The shorter porting of the FPL lock bar has now been completed and fitted in situ - still waiting for the glue to set. This just leaves the connection to the FPL bolt. I think I'm going to have to modify part of the bolt mechanism already fitted as it doesn't allow a long enough connecting rod to the lock bar. Not quite as drastic a mod as Coachman regularly makes to Greenfield but a bit of extra work with the added risk of damaging parts I need to re-use.
Here are some photos showing assemb
A quick update following completion of the FPL lock bar operating mechanism. This includes a representation of a spring assister which helped the signalman move the weight of the bar and cushioned the bar at the ends of its movement.
Still got the other portion of the bar to complete and the rodding from the signal box.
Here's a view of the recent bits added:
Following on from my previous post on point rodding, I've now got stuck into the facing point lock lock bar. This is located immediately in advance of the king point to prevent the FPL being withdrawn if any stock was standing over the bar.
Using information from the Scalefour Society manual and further information and photos from Robin Whittle (of Barrow Road fame) I've made good progress with my 4 mm scale representation.
The bar is slightly the wrong proportions being a length of 0.82 x 0.8
It's been quite a while since I last posted anything about Delph (or should I say "Holt"). This is mainly because there's been precious little progress in recent weeks, partly due to the warm weather making work on the layout an unattractive proposition but mainly because I've been shying away from what seemed like a difficult and fiddly task. Needless to say, when I actually knuckled down to it, it proved much less of a problem than I had anticipated.
Anyway, a concerted effort over the past w
BR 9F 92037 paid a brief visit to Delph today following major repairs. Here she is seen close to the recently installed FPL and signal detector.
The loco last saw use at Scalefour North a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, it shed a con rod big end (due to the return crank unscrewing) which locked up the chassis at full tilt and doing a fair bit of mischief to the mechanism. The loco was stripped down and now everything appears OK, although not tried under power, in anticipation of an
Recent progress has been rather slow and has included cosmetic point stretcher bars on all the points forming the main station throat and a start on the point rodding in the same area. Of course, at the real place, there wasn't much point rodding because the signal box had been removed in the early 1900's and subsequently the points were operated by local levers. However, in my model I've reinstated the box and so rodding and signal wire runs are required. The rodding run connects the box to the
Like some sort of UFO, the goods shed has descended from space (the spare bedroom, actually) and landed in the prepared cut-out in the cork surface of the base-board. It's been there before, but I thought I'd re-fit it, just to complete the station scene.
Dave.
In a recent blog, Tim has shown his developing model of an LMS Caprotti Class 5, and very good it looks too.
Here are some photos of the gear I made for the similar BR Standard version. Also a sketch of how I represented the universal joints in the shafts. THe shafts and joints were made for various diameters of brass tube and rod and the return crank gear boxes were from the DJH cast brass gear I was replacing. For ease of assembly, painting, etc., I made the gear as a set of sub-assemblies he
Hope you all had a good Christmas and are ready to celebrate New Year in whatever way suits you!
I recently collected the platform sections and other Delph (well, Holt, actually) related buildings from Gravytrain, following some minor repairs, additions and modifications. Peter was very keen that I fix the platform sections down to the boards to avoid any further warping of these long, thin plastic card structures - so I have. I'm a little concerned at their vulnerability, especially the lam
In anticipation of fixing the platform in position, I've done some work on the rodding for the platform release cross-over which will be fairly inaccessible once the platform is in position. The cross-over was operated from a ground frame located between the buffer stops via a rodding run which started in the 6 foot, then crossed under the platform road and then ran close to the platform face before crossing back to the far end point blades. I've tried to replicate this arrangement using cast wh
In my last entry, I reported that I couldn't get the signals to work and suspected some switching problem, which I assumed was due to my attempts at some limited interlocking within the control panel. This requires certain switches to be either normal or reversed in order to allow the circuit to the signal servo control board to be broken, thus clearing the signal. So, for instance, it is not possible to clear the home signal unless the entry point is set to the platform road and the FPL engaged
After the more than slight disappointment of the electrical issues described in my previous blog entry, I am pleased to say the the problems proved not too difficult to sort out. One or two of the comments suggested it didn't sound too bad, so you were right, thanks!
The dead sections of track were due to me not having connected them to the jumper cable to the next board! I thought I'd been very careful and systematic with the wiring, checking as I went, but obviously not as thoroughly as it sh
Today I had a visit by friend Dave Clarke, who has weathered some coaches for me and we took the opportunity to assemble the whole scenic section of the layout, using the plastic trestles I bought recently. This allowed all the boards and control panel to be connected up and an attempt at running for the first time. A number of unexpected issues were found so the outcome was rather mixed. Part of the run-round loop and three sidings were completely dead on two boards, despite previous careful ch
Those who have followed previous blog entries will know that I have not yet started the support structure for my Delph based layout. As a result, although I have placed individual boards on the (suitably protected) dining table to work on, any attempts to connect several boards together have involved having them on the floor. During a recent visit by Tim V, we managed to connect all four scenic boards, but this entailed moving the table and a coffee table out of the way to make enough space. All
A couple of posts back, I explained how the bell code dinger mechanism had been fitted to the control panel and pondered on possible sources for a suitable battery holder for the PP9 battery.
Well, nothing appeared to be available commercially, so a custom made holder has been constructed from thick (1.2 mm I think) plastic sheet and attached to the side of the control panel with a couple of 8 BA screws and copious quantities of plastic solvent. The attached photos show the arrangement with the
By moving some of the furniture, I was able to assemble all four scenic boards for the first time, today. Still on the floor, naturally, as the support structure is not yet built.
The occasion for this event was a visit by Tim Venton (Tim V), of Clutton fame, following his visit to the Midland Model Engineering Show nearby. Tim kindly helped with the removals work and assembly of the layout.
Attached photos show the results - looks impressively long for a single line branch terminus.
Two o
Yet another step forward with the electrics - nearly there now. I've had two bell code dinger units made to enable the layout operator (driver/signalman) at the front to commincate with the fiddle yard operator (hidden at the back) using prototypical bell codes. These units utilise a modified door bell mechanism (to give single dings each time the switch striker is depressed) operated by a battery powered circuit board at each block post and a change-over micro-switch. Only two wires are require
The 12 v DC power supply units for the two signal servo control boards were collected today and then fitted under the boards. There's one power supply unit for each of the control units and these are now all wired up. Another step towards completion of the wiring arrangements.
This one supplies the starter and ground signals;
and this one the bracket signal.
Next task is to add the bell code dinger unit to the control panel.
The signals made for me by Steve Hewitt (of Liverpool Lime Street fame) were collected last week and have been trial fitted to the layout and the operating mechanisms and contol units fitted and wired. Steve has made a wonderful job, as seen in his semaphore signals thread in the forum section of this site.
The following photos show the signals in situ and the operating bits fitted. The signals have since been removed and refitted into their carrying frames for safety during further layout cons
Complete, that is, except for the signal control units and their local 12v DC power supply units, which I haven't got, yet.
After months of putting it off, I finally knuckled down to wiring up the station throat board with its numerous turnouts and diamond crossing - by far the most complex in terms of electrics. Photos below show the under board wiring on this board.
However, methodical work and constant continuity testing seems to have paid off as only very minor re-work was
Following initial function testing of the control panel, I have connected up the panel and two boards to check a bit more, including the yard controller connection points. To my consternation, feeds to the second board (the one with the coal drops) and the DC input were completely dead. Everything on the first (station) board appeared to be reasonably OK (see later) and the DCC input and local point operation/LED's on the second board worked. A slight sense of panic set in as I frantically check
The part finished ex-LMS D2008 vestibule brake 3rd has been completed to partner the D1916 version already done. As before, the bulk of the work was done by Coachman, leaving me to make the interior and finish off. The D2008 is a bit unusual because it has only 51/2 seating bays but an even smaller brake compartment than the D1916, which has 6 bays. This must have resulted in very generous leg room for excursion passengerd who chose to sit in this type of coach.
Here's a shot of the complete co
Following a couple of days break attending the Wells Finescale show (helping(?) Robin Whittle and the team with Bristol Barrow Road), Today I got round to function testing the control panel - as much as I can without it being connected to the layout, at least. Everything appears to work as intended but I was puzzled why the LED's indicating the route set by lever No. 4 weren't illuminated whereas the similar LED's for lever No. 8 worked fine.
Then it dawned that until connected to the Tortoise
Well, as best I can tell prior to functional testing, the wiring is complete. I've tried to be methodical and careful, but even so, I had to undo various cable ties and the spiral sheaving a couple of times to add extra wires which I'd missed first time. Testing under power will start shortly - probably next week, after a two day visit to the Wells show over the week-end. I just hope it all functions as intended as I don't really fancy fault finding or any re-wiring!
Here are some photos of
Slow progress (all my progress seems to be slow!!) has been made with the control panel. The mimic diagram is complete, including lettering using Letraset transfers (applied by good friend, sign-writer, Phil Taylor - his work is much neater than I could achieve). The diagram was drawn using coloured permanent marker pens.
Wiring of the lower part of the panel containing the various tag strips and a small circuit board with a couple of relays (extra switches for the diamond crossing polarity and
