Yes my friends - I am back again by popular demand - I wish! After another extremely busy month I am at last delighted to confirm exactly what the photo below suggests. Yes my band of loyal and dedicated Corkette chums - trains are at last running on the Corkscrew-Lines Mk2 - Hoorah! and so Dreadfully Hellfire!
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| After a year of preparation trains are running again! |
Once the decision was made a couple of years ago to sell Jones-Towers and relocate to the south all track-laying and layout construction on the Corkscrew-Lines Mk1 stopped. Well after just over a year of living in the new Jones-Towers, which of course included the full conversion of the double garage and then constructing the Helix-House, the first section of track has now been laid and a train has moved under it's own power.
This is a monumental month for other reasons too. In fact, incredibly, more significant than anything to do with the Corkscrew-Lines - yes honestly it's true! You see Mrs Corky and I married 25 years ago this month. A full quarter century of wedded bliss - for my part at least! As you can imagine this not insignificant milestone - or millstone as she puts it, jokingly I hope, has been extensively celebrated and I am for once happy to report the model railway has occupied a less significant portion of my free time this month.
Helix Malarkey & Nonsense
So, where were we? Last month I left you with images and descriptions of the helix base components being joined together in the Helix-House and the numerous legs being fitted to the under-gubbins. Well the structure has proven to be reassuringly strong and rigid over the last few weeks so I have been initially concentrating on the aesthetics of my newly created monster.
The first job was getting a tin of "Salty Peat" out and giving the top surface a couple of coats of protective emulsion. I want to have a coordinated colour scheme running throughout the layout. Some of the most inspirational multi-level layouts I have seen from across the Atlantic are presented in their environment to such a high standard that they have an almost museum exhibit quality about them. I do not pretend I can match this but I certainly aspire to a clean, uncluttered look throughout. I consider the Helix-House trackage to be as much a part of the finished layout as the scenic sections in the double garage so I am prepared to spend a lot of time getting the aesthetics of this normally purely functional part of the layout looking right.
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| Painted surfaces for the Helix - no bare plywood here. |
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| A forest of threaded rod trees has sprouted! |
Continuing with the obsession to make the helix look like a finished piece of furniture (rather than an amateurish cobbling together of plywood offcuts) I wanted all of the base to include a lower fascia panel or valance to hide the legs and supports underneath. Once this panel was fitted it would be almost impossible to access certain areas under the base so before reaching this critical stage it was time to fit all of the threaded rods. I have re-used the rods from the last iteration of the layout. They are 1 meter long M8 threaded rods which can be purchased from the likes of Tool-Station or Screwfix for a little over a pound each. By using Penny washers and M8 nuts it is straightforward enough to place the rod through the holes in the baseboard and then tighten them from above and below until they are rigid and truly vertical. Using a second nut under the baseboard (as illustrated below) really tightens the whole mounting so they will never loosen.
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| Typical threaded rod mounting with M8 nuts and penny washers. |
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| A reasonably quick and easy task to fit the rods. |
Once I was happy with the rods I could move onto fitting the fascia panels which I decided would be best done using extremely smooth and flexible 3mm hardboard. Using the example of the central operating well, you can see from the images below how I cut the panels to size then bent them to fit. I attached them using small flat-head screws after first pre-drilling and crucially, countersinking the holes. Once the panels were fitted I used wood filler to try and hide the screw heads and on the whole this was successful. I probably could have really gone to town in ensuring the screws were totally hidden but decided to get the panels fitted and go back to obsessively fettle in the future if I felt it was really necessary. I suspect I won't.
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| Hardboard panel is manoeuvred into position |
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| Panel is manipulated and positioned |
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| Screws are used to hold in final position |
Access to the centre of the helix is currently very easy - I simply step over the base and try not to skewer myself on a threaded rod - ouch! Obviously this will not be possible once the helix section starts to spiral skywards so I had to ensure there was a large enough access aperture left in the fascia panels along the front of the base. A few trial runs (or slides to be more accurate) proved it was a relatively easy task to limbo under the base and emerge into the large operating well of the helix. When I had eventually fitted all of the panels including those along the front of the helix base I gave everything a couple of coats of salty-peat emulsion and decided on the whole it had been worthwhile spending the time to try and present the helix this way. Time will tell if the hardboard is up to the job and tough enough to remain looking good. If I have to in the future I could replace it with curvable-MDF sheets but hopefully this will not be required. Once all of the helix is completed then access to the centre operating well should only be required for periodic maintenance or track cleaning so incidents of damage to the panels should be rare.
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| Full length fascia panel fitted to the front |
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| Large access aperture to centre of helix shown here |
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| It needs tidying in places but I think it was worth the effort |
Fitting the Trackbed to the Helix Base
As I described last time, I have produced a total of 6 types of trackbed template which should cover every eventuality when it comes to laying the helix track. The first trackbed sections to be fitted would be those for the low level reverse loop which sits at the very bottom of the helix. I used the templates to cut out the sections required and to ensure accuracy with the placement of the holes for the threaded rods. The trackbed sections are being cut from 12mm plywood which I think is as thin as I really want to go. I waited until Mrs Corky had vacated the house for a couple of days before laying siege to the conservatory and attacking the plywood sheets with a jig-saw. After a full day of cutting I had a pile of trackbed components which should now allow me to climb up to level 2 on the layout. I also had a very thick layer of sawdust to deal with so I was glad my beloved was not around to witness the whole messy spectacle. I am of course counting on the fact that she will as usual not read this blog entry and will be none the wiser regarding my cutting-fest! If I am walking with a limp next time you see me then you can bet she regrettably has actually read it - Doh!
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| Trackbed components painted by Corky - Hellfire! |
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| Conservatory proving to be a very useful space |
To maintain the finished look and to prevent any future problems with moisture warping the boards, I decided to paint all of the trackbed sections with a couple of coats of "Tempest's Teapot" - that's matt black to you and I. The paint is extremely quick drying and application of the paint is very fast using a mini roller so the painting has not really slowed me down very much. The benefit of the painted finish in aesthetic terms is considerable when compared with images of the original helix on the Corkscrew-Lines Mk1 (see the Taming the Helix page of the blog).
The template sections need to be lowered onto supporting nuts and penny washers on the threaded rods. This is an incredibly easy but incredibly mind-numbingly boring process. It is small consolation to me now that each successive turn of the helix will require correspondingly shorter nut-spinning distances. Make a mug of tea, play some prog rock and try to enter a Zen or trance like state and spin those nuts down each threaded rod.
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| Trackbed sections lowered roughly into position |
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| Levels are adjusted and sections aligned |
You may recall if you are a hardcore Corkette and you've been along for the ride from the start that a few years ago I had a holiday in Canada. Whilst there I obtained a rather nifty device for future use from those ever resourceful chaps at Micro-Mark. The Micro-Mark catalogue is stuffed full of "Oh what a great idea" devices and implements, including my digital gradient and level meter. This brilliant little box of tricks will confirm with complete accuracy what the gradient is on any of my trackbed sections. I had purchased it primarily to help when maintaining a constant climbing grade on the helix but it is just as useful for confirming a truly level trackbed as with the return loop. When used in conjunction with a variety of spirit levels, I was able to get all of the trackbed sections flat and level ready for the actual track to be laid.
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| Micro-Mark digital level confirms a 0% grade. |
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| A spirit level convention - Dreadful! |
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| Return Loop trackbed installed and ready for track |
"Arriba, Arriba - Underlay, Underlay!"
Apologies for my pathetic Speedy Gonzales joke above - I just couldn't resist. Track underlay is of course no joking matter. I have in the past used the traditional cork and even the horrible pre-formed Peco track underlay but recently I have successfully been using Plastazote foam. This stuff is available in different densities or levels of firmness, different thickness's and even different colours. I used 5mm black plastazote on the last Corkscrew-Lines and it was very cost effective and easy to use. This time I have increased the depth by 1mm and gone with 6mm grey foam which has a slightly firmer density. Already I have noticed that it is slightly easier to cut and the grey colour seems appropriate to represent the ballast bed. I added the extra millimetre to try and better accommodate Kadee under-track magnets as I found 5mm underlay was not quite deep enough for them.
I cut a 2" strip of the Plastazote underlay for straight sections of the trackbed and 1" strips for curved track. By placing a pair of the 1" strips together you can lay any curve without distortion or issues. The trackbed for the return loop and the helix will not be ballasted. However, for the rest of the layout where ballast will be applied a shoulder will be required. As an experiment, it was the work of just a few seconds to run a scalpel blade through an off-cut of foam at a 45 degree angle and produce an acceptable shoulder. As the foam is very easily and quickly laid using Copydex adhesive, I am extremely pleased with my plastazote choice.
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| Plastazote foam is cut into 2" wide strips |
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| 1" strips joined for curves and a carved ballast shoulder |
The next issue was placing the underlay accurately onto the trackbed sections. Using all of my Heath-Robinson skills I descended into the basement and entered the Corkscrew-Lines laboratories - I wish, and an hour later I emerged clutching the "Novotel Special" you can see in the photo below. This contraption holds a pair of clutch pencils the correct distance from the edge of the trackbed sections and allows me to accurately mark a pair of thin pencil lines onto the painted boards. Why is it called the Novotel Special I hear you ask? Well, a few years ago I stayed at the Novotel Hotel in Leeds for too many weeks than I care to recall whilst going through my Signaller training. Every week they would present me with a complimentary clutch pencil and only now have I found a use for them - hence the Novotel Special! Well you surely already knew I was a little odd didn't you? Oh My Lords!
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| Never mind the appearance - it works! |
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| Pencil lines applied - Dreadful! |
Once all the lines had been drawn I proceeded to stick the underlay onto the trackbed boards using some trusty Copydex. It all went well and the entire return loop had been done in about half an hour.
Track is laid at last - Hellfire!
At approximately midday on Sunday the 5th of October something rather significant happened in the world of the Corkscrew - the first sections of track were permanently laid. Using a combination of the underlay as a guide, my home-made tracksetta templates and near constant checking with the trusty mk1 eyeball, I laid 7 yards of Peco code 75 track which is almost all that is required to form the return loop. As I do not need any of the DCC Concepts power-base for the return loop, it was simply a matter of spreading Copydex onto the plastazote underlay, adjusting for accurate alignment and then applying some weight for an hour or so until the adhesive sets. I used my time honoured even distribution of pressure system - a collection of tins from the kitchen cupboards - Dreadful.
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| It has taken an age to reach this point |
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| But once I started it was laid really quickly |
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| I have at last found a use for tinned lentils - Yuk! |
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| The first curved sections are tackled |
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| Home-made tracksetta worked a treat - Dreadful |
I thought long and hard about my choice of track system for this latest version of the layout. I could have chosen a finer scale flexi-track such as SMP or C&L and hand built points, or I could have adopted the Tillig track system with it's slightly better appearance but in the end I reverted to the trusty Peco system. Numerous factors were considered but probably the biggest decider was the amount of extra time that would be involved in making my own points and the not inconsiderable additional expense of different flexi-track options. I will do my best to hide some of the worse failings of the Peco code 75 points by removing unnecessary items such as the spring housing and the moulded pips for attaching above baseboard point throws. There will of course always be too many sleepers for scale but I have seen so many layouts where with extra care when ballasting and weathering the track you really don't notice the deficiencies. Time will tell of course if I have made the right decision but at least it means I can now crack on and quickly lay track.
I was so excited to actually have some track laid I couldn't resist playing with some locos and some stock - just trundling backwards and forwards. In fact I was so excited I even plonked a LSWR signal box on the loop. This is obviously not going to be a permanent feature but added to the fun and sense of occasion. This impromptu session was not under DCC control as I have not laid any of the electrics yet. I kept things simple and plugged by basic DC controller into the mains and placed some power feeds to the rails using a crocodile clips and hoped for the best. My regime when it comes to wiring will include a feeder wire from the main DCC BUS to each separate section of track. At this stage however, power for the track is being transferred purely by the fishplates. As a kind of nod to tradition, I decided the first loco to run on the first stretch of track should be my trusty test loco. The Bachmann Class 03 is my go to loco for testing newly laid track formations mainly because of the short wheelbase and it's slow speed running abilities. Thankfully it had no problems with the track and ran perfectly around the Helix-House with 3 mk1 coaches in tow - Dreadful. Next loco to hit the rails was the diminutive Hornby Sentinel shunter which having only 4 wheels is the ultimate test when it comes to smooth running. Once again all went well. I am now ready to start wiring the return loop but more on that in the next update.
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| First train ready to depart |
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| Temporary electrics were enough for testing |
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| Smooth and slow progress was achieved |
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| Even the Sentinel ran faultlessly |
Latest arrivals on the Corkscrew-Lines
I saw a reference to a new range of 4mm figures in a recent copy of Hornby Magazine and checked out the website for MODELU and really liked what I saw. By using the latest scanning technology, this new company has been scanning real people in authentic 1950s and 1960s uniforms and then using the scanned data to 3D print superbly proportioned and detailed scale figures. The days of the grotesquely proportioned amorphous blobs we we are supposed to believe were representations of actual people may at last be a thing of the past. I decided to buy a large selection of the traincrew and railway staff figures including signallers and shunters and you can see the collection below. I will need to master my figure painting skills but I will report back once I have started to paint them and let you know how I got on.
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| Railway workers for the Corkscrew-Lines have arrived |
Rolling stock arrivals have included some of the recent Bachmann grain hopper wagons which are superb and a few of the latest ex Southern Railway parcels vans. These in particular are fantastic models full of detail and character. As you will all know by now I love parcels stock and with these latest models attempts at trying to recreate those typical long mixed parcels trains of the 1960s, full of all shapes and sizes of vans and wagons just got a little easier. As with all recent Bachmann releases these wagons are not cheap but they are worth every penny.
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| Grain wagons by Bachmann |
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| Gorgeous and free running - as expected from Bachmann |
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| Wonderful additions to my parcels fleet |
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| Fantastic detail including the running gear |
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| All that's needed now is a liberal coating of grime - Dreadful! |
The final new arrival this month is probably the most significant and eagerly anticipated item of traction for a very long time. Just a few days ago I received the Kernow Models Class 02 steam loco which as I am sure you will all know is manufactured by DJM and is the first item of DJM stock to arrive on the layout. Recent Forum chatter and magazine reviews have cast some doubt over the running qualities of some of these models so I was keen to quickly check the model ran and ran well. It has been extremely busy here at Jones-Towers over the last week so I only had 10 minutes to plonk the loco down on the newly laid track and check it would successfully move around the Helix House. All seems well as the loco moved off smoothly and without any of the binding issues reported elsewhere. Obviously the loco will need to be fully run in and introduced to point-work and have it's back to back measurements checked but so far all is well with the first loco from this new manufacturer. That is reassuring as I have quite a few more items on pre-order with DJM so this arrival is especially significant. As I said, I only had a few minutes to play with the loco so I apologise for the quality of the photo below. I will add some better images at a later date. The detail and quality of the body is quite exquisite and certainly bodes well for the future releases including the D600 Warships which I have now been waiting 5 years for - Hellfire!
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| Fabulous detail and character - Welcome DJM to the Corkscrew-Lines |
Full sized Transport adventures!
It seems like only yesterday I married my wonderful wife but it was in fact 25 years ago. To celebrate, Sarah and I headed to one of our favourite places in the world for a week to relax and get away from the daily grind. Venice is an extraordinary place and over the course of the week I took hundreds of images of the architecture, landscape and people to try and capture some of the atmosphere of the place. Just minutes after arrival we purchased a weekly ticket for the area buses and water buses (Vaporetto) and at just 72 euros it proved to be an absolute bargain. We travelled on the Vaporetto every day either hopping on and off around the city or heading to the distant islands of Lido, Murano and Burano. As this is a transport related blog I thought I would share some images of the water buses and a few snaps to show what you are missing if you have never been.
The middling sized Vaporetto which ply their trade along the Grand Canal reminded me of the road based buses of my childhood. Whether it was the normally gruff conductor hovering by the exits, the colours and smells or the quite extraordinary sounds produced by the engines or the constantly complaining transmission, I was taken back to trips aboard Bristol FLF buses in the 1970s. There was something about the ponderous movements and even the layout of the boats with a driver up front and the entrance and exit area immediately behind that took me right back - bizarre. All of the water buses made satisfying noises but especially the smaller craft which travelled to the islands and to my eyes resembled motor torpedo boats in their proportions. These sounded like items of classic railway traction when moving away from the pontoon based bus stops which are scattered throughout the area.
I managed a couple of very brief visits to the railway station. It was an act of genius to locate so many clothing and perfume shops next to the concourse so Mrs Corky could be distracted for a few minutes - Dreadful. I have included some shots of the eclectic mix of high speed trains and traditional AC electric locos you can expect to see at this terminus. I love the older Italian rolling stock which includes some designs which resemble wartime bombers. Few stations can boast such a fantastic view as you walk out of the entrance doorways to be greeted by the Grand Canal and the semi-organised chaos that is Venice.
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| Water taxis and magnificent Venetian architecture |
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| A typically well loaded Vaporetto weaves along the Grand Canal |
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| Leaving Lido Island for St Marks Square |
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| Burano Island water buses pass |
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| Moored up after the evening peak |
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| Island hopping boats pass |
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| A typical Venetian bus stop on a bobbing pontoon |
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| Vaporetto is overtaken by an ambulance - Cemetery Island in background |
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| Yet another water-born Bristol FLF |
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| AC Locos are berthed to the north |
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| Inter regional high speed unit |
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| Berthed heavyweight AC locos |
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| Trenitalia livery is distinctive |
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| Dramatically styled high speed trains are numerous |
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| Italian stock in the standardised livery |
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| A junkers bomber minus wings converted to a driving trailer - Hellfire! |
So what's next Corky?
There you have it my friends. I only just managed to squeeze this update in before the end of the month and that I am afraid is due to the many plates I am currently trying to keep spinning and in the air right now. What with training courses, holidays and weeks working anti-social hours I have struggled to find enough time to make progress recently. With a new promotion at work and a resultant transfer to Farringdon I am hoping l can free up some more modelling time. I am returning to true shift working including nights and weekends which means rest days during the week and at least one long weekend off a month. The master plan is to try and make more significant progress during these spells but we shall see if this actually happens.
Future plans include CCTV systems for the hidden loops and sidings, getting to grips with Anyrail PC software for track planning and adding the first sections of the helix spiral and commencing wiring and DCC operation. There should be plenty to talk about next time my corkette chums - Dreadful! Hopefully I can squeeze in some more "Monochrome Memories" next time too - I simply didn't have the time for this update.
That's all for now Folks...
Corky!
