Clogher Valley Project

[David Holman]

Setting up for exhibitions

 Despite a lack of postings, things have nevertheless been busy hereabouts, though a week in Croatia [very nice too], put the modelling on hold for a bit. Iain Rice's latest book 'Cameo Layouts' has been at the centre of my thinking for a while now & am aiming to make Fintonagh fully framed, so that is what recent work has been all about.

 Apart from a pelmet to hide the lights, Arigna Town has little in the way of 'framing', but to me, there is now no doubting the impact such things can have visually. A bit like when you crop holiday snaps [or indeed stuff for this site] on the computer, a frame round the layout is very useful in blocking out all that you don't want to be seen. The problem with such things is that, when exhibiting, they are just more stuff to take with you. Hence have been trying to both minimise the individual pieces and make sure as much as possible is fixed using flush mount plates - which are exponentially quicker than using M6 bolts and wing nuts.

 Hopefully the pictures show what I've been up to. 

 Firstly, the layout sits on two adjustable decorator's trestles, giving a track height of around 48"/120cm. Two folding longitudinal beams support the layout itself, the three sections being held together by just two M6 bolts. The pelmet slots on the front wings with two flush mounts. It is hinged in the middle and will have an LED strip to light the front edge of the scenery. Also on the pelmet are two hinged arms, one each end, which swing out to eventually support another LED unit. There is a central bracket, at the back, which both keeps the back scene aligned and [with a small drop in bolt] the pelmet nice and straight. The lower edge of the layout will have drapes to hide the trestles, but there will also be a slot in display board giving information about the Clogher Valley Railway, layout construction & so on. Current thinking is that the join between the two scenic boards will be hidden by a couple of removable plaques - one with the layout name & the other the CVR crest. Show badges and the like will be banished in order to keep an uncluttered fascia. The sage green colour was chosen to reflect the greens and greys of the foliage and buildings, though still needs at least another coat.

 Fintonagh's debut is now starting to feel close. Mid October sounds a way off, but it is nearly August and Arigna has two show before then too, so lots still to do!

[murrayec]

Nice David

I like the display height, it's looking at trains at the right height- side on, and not down onto roofs!!

I hope you will consider supplying a small step ladder for the younger viewer?

- there was a chap who came to the shows here, he brought his grandchild and a step ladder under arm, when they came to a layout to view the ladder was erected and the boy elevated to view, best bit was- the ladder was placed a safe distance from the layout- out of arms reach!

I've not seen him recently, reckon the kid has grown up and now has extended legs!

Eoin

 

 

[adrianmc]

Hi David,

Looking very nice - looking forward to seeing it in the flesh in three months time.

Are you looking at using the Philips Pentura LED Strip Lights we talked about at Derby or are you thinking of deploying something else?

Adrian

 

[David Holman]

Decided to stick with LED strip Adrian. LED Hut now do some neat conduit with a clear cover, so am guessing that does the same thing.

 Feel a bit guilty about the height, Eoin, but many folk now bring small folding stools and we have a couple at home I could take too. Doesn't help the wheel chair users though, so might have to make a periscope like the St Alban's club ones.

[David Holman]

Let there be light!

Ordered Thursday evening, delivered Saturday, such is the service of LED Hut, so quickly tempted to set everything up. I bought a 5 metre roll of 'cool white' self adhesive strip, along with a 2 metre pack of conduit. This comprises a length of extruded aluminium, the same width as the LEDs, a similar length of clear plastic cover for the aluminium, which slots neatly into place, plus some end caps and sprung mounting clips.

 I cut the aluminium and plastic cover in half to make two one metre units and fitted LED strip in each. A further 2x one metre LED strips were stuck to the underside of the pelmet framing, in order to light the front edge of the layout. Using Arigna Town's LED transformer, I then wired the four sections together, starting from the central support bracket. This has a nine way computer socket fixed to it, enabling the leads from the transformer to be plugged in, out of sight at the back of the layout. At the moment, chocolate block connectors split the incoming leads, one going to each aluminium housing. Further connectors then link each housing to the front pelmet. These connectors will be replaced with jack plug & socket once I can buy some. Not that long ago, there were three Maplin stores locally where you could even shop on a Sunday. No more sadly & the only option now is shopping on line or waiting for a model show.

 Anyway, much to my surprise [I am always surprised when my electrics work], it all works just fine and the two  [2 metre] LED strips provide what seems to be the right amount of light, though I'll leave the final decision on that to the punters at Uckfield in October. The rear strips are about 15cm from the back scene. 

 Buoyed by this success, I've been attempting to fill in some of the details still required on the scenic section. I'd liked to have put another coat of paint on the fascias & pelmet, but 30c+ heat hereabouts is stopping the earlier coats hardening properly, so I've got to wait. Instead, I've made and planted a load of nettles, which now adorn the base of the hoarding and are around the big tree. This afternoon, made up some basic [cosmetic] point levers, plus some boarding to cover the point mechanisms. Haven't yet decided whether Fintonagh merits a ground frame. The branch would probably have been one engine in steam, so simple ground levers may well suffice.

 Photos hopefully illustrate my ramblings!

[banntry]

Another winner David.

 

[David Holman]

Fettling and finishing touches

It is now less than a week to Fintonagh's exhibition debut at Uckfield next weekend. Not the largest show in the country, but definitely one of the finest in terms of layout quality. Manager Adrian Colenutt has become a past-master at fitting a lot in the space available, while the hospitality is very good too. 

 However, this means the layout has to not just look right, but it must run well too, hence the last few weeks being spent in trying to iron out all the faults! I've written elsewhere that this is very much a problem with hand built stuff - or at least it is for me, for I am no expert, but I do work at things in the hope of getting them right, while experience helps too and I have approaching 100 shows under my belt now.

 Fettling essentially involves running the operating sequence over and over again, making notes of where things go wrong, then investigating the cause in the hope of putting things right. Faults manifest themselves in various ways:

• Derailments - mostly these are down to back to backs on the wheels. I use 4mm fine scale standards, which means 19.3mm b2b and not much leeway either. Less than 0.5mm out and wagons in particular derail on either the point blades or the crossing vee. Easily solved with a vernier gauge, thankfully
• Hesitant running - mostly cured by compensated/rocking axles on locos, plus pick ups on all wheels.
• Couplings - I'm using Kadee No 5s and though they are fairly reliable, they do need careful setting up, especially as I'm also using small 'rare earth' magnets for uncoupling. Practice also important too, stopping trains within a 5mm space requires a degree of concentration.
• On top of the above, one also has to create a sequence that works simply and effectively, for as well as running the layout, it is always enjoyable talking to visitors and they have paid to come in, so you owe it to them to put on a decent show.

 In addition to the above, there is of course Sod's Law, which can strike at any time - usually when there is a video camera operating! When [not if, note], this happens, then you just have to grin and bear it, though it is just as well visitors can't hear what I'm thinking! At them moment, the layout is running at about 95% efficiency. Derailments are now only operator error and the locos [as long as track and wheels are clean] are running nicely - even Blackwater, which has had large amounts of lead added to enable it to pull a short coach and two wagons [!]. The problem is it has 30:1 gears as opposed to the 40:1 in sister Erne and it makes quite a difference. Blackwater has caused further headaches, by repeatedly suffering from a loose wheel nut [hopefully now cured with some gloss varnish in the threads] and a broken lead on the motor. The first class bogie coach has caused much head scratching and many rude words, because in one direction, it was derailing on the point entering the station. No amount of wheel checks could sort it, but eventually cured it, by reversing the bogie, so the troublesome wheels were in the inside, not the outside. Fingers crossed now ok. 

 The photos show some of the small details that I've been adding:

• A small [dummy] ground frame on the platform to operate the points
• A small section of point rodding [along the platform] and boarding elsewhere to cover the rest, which I really don't want to do!
• Figures, including a rakish fellow outside Forbes Bar, a flagman guarding the exit from the station and a lady promoting the Temperance Movement outside the tea rooms. 
• Road vehicles are mainly from Arigna, including donkey cart, small lorry and Austin 7 saloon, plus the Model T Ford truck seen earlier.

In addition, there has been organising packing and transport, with new stock boxes and trial fitting in the car. Talking to Christopher Payne [also at Uckfield with Pyn Valley Railway [in latest RM], he opined that a layout probably shouldn't be exhibited until it has done at least three shows, to iron out the faults that only ever occur away from home. Difficult, but I know what he means!

 Wish me luck, or better still, come along and say hello. Uckfield really is a great show.

[Andy Cundick]

Defiantly echo Davids comments on the Uckfield Show,i've had Valencia and Castlederg there and throughly enjoyed it.There again this year with Llanfair Caereinion.Andy.

[David Holman]

Those of you on the other side of the water need to get to Cultra this year, where Andy is showing Castlederg. Super layout, accurately portraying a delightful prototype.

[jhb171achill]

When is that on?

[David Holman]

Saturday 10th November.

[banntry]

Excellent detailing David-Its these smaller items that really bring a layout together.

[David Holman]

First day of layouts debut largely ok, though a short caused a bit of consternation first thing.  A few issues with the Kadees, but motive power acquitted itself well. Here's hoping Sunday is at least as good.

[David Holman]

Uckfield

By and large, Fintonagh's debut went well, though not without a couple of early problems. Setting up was quick and easy, but trying to run trains was a different matter, with a short as soon as power was applied. Not good when there is less than an hour before Joe Public arrives...

 Happily, the problem was soon traced to two tags behind the controller socket touching each other. A quick tweak and all was well; am guessing I must have pushed them together when carrying the layout to/from the car. However, no sooner that problem solved than the turntable stopped working! Lots of noise, but no movement. Fortunately the gearbox is easy to dismantle and just putting it back together again cured the problem.

 So, third time lucky and we were away. The only problems after that were down to the couplings. The rare earth magnets largely work well with the Kadee No5s, but are not perfect. The main issue is sighting the uncoupling points obliquely from either end of the the layout, which is front operated. The 'window' is probably less than 5mm, so it is as well that all the locos run nicely, though there was a bit to much to-ing and fro-ing to begin with until we got our eye in. One or two wagons were reluctant to couple up, so I guess things were about 80-90% efficient.

Equally, as a first experience of operating from the front [with 90+ shows under my belt], it turned out not bad at all. Sitting on high stools certainly saves aching feet at the end of the show. The LED lighting strips, one towards the rear and one just under the front pelmet, seem to give just the right amount of illumination, with the 'cool white tones' giving a good colour balance too. Meanwhile, as a small layout, just eight trips are needed to/from the car and much to our surprise, we were driving away just 15 minutes after the show ended. There are only four trains at the moment, but the plan is to add a couple more locos, to provide a bit more variety and a degree of insurance in the event of any failures. Lots of people took details, so looks light Fintonagh will be out and about over the next few years.

[KMCE]

Well done.   It's a super layout and the detail is sublime. 

I find it difficult enough to keep locos moving on my small layout at home, so trying to get them to perform in front of the public really adds pressure.

Perhaps one day, I may venture out with a layout;  most likely to embarrass myself!!

 

Best of luck with the future outings.

 

Ken

[jhb171achill]

Well done. This is a masterpiece of a layout, as is Arigna. 

What next from this stable! A Blessington tramway branch? Courtmacsherry? Glenties? Achill........... now I'm drooling again. Mop needed.

See yiz at Raheny tomorrow!

[Broadstone]

David, I have just read through this very interesting and inspiring thread about your brilliant new layout. It absolutely oozes atmosphere about the area with the trains running through the towns. Another slice of absolute brilliance David! And lots of great ideas for us all. I look forward to seeing it in the flesh the next time you are in t'North!

Cheers, Paul

ps Is Arigna Town now off the road?

 

 

[David Holman]

Thanks Paul, not everyone enjoys the Irish scene, but praise from those that do is doubly welcome. No invites further north yet, but suspect that as soon as it goes north of the M25 there will be.

 Arigna Town has just one more show, a local one in Kent that I accepted ages ago, at the end of January. After that, it is being 'retired' for a while, as I can ill afford to have two exhibition layouts on the go. However, plans are afoot to adapt it eventually, including back dating the scene to include both Shannon, the 101 and various other things I fancy - mainly with a bit more colour, so early 1900s is the plan, but still stuff to do on Fintonagh first.

[David Holman]

Reading Large Scale Show

 Fintonagh attended this show on Saturday and after a bit of a dodgy start, soon settled down and ran reasonably well. Indeed, we welcomed Galtee Moor, of this parish, to the operating team and very well he did too, bringing more than a touch of authenticity with an accent very much from the area and coping very well indeed with the challenge of using the fixed magnets to uncouple the Kadees when shunting. Thank you, good sir! I now know how Fintonagh should be pronounced and realise I had no idea how to say Stranorlar either! I took a few photos, but they are too large in format to post here, as I'm trying to build up enough shots for a magazine article. The 'cool white' LED lighting strips seem to work really well though, with many people commenting favourably on the daylight tones they produce.

 If you ever get a chance to go to an ALSRM [Association of Larger Scale Railway Modellers], it is well worth while. Like most, if not all society shows, they are a friendly bunch and it is always a pleasure to spend the day with knowledgeable folk who don't need the things like scale and gauge explaining. You pick up some good tips too. ALSRM covers everything from S scale upwards, so you get a fantastic mixture. Opposite Fintonagh, there was a G scale display, while nearby was a Gauge 3 layout of a GW branchline [stock boxes are enormous] and a 5" gauge ride on track too. Meanwhile, the trade hall was full with all sorts of fabulous stuff to really get you salivating. There are all manner of cottage industries out there that just don't advertise in the mainstream magazines, but do track, locos, rolling stock and buildings in all the larger scales.

 It would be possible to spend an absolute fortune. However, what I would certainly recommend is a recent book called Narrow Gauge Album in Colour 1950-1965, by Michael Whitehouse - son of Patrick, of that Bentley fame. The quality of the photography is just fabulous and includes some amazing pictures of the Cavan & Leitrim, Donegal and West Clare - along with plenty of other gems from my side of the water too. They are a modeller's delight, containing as they do amazing details of mundane things like buffer stops, sacks, wagon loads and even a bunch of teddy boys on the C&. Published by Lightmoor Press, it really is a gem. 

[Galteemore]

Thanks David - you and John were most gracious hosts and tutors. Most absorbing to lose myself in Tyrone for a few hours. As for the accent - you’re welcome. As a native of Belfast I’ve probably missed certain local nuances but hopefully what I told you is broadly correct. Some of our place names are rather challenging, I admit. But then try us Celtic types on a sentence like ‘Mrs Featherstonehaugh went with her sister Mrs Cholmondeley to Herstmonceux Castle’ ......

Edited May 13, 2019 by Galteemore

[David Holman]

Some video footage of Fintonagh at the recent EuroEx show in Birmingham. Fintonagh is at about 16-17 minutes, but there is some nice footage of the other layouts, including the large scale WW1 trenches depot.

 

[PorkyP]

Brilliant to see Fintonagh in motion  ! 

...The WW1 set was an interesting one too..got me toying with the idea of doing a diorama with a flying column of anti-treaty volunteers ambushing a train..!!!

[GNRi1959]

What a lovely piece of film and equally enchanting layout.well done David 

[murrayec]

David

As PP says above 'Brilliant to see Fintonagh in motion',

the locos in motion, the depth of the buildings and back scene are just stunning.

Eoin

 

[leslie10646]

As usual, David, heartiest congratulations - it looks terrific and interesting to see models of motive power I've only seen in photos.

I'd raise a glass to you, but then I noticed that the layout includes the TEMPERANCE Hotel!

[DiveController]

On 10/16/2019 at 4:04 AM, leslie10646 said:

As usual, David, heartiest congratulations - it looks terrific and interesting to see models of motive power I've only seen in photos.

I'd raise a glass to you, but then I noticed that the layout includes the TEMPERANCE Hotel!

AH, but that's across from The Tram bar (and just down the street from Coakham's books!)

[David Holman]

Indeed, I like to offer a choice! Plus there is also Forbes bar outside the station. The common thread here being you only get an establishment named after you if you are dead...

[leslie10646]

3 hours ago, David Holman said:

Indeed, I like to offer a choice! Plus there is also Forbes bar outside the station. The common thread here being you only get an establishment named after you if you are dead...

During my talk on Lance King's travels in Ireland, I showed a pic of Phoenix on the CDRJC.

A scholar  like you, David, will recall that when the CVR  was in trouble, Henry Forbes was one of the "helpers", helping himself to the Atkinson Walker tractor for a hundred GUINEAS, re-engined she outlasted the CVR by a couple of decades.

Still, I suppose if we have pubs called Dick Turpin here, why not a pub in Ireland after a corporate asset stripper? (Only joking, you CDR men - he was a man with an eye to a bargain!).

[David Holman]

I believe he sold the boiler to a local laundry for £100, the tractor cost him £5! He did still have to convert it though.

[David Holman]

Stevenage Weekend

Having exhibited several times at the CMRS show, St Albans, I was more than a little interested to see how their new venue in Stevenage compared. St Albans was always a fine show, but in a challenging venue, Stevenage occupies a large sports hall and indoor bowls green, so from both access and moving around, it was immediately no contest - so much better. However, the show itself remains its previous highly enjoyable self. Fine layouts, excellent trade support and knowledgeable, friendly visitors. Add in the fact that on Saturday night I had dinner with Gordon and Maggie Gravett, Tony Wright (Stoke Summit, Little Bytham,  loco builder extraordinaire, etc), Barry Norman and Adrian Colenutt (Uckfield show manager), then it had to be a fine weekend?

 Well, almost.

 Fintonagh's previous outing in November was almost problem free, plus there was the award for best layout too. At first, all went well at Stevenage, with all trains operating faultlessly, until the first visitors appeared at 10am, that is!

 We had derailments, poor uncoupling and the turntable was juddering round like it needed a dose of Ritalin. We put it down to the hall being cold early on and things did improve as it warmed up and certainly through the afternoon, but Sunday followed the same pattern, plus we managed to knock one of the point motors off its mounting while going back to the car. Oh yes, and we are at the Canterbury show next weekend!I

 Back home and with the boards accessible on the workbench, it didn't take long to fix the point motor, while another half hour saw the cause of the derailments hopefully fixed. This was the turnout to the turntable, which wasn't closing properly. At the show, it seemed like the operating wire had almost gone soft, but it is the same gauge as the others. In the end, I resoldered the tie bar a couple of mm over and this seems to have done the trick. While on the bench, I checked everything else underneath, not least because a different Tortoise point motor had suddenly dropped its operating wire halfway through Sunday afternoon.

 Am now trying to decide what to do about the turntable. It is a Peco N gauge version, with a plastic centre hole which really needs bushing. A basic fault is it rotates on the centre boss, so the outer rail track does no work and the deck rocks up and down on its centre pickups when a loco goes on and off. Have a plan to emulate the SE Finecast turntable I've put on Belmullet by adding some home made rollers that will actually run on the pit rail. Do I do it before Canterbury, or risk another show, knowing the next outing isn't until Allypally in March? At the moment, methinks the former, but will sleep on it and report back in a day or so. I also need to check the including magnets as I learned from one of the Burntisland free that not having them all the same way up can cause problems, along with some other advice I want to test too. Looks like it could be a busy week!

 

[Galteemore]

Had hoped to make Stevenage but life got in the way! Sorry to hear about the layout frustrations but sounds like you’ve been busy; hope all the gremlins get sorted. And that’s a pretty stellar social gathering....definitely A-list! I’d be interested to hear about the magnets as I have heard of this issue when researching for my own installation.

Edited January 13, 2020 by Galteemore

[Phil3150]

It was good to meet you on Sunday David. A face put to another name. It was the first time I had seen Fintonagh in the flesh and it’s very impressive. Having seen the clip of an engine using the turntable at Arigna I don’t think you should be too concerned about the odd bump coming off yours!

[David Holman]

Fintonagh's predecessors

 Midlandman was asking about these, so I dug out my old RM's to include a few pictures from the articles I had published. Hawkhurst High Weald, was my first ever magazine article & while I've been lucky to have quite a few since, there is still a real thrill to see your work in print - plus you get paid as well! The layout was 0n16.5 using hand made track, but with a short length of 0n9, using N gauge track as a feeder 'twig' to the branch. The High Weald Light Railway was very much a Colonel Stephens inspired system [the surname has much to do with it], replacing the Kent & East Sussex with narrow gauge. It did about a dozen shows in the early 90s, but to be honest, it never ran as well as I would have liked. The baseboards developed a sag and my point building could have been better.. However, I'd become reasonably ok with making buildings and had a lot of fun with the station [based on Hemyock] and, especially, the oast house. The latter is a real Kentish signature building & I went to town on making it as accurate as possible, right down to the thousand odd individual peg tiles on the roof, while the bricks were all painted individually too. 

 Stock was an eclectic mix, to say the least. I made extensive use of 00 chassis, so an outside framed 2-6-0T [freelance] had a plasticard body on a Lima 08 diesel shunter chassis, while the same methods resulted in an 0-6-0T with tramway skirts and an 0-6-2T came from a Lima 2-6-2T chassis. There was 'proper' stuff too - the Vulcan kit of a Sierra Leone 2-6-2T that gave me my first go at outside valve gear and a Wrightlines Baldwin 4-6-0T. Wagons and coaches were all scratch built in plastic on Ratio wagon chassis. Their bogie brick wagon yielded a couple of open wagons, plus a coach chassis, for very little outlay, which is one of the joys of freelancing in 7mmNG.

 I kept all the buildings, but Hawkhurst went to the recycling centre; the oast was reused on Loose End. However, as I still had all the narrow gauge stock, I decided to build another, small layout, called Cranbrook Town, initially to exhibit, but also with the intention of selling it all on. Cranbrook was a quick build, because I used Peco track. Indeed, see to remember I made the baseboard, laid the track and wired it all up inside a week. Scenics took a lot longer, as I experimented with a detailed back scene, portraying a bluebell wood. Made up of three 3x2 boards, with integral legs, the layout was easy to set up and even quicker to knockdown. The record for being back in the car after a show was 12 minutes! 

 Some new stock was added including the Branchines Clogher Valley bogies coaches. I butchered one of the then brand new Hornby/Dapol 08 shunters into a narrow gauge diesel [which ran beautifully], while one of the MTK El Crappo [yes, really] railcar kits was paired with a lorry trailer made from the Corgi Liptons tea van [as per the real thing on the Selsey Tramway] to make a neat mixed train.

 Both layouts taught me a lot. I cut my teeth on scratch building both locos and coaches. Being freelance meant there was no need to absolute accuracy, but even then, inspiration came from Irish as well as English prototypes. 7mm NG is certainly a great was of getting into making your own stuff, not least because there are plenty of cheap, second hand chassis out there as starting points. I also explored various elements of layout design, used cassettes in the fiddle yards, Tortoise point motors and even made some track. Any elements which have since appeared in my Irish models are by no means coincidental.

 The first three pictures are Hawkhurst [RM was still not all colour then], the rest are Cranbrook. What happened to it after I sold it on, I've no idea, but do know that one of my CVR coaches ended up on David Taylor's Bridport, after being rebuilt into a parcels van.

[Midland Man]

Lovely modeling.

[Garfield]

Thanks for sharing those images, @David Holman; I remember seeing that RM article about the High Weald Light Railway back in the '90s. Superb modelling!