Switching Over

Tie bar extended and point motor tried for size.

I decided to start relaying track from the control (Lynton) end of the station board, as I would be able to try out the electrics without wasting too much wire. That meant beginning with the one right-hand turnout (operated by lever 3 in the real Chelfham ground frame). Soldered under the PCB tie bar is a brass extension drilled for the point motor (Seep): I fashioned it from a truss rod etching from a brass carriage kit that has obviously been blown up from 4mm to 7mm!

Dry-run fitting of turnout.

I had intended to mount the turnout as close to the board edge as possible. Having discovered that the prototype's EFPL locking bar extended over 6 sleepers at the toe, starting just up from the tie bar, I chose to solder an extra bit of rail each side so as to bridge the break while laying the track to the fiddle yard.

The original wiring for the Seep point motor was to its coils only, and the turnout was simply fed at the toe. I'm going to use the Seep's built-in electric switching, so I soldered feeds to each end of the straight and curved stock rails and to the crossing vee. The feeds at the crossing end will link via the switch to the crossing vee. The dry-run showed I'd drilled two holes too far 'up' the track; re-drilling eased the tension on the wires and allowed me to line up the tie-bar more accurately.

Another Post

I'm doing a bit of research about Chelfham while I wait for the turnouts. I've wondered for a while about the taller telegraph pole in the above photo - the one with a buzzard sat on it. In various photographs from the opening of the line until it closed, it is evident that the pole took the telephone wires over the running lines to another pole just this side of the station building. It was a little less tall - a tad higher than the flu.

Ah, yes - the flu that was on the gable end, but which is absent from the model. As are the pole and any termination insulators.

Anyhow, I am reminded that from day 1 of owning the layout I've found the telegraph poles to be rather delicate. One has sheared off completely, and several have lost their cross-pieces and insulators (the tall one pictured was modelled with 2 but should have 3). One pole between the water tower and the down starter signal is not modelled at all (it should connect to the one with the buzzard), and I'm left with the distinct impression that by SR days the poles on the viaduct were very short indeed. So short that using the refuges might have posed a health hazard. The pole that broke off was timber, though the prototype seems to have been concrete by the period modelled - dates are sketchy.

The buzzard, by the way, I perched on the pole for a children's competition at Warley. The question was: "What is the station cat looking at?" It was early Sunday before I'd managed to find the buzzard, paint it, and install it.

My other research subject for the day has been wiring lists ... more anon, because tomorrow I take possession of the first turnouts.

Back-Tracking

It had to come ... I've been promising for so long that Chelfham would be re-gauged, and now is the time.

Actually, several months ago was the time.

With John Clutterbuck I've attended the 7mm Narrow Gauge Association's Convention and AGM at Burton on Trent for the last 3 years demonstrating the attractions of finescale. This year I'm taking Chelfham, which on its mere 2 outings in my possession has been in its original 0-16.5 form, and it seems only right that it should be in O14. As my efforts at turnouts have been well below par, John has kindly stepped in to rescue me. I've had the chance to watch and learn, but of course actually stripping the Peco 'Crazy Track' has fallen to me.

And what a satisfying job it is too (though I must admit that my heart was in my mouth).

The first replacement turnouts get fitted this weekend, at which point I'll decide whether to make do with wire-in-tube control for the moment, re-instate the Seep motors, or fit some Cobalt motors I bought for the purpose. There are, after all, fewer than 5 weeks to the show!