Monkton Priors : The Society's new layout.

[John Candy]

In order to cease referring to the anonymous "Exhibition Track", we have decided to name the Society's line "Monkton Priors", a fictional country branch terminus (although I do see from a Google search there is a Somerset school of that name but not a village or station... purely a coincidence).

The track plan will be as previously advertised and regular reports on progress will appear here.



The construction crew (so far) consists of Roy Horrocks, Ian Turner and myself.

John.

[John Candy]

I am pleased to announce that Steve Cook has joined our team.

More help will enable the project to progress rapidly and you don't need to travel to help : There will be lots of smaller assembly jobs which can be done from home/by post.

John.

[keith Bristol]

John,

Just one comment in that it looks a little short. If the platform is 13ft, the fiddle yard is 21ft then the longest train is 13ft and experience of the two layouts I assist with I would suggest that the fiddle yard is converted to scenery.
K

[John Candy]

Keith, thank you for your feedback.

The fiddle yard will have a 4 track traverser and the idea is that the yard will be able to accommodate up to 8 trains, the normal local being two carriages plus a tank or 0-6-0 tender, with the option of a diesel railcar.
The occasional excursion may be up to 5 coaches plus a Mogul or 4-6-0.

Goods trains will likely be longer than the normal passenger trains, since the yard can hold around 28 wagons.

The fiddle yard will probably be shielded in some way but at the moment, volunteers are a little thin on the ground, so there will be a limit to what can be achieved (and funding will also dictate how far we can go).

Regards,
John.

[MikeWilliams]

Correct me if I am wrong, but if its modular, presumably a extra board or three can be inserted in the middle should that be found desirable in the future, or if exhibition space allows?

Mike

[John Candy]

Mike,

Yes, it would be possible to add boards to either end of the scenic section.  in fact it is being built so that it would be possible for the scenic section to become part of a complete circuit, using the "modules" proposed by Ian T.

Regards,
John.

[John Candy]

Monkton Priors ... Signalling

Volunteer(s) wanted .... to construct the signals.
This is one of those tasks for which you do not need to live close to the centre of activity.
The signals will "plug in" to the baseboard mechanisms (controlled electrically) and be lit by LED.
Full instructions, together with parts/materials will be supplied.
YOUR chance to help with the Society's exhibition layout.
Please reply to this message and/or discuss with the team at the AGM.
John. 

[AllWight]

Your fiddle yard traverser sounds too big and heavy. On blackgang the fiddleyard sector plate which has roller bearings from 7 1/4" coaches is at it's limit of what is do able with two trains on the two tracks. If you have a GRS prairie with b set on one line and an IOW 02 on the other line with two coaches it's very heavy. To have four lines will be nigh on impossible to move. Also I would reduce the length of the fiddle yard and put the space now spare to scenic run in. Limit yourself to what is realistically possible on train sizes and variation. The shorter the train the further it appears to travel.

Blackgang was built around the known items of stock that I had when building it. The main platform was designed to allow an 02 to stop in a certain position with it's two coach set run around and be sat behind the signal. Also when the same train arrived into the fiddle yard there was sufficient room for the complete train to arrive in and another loco put onto the coaches with some operational flexibility. To have a 5 coach train involved lots of boxes. The size layout you are proposing will require 6 staff minimum a car and a transit van to move the layout people and locos/rolling stock boxes around.


Mark

[John Candy]

Mark,

Thank you for your observations.
We realised that the traverser would be unwieldy and an alternative of a siding arrangement is being considered.
We are keen to have maximum train length capacity, since it is being designed to form part of a larger, portable, garden track and not as a "stand alone" exhibition line.

The fiddle yard is to have 4 tracks and be capable of holding trains up to 17ft in length (or two shorter trains per track).

Ian is working on a more compact modular system to reduce volume for transportation.

Yes, the ideal number of volunteers would be 6 but we will have to make do with what we can get!

There are three types of G3S member in my book:-

1) Those who are in it for what they can take out and criticise others for not making enough effort.
2) Those who contribute to the best of their ability.
3) Those who make an exceptional contribution to promoting G3 and the G3 Society.

There has been a lot of criticism over the years at the lack of a portable/exhibition track.......let's now see how many of the critics are ready to stand up and be counted.

Regards,
John.

[cabbage]

Being a person who calculates and works things out rather than "knows" -I suppose I am the ultimate critic...

I have abandoned the traverser on my layout.  It was only 2 track 12 feet long but was just too big even with mechanical assistance. I did this after watching them wrestle at the GCR last year...

The problem you are going to have is the startup rolling resistance. The human arm generates 1/10th HP call it 70W. I used an M12 threaded bar and a 15cm crank and I could wang the traverser across 20cm in under 10 seconds. Thus I would say you are going to have to have 2 guys cranking for 30 seconds to move from tracks 1 to 4.

Your best bet is electrical power assistance. Gearbox design is no problem. Tim has a source of quite powerful motors used in wheelchairs. Muffet make big MOD2 gears. Moving the unit is then down to push button selection and monster power relays. Some thought is going to have to be given as to the rating of the thrust bearing on the ends of the screws and "synch"  balance propshafts between the gearboxes to even out the load. I would say that you would need 4 or preferably 5 power movers.

Mark is quite right that you would need very robust roller race bearings -but can I offer a suggestion that is used in the computer industry for moving cabinets? SLIDING.... Paxolin is a lubricant and bearing material. Whilst the total mass of a loaded cabinet is quite high, (circa 2 metric tonnes), the force per unit is actually quite low. The underside of the traverser has wide slats of Paxolin taking the down thrust. These can sit in throughs that the traverser moves across in.

If you like I can design one for you....

regards

ralph

[John Candy]

Ralph,

Thank you for your comments and the offer to design a suitable bearing surface.
I had assumed that a mechanical geared system (either man-powered or electrically propelled) would be required to move the deck and with a push-button system would make it even simpler (and require fewer volunteers).

I will see what the "team" thinks of your proposal .... they are skeptical of the traverser idea and are more in favour of the siding approach but the traverser would take up less overall length and that is an important consideration.

Regards,
John.

[MikeWilliams]

John,

If you are changing the traverser to sidings, will you make that end scenic too?

Also, I suggest there is a fourth type of member which accounts for a large majority, those who just pay their sub, read the Newsletter, maybe make the occasional model and that is all they want.  But before anyone says we must get these people involved, I say that's the best way to frighten them off and we need their subscription income, so leave them alone.

Mike

[John Candy]

Mike,

those who just pay their sub, read the Newsletter, maybe make the occasional model and that is all they want

Indeed, "God Bless 'em" .... long may they continue!

My sights are set on Category 1) .... typically, they will attend GTGs, consume large quantities of free cake and beverages....and then not be heard of until the next GTG.

If you are changing the traverser to sidings, will you make that end scenic too?

Nothing ruled out and nothing ruled in (how's that for a non-committal typical politician's reply)!!
Again....it all depends on man-power (i.e. volunteers).

Regards,
John

[John Candy]

Any signalling experts out there (I mean professional IRSE men, not the armchair types)?

Attached is a suggested signalling plan for Monkton Priors ..... loosely GWR in concept.
Any expert comments/suggestions?

There is a mixture of standard and short stop arms (some with rings or "S" attached), a calling on arm (to enable two passenger trains to arrive/stand at the platform) and ground discs (including one "yellow" type at the goods yard exit (to allow permissive access to headshunt).

Regards,
John.

P.S. The colours of the "stop" ground discs have been inverted for purposes of this diag. since a white disc will not show on a white background!

[cabbage]

I have forwarded your draft to T.B-L at Westinghouse... Do not expect a favourable reply -or one that is even polite!!! Fortunately Tourette syndrome does not extend to type written answers....

regards

ralph