain a little.

Finally, a major purchase; Association Loco Kit No1 - 350hp diesel shunter (08 to you youngsters!) - this will be some time coming as I've plenty to do before starting this kit!

Expo II

Ooh, here's an old favourite! Goldhanger, lovely scenic modelling. James enjoyed himself and spent quite some time here and also at Alan Lawrence's tram layout, Broadway. Thanks to everyone who contributed to a most enjoyable day.





You'll have to wait till tomorrow for my current modelling!

Expo I

"Did you enjoy that, then?"

"Yeah", said James, "it were good!"

Of course it was! Worth seven hours travelling in one day? For sure! A great day out, to meet old friends, meet new ones, and see some excellent modelling from old hands and from newer members alike. Shame about the strain on the chequebook though!

Edward Sisslings neatly executed DCC layout, Niddbeck Bridge. James enjoyed operating this and soon got the hang of it including accessory operation. If a 5 year-old can do it, so can you! Nice backscene, by the way ;-)...




This is the start of an beautiful tiny layout from Anthony Yeates. It travels in a box file! The modelling is very nicely done and I enjoyed having a chat with Anthony about his modelling. The buildings are exquisite...

More from me later; I'll tell you about my Expo acquisitions and also modelling progress to date.