The Blackstairs Railway

[fergalm1]

Howya Ed,

Just seeing your posts for the first time....Might see you for a pint now that Sheas has opened back up. More Covid related modelling going on here in Borris in the shadow of the Viaduct....... Eileen Lawlor would have been proud.

[Edo]

Wow - its a small world alright

Thats looks great Fergal - then again all you have to do is look out your window for inspiration!

The Station is coming along great - you are miles further along than meself.

Fair play - Good to know Sheas is back open again -  hopefully with the minimum of plastic - I was talking to Niamh a couple of weeks ago and she wasn't sure if they were going to open or not.

Keep the pictures coming of your progress when you can - the viaduct looks great

Stay safe

Ed

 

 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2020 by Edo

[fergalm1]

Here's a teaser Ed. Beet and Cattle Special coming under Haggerty's Bridge. Bit more work done on the foliage and Mountain River

 

[Edo]

Did a final running session with those great 121s running on over 90% irish made track (Jouef made in Shannon over 30 years ago) - borrowed off my father in law while I wait for my Peco order to arrive.

Well the baseboard configuration is pretty much complete - now i will take it all apart to sand, varnish and paint the modules , reinforce the shelves and get it all secured back into place again......I'll post again when all that is done and there is real progress on the layout.

 

[Galteemore]

Loving the rail joint noise! Nice clip - and Irish track too ! 

[Edo]

Thanks GM ....the track is Jouef H0 interspersed with hornby code 100 - its the very slight difference in height that gives the very satisfying /very irish pre mid 90's clikiddy clack......totally unintentional - but does raise an interesting dilemma ...

[JasonB]

The 121's look great running as a pair. Really looking forward to getting my hands on both the IR and IE versions. That clikiddy clack sounds brilliant, intentional or not  

[Edo]

I couldn't recommend them more Jason - The MM 121's are the business. Once you get them out of the box ( the most dangerous part!) - they just run and run.............even over this ancient warping Jouef track thats been sitting in dust in an attic for the guts of 30 years and probably never seen a track cleaner...........no bother to them.

 

 

[Edo]

The latest

I've sealed and painted all the baseboards ( grey primer and green over that...why green?...it was sitting in a can in the shed...free!)...and they are now secured - but easily taken down to be worked on

The book shelves area is the same - tho I've started the process of reinforcing the cut out areas - will be doing more aswell as disguising the entrances - when all the structural work is done, Im thinking of making different bridge facades for each one..just a though for the moment..

Other than that Im just waiting for Peco to restock their customers - who knew code 75 track was more in demand than the latest playstation

[Alan]

As a novice here  I'm Following with interest, would love to do the tullow branch Station.. Someday! 

Where's the best place to buy peco track?.. 

[Edo]

On 20/11/2020 at 3:30 PM, Alan said:

As a novice here  I'm Following with interest, would love to do the tullow branch Station.. Someday! 

Where's the best place to buy peco track?.. 

Hi Alan

All serious model Railway stores sell Peco track and accessories - its pretty much the go-to RTR track.

Marks Models carry a good range and will order anything else for you.

You can also go to the UK Stores online - the likes of Hattons.Rails, The Model Centre etc etc - they are loads of them - prices don't vary too widely...............you can also go on ebay for a wider variety of new and used Peco track.... sometimes at great prices 

I'd say the first thing you should do is decide what are you are going to do, what scale etc, etc..............AnyRail is a great little programme to download to allow you do up a plan and try out the various guages and manufacturers ranges

http://www.anyrail.com

Also - at the moment - bear in mind - with the Pandemic there has been a massive increase in interest in rail modelling and the fact that Peco themselves converted their factory to PPE manufacturing for a spell this year - has meant that supplies of Peco track have run down everywhere which Peco are working day and night to replenish and orders are starting to trickle back into most retailers..........Also - if you are living in an EU country - bear in mind there is uncertainty over what Brexit is going to do - especially in the short term.

Tullow Station eh?............so we are talking the pre 1960s with lots of older rolling stock and hundreds of cattle wagons!............that would be fab - best of luck with it.

Ed

 

 

Edited November 21, 2020 by Edo

[Alan]

Thx ed for info  have been looking for peco seems to be in short supply alright... Its only for a straight forward layout for my Young fella.. (really!)...

I'm Hoping eventually to get the tullow branch through modelbase boards.... at some stage, if its left to me to do it will never happen.. 

 

 

 

[Edo]

B125 with a cement load making its way gingerly thru the Bagnalstown Yard ahead of major construction works - the 121 is such a smooth runner...

[Edo]

My final Post of 2020 - what a year - and a happy new year to all.

This year was the year i finally got the finger out on the layout. Progress so far has resembled the year - stop start - waiting for stuff - juggling the finances etc etc .....however im happy enough with things - all things considered.

Im still awaiting a last delivery of track from Marks when the Peco delivery finally lands to finish off the track network - the layout is now really in 3 zones - 1) the permanent layout through the bookcase area 2) the display area of 3 removable 4 x 2 ft modules which is the station, and 3) the fiddle yard and lift out door crossing area.

Zone 1 has had the most work - with the cork underlay and 1 of the 2 sheets of floor underlay im trying as a noise dampener down. The track plan is complete, cut and ready to be glued down permanently. The Shelve uprights have been reinforced and cleaned up. Next step will be to wire the section up for running and get the point motors in place...i also have LED lighting for the lighting of the Shelf sections ready to be installed....all in all lots more structural work before an ounce of scatter or paint goes anywhere near the area.

2) the display area - which will be Bagnalstown Station and yard circa 1960 - is coming along slowly - i've got the main line (dublin - kilkenny) in place along with the Palace east branch - i have the points in place for the passing loop and engine shed....and the points for the goods yard...all to be finalised and connected up when final track order comes in. The display area is all code 75 - the transition pieces to code 100 on the rest of the layout seem to work really well....again lots of structural work and wiring to be done here before anything else.

3) the fiddle yard area and lift out door area are still not really finalised yet - i still havent decided on a firm course of action as im not happy with the structure of the lift out piece and landing area ....to be revisited again and again id say!

So lots more work this year - but at least it is up and running - hopefully i can get to some of Leslie's kits too to get some rolling stock for my J15s and Grey 121s

Here's some video and pics of the current state of affairs - happy new year everybody and stay safe and please God i might get to meet some of you in the coming year at an IRRS meeting or a show as soon as its safe.

Ed

[Edo]

Feb update

On the face of it - not a vast amount done since Christmas. I had a bit of a rethink on the underlay - for the better I think. Also changed the lift out section in front of door into a hinged bridge section - its functional - i can see it being refined as time goes on.

The Bagnalstown yard track is pretty much cut and fitted - just the engine shed and yard to be completed. The Palace East branch is in place as are the goods shed and sidings....im going to take advantage of the fact that Bagnalstown had 2 rather long sidings/headshunts on either side of the passing loop (osi maps)to give myself options for double line running.....

Thats going to be it for a while - work and the garden are going to take over until the autumn now - but i have a functional railway to run my As when they arrive in a few months time.

For the first layout i've attempted since i was in short trousers (40+ years) and without an engineering bone in my body - its going ok and very educational.....next up is wiring which i will attempt ....hopefully  without shorting out the entire Shannon region!

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by Edo

[Robert Shrives]

Impressive works and hopefully wiring carries on with blackouts !  Have fun and hopefully weather means more inside time.. the garden will look after itself but will be more work later... 

Robert 

[ttc0169]

Its coming along nicely Edo- the point work looks great.

[Noel]

On 14/2/2021 at 10:50 PM, Edo said:

Feb update

On the face of it - not a vast amount done since Christmas. I had a bit of a rethink on the underlay - for the better I think. Also changed the lift out section in front of door into a hinged bridge section - its functional - i can see it being refined as time goes on.

The Bagnalstown yard track is pretty much cut and fitted - just the engine shed and yard to be completed. The Palace East branch is in place as are the goods shed and sidings....im going to take advantage of the fact that Bagnalstown had 2 rather long sidings/headshunts on either side of the passing loop (osi maps)to give myself options for double line running.....

Thats going to be it for a while - work and the garden are going to take over until the autumn now - but i have a functional railway to run my As when they arrive in a few months time.

For the first layout i've attempted since i was in short trousers (40+ years) and without an engineering bone in my body - its going ok and very educational.....next up is wiring which i will attempt ....hopefully  without shorting out the entire Shannon region!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lovely flowing track work free of kinks at joints. Don't worry about the Shannon Region, Ardnacrusha can handle any shorts!  Just drop the barriers at Parteen Weir. 

[Edo]

No progress to report - just took the 42ft fleet out for a spin today - in between cooking the dinner! - 

 delighted that the compact non prototypical passing loop still is able to hold up to 9 containers or ferts comfortably.....

[Edo]

I think it's  time to give an update as to where I am.

In the 2 and half years since the last update I have changed my mind umpteen times , gone down the rabbit hole of procrastinating over which is the "right way " to proceed and on more than one occasion, contemplated getting rid of the whole thing as it seemed i could never find the time or desire to kick on with it.

For a long time it was covered over and became a repository and storage area for everything else going on....other areas of life just took over and became more important - its the way it goes at times.

Finally - I made the decision in mid summer this year to just get on with it and at least get the track down and some basic wiring done by Christmas. I got off the fence on what type of point control I would run with it and made the investment. There is a danger in this hobby  in looking at what everybody else is at.  it can cut two ways ........you can get inspired and learns lots from the efforts  of others.....................or you can become paralysed with indecision and doubt was to whether you are doing the right thing, have the right equipment or the right skills...........the truth of the matter is that there is a million and one ways to build and run your railway and whatever works for you..........So rather than continuing to procrastinate as to whether I'm doing the right thing - to paraphrase a recent expression - I have made my plan and am proceeding quickly (by my standards), untidily with rudimentary skills and am breaking things (not too expensive) on the provisio that I can revisit the issue in the future as my skillset (hopefully ) improves and I can improve it ...............but I am at least proceeding and have the solder burns to prove it!

So what have I done?

Most importantly I was never really happy with the depth of the initial baseboards - so I took them apart and doubled the depth of them which massively increases their capacity for bits of equipment like point motors etc etc . I lifted the initial trackplan , relooked at it and I think improved it and I am in the process of relaying it. I have the Book Shelves area done - it is wired for DCC and the point motors are solenoids with Guagemaster frog polarity switches - the wiring is basic and functional  and I will revisit it and tidy it up when it has been fully tested etc etc - it is good enough for the moment  - the next priority for that area is to install LED Lighting in the BookShelves to give proper light.

So the immediate plan is to finish laying the track and underlay on the scenic area, get it wired up and start installing the COBALT points on the main loop and junction - the sidings can wait. If I have Trains running in a continuous loop by Christmas on permanent track.........result!

 

Here's a few picture attached as to where I am at the moment.

 

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

Welcome back and best of luck lad, I'm interested in your purchase of points and the dcc side of your layout, I'm still a rookie at the polarity/solenoid/frog side of things, keep us posted.

[David Holman]

A varied and eclectic library too, by the look of it!

[DJ Dangerous]

On 25/11/2020 at 9:18 PM, Edo said:

 

 

 

Have you spent that huge wad of fifties and twenties that's sitting behind B125 yet?

Great to see a Blackstairs update. I love the technical aspect of this layout, making use of the bookcases. Amazing the way you've even worked curves into the corner cabinets.

(Envious much, DJ?)

My only gripe, and I'm sure I am alone with this one - not one single lemon cookie in sight.

[Edo]

 

If i can get a continuous run by Christmas - just about - Voila!

Happy New Year everybody

[DJ Dangerous]

On 31/12/2023 at 7:39 PM, Edo said:

 

If i can get a continuous run by Christmas - just about - Voila!

Happy New Year everybody

 

Love the video, Cookie Monster!

Cabinets still standing?

[DJ Dangerous]

How's that "sturdy" Chinese Wall doing, @Edo?

[Edo]

[Edo]

Well here we are

95% of the track laid and wired up - just the sidings to be done.

Cobalt points set up and wired in, solenoid points wired in - all on Dcc currently - track is Dc - but dcc ready - will switch over as i get locos chipped.

Can finally start to thnk about scenics

[Rob]

Well done- now the fun part can start!!!

[DJ Dangerous]

11 minutes ago, Rob said:

Well done- now the fun part can start!!!

Sticking no-smoking signs onto stuff!

[Georgeconna]

2 hours ago, Edo said:

Well here we are

95% of the track laid and wired up - just the sidings to be done.

Cobalt points set up and wired in, solenoid points wired in - all on Dcc currently - track is Dc - but dcc ready - will switch over as i get locos chipped.

Can finally start to thnk about scenics

The A is derailed so you might want to look at the track there. Gives the points a right smack. 

[Edo]

8 hours ago, Georgeconna said:

The A is derailed so you might want to look at the track there. Gives the points a right smack. 

Indeed - it actually hopped off on a bit of bad soldering before the point -  the A 's are quite unforgiving of any deviation of the trackwork...stuff the 121s, 141s and 071s just fly over.....only took the first of my As out of the box over the last couple of days and I've already fixed up a few spots.....all part of the fun!