Well hello everybody and welcome to yet more of my ramblings concerning the Corkscrew-Lines. Sadly not as extensive an update as the last few (I can hear your sighs of relief - how rude - I have feelings you know!) because modelling time time has been at a real premium during February. As I mentioned in the last update, I have been attending Network Rail training courses for the last 4 weeks and I still have a week to go so opportunities to get stuck into anything significant in the garage have been rare. I have made some progress though which I will share with you here and I have also started the planning process in readiness for tracklaying, but more of that later.
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| A magnificent sight at Brighton on St Valentine's day - Dreadful! |
What news then Corky?...What's happening on the Corkscrew-Lines?
Thankfully, despite my employer's best efforts, I have had a few opportunities over the last few weeks to get into the garage and make some progress. Additional shelving uprights have been fitted using the process I detailed in the last update. Sufficient uprights have now been installed to allow me to move onto modifying baseboard sections so I can complete the entire lowest level of the layout around all 4 walls. The bridging section for the door will be tackled once I actually have track ready to bridge the void. Any baseboard sections which are not required at this stage have been either set to one side or have been placed onto temporary high level shelves (another benefit of the flexible brackets) allowing me access to the lowest level with no fear of any head banging incidents. The shots below show the state of work a few weeks ago.
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| Baseboard sections awaiting modifications. |
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| Baseboards are creeping around the room on all 4 levels |
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| Half the baseboards for the north side have been fitted |
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| Baseboard lengths being modified to fit the room |
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| Playing with ideas and buildings on mock-up shelves |
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| Baseboards lifted to allow easy access to the lowest level |
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| Baseboards lifted to allow easy access to the lowest level |
The process of modifying baseboards and making up new sections has been relatively easy so I am delighted to confirm the lowest level is now complete. So far I am really pleased with the metal shelving components and love the way each level seems to float without support. Once backscenes have been added to completely cover the metal uprights the look of open, unencumbered baseboards will be complete. I will be using a similar tracklaying system to the original layout with the track laid onto plywood sections or sub bases which will then be secured to wooden uprights which are screwed into the softwood baseboard frames. The system works well because the majority of the tracklaying and wiring can be done away from the layout at a comfortable height and in good light before committing to the permanent installation. This also means tiny adjustments to track elevation and levels can be made at any stage.
Having thought long and hard about various permutations and options, I have decided on a standard baseboard depth for almost the entire layout at 30 inches. This means I am using comparatively long metal shelving brackets at just over 24 inches to evenly support the baseboard depth and this in itself is not a problem. However, the brackets have a slight rise along their length are not completely flat when installed so I needed to find a quick and simple way to raise the height of the baseboards and also even out any slight variations caused by tiny differences in the heights of the timber sections I have used for the baseboards. The system I devised uses small sections of plywood screwed into the bottom of the baseboards with slivers of mounting card added to give incremental adjustments. To give the 16ft lengths of baseboard along each wall added rigidity and to prevent any movement I have fitted bolts between all sections. The shots below should give you the general idea regarding all of the above.
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| Plywood blocks and mounting card lifters |
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| Temporarily adjust baseboards to find horizontal level |
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| Plywood block and mounting card packers screwed to baseboard |
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| Total of 3 card packers needed for this bracket |
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| Baseboard sections bolted together |
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| Baseboards on right now levelled and bolted |
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| Baseboard on left await lifting to match those on right |
New Arrivals on the Corkscrew-Lines
I mentioned in an update a few months ago that I was very impressed with the recent range of buses and coaches by Oxford-Diecast and the next significant release for me was the Plaxton Panorama Mk1 in Southdown livery. Well, having inspected one of these models (owned by my mate Gibsy-Wibsy) I knew it was another corker and I had to have one. The photos below don't really do it justice. At just £13.00 it is an absolute steal when compared to a similar EFE release for the best part of £25.00. If only Oxford-Diecast would release an Albion Nimbus then my model omnibus world would be complete - Oh My Lords!
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| A cruel enlargement |
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| A fantastic model - well done Oxford-Diecast |
It's that time of year again. Kalmbach have once again released their annual Model Railroad Planning magazine which as always is full of inspirational and breathtaking model railways and projects from over the pond. There are always articles and ideas which can be adapted or incorporated into any British themed layout and this year's edition is no exception. I have been buying these annuals for 20 years now and I cannot envisage a day when I will stop. Probably my most eagerly anticipated model railway publication every year and thoroughly recommended and absolutely Hellfire!
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| Recommended by Corky...Hellfire! |
Full Sized Railway Adventures
Last week I made my first visit to the Lavender Line at Isfield in East Sussex. Unfortunately I didn't have very long and as it wasn't a train running day I just took a few shots and made a mental note to return when something "Dreadful" was running in the near future. A real highlight for me was seeing the wonderful ex LBSCR signal box which is grade 2 listed and sits next to the now redundant level crossing gates. How wonderful it must have been to be here in the 1960s when the line was steam operated with trains running between Lewes and Tunbridge Wells.
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| What a gorgeous little box |
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| Wonderful Southern Railway ambience...Dreadful! |
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| Unfortunately no trains to Lewes any more |
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| Modern signage just doesn't have the gravitas of the Victorian era. |
St Valentine's Day - Corky!...You old Romantic!
As it was St Valentines day a couple of weeks ago I decided to give the love of my life (that's Mrs Corky and not model railways) a treat and take her out for the evening to Brighton. Well to be more specific, it was Brighton Station and it was only for about half an hour...Oops! Having found out a steam special would be running on the Brighton mainline I thought it was an opportunity too good to miss. Almost exactly on time, Mayflower (B1 class No.61306) eased into the station and the passengers departed for a private viewing of the classic film Brief Encounter...well it was Valentines day after all!
I thought you may enjoy a few of the shots of the spectacle and I hope you can try to imagine the sounds and smells of steam, something sadly almost forgotten at Brighton these days. Oh, and if you are wondering, Mrs Corky absolutely loved it. In fact, she kept shaking her head and muttering "How absolutely dreadful...what an absolutely dreadful St Valentine's day" for days afterwards and she was so overcome she could hardly bring herself to speak to me...bless her - that's why I love her!
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| B1 Mayflower at the stops at Brighton |
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| B1 Mayflower at the stops at Brighton |
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| B1 Mayflower at the stops at Brighton |
Track Plans and the track planning process
The Corkscrew-Lines is an enormous project with a layout completely filling a double garage and then overspilling into an adjacent outbuilding housing the helix. In fact, as the layout will be on 4 levels it could be argued that it is effectively 4 layouts occupying the same footprint. Although I am naturally very excited by the project, I am also concious that certain elements have to be right from the start if the layout is to be a success from an operating perspective. Ensuring track layouts, heights, gradients and radius of curves are correct from the get-go is essential so very careful and considered track planning is required.
It is my intention to eventually produce basic plans for each of the levels of the layout so all you lovely Corkettes can see how the final project will work. However, at this stage I am concentrating on smaller sections of the plan and trying to finalise ideas to allow me to start some basic tracklaying and get some trains running within the next couple of months. Although it is tempting to share my ideas with you in great detail, I will restrain myself and just give you a glimpse below of my early sketches to whet your appetites...Hellfire!
My track planning process is quite simple really and works well for me. I produce a scale drawing on a sheet of A4 with a grid representing 2" squares. I find this 2" squares scale very easy to work with because a double track mainline is approximately 4" wide in OO Gauge and I can therefore quickly sketch out track formations knowing that my ideas are realistic and stand a good chance of working on the actual layout. Then I scan and print out perhaps a dozen A4 copies to use for working up ideas and comparing different designs. I cut out circles of card ranging from 24" to 30" radius giving me a quick and easy way to add smooth curves to the sketches. If an idea or plan works then I develop it and add further detail. If it doesn't then I screw it up and try again. Below is a shot of a few of the current ideas and permutations for track leading into the tunnels heading towards the helix. Once I have decided on a final plan I will produce it in detail and share it with you all.
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| Sketch, sketch and sketch again! |
Visiting Corkettes
Last weekend I met up with my great mate Neil Cole and we headed to the Brighton Model-World Exhibition at the Brighton Centre. I already knew that this was a show catering for all tastes with everything from remote controlled aircraft to miniature military figure painting to model boat building and a smattering of model railway action. Although most of the exhibits didn't really tick the boxes for me there were some interesting layouts and bizarre items, including an absolutely enormous model of the Queen Mary made of Lego which was extraordinary.
Model railway layouts included a fantastic 2mm model of Kingswear which was operated via a central control panel incorporating a full miniature lever frame and block instrument bells! At the other end of the spectrum, a modest layout called Brankstone also intrigued me because of the way the multiple levels were represented with a steam MPD in the foreground and an elevated mainline cleverly revealed between buildings behind...something I am considering on the Corkscrew-Lines. Perhaps the best item for me was a model of the Titanic in 4mm which was displayed along with an appropriate dockside scene. I would love to have some form of passenger liner on the Corkscrew-Lines on level 2 which will represent a busy harbour/docks in an ex LSWR and now Southern Region based area. My earlier ideas and schemes prior to the move to Sussex included a background representation of a Cunard liner or perhaps a looming bow of a passenger ferry but the dimensions of the current garage may mean I have to scale back my ambitions. Pity!
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| Queen Mary and a large model of a ship!...Sorry Neil, couldn't resist! |
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| Kingswear in 2mm |
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| The benefits of 2mm shown to full advantage |
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| Oh My Lords - Absolutely Hellfire! |
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| Lots of action in a small space - multiple levels - Groovy! |
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| Ideas here for the Corkscrew-Lines |
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| If only I had room for one of these on the Corkscrew-Lines |
Corky's Corkscrew-Lines Master Plan
Progress so far is good with the first few objectives already met or well under way and we are still only in February...Hellfire! There is however one final major undertaking in planning, monetary and difficulty terms this year and that is of course the construction of the "helix-house" which will allow me to complete the tracklaying on the lowest level, climb the helix and enter level 2. Hopefully there will be more of my thoughts regarding this in a few months time.
Phase One - Garage Conversion - Completed
Phase Two - Twin Slot shelving fitted - Completed
Phase Three - Baseboards fitted around room -Lowest level completed
Phase Four - Construct base of helix - Not yet started
Phase Five - Track Laying begins (lowest level) - Not yet started
Phase Six - Helix-House constructed in garden - Not yet started
Phase Seven - Tunnels to Helix-House installed - Not Yet Started
Miscellaneous Musings!
So there you have it...the latest state of play on the Corkscrew-Lines. If only to provide a personal incentive for me to try and maintain my current excellent rate of progress, I have included the shot below which was taken less than 3 years ago on the original Corkscrew-Lines. This illustrates perfectly how I want the latest version of the layout to provide the essential elements required for a fulfilling and happy existence, namely lots of Diesel-Hydraulic action and plenty of tea drinking along the way...Oh My Lords! - Hellfire! You know it makes sense!
Please take care my friends, keep modelling, keep drinking plenty of tea and I'll be back as soon as I can to keep you updated with developments on our beloved Corkscrew-Lines.
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| Two vital ingredients to a happy life - hydraulics and tea! |
That's all for now folks!
Corky!
