Lymington town

[Steve_Cornford]

I am attempting to design a P4 layout based on Lymington Town, based on the track layout as it was at the end of steam, start of 3rd rail operation.
So I have imported tiles from the NLS OS 25inch County series map which gives this layout, but I also dabbled with an import of tiles from the NLS OS 125inch map , in particular the engine house. This shows the the engine house in more (accurate ) detail including the 6 pillarsof the 5 arches that are on one side of the engine house. This matches pictures of the engine shed in the Transport Library, but these pictures show the addition of a water tower at the right hand side back of the shed, and this accounts for the anomoly in shape.
The 125" map shows the track inside the shed as being straight, as do pictures, as it has an ash pit, so I am inclined to trust the 125" map in this respect.
I started by adding plain track segments in sections, using the swell function to align them over the "central" through line.
Is that the correct approach or is there a better method?

I would be grateful for any suggestions.

Enlargement of the Engine house portions.
Steve

 

[Martin Wynne]

@Steve_Cornford

Hi Steve,

Looking good.

Yes, the usual plan is to use swell to create dummy templates some way apart, and then use make transition link to create a smooth connection between them which follows the map line. Usually there is some trial and error needed on the initial dummy templates to get a good result.

For example you had a slight dog-leg by the goods shed. The middle template PL003 wasn't strictly needed. I shortened your right side template (PL004) a bit, and then curved it a bit more, to PL014 (coloured light blue).

Then I made a transition from there to the left side template TR006, with the result PR015 (coloured lime green).

This makes a nice sweeping curve without a dog-leg. However, you might think that the middle part of it should be dead straight. In which case you could make a short third dummy straight template there, and then make separate transitions each side of it.

The transition templates are then lengthened/shortened as necessary to replace the dummy templates. They can then be split into shorter sections to insert turnouts etc. Lots of trial and error, coffee, etc. called for.

More about making transition links here:

https://85a.uk/templot/companion/make_transition_link.php

I agree that the Engine House should be straight. It has probably been distorted by the georeferencing process (the original OS County Series 25" maps are on different map projections from the modern internet slippy maps).

BOX file attached.

cheers,

Martin.

 

[Steve_Cornford]

Hi Martin,
Experimenting with the Engine House and attempting to design the ash pit inside, I set this template to all L1 chairs, which left rail length but adjusted sleeper positions, then when i go to shove sleepers only 14 of the 15 sleepers are numbered and therefore accessible to shoving:-

I had also ticked template is waybeam timbers but that seems to have a null effect.
Just reporting this in case you need to know it occurs.
It means i cant get at sleeper A15
Steve

 

[Martin Wynne]

@Steve_Cornford

Hi Steve,

Months ago I had the waybeams working great. Then I did something which wrecked them, but I can't remember what.

Also you may run into a crash with error 192 which means I haven't allocated sufficient memory for the template. Make sure you have saved your work before experimenting with waybeams.

I will do some digging and report back.

As I keep saying, there are still dozens of unfinished loose ends. I tended to ignore them just to make some progress with the main stuff. But they always come back to bite in the end.

cheers,

Martin.

 

[Steve_Cornford]

Hi Martin,
Yes I did suffer a 192 error crash, but have got past that somehow.
Here is my latest effort:-

and here is how the preview looks:-

but i do get this message before it generates the preview:-

Please don't loose any sleep over this, as I am just experimenting and learning how to use Templot by splitting up Lymington into small segments and practising using the many different features that you have provided.
Hopefully I will be able to use the background picture to design a mock-up of the engine house.
Steve

 

[Martin Wynne]

@Steve_Cornford

Hi Steve,

What did you do there? I think you may find that there are no sockets under the chairs, or sockets which are facing at right angles.

To make waybeams needs two separate overlaid templates. This may or may not work:

1. a normal straight plain track template, NOT a waybeams template. Set to all L1 chairs and in the shove timbers hide all outlines.

2. store it. This template provides just the chairs for the waybeams.

3. restore all on the shove timbers.

4. shorten the template to just 2 sleepers.

5. set template is waybeam timbers. If there are more than 2 sleepers when you do this you are likely to get the 192 error crash.

6. rotate it 90 degrees, geometry > shift/ rotate >

7. real > rails > no rails

8. in the shove timbers, for each timber,

untick all 4 chairs;
widen it to 14" or 16" typically (set full-size inches);
lengthen it to suit the number of chairs;
move it along under one rail

9. repeat for the other sleeper under the other rail.

10. store it. This template provides just the timbers for the waybeams. Setting template is waybeam timbers causes it to rotate the sockets 90 degrees to cancel the fact that the template was rotated 90 degrees.

11. It should now export and print, although there is a bug at one end of each sleeper -- print an extra chair and cut off the unwanted socket. The sockets should be the right way round, but might be twisted.

This function isn't really ready for use, sorry about that. I need to sort it out, and eventually it will just require a couple of clicks. I think it went wrong when I changed the L1 plugs and sockets for the loose jaws.

cheers,

Martin.

 

[Steve_Cornford]

Thanks a lot Martin for explaining the concept of rotating the 2 sleeper template & setting to waybeam to get the rotated sockets.
I have had another go, following your instructions, but then added some bonus timbers to connect the two sides.
Although the preview wasn't perfect as you predicted:-

The actual exported file fixed in 3D builder gave a better and usable result:-

albeit with a bit of trimming.

I used the timber shoving to switch off the flanges that would otherwise intrude on the ashpit.

ps I also tried a 2D .DXF export and that was absolutely fine.

Another day when I have learned something new!
Cheers Steve

 

[James Walters]

This is brilliant Steve, we've all learnt something new now. I shall look forward to seeing this develop with interest.

 

[Martin Wynne]

ps I also tried a 2D .DXF export and that was absolutely fine.

@Steve_Cornford @James Walters

Hi Steve, James,

That looks great.

Yes, the timber and socket kerf outlines should be fine for 2D. But I think the nibs and snibs might conflict with the adjoining track.

Somewhere on my to-do list is the intention to make the nibs and snibs settings template-specific. That way they could be switched off or set to different dimensions on different templates in the same print. Now that I have got the revised BOX format working it will be much easier to add new options such as this as I go along.

cheers,

Martin.

 

[Steve_Cornford]

Hi James,
Don't thank me, I just asked the questions!
Martin gave a concise explanation, and I just followed his instructions.

Hope you recover soon!
Steve
ps put me on your list for the Bulleid Flatrol, oh and a couple of cattle wagons , oh and......
That is if you are planning on making them available via Make It Miniature.

 

[Steve_Cornford]

Acquired a 2nd hand copy of "an historical survey of SOUTHERN SHEDS" by Chis Hawkins and George Reeve today .
2 page spread of Lymington shed c/w a drawing of shed & a couple of photos.
Lots of other shed to whet the appetite though.
Even 1 page on BEXHILL WEST!
Wonder if James has a copy?
Steve