Hayfields new layout, 3D printed test track to something a bit bigger

[Hayfield1]

I know at least 2 excellent exhibition layouts that started life as test tracks .... Or put another way, many a test track starts that way ...

Good luck and looking forward to seeing progress

Not sure if length is at a premium, but there is scope to shorten is considerably if the 3 left-most points are moved rightwards:-
View attachment 251048


Thus the point leading to the double slip becomes an outside single slip, and the point leading to the nearest road becomes a tandem. I know that is a lot of Templotting (I did my version when it was all hair-shirt and partial templates so I know!) and is much trickier to produce, but it would look great! And for those of us with an interest in track for its own sake a much more interesting project! Not to mention a tougher test!!


Best Wishes,
Howard

JFS

Thank you for the suggestion, I do get the top diversion line which infact opens up other opportunities (though gives me a second double slip) and a second turnout which straddles a baseboard joint



Here is my interpretation. My only issue is the end loading bay siding is getting longer and perhaps not a very good place to park the station pilot, But as I said by altering a turnout to a double slip allows me to get rid of a duplicated turnout and makes the goods yard/loco storage area better

Thanks again

John

 

[simond]

John, please feel free to ignore me but the bottom siding still bothers me.

You can only access it by shunting up the main line which feels mmm, not ideal.

if it were shorter, it could come off the platform line after the right hand slip? You’d probably lose the end dock, or just be a bit short in the siding.

atb
Simon

 

[Rob R]

That bottom siding looks ideal to store a train between morning and evening peaks?

 

[Hayfield1]

Simon

That's what I am coming to realize. My hesitation is that I have printed 5 bricks already, but for the sake of a few grams of filament I think I would agree with you. Plus I can have a dedicated loco spur. The only trouble is I tried it straight after the slip and the geometry did not work

I will try moving the turnout back a bit

Thanks

John

That bottom siding looks ideal to store a train between morning and evening peaks?

Rob

It certainly would do that and be an easier solution

John

 

[Hayfield1]

There is a S curve into the platform, resulting in the need to move the turnout nearer the end and leaving the usable section for parking a vehicle to about 12", I have tried to change the turnout from trailing to facing (or is it right to left) and it gives no real benefit

Whilst I do agree with some it looks too long, remember this is a very much in a compressed form, with an option to extend the station both ways. As Rob R has said, it can be a train (as in coaches) storage area, pulled out of the arrival platform, stored for later use then when needed taken into the departure platform.

At the moment the length matters not and I think, the center board will be interesting with 3 turnouts over baseboard joins and a double slip.

I think there will be quite a lot of timber shoving, plus a bit of actual track (scratch) building with the slip

John

 

[Hayfield1]

At the rear of the photo a 6" long extension board which will house the low relief station and station concourse. The board will be removable in case in the future the layout is ever extended

In the foreground have replaced the end section (brick) to match up with the revised track layout. Now I can cut the rails to length then think about laying the track bed and making a start on the platforms.

 

[Hayfield1]

The rails cut/notched to 60' lengths, now waiting for the fishplates to be fitted



The remnants of Copydex which held the high density foam in place needed taking off. At firas a Stanley knife blade and sand paper did little to shift it. A search on Google resulted in a post suggesting IPA may well soften it, whilst not a perfect finish, it softened the glue which I scraped off with a Stanley knife blade



I decided to print off the Templot plan for the first board which will give me the an idea of how the station will look



Next up was to see if I had got the platform widths visually acceptable (takes a bit of imagination)




Next up I thought I would print off the two approach lines on the next board, this is turned out to be quite useful in several ways. Finding errors (I find it easier to spot once printed) and designing bricks, not to say planning on how to tackle the double slip, then plan the first turnout which spans 2 baseboards. also try and plan the 60' track panels etc

My list of the next jobs
a) lay the first track bed
b) Build platform 1 wall
c) Finish the first track section
d) design and make print files for platform 2&3 tracks
e) Design approach tracks for board 2 approach tracks


John

 

[Hayfield1]

The printer has been working overtime during the weekend



And the platform roads 2 & 3 have been printed, a couple of tiny errors were made but these can be tweaked when the track is laid. However having the track bed pre-curved saves a lot of time marking and measuring out

I have also noticed the 5mm closed cell foam I use, whilst brought from C&L a few years back is actually a Carrs product, I doubt if Phil sells this anymore so its good to see Precision Paints still sell it

I have made a start on printing the track for the center baseboard, this section has a double slip and a couple of turnouts amongst other things , but progress will be slow, as I have a lot of tidying up the timbers. I have made a start on the easy bit.

I was hoping to make a start on the track bed, but it never got going



What I did do was to order from Amazon some lightweight thin PVC faced foam board. Simply for trying out a few ideas for the platforms, the station concourse is a simple build, just to get an impression of what it looks like before I commit to building it in plasticard, I will also try and make an impression of a low relief station building before committing to buying some materials,

John

 

[simond]

John, apropos our discussion regarding equal dolls, apparently BR (W) resignalled Minehead (or maybe preservation era) and it did have a T bracket with equal dolls (prototype for everything dept, etc) - there is a key fact here however, the dolls must exceed a minimum spacing (might be 11 feet, TBC) to avoid confusion for the drivers of departing trains.

This is in some way equivalent to what Martin was saying about diverging tracks having a single post with multiple dolls, and converging tracks having two posts, to avoid anyone reading the wrong signal


not my model!

atb
Simon

 

[Hayfield1]

John, apropos our discussion regarding equal dolls, apparently BR (W) resignalled Minehead (or maybe preservation era) and it did have a T bracket with equal dolls (prototype for everything dept, etc) - there is a key fact here however, the dolls must exceed a minimum spacing (might be 11 feet, TBC) to avoid confusion for the drivers of departing trains.

This is in some way equivalent to what Martin was saying about diverging tracks having a single post with multiple dolls, and converging tracks having two posts, to avoid anyone reading the wrong signal

View attachment 251658
not my model!

atb
Simon

Simon

Thanks, I have saved it fir reference and possibly regretting not having round posts. But as I am not modelling anything specific and using 3 bolt chairs I will invoke rule 2 (it's my layout) and will copy this with the earlier wooden post

 

[Hayfield1]

I have fitted the foam trackbed for platform 1 and the siding., next up will be platform 2 & 3 roads. I have enough Carrs foam for this, but I will need at lease 2 more rolls for board 2



I am starting to print board two's approach track an getting close to the double slip which will be interesting.

I must clear up the mess on the base board but at least something is being done

 

[Hayfield1]

I have now laid the underlay for platform 2 & 3, plus started to glue plastic fishplates to the panels
I have also ordered two more rolls of Carrs 5mm high density foam underlay from Phoenix Precision Paints, its a bit dear but matches what I have in stock



The right hand siding is nearly all printed and as well as somewhere to store carriages will give me nearly 8' of (loco) testing facility.

Eagle eyes may see a the start of a double slip, two test prints as Slips are not supported in Templot yet, but Templot will print a track base and the common crossing chairs do print, some chairs were changed to slide chairs with mixed results, its not an issue.

I am treating this a an aid to scratch building rather than a dedicated 3D print. and will develop it as I build up the approach track on board 2

Plus I am getting to a point where I can get on with some modelling, both with the layout and my stock

John

 

[Hayfield1]

I have made a start on cleaning off the remnants of both Copydex and closed cell foam from the second board.

Using a wipe of IPA then both scraping off with a Stanley knife blade and coarse sand paper



After another hour of work most of the residue has been removed (only 2 more foot to go



I have enough closed cell foam to cover 2 foot, now I need to cut the track bed edge on one side and both platform ends as well as waiting for the closed cell foam to arrive. Plus print remaining pages I require

I now have a better understanding of how to approach building the slip and associated trackwork, or at least think I have !!

John

 

[Hayfield1]

The past few days have been busy and the railway has taken a back seat, This afternoon I took a knife to the remaining foam square and half of the second boards approach track has been cut out, giving even less reasons to not get started on permanently laying the track.

Platform building can commence initially with some test pieces, so a more varied range of modelling can commence

I have now some high density foam off cuts to cut out the remaining track om baseboard 1, plus two more rolls of foam underlay are on their way in a DX van

John

 

[Hayfield1]

Late yesterday afternoon a new supply of closed cell foam arrived. This morning I glued down the first piece I cut yesterday, then cut to shape a piece of foam to cover the remaining section of approach track for board 2. This is not glued down yet, but I wanted to see the overall visual appearance of the track I have printed.

The slip is both a test print and approximately placed in position, but it does allow me to see how to print the remaining sections (bricks) to interact with each other



I now have an idea of the islands length, and thankfully is longer than I feared. Whilst too short for a working layout ample for my test and storage requirements

As well as starting the lay the track permanently, experiment with platform construction I think I should lay the underlay for the rear siding/head shunt. This will give me an idea if I have made platform 3 wide enough. Plus I am desperate to start building a signal and having a section of working track

John

 

[Hayfield1]

I have now used a couple of the off cuts for the track bed of the rear siding/head shunt



A bit of a closer vies and I think the platform end may be a tad too thin. I will widen the end by about 1" so I have a 1.5" platform end/ramp. I see this as a worthwhile exercise as I can easily alter the trackwork, the platform will only have one face and a 6' retaining wall so it does not have to be as wide at the island platform, but I think should not be so skinny

John

 

[asterix2012]

View attachment 252061

I have now used a couple of the off cuts for the track bed of the rear siding/head shunt

View attachment 252059

A bit of a closer vies and I think the platform end may be a tad too thin. I will widen the end by about 1" so I have a 1.5" platform end/ramp. I see this as a worthwhile exercise as I can easily alter the trackwork, the platform will only have one face and a 6' retaining wall so it does not have to be as wide at the island platform, but I think should not be so skinny

John

Hi John

How are you getting on with this, any more progress?

Mark

 

[Hayfield1]

Mark

Having a rest since Christmas as other things have got in the way, will start back soon but have agreed to do a few things for others and also making a couple of nesting boxes before Spring

Will get back to it soon

John

 

[Hayfield1]

Hi John

How are you getting on with this, any more progress?

Mark

Mark

I had a bit of time spare this afternoon, I had put the reel of Filament in the dryer yesterday, as dried filament is less likely to break during printing and stringing is much reduced. Certainly in winter when the moisture level is high this is highly advisable.



I had 5 bricks (sections) printed before Christmas, so I decided to thread a 2 lengths of rail through them. The next planned job is to fit wire droppers to the track on board 1, at the moment all track is just laid in position.

My first goal is to get a decent length of track laid and operable, the layout is to all intense and purposes a test track. I need to spend quite a bit of time considering what I can print.

In the foreground is my test prints for a double slip, this has shown me what I can and cannot do in its basic form. Slips and diamonds are not catered for in Templot 3D, so they need a bit of extra effort



This is a single slip which I printed last year, the central 7 timbers was scratch built, using chairs I printed my self on the Neptune 4. The next 6 timbers both sides of the central sections was 3D printed, but using some advanced Templotting with partial templates
The crossings are as standard Templot automated slip, so easy to replicate



I have at the moment the last brick printing, it took a few goes on the computer as I faced a few errors which crept in. Picking up something you have left for nearly 3 months always stretches' the memory. Probably the last thing I will do for a few days as other commitments are taking priority, plus I hope I can get to Kettering over the weekend

John

 

[Hayfield1]

The sixth brick on the printer



A close up view of the printing process showing the chairs being formed



Print finished