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getting the point (blades) across...

bcnPete

Entry posted by bcnPete

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Update

 

Good evening - The electrics are continually slowly...but I am trying not to rush it and make a complete dogs breakfast as usual.

 

One thing that had been troubling me for a while was how to deal with the turnout control for the layout.

 

Normally, I use good old fashioned wire in tube as namely my sparks skills are pretty basic, I am still on DC operation and the folding track section at the rear of the layout looked as it it would not be suitable due to the need to be folded 90 degrees.

 

Obviously depth is a big problem here...and a tortoise looked like it wasn't going to fit :no: So I began to look at Seep...and then Peco :O and then I began to ask myself do I need a CDU for just one turnout? This continued for a number of weeks over numerous espresso's and then I wondered why couldn't I save myself the problem by trying to get the wire-in-tube to work.

 

After a few sketches and head scratching sessions, I realised that the w-i-t method could probably be made to work, using the usual dpdt switch to do both throw and polarity change, as long as it was installed early on before the wiring to enable a simple routing of said tubing. Using a 2mm Association turnout operation unit (which unfortunately would have been too deep overall) I took the right angled extrusion bit and set about trying to incorporate this beneath the turnout - the thinking being that the w-i-t could always be disconnected from this element prior to dismantling the layout.

 

Here's the sketch of what I was thinking....

 

blogentry-3290-0-42678400-1350496397_thumb.jpg

 

This afternoon, I drilled a hole near the side of the turnout and fixed a small length of brass tube with cyno to protude benath the surface. The right angle extrusion piece (name escapes me) was then slipped over this brass tube (an almost snug fit to the chosen brass tube) having been spaced off the underside of the board by a small section of the brass thread that comes as part of the turnout operation unit. Then a small slotted hole was made in the position beneath the tiebar to aloow sufficient movement. The vertical link to the tie bar is through a map pin which is secured with cyno and then soldered into the PCB tiebar (the top needs clipping and filing down flush still) This is then connected back to the dpdt switch by a length of wire in tube which has been held down in place by a gluegun.

 

The switch will be replaced after I collect a small package of electrical goodies from my folks later next week and this will be set into the right rear fascia ensuring that the switch does not protude wider than the recess to allow it all to pack away in the boxfile.

 

There is some messy work to be cleaned up around the turnout sleepers etc prior to paint and ballasting but it seems to work okay and now I can hopefully complete the wiring and run a few tests before the PW team arrive.

 

A few pics to explain...anyone of a nervous disposition, should avert their eyes as there is a 'work in progress' shot beneath the baseboards of my wiring :no: :D

 

blogentry-3290-0-16134300-1350497115_thumb.jpg

 

Turnout tiebar in place and brass tube inserted...still needs lots of tidying up around it...

 

blogentry-3290-0-26177600-1350497130_thumb.jpg

 

Overall shot beneath showing my simplistic electrics...

 

blogentry-3290-0-59772900-1350497150_thumb.jpg

 

And zoomed in...

 

blogentry-3290-0-07465500-1350497169_thumb.jpg

 

Here we see the mechanism acting as a pivot...

 

blogentry-3290-0-79381600-1350497184_thumb.jpg

 

Plan shot...wires have been glue gunned to keep clear of mechansim...

 

 

That's all for now...hope to get another update in next week having got the wiring out of the way...

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  • RMweb Gold
46444
  • RMweb Gold

Blimey Pete! You're one step ahead of me! :O

 

Nice 'n' neat by all accounts :)

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

 

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  • RMweb Gold
bcnPete
  • RMweb Gold

Very neat wiring Pete. Looking good.

 

Thanks Jeremy...

 

Neater than mine. What's the yellow wire for?

 

Thanks Rich - Assuming my sparks are sound, the yellow wire is from the turnout frog and it will connect to the centre of the turnout dpdt switch...

 

Blimey Pete! You're one step ahead of me!

Nice 'n' neat by all accounts

 

Thanks Mark - it might not stay that way as I have to connect all the power ones together now...spaghetti a la Paddock Wood anyone? ;)

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  • RMweb Gold
Donw
  • RMweb Gold

It has always been an issue tiebars and how to operate them yet mostly we get it to work as I have no doubt you will. Good to see you following the KISS principle.

Don

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D869

Interesting solution!

 

I would not have thought of making the turnout drive turn through 270 degrees between the switch and the tiebar, but if it works then who cares?

 

What tubing are you using?

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  • RMweb Gold
bcnPete
  • RMweb Gold

It has always been an issue tiebars and how to operate them yet mostly we get it to work as I have no doubt you will. Good to see you following the KISS principle.

 

Thanks Don...

 

Interesting solution!

I would not have thought of making the turnout drive turn through 270 degrees between the switch and the tiebar, but if it works then who cares?

What tubing are you using?

 

Thanks Andy - Put like that, you're right...it sounds daft! On Kyle the turnout switches were mounted 90 degrees to the turnouts and hidden in the platform/building before taking a sharp turn all surface mounted conduit - But this time I had to have a below board solution so the pivot seemed to be the only way I could get my head around it - the tubing is the 'slippery sid' plastic stuff given to me by my father a couple of years ago...not sure they are still in business though now...

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Jon020

Well done Pete. I wouldn't be embarrassed by the wiring... it looks neat enough for me... and how neat does it need to be anyway. If it works, and it's secure, and if you're not dealing with miles and miles of cables, then that's probably good enough. Don't get hung up on the perfectionist bit (yes I know... pot-kettle), try to stick with how good is "good enough". Any I think you're there!

 

Now, that turnout operating unit - yes, very neat. I like the way we work in synchonicity; I was sketching similar ideas the other week for a small diorama - not that the plan went anywhere, but a discussion at scaleforum had left me with one of those "duh, why didn't I think of that" realisation moments. I like the idea of tortoise or cobalts, but yes, they need space, and why make it complex: K.I.S.S - you know what I mean! I'd been thinking of more rigid connections, but I like the w-i-t method and I'll look into that too.

As D869 (sorry, I can't remember your name) said above; please spill the beans on what wire and tube you used - and what switch too come to that.

Jon

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  • RMweb Gold
bcnPete
  • RMweb Gold

nice too see something GREEN on the layout

neat work as always

 

Thanks Nick - Green stuff is kept where it should be...below baseboard level...:lol:

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  • RMweb Gold
bcnPete
  • RMweb Gold

Well done Pete. I wouldn't be embarrassed by the wiring...

As D869 (sorry, I can't remember your name) said above; please spill the beans on what wire and tube you used - and what switch too come to that.

 

Thanks Jon - Firstly, to remind you, it's Andy ;)

 

With the tubing, as noted in the response to Andy above but I think MSE does plastic stuff if Sid is unavailable. The dpdt slide switches I usually use are from Gaugemaster...they sell individually or in packs of 25...does that help?...

 

EDIT: to include a few links...

 

Ref: SM4

 

http://www.modelsignals.com/sm_parts_frame.htm

 

Ref: BPGM501

 

http://www.gaugemaster.com/item_details.asp?code=BPGM501&style=&strType=&Mcode=Gaugemaster%20BPGM501

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  • RMweb Gold
bcnPete
  • RMweb Gold

Nice one Pete - I feel a 'copycat' solution coming on for 'Box'...

 

Thanks Ian...

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marc smith

Well done indeed Pete

As everyone else has said

Don't be embarassed about that wiring...

I'm all for keeping such things simple

It all looks very neat indeed :)

 

Some nice progress here

 

Marc

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  • RMweb Gold
bcnPete
  • RMweb Gold

Well done indeed Pete

As everyone else has said

Don't be embarassed about that wiring...

I'm all for keeping such things simple

It all looks very neat indeed :)

Some nice progress here

 

Thanks Marc - A final push and hopefully all the wiring (bar the signals) will be done by next week...

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Jon020

Thanks for the links Pete. Ah Wizard.... why didn't I notice these when I was looking at their stand at S4M? Doh!

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  • RMweb Gold
bcnPete
  • RMweb Gold

Thanks for the links Pete. Ah Wizard.... why didn't I notice these when I was looking at their stand at S4M? Doh!

 

No problem Jon - Am sure they had lots of goodies on show lask week, and lets face it, wire-in-tube ain't that exciting to look at...:)

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  • RMweb Premium
PaternosterRow
  • RMweb Premium

That wiring is really neat - I wouldn't dare post a pic of my efforts! That's also the best wire in the tube demo I've seen - feel a copycat coming on there.

 

Ever considered doing a little video for us all to show us how the layout folds up into the box files etc?

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  • RMweb Gold
bcnPete
  • RMweb Gold

That wiring is really neat - I wouldn't dare post a pic of my efforts! That's also the best wire in the tube demo I've seen - feel a copycat coming on there.

Ever considered doing a little video for us all to show us how the layout folds up into the box files etc?

 

Thanks Mike - I think in 4 years on here, that's the first pic I have dared post of my work beneath the baseboards!

 

Not big on vids personally but I can do a series of stills showing the process some time if that's of interest...assuming it all still fits inside them once the signals and platform canopy are in place...:O

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  • RMweb Gold
TomE
  • RMweb Gold

Lovely simple solution for point control there Pete! And the wiring is looking nice and tidy too.

 

Tom.

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  • RMweb Gold
bcnPete
  • RMweb Gold

Lovely simple solution for point control there Pete! And the wiring is looking nice and tidy too.

 

Many thanks Tom...

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