UK Slate Sizes

In British practice the length of the slate is typically twice the width, each of the most popular sizes having a traditional name. Thus Imperial slate sizes range from 12″ length by 6″ width (Small Doubles) and 14″ by 7″ (Narrow Ladies) up to 24″ by 12″ (Duchesses) and 24″ by 14″ (Princesses). Popular sizes are:


Duchesses: 24″ x 12″

Small Duchesses: 22″ x 12″

Wide Countesses: 20″ x 12″

Countesses: 20″ x 10″

Wide Viscountesses: 18″ x 10″

Viscountesses: 18″ x 9″

Wide Ladies: 16″ x 10″

Ladies: 16″ x 8″

Clearly when modelling it is necessary to assess the type of slates used on the building in question and allow for the overlap which takes up a lot of the length.

The N Gauge table is:

Size	Length (inches)	Width  (inches)	N Gauge  Length (mm)	N Gauge  Width (mm)
Duchesses	24	12	4.1	2.1
Small Duchesses	22	12	3.8	2.1
Wide Countesses	20	12	3.4	2.1
Countesses	20	10	3.4	1.7
Wide Viscountesses	18	10	3.1	1.7
Viscountesses	18	9	3.1	1.5
Wide Ladies	16	10	2.7	1.7
Ladies	16	8	2.7	1.4

Information from John Williams Roofing.

UK Brick Sizes

When constructing model buildings, the thickness of walls can often be guided by thickness of the construction material (often card) when it should actually be a result of the size of the bricks used in the wall being modelled. Here are some typical UK brick sizes that may help has a guide to wall (and therefore construction material) thicknesses. All dimensions are in millimeters, first full size then scaled down to British N Gauge.

Actual sizes taken from: Hints and Things

	Length of brick (excluding joint) mm	Width of brick (excluding joint) mm	Height of brick (excluding joint) mm	Typical Joint mm
Metric	215.0	102.5	50	10
Metric	215.0	102.5	65	10
Imperial	225.0	107.5	68	10
Imperial	230.0	110	70	10
Imperial	230.0	110	73	10
Imperial	230.0	110	76	10
Imperial	230.0	110	80	10

In N Gauge:

	Length of brick (excluding joint) mm	Width of brick (excluding joint) mm	Height of brick (excluding joint) mm	Typical Joint mm
Metric	1.5	0.7	0.3	0.1
Metric	1.5	0.7	0.4	0.1
Imperial	1.5	0.7	0.5	0.1
Imperial	1.6	0.7	0.5	0.1
Imperial	1.6	0.7	0.5	0.1
Imperial	1.6	0.7	0.5	0.1
Imperial	1.6	0.7	0.5	0.1

Point control

The wire in tube point control now complete. The double slip was already done. The other points are now completed with holes front and back to allow control from either side. The controls can be swapped from front to back by undoing a single screw on each one. I just need knobs for the protruding wires now.

This does reveal that I have not connected up the rear 5 pin DIN socket yet. I can only use it from the front in its current location though so this is not a priority.

Progress at last - cab control

At last I can report some progress. After coming back from holiday ready to get going again in early September, a lengthy virus and a couple of exhibitions (n-gauge and Peterborough) blocked out too many weekends. For a while I never got going.

The cab control is however now complete. Four sections, each one of which can be controlled by one of two controllers.

I had for some time considered reviving my minimal carpentry skills to make a control box. After a few days working out a design in my head, considering nice wood veneer, a laminated track diagram and a removable access panel, I stopped and asked myself why? All I need is a lightweight, robust box that I can drill holes in! I had a couple of suitable plastic boxes in a cupboard. So out came a storage box with a semi transparent lid through which an internally mounted track diagram could be viewed. A bit of drilling and soldering, a diagram with Photoshop and some 3M tape and I had this:

I only need four section switches as I intend to use the trusty Gaugemaster integrated controller. Power from the controller comes in via two phono sockets to the left. Power to the layout comes out from a 5 pin DIN socket at the back to a matching 5 pin DIN socket at the front or back of the layout. The track diagram is taped to the inside of the lid. Point control will be wire in tube at the front/back of the layout so no point switches to worry about in the control box.

I can store emergency spares in the box and it has a convenient carrying handle. To my surprise it worked first time. I wish I could say the same of all my efforts.

Chiltern Green 2013

Chiltern Green, originally built by The Model Railway Club is now on display at the Devon Railway Centre. Featured widely in RM in the 80s it was one of the best model railways of its time. Here are some up to date photos:

Summer and other things

Summer is not conducive to layout building especially when job things intervene. Progress has therefore stalled for some time. Summer can however result in visits to interesting places. This little gem, in need of some TLC, came to my attention during my holiday. Anyone who has a copy of RM April 1975 might recognize it.

Track layed

After a little hiatus for various events I have managed to make some progress this week. The track has been laid, secured firmly with white woodworking adhesive. I went for the water-proof variety so that is does not lift when I start adding ballast with PVA/Water/Washing up liquid mix.

The photographs never lie and always reveal problems I did not spot. Some of the dummy sleepers need more careful alignment, but this will not be too taxing.

With the track in place I then turned to wiring. Yellow is the common return, the other wires are colour coded according to the plan in the Electrics post.

I have also done the wire-in-tube operation for the double slip and attached the polarity switches. I have been hatching plans in my head for the way I would do the wire in tube for some time but was pleased to see an article in the latest Hornby magazine covering the subject. It described an approach very similar to the one I had been considering using chocolate box connectors to join the wire. I also use them to hold the tubes in place rather than the cable tidies as in the article. The fact that someone else had done it first and made it work was a great confidence builder so I went ahead with the implementation. It works beautifully. Thanks to Phil Parker for the article.