Lights, Camera, Action
Entry posted by Richard Mawer
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Google provided me with details of the High Wycombe and District Model Railway Society and I made contact with one of the guys there. He invited me along as there is a large test track (incidently for O, OO and N gauge, DC or DCC!), many people to speak to about DC or DCC and he himself is a serial loco builder.
For a bottle of Port and a small amount of cash for materials, I became the proud owner of a well finished off Bulldog in 1936 shirtbutton livery. I have bought plates to name it "Pershore Plumb". Many thanks Stan!!!!
I also got to test all my locos. All but two ran. Simple repairs to pickups quickly done at home and all was put right. My first and second steam outline locos: a Hornby Albert Hall and Pannier failed the running test over modern Code 100 points (heaven forbid code 75!) and so two decisions were made 1) the two locos became gifts to my second cousin who is running on old Hornby track, and 2) I had to stick with code 100 for the rest of my locos.
I had some great chats with plenty of people about DC and DCC and decided that it would be very difficut to fit decoders into my old locos and DCC would not actually give me much greater benefit given what I want to do with the layout. If I could fit sound DCC, then that would be very attractive apart from the cost. I am sure that will come. The "sound" locos at the club are very attractive.
Although I never intended joining a club, I soon realised there is a huge depth of experience on tap and the guys are very happy to share. HWDMRS has a wide range of layouts and is working on some very advanced stuff including MERG electonics and CBUS control. They (we) also run the popular WYCRAIL exhibition. You guessed it, I joined! If any readers have not considered joining a club or society, I strongly recommend it.
So with these questions answered, I set about finalising my plans, wiring principles and bought lights, a load of timber and insulation.
This was November to January, nearly a year ago. By the end of January I had boarded out the loft, applied insulation (multi foil) to the underside of the slopes and had wired in some flourescent lighting. Apart from the cost implications, I now wish I had put more insulation under the slopes, but you have to be careful to ensure the timbers can breath. The alternative can be rot and mould - not good for rafters!
I started building baseboards using 22 x 44 timbers for the frames. The storage loops, junction station (Newton Purcell) and main terminius (Buckingham West) all have solid tops with framing approx 18" apart. The tops are 6mm MDF. Using PVA, I have stuck soft boarding on top of this, using the underlay boards made for laminate flooring. This is about 6mm.
The interconnecting boards are open framed and so have cross member approx 12" apart. MDF has again been used for the track bed, but leaving gaps to the sides for scenery to dip below the line if needs be. Also, these boards will carry two levels of track, so the higher ones will be on risers from the cross members. The boards on the solid tops are fine, but there is a minute amount of deflection to eth boards on the open frame sections. Ideally the cross members should have been closer together or the boards 9mm. I have got round this by adding strengtheners below those sections. The boards are fitted to the rafters using metal brackets and 2" x 2" legs. Although a little Heath Robinson, the boards are reasonably stable and level, but they will not come up to the exacting standards of many people.
During the Spring I laid the storage loops. Getting the positioning and geometry of the point ladders at each end correct to ensure the maximum loop length was a little tricky and I had to learn how best to cut track and get the connections right. The main issue was, however, getting the maximum radius possible on the dumbell. I was advised that I shouldn't go less than 600mm. In the end I managed 570mm, but I was concerned that the 8 coupled locos wouldn't go round. I already had a 28xx, but knew I wanted a ROD. This was just the reason I needed to invest in Bachman product and what nice loco that is!!
Once the loops and dumbell were laid, work commenced on the double track circuit which goes right around the loft, below Buckingham West and Newton Purcell (that board fits above the storage loops and therefore isn't yet in place). There are two double junctions on the circuits: one to the storage loops and the other to lead to the incline up to Newton Purcell.
The track was laid in the summer heat. Although the insulation is reasonably good, the loft is still hot in the summer and right now is quite cold and feel a little damp - but that could be the cold. Time will tell. I have no heat in the loft and although some people have said you have to have dehumidyfiers fitted, I am very sceptical about that. Some heat for modelling sessions may be needed though. The good point about laying track in the hot weather is that you can butt it up tight and know it won't buckle. If laying in the winter, be sure to leave expansion gaps at the joints - particularly on continuous runs.
With the double track circuits laid and temporary feeds to the live frogs, I installed the power bus below the boards. I have used 24/0.2 wires and have used common return wiring. The outer rail of both tracks is taken to just one wire, which is connected to both controllers. There are separate wires to each of the inner rails. This saves wiring, but also makes section switching, block working, interlockinig with signals and points so much easier by using one side of dpdt switches for the tracks and the other for the accessory.
I used 7/0.2 wiring for the droppers from the tracks to the busses and plastic "suitcase" style connectors, avoiding the need to solder against gravity in a confinded space. With over 50 meters if track laid for just the circuits and storage loops (6), there was quite a lot of wiring, but I don't want to have to rely too much on fishplates for connectivity in a loft environment.
Hey presto I have running lines and I have started running in my locos. It is so satisfying to see GW locos running round.
This autumn I have had less time available, but I needed to fit control to the storage loop points. I didn't want individual controls for each point. For me that would lose the illusion of the storage/fiddleyard being "real" Banbury/Birmingham etc. I want to just send the trains into the tunnel and not have to deal with them again till they are due out. So I designed a diode matrix that means I only have to press one of 6 buttons for a train going in and anoter one out of 6 when one is due out. The timetable will just say A to F by each of those movements.
I found the H&M point motors to need too much current when 5 motors had to be thrown: the Peco CDU to be too weak for my requirements: and a potential loss of power due to the operating buttons being 4 meters from the ladders of points. I have therefore ended up using peco side fitting point motors, thick wires cut from mains cable and a heavy duty CDU obtained from All Components (others are available). I also had to use high current diodes obtained from MERG. After quite a bit of trial and error the matrix for one ladder is complete and the point motors installed. On test it all works. Now I have to build the second matrix, install the rest of the motors, fit the kit in place and connect the final wires. This should be done before Christmas, so I can install the Newtn Purcell baseboard over the loops. My only concern is then how to keep the track clean below. Any ideas?
In the meantime I am happy watching my locos running in.
Rich
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