Options to avoid sharp corner, & steep grade ( Hind sight is wonderful)

[Granitechops]

This is an edited version of the thread of the same name on GSCALEMAD

as it had to date been visited 15,660 times

I thought it might be of sufficient interest to repost for the benefit of anyone facing the same situation

 

[Granitechops]

Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Which is also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


Up at Mount Future the track winds its way uphill, around a corner, through a tunnel & back down the other side.

Picture from other side, level Stoneyard, before crossing wood bridge on falling grade

 

[Granitechops]

Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Which is also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


Now while this was ok initially with small quarry trains,

it was very limiting as to train lengths when the Garratt made its appearance.

 

[Granitechops]

Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Which is also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


Looking at options, At present there is a siding on the inside going up Mount Future, but with limited clearances

 

[Granitechops]

Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Which is also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


And on the other side in the stoneyard there is a siding on the inide, seen here temorarily lenthened

 

[Granitechops]

Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


Now, if I use Mr angle ginder to releive the clearances, while keeping enough support for the cliffs above.

Reroute the main track outside around the bluff, instead of thro the tunnel.

extend the two inside sidings to meet up thro the tunnel instead Voila

Oh, just need to reroute garden path for wheel chair access

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


Any more pics of the delightful loco in your third photo above please, Don?

From that angle, he/she/it is holding many secrets.

Is it really as quirky as suggested -

the boiler appears to be just about big enough to make the tea...

-------------------- Philip (in Cardiff

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Funny you should say that Philip

Officially it's monica is "Thomas Ernest"

But its known in the yard as T Ern or T Urn

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Picture taken same day as that 3 pic

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Right been playing with 'Sketch up'

original track layout as of now

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

And proposed option

this will neccessitate building some more raised support for the extra loop bypassing the tunnel

And a garden path detour

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Part of the point of the exercise is to not only get a larger smoother sweep,

but also on the new track, drop the gradient by leveleling out from just past the points

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Had Mr Anglegrinder out

Had to take the cliff face back a good 2 ins

The disk centre tightening tool was a good gauge

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


Most of the wall was built of lightweight Thermolite blocks.

But of course just to the right in the middle there,

I came across a bit of old concrete block, the good old sort, HARD!

Because of the akward angle I had to resort to two hammers,

one with a pointed face that could act like a chisel Kept my hands safer than a cold chisel

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Garratt awaiting final clearing of track to test clearances

And if you look carefully, you can see that there is not much thickness of block left at one spot

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Track cleared of debris

adequate clearance from back view

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Adequate clearance from front view

Bearing in mind the bare face needs a skim of hypertuffa on it to naturalise it

reducing the clearance a little bit

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Took some pics from bedroom windows, dont get much view of track, too much mature bushes in way,

This is the part nearest the house

Centre of the pic is the uppper return loop, with the porcelain passengers awaiting a train at a 'temporary' halt.

The lower return loop runs in a gallery tunnell underneath the border on the left,

accross the bottom ( note openings for access for maintenance)

and the major station, Lower Limekilns is just visible near ground level

on the right behind the butressed support wall for the upper level track

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Close up of upper loop in cutting

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

other corner, upper loop passes passengers & goes along to the left of the gray retaining wall,

tracks to the right are on the lower loop