Sunday 22 July 2012

TRACK PLAN

Thanks to Phil Smith, here is the track plan for Alexandra Junction.  As construction progresses, there will no doubt be small changes, but the top seven boards are fiddle yard, and the bottom five are mainly scenic.  It is likely that the two stubs at the front will continue behind the backscene to terminate at buffer stops next to the fiddle yard. There will be tunnel mouths at each end of the scenic section.
The front of the layout comprises the main line and two freight loops.  A line leads off the main line heading to a run round loop. Freights arriving in this loop can run round and disappear into the Docks complex off scene, or shunt into the hidden sidings in a complex of warehouses. How many sidings and whether hidden or not will be determined as track laying progresses.

Tuesday 17 July 2012

SUN SHINES FOR 10 MINUTES!

Just long enough to get a photo of the latest addition to the heavy haul fleet. 58017 is a Worsley Works etched brass kit with castings from Bruce Hoyle.  The chassis is a 3mm Society brass kit with a centrally mounted DS10 motor driving the outer wheels of each bogie via Branchlines plastic universal joints.

It has been under construction, and awaiting final painting for some years. It is the first loco to use blutac to secure the body to the chassis and so far seems to work quite well deadening out any wobbles and not separating without warning. Transfers are the Woodhead transfers which I commissioned for the Society a number of years ago.

It will hopefully pull 20 (maybe more!) HAA wagons on the new layout and starts a cascade displacing a pair of class 20's which will now power the steel bolsters (a la steel trains which used to run to Boston Docks using class 20s) allowing the second pair of class 20s to replace a class 47 on the Presflos (a la flyash workings to and from West Burton and Fletton brickworks - another well known class 20 turn). The extra capacity offered by Alexandra Junction to show off a further 7 trains over and above Broad Green will allow some of the long rakes of tarted up Tri-ang 4 wheelers to be used with class 37's, 40's and 47's lined up for haulage.


The next locos to appear will be a Class 47, Class 37, and a Class 40 followed by a Western for David Garner which he has waited far too long for but in my defence had trouble with paint turning matt when it should be satin!  after that comes the HST which again has suffered from moody paint problems.