4mm Ruabon Junction

LarryG

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Basically, the new 4mm/00 layout has been inspired by Ruabon. A construction of this kind has come at a bad time because I have had no interest whatsoever this year. But cork has just been glued down ready for sanding down to a camber and so I know things will happen from now on, hence this thread. The pointwork is the kingpin of the layout and it has been sprayed with Howes Sleeper Grime ready for laying...

WEB Ruabon track 1.jpg
 
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Phil O

Phil O

Western Thunderer
Hornby are definetly improving there standards these days, if it runs as good as it looks Hornby could be onto a winner.
 
LarryG

LarryG

Western Thunderer
I still had the O gauge station platforms and so one was reduced in size to make a 120" radius template for forming track. The curved 1/16" cork underlay was shamferred this morning.....

WEB Ruabon track 5.jpg

The points set-up being carefully aligned to the curve. Careful setting up pays dividends. It is a lot to do in one go, but the 3ft steel ruler will line everything up. I must remember to push the frog wires through the holes...!
WEB Ruabon track 5B.jpg
 
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Dave Holt

Dave Holt

Western Thunderer
Looking good, Larry. I take it nothing is fixed down yet as I seem to recall you lay track and ballast in one go?
Looking forward to seeing this develop. It has a nice, spacious feel to it.
Dave.
 
Andy P

Andy P

Western Thunderer
Well Larry, After my move South to Amp Sher and a Month with no Internettiiee thingy it's good to be back and see what you've been up to.
It's all looking very impressive my friend.
I may have to re look at OO if my Seven Mills Sidings wont fit into me new Man Cave.

Keep up the good work, keep safe and well.
 
LarryG

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Hi Andy, glad you have kept safe down there is 'Ampsher. Some interesting locos in 4mm on the horizon. I spent a whole day in the man cave yesterday....Not done that since last autumn. Only the bay road to put in at this end now...

WEB Ruabon track 7.jpg
 
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LarryG

LarryG

Western Thunderer
I always find track laying the easiest bit, then things get progressively harder and even boring. Sitting under the baseboard soldering up frog-juicers and wiring up track sections, connecting points to square brass rod for activation at the edge of the baseboard, making platforms, adding fencing and furniture, sticking up a backscene without creases, building bridges, and grassing the scenery. Then there's posts to sink in the garden for a new garden section to loop tracks back to the other side of the shed. More track laying there and in the fiddle yard. We must be barmy! :rolleyes:
 
G

Gismorail

Western Thunderer
Some cracking work going on at Ruabon Larry considering your lack of 'mojo' but I reckon looking down the track at eye level has given you a bit of a boost most impressive as ever Sir :) Having had to break my lock rules last week to attend an appointment in Wrexham a quick glance from the Llangollen Road over bridge shows how much the place is not even a 'shadow' of it's former self :'(.....I just hope that the Llangollen line today can survive this current madness that we have all found ourselves in ....Keep safe and keep up the inspirational work :cool:
 
LarryG

LarryG

Western Thunderer
The remainder of the scenic track was jointed together and curved to shape as accurately as possible before spraying it with Precision Sleeper Grime. This is a far as things will go until the weather cools down...
WEB Ruabon track 8B.jpg

This image was taken to see how things are looking. A length of guttering was added across the face of the island platform canopy just to make it look a little like that at Ruabon...
WEB Ruabon track 8.jpg
 
LarryG

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Nearly all the scenic track has been laid and ballasted now. The 1/8" cork bed was removed between the up main and the yard exit line and the ballast shamfered with an electric sander. The edge shamfer was then masked off as shown....

WEB Ruabon track 9A.jpg

Neat PVA was brushed onto the shamfer and ballast poured on.....
WEB Ruabon Track 9B.jpg

Then the masking tape was immediately removed. When set, the area between the tracks was PVA'd and ash sprinkled on...
WEB Ruabon Track 9C.jpg

When dry, the ash was filed down to dust the the surplus vac'd off for further use....
WEB Ruabon Track 9D.jpg

A general view of things. The two brown painted LH sidings are in limbo while I work out if I have enough ash to ballast them....
WEB Ruabon track 9E.jpg

Forgot to mention, the chopped off baseboard is visible here. More space to move around the shed now!
 
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LarryG

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Track laying was completed this morning, the marshalling yard (okay, two tracks) being laid with ash. In addition to he Up and Down tracks, the Up headshunt (off the double-slip) will continue outside the shed when the garden lop has been re-erected....

WEB Ruabon track 10A.jpg

Ruabon has its own goods yard with cattle dock, end-loading platform, goods shed and coal bins....
WEB Ruabon track 10B.jpg

This is merely the start. The track needs weathering not to mention wiring up....
WEB Ruabon Track 10C.jpg
 
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LarryG

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Bufferstops now installed and I brighten up the miserable looking goods shed by giving it the simplified GWR livery of light stone and maroon-ish-brown. It seems from colour photos that some of these buildings skipped the BR treatment...
WEB Ruabon goods shed 1.jpg
 
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