Disaster at Battledown #4

To recap, the disaster came about when I was trying to rework the wonky bridge handrails but ended up breaking the bridge (see Part 1). 

The replacement bridge is now in place. It has integrated handrails and whilst these are fixed to every bridge upright and diagonal support to keep it straight there is still a bit of handrail droop between some fixing points.

Whist the Nova3D Mecha water washable resin makes for a more robust model than the Anycubic water washable resin it is just as vulnerable to warping. Hence droopy handrail.

I decided to fit the track to the bridge deck and ballast it before installing the bridge. I thought I had it lined up to the embankment track but at one end the rails were offset by only1mm, enough to derail trains.

I removed the ballast from the joining track and freed it from the track bed ready to reposition and in so doing managed to break the track chairs along one rail.

The sleeper and integrated chairs were resin printed using the brittle Anycubic resin so, I should not be surprised of the failure.

I don't have much Nova3D resin nor Anycubic resin left. Will I have enough to reprint the sleepers?

Featuring BR1 Sleeper Chairs

Next Day

I needed 9 sleeper pairs and found 5 left over from a previous project  so, I had sufficient resin left to print the remaining 4 pairs. 

Existing Anycubic resin prints are shown on the left and Nova3D resin prints on the right. No difference in print quality (photo right). 

The Nova3D printed without deformation and being considerably more pliable than Anycubic the rail chair clips are less likely to fail.

The new section of track duly painted and ballasted (photo left). The rail breaks in the foreground are at baseboard joins to enable baseboards separation, if required in the future.

END

To Part 1.

Disaster at Battledown #3

Managing Nova3D Washable Mecha Resin

This stuff has a mind of its own.

Lattice and handrails warped.
The whole part also twisted.

This is what it does to models designed with mostly thin plate sections and how to manage it.

1. Within minutes off the build plate it will steadily warp significantly. It does not matter if supports and rafts are removed or not.

2. Whilst wet from the wash cure it slowly in day/sun/light on a windowsill for a day, occasionally rotating for all surfaces to cure. Within a few hours it will regain its designed form.

After a few hours curing 
it regains its desired shape.

3. After cure there may still be minor warping evident in places. Heat the warp using a hair dryer for 5 to 10 seconds. Bend to the required form and hold in place until set.

To Part 4.

To Part 1.

Disaster at Battledown #2

 More experiences using Nova3D Washable Mecha Resin.

I do like the fact that resin particles washed off settle at the bottom of the water tank rather than remaining suspended in the water.

I do not like the excessive warping that occurs in thin plate sections, which is what this bridge is mostly composed of. But, the situation seems to be recoverable.

Within minutes of being out of the print chamber and with supports still in place warping occurs that is quite worrying to see. (It's like those tinsel fish that curl up from the heat of  your palm). The material is also floppy like rubber. Even after curing in a UV light chamber for a few minutes the steady march of warping continues. I since read that warping is due to uneven shrinkage during the curing process.

What I had to do was carefully tie down components where areas have warped and then cure on a shelf in sunlight. Once fully cured the parts become hard with some flexibility that resists breakage.

These larger pieces were less problematical. Where warping was present I found heating with a hair dryer then moving and holding the warped part to the correct position until cooled eliminated the fault.

Before I started I wondered if the new imbedded handrails would print correctly. Well, they did! The two bent pieces at the end will reform when joined up to the next bridge part handrails.

The jury is out on the suitability of this resin. The next part to print could exhibit insurmountable warping due to its style requirements.

To Part 3.

To Part 1.

Disaster at Battledown - again

'Again', because previously I clumsily destroyed the signal at Battledown. This time there is a bigger disaster.

When I built the flyover bridge I used wire for the handrails (visible in the photograph). These were cyanoacrylate glued to the struts here and there (it looked great). Over time the wire between fixing points had become distorted and the plastic cracked at some fixing points.

Clearly the temperature coefficients of plastic and wire being different lead to stress during changes in ambient temperature between summer and winter.

I decided to replace the wire handrails with 3d printed versions using the same plastic resin. It was difficult gluing the new handrails in place, due to access restrictions and the use of cheap cyanoacrylate glue that did not want to stick. Nevertheless, I did get them fixed on one side of the bridge.

The nearside was even more difficult as I had to lean over the bridge to view the inside face. Positioning myself precariously I slipped and fell onto the bridge which caused the side to break away.

What to do about it?

I had never been happy with my choice of 3d printing resin (Anycubic Water Wash Resin +) as it produces very brittle models and tends to warp. It may be ok for 'blocky' models but not for those with a lot of thin plate sections. This, together with the replacement handrails that still drooped between fixings (see photo), I decided to remake the bridge using a better suited resin.

First though, I changed the design to integrate the handrails such that they are fixed to every strut. Also, I thickened some girder plates to reduce (in theory) warping.

With regard to resin choice I would like to keep the water washable aspect. I came across a review comparing several water washable resins. The one that gave the best toughness combined with good pliability was Nova3D Washable Mecha Resin.

First thing I noticed was the greater viscosity compared to Anycubic. Also, the resin does not run off the prints so well resulting in a little more waste to wash off. 

I first printed a batch of small bridge components (cross bracings) that were quick to print so that I can check the results before printing more complex components.

They printed perfectly and after curing in the sun for an hour the supports were cut away. Improved pliability was evident but I still managed to break leg(s) off quite a few whilst removing the supports. This might be because the the parts are very thin (0.33mm).

To Part 2.

 

Once Bitten Twice Shy

This is the distant signal at the west end of my Battledown Flyover Model Railway. The signal is made from a Ratio LNER upper quadrant signal pack UQ/80 with a customised platform. The lattice pole style and upper quadrant signal arm of the LNER signal is reasonably close in style to a Southern signal. 

On the other side of the embankment is the Basingstoke to Salisbury main line and two storage sidings. When needing access to that area my arm passes over the signal. (you know what is coming).

Unbeknown to me my woolly cardigan sleeve caught and locked onto the finial and signal arm. It was carried across the room where it dropped off onto the floor, closely followed by my foot which crushed it beyond repair!

I  gathered up the bits that I could see but nowhere could I find the signal arm. Now, I do have spare parts from the kit but not another lattice post. Time to design a post and fire up my resin 3D printer to make it. 

I'll recover detailed parts from the crushed signal and use a spare signal arm from the kit.

I use FreeCad for design and Lychee Slicer to create the 3D print file using its auto support creation feature. My printer is a Creality Halot Mage with Anycubic water washable resin.

The lattice network came out well but both ends were distorted and there was a bit of warping. The latter can be corrected during the UV curing process but the end distortions were considered too bad. 

The simple solution was to manually add extra supports to the ends and print again. By the way, print time for this model is 1 hour 12 minutes.

If I need to make another one in the future I think I can get away with the lattice spars being 0.5 mm wide instead of 0.7 mm that I had designed as this will give improved definition, especially at the top of the pole.

For me, semaphore signal assembly is the most difficult job on the model railway. It is so fiddly to achieve an operational signal arm.

Here is the new signal (photo right). In future, when leaning over it to reach the other side of the embankment, I must remember to remove it first - once bitten twice shy!

Postscript

Lost signal arm found. Well, only half of it. Weirdly, in the front passenger floor well of my car! Can only assume it was stuck in my sleeve and dropped off when I changed gear. But where is the other half?

Project 24 - Battledown Flyover #26 (The Movie)

This is the last posting in this series. 

Research, Design and Build of the layout was achieved over about six months during 2024.

Key chapter links are listed below:

Chapter 2: Flyover bridge design and build (3D print)

Chapter 9: Thoughts on layout design

Chapter 11: Layout Build

Chapter 25: Photo Shoot

Click the 'To Series Part 1' link below to follow the project from the beginning.

THE MOVIE

Click here to see a movie from the 1960s of the real location.

To Series Part 1.

Project 24 - Battledown Flyover #25 (Photo Shoot)

I have taken the modelling as far as I can for now. There is just one anomaly concerning the signal box plinth. I caught a glimpse in a video of stone steps in the alley way that I have not modelled. It raises a question as to where the door is in that side of the building? Clearly the steps lead up to the signal box cabin before it was removed but where is the entrance for the plinth/store that remains? Until evidence materialises I cannot complete the building.

One of the great joys for me is to recreate and photograph prototypical scenes on the layout. Below is my new portfolio with references to the prototype. Smoke effects have been added and the railway room background wiped. Head codes (white disks) have been manipulated for the correct route. Everything else is the actual model railway layout. (Click images to enlarge).

One final posting (#26) to come.

1. West country class with an up Bournemouth train (1962)

2. West Country Class with the Willesden to Salisbury empty milk train

3. N class hauling vans to Southampton Docks (1962)

4. Warship Class 42 with a Waterloo to Exeter train (1964+)

5. West Country Pacific with a Plymouth to Waterloo train (1950s)
 

6. The Atlantic Coast Express. Waterloo to Exeter (1960s)

7. West Country Class approaching the flyover from the South

Bibliography of prototype photos. Scenes of which were recreated on the model railway.

1. Hampshire Steam. M. Welch. ISBN 1-85414-229-1
2. Mainline to the West (Basingstoke to Salisbury) J. Nicholas et al. ISBN 1-903266-43-2
3. Decline of Southern Steam. M. Welch. ISBN ?
4. Waterloo-Exeter Heyday. G. Siviour. et al. ISBN 0-7110-1895-2
5. Railway Herald Issue 205 (link)
6. ?
7. ?

To Part 26.

To Part 1.

Project 24 - Battledown Flyover #24 (Naughty People)

Following on from the last post about adding objects to an otherwise open landscape for extra interest I have included photographers and train spotters who have trespassed on to the railway. 

This is not a fictional event because I have seen such activity in enthusiasts cine films from the 1960s. I don't think these people would get away doing it these days.

Waiting for the next steam train

Figures are by Scale 3D except my scratch built camera on tripod

Here is that brave (or stupid) photographer about to capture a train hurtling over the bridge

Figures were painted following the technique shown in this tutorial video.

To Part 1.

To Part 25.

Project 24 - Battledown Flyover #23 (What is that laying in the grass?)

One of the aspects of modelling a real scene, especially countryside, is that the scene is generally open and uncluttered. Sometimes it is a good idea to add some objects for extra visual interest. 

Battledown Flyover is a case in point. Except, when works are being carried to the bridge or permanent way a lot of equipment can be seen laying about and some of it remains when the work is finished. We have already seen on the model, sleepers laid against the bridge arch and a length of rail buried in the grass but, Look at this photo. What is that laying in the grass next to the wagon wheels?

I have seen about ten photographs aimed at passing trains that also show the object. It seems those wheelsets and the object in question were in place from about 1961 to 1965. An earlier photograph from the 1950s shows them closer to the bridge and a later photograph from 1967 shows a similar arrangement further up the line near the now demolished Worting signal box. None of the photos give a close enough view to determine exactly what it is. 

I thought it may be a pallet or the body of a permanent way trolley. I decided to investigate trolleys and came upon three photos of railway flatbed trolleys. A character of these was the unusual spoke design of the wheels. There are seven spokes, each one curved. Closer examination of the Battledown photos revealed that the wheels also had seven curved spokes. That sealed it for me. We are looking at a flatbed trolley with its wheel sets removed. 

Furthermore, the trolley seemed to be upside down but, why are the wheels separate? Perhaps it is to dissuade trespassers from using it on the track since this place in the 1960s would often be swarmed with enthusiasts and photographers. Some even climbed the embankments and at least one stood by the track on the embankment next to the bridge to film a train coming through it at speed!

Another photograph showed an oil barrel nearby that was only there for a short time (I guess). All these objects have now been modelled.

What is that laying in the grass?

To Part 1.

To Part 24.

Project 24 - Battledown Flyover #22 (Change to Plan)

I did not intend to accommodate the down Basingstoke to Southampton line because it would be another dead end like the up line but, featureless. After all it is the bridge on the (dead end) up line that is the main point of interest on this layout. 

When I came to consider landscaping the east end of the layout I discovered that the baseboard is wider than expected here and that prototypically part of the omitted down line would be visible as it sweeps in to join alongside the west of England main lines.

So, I have now added a short length of the down line. There is only enough baseboard width to run the track to the bridge and you can see from the inset in the photo how it meets the edge of the baseboard.

I decided not to power this track. It is therefore, simply part of the scenery. With hindsight I wish that I had widened the baseboard to accommodated a full run of track. The baseboard only needs about 75 mm more width at the west end. Also, I could run the track onto the non-scenic lifting section for even greater length (although the curve would be too tight for some locomotives). 

It would be possible to increase the baseboard width at the west end without too much trouble (if I feel like it in the future). For now, the short piece installed is essential to be true to prototype and it may be useful for photographic sessions.

To Part 1.

To Part 23.

Project 24 - Battledown Flyover #21 (Embankments Completed)

 The east end embankment:

The split line between two baseboards is clearly visible in the above photograph but that lighter coloured line sloping right on the embankment is a grass worn path that is evident in early 1960s photographs of the prototype.

The rusty fence, made from bullhead rail, was originally painted white on the prototype.

See that bush by the brick pillar in front of the fence. It started life as lichen on a broken tree branch that I found during a countryside walk.

I carefully removed a piece by cutting away a slice of tree bark that it was attached too. The lichen was glued down on the layout via its tree bark foot. It was then covered in static grass and scatter for a convincing looking bush.

To Part 1.

To Part 22.

Project 24 - Battledown Flyover #20 (Reality Quest)

This is the view under the model bridge; pretty much as it was in the first half of the 1960s including, sleepers laid against the wall, the single rail buried in the grass, the fences, the trees on the far side of the embankment and the tree line in the backscene.

The field fence was particularly troublesome to install, mainly due to the bridge and embankment hindering access.

The fence is an unusual design. Unusual because I could not find any other examples of the post on the web. The post comprises T section metal posts with sloping sides supporting five wire runs. Wire stays fit between the posts.

The posts were installed first and then bare electrical copper wires fed through them followed by fitting of the stays. The fifth wire at the base was not installed as it would have been buried in the long grass! I roughly painted  the parts a rust colour. 

All, except the wires, were resin 3D printed by myself. They are small, thin and with the holes make them fragile. Several broke during installation but, thankfully, I had just enough spares to replace the damaged ones. 

My CAD design is shown below. 

To Part 21.

To Part 1.

Project 24 - Battledown Flyover #19 (Visual Trickery)

I thought that the north west embankment in the early 1960s was just grass, turning into shrubs and trees just beyond the wooden hut.

Take a look at this photo at flickr. I had missed the fact that trees are evident between the bridge and signal.

This is fortuitous because they will help block views of the non-prototypical fiddle yard sidings behind the embankment on the model railway. However, not by much because it is only the tops of the trees that are visible from this viewpoint.

My preferred method of making trees is to use natural flora, specifically the wild herb yarrow or sedum autumn joy. These plants, when died back to brown in winter, retain remnants of their flower heads that look like model tree canopies. They are both domed shape so a model tree has to be made by cutting and joining sprigs together.

The normal viewing angle on the model railway is much higher than in the photo above. The trees I made showed too much of their lower parts, including trunk. To remedy this I used a technique that I applied to my Swanage Loco Yard layout. Namely, lay individual sprigs down rather than fabricating a whole tree.

If we look behind the embankment the trick is revealed. This viewpoint is impossible to see in practice without a camera or mirror. 

The sprigs are not even glued down. Just arranged to give the desired effect when viewed from the other side of the embankment.

Next, I needed a solution to hide the non-prototypical tunnel mouth that is employed as a scenic break.

Even though on the prototype there are no trees this side of the embankment, I used 'modellers license' to judiciously place a tree that blocks the tunnel mouth from the normal viewing angle. I also added some dried moss to make it look a bit shrubby. None of it is stuck down.

To Part 1.

To Part 20.

Project 24 - Battledown Flyover #18 (Two Huts)

If you saw the huts today at the prototype location you would find that they are heavily weathered - taking on an earth brown appearance. Further more, the window glass and doors are gone. 

In the early 1960s they looked almost new. So, that is what I depicted on these models for the period of my layout. 

They are made from commercially available card kits. Web link top right of this Blog.

To Part 1.

To Part 19.

Project 24 - Battledown Flyover #17 (Embankment Grass)

Seems to me the grass was tidier in the 1960s than the scrub evident today. (1960s example here). To emulate the tufty grass of the 1960s I followed WWScenics guidance in this video except, I used inexpensive heavy duty glue spray and firm hold hairspray instead of the two WWS glues presented in the video.

I have applied static grass before but, this is the first time I used the WWScenics method so, a little apprehensive. My main concern was my glue selections. Would they stick well enough?

With buildings and signal removed I masked the ballasted track and embankment surrounds and set to work. The grass finish is not as  spiky as I expected but looks tufty and about right compared to the prototype.

Now, it was time to vacuum up any loose fibres, which would reveal how well the grass stuck. With a fine mesh over the end of the vacuum hose to catch loose fibres for reuse it was slowly moved across the scene about 10 mm above it. To me surprise and delight the grass held with a small amount of loose grass collected. A few bare patches did appear which were easily covered with a brush of PVA and a pinch of static grass pushed into the glue.

This end of the layout is the busiest in terms of lineside objects. There is the repurposed signal box base, wooden lineside hut (1960s Airfix kit), distant signal (part custom, part ratio kit) and a scratch built railway telephone box near the signal.

Behind the embankment is a double track mainline and 3 'fiddle yard' sidings. The scene there is not prototypical (the main line in reality sweeps away from the embankment whereas in the model it is alongside) and as such may not be landscaped, being treated as a service area. I may not tidy up the backscene there either. Whilst it stands out in the photograph when viewing the scene my mind tends to ignore it!

I do need to disguise the tunnel mouth that is there for a scenic break since there is no tunnel at the prototype location. 

To Part 18.

To Part 1.

Project 24 - Battledown Flyover #16 (Repurposed Signal Box)

Before continuing the embankment on the west side of the bridge I needed to work out the position of this odd building and make it.

There are a few photos on the web of it, all viewed from this side only. Here is an example. I could see from a 1909 map that the embankment meets this side of the building and on the other side there is a gap/walkway before the embankment continues. I assume there was a door in the building wall that side.

Originally, towards the end of the 19th century, this building was a tall signal box. By the 1960s the box had been demolished leaving only its plinth. A gabled corrugated roof was installed on this. I assume the building was then used as a permanent way store. 

The prototype photograph shows a beam sticking out from the front. I assume this was a hoist. Today the building is gone and the embankment continues across the alcove. It is still possible to see the rear brick wall poking above the top of the embankment. 

The model is made from card with decorative paper overlaid. The hoist was knocked up from scrap plastic bits. Looking back at the prototype photo the modelled brick is too red and the depth of the building a little short. Never the less the essence of the prototype is captured in the model.

On the other side of the track a little further west there was a tall distant signal and a wooden hut. These need to be accommodated as well.

To Part 17.

To Part 1.

Project 24 - Battledown Flyover #15 (Embankment Sub-Structure)

Using spare wood to hand the track bed is supported on 5 mm ply and 3" x 1" blocks (or thereabouts).

The method I used to set the gradient was to first cut two supporting blocks of the required height for each end of the embankment. Lay across them a length of straight wood and measure  the heights for intermediate supports.

The embankment itself is made from shaped polystyrene packaging blocks covered in two layers of plaster of Paris bandage. Stores where I found the bandage were 'The Range' (£1.50 for two rolls. Not clear whether the size stated is for one roll or two (coverage is either 0.4 sq. m or, 0.2 sq. m?). But, beware that whilst their website may show 'in stock' at your local store in my case there were none! Second stop was Hobbycraft who had a large stock of single rolls at £2.00 each (coverage: 0.3 sq. m). They call it Plaster Moulding Roll.

BTW, I determined the slope of the embankment from measuring the angle of the wing wall on a photograph of the prototype.

I decided to fit the grey girder bridge loose so it can be removed for maintenance or reuse and the brick pillars are also loose being held in place by the landscape. 

The layout comprises three independent baseboards, meaning track and landscape do not span the baseboard joins, thus making it easier to separate them in the event of removal. 

Drop wires are soldered to the track at each end of a baseboard and pass through the baseboard to  'chocolate' terminal blocks. Wires from these connect to bolts that hold the baseboards together and these also convey power between baseboards. At the two ends of the layout are 'D' type connectors that complete the power circuit of the oval. 'D' connectors are also hidden in the bridge pillars allowing the bridge to be disconnected easily and removed if necessary. 'D' connectors are an overkill as only two terminals are required. 'D's are what I had in stock.

To Part 16.

To Part 1.
 

Project 24 - Battledown Flyover #14 (Fun with Trigonometry)

To recap, this is roughly the layout plan for Battledown Flyover (top half of photo). Note that the flyover west and east tracks in red, are dead ends. Therefore the bridge scene is almost a static diorama. Almost because a train can run across the flyover from west to east (up line) but, it would need to be a short train.

Since the track does not need to be the steep gradient (1:30) of a model railway in order to join other tracks at ground level I can make the gradient prototypical. But, what is the gradient of the prototype?

Foolishly I did not initially search the web for the answer. Probably because as the bridge is within walking distance of my home I can go and look where the gradient starts, relate this to google maps to measure the horizontal distance and from this calculate the gradient.

Problem is I have not used trigonometry since school days! 

Using Goggle maps I measured the horizontal distance of the gradient to the bridge to be  approximately 7376 mm (4 mm scale).  I new the height of the model to be 80 mm. Now I needed the angle. I remembered from school the acronym SOHCAHTOA to help remember when to use sine, cos or tan but, I choose the easy path of using the web to do the calculations for me!

An angle of 0.621 degrees was calculated here.

and the gradient of 1:92 here. 

Only then did I search the web and found in this forum posting stating the gradient to be 1:90.

I was impressed that my calculation was pretty close to that!

Now I had to work out the rail height at the extremities of the gradients on the model. I measured the track lengths to be 1300 mm on the west end and 1400 mm on the east end. 

Recalculating using the same angle and subtracting 1300 from 7376 etc. gave heights of 65.8 mm and 68.5 mm respectively.

Now I can proceed to build the bridge embankments.

To Part 15.

To Part 1.

Project 24 - Battledown Flyover #13 (A Close Call)

Track and cork underlay are reused from the previous layout. Both are glued down using 'Copydex' since they will peel off easily for reuse if required.

About halfway through laying I realised that I did not have enough track because two turnouts from the previous layout are omitted from the new plan.

From the previous post in this series you will see that I put myself under some pressure to complete track laying for the west of England mainline before a visitor arrived to play trains next day. This would not be possible without obtaining track from somewhere. Buying online was not an option due to the shipping timescale.

Fortunately, the town in which I live has two model railway shops (a rare occurrence). A quick dash to one of them to buy a length of Peco SL100F and some rail joiners enabled me to complete the track work in time. The pressure is now off and I can continue modelling at a leisurely pace.

The turnout in the photo on the far left will connect to a small, three road storage/fiddle yard that will be hidden by a bridge embankment in due course.

I am so grateful that my town still boasts model shops. I wonder how long they will last since many modellers buy online these days to get the best deal.

To Part 14.

To Part 1.

Project 24 - Battledown Flyover #12 (Onwards at Pace)

Three baseboards now in place. The one far left looks smaller than the others but it is in fact similar in length. It needs an infill at the front but, its build can wait until I am ready to lay the bridge track work that will need to run onto it.

What is important just now is to lay the double tracks to complete the circuit so that trains can run all round the oval. In fact I only have a day and a half to do this before another visitor comes to play trains.

The tracks on the right hand board were already in place, being from the previous layout. Just had to swing the straights slightly towards the front to line up with the track plan on the middle board.

BTW the boards are bolted together and fixed to the wall with metal right angle brackets. The back scene is loosely fitted, slotting between wall and baseboard.

To Part 13.

To Part 1.