Arigna Town - this week's scenery

[Brendan8056]

David,

It was great to see Arigna Town on Saturday and have a chat about Irish railway modelling. I hope your club all had a good show,

Best wishes,

Brendan

[Mike 84C]

Congratulations David, Arigna Town looks good and ran well. Truly launched on the exhibition circuit. I also enjoyed the chatting about Irish Railways and learned a few things.

Mike

[David Holman]

Good to see you, Brendan & Mike. Likewise all the other folk keen on the Irish scene. A quieter day on Sunday, but the layout ran well both days. The only fault was a broken linkage to the signal controlling entry to the loop. Otherwise, apart from the occasional dirt related pickup problems, everything went smoothly.

Lots of interest for future shows - have a list of 12, mainly in the south east, but hopefully York next year or the one after. Next confirmed outing is Uckfield in mid October [always a god show], but will keep everyone informed once others are finalised.

a full review of the show's experiences shortly.

[jhb171achill]

Any chance of bringing it to Ireland, David?

 

It would go down extremely well, especially at son e sort of exhibition in the likes of Headhunters in a Enniskillen. PM me if you want details of how to get in touch, if you're ever over. The railway museum attached has a GNR western area / SLNCR theme for the most part.

[Weshty]

My uncle has an Austin 7 saloon just like the one in front of the garage. I suppose it's safe to assume people could have held onto a car dating from the 30's into the late 40's.

 

Long term car retainership went on longer well into the 70's. My dad bought a Morris Marina in '71 and held it 'til 1983. BL at it's best!

 

 

David,

Your layout goes from strength to strength. What a photo, handbuild 5'3 " gauge and a fab tapered junction signal as well, pure class.

I look forward to seeing it in the flesh someday.

[David Holman]

Got the layout safely back home on Sunday evening & have been going through a few things which needed attention. The main one was to repair the linkage to one of the signal arms. One of the angle cranks was made of too thin metal strip and the actuating wire broke through the hole it was fixed in. Not a job to do under the layout at the show, so had to wait until it came home. Easily fixed, so all is now back in working order.

All the stock fared well & am sure benefitted from the 14 hours of running time over the show. Happily, there was no sign of any unforced derailments, while the simple sequence suited other operators.

The only other thing which needed attention was transport, as it didn't fit in the car as well as I would have liked - ie, had to use the front passenger seat for a couple of stock bags. Have since worked out a better way [pairing up two of the boards to make a crate], which also enable me to store the layout safely at home [more of which below]. However, there is another project which I hope to complete before the layout goes out again. This is to build a new fiddle yard, which will have seven tracks and both slide and rotate. The latter feature really works well, but currently, only have four tracks, which are full, so as I build more stock, the fiddle yard will have to have greater capacity.

The next outing is Uckfield in October, but before then, my BR, East Anglian layout, Eatonswell, has an appointment at the Croydon Show at the start of that month. Hence that is now out from storage & being tidied up & stock checked. will post a few pictures on the appropriate section later. Shows which have expressed an interest in Arigna include Hampton court, Wimbledon, Farnham, Deal, Maidstone, Gravesend, Burgess Hill, Croydon & Canterbury. Unsurprisingly, these are mainly in the south east, but I would very much like to take it to Ireland one day - though appreciate the costs would be considerable...

[David Holman]

Much delight earlier this week when photos arrived from RM. Andrew Burnham [editor of Continental Modeller] took them on the Sunday morning of the Chatham Show, using natural light and long exposures. The results are humbling to say the least - 34 pics far better than anything I can do. Unfortunately, they are all 10megs or more, so you'll have to wait till next April's RM to see them. At least it coincides with next year's York Show, for which Arigna now has an invite. Epsom too, later in the month.

In the meantime, have just started work on a new fiddle yard board, which will both slide and rotate, giving me room for seven tracks instead of the current four. So, eventually more trains and the opportunity to build them.

[Mike 84C]

David, all those invites for Arigna wow!! you deserve the plaudits, look forward to to seeing Arigna at York maybe.

[paul greene]

Hello David, So glad to hear that the layout ran well at Chatham. It is looking truly superb and, from the Neil Sprinks books, you really have captured the atmosphere of the SLNCR. I am stunned at the amount of stock you have managed to build, including the 2 railbuses, neither of which are easy models! I note an invite to York next year or the year after? I look forward to seeing it then and reading more about its progress. What also strikes me is the care you put into making it work, as well as looking great - the 2 main attributes of a successful exhibition layout! For Kilbrandon I could improve in both senses!

 

Thanks again and well done, Paul

[heirflick]

I would very much like to take it to Ireland one day - though appreciate the costs would be considerable...

 

would look forward to that if it happens David - heres to some day:cheers:

[108]

Hi David

Just spotted the layout in New Irish Lines. Very well done.

[heirflick]

yes - just got the copy of new irish lines and the article of your layout does you proud - well deserved:tumbsup:

[David Holman]

Thanks chaps - it was a lovely surprise to find it was on the front cover. Better still though was the quality of the rest of the content, from the news, through the articles to the letters. Read it all with much pleasure. Am already salivating at the thought of a 7mm scale G2. Just how good is that NCC 4-4-0? Inside motion and all. Outside Walschaerts valve gear is one thing, but inside moves things to another level. Only fitted dummy so far, but maybe when I get round to Sir Henry, I'll have a go. At least there is more room between the frames! Loved all the other stuff too and would encourage everyone to get a copy [and no I don't mean for my layout]. Congratulations to all involved on such a professional and high quality publication. Already looking forward to the next.

[David Holman]

As indicated elsewhere, the layout now has a new fiddle yard. The Mark 1 version only had a four track turntable and the outer two were on a radius of less than 5 feet. The new one has seven tracks & these are all straight, so capacity is increased by over 75%.

The photos hopefully make things clear, but here goes in terms of a description. The structure is in three parts. The lowest level is a shallow U shaped framework, which has two double ended drawer runners. In these sits a 5cm deep table and on top of this is the actual train turntable. The table is a simple framework of softwood, covered top & bottom with 3mm MDF. The turntable is 12mm MDF, while the base framework is built from a two longitudinal plywood & softwood beams [4mm ply either side of 18mm plywood squares], with ends made from 12mm ply and 45mm square softwood.

A similar version was described in Model Railway Journal by S Gauge Society member Robin Fielding. His had just three tracks, but the extra width of my version requires heavier duty drawer runners [about £20 a pair]. The feed in track from the layout is in the centre of the board, so the sliding table only needs to move just over half the total width [30cm] to enable it to rotate.

Track alignment is by home made bolts. Two 'bolts' on the lead in track locate in short barrels on the turntable. Both are made from brass tube soldered to flat brass strip, which is then screwed to the fiddleyard surface. The actual bolt is brass rod, which is a nice snug fit in the tube. The bolts also provide power from the scenic baseboards to the fiddleyard tracks, so only the aligned track is powered. For additional safety [& when the fiddleyard is turned], there is a hinged aluminium strip at each end. The only other refinement is a small household bolt in the side of the table, which hold the turntable in place while it is moved on the drawer runners.

The only effect on the scenic part of the layout is that it has had to be raised 75mm, to line up with the new fiddleyard, which is inevitably much deeper that the previous one. Short cross pieces [the width of the layout], sit on the longitudinal beams and hopefully the small increase in height improves the overall viewing angle.

 

[Noel]

Absolutely mouth wateringly stunning!

 

Ascetically, technically, visually, realistically, atmospherically excellence.

[heirflick]

excelent work - cant wait to see it in operation!

[paul greene]

Hi David,

 

These types of traverser/turntable fiddle yards have become a bit of a S Scale standard! I think its John Coulter who started it off with his Llanfair Cambrian layout. Then me and Robin Fielding built them for Kilbrandon and Grove Ferry Junction. The great thing about them is that they are a great space saver and reduce the amount of handling of the models. You look to have built a really neat travtable David!

 

Cheers,

 

Paul

[David Holman]

Thanks Paul. Seeing Robin's version and reading his article was the inspiration. The one thing I didn't pick up was that two way drawer runners are needed for my version. Only found out when realised the table would not slide fully over...

Beat me round the head and I get there eventually!

[David Holman]

A couple of pictures of the new loco, sharing the coal train duties with the J26. It is assumed that the J26 brings the empties into Arigna Town, where Lark is waiting to take them up to the mines. The j26 heads off light engine & brake van, to return later in the day to pick up the loads which Lark has brought back down.

As you can see, this is one tiny engine. Just 21 tons, it is about the size of a box van and dwarfed even by the modest dimensions of a J26...

[scahalane]

Lovely looking addition. Hours of shunting fun there!

[Dave]

Lovely loco David, stunning level of detail.

[Noel]

Respect

 

Superb workmanship - Enjoy.

[jhb171achill]

I always thought St Molaga would have been ideal for the DCDR!

[David Holman]

Completion of the workshop gave me the opportunity to add some better lighting. Talking to Gordon Gravett over the summer, he told me he was experimenting with LEDs for layout lighting, so decided to have a go myself.

 

Arigna Town was lit by 8x 6watt Clipspots, which generated a fair bit of hear [as you'd imagine] and were probably too bright for the effect I wanted. So checked out the LED Hut website and put in an order for 2x 5m, 72 watt LED strips, one in warm white, the other cool white. Also requires a 150 watt transformer. Not cheap...

Have fixed the LED strips to a thin batter, which hinges like an old fashioned expanding wooden ruler. Hence can be fixed to the underside of my bookshelves, or bolted to the gallows brackets supporting the fascia at exhibitions.

Now, very much appreciate that colour is in the eye of the beholder, but [to me at least], the effect is sharper and more like the bright but cloudy day I was looking for. Much closer to the fabulous pictures Andrew Burnham took for the forthcoming article in the Modeller too. However, not sure if it shows on the photos...

[heirflick]

stunning! - love the water puddles!

[David Holman]

See the workbench section for details of the new coal wagons, but here is the sequence I've devised to used them.

The sliding rotating fiddle yard means hand free where trains are concerned, but had been struggling to come up with a system that enabled loaded and empty coal trains, without needing to manhandle locos & brakevans in the fiddleyard. The solution, when I finally worked it out is simple and creates another train too - a short rake of wagons carrying stores & empties to/from the mine. Hence we have a generator on an open carriage truck, another open with oil drums & petrol cans, plus a covered van with whatever inside. Guess could also include a wagon of pit props sometime too.

So the sequence of photos should shows Lark arriving with the stores wagons from the mine, which are put in the goods siding. the engine then goes to the water tank to fill up. The J26 arrives next with the empties & after running round, picks up the stores wagons & brake van, before heading back to Sligo. Lark then comes off the loco siding & pushes the wagons off, up to the mine. As it is deemed there is no run round loop up there, empties have to be propelled.

The reverse sequence is much the same, though this time the J26 goes to get water, while Lark brings the loaded wagons [removable loads - see the workbench section] down from the mine and then hides in the goods siding with the stores wagons. After the J26 has departed, Lark runs round its wagons & propels them back to the mine.

Fairly simple & it does give the added bonus of two trains 'on scene'. However, the photos have not uploaded in the right order for some reason, so will leave for you all to work out what happens & when from the text.

 

[Dave]

Just beautiful, the atmosphere is lovely. Might want a few ropes on that generator before it rolls off that wagon!

[David Holman]

Well spotted D - a wee job I sorted this afternoon.

[Kirley]

The standard is maintained...

[scahalane]

The detail on this layout is simply breath taking, brilliantly lush.

[Glenderg]

My fetish for brake vans stirs once more.... glorious workmanship.

[David Holman]

Sadly, there is only enough room in the fiddle yard for two wagons and a brake van [plus coach No 9] on the mixed train. Until now, these two wagons have been a mix of whatever is available and at exhibitions, I like to keep things as simple as possible. In my experience, the paying public aren't too interested in seeing lengthy shunts, while it is not unknown [when they do occur], that the same wagons go out as come in!

However, with a parcels van to add to the horse box, for home use, the mixed train now uses there two on one leg, replacing them with two from the goods shed siding. Given that both really need to go right at the end of the siding, against the stop blocks, this can call for a degree of stirring in the grey matter. The photos show an incoming train.

 

[David Holman]

Not much happening on the layout itself these days, but the arrival of the new excursion train has meant the buffer stops beyond the turntable have had to go. This is because though the G2 2-4-0 [Tyrconnel kit], fits on the table, such are the overhangs, the buffers needed moving. considered shifting them back a few [scale] feet, but this would have meant digging up some of the scenery, so in best Sligo [or indeed, Donegal] practice, have decided to do without them. Not sure the crossing keeper's pig is too happy mind, his sty is right in the firing line if a loco should overshoot!

The new excursion train has largely been described in the workshop section. However, a couple of points to note are as follows:

 

The loco ran nicely, but soon found it would not pull the skin off a rice pudding. Traced the problem to several sources.Firstly the tender pickups were causing too much drag, then also realised that the nickel silver wire providing a degree of spring on the front pony wheels was lifting the front drivers fractionally off the track. Tried to fix by filling the firebox with lead, but not effective until I replaced the spring wires with thinner material.

Also had to do a fair bit of work on the coaches, as their wheels were rubbing on the [cosmetic] axleboxes. This was also down to the wire springing, used to give a degree of flexibility in the 6 wheel chassis. Adding small blocks of plasticard to the underside of the coach body has limited the movement here, though the coaches are certainly heavy and not as free running as I would like. Nevertheless, the now well weighted loco has enough oomph to haul its intended three coach train. This is meant to represent anything from football/hurling specials to Galway, or pilgrimages to Claremorris [for Knock] and Westport [for Croagh Patrick].

The photos also show the repaint given to the coaches after some gentle [& valid] chiding from JHB & Mayner. The were originally far too dark, so resprayed them a lighter green, then removed the roofs to replace the glazing. Finished off with black roofs [instead of grey] & solebars, plus a bit of weathering. Hopefully now looks the part.

[Dunluce Castle]

Beautiful work on everything, superb!

[jhb171achill]

That is just jaw-droppingly good. Those carriages and the Midland 2.4.0 are absolutely perfect. Superb work as always.