Update - No.27 - 12.02.12

 

This update originally sent as an email to friends & family in Feb 2012

 
Hi everybody, hope you are all doing well.

Lower Yard North with Docks Branch flyover

It's incredible I know but I have been sending out these absorbing, fascinating and eagerly anticipated updates (please stop laughing!) for a year now.  So thank you for all the feedback and the positive comments so far.  Thank you for indulging my lunacy and for encouraging me to keep going with it - I really do appreciate your support.  I've managed to complete a hell of a lot in a year considering the garage was empty last February so I hope you've enjoyed coming along for the ride so far.  If however you get these updates and simply don't have a clue what I'm babbling on about then I guess the spam button is your solution and I apologise for bombarding you with such drivel for so long...ha ha!

I've benefited from a few visits from Corkettes over the last couple of weeks and very enjoyable it's been too.  And now at last we can actually run a train or two and have a reasonable run of a few minutes before having to run round and return to the yard.  Napier-Boy, Andrew Wylde and Jeff all dropped by as you can see from the photos.  Also, the Corkscrew-Lines most senior Corkette, Michael Zimbala Gibbons, sent me a photo showing how much he appreciated the Corkscrew-Lines.  Oh My Lords!.....Totally Hellfire!

Flailing Action...Dreadful!

Andrew & Corky

The World always seems a better place with a mug of tea!

I'm Speechless!

I'm sure you have all had to endure the recent cold snap as we have here in Lincolnshire.  Just remember, as long as you have access to a kettle, a packet of biscuits and there's a helix to construct, you can forget the cold and just (said in my best Kenneth Williams voice) "Carry on Corkscrewing"!....."Ooh no! - Stop messing' About!!"

 

Larking about in the Fens

 

Construction Progress

Well my friends it has finally happened.  The very heart of the layout and the most essential element if my long term plans for world domination...Oops!, sorry I meant to say model railway success, are to come to fruition...the central helix - has been started.  I constructed the first turn of the helix from Lower Yard north using my cutting template and proceeded to lay the track.  Then, much to her amusement and delight (not!) I asked Mrs Corky to help me position the board over the threaded rods and we both lowered the board down (a bit like the spinning plates section on the Generation Game) about a metre until it rested on the pre-installed nuts and washers.  Naturally I was hoping this would go without a hitch as I had not tried to test fit anything but simply and probably over-optimistically relied on the accuracy of the cutting template.  I am pleased to report it was a perfect fit and once the next set of washers and bolts were added it became extremely secure. 

 

Corky with the helix template

I won't bore you with the full details (that'll make a change I hear you all cry in unison!) but I took a very long time deciding on the size of the helix, it's radius and it's grade to ensure my locos would climb and descend it without any undue problems.  As I've said previously, my benchmark train would be a single diesel loco with a rake of 8 coaches.  I am anticipating some issues with my steam locomotives because they are essentially 0-6-0 powered at best- even the largest pacifics and therefore do not have the traction or weight required.  I will tackle this issue at a later date but there are techniques and products available for just this scenario including the wonderfully named "Bullfrog Snot"...seriously, check it out on you-tube!  If all else fails I'll do what happened on the steepest banks in the real world and add bankers or pilot engines to the mix...Dreadful!  Suffice to say my initial trials have been a complete success...Hoorah!!  As an example, a Dapol class 22 can dead-start, mid climb, a 9 coach rake of coaches with ease.  Heavier locos such as the Bachmann peak just laugh at the grade and seem to no problems whatsoever.  Remember too that all my DCC chips are fitted with "back EMF" so self regulate their power requirements to maintain a constant speed.

 

The first turn of the helix awaiting track

Corky cuts strips of foam trackbed

Corky playing with glue and drinking tea

Track laying with tins

Another 3 turns wait their turn

Completed turn with track laid

The majority of my time lately has been spent cutting out another 3 turns of the helix from12mm plywood and then laying the foam trackbed and peco streamline code 75 track.  Once I'm happy with the track and I've tried a selection of stock on it, I proceed and install the wiring and test everything once more.  Although I ensure each loop transmits power via the fishplates, I still solder a feeder wire to each individual section of track to ensure I have the best possible supply of power.  This is all accomplished in relative comfort away from the layout.  The prospect of juggling soldering irons whilst knelt on a concrete floor for a few hours isn't something I find particularly tempting!  Give me another couple of weeks and I hope to have completed the entire first section of the helix from low level storage level to the first of the scenic levels...Oh My Lords!

 

Test train on the first installed turn of the helix...Hellfire!

 

New Arrivals on the Corkscrew-Lines

To complete the first section of the helix, I purchased another 50 yards of flexi-track.  I think I'm going to need a few hundred more before the layout is finished....Hellfire!  The most pleasing arrivals have been the LSWR type 4 signal boxes in brick finish from Kernow Models.  They are real beauties and I've temporarily placed one at Lower yard north end at the foot of the helix gradient.....it looks damn fine......Dreadful!

 

 

In the next thrilling instalment...

 

If all goes according to plan, I'll be showing you the first section of the helix to be completed with multiple turns up to the first section of the scenic levels.  Then I'll spend my time running trains and just playing with my "train set"...Oh Yeah...Hellfire!

Until next time my lovely little Corkette Chums,

Corky