Rebuilding Didcot's OTHER railway.

[scanman]

Didcot Railway Centre has it's own 'G Scale railway, situated beside the 'Science & Learning Centre' (more prosaically between the 'Ladies & the 'Gents'!). Originally built several years ago by a volunteer group at the SLC (at their own cost), the layout - ground level with marine-ply trackbase - has recently started to show its age. As a recent volunteer with an interest in model railways (admittedly NOT in 'G' Gauge) I was asked to project-manage the relaying of the system (that's how I came to be on the forum, posting questions)!

The intention was to use the project to provide technical, practical and 'life' skills to a group of 13-16-year old 'Young Volunteers' who are sponsored by the SLC, and the best way to manage the project was to arrange it during the summer school holidays.

Some prep-work had already been done by the 'YV's - uplifting the track etc, so this morning we started literally with a blank canvas -

view to the west (note the 'mountain' in the foreground)

View to the east.
The first task was to tidy up the trackbed and remove all the old trackbed spikes - presumed (wrongly) to be rotten..



Meanwhile Doug Nicholls - another volunteer had made a start rejuvenating the pointwork etc which was then laid out roughly to provide an idea of the trackplan -



The 'fixed features' to be retained are a tunnel at the east end and a 'viaduct' at the west end. The original layout - based on a 'dumbell' would be retained to provide continuous running, but whereas the original layout was solely at ground level, a new 'quarry line' is to be laid in rising in front of the 'Air Raid Shelter' (to the left), passing round the 'mountain' at the east end to the quarry - thus providing a purpose for the line and a link to the 'Great Little Trains of Wales'...
Of course all this is being carried out at the whim of our great British Weather! -

Which provided several unintended tea-breaks throughout the day....

However, by lunchtime a lot of the prep work at the west end had been carried out -


- which only left us needing to remove a 'mountain'! -
but by 4.30pm, -


it had gone...

So now the groundworks have been completed - the gravel/sand on site has been used to fill in all the original stake-holes. This should allow surface water to pass through the 'weed-barrier' being laid tomorrow, and drain away through the 'made ground' contained by the brickwork.


All in all a very successful day bearing in mind the weather interruptions! Tomorrow we will lay a fresh 'Weed Barrier', set out and mark the trackplan and hopefully begin inserting the new trackbed spikes.

The trackbed will be laid using 'Filcris' products - http://www.filcris.co.uk/products/garden-railway-products/garden-railway-products < Link To http://www.filcris.co.uk/...arden-railway-products
Who have provided their product at a very reasonable cost (bearing in mind we are a charity with limited funds!) and our thanks go to them for their generous support.

I would also like to thank Doug and Heather for their efforts today - and the Young Volunteers who (for legal reasons) will temporarily remain nameless. I'd like to express our appreciation to Roger Orchard (the Centre Manager) who is a 'Garden Railway' person and who recommended 'Filcris' to us - and to modellers on this forum who gave freely of their advice as I posed questions. There will be more to come!

Kindest Regards

Ian Barefoot

 

[Gizzy]

Ian, I can't see any pictures....

 

[3Valve]

Ian, I can't see any pictures....

Me neither

 

[chris m01]

I can't see any pictures either.
What I am thinking is - will this need some voulnteer testers!!

Coulf be a good day out

 

[tram47]

Ian, I can't see any pictures....

 

[Nodrog1826]

If i recall it correctly, i think that new members have limited probationary access to the forum for the first month.

So carnt post pics or send messages etc until the end of their probationary period.....

 

[3Valve]

If i recall it correctly, i think that new members have limited probationary access to the forum for the first month.

So carnt post pics or send messages etc until the end of their probationary period.....

By Jove he's got it. I really should have noticed that joining date (doh!).

Probationary period is 30 days I think.

 

[scanman]

If i recall it correctly, i think that new members have limited probationary access to the forum for the first month.

So carnt post pics or send messages etc until the end of their probationary period.....

Ahh - didn't see that in the Joining Instructions..... Thought it was something I'd done wrong. Bit of a pity really - the project finishes Friday....

 

[scanman]

Well, as I cannot post pictures, I cannot see any point in posting updates. Guess I'll have to sell it to 'Garden Railways' instead....

Regs

Ian

 

[Steve]

Or if you wish email me the pics and i will insert them for you ?

 

[3Valve]

Or just post an update when you are able to post pics. We like piccies on here we do, and we don't mind waiting. Sounds like an interesting project.

 

[scanman]

Dear all -

Sorry for what was apparently a sarcastic comment - I literally forgot to add a smiley!

Moderator Steve has now offered to upload the images for me, so hopefully you'll see it all in glorious technicolour soon!

In the meantime, on with Day 2 - which was affected by totally miserable weather. However the wet morning was not wasted as myself & two Young Volunteers spent it in the (small) workshop, cleaning track, removing the solder tags and making up new ones. These will not span the fishplates as per normal practice but will be soldered beneath the rail and led to a 'bus-bar' of heavy-duty copper wire (30A) either side of the track & tucked beneath the trackbed. I don't know whether this is a common practice in 'G' scale - but as a 2mm modeller, it is VERY common there! The advantage is that any circuit-break becomes pretty obvious, and should be easy to rectify.
Fortunately the weather improved after lunch, and we were able to lay fresh weed barrier material. The next couple of hours was spent 'roughing-out' the track layout, using the new 'Filcris' trackbases.

(image)

The slight flexibility in the 3-metre lengths also showed up 'high' and 'low' areas in the sub-base, so it was a case of out with the spade and do some more levelling. Whilst resolving the track layout I then found I'd made a 'newbies' mistake - I'd ordered the wrong diameter curved bases from 'Filcris'... There are several options on the web-site and somehow I'd managed to order 'LGB Radius 1' bases, rather than the 'R3' which we need. So it looks like I'll be going cap in hand to Filcris (by 'phone') tomorrownphone:. The real downside is that large radii are on 'special order' only with a 7-10-day lead-time. What's really annoying is that, if I'd have got it right initially, the bases would be with us in the next couple of days.

The initial order - made last Wednesday - was delivered to the Centre on Thursday. Outstanding service (usual disclaimer!)

Some of the Forum have suggested a 'day out' at the Centre - I am sure this could be arranged! And if anyone lives close enough to volunteer to help - GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED!

Here's hoping (I think in vain) for better weather tomorrow - but there's more 'inside work' to do so we won't waste it.

If you're wondering why none of the images show the 'Young volunteers' - we are still awaiting parental permission to use their (first) names. I am sure you understand why...

Kindest Regards

Ian

 

[Steve]

Pictures as requested not got time to put them in place right now maybe a fellow abuse taker could do it for me

 

[scanman]

Day three - & first some thanks! To Steve for putting up the images from days one & two. He's off to sample 'Newkie Broon' for a few days so may not be in any fit condition to sort the rest! The other big 'Thanks' has to go to Filcris who cheerfully resolved my error, happily taking back the mis-ordered trackbases and supplying costs for the new.

Right - on with the rebuild. Completely contrary to the weather forecast we only had five minutes of rain in the whole day, so we got a fair amount done on the trackbed. As you can see from the pics Steve put up, the sub-bed will be protected by weed-barrier - which coincidentally made marking out track centres, stake positions a 'doddle' with line-paint

Image d3-1 - 'Young Volunteer' Steven busy with the paint spray.

We then cut a 'relieving cross' through the weed barrier and drove in the first trackbed spike - the honour of the final blow going to the head of the Learning Centre - Helen Prior.

Image d3-2 - Helen drives the 'Golden Spike'

This became the 'site datum' (denoted by the yellow head) from which all others were laid with the use of a 1m spirit-level. The Spikes themselves are another 'Filcris' product, again in recycled plastic so both environmentally friendly and rot-proof! I will admit to being somewhat concerned about the effect of malleting them home with a mini-sledgehammer & had even taken an 'SDS' drill with me to make pilot holes. I needn't have worried - the pegs went in straight and true. The only one that deformed slightly hit a brick (Murphy's Law!) buried in the substrate. Quickly resolved with a 'Stanley Knife' and a slight change of location!

For the technically-minded, the pins were driven in as pairs at each end of the 3m long board positions, with single pins at about 90cm intervals along the mid-line. Hopefully this will provide sufficient support - although (as will be seen) the trackbed will also be on packed gravel.

By mid-afternoon all the spikes had been located for the 'main line' (which takes the shape of a 'dog-bone) and it was obvious that the site was nowhere near as level as our eyes had suggested!

d3-3 - spikes driven - some groundwork to make up!
So the rest of the work-day was spent by Steven & I laboriously re-surfacing the area with the gravel which had previously been removed! However, the end result has (I hope) provided us with a firm, level sub-base. So tomorrow will be spent laying the trackbases and by all accounts, getting sunburned (the sunblock is already in the day-sack and the 'Young Volunteers' have had the relevant 'Safety Elves' briefing...)

d3-4 - Steven admires the results of a good day's work.

More tomorrow

Kindest Regards

Ian

 

[trammayo]

Is my memory going or what? I was sure that there was a photo in Post 12 yesterday!

Perhaps Mods could sort out this interesting thread?

 

[Nodrog1826]

Nice to see you are sticking with us Ian...

 

[steve parberry]

An excellent piece and great to see younger people doing proper stuff sooner than playstations etc, well done to all of the team there....

Don't forget to keep us updated once its all complete as well

 

[Gizzy]

Glad you've managed to get some pictures posted with MOds' help Ian.

Look forward to seeing many more....

 

[Gizzy]

These will not span the fishplates as per normal practice but will be soldered beneath the rail and led to a 'bus-bar' of heavy-duty copper wire (30A) either side of the track & tucked beneath the trackbed. I don't know whether this is a common practice in 'G' scale - but as a 2mm modeller, it is VERY common there! The advantage is that any circuit-break becomes pretty obvious, and should be easy to rectify.

Not a common practice in G scale, as the rail cross section is much bigger!

However, your 'belts and braces' approach is a good idea to ensure reliable operation, especially as you are building a layout for the paying public to view.

Nothing worse than a layout where nothing is running do to problems; for both operator and punter....

 

[tram47]

an interesting solution!