Omagh GNRi station

[jhb171achill]

Tony, is Selwyn aware of this man for his interview archive?

[GNRi1959]

I don't imagine so, not sure.

I will message Selwyn today and arrange for him to visit.There are a number of GNRi men still in Omagh whom I know.

Edited March 19, 2017 by TonyMcGartland

[jhb171achill]

I don't imagine so, not sure.

I will message Welwyn today and arrange for him to visit.There are a number of GNRi men still in Omagh whom I know.

 

Absolutely brilliant, Tony. Selwyn already has a considerable archive of recordings of ex GNR, SLNCR, CDR and BCDR men. Mostly GNR. Very very valuable work now in recording the first hand experiences of the last ones standing, for all time.

[Noel]

Very tidy work. Like the colouring.

[GNRi1959]

Anyone got 4mm scale letters they are not using for my name board - need the letters OMAGH - please.

This would save me the trouble of buying full sets for 5 letters.

 

Edited March 19, 2017 by TonyMcGartland

[murrayec]

Hi Tony

 

It's looking great

 

Print out your sign from a computer, a program like word allows you to draw and set up the panel for the sign and print in whatever colour you like. Before cutting out the sign from the sheet cover it with Tranpaseal, you know the transparent sticky plastic sheet for covering your school books! This will protect the printed ink...

 

Eoin

[GNRi1959]

Eoin, sometimes the obvious is staring you in the face and it takes someone to give you a good kick up the ass!

Thanks, it looks great.

 

[DiveController]

Looking good, Tony. Layout is coming on well

[leslie10646]

Leslie, heres one of your Inglis bread container in the siding at Omagh General Station.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]26811[/ATTACH]

 

Tony

 

Not just the container but the two vans next to it are the subjects of my kits as well.

 

There's no excuse for not having a full GNR(I) 1950s goods train. However, as for coaches for your passenger trains ……..

 

Now, reference to the NCC vans asks the obvious question - do any of you want a few of those - I'm reticent to produce a kit that may not sell - not from the financial point of view but because my modeller's time is limited!

 

Tony, your layout is growing at Warp Factor Ten - great stuff!

 

Leslie

[GNRi1959]

Low relief girder bridge at North side of Omagh. Used a sheet of plasticard to block out background fixtures in room for the photograph.

 

[Noel]

Tony your layout progress is most impressive and the ongoing work looks great.

[jhb171achill]

Looks good!

[GNRi1959]

It probably wasn't a good idea starting to work on buildings and structures before dealing with point control but I wanted to look at all the methods of control before I jumped in at the deep end. In order that I connect my points to manual controls I will have to dismantle the baseboards to get underneath them. This is going to mean that great care will be of utmost importance.

 

The method I am going to use is wire running inside flexible curtain wire. It is so smooth in very way and I will be soldering the wire to PCB strips that will throw the point via a piece of 1mm wire. Does anyone know if copper coated wire solders well?

[Kirley]

Low relief girder bridge at North side of Omagh. Used a sheet of plasticard to block out background fixtures in room for the photograph.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]27268[/ATTACH]

 

Looking good Tony but will you have to lower the track height to get clearance for anything higher than the wagon?

[GNRi1959]

Kirley, good question. When I took this picture I hadn't yet taken a measurement of the loco clearances. Since the photo was taken I have raised the internal load-bearing wall and in effect raised the bridge to give clearance. I'm trying to think of a way of allowing the loco and wagons run under the bridge and return in the opposite direction without the need to build another baseboard - which I don't have space/nor desire to build.

[Junctionmad]

It probably wasn't a good idea starting to work on buildings and structures before dealing with point control but I wanted to look at all the methods of control before I jumped in at the deep end. In order that I connect my points to manual controls I will have to dismantle the baseboards to get underneath them. This is going to mean that great care will be of utmost importance.

 

The method I am going to use is wire running inside flexible curtain wire. It is so smooth in very way and I will be soldering the wire to PCB strips that will throw the point via a piece of 1mm wire. Does anyone know if copper coated wire solders well?

 

 

what sort of wire are you using , steel ?

[GNRi1959]

Junctionmad, good question. I was told it was migwire. I'm just wondering if I would be able to solder it. If its a poor choice, what would you choose?

[skinner75]

Junctionmad, good question. I was told it was migwire. I'm just wondering if I would be able to solder it. If its a poor choice, what would you choose?

 

You could get thick strands of pure copper wire by stripping heavy duty cable (for cookers say) - there'd be no problem with solder taking to that

[GNRi1959]

Today I connected copper coated 1mm wire to some of the points in my layout using flexible curtain wire as the outer sleeve to slide inside. The wire was fixed to the underside of the baseboard with cable clips that I screwed in position. The movement of the points are sound and all I need to do is source small knobs to attach the wire. Total cost less than £1

 

Edited March 23, 2017 by TonyMcGartland

[David Holman]

Cheap and cheerful - love it.

By the by Arigna Town will have soon knocked up 30 shows in just over three years. My points are wire in tube [as are the signals] and apart from replacing a couple of tie bars, has been problem free - so far, anyway...

[PJR]

Great work Tony, how are you connecting to the points?

[GNRi1959]

The 1mm wire is bent at a right angle up through the tie bar from under the baseboard and then out through the front edge of the baseboard frame. I'm sure there is a small knob I can get with a grub screw that will attach to the ends of the wire.

[GNRi1959]

Did you use Ratio points modified or is there a supplier out there doing Irish?

[burnthebox]

Well done Tony, just go's to show what can be done when you think about things, & of course saving on monies, which can be spent on the important things like........makes things more mechanical !! just as it was...

[GNRi1959]

Thanks BurntheBox, just this moment finished the remainder of the layout and tested all track after wiring back together again. Everything runs well and its nice not having to stretch over the layout to manually change points.

[Noel]

Today I connected copper coated 1mm wire to some of the points in my layout using flexible curtain wire as the outer sleeve to slide inside. The wire was fixed to the underside of the baseboard with cable clips that I screwed in position. The movement of the points are sound and all I need to do is source small knobs to attach the wire. Total cost less than £1

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]27294[/ATTACH]

 

That's clever and very neat. Your progress is impressive and inspiring. It seems only a few weeks ago you were asking for advice on track planning software. Enjoy watching your layout progress.

[GNRi1959]

I'm on the look out now for a small push/pull knob that I can slip over the ends of the wire to give me something to hold when operating the points. I'm thinking of a small knob with grub screw on the side that I can tighten to secure the wire.

 

Should I trim off the small lugs on the peace points that are normally used when changing with finger tips?

Edited March 24, 2017 by TonyMcGartland

[GNRi1959]

Ok, everyone who has followed Omagh North. My track is laid, wired, tested and points now on mechanical wire and tube system. Am I right to go ahead with painting of the rails? I've no plans on buying an airbrush so can someone advise on a couple of things.

1. The correct paint/make/name to purchase

2. Best brush for the job

3. Do I avoid contact with sleepers?

[Noel]

Ok, everyone who has followed Omagh North. My track is laid, wired, tested and points now on mechanical wire and tube system. Am I right to go ahead with painting of the rails? I've no plans on buying an airbrush so can someone advise on a couple of things.

1. The correct paint/make/name to purchase

2. Best brush for the job

3. Do I avoid contact with sleepers?

 

The only advice I can suggest is to avoid model 'rust' coloured paints as it can look too stark with an unpleasant red/orange tint and unreal when scaled to N and 00. Personally I found very diluted sleeper grime from rail match looked well on rail sides and if it goes on the sleepers as well the whole lot looks blended and subtle (i.e. not over bearing). The main thing is to just get the bright shine off nickel silver rail sides in typical indoor lighting. Sleeper grime can be hand brushed before ballasting, or if spraying you can choose to do it before or after ballasting. Main thing is to thin it enough so it's translucent on rail sides (i.e. they end up looking dull and dusty rather than painted). But any dull brown colour washed on would do.

Edited March 25, 2017 by Noel

[GNRi1959]

No better man to advise on paint, thanks Noel.

I presume that I'm going for acrylic based paints, I imagine the oil based would be quite messy.

[Noel]

I presume that I'm going for acrylic based paints, I imagine the oil based would be quite messy.

 

Unlike enamels which are solvent based, acrylics are less smelly and don't give off noxious fumes, and being water soluble can easier to touch up and clean.

 

Sleeper grime on rail sides and on sleepers

 

[leslie10646]

I'm on the look out now for a small push/pull knob that I can slip over the ends of the wire to give me something to hold when operating the points. I'm thinking of a small knob with grub screw on the side that I can tighten to secure the wire.

 

Should I trim off the small lugs on the peace points that are normally used when changing with finger tips?

 

Andy Cundick uses a simple slide "On / off" switch to move his points of Castlederg et al. I've forgotten how he tensions it - but there is a nut / bolt associated somewhere at the control end of the wire.

[GNRi1959]

Leslie, I got a sample piece of Andy's 'System' that he kindly made up for me. Unfortunately the small DPDT switches are a bit fiddly for my 'sausage sized' fingers. In the meantime I have simply screwed a piece of electrician block connectors to each wire and it does the job until I find a suitable knob. Thanks for that Leslie.

[GNRi1959]

Noel, I am assuming that the picture (TOP) is the real thing and the one below the model. The grass looks like it really is growing. What is the ballast type you're using - looks great!

[GNRi1959]

As a young boy I walked home from school along the railway, it had just closed and I remember clearly picking my way along the paths created by railway employees and permanent way men. The granite chips were grey though I do recall a brown rusty deposit on them. I think Noel has been able to replicate this well on his samples by spraying along the sleeper ends over the ballast.

 

As for track painting - I found that it took two coats to really kill the shine of the Peco rails. I also think that rusted rail and pretty heavy in colour and therefore may even take a third coat of slightly deluted Rail Match sleeper grime.

Edited April 5, 2017 by TonyMcGartland