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Modelling intricate trackwork

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Inversnecky

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Has anyone ever attempted to model trackwork like this? I’d imagine it would be a painstaking task building something like this from scratch.

A job for a 3D printer, if it could make conducting rails!

I always loved the intricate crossings at station throats especially, but this level of complexity seems sadly out of the realms of modelling.
 

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hexagon789

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Has anyone ever attempted to model trackwork like this? I’d imagine it would be a painstaking task building something like this from scratch.

A job for a 3D printer, if it could make conducting rails!

I always loved the intricate crossings at station throats especially, but this level of complexity seems sadly out of the realms of modelling.
I've seen a few models of largish termini. Somebody did Liverpool Lime Street set in LMS days as I recall.
 

Peter C

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I've seen a few models of largish termini. Somebody did Liverpool Lime Street set in LMS days as I recall.
This might be that model of Lime Street:
I've always wanted to see someone do London Waterloo, but apparently it would take a space the size of a tennis court to do in 00 gauge (and I assume that's including barely any of the approach)!

-Peter
 

Inversnecky

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Thanks, Peter, that’s an amazing model. Think it was also in connection with this I saw a video of how working and lit ground shunt signals were made.

I can see how some of the examples I showed earlier could utilise commercially made double slips, but presumably this sort of this was scratch built:
 

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Cowley

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Thanks, Peter, that’s an amazing model. Think it was also in connection with this I save a video of how working and lit ground shunt signals were made.

I can see how some of the examples I showed earlier could utilise commercially made double slips, but presumably this sort of this was scratch built:
Yes that’s definitely handmade track. It’s not something I’ve ever tried but I’m full of admiration for people that can do that.
 

Inversnecky

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I've always wanted to see someone do London Waterloo, but apparently it would take a space the size of a tennis court to do in 00 gauge (and I assume that's including barely any of the approach)!

-Peter

That’s always been one of the drawbacks for modelling for me: it’s really impossible to replicate life scales at OO level without a barn to house it. Even a basic town platform that would accommodate 10-12 coaches would would take up too much space in a typical household layout.

I've always liked the operation of a major terminus to a rural halt, which I guess if why I’ve been recently attracted to simulator software: you can readily experience driving hundreds of miles, instead of having to model maybe a mile or two of (semi) rural track.
 

hexagon789

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This might be that model of Lime Street:
I've always wanted to see someone do London Waterloo, but apparently it would take a space the size of a tennis court to do in 00 gauge (and I assume that's including barely any of the approach)!

-Peter
I think it is, yes.

Well you could probably do it but at exhibitions it would need it's own hall!

That’s always been one of the drawbacks for modelling for me: it’s really impossible to replicate life scales at OO level without a barn to house it. Even a basic town platform that would accommodate 10-12 coaches would would take up too much space in a typical household layout.

I've always liked the operation of a major terminus to a rural halt, which I guess if why I’ve been recently attracted to simulator software: you can readily experience driving hundreds of miles, instead of having to model maybe a mile or two of (semi) rural track.
I suppose it's a case of finding a balance. There are also some modest termini where you can find reasonably interesting service paucity to provide interest. Though even those aren't that small rendered in '00'.

I would for instance imagine that while a large model, that rendition of Lime Street would have less train movements than today for instance.

Yes that’s definitely handmade track. It’s not something I’ve ever tried but I’m full of admiration for people that can do that.
There's an interesting continental layout over on rmweb, the guy builds all his own track afaik and not wishing to be negative but if anything seeing that put me off trying my own hand at track making than otherwise. Looks so fiddly!
 

Rutland23

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I model in 2mm Finescale, only a modest station, but amongst other things, it has a single slip, a tandem, and a scissors crossover.

I started by building one point, then scrapping it and building the same one again.

Then I built all the station throat pointwork, all 14 points, single slip and diamond, before I found a more accurate and detailed track plan, so I ripped the lot up, re-drew it, and started again. All I saved was the slip and a diamond crossing.

When I built the scissors, it was three attempts to get it right.

It isn't difficult, but patience is required.

Roller gauges, three point gauges and button gauges take all the measurement out.

I will find some photos and post.

Regards

Ian
 

Cowley

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I model in 2mm Finescale, only a modest station, but amongst other things, it has a single slip, a tandem, and a scissors crossover.

I started by building one point, then scrapping it and building the same one again.

Then I built all the station throat pointwork, all 14 points, single slip and diamond, before I found a more accurate and detailed track plan, so I ripped the lot up, re-drew it, and started again. All I saved was the slip and a diamond crossing.

When I built the scissors, it was three attempts to get it right.

It isn't difficult, but patience is required.

Roller gauges, three point gauges and button gauges take all the measurement out.

I will find some photos and post.

Regards

Ian

Please do post some photos Ian, I’d absolutely love to see your work.
2mm Finescale fascinates me.
 

hexagon789

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I model in 2mm Finescale, only a modest station, but amongst other things, it has a single slip, a tandem, and a scissors crossover.

I started by building one point, then scrapping it and building the same one again.

Then I built all the station throat pointwork, all 14 points, single slip and diamond, before I found a more accurate and detailed track plan, so I ripped the lot up, re-drew it, and started again. All I saved was the slip and a diamond crossing.

When I built the scissors, it was three attempts to get it right.

It isn't difficult, but patience is required.

Roller gauges, three point gauges and button gauges take all the measurement out.

I will find some photos and post.

Regards

Ian
Seconded, I'd be very interested to see it if just to marvel at the intricacies of them and the work involved.
 

Inversnecky

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I model in 2mm Finescale, only a modest station, but amongst other things, it has a single slip, a tandem, and a scissors crossover.

I started by building one point, then scrapping it and building the same one again.

Then I built all the station throat pointwork, all 14 points, single slip and diamond, before I found a more accurate and detailed track plan, so I ripped the lot up, re-drew it, and started again. All I saved was the slip and a diamond crossing.

When I built the scissors, it was three attempts to get it right.

It isn't difficult, but patience is required.

Roller gauges, three point gauges and button gauges take all the measurement out.

I will find some photos and post.

Regards

Ian

Amazing stuff - are there guides somewhere about how to do this, or did you do it yourself? Do you canabalise stardard track for the rails and make your own sleepers? How do you keep the rails the correct distance apart?
 

John Webb

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I've a booklet, inherited from my late father, from Peco entitled "The Peco Platelayer's Manual'. This appears to date from circa 1950 and covers a slightly different range of products that Peco do today. But this goes into some detail about constructing your own track and points.
 

Rutland23

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Please do post some photos Ian, I’d absolutely love to see your work.
2mm Finescale fascinates me.

Amazing stuff - are there guides somewhere about how to do this, or did you do it yourself? Do you canabalise stardard track for the rails and make your own sleepers? How do you keep the rails the correct distance apart?

The scenic section is currently crated up, and photos are on an old laptop. I will try and dig it out soon and copy some pics across from it.

I am currently working on the fiddle yard wiring, not my favourite job, and as it lives in the garage, it is too damn cold to do any out there at the moment, so progress on that has been very slow recently.

Unfortunately, I do not have space to put it all up at the moment, however, that will change in a year or so.

The best guide to track building is the 2mm Association's publication 'Track', which, although it was written for 2mm modellers, it has a great deal of prototype info, and a lot of the methods can be transferred across to other scales.

Rails are bought from the 2mm Association (members only) along with PCB sleepers/timbers.

Gauges, rails and sleepers are available for various scales and gauges, with the main suppliers for the larger scales being C & L, Marcway and Exactoscale or specific scale societies.

Starting is the hardest part, but frequent consultations in the book, and a willingness to scrap it and start again help.

I have my layout thread on RMWeb, along with a couple of associated threads. There are some really good track builders out there, who all put me to shame.
Links


There are other scale track building threads on there, too. One of the best is:


I dip into this one regularly for ideas.

Regads

Ian
 

reddragon

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That’s always been one of the drawbacks for modelling for me: it’s really impossible to replicate life scales at OO level without a barn to house it. Even a basic town platform that would accommodate 10-12 coaches would would take up too much space in a typical household layout.

I've always liked the operation of a major terminus to a rural halt, which I guess if why I’ve been recently attracted to simulator software: you can readily experience driving hundreds of miles, instead of having to model maybe a mile or two of (semi) rural track.
A 10 coach train of mk1 is 2.6m.

You can get 10x 8 coach trains on a 4'x8' sheet of ply! The approaches are another matter though! I can fit 10 coaches in my station at 7/10 platforms and simplified approaches do work. OK no width for a station building, approach road or car park!

Lego City tracks are available in 3D printing in all sorts of shapes, just plastic, but a start!
 

Inversnecky

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On top of Liverpool Lime Street, another good model is Edinburgh Waverley West. The throat of the modern station has been so simplified, though, that it has vastly reduced the need for scratchbuilding of track:

 

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Rutland23

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Just dragged a few phots across from the old computer.

1612119703898.png

The Fiddle Yard

1612119796439.png

I need to work out how to attach photos rather than drop them into the thread.

Station throat under construction

Regards

Ian
 

Cowley

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Just dragged a few phots across from the old computer.

View attachment 89621

The Fiddle Yard

View attachment 89622

I need to work out how to attach photos rather than drop them into the thread.

Station throat under construction

Regards

Ian

That’s a thing of wonder to me. I read some of your thread on rmweb and I’ll read some more of it later. Thanks for the link.
 
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