Update No.58 - 28.08.15

Hello again my friends.  I am pleased to confirm that as planned, something major has happened regarding the Corkscrew-Lines - the helix will now have a home...Absolutely Hellfire!

The wait is over - The Helix-House is a reality!

Well the month of August certainly turned out to be a very productive and eventful one for both full sized and 1:76 scaled advances and adventures.  The headline news is of course the construction of the Helix-House which I am delighted to confirm is now complete.  I will detail the entire build process in this update and I will add additional photos to the "Garage Conversion & Helix-House Construction Images" page for the benefit of anybody contemplating a similar process.  There will also be details of the latest loco arrivals for the layout "Ahoy there Me Hearties - Permission to come aboard?"...sorry - getting a bit carried away there!  I will also share some of the images from my latest visit to a heritage railway, take you "whistling" back through time to a monochrome 1982 and start to discuss my thoughts and ideas regarding the actual physical construction of the helix.  Oh My Lords!...Buckle up my lovely Corkettes - this update is going to be a bit of a monster!  

Constructing the Helix-House

Right, let's jump straight into talking about the big project for 2015, the construction of the outbuilding to house the helix which will feed all 4 levels of the Corkscrew-Lines.  I have previously discussed in the updates how I pontificated and deliberated for so long regarding how, where and why the Helix-House needed to be constructed so I won't go over those details again. This was of course always going to be a major project not only in monetary terms but also with regard to the amount of time and emotional commitment required to push it forward so it was vital that when completed, the structure blended into the surroundings and added to and enhanced our property rather than detracting from it.  Although some of you will no doubt think I am obsessed (including Mrs Corky at times!) I prefer to believe that if you have a hobby you feel passionately about then why not embrace it whole-heartedly if you can and go for it?  You only live once after all. However, I am not a complete fool (I can hear you disagreeing - how rude!) and I know whatever decisions I took must take into account the future if we decide to move on from the house one day.  In a nutshell - although built to house a model railway, the structure must be appealing to a future buyer as a potential office, music room, kids playroom for example and I think that objective has certainly been achieved.  With the current housing market, I would anticipate the project adding value to the property and actually making us money in the long term. That's enough of me justifying myself - let's consider how the Helix-House was actually built...

The completed structure

I was so impressed with the quality of the garage conversion which was completed last December that when it came to finding a builder for the construction of the Helix-House, I was hopeful that Rob of RJG Carpentry would once again be available and happy to do the work.  As previously, Rob was happy to discuss seemingly endless permutations and variations until I finally agreed on a suitable design and a commencement date of the 2nd of August. Rob's details were included in Update No.51 and if you live in the Brighton area and need a builder then I would recommend you contact him.  I will present below a sequence of images showing the key stages of the build...

Materials are delivered onto the driveway

For a smallish shed that's a lot of materials!

The footprint of 8ft x 12ft is marked out and dug out.

Concrete base even includes reinforcement mesh

Concrete base with block work and damp-proof membrane laid

Timber stud-work frame is erected from 5" timber

Frame is attached to existing garage wall

Opening is left for 5ft wide double glazed doors

Waterproof but ventilated membrane clads the frame

Roof boards are attached to the stud-work frame

Weather-boarding timber is fixed to the frame

Multi-layer roofing material is gas torch heated onto the roof boards 

Roof is completed and becomes weatherproof

Double glazed doors, fascia and soffit boards are fitted and patio work starts

The knock-through to the garage is started.

Insulation wool is stuffed into the frame

Plasterboard is fixed over Celotex insulation board

Opening into the garage is completed and lined

Lighting wiring installed and awaiting plasterer

Patio and landscaping work progresses

Plastering completed and laminate flooring laid

Ready to decorate

First coat of white emulsion applied

Decorating completed

Two weeks after commencing the build the keys were handed to me and Rob departed having once again done a brilliant job.  The Helix-House is just the right size.  It sits comfortably in the garden and certainly doesn't feel like it encroaches or dominates.   In previous updates I have stated that the building would be painted cream and this may still happen, but for now I am happy with the wood being exposed. Painting everything would take a couple of days at least and to be honest I would rather be working on constructing the helix right now.  All of the timber is treated against the weather so painting is not necessary and the more I look at the wood the more I like it's functional simplicity.  The idea was to make the structure look like a separate shed rather than an extension and the wooden appearance helps with this.  It's a different story inside however where the structure feels just as pleasant as the garage with fantastic levels of insulation and soundproofing.  This will be a very civilised place to construct and operate the helix in a temperature stable and secure environment.  To conclude - mission accomplished - Dreadful!

Whilst discussing the options with Rob regarding electrics for the Helix-House it became obvious that this could be a very expensive element of the build.  At £70.00 per plug socket or light fitting the total soon climbed to £500 when a couple of double sockets and half a dozen down-lighters were added.  I would certainly require power and lighting in there but probably only during the initial helix construction phase.  Once trains are running then they will be controlled from the garage and the walkway I now have will become permanently blocked by the baseboards and the tracks.  The solution for power was simple - just plug in a multi-gang socket in the garage and pass it through to the Helix-House - sorted!  What about the lighting though?  By fitting double glazed French doors I have loads of natural light available during the day but I would still require some kind of fixed lights but couldn't really justify the cost of the same style of flush mounted down-lighters as used in the garage.  I did a lot of research and decided to take a punt on solar powered shed lights.  At only £25.00 per light they compare very favourably and as I specified ultra bright multiple LEDs they are actually brighter than the normal GU10s would be.  Rob fed through the wiring prior to plastering and then the small solar panels were attached to rear of the building which is south facing.  The three lights are triggered by any movement and will stay on continuously all the time the movement in the structure continues.  The novelty of entering through the French doors during darkness and the whole Helix-House instantly being lit up like the Blackpool illuminations hasn't worn off yet!

Ultra bright, inexpensive and fun too!

Cool White LED compared to the warm GU10s in the garage

Each light has it's own solar panel fixed to the rear of the structure

I was so impressed with the cool white light from the solar panels that I thought about trying to improve the light levels in the garage whilst at the same time trying to make everything more efficient and environmentally friendly.  The simple solution was a couple of boxes of cool white 5w LED GU10 down-lighters which are a simple replacement for the previous warm white bulbs.  A few minutes work on the stepladder and the difference was impressive.  Probably twice the light and none of the heat and inefficiency of the old bulbs - a real result.  The new LEDs cost a couple of pounds each via Amazon but the efficiency savings mean they will have paid for themselves in saved energy costs in just a few months.  The other major benefit of course is a consistent light between both of the structures.  As I will almost certainly be using cool white lighting for the layout sections too, it surely makes sense to have the ambient room lighting the same.

It's a no brainer - brighter and cheaper to run!

Cool white in the garage

Full Sized Railway Adventures


A few weeks ago I headed north east through East Sussex and just into the county of Kent to visit the Spa Valley Railway at Tunbridge Wells West for their diesel gala.  Mrs Corky accompanied me and whilst she headed off into the town to do some shopping I climbed aboard various heritage trains being hauled by an interesting mix of mainly small diesels.  Plenty of BR green traction could be seen which is always very welcome and I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to this line.  Highlights included some mileage behind a magnificent Class 14 Teddy Bear - hydraulic haulage is of course always Hellfire!  A few miles behind a NSE liveried class 73 in a brake van whilst peering through the ducket window was a novelty as was the strange juxtaposition of a class 20 in original condition being passed by a Southern Class 171 DMU on the mainline at Eridge.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy a few snaps taken on the day...

There's just something about Southern Railway themed signs.

33 063 - Unfortunately no Cromptons were running on the day - shame!

33 065 - With it's paint stripped is just too embarrassed to be seen!

Thump-Tastic - Dreadful!

Something like this on the end of the Helix-House - Hmm!

An EE Type-1 sits next to the mainline at Eridge

Those were the days eh?

Is it just me or is Sam a little menacing?...Just me then!

What's left of Eridge Signal Box watches a Teddy Bear pass by

I say, I say I say...How many waistcoats does it take to couple a train?

What a beast! - Absolutely Hellfire!

Beautifully presented NSE liveried 73 140 at Groombridge

Always a welcome sight - a two tone green Rat

Now that's a formation you don't see every day!

The view from the ducket window

Demonstration freight nears Tunbridge Wells West

That'll be the end with the luggage compartment then!

Green Thumper - Oh yes - Oh My Lords!

Visiting Corkettes


It was an absolute pleasure to spend a few hours with my great mate Gibsy-Wibsy the other week.  Now Andy is a very talented N-Gauge modeller who has had articles published in the railway and model railway press relating to his fantastic model of Kensington Olympia which is currently a work in progress.  I expected him to arrive with the customary bag of newly purchased or recently weathered stock which I usually examine and admire.  What I didn't expect him to have tucked under his arm was a complete section from the original mechanical indicator blinds from Victoria concourse which Andy rescued from a skip.  Using his unparalleled "Wallace & Gromit" mechanical skills he has grafted on some Meccano components to make the blind fully functioning by turning a crank on the side.  Gibsy-Wibsy is now seeking out an identical set of blinds so he and the long suffering Mrs Gibsy-Wibsy can have a set each and devise a rudimentary communication code using the myriad destinations for those days when actually speaking to each other seems far too boring!  When I grow up I want to be like Gibsy-Wibsy - he's my hero!  And you thought I was obsessed! Absolutely Hellfire!

Oops, almost forgot.  Bad weather meant the builders took an extra day than expected to finish the Helix-House which meant I didn't get a chance to purchase a suitable cake for Andy's visit.  Apologies once again Andy for this totally inexcusable faux pas.  And I call myself a railway modeller!  Tea with no cake - I'm so embarrassed!

A Crank turning a crank!

Traction Action - Latest Arrivals

The latest locos to arrive at Jones-Towers are the just released Bachmann Class 43 Warship pairing you can see below.  I was expecting these beauties to come alongside last month but as the saying goes...some things are well worth waiting for.  I have to admit I thought the previous Warship offering from Bachmann in Class 42 guise was perfectly acceptable but this latest model has upped the bar considerably. With full cab detail, etched fan grills and a representation of the engine details through the windows, it is certainly impressive to look at and captures perfectly the distinctive (some might say ungainly) appearance of these machines.  Each loco comes with a bag of extra details to be fitted if required.  This includes tiny lifting rings for the roof panels which I will install in due course.  This is not a job for the faint hearted as the rings are positively microscopic! Half an hour of running in on the test track revealed a pair of silky smooth and quiet mechanisms so all is well with the latest diesel-hydraulics to enter the Corkscrew-Lines roster.  As an aside, it is still a pity to me that Bachmann did not produce the definitive Western or Class 22 instead of Dapol because I have always found Bachmann diesels to be the least temperamental of all the major manufacturers.

Note the bags of extra details to be fitted

Nose profile and details has been particularly well captured

Optional front cowlings are included if not using standard couplers

Looking at the overall picture regarding diesel-hydraulics for the layout shows a truly remarkable full set of all the standard classes now accounted for.  I have multiple members of all the essential classes - class 14, 22, 35, 43 and 52 and even the sole Class 53 - the dual Maybach MD655 engined diesel-electric - Falcon.  Of course I still need some Class 42 Warships but I would be amazed if Bachmann do not now proceed and introduce a newly tooled Class 42 to a similar specification to the new Class 43.  In the meantime, the Class 43 models will cover for the missing Class 42s - it takes more than a casual glance to tell the two apart anyway.  The only diesel-hydraulic class which remains absent is of course the pioneering Class 41 Warships which Kernow Model Centre are producing in conjunction with DJ-Models.  I anticipate these should be with us some time towards the end of next year after a particularly long and troubled gestation period.  I have been waiting 5 years for these models so waiting another year doesn't seem too bad!

When I started the Corkscrew-Lines project and decided on the joint SR and WR 1960s theme I hoped that suitable diesel-hydraulics would be forthcoming.  The excellent Heljan Hymek and the acceptable Heljan Western along with the positively geriatric Bachmann (ex Mainline) Class 42 Warship were all that was available at the time.  Who would have thought that just a few years later we would have exquisitely detailed models with a modern chassis for the Teddy Bears, Baby Warships and original Co-Co Warships?  Remarkable.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, we have never had it so good as modellers and for those who have the audacity to criticise the minutest imperfection or tiny error on a loco which nobody thought would ever be released as a RTR model just a few years ago when the world was "pancake motored" then I say wake up and smell the coffee!  I find it fascinating too that the only RTR manufacturer that doesn't produce a modern specification model of a diesel-hydraulic is Hornby. Once again, go back only 10 years and who would have thought Heljan, Dapol, Bachmann and the unknown DJM would be producing Hydraulics without the once all conquering Hornby getting involved.


Monochrome Memories


You will no doubt remember me telling you all about the "Digital Decades" project which is now well under way.  I have reached the summer of 1982 which was a particularly significant time as my best mate Mark and I decided we would take things just a little more seriously and enter the strange and mysterious world of black & white photography with it's associated processing and printing. My parents humoured me and allowed me to convert the under-stairs cupboard, in true Harry Potter style, into my own tiny darkroom.  It was a steep learning curve but I quickly progressed to buying film in bulk to load into my own re-usable 35mm cassettes and going through the full chemical development stages with my films.  I would do my own printing too with multiple trays of stinking developer and fixer being slopped around under the dim red glow of the Paterson safe-light.  I would occasionally stick my head out of the door and inhale some fresh air before diving back into the chemical clouds and poisoning myself again whilst watching an image miraculously appear in a tray of developer.  

Whilst all of this was fantastic fun, and for a spotty pre PlayStation generation 15 year old it was a truly exciting adventure, the problem was I was a far too prolific photographer.  It was soon the case that I was taking exponentially more photographs than I could ever print myself in the limited time I had available.  I resigned myself to coming back one day to print the images I had collected and to be honest, as the decades rolled by I actually forgot a lot of the shots I had taken.  Well a few weeks ago I started taking digital photographs using my copy set up Digital SLR of the first 35mm black & white negatives from way back in 1982.  I have worked my way through a few hundred now and thought I would share a few with you here.  

One of the first serious monochrome adventures was a family holiday to North Wales.  My previously mentioned best friend at the time - Mark Lyons, who was also switching to black & white, came along too, to keep me company, and although my parents thought we were just looking forward to a normal family holiday by the sea, Mark and I had other ideas!  We were going big game hunting along the North Wales mainline from our base at Colwyn Bay and we wanted to hunt down and shoot the biggest beast around - the Class 40 whistling wonders. Although I had occasionally encountered them before, they were hardly easy to come by if you were a spotter in Hampshire!  We planned an itinerary that included day trips to Crewe and Manchester but we spent most of our time travelling behind 2000hp monsters whilst sat in the always comfortable compartments of Mk1 stock or we sat on platform ends or in the ubiquitous BRUTE trolleys whilst watching the seemingly unending procession of Rats, Duffs, Whistlers and DMUs.  

Those were certainly the halcyon days for main line diesels - Dreadful!  It has been very difficult to pick out just a handful of images from a collection of a couple of hundred but I hope you appreciate the shots below.  Some are grainy, some are poorly composed and some are poorly exposed but all are interesting and brought back many memories.  I am finding the whole digital copying of my archive and rediscovering negatives I had long since forgotten a tremendously rewarding experience.  Don't wait if you are in a similar situation as so many of us transport photographers are.  Get those slides and negs' out and travel back in time - Absolutely Dreadful!  Incidentally, Mark is still a great mate and a card carrying corkette who is constructing a 00 gauge model based on the Southern region is Devon - sensible move matey - Hellfire!

Our first North Wales Whistler in the bag - 40 006 - Colwyn Bay - 25.07.82

40 104 rolls into Llandudno Junction - 26.07.82

40 095 waits to take over from an AC Electric - Crewe - 27.07.82

86 325 with Motorail flats - Crewe - 27.07.82

A pair of cheeky Rats sneak round the back of Chester - 27.07.82

25 219 & 46 052 at the extraordinary Manchester Victoria - 28.07.82

40 101 whistles away contentedly with parcels stock - 28.07.82

Switched off Class 76 locos and ancient EMU stock - Guide Bridge - 28.07.82

The cathedral like Manchester Piccadilly - 28.07.82

Like a basking whale - 40 192 simmers at Manchester Victoria - 28.07.82

40 004 weaves through Chester - 29.07.82

25 069 with an engineers special working - Chester 29.07.82

Guy Arab V with Massey Bodywork - Chester - 29.07.82

40 169 blasts through Bangor - what a fantastic noise - 30.07.82

What a beast! - 40 150 sleeps at Llandudno Junction - 30.07.82

40 056 - Llandudno Town - 30.07.82

With the volume turned up to eleven!  40 002 & 40 004 - 31.07.82

25 327 with a holiday extra service at Llandudno Town - 01.08.82

During a downpour a miserable 40 096 sits at Rhyl - 01.08.82

40 164 at Llandudno Town - another trip beckons - 01.08.82

One of the most memorable incidents during the holiday was our very naughty DMU sitting down on the branch line whilst half way to Blaenau Ffestiniog from Llandudno Junction. After a very long time sat staring over the fields our salvation arrived in the form of 40 104 - Dreadful!  After the usual faffing about coupling up and carrying out a brake test (I've done that a few times over the years) we were off to Ffestiniog at last.  Acceleration was vastly improved with the addition of 2000hp to a 3 car DMU.  I don't know why they didn't attach a Class 40 to all DMUs - it would certainly have improved station to station timings!

40 104 arrives at Ffestiniog with the errant DMU - 03.08.82

Blasting away from Llandudno, 40 063 shakes the windows - 04.08.82

So what's next - Let's build a helix!


This has been a bit of an epic update so well done if you have managed to get this far without nodding off!  It has taken a year to reach this stage with a converted garage and now a newly constructed home for the helix so it's about time I got on with laying some track and running a few trains.  I have decided the logical place to start is the return loop on the bottom level of the layout so that means it is time to start building the helix because that is where the loop will live - right at the bottom of the spiral.

The Helix-House internal dimensions are 11ft x 7ft which will be more than enough space to build a large helix and the associated approach tracks.  As I have devoted much thought to how I am going to construct the helix over the last year,  I have created a design in my head which I am confident will work efficiently and be relatively simple to assemble.  To make sure my presumptions regarding clearances and track radius are correct I decided to produce some scaled drawings using squared and tracing paper allowing me to overlay each individual element onto the layer below.  This should hopefully allow me to confirm things will work as I anticipate and let me clarify other questions regarding the placement of the threaded rods which will hold up each track turn. Another benefit of this pre-planning exercise is to establish exactly where to place the framework timbers to best avoid clashes with the numerous submerged bottom section of the rods.

The shots below take you through each of the layers to be constructed and by using this cheap n cheerful form of analogue CAD design I can easily change sections without having to start from scratch each time.  It is very difficult to think in all three dimensions when designing a helix but this system greatly simplifies the process.

Dimensions of the Helix-House are accurately drawn

Helix base layer is added with plywood sheet cutting plan colour coded

Next layer shows position of framework timbers and access

Now we add the actual return loop trackbed sections

Finally the complete loop sections for the helix spiral are added

Corky's cheap n cheerful CAD

Having pondered on the traced layers and spent some time considering how to proceed I decided I would mark some of the crucial dimensions and radius lines onto a spare piece of plywood using a trammel.  This allowed me to mark out the radius lines to be used by the twin tracks on the helix.  I placed some sections of Peco flexitrack onto the marked lines and was able to easily check the clearances using some of my longer items of rolling stock.  By placing some bolts to represent the threaded rods next to the track sections I was able to also check the clearances between the rolling stock overhangs and the rods.  I have tried to ensure there is plenty of clearance to accommodate any future items of rolling stock which will have greater overhangs than those I currently use.  The Rapido Trains APT-E model which will probably arrive early next year will have monstrous overhangs (the greatest of any full sized item of rolling stock used in Britain) so I was determined not to shoot myself in the foot by making the helix clearances too tight for it to use.  What's that you say..."What is the APT-E from the 1970s doing on a 1960s layout?"  I refuse to answer that question on the grounds I may incriminate myself - Rule 1 applies!

The helix base will be 12" wide with an outside radius of 36" allowing a 4ft wide circular operating well in the centre.  Even taking into account middle age spread I should still be able to move freely inside the helix for construction and future maintenance - unless I really spread!  The track radius for the outside climbing line will be 32" and for the falling grade 29" and both lines will be fitted with DCC Concepts Powerbase which should ensure trains have no problems ascending or descending with prototypically long rakes.  The actual trackbed sections will be 9" wide to accommodate the tracks and the all important threaded rods.  This is my second helix so I am confident I can make it work well as I am now using a far more generous radius than the first iteration of the Corkscrew-Lines where the climbing grade was actually on a 21" radius curve. Trains successfully made the climb last time so with the addition of Powerbase and a far broader curve and reduced grade I do not foresee any issues.

Paper calculations and drawings look encouraging

A trammel is used to mark the radius lines on the plywood

Helix base, trackbed sections and individual tracks are marked

M8 Bolts represent the M8 threaded rods which will support the helix

Generous clearances confirmed - time to start building the helix

So having planned, checked and calculated for a year it now looks like it is actually time to fire up the jigsaw and start constructing the helix. I took delivery today of a couple of sheets of 18mm plywood which will be marked out and cut to form the base for the helix as per the tracing paper plan shown earlier in this update.  Once it's cut I will proceed and build a framework base to mount it on and fit the legs to lift it to the same height as the existing baseboards in the garage.  This is a major undertaking and it doesn't pay to rush things at this stage only to discover a flaw in the design means a rethink is required in a few months time.  If all goes well and the base is completed and installed then I will move on to marking out and cutting the trackbed sections from 12mm plywood.  Once I am happy with the first sections then I will use them as templates for the dozens of pieces which will be required as the helix climbs.

I hope this update wasn't too long.  I am aware that a blog normally has far more regular updates of shorter length but that doesn't really fit in with the way I work or live.  I am trying to keep to a target of a new blog update each month but it is not always possible.  As you can appreciate this was a particularly significant month (it's not everyday you have a building erected to house part of your layout) so this was always going to be a bit of a monster update but I hope you enjoyed it.  Next time I hope to show you progress with the helix base construction so brace yourselves for timber and ironmongery action - Oh My Lords!

Take care my friends and thank you for your continuing support.  Who knows, one day soon there may actually be a train moving on the Corkscrew-Lines again - Hellfire!

That's all for now Folks!


Corky!