DJLC - Echo's Entry

[Echo]

I have ordered some reed switches to have a play with. Seems that some have a normally on and a normally off switch. This is more useful than 'normally off' alone. I really need a normally on one, switched off by the proximity of the magnet, I think.

 

I have also had a better(?) idea for the microswitch. Putting the microswitch below the trackbed would allow the full weight of the train to bear on it. I did a little experiment with a hinged piece of PCB. I held the microswitch in the jaws of some pliers. This proved to be extremely reliable. Once the wagon got so far down the PCB, it triggered the microswitch every time. Pulling it back up the gradient released the microswitch reliably too. I will have to try this with proper track as the joint between the pivoted and unpivoted track may cause problems. Only one way to find out, really!

 

 

I am reluctant to try anything very expensive as the layout only needs to run for a few hours one weekend in June 2020. Spending lots of money to solve this problem seems a little excessive. Many thanks for the advice Nigel, all the same.

Edited November 11, 2017 by Echo

[Echo]

The reed switches arrived this morning. I have tested one, as in the test rig below and it seems perfect for the job. I tested it with a small magnet held in an aluminium hair clip. The switch has 2 alternate outputs either on or off. This means that at the same time as switching off the motor, it can illuminate an LED to show that the train has stopped.

 

 

I ordered a few spares, just in case I get a problem with one.

 

Next, I shall make the incline operational. That brings up the question of what the stock should look like. Here are two photos of the real stock at Lausanne

 

 

 

Given that the predominant view of these on the layout will be of the roofs, I think models of the real thing would look pretty boring. I really need some stock with interesting rooflines - maybe clerestories and a birdcage for the guard? Time to start looking for photos of interesting old carriages. Not too elaborate though, as they have to be scratchbuilt.

[Ian Morgan]

I am sure some David Eveleigh etches would provide a good starting point (http://www.2mm.org.uk/small_suppliers/davideveleigh/index.htm).

[nick_bastable]

some of the Arnold early Prussian coaches may also make a good base to start with

 

Nick

[Echo]

I am sure some David Eveleigh etches would provide a good starting point (http://www.2mm.org.uk/small_suppliers/davideveleigh/index.htm).

 

Thanks Ian - True, but I was thinking this project might be an ideal way of getting away from the evils of ready-to-run, etching, 3D printing etc and get back to some good, old fashioned modelling. I will keep the thought in mind though, just in case.

some of the Arnold early Prussian coaches may also make a good base to start with

 

Nick

Thanks Nick. I had similar thoughts only last night. Fleischmann too produce some interesting roofs. However, the prices are quite high. I need 6 vehicles for the main funicular, plus one vehicle for the short funicular. As with my reply to Ian, it would be nice to use this project as a scratchbuilding paradise. I can always fall back on eBay if all else fails

[Echo]

I decided that saloon rather than compartment coaches were essential for the funicular. Searching the Internet, I eventually found a carriage that inspired me. It is actually a French mail van, but if you imagine windows instead of panels, it starts to make sense. The design has a clerestory roof and ventilators in the main carriage roof, all of which should make a top view of the train more interesting. Most importantly, the design has no round corners, which should make the stock easier to build. The position of the doors and windows would obviously vary depending on the class of coach etc.

 

 

 

The drawing is dimensioned, so I should be able to build "realistic" models. I will need to do one version with a brake compartment at one end with a birdcage for the guard to see in both directions, on the roof. The photo is of a slightly different vehicle, but it enables a good understanding of the panelling and other details. The carriage works out at around 50mm long over buffers. Three in a train gives me 150mm, which is just about exactly what I ideally need.

[nick_bastable]

I decided that saloon rather than compartment coaches were essential for the funicular. Searching the Internet, I eventually found a carriage that inspired me. It is actually a French mail van, but if you imagine windows instead of panels, it starts to make sense. The design has a clerestory roof and ventilators in the main carriage roof, all of which should make a top view of the train more interesting. Most importantly, the design has no round corners, which should make the stock easier to build. The position of the doors and windows would obviously vary depending on the class of coach etc.

 

a1405935522-N-2.jpg a1405935522-N-1.jpg

 

The drawing is dimensioned, so I should be able to build "realistic" models. I will need to do one version with a brake compartment at one end with a birdcage for the guard to see in both directions, on the roof. The photo is of a slightly different vehicle, but it enables a good understanding of the panelling and other details. The carriage works out at around 50mm long over buffers. Three in a train gives me 150mm, which is just about exactly what I ideally need.

the body looks a easy laser cut if you draw it ie  basic body plus overlays as a dwf  I'm sure I could assist

 

 

Nick

[Echo]

Thanks, Nick. That is a very kind offer. Unfortunately, I am determined to do as much as possible the old fashioned way, as mentioned in post #55.

 

I like the £1 coin at the side of the brake van though. If you can do those, I might be interested. Preferably the new version, of course.

[oily]

and get back to some good, old fashioned modelling.

What a joy to read that there are still people who prefer the satisfaction of good old fashioned craftsmanship!

I'm with you. I sometimes feel that skilled craftsmen and women are an endangered species.

I'll now put on my tin hat and get my head down.

Oli

[Echo]

What a joy to read that there are still people who prefer the satisfaction of good old fashioned craftsmanship!

I'm with you. I sometimes feel that skilled craftsmen and women are an endangered species.

I'll now put on my tin hat and get my head down.

Oli

I think good old fashioned bodging will be infinitely more likely than craftsmanship, Oily.

 

Seriously, just about everything will have to be scratchbuilt on this project. Better to have everything to a consistent standard, even if it is not as sharp as etching, laser cutting etc.. I will use a few products if suitable, like etched windows for example, but as little as reasonably possible.

Edited November 18, 2017 by Echo

[nick_bastable]

I think good old fashioned bodging will be infinitely more likely than craftsmanship, Oily.

 

Seriously, just about everything will have to be scratchbuilt on this project. Better to have everything to a consistent standard, even if it is not as sharp as etching, laser cutting etc.. I will use a few products if suitable, like etched windows for example, but as little as reasonably possible.

each to their own and many many fine models have and are produced with basic tools, I tend to view craft cutters, lasers , 3d printers as  machine tools  in the same way a lathe, milling machine or drills are

 

will continue to  watch with interest  

 

Nick

[Echo]

A few days on and work on the incline is progressing. Now that I know roughly how long each train will be I have trimmed the ends of the incline slightly. The length of the incline determines how deep the baseboard has to be, so in that sense the smaller the better. The trains need to hide well out of sight at each end of the incline though. The bottom end is no problem. At the top end however, people will be able to see a fair way into the tunnel mouth. I managed to cut around 50mm off each end of the track.

 

 

I have also made the motor support structure and the winding drums. For the winding drums I took the plastic cover off the motor shafts, on the basis that the smaller the diameter of the winding mechanism the better. I used OO gauge wagon wheels for the outside edges of the drums. These were taken off their axles and the insulating bushes were removed. This gave holes just a whisker larger than the diameter of the motor shaft. I then epoxied the wheels to the motor shafts, being careful to keep them reasonably square to the shafts. The wooden structure holding everything together was made from old scraps of wood. One main objective was to make the motors as accessible as possible.

 

 

I have temporarily clamped the assembly to the baseboard for these shots. I will adjust the level to get the best running. I have some pulley wheels on order to guide the ropes into the correct alignment with the track.

 

The end view here suffers slightly from perspective problems. One shaft is slightly further back than the other, as one motor and gearbox is upside down to its mate. This makes one shaft look a lot higher in the photo than the other. In reality, it isn't.

 

 

I have also started work on the control panel for the incline. Still a bit of work to do though before I can show it off.

[Echo]

Slowly, but surely the winding mechanism is coming together. Having looked at the photos in my last entry, I decided that the winding drums could be a lot closer together, so I cut the assembly down the middle, trimmed the motor shafts, cut some wood out of the middle and stuck everything back together again.

 

 

I have also installed the winding cables - polyester thread. I tied a short section to the motor shaft and secured with glue, then powered up the motors to wind the thread in. Each thread is around three times the length of the incline. This allows me to cut bits off if necessary, due to wear and tear, entanglement etc. several times without having to install a completely new thread. I have also added wires to the motors, ready to connect up to the control box.

 

The pulley assembly has also been completed, now the pulleys have arrived. These revolve freely on a metal shaft, which also revolved freely in some brass tube. The ends are deliberately long, so I can rotate the shaft by hand once everything is assembled, if ever necessary.

 

 

This assembly will be attached vertically to the front of the winding mechanism. The centres of the pulleys line up with the track centres at the top of the incline.

 

I have also made the control box. I still have to do a bit of wiring, so it is not yet connected to the winding mechanism. This will eventually be screwed to the baseboard. There was almost a disaster here, as the retaining nut for one of the controllers had a damaged thread. After trying without luck to find an alternative, I glued it in position, so one controller is now permanently fixed to the control box lid.

 

 

The run up to Christmas is likely to be a bit hectic, so I don't expect to proceed much further for the moment, other than finishing the wiring. There's still 2.5 years to go, so no need to panic just yet!

[Ian Morgan]

It's good to see you are getting the technical bits sorted before embarking on the scenic side. I know it can be frustrating, as I have a similar problem with trying to get Camford Junction properly wired up and working before the rest of the club members start adding the delicate scenery. But there are so many fine looking layouts that are plagued by mechanical and electrical problems that are almost impossible to rectify without destroying the scenery.

 

Keep up the good work.

[Echo]

Thanks, Ian.

 

I don't find it frustrating though - sorry if it came across that way. This part of the project is all new ground for me, so quite interesting to do (sorry for the unintended pun). Nevertheless, I do want to prove this bit thoroughly before I embark on baseboard construction etc. Other things to experiment with before building the baseboard include the building and operation of the gradient for the short funicular, the sector plate and the trams.

[Echo]

Good & bad news. Claire, my dear wife, found she was pregnant at the end of November. I (we!) have now concluded that it's goodbye to railway modelling, the model railway room and all my spare time for the foreseeable future. I have scrapped most things but will keep the work I have done on Lausanne for now, just in case I find the time to proceed with it again before the DJLC. Ever an optimist!

 

Bye to RMweb and everyone on here for a long while to come, I guess!

[Branwell]

Good luck to you and your wife with the new arrival ... but hopefully it's au revior and not goodbye.

 

Regards,

 

David V.