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Kyle - Up the (Spaghetti) Junction...


bcnPete

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Evening all,

 

Viewers alerted by wiring nightmares should avert their eyes now...:laugh: As per usual with my blog entries they are a mix of positive and negative experiences but it’s all about the process and how we get there, right?

 

This weekend I looked to test the turnout in situ before spraying and glueing in place. The loco ran smoothly up to the turnout and onto the frog area then kept shorting out...I swopped over wires and checked for gaps on the PCB...then it occurred to me that I had not gapped the tie bar made from a PCB sleepers turned on its side... :swoon: :rolleyes: Once this was sorted it ran through, but then shorted when the blades were switched the other way :angry: As you know, electrics are not my forte so I pondered whether to re-wire the layout from scratch. The main problem is the basic electrics were done 10 years ago as a DC layout and then modified more recently for DCC. So switched sections all add to the extra wires underneath.

 

Now the fascia has been removed it’s not so easy to flip the layout upside down anymore so a few temporary card sides were cut to give a good surface to review the base. It really is a mish mash and although has been reliable at shows (bar the intermittent turnout) it is too complicated and am not sure why I compounded this by using about 6 different coloured wires!

 

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What a mess for such a simple layout!...

 

So I pondered over lunch and a few glasses of white wine what to do. Decision was made. Strip out and renew as much as I can, but simplifying in the process. I will leave the DC capability but permanently wire the sections together. I also drew one of those wiring diagrams with the two coloured pens as a I tend to use blue and red these days for + and - and yellow for turnout frogs. This was drawn reversed so I can compare when the layout is upside down.

 

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Wiring diagram from below...

 

I then took out the cutters to start snipping. It reminded me of that 70’s movie with Richard Harris (I think) where they had to defuse a bomb...”cut the blue wire...no, cut the red wire” ;)...So I cut most of them and then labelled as I went along with simple blue and red tags as to what I think they ought to be.

 

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Wires cut and tagged ready to be rationalised...

 

That’s pretty much where I left it as the light was fading and I think I need to start this with fresh eyes and a few hours run at it. Hopefully next weekend I can make a start. It means a slight step back in programme however in the long run it seems to be the right thing to do as I have quite a few shows lined up for 2019 and some in 2020.

 

Hopefully once it’s complete, the layout will run a lot smoother and the simplified underside can match the simplified top side!

 

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Hard to believe that a layout with just two turnouts could be a mess of spaghetti underneath!...

 

As always, comments welcome...

 

Pete

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11 Comments


Recommended Comments

  • RMweb Gold
Are the blue people negative?

 

Do you want me to put a positive spin on that...;)

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  • RMweb Gold

Good job done Pete.

 

Best done now rather than later especially with a few expos awaiting in the wings.

 

Watch this space 4 an equivalent 009 version of spaghetti junction ;)

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

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  • RMweb Gold
Good job done Pete.

 

Best done now rather than later especially with a few expos awaiting in the wings.

Watch this space 4 an equivalent 009 version of spaghetti junction ;)

 

Thanks Mark - Absolutely. Tip of the day, three wiring colours max!! :good:

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  • RMweb Premium

It might be helpful to draw the frog sections on your diagram in yellow, and mark where the insulation gaps are. The yellow frogs (poisonous?) can then be connected with yellow wire to your frog switches.

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  • RMweb Gold

Where the blue & red lines cross over, the electricity will be marooned.

 

That's why it needs rescuing with an extra wire.

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  • RMweb Premium

And they say DCC is easypeasy!

 

Well done in sorting it out. Love the rationalized drawing by the way. It’s a pity someone hasn’t come up with pre printed copper clad sheets of points and track sections that could be fixed under the board for easier connection. I’ve always had a problem when flipping the layout over during wiring as everything becomes opposite to the above track plan and I start getting confused. Layout wiring is an art in itself yet it never seems to get much of a mention.

 

Love that shot taken by CN - shows just how well you integrated the back scene. Great to see you back up and running with Kyle again.

 

Mike

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  • RMweb Gold
It might be helpful to draw the frog sections on your diagram in yellow, and mark where the insulation gaps are. The yellow frogs (poisonous?) can then be connected with yellow wire to your frog switches.
Thanks Ian - yes that sounds a good plan...

 

Where the blue & red lines cross over, the electricity will be marooned. That's why it needs rescuing with an extra wire.
Thanks Mark - so maroon not yellow wire?...;)

 

I know make the frogs Green  :jester:
:rolleyes:

 

And they say DCC is easypeasy!Well done in sorting it out. Love the rationalized drawing by the way. It’s a pity someone hasn’t come up with pre printed copper clad sheets of points and track sections that could be fixed under the board for easier connection. I’ve always had a problem when flipping the layout over during wiring as everything becomes opposite to the above track plan and I start getting confused. Layout wiring is an art in itself yet it never seems to get much of a mention.Love that shot taken by CN - shows just how well you integrated the back scene. Great to see you back up and running with Kyle again.
Thanks for your kind comments Mike - will be good to see you posting again soon too...:good:
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  • RMweb Gold

Hi Pete, I very much recognize this from my recent layouts, not least the bit about multiple colours of wire: "I'm out of blue wire... oh well will use brown instead, I can always change it later... now I'm out of red wire, oh well will use green instead, I can always... etc".

 

The last shot is great!

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi Pete, I very much recognize this from my recent layouts, not least the bit about multiple colours of wire: "I'm out of blue wire... oh well will use brown instead, I can always change it later... now I'm out of red wire, oh well will use green instead, I can always... etc".

 

The last shot is great!

Thanks Mikkel - yep completely relate to that! I did try with my 7mm layout to keep to just red, blue and yellow and that seems to have worked...it’s just this one is a rework of a rework of something done 10 years ago :rolleyes:

 

Yes Mr Nevard’s photos of it are superb...I think he had not photographed a 2mmFS layout before mine...and not one 653mm long scenically!

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